Day 1, How to Start?

fyfi_fendir
fyfi_fendir Posts: 64 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Today is my first day. With almost 150 lbs to lose, I'm feeling overwhelmed by the task, scared to failed, but determined. I must say I am not too sure how/where to start. At 300lbs, I am constantly in pain and it is way pass the time to intervene but the pain also makes moving difficult. Send some good thoughts my way. Thanks.

Replies

  • Geneveremfp
    Geneveremfp Posts: 504 Member
    Good luck! When it starts coming off you'll start feeling better. Logging on and getting started is the hardest bit.

    Just start logging. It becomes an easy habit quite quickly. Log everything. Weigh things. If you go over don't panic just set good intentions for the next day. Slow and steady consistency wins the race. You might want to peruse the success stories section - that gave me a lot of motivation at first.
  • wayandray3245
    wayandray3245 Posts: 6 Member
    Yep I started with logging everything before making any changes to diet or starting exercising. That gave me a true perspective of my eating habits, and it was worse than I thought. Then you can make small gradual changes. I learned the hard way that it's very tempting to try to shave a bunch of calories per day in order to try to lose the mystical 2 lbs per week. But I ended up being so hungry and I would always cheat and fall off the horse again. This last time around I have had much more success with doing everything gradually. So if I take in a normal amount of 1900 calories a day I would just chop it down toa net 1700 or 1750. The same ones for exercise, I literally just started with 5 minutes of exercise, this week Im up to 22min. Doing everything gradually has also helped me keep the weight off during those periods when I fallen off the wagon. Good luck to you!
  • tuddy315
    tuddy315 Posts: 11,627 Member
    One day I said, "enough!!!!!". I took one step at a time. I started making salads for lunch and no more fast foods. I logged everything and the weight started coming off. Then gradually added things like walking one block and back. Then started drinking more water each day. It took a year and a half to take off 85 lbs. Then, for no particular reason, I slacked off and gained 40 back. Now I am back at it starting this month. So far, I'm down 7 lbs. For me, it just takes mind set and consciousness of everything I put in my mouth knowing I have to log it. I've only had 2 cans of Pepsi since 2016 and not much fast food. You can do it. It just takes perseverance.
  • moonangel12
    moonangel12 Posts: 971 Member
    Good for you taking the first step!! And welcome!

    I would personally recommend starting by reading through the stickied threads on the forum, lots of good info. Do you have a food scale? Most people balk at them when starting out, but it is easier in the long run, not to mention more accurate (there are fantastic threads with pictures showing how big of a difference it can make).

    Also, cruise the success stories section. I love seeing how life changing this process can be for other people!

    Start logging. See where you are at. It can be eye opening to find some of your go to foods make a HUGE dent in your daily caloric budget. Once you know this you can decide if they are worth eating or not. Don’t make drastic changes yet, just learn as you go. I had huge swings the first couple of weeks before my brain settled in and got it mostly figured out.

    Buckle up! It’s a ride, but oh so worth it!
  • Xiaolongbao
    Xiaolongbao Posts: 854 Member
    @wayandray3245 has excellent advice. It's so tempting to go all out but small, gradual changes will add up and you are so much more likely to stick with them.

    I agree with @Geneveremfp too. Reading the success stories section can be great. There's a thread there about "What's your most recent NSV" (http:https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1275030/whats-your-most-recent-nsv#latest//- an NSV is a non-scale victory). It has been going since 2014 - almost 1500 PAGES of posts - over the course of quite a long time I read every single one of them. I also find podcasts helpful. If you listen to them you might enjoy checking out Half Size Me. She was just over 300 lbs at her highest, lost 170 lbs over about 5 years (which included 2 pregnancies for a total of 3 kids) and has maintained her weight for about 8 years now. A lot of the podcasts are coaching calls she does with different people so you get to hear lots of advice and different stories.

    She talks a lot about slow being the way to go. She lost a huge amount of weight in high school, got it off fast and then put it all back on. She spent 10 years then yo-yo dieting and trying to get it off fast. Finally she realised if she'd just lost 1 pound a month for those 10 years (which she would have scoffed at as not even being worth the time to lose such an insignificant amount) she would have been down 120 lbs... but instead all the "fast results" dieting had ended with her being heavier.

    Don't focus on having 150lbs to lose. Focus on 1 day that is an improvement over what you would have done before this. Focus on losing the first 5 lbs. Focus on drinking more water than usual or eating an extra serve or 2 of veggies or doing chair yoga or... anything that is moving you in the right direction.

    All the best with your endeavors. Remember, you only fail if you quit - not if you keep trying. Feel free to add me as a friend if you want support along the way.
  • Geonerd99
    Geonerd99 Posts: 6 Member
    Excellent advice in the replies above. I too would start logging. Only that at first. have been on this journey successfully for many years and find logging is what keeps me under control. I never cheat on logging either. I would only be lying to myself because no one is going to judge me, or you. Baby steps, and be kind to yourself.

    My first goal was, and is not eat amounts of food that make me feel stuffed/sick. Reach back for support. You've got this.
  • Beautyofdreams
    Beautyofdreams Posts: 1,009 Member
    You might also like to go to "Groups" and join the Larger Losers group. It is a group for people who have over 75 lbs. of weight to lose and it is one of the most supportive groups on this forum. Good luck to you and you are off to a good start by joining MFP.
  • fyfi_fendir
    fyfi_fendir Posts: 64 Member
    Thank you all for your support and advices. I had no idea about podcast or Larger Losers group. I'll make sure to check them out. And yes I have a food scale so I can definitely start with that. You are right about doing things gradually. I know this is a long marathon. Luckily, I have worked on this for a while. I haven't lost any weight, but my first step was to change my diet to have significantly more vegetables. Now that I got in the habit of eating lots of veggies and have learn how to cook them, I feel ready to tackle the portion size of everything else. Thank you all again for your support.
  • conniewilkins56
    conniewilkins56 Posts: 3,391 Member
    I am a Larger Loser group member...I started at 350 and 15 months later I am 260... please join us....a great supportive group!

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