Introduction: Getting serious in Michigan

lkn42
lkn42 Posts: 37 Member
Good morning. I've never SERIOUSLY tried to lose weight until 5 days ago.

Last week my cardiologist instructed me that at 5'3" and 188 pounds, she wants be work toward getting down to 115 pounds but she'd consider it enough of a win if I could even get down to 150 pounds. For my health, I'm sure I can reach 150 pounds and maybe even more. So here I am. I'm on a 5 day streak with MyFitnessPal so far.

In my 5 days of usage of this app, I already see that my at home meals are not SO bad, it's the frequent restaurant meals and the near constant snacking on chips, candy, Coke, cake, cookies, etc that is my biggest downfall.

I really like that the app syncs with my Fitbit, I'll be getting my Fitbit charged tonight and will begin using it tomorrow. Walking and roller skating will be my go-to forms of exercise. I would love to take a swimming lesson but my neighborhood rec center hasn't reopened the lessons since the covid shutdown so I'll make a mental note to check for swimming lessons at a later date.

I'm hoping to find some comradery here. I think it might be pretty helpful for me.

Replies

  • PremGandhi
    PremGandhi Posts: 115 Member
    Coke, cake , cookies ,candy..I had the same enemies, lol. These are the usual culprits for a lot of people. Now atleast you know, what hurts your nutrition the most, you can take action accordingly. What worked for me was cooking most of my meals and weighing/calorie count my food before puting on my plate. Everything else just fell in place. Now that spring is here, I am trying to have a jog every evening. Good luck on your weight loss program! Feel free to add.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,108 Member
    Welcome!
    Those are some good insights for your first 5 days :smile:

    You'll find the most helpful posts at the top of each subforum, for example the most helpful posts for getting started:
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300331/most-helpful-posts-getting-started-must-reads#latest

    Lots of people here willing to help as well if you have specific questions.
  • Poobah1972
    Poobah1972 Posts: 943 Member
    Good Morning @lkn42

    Your in a good place. My fiancé is 4'7 and at her heaviest was in the 225+ area and currently is down to the 170's threaten to break into the 160's in the next month or 2. The point is you can certainly do it too, and you have more calorie headroom in which to do it comfortably!

    Welcome aboard! 😎
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 7,425 Member
    Coke ✔️
    Candy✔️
    Cake✔️
    Cookies✔️
    And I’m gonna add pie, Little Debbies and a *kitten* ton of milk to wash it all down. ✔️

    Been there and done alllllll of that, usually all in one day, usually repeated several times before bedtime. I thought I needed it for the energy boost, not realizing it was draining me of energy.

    Find a system that works for you. If you can get past the sugar and carb hurdle, you’ll find that fruits and other foods become intensely sweet, and are often all you need. A navel orange is absolute heaven these days. And strawberries, too.

    I eventually found substitutes that worked for me, including a lot of sugar free products, which I swore I’d never eat. “Sugar-free is bad for me”. “....and the extra 90+ pounds I was carrying wasn’t?”

    Weigh your food accurately, log honestly, start with a reasonable calorie goal and stay as close as you can to it, and you’ll be successful.

    Understand that you will:
    Screw up✔️
    Weight will YoYo✔️
    New exercise regimens, time of month, salty or fast food can cause overnight water weight gain that will vanish in a few days✔️
    Above all...... Patience✔️
  • YaaaahJoli
    YaaaahJoli Posts: 34 Member
    Carbs are my kryptonite. I'm starting a low carb, high fat and protein plan today. Solidarity!