Looking for accountability to lose over 100 lbs

Hi everyone. Today is my first day and I need to lose 106 lbs. I have problems with emotional binge rating and low will power. I have a desk job and sit all day. I'm looking for accountability and motivation to stay on track.

Replies

  • pearcel3342
    pearcel3342 Posts: 13 Member
    I’m right there with you. I have about 100 to loose. I teach and due to COVID we all have to stay in your seats so my activity level is low. I actually signed up for WW and after 2 weeks got so frustrated I left them. Haven’t been on MFP since 2018 and came back. I’m trying to get and stay organized. When I’m not I grab whatever. When I’m stressed I will eat till … the emotions go away. Guilt always follows. I’ve had problems with food like a drug for 30 years +. IDK your age range but I empathize with wherever you are on this journey. My goal today is to get one or two things cooked to get the week started off with good food readily available.
  • VitaminL4U
    VitaminL4U Posts: 2 Member
    Hi! I'm Lauren. I need to lose around the same amount. I'm similar with mostly sitting all day for work. I sometimes slide deep into bad eating habits with pasta and chocolate especially.

    I'm in Florida. Where are you?

    Nice to meet you.
  • CurvyEmmy
    CurvyEmmy Posts: 225 Member
    Hi everyone. Today is my first day and I need to lose 106 lbs. I have problems with emotional binge rating and low will power. I have a desk job and sit all day. I'm looking for accountability and motivation to stay on track.
    VitaminL4U wrote: »
    Hi! I'm Lauren. I need to lose around the same amount. I'm similar with mostly sitting all day for work. I sometimes slide deep into bad eating habits with pasta and chocolate especially.

    I'm in Florida. Where are you?

    Nice to meet you.

    Nice to meet you both!! I’m close to 260 pounds and I would love to lose ~80 pounds but that goal is a bit unrealistic so I think even just getting under 200, or closer to 200, would be enough for me!

    I also love pasta and chocolate! Pasta is like the only thing I know how to cook lol. But I mostly order food delivery and pasta is one of my favorites for that too!

    I also sit on my butt all day for work. We used to work from home during the pandemic and I laid in bed all day lol. I didn’t really go out at all for months - didn’t even get the exercise of walking to my car, etc. so I ended up putting on a lot of weight :(

    M&Ms are my snack that helps me get through the day and also for me to enjoy when I watch TV at night. I know they’re bad but I can’t find a healthier alternative that feels as satisfying.

    Right now I’m focused on getting more active by walking a few minutes each day but it’s tough because I’m too out of shape to do anything strenuous. After work I feel too tired to walk and I just need to lay down. But I can’t wake up early enough to walk before work.

    I’m also working on small diet changes like less soda but so far I’ve only been able to make baby steps!
  • fattyratty94
    fattyratty94 Posts: 4 Member
    Hey there! I'm 28 and also have 100+ lbs to lose. I'm purposefully trying not to have a set number in mind to obsess over, I want to try to focus on just a lifestyle change and form habits. I've made some big changes the last couple of weeks but not so big that it feels like I've turned my world upside down lol

    I'd love to have some people with similar goals to interact with and keep motivated with, if you or anyone else would like to chat! (:
  • Hi! I’m celia, back in 2014 I lost 55lbs but have sadly gained back around 40 of those! I really want to get back to where I was and have an accountability partner as well or just a community of people on the same journey so we can share tips and motivation!!! I’m excited for you Emmy and I’d love to do this together (: we got this!
  • MagpieFlame
    MagpieFlame Posts: 20 Member
    Hi, I'm in the same boat--I'm 5'2, starting weight was 217, goal weight is 120, I'm down to 202 right now. I work at as desk job and my only exercise is running after my kids, lol. I've been pretty good at sticking to small, sustainable changes in my daily life, moreso than getting in a set workout--parking at the bottom of my driveway, or at the back of a parking lot if I'm at work or at the grocery store. Or deliberately being a little "less efficient" at the office: ie, sending documents to a printer that's farther away from my desk, or making multiple trips for tasks--instead of walking to the bathroom and the breakroom, I make separate trips. I have my watch set to alert me if I've gone an hour without getting up, just to get me moving a little bit. I've also been able to do a little bit of walking each day--just around the block to look at Christmas lights right now, but it's good to start somewhere.

    As for diet--two words: volume eating. I've stocked up on a bunch of high-volume, low calorie foods, and am just going to town on them. Right now my favorite snack is sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, with a bunch of Everything Bagel seasoning on it. It's salty, savory, and helps me feel full. That and a bit of protein (some nuts, cheese, or turkey) keeps me in line with my caloric goals. I've had MUCH better luck staying within my caloric goals with cold food than with cooked stuff--specifically, I've been eating a lot of sandwich wraps. Look for low-calorie wraps and tortillas, nice low-cal spreads like Tzatzki or this delicious cauliflower dip they sell at Aldi, and bulk it out with lots of spinach or other leafy greens.

    I also recommend pre-planning your meals into your food diary, so you can get a good idea of your caloric intake and whatever wiggle room you have--nothing like going home and realizing you've suddenly got to put together a 200-calorie dinner on the fly because your boss brought in homemade banana bread!

    Good luck!
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,662 Member
    CurvyEmmy wrote: »

    M&Ms are my snack that helps me get through the day and also for me to enjoy when I watch TV at night. I know they’re bad but I can’t find a healthier alternative that feels as satisfying.

    Emmy, I feel ya. I would go through a party size bag of M&Ms a day ( the zip lock size bag 😙) and/or a couple of bags of Cadburys crispy eggs or Christmas balls (or the family sized bag, if available, because “one” bag made me feel less guilt) a day.

    I wasn’t even paying attention to them or enjoying them - unless it was the last couple in the bag and then I was sad and did try to savor them. Too late.🤷🏻‍♀️ It was monotonous hand to mouth, literally from morning to bedtime.

    Once I finally realized I wasn’t even “tasting” them any longer, I looked for something to replace them.

    For me, it was a quart sized smoothie with cocoa and other things. I concocted something comparatively low cal, maxed it out with ice, and replaced shoveling M&Ms with shoveling ice.

    Silly, childish, nonsensical ……and effective.

    Once I released the hold those little colored chocolate poison pills had on me, everything became so much easier. I was surprised. Once I put my mind to it, it happened within two or three weeks.

    Even now I’ll pick some up in the store, check the calories, and put them right back down. I could have a whole afternoon of enjoyable snacks for what a single serving bag would “cost” me. No regrets.

    The last time I had M&Ms was at a bunco gathering, and I got violently ill afterwards. Coincidence ? Mind *kitten*? I don’t know but I was truly grateful it happened.

    I do still have occasional wild chocolate or sweets days, but typically with something I can’t get anywhere else or any other time of year. Marzipan stollen. Dark chocolate flowers with nonpareils. Trader Joe’s meringues (low cal, actually but who can not eat a whole tub? Not me!) A glorious large oatmeal or chocolate chip cookie from Lidls bakery. Those are worth it to me and I’ll spend the calories on them.

    In all honesty, not only am I mad at myself for the hold M&Ms had on my psyche (my fault, not theirs) for years, but they taste pretty damn pedestrian now.


  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,662 Member
    PS: this is a good group for y’all to consider:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/133315-larger-losers
  • msharrel75
    msharrel75 Posts: 2 Member
    I can relate with you, when I started April 1st of this year I weighed in at 394 lbs. I knew I had to do something about because I was sick and tired of not having energy, I didn’t like the way I looked in my clothes and also I didn’t feel I was appealing to anyone for dating purposes. I feel that your why has to be strong enough to stick to something to make it a daily habit and you have to enjoy what your doing or your not gonna stick to it.
    I started on my own but about mid June I was at 362 lbs. and felt like I needed more accountability, so I started looking for an online coach who I could get that from. I settled on a coach and I have to do weekly check ins and that makes me accountable to the point that I am paying a significant amount of money for the coaching so I should use it. Since that time I have dropped to 285.8 lbs with another 95 lbs to go and my long term goal is to be there at 12/31/22.
    I have a job where I’m at a computer desk for 10 hours a day, my commute to and from work is roughly 2 hours a day, but I make the time to do meal preps and get my workouts in. I wake up and get a 20-30 minute cardio session before getting dressed for work and then get a walk in during my half hour lunch.
    I know if I can be successful at it anyone can as well. I have tons of energy now my legs don’t ache with stiffness and I am off my blood pressure medication that I had been on since 2014.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    The key in losing weight, and take this from someone who has lost 230 pounds, is to make small, SUSTAINABLE changes. this is a long term effort. not a sprint. you will not lose weight fast. you will not lose weight every week. you will have weeks on end with NO weight loss. its normal. trust the process.

    my main tips:

    learn how to weigh (on a food scale) your food properly and find ACCURATE database entries now. I don't know what your starting weight is, but at first you may have a lot of room for error. but as you have less to lose, you don't. If you learn how to do things properly from the beginning, it means you don' have to RE-LEARN how to do it later.

    Find an activity you ENJOY. You don't have to be a runner (ew- though I have begun. and i hate it. I much prefer other cardio). You don't have to work out at all to lose weight (weight loss happens in the kitchen). BUT... physical activity does have a LOT of benefits. Both mental and physical. It can be as simple as a leisurely stroll a few times a week. And as you lose weight, you may find (I did), that you WANT to do more. Simple, little things like parking a bit further out in parking lots. Taking stairs instead of elevators. walking to your mailbox instead of pulling up to it in your car as you are pulling in your driveway. Small things. Every bit counts.

    Understand that you do not have to give up your favorite foods or any food groups to lose weight. You DO need to learn how MUCH you can eat. Portion control. This goes back to my first point. For the most part, I eat the same things I always have. Just less of them. I eat burgers and pizza and chips and cookies. Just ... not all in the same day ;) well, I might could get away with it if I planned it out REALLY well. And stuck to the plan with NO deviation. Maybe. LOL

    You will have 'bad' days. Whether its a holiday or just a ... bad day. Life happens. you will go over. It is NOT the end of the world. You will not ruin your deficit with one bad day. The problems come in when that one bad day becomes two, becomes 3, becomes a week, and goes on....

    You've got this. Take it one day at a time, and each day, try to do a little bit better. Don't try to do everything all at once. Don't try to make 1000 changes all at once. Most people who burn out, do so because they try to do too much, too soon. start small. build from there. You did not gain the weight quickly. You will not lose it quickly. Better to lose it slowly, and KEEP IT OFF, then lose it quick, and gain it all back and more!

    I've been at this a long time. It becomes a part of your life, and like any other habit, you don't think about it much, really. Your eating habits slowly change. You weigh and log your food. Your activity levels (usually) change, at least to some degree. You become more mindful of what you are putting in your shopping cart and body. My one (or two) words of caution is to make these changes slowly. Most people who go 'All in' head first and full steam, burn out quick. Your first couple of weeks, maybe even first month, most people will lose a fair amount fairly quickly, but most of it is water weight (usually from a natural, not intentional, reduction in carbs). It does slow down, as your body adjusts. It's normal, and is SUPPOSED to happen, so don't get discouraged. Also, don't set your calories too low. The fastest rate of loss (1200 for women and 1500 for men) is not the best rate of loss. Although very tempting to set it to lose faster, it will make it harder for you to maintain and stick to your calorie goals because you will be ... well, hungry. Be kind to yourself, give yourself a few more calories, and you will still lose weight and be less likely to deviate from your plan and therefore more likely to succeed. :)

    Useful Links
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p1

    and basically ... all of these :)

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-health-fitness-and-diet-must-reads#latest
  • Koorii
    Koorii Posts: 65 Member
    I'm Cory, nice to meet everyone here. I need to lose ~200 pounds. I've previously lost around 110 and got down to 235, but I've gained it all back plus some. So here we go again...feel free to add me!
  • GwynLeder
    GwynLeder Posts: 101 Member
    nice to meet every one
  • Hey everyone. I lost 231 pounds and had surgery for the skin. I don't have any active friends on here. If anyone needs an accountability buddy or wants to chat about nutrition and/or exercise, feel free to send me a message.