How did you start?

It’s ok to feel discouraged and frustrated…not having a functioning kitchen as you begin this process must be super stressful and a big pain.

I had to make changes (refuse to call it a “diet”) because my arthritis was progressing due to weight affecting joints. And we were going south for the winter-I’ve gained weight every winter since I retired. So I made a few life changes. I quit soda pop, even diet. No fried food. No mayo, ketchup, or bottled salad dressing. After that, I started using MFP more consistently, and started counting calories. I really noticed the macros, especially sodium and cholesterol. So my most recent change has been limiting processed food. When we go out to eat, I check out the menu beforehand, check the nutrition/calories if the restaurant website has one, (or use MFP). I make my choices and log it onto the food diary before I get to the restaurant. And since it’s not a diet (it’s a life change!) I don’t worry about how long it will take. I also take a meal (not a whole day) off once in awhile (Hello pizza night!). I could tell a difference on my joints after the first 10 pounds. My advice is make small changes at first. Good luck!

Kelly040404 wrote: »

I try calorie restriction, then I toss in the towel the moment I remember how long it’s gonna take to lose this weight. I know I shouldn’t expect fast, but how do you all do it?

It is very overwhelming to think about the length of time it will take to get to your goal weight. However, you do start to look and feel better long before you get to the ultimate goal. I am not at my goal but my appearance has improved and I have so much more energy. I try to focus on just improving every month. And eventually I will hit my goal.

let me tell you how I started: I complained that I'm not eating too much, and hence there's no reason for me to be overweight. Yeah, only eating about 1300 calories per day, thus something must be wrong.

And then I really tracked, and realized I was indeed not eating too much. Apart from the bag of crisps, or the whole pack of hard candy, etc.. that I had several times per week.

What others have said: keep it simple. Don't deprive yourself of any food unless you really don't manage to eat less of it. Eat what you like. Make small changes. If keto or low carb makes you unhappy then don't do it. It's not for everyone. If 'diet food x' makes you unhappy then don't eat it. Look at your diary and see what makes you happy, and whether you could do with a bit less of it, or a bit more and eat less of something else. There's really no need for drastic, immediate changes as weight loss is not fast anyway. You can do this!

Just being aware of what you are consuming is a great start. The future you will be so glad you started and struggled through the frustration. Someone mentioned above to give yourself grace. Remember to do that. We all have off days. We have more going on in our life than just working on losing weight. But by tracking daily it ensures that one off day does not grow into more. And by NOT having hard core rules to follow you don’t throw in the towel when you have broken one. You are on the right track.

You said those around you aren’t working to lose weight. But maybe you will be an inspiration to someone.

I was also a hard core Diet Coke drinker. I never thought I could quit. But it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. And I found that by not going into the gas station and grabbing a Diet Coke I also avoided the candy or snacks that were waiting for me there. I am not saying you have to do it. But if you decide you want to I know you can. Because I did and I can almost guarantee I consumed as much and probably more than you every day.

Congrats, by the way, on taking the first step by deciding to work on your health.

I am only a couple of weeks in so take it with a grain of salt, LOL. I was recommended by a healthcare professional I am seeing to increase my protein and water to start with. I don't know that there is a magic number for those, but I think it is helping to focus on what I am trying to do instead of what I am trying NOT to do. I chose the slowest weight loss on MFP of 0.5 lb per week and 30% protein. It is very challenging for me to try to get the protein, and I know I can't absorb it all in one sitting, so I am eating (or having a protein drink) about 5-6 times a day. That helps me feel less panicky that I will get too hungry and overeat.

I quickly learned I can't have that much carbs or it throws the percentage off, but I am not focusing on that. I am having a lot less mood swings and cravings, and not feeling deprived so far. I am also being kind to myself if I don't make the goal because this going to take me a while. However, I would like to make as many small steps forward as possible since it is going to take time. For those used to snacking a lot on sweets it might be a helpful way to start.

When I started, I logged calories, analyzed what foods filled me up and came as close as possible to my allotted calories but allowed myself indulgences. I walked every day, even just around the house or yard or walmart. I also bought 39 cent spiral notebooks during the school sales and had one for each month. The first page I put things like "love yourself, not food! Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels! You can DO it!" Etc. Then every day I'd put my to do list and a few thoughts. It helped. I lost 25 pounds the first year and 13 this year. This year I am paying more attention to fiber, protein, nutrients. It is a lifestyle, not a diet. You can DO this lol!

For me, it was a family friend that's also a Doctor that runs his own lifestyle clinic and deals mostly with people with metabolic symptom, obesity, diabetes that kind of thing, and got on my case because my weight was in his words "getting out of hand" I was 245 at the time and now I'm 185. I've always been active, play hockey about 10 months of the year, still do and workout and have for donkeys years but my A1C apparently had been creeping up and when I got to him it was 5.6 which is within the normal range but 5.7 is insulin resistant, so, so much for a number. I also had a few health issues mostly joint pain, stomach which many would describe as IBS type, and some skin annoyances like dry skin, rashes that kind of thing.

Did the usual blood work but I was also given an oral glucose tolerance test OGTT and that pretty much told the story. I've been brought up in an era and a time where whole foods cooked at home was the norm and rarely had any "junk food" but I've always had a sweet tooth and when I finally set up shop away from my parents the years of desserts and junky sweet foods finally caught up to me.

He assigned a low carb diet and after about 3 months I adjusted very well, and that's been my lifestyle change that significantly changed my overall health. Understanding my carbohydrate tolerance was key from the OGTT and over time my insulin sensitive increased quite a bit and was able to tolerate more carbs and would fuel workouts with extra carbs and basically don't have a problem when social or other times arise where consuming a boatload of carbs on a particular day effected me. The one rule that I never sway away from is if I get out of line I never follow it up with the next day of the same behavior. We're all going consume foods that we feel we shouldn't, but as long as you identify that, and not continue, and get back on the plan the next day I consider that normal. Also being low carb I promote and recommend a whole food diet, because that's basically what it is, but that can be interpreted as only whole foods and it's not just whole food, as I've described so it's important to recognize dogma in whatever strategy you decide to employ, intermittent fasting is another one that people feel is useless but of course it isn't for the people that are successful doing it and there will always be plenty of people tells other people they're doing it wrong, funny how that works.

It doesn't have to be low carb obviously, that just my story and can be any lifestyle change that works for you. I believe if a person feels satiated and doesn't require extreme measures to facilitate hemostasis then you might be on to something. It's finding it that's problematic and people don't like much change in the foods they've grown to love to eat, mind you I still eat desserts, just not very much and not 2 days in a row. Cheers