overwhelmed where do i even start

ccnest
ccnest Posts: 2
edited December 19 in Health and Weight Loss
im very overweight about 210 (just weighed) about 5/5" and im 35 and have had two pregnancies. Im also hypothryroid. i have my goals and calorie goals set up but now what.

im drinking lots of water. i was huge on the pop and i finally gave it up.

i also purchased a bike and a bike trailer so i can bring my two kids along. tonight i rode for about an hour, some flat and some hilly. also did about 4 hours of yard work/mowing grass etc.

but then what do i eat or not eat? most of my weight/fat is in my midsection - belly and thieghs.

i am under a drs care to get my thryroid under control (it rarely ever is long story).

aside from my bike riding which i plan to do any chance i can cause i love it. but what else. plan on doing some swimming this summer if possible.



the issue is i would love a plan. something i can follow along. a diet for >1570 calories/day. what excersisess to do. i dont have a problem with the commitment but i just dont know how!! something that says eat this and this and this. dont eat that and then do this and this x times a week.

theres just too much info out there! if i had the money id hire a personal trainer and a nutrutionist but alas i have not. :)

any recomendations?

edit: if my food goals are
Net Calories Consumed* / Day

1,570 calories/day



Carbs / Day

216 g



Fat / Day

52 g



Protein / Day

59 g


and i am under those goals, IS THAT OK?

Replies

  • drog2323
    drog2323 Posts: 1,343 Member
    Walking even works. Start slow. Crawl. Walk. Run.

    Keep your eye on nutrition....body for life is a good book. Old...but some easy principles in there. Good luck
  • truss08
    truss08 Posts: 21
    ill message you!!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    You sound a bit overwhelmed. First - breathe. Now do what you can, but accept that you can't possibly do it all perfectly all at once.

    Start with little things, you have the rest of your life, and it's your life so don't stress yourself out!

    Just change what you can, and know that this is a learning process. You have to teach yourself what to eat, slowly, and over time you learn the things that work for you.

    Just log everything your eat for this week. Then study your Food Diary and learn for next week. Drink lots of water.

    It's okay. :heart::
  • KristenBru
    KristenBru Posts: 25
    Take baby steps. If you start out too big you're going to set yourself up to fail. You've already made some huge steps by giving up soda and joining this website. Maybe start by counting your calories and going for a short walk. Or join an exercise group. Or an exercise program. Remember, this is not an overnight thing. Which drives me crazy since you can see I've only lost 2 pounds (but 1 inch! in my stomach). For me, it took about 10 years to put on this weight, so I need to give it more than a month to budge. Think of it that way. :)

    Baby steps, baby steps. :)
  • KristenBru
    KristenBru Posts: 25
    One more thing - there's a lot of "trends" on this website. Eat well - fruits, veggies, etc. You don't have to follow the newest trend to lose weight. Just try to be healthy... even if you enjoy a taste of ice cream every once in awhile!
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    Relax! You're doing fine. First, log everything you're eating. Don't worry about changing anything at first. Look at a few days worth of food diaries and you should be able to see some places you can make healthy changes. Or some patterns you can tell aren't productive. Now.....make some changes. Keep logging. Make good choices....but don't ban anything you really do love...plan how yo fit it into your day. You can do this! MFP is a good place to help you succeed...and you CAN SUCCEED! hang in there!
  • QueenVash40
    QueenVash40 Posts: 1
    Keep yourself hydrated and begin with setting a weekly exercise goal. If you enjoy biking, that is an excellent method of exercise. The closer to a food's natural state is your best choice (raw or frozen), avoid canned and/or boxed. I would also suggest planning your meals once you determine what foods are best for you. Today is Day One for me on MFP...I've heard wonderful things & watched people transform their lives!
  • llamalland
    llamalland Posts: 246 Member
    Sounds like you've got a great workout strategy!

    My suggestion is to just eat good, every-day food. ("everyday" healthy food, that is!). The eating plan has to be something you can live with long term, and build your new, determined lifestyle around.

    Healthy lean proteins, tons of veggies, fruits (but be careful- some are loaded w/sugar).... moderate intake of starchy carbs (potatoes, pasta, etc. fine in moderation, but often fixed with lots of calories), low-fat dairy (or a smaller portions if you dislike the low fat). Like they say, shop the outer edges of the supermarket. That's where you will find the fresh vegetables & fruits, meats, dairy. Frozen substitutes are fine if you find you don't use up the fresh quick enough.

    So, if you build your diet around foods you and your family like, rather than follow a menu created by someone else, you'll develop a sustainable plan. That said, other than sustainability, raising your little ones to love and reach for these kinds of foods will help them develop healthy eating habits, too!
  • wahmx3
    wahmx3 Posts: 633 Member
    I think you need to more than 1500 calories..... I suggest getting your BMR done so you know how many calories you should be eating and don't eat under your BMR. I have someone else calculate mine and she uses the Harris-Benedict formula so it accounts for exercise already. Just to give you an idea.... my BMR is between 1428-1623 (or very close to that), I exercise 3-5 days a week, am 5'4", 45 years old and currently weigh 145... so hopefully you see why I think you need to eat more. As for food, choose healthier options as much as you can, add more fruits and vegies to your day, avoid as much as possible boxed and processed stuff, drink half your weight in ounces of water daily, and get moving (yes, walking is great). You can do this! Just take it one day at a time, or even one hour at a time if necessary. I also don't deprive myself of much, I do have chocolate daily, but I allow for my calories and try to keep my daily treats to within 100-200 calories. I don't pay much attention to fats, carbs and proteins.... I try and get enough fiber, at least 20 grams a day and really watch my sodium. Sodium is a killer for me for weight gain.
  • smantha32
    smantha32 Posts: 6,990 Member
    I eat mostly what i want but limit my calories.

    I would start just tracking your calories. Then you can see what you're doing, and where you can start making changes.
  • 2gabbee
    2gabbee Posts: 374 Member
    Have you checked out the group under MFP called hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.With over 700 members you can find help & support in this area from those living with similar health issue. Go to community & groups, find a group just hit search to locate all the groups already created or you can create your own. Or just put this group name above & see if they maybe what your looking for.
  • laynunugawa
    laynunugawa Posts: 108 Member
    I'm the same height as you and I was 216 after my 2nd child. I also have hypothyroidism so I totally understand what you are going through. I recommend that you first take it easy because if you do too much at first it can become overwhelming which causes a lot of people to stop.

    Drink plenty of water. Log all foods and drinks that goes into your mouth. Start off eating everything in moderation and cut down in portions if you can. It will take a little while for you to learn how to adjust your meals to be a bit healthier. I believe you can still enjoy eating the things you love but you shouldn't have them all the time. If you do the cooking, try to find a healthier recipe of what you like. There are so many great suggestion on MFP as well.

    For exercises, walking is a great way to start off. When I first started I dedicated my months in different phases. I worked out 3x/wk for the first month. I added an extra day the second and third month. Because I was inactive for so long this routine helped me incorporate into my daily life. Now I work out 5-6x a week without even thinking about it.

    There are so many great people on here with question and answers, I am constantly reading the forums because I find that I learn something new everyday.

    You will do great!!! Just keep at it and dont pay too close attention to the scale, I recommend measuring yourself instead. Good luck on your journey:)
  • ccnest
    ccnest Posts: 2
    wow thank you all.
    great advice and insights ideas and things to look into. im starting to reorganize my thoughts. losing weight, and being healthy takes a mental workout as well! i realize that i dont need to make things so complicated for myself.

    im feeling more empowerd by the minute. and im going to start each day on a good foot. what you all have shared makes more sence!!


    thank you ALL!!!.
  • kristin_barone
    kristin_barone Posts: 4
    Best thing to start doing IS putting down everything you eat... including if there is any oil, butter, sugar, condiments, etc that are added to foods you're eating. If you just put down "chicken" but forget to say you used one of the above with it, that can be a HUGE difference in calorie/fat/carb/sugar intake. The next best thing you could do is to set a goal for yourself. It could be something small like "bike up a hill in x amount of minutes without taking a break" or something big like "running a 5k in a year". There's no goal too small to obtain. If you put your mind to it, anything it possible. Best of luck :)
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