Just need some support!

[Wannabebetter]

I'm a little down with my weight gain from Depression meds (16 pounds within the last half year). I was already over weight do to other health issues. Hard for me to excercise due to my back pain acting up (even walking agrivates it). I can't take any diet pills, hcg, or nothing since they don't agree with my chemistry. I want to start loosing weight but I guess I keep putting this mental cycle on myself so I keep on eating crummy. Tomorrow is going to be my first day of eating healthy so I can lose this weight and start feeling better about myself. I am at 224 pounds right now and want to get to just 180. That would make me so happy! Can anyone give me some good advice to get me started and motivated :0)

[MemphisChick625]

Honey I can understand completely where you are coming from. I gained 50 lbs in the past year from depression and birth control. I have managed to loose 10 so far. The worst thing to do and I struggle with this myself is to beat yourself up over it. Start out doing little things, add more water into your daily deal. Bake things instead of frying them. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. I sit at a desk 8 hours a day and usually the boss stresses me out so I'm too tired to do anything when I get off. Also, it's not so much about eating healthy as it is cutting back. We all can tell you anything and everything you want to hear. However if you go full force cutting out the bad you will come back and just crash hard. If your used to going to get a value meal from McDonalds try doing a smaller burger, no mayo, instead of a soda opt for water, or and a small fry. My weakness is carbs. I love my carbs and when I go full force without them I crash hard when I do allow myself. You need to find yourself beautiful, it's hard to do when you want the opposite so badly. Just start out small, work your way into it. I love dance but HATE working out so I took up Zumba classes. Try to find an alternative to working out that will allow you to have fun and enjoy doing something for yourself. :o)

[Barb135]

Exercise isn't "necessary" for weight loss, but it does keep your muscles strong and healthy, plus it's good for your heart, and is essential for overall good health.  You should talk to your doctor for a list of exercises that would be beneficial, but not painful or do more harm.  

[OytheGreat]

Exercising isn't necessary for weight lose. Diet pills aren't needed either. The most effective way to lose weight is to cut calories, so here are some steps to take.

Step one: Find out how much you need to eat to lose weight.

Try this TDEE calculator to find out what your body burns in a day:

http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

Keep in mind, the TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is different from the BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) calculator, because a BMR calculator tells you how many calories your body needs for survival absent all activity, while the TDEE tells you how many calories you use in a normal day.

Step Two: To lose weight, the best method is to eat 500 calories below your TDEE calories (not your BMR).

This should give you a rough estimate of how many calories to eat in a day. My TDEE, for instance, is 2700. So my goal should be about 2200 a day. (I'm a very active person, so that's why it's so high.)

You'll find that it's really not that tough to cut out 500 calories per day. Once the body adjusts to a little less, you should feel comfortable eating this amount. Intense hunger should not be a factor.

Step 3: Take it easy. Don't beat yourself up if the weight loss is slow or if you mess things up one day. This is not an easy path, but people usually succeed after a lot of subsequent failures. That doesn't mean you're going to fall on your face over and over again. It just means you can NOT lose this fight unless you give up.