Aa
Sick and tired of being sick and tired
Hello Everyone. Thanks for reading my post.
I dont really know where to start with this.... I guess the facts. I am 22 yrs old 5'9 and weigh 360 lbs. I am sure you can imagine the nightmare for such a young person. I am very tired of not being able to shed this weight. Obesity runs in my family, and I really want to be the one that shows them shedding the weight can be done, but in all honesty... I have no idea where to even begin. I hear "eat right" "exercise" etc. all the time, but where do you begin? I know the basic food pyramid and eating all the "healthy" food. The veggies, the fruits, and so on. And exercise... let's just say I am not quite ready to step into a gym... I have in the past and it's quite overwhelming... the equipment itself can be a hassle to deal with. Heck, I dont even know what weight to put on them, how to use them properly, or what it is really suppose to feel like. I plan to start walking 3 times a week - around the block until I can shed some pounds and do a little more. My back hurts so much just standing right now....
I guess the overall reason for posting is to get a starting point... where do I start? What do I eat? How do I perform low impact exercises that will help me lose the weight. I think is going to be a process. I am ready! I just need tools to help and some kind of support system.
Again, Thanks for reading.
lostntranslation
I dont really know where to start with this.... I guess the facts. I am 22 yrs old 5'9 and weigh 360 lbs. I am sure you can imagine the nightmare for such a young person. I am very tired of not being able to shed this weight. Obesity runs in my family, and I really want to be the one that shows them shedding the weight can be done, but in all honesty... I have no idea where to even begin. I hear "eat right" "exercise" etc. all the time, but where do you begin? I know the basic food pyramid and eating all the "healthy" food. The veggies, the fruits, and so on. And exercise... let's just say I am not quite ready to step into a gym... I have in the past and it's quite overwhelming... the equipment itself can be a hassle to deal with. Heck, I dont even know what weight to put on them, how to use them properly, or what it is really suppose to feel like. I plan to start walking 3 times a week - around the block until I can shed some pounds and do a little more. My back hurts so much just standing right now....
I guess the overall reason for posting is to get a starting point... where do I start? What do I eat? How do I perform low impact exercises that will help me lose the weight. I think is going to be a process. I am ready! I just need tools to help and some kind of support system.
Again, Thanks for reading.
lostntranslation
COMMUNITY LEADER
Good luck, my dear -- we will be here when you decide to come back.......
Just remember that you don't need to purchase a lot of "tools" to accomplish your goals -- the food diary, exercise trackers, etc are all available here on Med Help for free.
Get the PCOS checked, but remember that insulin resistance and thyroid issues can go hand in hand with PCOS, so get them all checked. There are certain thyroid tests that a lot of docs don't test for, but are very important, so please feel free to send me a PM for the particular tests.
See ya back here soon...........
Just remember that you don't need to purchase a lot of "tools" to accomplish your goals -- the food diary, exercise trackers, etc are all available here on Med Help for free.
Get the PCOS checked, but remember that insulin resistance and thyroid issues can go hand in hand with PCOS, so get them all checked. There are certain thyroid tests that a lot of docs don't test for, but are very important, so please feel free to send me a PM for the particular tests.
See ya back here soon...........
Ladies,
I can not tell you how much your responses mean to me. Just by reading these, you have already given me the gift of knowledge i never had. Starry, I will be purchasing several of the tools you mentioned this weekend. And Barb, I have planned to meet with my doctor to check on the health issues that may be there. PCOS is a huge possibility as I do have many of the symptoms and have needed to get this checked for a few years now. I will be posing more soon, but am pressed for time right now. Thanks again for everything.
I can not tell you how much your responses mean to me. Just by reading these, you have already given me the gift of knowledge i never had. Starry, I will be purchasing several of the tools you mentioned this weekend. And Barb, I have planned to meet with my doctor to check on the health issues that may be there. PCOS is a huge possibility as I do have many of the symptoms and have needed to get this checked for a few years now. I will be posing more soon, but am pressed for time right now. Thanks again for everything.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Welcome........Well, Starrynight23 pretty much said it all. There's not a lot I can add. Our idea here is to lose weight at a healthy rate and in ways that we can live with in order to keep it off.
Too many times we forget the actual definition of the word "diet" --- a diet is simply what you eat.
For example: sheep may have a diet of grain and grass; horses may have a diet of oats and hay; koala bears have a diet of eucalyptus, etc. Today, your diet may consist of "good for you" things, tomorrow it may not. The trick is to incorporate things into your diet that you can stick with. Drastic changes all at once rarely produce lasting effects and too often we end up discouraged and heavier than when we started.
Too often people try to cut out entire food groups, and yes, some of those "diets" work, but as soon as you go off it, it's quite likely that you will gain back anything lost. Your body needs ALL the food groups; you just have to balance them out.
Some people recommend eating several small meals each day in order to keep your blood sugar at more stable levels. I tried that and it seemed like I was constantly focused on the clock waiting for my next meal time. I find that I do much better eating 3 meals/day with a light snack between breakfast and lunch. I find that I'm more satisfied if I eat my largest meals at breakfast and lunch, with a very light dinner. I rarely snack in the afternoon or evening.
I agree that walking is one of the best exercises there is and that wearing a pedometer will help you keep track. It's recommended that you aim for 10,000 steps/day, but if you can't do that, start out by aiming for 2500 (or whatever you can manage), then increase it by 100 steps/day. One simple way to add steps is to park a few spaces further from you destination so you have to walk further -- gradually increase the distance you park. Remember, even pacing while talking on the phone or moving around the kitchen while cooking, cleaning etc -- all counts as exercise. I've never tried the walking dvd's that starry mentioned -- maybe I should.
Another great exercise is water aerobics. Water aerobics is low impact, but the water produces resistance, which works the muscles. This is great if you have access to a pool, such as a "Y" or other facility. I know people who have lost a lot of weight doing water aerobics.
My personal favorite is yoga, which can seem a bit daunting at first, but once I learned that I don't have to be as thin and flexible as the trainers -- that comes eventually -- I do fine with it. Yoga centers on balance and form; and is great for strengthening the core muscles, plus to me, it's very relaxing because I have to concentrate on what I'm doing so I can't think about things that happened at work or whether or not my husband may have been rude to me or whatever.........
All that said, there would be one more recommendation I would make: please check with your doctor to make sure you don't have any underlying health issues that might prevent you from losing, such as hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, PCOS, etc. I, personally, have hypothyroidism and until I got my thyroid levels in line, it was pretty much impossible to lose weight. Now that my levels are better, exercise actually works, I'm able to lose and I no longer feel like I'm beating my head against a brick wall.
Just take things slow and easy -- you can do it and there are plenty of us here to help you along.
Good luck and please stay with us -- we will do whatever we can to help you.
Too many times we forget the actual definition of the word "diet" --- a diet is simply what you eat.
For example: sheep may have a diet of grain and grass; horses may have a diet of oats and hay; koala bears have a diet of eucalyptus, etc. Today, your diet may consist of "good for you" things, tomorrow it may not. The trick is to incorporate things into your diet that you can stick with. Drastic changes all at once rarely produce lasting effects and too often we end up discouraged and heavier than when we started.
Too often people try to cut out entire food groups, and yes, some of those "diets" work, but as soon as you go off it, it's quite likely that you will gain back anything lost. Your body needs ALL the food groups; you just have to balance them out.
Some people recommend eating several small meals each day in order to keep your blood sugar at more stable levels. I tried that and it seemed like I was constantly focused on the clock waiting for my next meal time. I find that I do much better eating 3 meals/day with a light snack between breakfast and lunch. I find that I'm more satisfied if I eat my largest meals at breakfast and lunch, with a very light dinner. I rarely snack in the afternoon or evening.
I agree that walking is one of the best exercises there is and that wearing a pedometer will help you keep track. It's recommended that you aim for 10,000 steps/day, but if you can't do that, start out by aiming for 2500 (or whatever you can manage), then increase it by 100 steps/day. One simple way to add steps is to park a few spaces further from you destination so you have to walk further -- gradually increase the distance you park. Remember, even pacing while talking on the phone or moving around the kitchen while cooking, cleaning etc -- all counts as exercise. I've never tried the walking dvd's that starry mentioned -- maybe I should.
Another great exercise is water aerobics. Water aerobics is low impact, but the water produces resistance, which works the muscles. This is great if you have access to a pool, such as a "Y" or other facility. I know people who have lost a lot of weight doing water aerobics.
My personal favorite is yoga, which can seem a bit daunting at first, but once I learned that I don't have to be as thin and flexible as the trainers -- that comes eventually -- I do fine with it. Yoga centers on balance and form; and is great for strengthening the core muscles, plus to me, it's very relaxing because I have to concentrate on what I'm doing so I can't think about things that happened at work or whether or not my husband may have been rude to me or whatever.........
All that said, there would be one more recommendation I would make: please check with your doctor to make sure you don't have any underlying health issues that might prevent you from losing, such as hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, PCOS, etc. I, personally, have hypothyroidism and until I got my thyroid levels in line, it was pretty much impossible to lose weight. Now that my levels are better, exercise actually works, I'm able to lose and I no longer feel like I'm beating my head against a brick wall.
Just take things slow and easy -- you can do it and there are plenty of us here to help you along.
Good luck and please stay with us -- we will do whatever we can to help you.
Continuing..
Here is how I suggest you get started
1)Keep a food journal. Before you even start making any changes to your diet, just get into the habit of tracking EVERYTHING you eat throughout the day. Do this for maybe about a week and then look over your daily entries and see where/how you can make changes. Accountability is crucial for weight loss and by keeping a food journal and honestly keeping track of everything you eat, it will hopefully encourage you to want to make better choices. There is just something about actually seeing your food choices written out in front of you that just automatically makes you want to do better. You can either buy a pad of paper and write your entries by hand, or you can keep track of your food by using an online food journal. This website now offers that feature (I use my food journal from another website)
2)Next, get yourself used to eating less. Even before you start changing your food choices, just start paying attention to portion sizes, reading food labels, weighing and measuring your food, counting your calories.
3)Once you feel more comfortable eating smaller portions, very gradually start improving your food choices. I'm not sure what your diet consists of now, but if you eat out a lot, try tapering off to a couple of times a week and then maybe once or twice a week and then only a couple of times a month etc and so on. You can still eat out, but the key is to not have it be a regular part of your routine. And if you do eat out, try and make healthier choices. Most chain restaurants and fast food places have their nutritional information online so you can look up your options ahead of time and get familiar with what they have to offer (if you buy the calorie king book, all the information will be at your fingertips at all times!) I'm not sure if you cook. I know I sure didnt and I lived off of processed food and fast food my entire life. I bought some cookbooks and watched the food network a lot actually and started experimenting with recipes. I introduced myself to cooking with new fresh ingredients and enjoyed it right away! There was something about getting involved in the food I was eating (opposed to buying something prepackaged) that made eating healthier more enjoyable. Not to mention, I was able to alter the food to my own tastes so everything I cook is something I love to eat! Let's face it, if something doesnt taste good, we're not going to want to eat it no matter how good it may be for us. Cooking doesnt have to be time consuming. Some of the healthiest and tastiest recipes of mine are done in a matter of minutes and are very simple uncomplicated things to prepare. It's just a matter of researching and experimenting. Think of the foods you love to eat now. Chinese food? Make your own Stir frys. Mexican? Assemble your own fajitas or burritos using healthier ingredients? Southwestern? Look up some healthy turkey or veggie chili recipes. Pizza? Burgers? Brownies? All of those can be altered in much healthier (yes still satisfying) ways. Try and have a piece of fresh fruit with breakfast every day and as a snack. Have a big mixed salad with dinner or lunch most days. There's a million ways to incorporate healthy whole foods into your day. Just try new things gradually and build on that.
As far as exercise goes, Ill admit I still have yet to set foot in a gym! I lost all of my weight without working out in a gym. I started off by walking (which is an excellent way to start by the way) and once I dropped some weight and got more used to using my body, I bought a few workout dvds. I highly recommend Leslie Sansones walk away the pounds dvds. They're very low impact, but also very effective. She incorporates upper body workouts and strength training with light weights. And with most of her dvds you can customize your workouts and do anywhere from 1 to 5 miles. It's a lot more challenging than it looks and I still love using those dvds even though I've become a lot more active since I lost weight.
Well..so much for keeping it brief! lol Just a few other things to keep in mind
Take it SLOW. Losing weight the right way (the healthy way) takes patience but it's worth it in the end.
If you fall off the wagon or get off track, it's not the end of the world. Don't beat yourself up or feel like a failure if you're struggling or go through a rough patch. Aim for persistence, not perfection!
Set up smaller goals rather than one big one. I knew I had over 150 lbs to lose at one point and just the thought of that automatically discouraged me. I finally decided to set up 20 lb goals up until I reached a healthy weight range for my height. Once I did that, I took it 5 lbs at a time until I reached a weight I was comfortable with. Trying to reach a 20 lb goal is so much less intimidating than putting all of your focus into a 100+ lb goal.
Just work on living a healthier lifestyle and don't get wrapped up in the idea of going on a diet. Once you start gradually becoming more active and making better choices with your food, weight loss will be an inevitable result of that! Just take it one day at a time, one foot in front of the other.
If you have any other questions feel free to send a private message! Wishing you the best of luck reaching your goals!! :-)
Here is how I suggest you get started
1)Keep a food journal. Before you even start making any changes to your diet, just get into the habit of tracking EVERYTHING you eat throughout the day. Do this for maybe about a week and then look over your daily entries and see where/how you can make changes. Accountability is crucial for weight loss and by keeping a food journal and honestly keeping track of everything you eat, it will hopefully encourage you to want to make better choices. There is just something about actually seeing your food choices written out in front of you that just automatically makes you want to do better. You can either buy a pad of paper and write your entries by hand, or you can keep track of your food by using an online food journal. This website now offers that feature (I use my food journal from another website)
2)Next, get yourself used to eating less. Even before you start changing your food choices, just start paying attention to portion sizes, reading food labels, weighing and measuring your food, counting your calories.
3)Once you feel more comfortable eating smaller portions, very gradually start improving your food choices. I'm not sure what your diet consists of now, but if you eat out a lot, try tapering off to a couple of times a week and then maybe once or twice a week and then only a couple of times a month etc and so on. You can still eat out, but the key is to not have it be a regular part of your routine. And if you do eat out, try and make healthier choices. Most chain restaurants and fast food places have their nutritional information online so you can look up your options ahead of time and get familiar with what they have to offer (if you buy the calorie king book, all the information will be at your fingertips at all times!) I'm not sure if you cook. I know I sure didnt and I lived off of processed food and fast food my entire life. I bought some cookbooks and watched the food network a lot actually and started experimenting with recipes. I introduced myself to cooking with new fresh ingredients and enjoyed it right away! There was something about getting involved in the food I was eating (opposed to buying something prepackaged) that made eating healthier more enjoyable. Not to mention, I was able to alter the food to my own tastes so everything I cook is something I love to eat! Let's face it, if something doesnt taste good, we're not going to want to eat it no matter how good it may be for us. Cooking doesnt have to be time consuming. Some of the healthiest and tastiest recipes of mine are done in a matter of minutes and are very simple uncomplicated things to prepare. It's just a matter of researching and experimenting. Think of the foods you love to eat now. Chinese food? Make your own Stir frys. Mexican? Assemble your own fajitas or burritos using healthier ingredients? Southwestern? Look up some healthy turkey or veggie chili recipes. Pizza? Burgers? Brownies? All of those can be altered in much healthier (yes still satisfying) ways. Try and have a piece of fresh fruit with breakfast every day and as a snack. Have a big mixed salad with dinner or lunch most days. There's a million ways to incorporate healthy whole foods into your day. Just try new things gradually and build on that.
As far as exercise goes, Ill admit I still have yet to set foot in a gym! I lost all of my weight without working out in a gym. I started off by walking (which is an excellent way to start by the way) and once I dropped some weight and got more used to using my body, I bought a few workout dvds. I highly recommend Leslie Sansones walk away the pounds dvds. They're very low impact, but also very effective. She incorporates upper body workouts and strength training with light weights. And with most of her dvds you can customize your workouts and do anywhere from 1 to 5 miles. It's a lot more challenging than it looks and I still love using those dvds even though I've become a lot more active since I lost weight.
Well..so much for keeping it brief! lol Just a few other things to keep in mind
Take it SLOW. Losing weight the right way (the healthy way) takes patience but it's worth it in the end.
If you fall off the wagon or get off track, it's not the end of the world. Don't beat yourself up or feel like a failure if you're struggling or go through a rough patch. Aim for persistence, not perfection!
Set up smaller goals rather than one big one. I knew I had over 150 lbs to lose at one point and just the thought of that automatically discouraged me. I finally decided to set up 20 lb goals up until I reached a healthy weight range for my height. Once I did that, I took it 5 lbs at a time until I reached a weight I was comfortable with. Trying to reach a 20 lb goal is so much less intimidating than putting all of your focus into a 100+ lb goal.
Just work on living a healthier lifestyle and don't get wrapped up in the idea of going on a diet. Once you start gradually becoming more active and making better choices with your food, weight loss will be an inevitable result of that! Just take it one day at a time, one foot in front of the other.
If you have any other questions feel free to send a private message! Wishing you the best of luck reaching your goals!! :-)
I just want you to know that I hear myself so much in what you wrote. I was exactly where you are not too long ago. At my highest weight, I was 300 lbs (5'4..seems like we had almost exact BMI's) between the ages of 18 and 23 and was very overweight for my whole life. For the last 2 years I've worked on improving my health and I've ended up losing 170 lbs by eating less, eating better and moving more. I had to made a lot of small changes very gradually, but eventually I built myself up to a point of where I basically completely changed my lifestyle and you can too!
I tend to write A LOT so I'll try and condense this as best I can so I don't overwhelm you. First I'm just going to recommend a few tools/resources that will be very helpful if you're just getting started.
Buy a pedometer. It doesnt have to be an expensive model. Mine is an Omron and it was about $20-$25. If you're just getting used to being active and plan on walking a few times a week, keep this pedometer on you at all times. It will keep track of how many steps you take in a day. That will give you the incentive to push yourself to go a little further each and every day. It's a great way to keep track of how far you've come!
Pick up a copy of the Calorie King 2010 Calorie Counter book. It's only about $8 and it's truly one of the most insightful and helpful books for someone who is trying to keep track of their calories. It has the calorie information for just about anything you could imagine! Everything from popular chain restaurants and fast food places, to basic estimates from different types of restaurants (Italian, Chinese, Mexican etc). It also has general calorie/fat/carb information for anything from fruits/veggies to meats to dairy to breads and grains. It's small too so you can easily keep it in your purse or car when you're on the go!
Look up your BMR (basal metabolic rate) This is the number of calories your body burns every day just by being alive. In other words, if you were to lie in bed all day, your BMR is what your body would still burn just by doing that. Every day activities burn calories, everything from walking up some stairs, to talking on the phone, to taking a shower so you actually burn a bit more than your BMR. Once you figure out your BMR, it will give you a better idea of how many calories you should try to have in a day. Losing weight is a basic math equation. In order to lose weight, you have to consume less calories than your body burns. If you good "weight loss calculator" you will find a lot of free online calculators that will automatically work out an appropriate calorie range for you based on your specific needs.
Get used to using measuring cups/spoons or even better, a food scale. The only way to truly get an accurate assessment of you daily calorie intake is by weighing and measuring your food. If you just eyeball your portions, you may very easily overestimate what you're actually eating. I have a digital kitchen scale ($20 from bed bath & beyond) and I use it every single day It has made a world of difference in the quantity of food I eat.
Looks like I'm going to break this up into 2 posts since I'm exceeding the character limit! lol
I tend to write A LOT so I'll try and condense this as best I can so I don't overwhelm you. First I'm just going to recommend a few tools/resources that will be very helpful if you're just getting started.
Buy a pedometer. It doesnt have to be an expensive model. Mine is an Omron and it was about $20-$25. If you're just getting used to being active and plan on walking a few times a week, keep this pedometer on you at all times. It will keep track of how many steps you take in a day. That will give you the incentive to push yourself to go a little further each and every day. It's a great way to keep track of how far you've come!
Pick up a copy of the Calorie King 2010 Calorie Counter book. It's only about $8 and it's truly one of the most insightful and helpful books for someone who is trying to keep track of their calories. It has the calorie information for just about anything you could imagine! Everything from popular chain restaurants and fast food places, to basic estimates from different types of restaurants (Italian, Chinese, Mexican etc). It also has general calorie/fat/carb information for anything from fruits/veggies to meats to dairy to breads and grains. It's small too so you can easily keep it in your purse or car when you're on the go!
Look up your BMR (basal metabolic rate) This is the number of calories your body burns every day just by being alive. In other words, if you were to lie in bed all day, your BMR is what your body would still burn just by doing that. Every day activities burn calories, everything from walking up some stairs, to talking on the phone, to taking a shower so you actually burn a bit more than your BMR. Once you figure out your BMR, it will give you a better idea of how many calories you should try to have in a day. Losing weight is a basic math equation. In order to lose weight, you have to consume less calories than your body burns. If you good "weight loss calculator" you will find a lot of free online calculators that will automatically work out an appropriate calorie range for you based on your specific needs.
Get used to using measuring cups/spoons or even better, a food scale. The only way to truly get an accurate assessment of you daily calorie intake is by weighing and measuring your food. If you just eyeball your portions, you may very easily overestimate what you're actually eating. I have a digital kitchen scale ($20 from bed bath & beyond) and I use it every single day It has made a world of difference in the quantity of food I eat.
Looks like I'm going to break this up into 2 posts since I'm exceeding the character limit! lol
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