Lost as to where to even begin...

[Madison7833]

Kinda like alot of people, I have always been a lil on the heavy side but has gotten alot worse since being out of high school. Settling into the real world where you sit behind a desk for 8 hrs a day takes its toll!

Just a lil about myself, I am 29, 5'4 and about 285lbs. I have tried to diet, but the main problem I have is I just don't reallly eat much period, maybe like twice a day at the most (which is frustrating cause how can I weight so much when I don't eat!) but I am a caffine addict. I am one of those people that you have to tell ok this is what you eat for breakfast/lunch/dinner. You can have this, but can't have that. I really really want to loose the weight, but I just have NO idea where to start!

One issue is the fact that I have problems with my back due to the weight, which makes it hard for me to do some exercises, which leads me to getting frustrated and just giving up. I am also VERY shy now cause of my weight (which believe me I've never had a problem being shy before now), which means doing something like going to the gym and being stared at.

I know weight loss is not overnight, you have to work on it and be patient, can just be frustrating when you see no improvement at all! I have a trip on memorial day weekend to meet up with some friends and I'd really liketo loose atleast a few lbs. Any suggestions on diets and/or exercise (just keep in mind that if i walk/stand for more than about 20 minutes at a time i get terrible lower back aches.

But anyways, this is me, in for the long haul, and hope to get to know some of you soon =)

Madison

 

[Shep031]

welcome and good luck on your weight loss journey

 

[luckyduck1]

I know a lot of people feel weird at the gym, and think everyone's looking at them. That was a big fear of mine too, but I got a membership anyway and started going alone. No one looked at me (that I saw), and I realized that going to the gym is a very personal thing, and people go there to better themselves- they're not worrying about me or another person. They are there for their benefit, just as I'm there for mine

I initially voiced my concerns to my mom about it and she just said, "the thing you have to realize is that even the hard-core athletes still have more in common with you than a waif, who's sitting at home not exercising."

If I had known how focused every one at the gym is about solely their own progress, and not at the chubby Irish girl on the treadmill huffing and puffing, it would have made it easier the first time I went. Just take that first step- you owe it to yourself

 

[Feenix]

Hi there

Just started myself, trying to get down from 280lbs so am familiar with all the problems you mentioned. The thing that got me going was this;

1. Make an account on fitday.com. This will allow you to input your food and track your calories. If you input your weight and weight goal, it'll suggest the number of calories per day you need to meet that goal. (Don't take the numbers as gospel as everyone is different, I use them as a guideline. And make sure you enter the information as best you can, it's easy to underestimate the number of calories you're eating).

2. Start a diary in the diary section of the forums here. I plan to jot down what I eat each day and whatever thoughts I have. It's a good focus and people will post the odd comment. It helps me be accountable.

3. Read others journals and have a look in the before/after section. Realising that there are lots and lots of us going through exactly the same thing makes it easier to bare. Seeing people who have managed to get fit and healthy that were even heavier than me gives me a lot of inspiration.

4. Read the stickies over the forums about nutrition etc. to give you a basic grounding.

5. I started off simply by cutting out all the junk I was eating (usually bread/cookies esp with coffee, I'm a coffee junkie too, down to 3 cups now tho).

6. Exercise wise I'm starting off with a couple of 15-30 mins walks. Do whatever you feel comfortable with. Even a 5 min walk 2/3 times a day will help.

These are just a list of what I personally did to help me get started. There's no real magic button you press and suddenly you're ready to start. You simply have to actually start.

There are plenty of people here that can give you more accurate info as to diet/exercise than me, but sometimes the biggest thing is taking that first step.

Good luck with it!

 

[Shep031]

I agree with what luckyduck said. I used to be concerned about that, but I figured they can stare if they want, at least I'm there trying to do something about it instead of sitting at home eating more. When I'm at the gym, I just turn on my iPod and do my thing...it takes someone pretty loud or making a big scene for me to lose concentration on what I'm doing. I'm sure a lot of people are in their own world when they're listening to music.