Overweight my Entire Life...Help!

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katharcal

New member
Hello! I decided to join this forum as a way of committing myself to a healthier mindset/lifestyle. I am currently 5'4 and about 180 lbs, which is the most I have ever weighed in my life. I just turned 23, and although this is the most I've ever weighed, I can't remember a time in my life when I wasn't overweight or at least chubby. There is no "getting back in shape" for me because I never was in shape. I guess this is why I don't have much faith in myself. To make matters worse, literally EVERY person in my immediate and extended family is thin thin thin.

I would love to get to 140 lbs by June of '09--has anyone here had any luck with 40 lb weight loss in a six month span? I'd love to hear from them, or from anyone who has had success losing weight. I can use all the help I can get. I received a wonderful new digital camera from my boyfriend for Christmas but I feel miserable because I don't want anyone to take my picture with it.

Right now I'm counting calories and making halfhearted attempts at working out. If anyone has any advice to share, I'd love to hear it. Maybe I'll update again with my progress (or lack thereof) in the future.
 
for sure!

Hello & welcome!

In the past I have lost 50 pds in about 4 months, so I know for a fact you should be able to lose 40 lbs in six months, no doubt about it.

I guess what everyone here seems to stress is ...exercise, exercise, exercise...its key and of course changing bad eating habits into healthy ones.

I wish you luck on your journey and I hope to see the results! Good luck! Shay
 
You can do this. For me right now i make small weekly goals. This week my goal is always to have water next to me and when i get sugar cravings to eat some fruit.

Don't freak out if you don't meet a goal one day, get back on track.

I also have problems with allowing myself to have a "treat" after a good day or workout. This is a habit i have quit so far.

good luck and remember losing 1 lb is better than gaining 1lb.
 
Hello katharcal.........I hear ya loud and clear! As long as I can remember i've been out of shape and overweight. My teens and twenties were ruined by lack of confidence and poor health due to bad diet and lack of exercise............but y'know what? I'm gonna make darn sure my 30's are the greatest! Its gonna be tough (Ive set a target of 10 stones to lose) but I'm not going to let another day of my life be ruined by the past. The most important things are to eat healthier, exercise, and stay positive..................if we can do those three little things, we cant lose!!

Best of luck buddy! ;)
 
You can definitely do this. Have a look around the forum. There are a number of people who have lost very decent amounts of fat and maintained the loss.

It's mostly a matter of getting your mind right. Believing in yourself. Owning up to your actions. Adopting consistency. And managing your expectations.

You're smart for starting primarily on the nutrition front. I suggest having a read though some of the stickies. The nutrition forum would be a good place to start. Or this thread is jammed full with useful information:

http://weight-loss.fitness.com/topic/11337-words-wisdom.html

Also, I recently wrote a blog entry regarding some of my thoughts on the psychology side of things... if you're interested, have a look see here:

Are you willing? «

Please feel free to ask any specific questions.

Best to ya!
 
Thank you

Thank you all for the warm welcome. I have been looking around the forum a bit and I am so inspired not only by the success people have had with weight loss but with the POSITIVE attitudes of everyone! This is what I have been lacking the most, and it is a positive attitude that I will be working at adopting from now on.

Thanks again, it's so nice to get some support as I start my journey and the advice is very helpful.
 
The thing I like about this site already is that we are all here for support and help. If you have any questions at all, let me know. I am great friends with personal trainers at my gym and they let me pick their brain all the time. The more I am able to help people, the more I stay motivated... weird it seems, but that's how I roll.

Steve made some great points. The first thing you need to pay attention to (and seems like you are) is nutrition. Stay away from the 3 whites (sugar, salt and white flour). It's ok to have them in SMALL moderation. For instance, I have a small piece of candy every few days to keep me from craving to the point of binging. It's better to have 50-80 calories every couple of days than binging and consuming an entire tub of icecream and brownie batter (not that I have ever had experience in that :blush5:)

Workouts are important. The PT's I am friends with always suggest a mix of weight training and cardiovascular training. Think of it this way: Weight training is like baking. You burn a lot of calories doing the workouts, then it's in the oven and you continue to burn calories slowly as your muscles repair themselves. cardio work is like microwaving. Once you're done, you're done. If you have any questions, let me know.

Keep a journal of everything: How you feel, what you eat, your transformation (document this by pictures, waistline measurements, body/fat % and BMI) and lastly the scale. Don't fixate yourself on the scale. You will gain and lose in cycles. Weight training will put some muscle on you and muscle weighs more than fat. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will go. Instead, focus on the mirror and body/fat %.


Again, anything else I can do to help, let me know, even if it's just motivation.
 
I myself am counting those calories and I indeed lost 80 pounds before in 10 months. I know exercising is not fun, however there are some really great videos out there that can keep you motivated. Leslie Sansone walk videos are the best. You CAN do it! Just keep in mind the results that you will have. It does not matter if you have never seen yourself teeny tiny, what matters is that you are here now, so get to it! I can not wait to see your before and afters!!!!!!

Good Luck!!!
 
Hi There...

I am new to this forum.. but not new to the struggle of weight loss.

Joining this support group is a great thing you have done for yourself. (me too!).

Having support and a group of friends to keep you real, truly helps.

I can tell you it can be done. I have made it to my goal twice, once losing almost 100 pounds. Unfortunately I lost focus and turned once again to food to comfort me thru life's sometime torturous reality. I am here once again, knowing that I can do this (you can too.)...

It's amazing what you can accomplish once you make a commitment to yourself and have a plan.

You absolutely can do it.:seeya:
 
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