Weight Loss Whine.....

[sillysally]

Well, I don't whine very much on here (I don't think at least), but I'm going to today....

I need to lose weight and am very frustrated by it. I'm not talking a little weight either--probably at least 100 lbs to be in a healthy range. It's time, I know it is--my knees make horrible crunching noises, my back hurts often, and my ankles are prone to injury. I'm only 28 and on high blood pressure medicine. I had to have my gall bladder removed this past spring (and suffered awful complications from it), and according to research on done on gall bladders, they often become inflamed partly due to a high fat diet.

I can't do many of the things I used to do. i can't ride my mare because she's arthritic and I'm too heavy for her. A big part of the reason I gave away my gelding (who I adored!) was because I am too heavy to ride him. I'd love to take lessons but even if I were not too heavy for most places I have lost a lot of balance as I've gained weight and confidence with it. I no longer feel like if the horse does something stupid I can stay on and that makes me very edgy.

I'm going to fly later this year and I'm afraid that I'll have to get 2 seats. I avoid going to events in arena (like hockey) because I'm scared I won't fit in the seats.

Most importantly though, I'm scared for my health. I have a family history of heart disease (grandpa had two heart attacks--second one killed him, grandma had 2 heart attacks) and diabetes (an aunt and an uncle have this). DH says he'll love me no matter what size I am but he's afraid that I'll die young, and having kids is on hold because I'm afraid of being pregant with my blood pressue.

I *can* lose weight, but I have a very, very hard time sticking to it. I have so much to lose it's completely over-whelming. I'll have one bad day and get discouraged....

I NEED to do this, and know that some other people on here are trying to get in better shape as well, so I thought I'd ask--How do you guys stay motivated? Any suggestions? Any not-boring "healthy recipes? Any suggestions for stress relievers?

Annnnnddd....thanks for letting me whine----I feel better--lol.....

 

[Dekka]

Hey.. You can do it

I have lost 60 pounds (ok so it didn't stay off.. totally my fault for letting eating habits slide with school) Its a matter of knowing where calories hide. And finding out what calorie ridden things you can do with out. I avoid drinking my calories as I don't find them filling, unless its a breakfast smoothy. You won't stay motivated if you feel very deprived IME. Exercise helped a lot too. What active things do you like doing? (I am a masochist who likes running)

 

[Buddy'sParents]

You have to find the motivation within yourself. You need to want it. You want it, therefore you can totally do it!

I started a couple months back and am now training for a half marathon this summer. All of a sudden my want to be healthier became more important than my not being healthy. I'm tired of being overweight and I don't want my family health history to get in my way of leading a healthy, long life.

I count calories and walk everyday (when I'm well! I have a really bad cold and have taken a few days off and a few weeks ago, I hurt my back and had to take some time off then too) and pretend I know what I'm doing for random bits of yoga here and there. It is so easy to stay motivated once you start seeing results. I've lost 35 pounds so far and it's amazing.

I stick to my calories/per day, but don't beat myself up if I go over. And if I want something like pizza, I eat it. And I work harder that day and the next to work off the extra calories.

I couldn't justify spending large amount of $$ so I don't do weight watchers or anything like that. Our money goes to healthy foods, very little processed foods, if any. LOTS and LOTS of fresh fruits and veggies. You can do it!

Oh and I also added the RunKeeper app on my iPhone which is another fun way to keep me motivated. It measures the distance I walk/hike, how long, etc.. I save each activity to my webpage on RunKeeper and it keeps count for me. So far in February I've walked 19.5 miles and I can see the maps of where I have walked/hike and it adds a bit of fun to my activity.

ETA: DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UP if you have one bad day. We all have bad days. The great thing about bad days is you can start all over the next day! And create small goals for yourself. Don't look at it like you need to lose 100lbs, look at it in terms of smaller goals and steps... you want to lose 10lbs in two months or you want to get calorie counting down before you start focusing on the weight loss. And keeping a daily journal of what you eat helps a lot.

 

[hotdog2007]

Have you thought about a program like Weight Watchers? The support and accountability of a weekly meeting may be helpful. As far as the amount of weight seeming overwhelming, maybe try to forget about the whole picture for now and make small goals - say to lose 10 lbs, or to swim laps for 30 minutes. You can do it!

 

[bubbatd]

Daughter just went on WW and loves it ! She tried everything , but on their program she lost 6# in one week . Said that it's easier than she thought it would be ....especially since she can still have wine . Good luck !!! We're here for you !

 

[Criosphynx]

it is what your eating, how much your eating or both?

 

[Crowsfeet]

-How do you guys stay motivated?

A good way to stay motivated is knowing that if you do this, you'll have overcome a serious obstacle in your life that will possibly enable you to be happier than you may have ever been before and open new possibilities for you and those around you to experience. And obviously you'll be healthier, and likely extend the longevity of your life.

You can do it. You just need to make the move, and it's as easy as being up to you.

You can also stay motivating by thinking about your mare, your knees, your back, your ankles and your family.


And this:
ETA: DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UP if you have one bad day. We all have bad days. The great thing about bad days is you can start all over the next day! And create small goals for yourself. Don't look at it like you need to lose 100lbs, look at it in terms of smaller goals and steps... you want to lose 10lbs in two months or you want to get calorie counting down before you start focusing on the weight loss. And keeping a daily journal of what you eat helps a lot.

 

[Fran101]

Maybe try going to a nutritionist? They can help you set up a good healthy diet and all that information can help you stick to it

 

[BostonBanker]

I've had weight issues most of my life, and right now is when I've decided to fix it. As everyone says, nothing helps until you are ready. I have goals I want to accomplish this year, greatest among them taking Meg to agility nationals. She works so hard for me, I want to be as good a partner to her. I don't even own a scale, but I want to be able to run several courses in a day and not feel like I'm going to die.

I did a long-term house-sitting job several times where they had a treadmill, and I loved using it, so my own is getting delivered Monday night. I'm too self-conscious to run on the streets, and our usual hiking trail in the woods will be either icy or muddy for another couple of months, and I don't want to wait!

Food is my biggest issue. The nice thing is that now that I have a 'real' job, what I pack for myself in the morning is what I have to eat for the day - no grazing or running to the store. I've started simply by replacing my normal bag of chips with grapes and strawberries. A tiny step, but it's what I was comfortable with for now.

I wish you the best of luck! We are both about the same age - a great time to make some big changes in my opinion!

 

[Doberluv]

You have to find the motivation within yourself. You need to want it. You want it, therefore you can totally do it!

I started a couple months back and am now training for a half marathon this summer. All of a sudden my want to be healthier became more important than my not being healthy. I'm tired of being overweight and I don't want my family health history to get in my way of leading a healthy, long life.

I count calories and walk everyday (when I'm well! I have a really bad cold and have taken a few days off and a few weeks ago, I hurt my back and had to take some time off then too) and pretend I know what I'm doing for random bits of yoga here and there. It is so easy to stay motivated once you start seeing results. I've lost 35 pounds so far and it's amazing.

I stick to my calories/per day, but don't beat myself up if I go over. And if I want something like pizza, I eat it. And I work harder that day and the next to work off the extra calories.

I couldn't justify spending large amount of $$ so I don't do weight watchers or anything like that. Our money goes to healthy foods, very little processed foods, if any. LOTS and LOTS of fresh fruits and veggies. You can do it!

Oh and I also added the RunKeeper app on my iPhone which is another fun way to keep me motivated. It measures the distance I walk/hike, how long, etc.. I save each activity to my webpage on RunKeeper and it keeps count for me. So far in February I've walked 19.5 miles and I can see the maps of where I have walked/hike and it adds a bit of fun to my activity.

ETA: DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UP if you have one bad day. We all have bad days. The great thing about bad days is you can start all over the next day! And create small goals for yourself. Don't look at it like you need to lose 100lbs, look at it in terms of smaller goals and steps... you want to lose 10lbs in two months or you want to get calorie counting down before you start focusing on the weight loss. And keeping a daily journal of what you eat helps a lot.

:hail::hail::hail:

Well done! And such good, sound advice.

You can do it Silly Sally. Just like BP said. Make smaller increments as goals, just like dog training. You don't have to look at it like 100 lbs. Look at it like 5. Then when you lose that, look at 5 again or 10 if that doesn't seem too much. You can find good, tasty things to eat that aren't as fattening. I lost a bunch eating stir fry veggies with some chicken or shrimp in. Most of the time I skipped the noodles, but not always. I varied the yummy sauces, which do have some calories, but that was what made the food interesting. I measured and counted calories.

Do you like fish? Just cook things more plainly...some olive oil to cook it in or bake it and skip the tarter sauce. LOL. Use ginger, garlic, orange, lemon, white wine for cooking. Soon, you adapt to more simple cooking and don't even want the fattier stuff. Plain veggies....not full of butter or sauces. Use herbs and things for flavoring. Cooking can become kind of fun and interesting. And once a week or so, treat yourself to something you especially like, like pizza. Pizza doesn't have to be so fatty anyhow. If you find one of those thin crust pizza without greasy meat or too much cheese. I like one that has mushrooms, spinich, garlic and some mozzerella cheese on it It has no meat, but that doesn't matter. You can get your protein at another meal....don't need it every meal. Veggies and fruits definitely fill you up, at least for a while and are very good for you.

Vitamin C (extra) is very good for you. You can get flax seed or the oil, fish oil...some of those things are good for the heart and other things. A glass of red wine a day is also suppose to be VERY good for you. (I don't especially love red wine, not the kind I can afford anyhow) But yeah...they're finding out more and more. Anyhow, maybe if you get sort of into the health idea, it may motivate you more. Sometimes people need to fill themselves up with a little fanaticism in an area in order to push forward. The exercise thing is something to be careful of and go gradually.

You can do it!

I need to do it too. Some of my weight has crept back on again.

 

[tessa_s212]

Today was the first day of my working to get back to a decent weight. I was mostly thin my entire life. Even at my plumpest, I still wasn't considered overweight. Then pregnancy happened. 200 lbs... I never thought I'd see that number when I stepped on a scale, not even while pregnant, not even if pregnant with twins! But I was. It is 5 months since Mason's birth, and I just could NOT find the motivation to do it. I couldn't. I was SO overwhelmed with the weight I had to lose. I'm not foreign to exercise. I ran 1-2 miles every day during my sophomore/junior year of highschool. I was very toned and in shape. But it is completely different now. Starting something is actually hard. Very hard. Because of the excess body fat getting in the way of core/ab exercises (gosh, they are hard to do!), and just because of the csection. During the middle of the workout when I couldn't do something that SHOULD have been easy for me, I could have jsut quit that I was so upset I couldn't do it. But,I kept going.

I haven't any lbs or any long term commitment to brag of yet. I don't even know yet if I will be able to stick to it. My only advice is to not focus on the lbs. I have my beginner weight and I will NOT weigh myself for a whole month. I have already decided that. To weigh yourself daily, or even weekly, is NOT fair to yourself. Do NOT obsess over the numbers. If you set an amount of time that you are not allowed to weigh yourself, you'll find that when you DO weigh yourself, it'll probably be a larger number than if you weighed weekly or more often, and it might just be that boost you need to keep at it. I'm also going to take photos/measurements (but no more often than when I weigh myself), because sometimes THOSE tell a WHOLE lot more than lbs on a scale. And of course, focus on how much better and energized you feel when eating better and exercising. I think that is the thing that keeps me going the most, just feeling more energized.

 

[FoxyWench]

a someone with over 120lbs of her own to loose i feel your pain

some things that are on my List of things to remember/good advice that i just need to stick to...

1: dont UNDER EAT
this is a huge one for me because i skip meals, dont eat enough and its kiled my metabolism.

2: eat "little and often"
i was told to have 3 "meals" and 2 "snacks"

3: get moving, it doesnt matter what you do as long as your up and moving at least 1/2 hour every day, its hard in the winter but anything is good, a walk, stairs, dancing to the tv ect...

4: dont torture yourself, your going to yoyo, dont weigh every day, infact dont weigh yourself any more than every 2 weeks, monthly is best but while your chanigng your diet id do every 2 weeks to make sure your not gaining...

5: water water everywhere! drink lots of water, its good for you, it helps flush the system, and hydrated cells are happy cells

6: carbs are important, the key is balance
balance a serving of a slow carb like pasta or bread with a serivng of fast carbs (like vegatables) and a serving of lean meat.

7: watch your serving sizes! get smaller plates and dont cook more than you need if your easily tempted.

8: stay positive

9: focus on HEALTH not weight

10: keep track of your inches, sometimes the scale will say +2 lbs but the tape will say -4 inches! inch loss is more important than weight loss as muscle is denser and weight more.

lastly is day set goals and rewards, after 10lbs treat yourself to say a mani-pedi, another 10 get a whole new do! ect. they dont have to be extravigant, but somehting to say, hey we got this far, go me!!!

im personally trying to get in the swing, im trying to see if theres any financial assistance programs at the Y so i can start swimming again (i LOVE to swim) and need to make an effort to get on the wii fit every day too...

 

[sillysally]

Activities---I wish I could run but it kills my joints. This past June I sprained my left ankle badly enough that it chipped a piece of bone off, and I *really* feel it if I do anything high impact, even now. I do like to bike, but haven't done it in years. I'm getting a Springer at the dog show this year and Sally and I are going to go biking (I'd do it with just the leash but if she sees a squirrel, I'm going to die).

I like to walk and hike, but can't right now due to the weather so my mom is going to get me an elliptical for an early birthday present. I do enjoy Pilates, and have a couple of DVDs, it just comes down to MAKING the time to do them. DH is trying to convince me to play Dance Dance Revolution with him so I think I'll try that. I'd like to take some kind of swimming related class as I LOVE the water but can't quite bring myself to be in a bathing suit in front of the general public at this point.....

As far as food goes, I'm pretty sure it's both what I eat and how much. I'm really picky--I don't like most veggies so finding ways to sneak them is a challenge, although I do like fruit. Unfortunately, I love stuff that is fattening, fried, sweet, etc. I'm really my own worst enemy when it comes to food. I have this "Good food, Bad food" mentality. I tend to divide everything into good and bad rather than it just being food. Then, if I eat "bad" food, I'm just like, "Screw it, I might as well eat anything I want now...." I also tend to be a stress eater. Hard day at work and my first instinct it to go to Arby's.....

 

[Dekka]

That sounds just like me with food!!

If you can find things to make salad exciting go for it! I found some great cheese and little fried onions. Over all it makes for a filling meal (add some low fat meat) and is low cal. Don't keep foods in your house that you have a hard time with will power.

I LOVE my elliptical. Great workout, low stress.

 

[tessa_s212]

I'm with you there on the stress eating. I definitely do. Also, since there wasn't a lot of food in the house growing up, when we did get food, we'd STUFF ourselves. We'd eat a week's worth of groceries in 1 day/night. Even now - it HAS improved though - I still will sometimes do that when we get new groceries in the house. It's especially hard when you don't have support persons around you helping you to get healthy again.

I truly honestly hope that you have those support persons. Do NOT be afraid to ask people to help you - even that means that the people living in the same house as you have to give up having certain junk foods or large quantities in the house, I'd hope they do it. If that means they find the time to do activities with you, I hope they do it! Yes, you do need to eventually learn to control your eating and activities on your own, but there is nothing wrong in requesting help from loved ones in the beginning.

 

[Buddy'sParents]

Activities---I wish I could run but it kills my joints. This past June I sprained my left ankle badly enough that it chipped a piece of bone off, and I *really* feel it if I do anything high impact, even now. I do like to bike, but haven't done it in years. I'm getting a Springer at the dog show this year and Sally and I are going to go biking (I'd do it with just the leash but if she sees a squirrel, I'm going to die).

Then don't run. Walk. Start slow and then bump up your activity level as you go. A bike is a great form of exercise! It's next on our list of things to get since the hubs likes it so much. Don't wait until you can take the dog with you, start now.

I like to walk and hike, but can't right now due to the weather so my mom is going to get me an elliptical for an early birthday present. I do enjoy Pilates, and have a couple of DVDs, it just comes down to MAKING the time to do them. DH is trying to convince me to play Dance Dance Revolution with him so I think I'll try that. I'd like to take some kind of swimming related class as I LOVE the water but can't quite bring myself to be in a bathing suit in front of the general public at this point.....

Don't let the weather get you down. We've had a lot of rain lately and I walk in it regardless. I have to skip trails right now because they are too muddy and a slight slip can really injure me, but walking in my neighborhood works just as well. DDR is an AWESOME way to lose weight. i do that too, sometimes. It is a great cardio workout. With your ankle, I'd start out slow and be careful on the jumps (I sometimes avoid the jumps all together). I like DDR so much that some of the music from it is on my workout playlist. Don't give a hoot about the general public! They shouldn't matter. You are doing this for YOU and that is what is important. You like swimming and you have access to a pool. Go for it gal!

As far as food goes, I'm pretty sure it's both what I eat and how much. I'm really picky--I don't like most veggies so finding ways to sneak them is a challenge, although I do like fruit. Unfortunately, I love stuff that is fattening, fried, sweet, etc. I'm really my own worst enemy when it comes to food. I have this "Good food, Bad food" mentality. I tend to divide everything into good and bad rather than it just being food. Then, if I eat "bad" food, I'm just like, "Screw it, I might as well eat anything I want now...." I also tend to be a stress eater. Hard day at work and my first instinct it to go to Arby's.....

You know, not too long ago I would have poopooed the idea of most veggies. Eating healthy and getting rid of processed food has really opened my eyes to watch nature provides for us. This last week I enjoyed veggie sandwiches for lunch- tomatoes, cucumbers, yellow bell peppers, avocado. They were delicious. Liking fruit is going to be your best ally. Fruit is so good for you. My breakfast every morning is typically a banana and some other fruit. Fruit is best on an empty stomach so the sugars derived from it are used appropriately throughout the day. They will fuel you like you never thought. I'm an emotional eater, but now I just make healthier choices. Michael Pollan says if you aren't hungry enough to eat an apple, then you aren't hungry. I ask myself that every time I think I need to eat something. You know this week I had pizza AND fried chicken. Not the healthiest choices, but I made them and I stand by them. And I'm not even walking because I'm so sick. And that's okay. You need to not let you beat yourself up. Take it one day at a time!

You can do it! See bold for my responses.

 

[bubbatd]

I was with Jan at Applebees tonight and we both ordered the same steak dinner . I didn't even notice the WW#7 beside it !! I may join the program to put on the 10#s I need . I hadn't seen her since her start , but the 6# loss in a week sure showed in her face !

 

[Barb04]

I would suggest joing Weight Watcher's if there's a location by you. I lost weight with them years ago and if I ever gain some back, their way of eating has helped to get it back off again.

Take your time and do things slowly. I've found I do better with making better choices of what I eat but also cutting back portion size. Sometimes I'd rather have a few tastes of something rather than being denied it all together.

 

[AGonzalez]

The elliptical will be a God send. I've had some severe knee injuries, surgery, and torn tendons in an ankle (all same leg) and cannot do running or anything with impact for cardio. But the elliptical is something I can do, just make sure you put it on a not so stiff setting to start with until your legs gain some tone and can handle it, rather than putting all the stress on your knees.

 

[~Jessie~]

I've never dieted so I honestly don't have any advice in that area. Nikki gave some great advice, though, so :hail: to her!

Is there anything that you want to buy that you can use as motivation? Like, first 10lbs lost you can get a new outfit? Or after 50lbs, you can go on a nice weekend trip with your hubby as a reward? I know that something like that would help me... maybe you could ask your hubby to be your support system for rewards... he can book a trip once you're down a certain amount of weight, etc.

Sooo many foods are so tempting, which makes it really hard to lose weight. With our busy lives, I know we consider doing take out and eating out WAY too often... but we go grocery shopping on Sundays now and buy food to last ALL week. So we have to eat what we buy, otherwise it goes bad and wastes food and money (and the time we took to buy it!). We make some really tasty healthy recipes that you'd never know were healthy... and substitute certain healthier ingredients for others.

Good luck... and you're very lucky to have a supportive husband who loves you for who you are, which really, really helps.