[Mandar]

Hello,

I'm new to this site and I'm hoping for some help. I weigh about 210 lbs and want to get down to 150lbs. I've tried everything I can think of to loose the weight and nothing helps. Can anyone give me suggestions?

To make matters worse, I have a five year old and we've always been so careful about her weight. In January she was put on a course of steroids for two weeks and gained 7 lbs. That's a lot of weight for such a tiny body and I have managed to stop the weight gain for now but I am so scared it'll start back.

What should I eat? What is good for me? I just have no idea anymore.

[Less of Lena]

Hello, Mandar and So glad you're here!

You've asked what you should do to start working toward your goal. I think you may have to ask yourself a few questions. If you'd like, post the answers here and people can use them to make suggestions tailored specifically to your needs, wants and goals. There aren't any right or wrong answers, it's more to just assess where you are and help you sort out what kind of program might work for you.

• Have you tried to lose weight before?
• What methods have you tried?
• What did you like about any of those methods?
• What, if anything, did you dislike about them?
• Did they "work" while you were doing them?
• Why did you stop? What happened when you stopped?
• Do you do any sort of exercise now?
• If you do, what are you doing?
• If you don't, are you willing to start? (It's ok to say No, but might make things a bit more difficult)
• Are you good with self-control?
• Do you have any must-have foods? (If so, low-carbing may not be for you)
• Do you like to go it alone or do you need/want company or social interaction?
• Do you have any other health issues? Diabetes, high blood pressure, that sort of thing?

I think if you start asking yourself some questions, you'll be able to narrow down the selections and find a program that will work for you long term.

Sorry I rambled on -- I was sort of thinking through what I did when I decided to start... this time. I did a cold, hard assessment of who I am and how I work. And I've come up with a plan that I'm happy with!

[readyfreddy]

well first- hugs!!


i was a bit confused- are you trying to not let your daughter know you are losing weight so she wont be self conscious about her recent gain or are you trying to find something for both of you?

if the later- i would say that your daughters weight gain on the steriods has probably leveled off and as she grows she will "spread out" those extra pounds and become lean again- i wouldnt make a big deal about them- in my opinion. fragile young psyches and all that.

as for what should you eat?? here are some basic guidlines i try to remember.

colorful
not processed
fresh
tastey!



sounds silly- but colorful- ie you dont want a plate of beige food. generally (although cauliflower is the odd man out- beige foods dont have a ton of nutritional value.) green (spinach, green bell pepper, broccoli etc) is good. orange is good (carrots, orange bell pepper, sweet potatoe, squash, etc) is good. red and purple (strawberries, beets, rasberries, red bell peppers, apples, etc) are good.

not processed and fresh
ie choose a peach over canned peaches.

also you need a mix of fat, carbs and protein. ie chicken breast (prot.) cooked in olive oil (fat) with brown rice (carb).

tastey!! you want to be satisfied!!


good luck!

[Less of Lena]

Dang, I think I scared her off with all the homework

[Heather]

Originally Posted by Less of Lena

Dang, I think I scared her off with all the homework

LOL! Hope not, Lena, cause those were GREAT questions!

Mandar, if you come back, WELCOME!! It can be overwhelming to get started. One other thing to add to Lena's List (I love alliteration) is that it's okay to start by just picking one thing to change and then adding more later on. Baby steps. So, if you know you want to start, maybe do portion control. Or start moving more around the house. You'll be surprised how those little things snowball together to make a big difference!

[sierra_ttw]

Hi Mandar - Welcome!!! The important thing to remember when asking a question like this is that no one plan works for everyone - if it sounds like it won't meet your needs, keep trying until you find something that does. That being said, I can share what's gotten me started with you.
For whatever reason, i finally felt ready to start this change at the beginning of the year. I cut out sugary treats for a couple weeks, because those are my weak spot. once I was out of the habit of eating them all the time I reintroduced them, but now I only have a small treat once a week, rather than a chocolate bar every day. I eat fruits or veggies with every meal, and all my snacks are cut up fruit or veggies. I eat processed carbs in moderation, and stay away from high-fat protiens. The key in all this is that I can live with it - my body still gets glucose from all the fruit, so i don't get sugar-cravings anymore, and i eat really often, so I don't get that hungry. You can't feel deprived, or else it won't stick.
The second thing that helped a lot was letting the people around me (my finace, my friends, my parents) know that I was trying to be healthier. This way when I visit my dad for dinner, he puts together salad and a stir-fry, rather than pizza and beer. It also means when I'm out with my friends I have someone beside me suggesting that she share that dessert with me, rather than let me eat it all on my own - it's been a HUGE help.
Finally, this site has helped - I get so much inspiration from the stories I read on here, and so much support from people. it's really fantastic.
I don't know if this will help, or if it's all just a bunch of me rambling... but as long as you want this, you can do it. Good luck!!!