[2muchbackend]

I'm really overweight and I had a scare this last week I had chest pains and had to be hospitalized for a couple of days. My heart turned out to be good but I'm having some pulmonary problems. I realized I'm 32 and I'm not going to be around very much longer if I keep this up and I don't want to be a pin cushion in the hospital again! I've tried every diet known to man and almost every pill and just gained more weight. The only real solution I can think of is to just start counting calories. Anyone have any suggestions on the best way to do this just get a notebook and start tracking I guess. I can't workout a lot and can't really do walking because of joint pain. So I'll have to start cutting calories first. Thanks for any support I just wanted to share.

[haleys]

Go to www.fitday.com you can keep track of all your food there! Good luck.

[HamSandwich]

Actually, I bought a tiny notebook and carried that and a pen with me at all times and I wrote down EVERYTHING that passed through my lips. I actually looked a little neurotic to some of my friends, but it got the job done. You can either write down what you eat and then look it up, or you can do what I did and look it up first and then decide if you really want to eat it. Fact is, unless you are extremely vigilant and extremely honest and serious about doing this, it probably won't work since most people tend to underestimate what they are eating in their food diary. My suggestion- as I have said in other posts, is to be completely honest in your food journal, be extremely vigilant with it and MEASURE EVERYTHING that isn't in a previously prepared portion size. And don't forget to factor in the cooking oils you use when cooking.

Good Luck!

[Universityprincess]

I started tracking everything I ate in October and from there I was able to see exactly what I was doing as far as food. My advice would be to eat what you normally would for a week, total up the calories or fat or however you want to do it (I started with fat because I ate wayyyyy too much of it, but then worked my way to calories) and then set out to do that. If you can talk to a nutritionist, that would be great! S/he would be able to set an amount of calories you should consume per day. If not, visit a few websites and see what they say about how many calories you should eat. When you start your journal, be as honest as possible. It is so easy to lie to yourself sometimes. If you know you at 1.5 servings instead of just 1, write it down. My food journal also became an exercise journal...for they day, I write down the food I ate and what I did for exercise and how much.

[KIMMIFIER]

You can do it! You need to do it now more than ever. Health concerns scared me into doing it and sticking with it this time. I was having chest pains, couldnt sleep on my left side without my heart feeling suffocated, my asthma was out of control, and my joints hurt so bad. I had a real wake up call when the Dr. said I was pre-diabetic and had hyperinsulinemia along with hypoglycemia. She gave me 3 months to get my weight under control in hopes it would reverse my pre-diabetes and get my bp under control too. I came home that day April 5th and started my diet.
4 months later and I am down 70lbs. I used www.fitday.com to log everything. I eat 1200-1400 calories a day. I eat no refined sugar and no high glycemic foods. I watch my carb intake, keeping it at 35-50 grams of carbs. I watch my saturated fat intake being sure to try to keep it 1/4 of my total fat for the day. I eat well too. I eat a lot of food and never starve and I like what I eat. I dont miss the sugar.
Like you I was afraid to exercise at first. I started slow on my indoor bike and believe me it was slow. 5 mins and I was out of breath. I built up to walks outside and now I love to walk, do exercise tapes, lift weights and more.
YOU CAN DO IT!!! Ask your dr about over the counter Mucinex for your joint pain. It is guafenisen and it worked for me. It is a miracle drug as far as I'm concerned. It helped my fibromyalgia, asthma, and it helps those with certain fertility problems, thins cervical mucus. TMI sorry. But it is safe to take several times a day and may decrease your joint pain enough to get you moving. Ask your Dr. though as it may not be right for you. Also, check out this website on it:
http://www.fibromyalgiatreatment.com/index.htm
Don't wait til the right day to start your new way of eating. Just do it. It will be the day you never forget. I wish you all the success in the world.
Kim

[lucky]

I also use fitday and LOVE it.

One thing that I find key in counting calories is planning ahead. I take a few minutes each night and input what I intend to eat the next day just to see where my calories will fall. I make adjustments up or down until I have the calorie level I am looking for.

I stay flexible, though. Things come up or maybe I wake up and don't feel like a bowl of oatmeal - whatever. Still, having planned ahead gives me a better opportunity to make appropriate substitutions. I have an idea of how many calories I've alotted for each meal and snack. So, I know about how many calories I need in the meal or snack I am replacing without having to replan the entire day's food. And planning the night before forces me to take inventory of what I have on hand so I'm never caught in the situation of chosing the lesser of two evils instead of chosing something healthy.

As for exercise, try to work around your limitations. I assume you are quite sedentary at this point (I know I was when I started) and ANY activity is going to be an improvement over the current situation. As silly as it sounds, my first "exercises" were just a conscious decision not to ask people to hand me things anymore (hand me the remote control, while your up will you bring me a drink, since you are on your way take this glass to the kitchen, etc.). Just MOVING was a change for the better and it wasn't long before I was out taking short walks, then longer walks, then short jogs, etc. You'll get there but nobody just wakes up one morning and starts running marathons so push yourself but be realistic in your expectations too.

The best part is that it doesn't take long at all to feel the differences of exercising and eating proper protions of healthier foods. So, don't gauge your success by the scale alone. I was still very fat when I realized that my feet had stopped aching and that I didn't have heartburn at the end of every day - those were successes even though the weight I'd loss wasn't apparent at the time. Pay attention to ALL that is going on as a result of changing your lifestyle as it makes the whole process much more enjoyable.

[MorticiaAddams]

Been there with the heart Palpatations and they can really put a scare in you. Thats about when I knew I better make some changes since I have a son thats young and needs me to be here for him.
I started by getting off the Soda and drinking only water.
I cut out the red meats and used only Lean Turkey meat instead of hamburger meat to make anything that I used to use with hamburger meat.
I cut out the pasta, the white bread, cutting your milk down if you drink whole milk.
And defintatly getting some exersise. Maybe just walks around the block and work yourself up to more and more.
And most important like everyone has said write down and track everything you eat
Time Eaten Description Calories Fat Protein Carbs

Make sure you understand that you are at a point in your life that you have to decide do you want to live longer or die to the food.
I really hate to be so blunt right there but I only wish for you to be here posting your triumphs with the rest of us and being amazed at what you are trully capable of. Keep us updated and let us know what your changing and what your doing.
Make sure you are seeing the doctor so they know you are making these changes and they can monitor you since you did have that scare.
Keep your head up and remember it can happen you can do this.
Some of us were right where you were. Feeling the same exact way.

Heres a portion from my Journal when I hit one of my points.

I took Tyler to the doctor today and I happened to step on the scale and got the scare of my life. Im once again in a postion thats a do or die. Im at the highest weight I have ever been and that scares me, It also goes thru my head as how can my own husband stand to be with me intimatly, I want to get this going, If I can lose 10 pounds I would get going and get a roll going."""
Another Written point from my journal
Well we went to the weding we had a great time till it came to the video.
Oh my god I cant believe how incredibly huge I am.
How could I do this to myself and my family. """

Another thing is to start to care about yourself and put yourself first.
You need to take care of yourself and thats eating more healthy and moving more.
You can do it
Again please keep up the updates and let us know how your doing !!!!!

Cindy

[mauvaisroux]

2muchbackdend - oh dear, you must have got the fright of your life when that happened to you This could be your wake up call and your body's way of saying do something or else!

The best thing to do would be to consult your doctor before beginning any plan. Your doctor can either give you a plan to suit your needs or set you in the right directions or even refer you to a dietician to create an eating plan that will help you lose but take your health concerns into account.

Your doc might also be able to suggest some simple exercises that won't hurt your joints.

I agree with a few of the other members here that posted about journalling - I have found that very helpful and fitday is a great place to start.

Some things that helped me - cutting back on caffeinated products including diet colas and hot chocolate (I was experiencing chest pains at the time and my doc told me this would help as my heart was fine), cutting back on sugar and salt. I also avoid prepackage/processed food because of the sodium and other additives in them.

Eating fresh is best!

[almostheaven]

Don't completely discount exercise. Try something that might even ease your joint pain...like Yoga or Pilates. You could get a video and just do them at home. If you have a busy schedule, try just doing 15 minutes here and there. Doing that in addition to changing your eating will help you to lose weight more quickly, and will ease you into more strenuous exercise later. But I really believe that Yoga or Pilates may also help to strengthen your joints for future exercise.

[SOON2BE154]

You can do this!

Counting calories is great but make sure you are getting enough of the right kinds of foods. There's CalorieKing, FitDay and many more. Don't starve your body to lose weight by having only 1200 calories a day. Lots of people try that. It will only slow your metabolism down. There's a happy medium. On another support list the recommended combination of foods is 50% Carbs, 30% Protein and 20% Fat a day. This works well for most people. I aim for my overall nutrition program to stay within that range rather than each meal to be that way.

Eat frequent meals too! Every 3 - 3.5 hours keeps your metabolism primed and you'll lose more fat. I even eat before I go to bed. Some people will cringe but it works. I burn calories while asleep. And I don't wake up really hungry.

And you don't have to be perfect. Do the best you can each day. Aim to eat 90% healthy. One meal of unhealthy food doesn't mean your nutrition program is toast. It means one meal wasn't as healthy as you wanted it to be. There is always the next meal, the next day. Don't give up over mistakes rather learn from them.

Drink six to eight glasses of water per day.

Exercise is important too. Start S-L-O-W-L-Y. I can't emphasize this enough! Take baby steps. Start with 10 minutes three times a week. When you can effortlessly do that add 5 minutes, three times a week. If you have aches and pains don't push through them. Take a day off. Your body will love you for it. Do something you enjoy and will do for the rest of your life. Dance, walk, sports, cycle, run, jog, or whatever.

Also don't try to do 40 minutes of exercise a day. It isn't really necessary until you get closer to your goal weight. And then you'll be more fit and stronger and be able to endure a 40 minute workout. I know, I'm losing inches each week and I'm cycling 20 to 25 minutes per day, 4 to 5 days a week. I also lift weights 3 days a week for 20 to 30 minutes.

This is a lifestyle change. It's the combination of good nutrition, the right amount of calories, and the right amount of exercise and the right type of exercise for each person.

I started my journey with heart palpitations and high blood sugar. I have neither now.

You can do this!

[BBWonwheels]

i use www.fitday.com and the calorieking book (thanks cindi ) . Its help see what i eat everyday and keep me in tact with my calories intakes. My carbs i eat is between 120-130 grams a day and i eat healthy foods. no sugar, no fried foods, no salt and no pork. my calorie intake is 1200-1500. i dink 5 to 6 glass water a day and i exercise 3 times a day. I lose 22 lbs in a month and a half and i think thats good. so dont give up you will find the right way for u.