Where Do You Even Begin?
 

Ugh ! I have about 150 Pounds to lose. I can't believe it. That number seems so large and I sit here wondering where to even begin. I wondered about a simple plan of (4) 400 calorie meals each day and (1) 200 calorie snack. That might just work for me especially if I had some meal ideas and snack ideas all worked out ahead of time. Has anyone ever tried anything like this? I am looking forward to these boards they look great !

:welcome2: Your plan sounds like a decent one. Have you considered tracking your calories on a tracking site? I like The Daily Plate and many people here use Fitday. Also, walking is great exercise for weight loss. Maybe you can make a goal of 30 minutes a day.

I count calories, eat clean, and exercise and so far it's worked for me! :)

I budget around 1500 cals a day (+/- about 100, just depending on my day). I eat 3 meals and 3-4 snacks a day and I try to eat foods that are fresh and natural - avoiding the prepackaged stuff as much as possible.

I exercise anywhere from 30-60 minutes a day, 5-6 days a week, and I have to say that I think the exercise has made a huge difference in my progress and my commitment! :)

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I agree that using a calorie log like fitday helps. In the past when I have had periods of success it has ALWAYS been in conjunction with using fitday to log calories.
I am right there with you though about not really knowing where to begin. It just seems so overwhelming. I am going to take it one day at a time, and when that gets to hard, maybe one meal at a time. I am a military spouse and I am sort of dealing with it like I dealt with my husbands first deployment. It just seemed so unGodly at the start, so totally overwhelming, so impossible, but with his deployment there really wasn't an option of failing - not if I wanted to stay married. So, I only focused on one day at a time and would stop myself if I started to think too far ahead, or think about how I would handle the holidays (oddly enough the holidays are also a time of concern now with weightloss). I would just let myself cry, or take that "deer-in-the-headlights" moment and then move on. And that is my plan for this life change as well.
One pound, one meal, one work-out, one day at a time. :hug:

I know how you feel. I used to weigh 240 and now I am 210. I still have 95 lbs to go and it feels like a lot. I try and remember that a year from now I could either be at (or close to my goal) or the same weight or heavier. I try to just take it one day at a time so it doesn't seem so overwhelming.

I think it is best to stick with something simple. I am trying to work out 5 days a week even if it is just 20 minutes each day and I also am counting points (I used to go to WW and have all the info so I do it at home) and so far it is going pretty good.

Good luck, you can do this!!

I too know how you feel. When I started at 255, 150 seemed ridiculous. Impossible even. However, sticking to a plan, here I am 30 lbs away. All you have to do is follow through, you'll get there one pound at a time. ;)


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Oh yeah. I forgot to say ... thinking of losing 100 lbs or more is totally overwhelming. But just taking it step by step helps.

Also we have a 5# challenge thread that helps me a lot. Just going 5# at a time is much easier. Pop on over to the Chicks Up For A CHallenge area and look for the latest one - I think it's #42.

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My suggestion would be to set mini goals. Forget the 150 for now, and concentrate on say the first 10lbs. then each time you drop 10lbs give yourself a reward - a nice lipstick or bubble bath, body lotion, nail polish ... something just for YOU. i know it feels awful now (I used to be 232lbs) but once you get going you will start to feel better. Take it slow and easy and don't give in.

I agree on the mini goals. I joined the 5 pound challenge board and I think it is a great idea. i decided after I joined instead of looking at my 110 pound weight loss goal, I would focus on the 5 pound board for a mini goal and use my 10% goal as my big goal. After a few 5 pound losses I will have zipped right through the first 10% mark. I set a goal page up on my blog tonight and I only have to do (4) 10% goals this year to get to the 150 mark and that is my goal for 2009. It really helps if you can focus your attention on the small goals and not the overwhelming 100+ goal. Join the 5 pound challenge http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=159358 and see if that helps. Good luck.

I had like 226 lbs to lose. That seems very insurmountable to me. But one day I woke up, ate clean, decided to do it the next day and the next. And now here I am 92 days in, 57 lbs lighter and much healthier. Just do it. Because you don't have an option not to.

I eat 1800 calories a day (many calculators online will tell you how much to eat) and split it into
Breakfast 300
snack 200
Lunch 400
snack 200
Dinner 4-500
snack 200

I think the hardest part is simply starting. Instead of candy, grab an apple. Incorporate veggies into your diet. My favorite are the frozen prepackaged, pre measured ones from Green Giant. You can do this. It gets a little easier every day. I've had slips, believe me. Christmas week has been rough, but I"m ready to get back on the horse and move forward from here. Good Luck, you are at a great website that has infinate information for you! :)

It is very hard to start when you think about the overall goal you want...so break it down :) It's not so overwhelming then!

I'm the type of person where I'm either in it all or nothing so one day I decided to totally clean out my pantry and fridge & fill it with healthy food. I'm an emotional eater so if I was stressed I had no choice but to grab for a snack bag of grapes or an apple ;)

Good luck girlie!!

I had a total of 115 pounds to lose and I was very overwhelmed. I finally decided that even if I didn't lose all of that it would be worth the effort for whatever I was able to get off. Every pound lost makes you feel so much better. Now that I'm closer to goal I'm sure I'll get it all off. You don't have to do everything perfectly from the start. You can tweak your plan as you go to improve it. I agree with the others about an online calorie counter. I use the dailyplate and it's been a huge part of my success.
You can do it! Don't let yourself be overwhelmed by the big picture, take 5 pounds at a time.

I agree with the others. One step at a time, with mini goals. Then, don't be like me, and get discouraged and let it come back on. Just keep taking it one day at a time, one hour at a time, one minute at a time. You can do this. Keep posting and getting support.

I've taken it one pound at a time, sometimes 1/10th of a pound! I agree with the others who say to break it down into smaller and more manageable goals - the 5# challenge is pure genius, fun and helps to keep the small goals in perspective.

Small meals are a great idea - I do 6-7. I read the Superfoods book when first starting, which helped to clean my diet up. Calorie counting is manageable for me with the help of The Daily Plate, which is free.

Best wishes!

Wow, that was short and sweet and exactly what I needed to read. I notice we're almost the same weight and I was confused with the online calorie calculators. My plan was to do exactly what you do, but was unsure because the online calculators were telling me to eat 1800/1900 calories, etc.

meltitaway: You could also start by recording every single thing you eat normally in a little notebook or paper for a few days or even a week. Once you see it all on paper, you will begin to realize what you are overeating, when you are overeating, etc. Then you can take steps to try to fix it.

For example, if you see that every night you eat 1000 calorie snack, you can see that you need to replace it with a 200 calorie snack, etc.

I just find, once you see it on paper and start becoming aware, you'll find it easier to know where to begin switching up things to a healthier substitute.

I just think that when you completely switch everything up, your body starts to fight it. Then it becomes hard and you "fall off the wagon" so to speak. Instead of taking away that snack at night that your body is used to, replace the snack. It helps any kind of withdrawal that is going to happen.

~CGH~

I had 150ish pounds to lose when I started, and I guess I just didn't think about that number except as a long-term goal I'd reach "someday." More than that, I've been planning on losing to reach things like: The weight I was when my daughter was born, the weight I was when I met my husband, the weight I was when I quit eating sugar the FIRST time in my life that I did that, etc. And I have to say, even just losing 20 pounds was rewarding. Then 30, 40, 50...it gets better and better. Compared to 50 pounds ago, I look and feel like a million bucks, and everyone around me thinks so, too.

So I'd say--make your plan, then anticipate racking up the pleasurable rewards of weight loss as you go. Weighing 20, 30, 40, or 50 pounds less than you weigh now is totally worth the effort, even if you never lose more weight after that. Being healthier and looking better is totally worth the effort, even if you never achieve your ultimate goal weight.

Starting is the hardest thing. I was 278 when I started. You can plan and plot and get the best program available but it really comes down to what you are doing THIS MINUTE. Putting a cookie in your mouth? Put it down. Spit it out. Driving to McDonald's? Turn around and go home. Sitting on the sofa? Go take a walk. It's not what you're gonna do later that gets the weight off. It's what you're doing right now.

Stick around, this is a great bunch of people!

yeh, i know how you feel i have 100 lbs to lose, i know it is going to be hard but i have got to do something, i can't keep going on the way i am

Absolutely...make a long term goal but break it down into less daunting mini-goals. And don't be afraid to change your goals as you go along...they don't always have to revolve around the number on a scale. Take things meal by meal or even bite by bite if you have to. Until you really find your confidence you may stumble (heck, even after you are an old pro at losing weight you'll trip up). The important thing to remember is that overeating at breakfast doesn't mean you have to overeat at lunch, a blown snack doesn't mean you can't have a reasonable dinner. Pat yourself on the back for every meal you get right and take a look at the ones that aren't quite so stellar and figure out what went wrong (this is where journaling and sites like Fitday can help). And try not to get frustrated. Remember, losing weight often boils down to trial and error. Your calorie range, your exercise habits, your food choices are all very personal and what works for one person may not work for you. So, keep and open mind, try what makes sense to you and, if it doesn't work, try something else. But don't give up because you CAN do this! We all can!

If there is anything that I have learned here at 3FC is that many different plans will work, if you STICK WITH IT. So often we run around and try to find the "perfect" plan and the truth is that you have to find a plan that works for you. One that fits your lifestyle and habits and creates a new lifestyle that you can STICK TO.

I think your plan sounds awesome, but only you know if it's doable for you!!