i have lost 4lbs in 2 days i started on the first. i have to do it. but i know i dont do it the right way. i dont really eat. i eat today a can of tuna and crackers 5 and an apple and a rice cake that it for today nothin else. i drank one glass of diet pepsi and 8 glasses of water.i know this is not health but it works for me for a short time. then i end up adding more foods or i get cravings. i have tried everything i can think of .any idea

taylogbel

Welcome! I'm sorry your having a hard time, this place is so supportive. I'm really glad you joined us.

You do know that will never work don't you? You are starving yourself and that can't/won't work except short term. You weigh 345 and that means you need a lot of food. You need to find you a quality, healthy diet plan/program or count calories. Including plenty of lean meats, fruits, and vegetables.

You need to start exercising, maybe walking? And maybe very light weight training with free weight 3 times per week. I eat at the very least 2200 calories per day and I'm still losing. You ate like 180 calories all day.

That's enough for a 18 pound person, that's in the bed all day need. You are going to have to find a responsible way to drop the pounds. You are responsible for your health. You also may need to talk to a dietitian, and someone to help you with some issue if you feel like it's much more than about food.

You can do this!

Welcome taylogbel!

I feel your pain and literally have been where you are, but I am telling you that it will not work for the long haul and as you say it is not healthy.

At your weight you can eat alot of calories and still lose weight. Adding small amounts of movement will help alot as well. I started by parking at the far end of the parking lot at work and eventually taking the stairs until about a month into my plan when I got an exercise bike and worked my way up in minutes slowly. I also do DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) on our playstation and it really does help by getting your metabolism up.

You should start your day with a good breakfast. I find that helps alot. I am having a big plate of scrambled egg whites with zucchini, onions and bell pepper topped with salsa. Very filling and good for you. I just entered all the ingredients into Fitday and I am full and satisfied all for 218 calories. Find something you can do for the long haul. Its gotta be something you can envision doing for life. It doesn't matter what it is...as long as you can do it yourself. I personally am counting calories and trying to eat as much non-processed calories as possible. It all depends on how life is going.

When I started last February, I found journalling (I use fitday.com) helps me track what I am eating.

I am just back on plan after straying a bit over the holidays (did maintenance really), but I am back on track. If I can do this...you can do this!

Read the weekly threads and post! This is a supportive group of people here and I would not be able to do this without the support of the group.

Taylogbel -

You are absolutely right that what you are doing isn’t very healthy and will be very difficult to maintain for any period of time. It would be one thing if you needed to lose 20 pounds (even then it wouldn’t be ideal) but it might be something you could maintain for a the few weeks needs to lose that kind of weight. It will never be sustainable for losing close to 200 pounds.

Your body needs fuel and if it doesn’t get enough it starts sending up warning signals and gets your metabolism to shut down to conserve energy so that you don’t starve to death. It will first start metabolizing your muscle mass to lower your overall caloric needs, which is something you don't want to happen. This is a survival mechanism our bodies developed to save us from starvation in times of scarcity. You also need to eat enough to ensure you are getting all of the vitamins and nutrients you need. You have your 3 building blocks of protein, carbohydrates and fats, but also vitamins and minerals. Losing weight shouldn’t just be about shedding pounds but about improving our overall health.

One mindset that I had originally was that I needed to go on severe diets in part because I thought that was what worked, but also there was a part of me that felt like I needed to punish myself for being fat. I had to really work to change that thought pattern. My body doesn’t deserve to be punished more because I made some bad choices on how to deal with my emotions and therefore overfed it. What it needs now is as much healthy pampering that I can give it, which means the right amount of healthy foods and exercise.

I started with counting calories at around 2000 per day. This gave me plenty not only to eat well and never be hungry, but also to include the occasional treat so that I didn’t feel like I was depriving myself. Actually, the same holds true now except that I have lowered my intake to more like 1800, but the principle remains the same. You can use pen and paper, or there are lots of counting sites like fitday.com where you can enter your food online to keep track.

The other problem with eating so little is that it won’t leave you any energy to exercise. I find that when I exercise I feel better, and when I feel better I make overall better choices. The key here is to start out really slowly and build up over time. If that means walking in front of the TV for 10 minutes today and for 11 minutes tomorrow, then that is the way to start. Don’t try to do too much too soon, because that can cause injury and burnout. Listen to your body and try to push yourself just a little bit to start, but not too much.

Please feel free to join us on the main numbered threads. There is so much to learn and know about losing weight and getting support can be so crucial, whether it is here or something local in real life.

Taylogbel

I eat more than twice as much in a day and I'm losing weight!

I agree with Kimmie, Torister, and Nancy. That is not the way do it if you want to lose the weight and keep it off. You have a lot of great advice there, and I really can't add anything to it. Please read those posts again.

We're here pulling for you, keep us updated!

Please order you a copy of The Weigh Down Diet by Gwen Shamblin..the old copy..the orginal one. It changed my life. I have been there...I would start my day just like you..and if I ate one thing that I thought was "bad food" I was off of it. It never worked and I went all the way/weigh up to 383!

When I read this book it just mentally clicked that I can still eat good food...I just MUST wait for TRUE hunger and never over-eat. I know it sounds to good to be true..but when you read the book...it really clicks. Let me know if you have a hard time finding it.

I wish you all the best...I can feel your frustration in your post and I soooo know how it feels. We are here to help you!