300+ and need to do something about it
 

Hello!

My name is Shannon and I'm new here. :) I've always been big but I gained 50 pounds when I was pregnant with my son and still have yet to lose any of it. I also just got back from a trip where I basically spent the whole time eating and gained almost 15 pounds in a week. :eek: My son is going to be the ring bearer in a wedding at the end of May and I will be escorting him down the aisle so I want to try and lose some weight before that.

I also know that I need to lose weight so that I can be heathy for myself first, as well as for him, and also so that I have a smooth pregnancy when we try to have another one later in the year.

I'm kickstarting myself with two weeks of phase 1 of Southbeach and then I'll transition over to WW points. Both of those worked well for me in the past, hopefully this time I can stick with it.

Welcome to 3FC! I started at about the same weight. in 2 weeks Im down 10 lbs (and its that time of the month so it might be more!) I currently just count calories and started running! Im hoping to run a 5k for the 4th of July.

Think about why you didn't stick to it last time and have an action plan for that and maybe you will have a better chance of sticking to your plan. Also thinking beyond the day of the wedding is a good idea if you want to make your weightloss last longer.

Personally i believe that one should try to follow a way of eating that you can follow for the rest of your life, although its got to be said that a lot of people need to work this out as they go along because they have a lifetime of bad eating habits behind them. I'm not saying you do but i get the impression that this is true of a lot of overweight people. And they will resist tooth and nail efforts to encourage healthier food choices.

Welcome to the forum. I think you will find it helpful.

Welcome Shannon.

This is Brandi. I also just started today. I have also signed up for myfitnesspal.

I am working on the habit of being more mindful and I think using these forums will really help me to be more conscious of the actions that lead to weight gain. I do pretty well with food, most of the time, my problem is that I have settled into a very sedentary life.

I think Pattience is right, for the most part, sustainability is key, but Southbeach is a great jumping off point and may help you to develop those sustainable habits.

Best of luck to you Shannon.

Thank you for the welcome! I would love to start jogging/running but I have problem knees due to my weight. I'm hoping that as the weight comes off, there will be less stress on my knees and I can take advantage of the track that I have just a block away from my house. :)

Best of luck to you in your 5k!

Hey and welcome, Shannon! I'm new here, too. :)

Well--personally you're losing for all the wrong reasons. I see so many posts that say "I've got a wedding to go to" and I need to lose weight--signifying to me that your attempt at weight loss is just temporary. To gain 15 pounds in a week you have got to be consuming well over 7500 calories a day-(enough calories for 3 women)-meaning you have a serious addiction to food. It's something that can't be taken lightly--or thought of as a short term fix. Long term success comes from realizing the problem--and doing something about it--starting with the food addiction first. There is no short term fix--without doing a yo yo diet and ending up bigger than what you are now. It's something you have to do in your brain--realize and admit to yourself just exactly how much you are eating and stop it permanently. Find out how many calories you should be consuming to get to your goal weight--and stick with it. This is a lifetime stick with it. It starts today and it's something you do for the rest of your life to keep you slimmer, happier and healthier. Welcome to this board--Good Luck

Hi Shannon! I am also a Brandi, but unfortunately, I am not new to this forum or to weight loss. I am not 300+, but I wanted to say that I have done South Beach before, with success. I am currently trying to address my food addiction and binge eating disorder. I have realized that my unsafe addictive foods are refined sugar and wheat, and possibly some other grains.

I went back to something similar to SB or a whole foods approach. No wheat, no sugar (unless it's in fruit), and the only grain I am eating right now is a quarter cup of steel cut oats with a few blueberries in it at breakfast, with some eggs. I find that when I eat like this, I am not hungry, and it becomes easier to say no to sweets.

I act like a crack addict around junk food. I can down an entire thing of Oreos, no problem. I can justify eating a tremendous amount of ice cream every day. I can basically eat bread and sugar all day and never feel full. I have some emotional eating issues, too, but I truly believe that on a biochemical level, my brain gets off on the sugar and white foods. The idea of sitting down with an entire pumpkin pie and whipped cream takes me into full-on junkie mode.

Ok- so now I am fantasizing and have gone totally tangential. Anyway, I just wanted to say welcome and I wish you great success! Here's to weight loss and great health. You can do it!

For Female adults, here is equation for calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
55.1 + (9.563 x kg body weight) + (1.850 x height in cm) - (4.676 x age) = BMR
655 + (4.35 x kg body weight) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age) = BMR

Here is how to calculate your daily calorie required:
Seldomly Active- if you do very little or no exercise at all
Your daily calorie requirements are BMR x 1.2
Occasionally Active - light exercise between once and three times per week
Your daily calorie requirements are BMR x 1.375
Moderately Active - if you do moderate exercise three to five days per week
Your daily calorie requirements are BMR x 1.55
Frequently Active - if you do intensive/heavy exercise six to seven times per week
Your daily calorie requirements are BMR x 1.725
Once you know what your daily calorie requirements are to maintain your weight, you know also that by increasing the calories beyond that, you will gain weight and by reducing them, you will lose weight.

IMPORTANT: Do not go below 1,200 calories per day for women. It can be dangerous, and at the very least, will slow your metabolism down (because your body will think it is starving) making it harder to lose weight.
Good luck!

Yes definitely take off some weight first by watching your calorie intake. Weight loss really is 96 percent coming from eating fewer calories. Exercise is to get you into shape, cardio vascular, muscle building, which burns fat and keeps your body and mental well being mechanically tuned. It feels great to exercise once you're accustomed to it. No one starts out liking exercise, but they end loving it, if they're consistent and don't give up on it.

If you do decide to start an exercise program, start out slow by walking. Don't overdue, which causes burnout, but be consistent. You have work up slowly with exercise, and if you're consistent you can go faster and longer when you're comfortable with it.

Again good luck to you and I really am glad you have joined this board. I've been watching a program called "my 600 lb. life" and these people wake up one day and they're there. Many are bed ridden and are confined to their rooms. You've caught it early, and now is the time to take care of yourself, to make permanent changes to the way you eat and exercise, while being a great example to your children at the same time.

Remember you can do anything you set your mind to.

http://smartforlife.com/wp-content/u...ion-quotes.jpg

Jennie most people here are american. They have no idea about kilograms. There are however calculators online that can do all the sums for us.

But given that formula, i'm wondering if you got it from the same place i know it from i.e. the CSIRO total well-being diet? Is that correct?

im down 10 pounds in last 2 weeks what helps me out is oa meetings over the phone and I eat 1600 cal a day don't exercise much but will be when get some of this weight off

WTG on your progress.