Ughhh! I'm sooo fat!

[mom2agang]

Sorry I have to vent or cry real hard. I've been trying to lose weight. Not with great effort. But Today I went to make a jean skirt out of blue jeans and I can't fit my dads skinny jeans and he's REALLY over weight. :crying: I don't want to be the old lady with a purse full of meds. My parents came to visit and we had to eat by such and such time because of their medicines ( For diabeties, high blood pressure, high cholestrol) I need a personal trainer! I don't want to be obese! What is the best way to start losing a lot of weight? I know eat healthy. I'm doing the Eat Clean Diet. What ways have help you to faithfully lose a large amount of weight?

[Whereneverever]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

Have you been to the doctor to make sure your thyroid is ok? That can help with weight loss.

Are you exercising?

[hsbaby]

Have you tried something like the Loseit! app? Or anything that you have to enter in every calorie you eat? I found it to be a real eye opener. I was eating so many hidden calories! Writing everything down and staying within my allotted calorie intake forced me to be very choosy with what I ate. Like, is that slice of cheese on your sandwich really worth using up some calories? The accountability really worked for me. That, and exercise. I wish it were possible to get out of that one but I just don't think it is:(

[Greta]

I would recommend this for virtually everyone, but especially since you have a family history of diabetes: cut out all refined carbs and cut back on your total carbs. No more sugar, no more high-fructose corn syrup, no more white flour. Limit even whole grains, potatoes, and legumes. Eat plenty of fresh meats, whole dairy (assuming you're not lactose intolerant or allergic), vegetables, and nuts, and enjoy moderate amounts of fruit.

 

Check out:

 

Protein Power

 

Primal Blueprint

 

ETA: Is the diet you're currently on vegetarian?

Edited June 14, 2012 by GretaLynne

[Soror]

I'm a fan of baby steps. I'd work towards making what changes you can towards whole foods, trying to knock out the worst offenders worst, hfcs, white sugar, white bread, dyes, artificial sweeteners. No diet works if you cannot sustain it. I agree with looking at carb and sugar intake especially with diabetes in the family.

 

Also, I think a food diary is helpful for anyone. We all have different problem areas, maybe you snack too much on chips or soda or ice cream. Or maybe you eat generally healthy but just eat too much. Or your meal intervals are not optimal for you, I have a friend who will go the whole day without eating and then binge at night. I think *you* probably already know what you need to do. I'd look at the worst offenders and start there. Also, no starving yourself either, that sets you up for binging, is not sustainable and a good way to sabotage yourself. You shouldn't be hungry, but you cannot always fill up on what you want to fill up on and the body might have to adjust to that.

Edited June 14, 2012 by soror

[Marylou]

You have 12 children, right?

 

How old is the youngest?

 

Do you really want to lose weight if you're still having children?

[CalicoKat]

:grouphug::grouphug:

I started to get my pudge moving by eating a paleo/primal diet. Basically just veggies & low fat meats. No carbohydrates.

 

Give your body a two week jump start with that and go from there.

 

I've lost 17 pounds in 4 months. That's the most I've lost in decades!

 

:grouphug:

[Camy-7 boybarians 1 lady]

If health issues are not the main cause, I recommend either Suzanne Somer's eating plan (low carb w/ food combining principles) or Fat Flush. I love both programs, thought Fat Flush is more labor intensive in the first 2 weeks. I lost 15 pounds in 3 weeks on Fat Flush phase 1. Blessings! (btw, despite the name, "Fat Flush" is actually a very healthy, detoxifying program that helps boost liver function.

[Onceuponatime]

This may sound silly, but along with the diet and health advice, I think you should stop calling yourself fat.

 

I truly believe that using positive statements to define ourselves can help in all areas of our life, including health. I'm not suggesting you ignore the truth, just use it in a positive way: I am working at getting healthier every day, I am worth the effort it takes to be healthy, I love the positive changes I am making, etc.

[sunflowerlady]

Atkins. It works.

[mommymilkies]

I would recommend this for virtually everyone, but especially since you have a family history of diabetes: cut out all refined carbs and cut back on your total carbs. No more sugar, no more high-fructose corn syrup, no more white flour. Limit even whole grains, potatoes, and legumes. Eat plenty of fresh meats, whole dairy (assuming you're not lactose intolerant or allergic), vegetables, and nuts, and enjoy moderate amounts of fruit.

 

Check out:

 

Protein Power

 

Primal Blueprint

 

ETA: Is the diet you're currently on vegetarian?

 

:iagree: It will take time! And I would not go on a "diet". You need to make lifestyle changes. For me it was less processed foods, more walking, taking the stairs and drinking WATER. That was a big one for me! You can do it!

[butterflymommy]

You have 12 children, right?

 

How old is the youngest?

 

Do you really want to lose weight if you're still having children?

 

Why wouldn't she? :confused: Overweight women can actually lose while pregnant and still have perfectly healthy, plump babies. And a healthy pregnancy doesn't need a weight gain of more than 25 pounds so you're not looking at a "required" large amount of weight for each pregnancy. I know women gain more than that but you don't NEED more weight gain to have a normal weight baby.

 

To the OP, why not try doing 1 mile of leslie sansone each day?

 

 

I also highly recommend the book "Eat to Live" even if you can only follow it halfway.

[mom2agang]

I just had our last #12. Complications with birth the Dr. don't recommend us having anymore. ( Which is fine. Thank the Lord for 12 healthy kids) I joined Sparkpeople and started to watch calories. I noticed a lot of processed food has a lot of calories. Some of my weight gain I know was having the" I don't care I'm pregnant I'll lose it after I give birth ( Then I never did I would just get pregnant again) attitude." Well the baby never weighed 40lbs. My Dh is all on board with the eating healthy idea. He is a health food freak and so are my kids. My Dh won't eat sugar and processed stuff at all. On his fat day he weighs 140lbs.( He's a MMA and boxing coach and also a US champ Kickboxer. Staying fit is everything to him.) I just want to wake up tomorrow skinny.

[gardening momma]

I just cut all grains and potatoes out of my diet. (and by "diet" I mean "the foods I eat," not "going on a diet") I decided it was easier to do that than to try to judge how much is ok to have. I also closely watch sugar--not just the expected items like desserts and such, but fruit with high sugar content and other items such as bbq sauce.

 

(I've lost 7.2 lbs and have about 45-50 lbs. to go)

Edited June 14, 2012 by gardening momma

[gardening momma]

Join us over at the Weight Loss Challenge social group.

[LG Gone Wild]

Sorry I have to vent or cry real hard. I've been trying to lose weight. Not with great effort. But Today I went to make a jean skirt out of blue jeans and I can't fit my dads skinny jeans and he's REALLY over weight. :crying: I don't want to be the old lady with a purse full of meds. My parents came to visit and we had to eat by such and such time because of their medicines ( For diabeties, high blood pressure, high cholestrol) I need a personal trainer! I don't want to be obese! What is the best way to start losing a lot of weight? I know eat healthy. I'm doing the Eat Clean Diet. What ways have help you to faithfully lose a large amount of weight?

 

It is all about consistency, not perfection. Every testimonial that I have read regarding large weight loss is the same, diet (general don't-eat-junk) and exercise. It is the small changes that made the biggest difference - less TV, water rather than soda(even diet), running rather than walking, exercising 5-6 days a week. When they say they had changed their habits radically, it wasn't done in one day. They chipped away at the behaviors that made them fat and over time, their lives became radically different.

[Marylou]

I asked about your children because I thought perhaps the youngest was little. Congratulations! Take time to just snuggle and enjoy him.

 

I will second the walking with Leslie Sansone. Walking is something you can do rain or shine.

 

Also http://www.firstplace4health.com/

 

Don't be too hard on yourself!

[Laurie4b]

Though you may want to wake up skinny tomorrow, you've got to chuck that notion entirely. Inherent in that fantasy is: "I want this to be easy." Inherent in successful weight loss is, "This is going to be a challenge. It is going to be hard. It will take a long time. It will take endurance. I am committing myself to doing what it takes to meet the challenge." Weight gain is easy. Weight loss is hard because in gaining weight, one upsets the hormones that regulate eating. Once you've been overweight, it's a lifetime of vigilance required. People who have been successful at longterm weight loss have come to grips with that. I tell my kids, "Don't ever get fat." It makes it easier. I let myself get fat. It will always be harder for me.

 

1. Go to the doctor and get checked out for thyroid, but also for things like blood pressure and cholesterol. It can be a motivator to know all your numbers and see those start to change.

 

2. Get enough sleep. When you get less sleep than recommended, your hormones get out of whack and it stimulates more eating.

 

3. You've chosen a sensible eating plan (just skimmed the website). If it's one you can stick to for the rest of your life, that is good. It looks similar to the DASH diet, which is good for blood pressure, too. But make it more about a new lifestyle of eating, not a diet. This is for the rest of your life, not short-term. Find something you can live with.

 

4. Keep a journal. Write down what you eat--everything--for a while. Weigh yourself every day and write it down. Write down when you exercise and what you did.

 

5. Plan. Plan when you'll exercise each day. If you walk outside, check the weather, for instance. Once you know when you're going to exercise, do it. You can break it up into chunks with the same results. Three 10 minute walks = one 30 min walk in terms of results. Add strength training. Walking will help your heart, for instance, but strength-training builds muscle which burns more calories when resting.

 

6. Plan. Plan your meals. Plan for something to grab when you're in a hurry and you don't have time to cook.

 

7. Read inspirational stuff. Prevention.com, health.com, etc are online magazines that have articles on weight loss, successful losers, etc. Spend some time each day reinforcing what you're doing mentally.

 

8. It's got to come on your top-tier of priorities.

 

9. Set mini-goals. You might want to look at a BMI chart. Figure out what your BMI is now. What is your ideal BMI? Then set interim, mini-goals to lose x pounds based on the next lowest BMI. (It is usually something like 6-8 pounds to get to a new BMI. Reward yourself with a new piece of exercise equipment, a nonfood date night, etc. when you hit a goal. Do not reward yourself with food. Then focus on your next goal. You can also set goals such as "I will walk a mile in ___ minutes." Your goals shouldn't all focus on actual weight loss, but increasing your health and fitness.

 

10. Don't be a perfectionist. Make sure you can eat small amounts of things you really like. If you flub up for a day or two, get right back on track without kicking yourself. Remember, this is a lifetime project now.

[fairfarmhand]

cut out white food. All of it.

 

Sugar,

 

White flour (and don't overdo it on the whole wheat stuff either...2-3 small servings a day is plenty!)

 

Potatoes

 

Rice.

 

You will be stunned at how quickly the weight falls off.

 

I lost 10 lbs in a little over a week.

[Julie in Austin]

I think different plans work for different people, because there is definitely a psychological component to weight loss. And by that, I mean people will "give up" if they have taken on an eating plan that is too hard for them to follow, and "too hard" will vary from person to person.

 

The reason I say all this is that I was completely unsuccessful on "give up all ____" plans. I have that personality where as soon as you tell me I can't have something, it becomes all I can think about. Even if I never particularly liked it in the first place. :D

 

So, I found Sparkpeople worked really well. Because if I saw a picture of, I don't know, orange creamsicle cupcakes on Pinterest ;), I could have one--if I ate veggie soup for dinner. Telling me to never have white flour or sugar again was just never going to work for my personality and lifestyle.

 

I hope you find something that works for you.

[JenMama]

I agree with the poster who said you need to speak more nicely to yourself!

 

Walking is great! If you write down your mileage every day, you'll be able to see what you've done and how you're improving. MapMyWalk.com is free and allows you to figure out your mileage. (The maps are REALLY fun for the kids to play with, too!) Walk every day the first month and record it. Then make your new goal to beat that each month. Once you're over 100 miles a month, it's pretty addictive! :001_smile:

 

One thing that helps me remember to drink water is to put 8 bangles on my right wrist in the morning. Every time I drink a glass of water, I move 1 to the left wrist.

 

For eating, I like Dr. Weil's ideas in the book Eating Well for Optimum Health. He wants you to eat salmon once a week, beans or tofu once a week, broccoli twice a week, etc. I found that concentrating on the healthy stuff I wanted to fit in instead of the bad stuff to cut out really helped my mindset - better choices more often. The eat a rainbow idea is really useful, too.

 

Celebrate each pound you lose. Seriously. Moving in the right direction slowly is still moving in the right direction! I've heard some people be disappointed if they only lose a pound a week. That's 52 pounds in a year, though!!!!

 

You can do this thing! :grouphug:

[AuntieM]

"....the baby never weighed 40 pounds..."

 

:lol::lol::lol:

 

You have a wonderful sense of humor and I think that will be a great asset for you!

 

Don't look back, that way of eating is over and done with. It's your next phase of life - you can learn to eat differently!

[Soror]

This may sound silly, but along with the diet and health advice, I think you should stop calling yourself fat.

 

I truly believe that using positive statements to define ourselves can help in all areas of our life, including health. I'm not suggesting you ignore the truth, just use it in a positive way: I am working at getting healthier every day, I am worth the effort it takes to be healthy, I love the positive changes I am making, etc.

 

I think it depends on one's personality. A lady I know has lost about 30 lbs this year and her motto has been, "Stop Eating Fat Girl." Now, that isn't how I'd approach it but I guess it can work for some. She is one of those extremely, extremely brutally honest and rough around the edges type(that is how she describes herself). Now, whether or not it is good long term(or emotionally "healthy"), I don't know but it seems to be working for her. I have another friend who is a much gentler personality who is also working on losing weight and we were talking about this. She was saying how that she cannot see using that as a constant motivation as she would find it degrading BUT she had found that it to use it occasionally was a motivator.

[Momof3littles]

Sorry I have to vent or cry real hard. I've been trying to lose weight. Not with great effort. But Today I went to make a jean skirt out of blue jeans and I can't fit my dads skinny jeans and he's REALLY over weight. :crying: I don't want to be the old lady with a purse full of meds. My parents came to visit and we had to eat by such and such time because of their medicines ( For diabeties, high blood pressure, high cholestrol) I need a personal trainer! I don't want to be obese! What is the best way to start losing a lot of weight? I know eat healthy. I'm doing the Eat Clean Diet. What ways have help you to faithfully lose a large amount of weight?

Your family history is consistent with a history of metabolic syndrome, which is tied closely to insulin resistance.

 

I would highly recommend reading Gary Taubes' books. Why We Get Fat is a good one from what I hear. I read Good Calories, Bad Calories. That is very science-dense, so if you are comfortable reading material like that, go with GCBC, if not I'd read Why We Get Fat first.

http://garytaubes.com/2012/05/metabolism-dietand-disease-conference/

You really should explore the relationship between insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.

 

If you've dieted in the past but not from a perspective of controlling *insulin* levels first and foremost, I think you may be shocked at how successful you can be. People with that type of family history are prime candidates!

Edited June 14, 2012 by Momof3littles

[fischerl]

Well, sorry to throw one more book title out there (you probably don't have tons of time to read!), but I've been very inspired by French Women Don't Get Fat. The author talks about eating smaller portions but a wide variety of good foods (as close to natural as you can find) and enjoying every bite. She says in general the French don't eat on the run or in front of the T.V. They sit down and make an event of it. She actually slices her banana onto a plate and eats it with a fork. :D I don't go that far, but the idea of slowing down and thinking about every bite has really helped me. It's a fun and easy summer read.

 

:grouphug:

[QueenCat]

Although I do count calories, and am losing weight slowly, I am making sure that the foods I do eat are part of more permanent lifestyle changes. Note that my calorie count is not geared towards rapid loss but towards permanent eating changes.There is no point in going "no carbs" if you aren't planning on permanently banning them (other than an occasional treat). For example, I love carbs (especially bread and pasta). Rather than eliminating them, I changed over to whole wheats and whole grains. I get more fiber from them that way, which makes them more filling. I love chocolate. It is no longer an almost forbidden delicacy. I keep it in the house all the time, and eat 2-3 pieces a day (think along the lines of Hershey Blisses, Hershey Nuggets, Ghirardelli squares, Dove Promises).

[mlbuchina]

I would recommend this for virtually everyone, but especially since you have a family history of diabetes: cut out all refined carbs and cut back on your total carbs. No more sugar, no more high-fructose corn syrup, no more white flour. Limit even whole grains, potatoes, and legumes. Eat plenty of fresh meats, whole dairy (assuming you're not lactose intolerant or allergic), vegetables, and nuts, and enjoy moderate amounts of fruit.

 

Check out:

 

Protein Power

 

Primal Blueprint

 

ETA: Is the diet you're currently on vegetarian?

 

This. Listen to her, she knows what she's talking about. LOL. I got Protein Power on her recommendation. I have lost 7 pounds in two weeks, and about an inch in my waist so far. I am eating so much food, but I have cut out almost all refind carbs, processed food, and extra sugar. However, I deny myself nothing, well except sweet tea. I was at a birthday party over the weekend, and had a small piece of cake and small scoop of ice cream. Portion control is a big part of it. I drink mostly water with some milk.

 

I don't exercise, count calories, or worry about fat.

[SonshineLearner]

Well, I don't know how much you have to lose... if you're still nursing.... and all the other factors that figure into losing weight.

For me: Once I start wanting to lose weight: Pick jeans that are tightish...

Stop eating sugar.

Pick proteins to eat...

Eat tons of vegetables and some fruit...

Drink water

No diet drinks... (no artificial sweeteners)

Walk some...

If you can think of some healthy exercise.... do it.

Also, if you're nursing... nurse away!!! Use this time as a "get the fat sucked out of you" thru nursing!! :)

[LizzyBee]

I would recommend this for virtually everyone, but especially since you have a family history of diabetes: cut out all refined carbs and cut back on your total carbs. No more sugar, no more high-fructose corn syrup, no more white flour. Limit even whole grains, potatoes, and legumes. Eat plenty of fresh meats, whole dairy (assuming you're not lactose intolerant or allergic), vegetables, and nuts, and enjoy moderate amounts of fruit.

 

Check out:

 

Protein Power

 

Primal Blueprint

 

ETA: Is the diet you're currently on vegetarian?

 

:iagree: And for exercise, start with Leslie Sansone or T-Tapp to strengthen your muscles, then move up to Jillian Michaels 30 Day shred or something similar. These are all things you can do at home in a small space and in minimal time, yet they are effective. I also agree with the pp who suggested positive self-talk. When I catch my kids or even friends giving themselves negative message, I tell them not to talk to themselves that way! Hugs to you - you can do it!

[Greta]

This. Listen to her, she knows what she's talking about. LOL. I got Protein Power on her recommendation. I have lost 7 pounds in two weeks, and about an inch in my waist so far. I am eating so much food, but I have cut out almost all refind carbs, processed food, and extra sugar. However, I deny myself nothing, well except sweet tea. I was at a birthday party over the weekend, and had a small piece of cake and small scoop of ice cream. Portion control is a big part of it. I drink mostly water with some milk.

 

I don't exercise, count calories, or worry about fat.

 

:party: I am so happy that you're finding success with it!