Need some help getting started

Hello,

I’m new to r/loseit, but I have realized I need some help getting my weight loss journey started and have nowhere else to turn.

I was an athlete all throughout high school and college, playing rugby collegiately, eating right, and the school provided nutritionists, dietitians, trainers, the whole lineup. During this time, I weighed between 225-238 pounds. It was a healthy weight. I still had some more to lose, but it was a good start for me. My goal weight was and is 215.

After college ended, I went out to the workforce. No more sports, a busy work schedule, and no one to track my diet or help me eat right, plus losing the group of 30 fit guys who give you shit for missing a workout really hurt me. I started eating like shit, and ballooned up to 285. Convinced I needed to do SOMETHING, I went to CrossFit and did that for about 6 months. Started losing weight again. At about 6 months, i broke up with my long term girlfriend and was devastated. I turned to food to cope. I estimate at the max I was eating 1800-2000 calories a meal, nearly 3 times my approximate daily metabolic need.

I’m now here, 5 months after the fact. I weigh 314 pounds. I hate how I look and how I feel. I miss being fit. I just can’t seem to find a way to get it all put together.

A little about my diet: I have stopped stress eating. I now walk my dog when something bothers me, instead of turning to food. I have also cut my portions down to what a “normal” person would eat (think 1 burrito instead of a burrito, 4 tacos, and some chips). I drink occasionally, maybe one beer a week. I don’t drink soda. I don’t smoke. I do chew tobacco. I don’t do drugs of any kind.

Most days I don’t eat breakfast, I’m out the door before I get hungry. Lunch is typically some chicken strips or some Mexican food, that’s all we have near where I work. Dinner is a tossup, usually a protein and some form of carb.

I don’t work out anymore. I can’t find a way to motivate myself to go to the gym. I don’t know why. Whenever I think about it, my brain tells me “why bother, you won’t change”. I need help, some route to start making healthy choices with my diet and start going to the gym. How did all of y’all find the willpower to do these things?

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It doesn't feel like a sprint anymore

So I'm about 4 and a half months into this journey, 30 pounds down. The majority of my posts to this sub have been about me not seeing results as fast as I wanted, and being discouraged that my progress had slowed down. Many of you would comment and tell me I needed to learn to be patient, as weight loss can be a slow process. I'd see the quote "this is a marathon, not a sprint" and I'd brush it off, wondering what the point of the journey was if it takes you forever to reach your destination.

I threw a fit and cried anytime I gained an ounce of water weight while I clawed my way to Onederland. And once I did... it's like my whole mentality shifted. It suddenly felt like I could relax and truly embrace this journey. My motivation hasn't wavered a bit. I continue to take care of my body and lose weight at a slow but steady pace. I remember doubing my ability to even lose 5 pounds in the beginning. So I'm able to give myself credit for how far I've come while being excited about going even farther in the future. And I just feel like it's such an accomplishment to finally ditch the toxic mindset that I must lose the weight in the shortest time span possible. A massive weight has been lifted from my shoulders and I can finally breathe, and it's a beautiful thing.

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Why did you decide to lose weight?

Hello, I am new to this sub-Reddit and Reddit in general but wanted to ask a quick question to you all;

What was it that made you start losing weight?

​

The turning point for was getting on the scale and seeing 134 kg (301 lbs if you like) and running out of clothes to fit into and struggling to fit into XXXL t-shirts. With that I decided it was time to make a change, sooner rather than later as I am only 18 so I needed to get into good habits early on.

Most of my weight came from struggling to manage the food I ate. It mainly came down from me working at McDonald'd for 18 months and being given free meals at work. That wasn't so bad, the bigger issues came when I started struggling with my mental health and turned to food to comfort me and just lying in bed doing nothing on the weekends which meant I started pilling on the weight as I would have a meal before I started a shift, during on my break and then another after the shift so was eating a LOT of fast food regularly and didn't think twice about spending £70 (around 90$) a week on food.

I had tried to lose weight before but could never quite keep at it, looking back it was because I was limiting myself too much, only eating 800 calories a day and the same food day in and day out and not doing a whole lot of exercise.

This time around I have committed myself properly and for good (I hope). Probably the best thing I have done is invest in the weight loss, so for me I brought a FitBit and got a gym membership which in my mind, if I invested money into it I wouldn't waste it by not making use of it and trying to lose weight.

The way I saw food also helped a lot for me as before, I cut everything out as I didn't really understand that being in a calorie deficit and exercising, made you lose weight rather than just cutting out fast food. Another thing is that I can still enjoy the food I used to, but having smaller portions and a lot more control over the food that I am having.

The only issue now is that my clothes are getting too big for me!

TL DR: What made you lose weight and what things have you learnt that has helped you stay on track?

Thanks!

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7 Squash Varieties to Try This Season

Day 1? Starting your weight loss journey on Wednesday, 10 October 2018? Start here!

Today is your Day 1?

Welcome to r/Loseit!

So you aren’t sure of how to start? Don’t worry! “How do I get started?” is our most asked question. r/Loseit has helped our users lose over 1,000,000 recorded pounds and these are the steps that we’ve found most useful for getting started.

Why you’re overweight

Our bodies are amazing (yes, yours too!). In order to survive before supermarkets, we had to be able to store energy to get us through lean times, we store this energy as adipose fat tissue. If you put more energy into your body than it needs, it stores it, for (potential) later use. When you put in less than it needs, it uses the stored energy. The more energy you have stored, the more overweight you are. The trick is to get your body to use the stored energy, which can only be done if you give it less energy than it needs, consistently.

Before You Start

The very first step is calculating your calorie needs. You can do that HERE. This will give you an approximation of your calorie needs for the day. The next step is to figure how quickly you want to lose the fat. One pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories. So to lose 1 pound of fat per week you will need to consume 500 calories less than your TDEE (daily calorie needs from the link above). 750 calories less will result in 1.5 pounds and 1000 calories is an aggressive 2 pounds per week.

Tracking

Here is where it begins to resemble work. The most efficient way to lose the weight you desire is to track your calorie intake. This has gotten much simpler over the years and today it can be done right from your smartphone or computer. r/loseit recommends an app like MyFitnessPal, Loseit! (unaffiliated), or Cronometer. Create an account and be honest with it about your current stats, activities, and goals. This is your tracker and no one else needs to see it so don’t cheat the numbers. You’ll find large user created databases that make logging and tracking your food and drinks easy with just the tap of the screen or the push of a button. We also highly recommend the use of a digital kitchen scale for accuracy. Knowing how much of what you're eating is more important than what you're eating. Why? This may explain it.

Creating Your Deficit

How do you create a deficit? This is up to you. r/loseit has a few recommendations but ultimately that decision is yours. There is no perfect diet for everyone. There is a perfect diet for you and you can create it. You can eat less of exactly what you eat now. If you like pizza you can have pizza. Have 2 slices instead of 4. You can try lower calorie replacements for calorie dense foods. Some of the communities favorites are cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash in place of their more calorie rich cousins. If it appeals to you an entire dietary change like Keto, Paleo, Vegetarian.

The most important thing to remember is that this selection of foods works for you. Sustainability is the key to long term weight management success. If you hate what you’re eating you won’t stick to it.

Exercise

Is NOT mandatory. You can lose fat and create a deficit through diet alone. There is no requirement of exercise to lose weight.

It has it’s own benefits though. You will burn extra calories. Exercise is shown to be beneficial to mental health and creates an endorphin rush as well. It makes people feel awesome and has been linked to higher rates of long term success when physical activity is included in lifestyle changes.

Crawl, Walk, Run

It can seem like one needs to make a 180 degree course correction to find success. That isn’t necessarily true. Many of our users find that creating small initial changes that build a foundation allows them to progress forward in even, sustained, increments.

Acceptance

You will struggle. We have all struggled. This is natural. There is no tip or trick to get through this though. We encourage you to recognize why you are struggling and forgive yourself for whatever reason that may be. If you overindulged at your last meal that is ok. You can resolve to make the next meal better.

Do not let the pursuit of perfect get in the way of progress. We don’t need perfect. We just want better.

Additional resources

Now you’re ready to do this. Here are more details, that may help you refine your plan.

• Quick Start Guide - Build your foundation!
• Loseit Compendium - Frame it out!
• FAQ - Answers to our most Frequently Asked Questions!

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100 lbs lost, 100 positive notes, the gift I received and how I did it.

Today I reached my 100lbs lost milestone. This isn’t the end of my journey and I’m still somewhere near the beginning. This is a lifestyle change that I have adjusted to and I'm enjoying every minute of it!

I'm male, 6’2”. At my heaviest recorded weight I was 373lbs. This came after years of junk food, drinking and generally not caring about my body. This recorded weight was in February of 2017 and I was probably much bigger than that when I got married in May 2017. I struggled to find a suit that fit me. I couldn’t afford to have a suit made so I had to buy a suit from a big and tall website and have it altered. It was still tight on the day. I had a 52” waist and a 60”+ chest.

When I decided to start losing weight, I didn’t feel like I was taken very seriously by my friends and family. This was probably because of the countless attempts I’d had at it previously and never really made any progress. However, on January 24th 2018, I joined a weight-loss program called Slimming World. I lost 50ish lbs in about 6 months before finding I gained more support on the subreddit and subsequently quit paying the membership fee and save the cash. I had visited r/loseit quite a few times and read about CICO. I decided to put in my usual meals into myfitnesspal to see what they came out as. I was shocked at how many calories some of my 'healthy’ meals were. This was when I knew that the best way to ensure weight loss is by counting and weighing everything. So that's what I did.

I avoid food without calories listed on them, avoid buffets and read the nutritional information for every restaurant before I get there.

A few months of CICO and I've now lost another 50lbs by being able to reduce my intake and make lower calorie versions of all my favourite meals. I don't remember ever being below 300lbs. It must have been when I was in my early teens.

I've done this by using a TDEE calculator to work out what type of deficit I need and then by eating between 1200-1800kcal a day. I am really surprised how much I can still eat! Combined with drinking 2.2l of water every day and taking the dog for long walks, the lbs have been dropping off.

I am not quite ready to start running yet although I would love to be able to take this up in the future. I have a few injuries with the worst being my right knee, when this clears up I'll be looking for some advice on starting to run.

It hasn't been easy. I've had the odd binge. I have had a 3 week holiday in the middle of all of this and still come out stronger than before. I know I can do this now. My relationship with food has dramatically improved and I know that the setbacks are only going to be short lived.

In February I told the lady that is fitting my suit for my brother's wedding that I'm going to lose some weight this year so my measurements will be a lot different by the time of the wedding on December 1st. I still want to lose another 20lbs or so before then but I get to go in to the next suit fitting later this month over 100lbs down. I have gone from a 52” waist to a 38” waist. From 4XL t-shirt to the awkward middle bit between XL and XXL.

I'm about 50lbs away from my final goal and I hope to hit that in the first half of next year. I'm going to enjoy Christmas this year but not go too over the top. I'm sure I will gain a few lbs but I know I'll be able to get them back off.

I have had massive amounts of support from my wife during this journey. I know I've made her proud and nothing gives me a better feeling than that. She even got me a gift for reaching 100lbs lost.

You can see that here.

She's the best wife ever. I'm not quite the “skinny bitch” that she likes to call me now but I'll take that compliment every day. Ultimately, after doing this for myself I'm doing it for everybody around me who I want to spend a long time with.

I definitely couldn't have done this without my family and friends who have kept me accountable and never tried to sabotage me. I've read some horror stories so I'm glad that I'm surrounded by the best people. I've definitely made some friends for life in this community.

Here's a few progress pictures.

Throughout my journey I have been writing down 1 positive thought or something I've learned for each lb I've lost. I read back through this list if I need some inspiration from myself. Here's that list. Hopefully I won't struggle to add another 50 or so points to it.

1. I feel more attractive.
   
2. I don't snore.
   
3. I'm less judgemental.
   
4. I'm proud that I've stuck to something for so long.
   
5. My feet feel smaller.
   
6. My back doesnt hurt as much.
   
7. I get compliments.
   
8. I get better customer service.
   
9. I smell nicer.
   
10. I save money on food.
    
11. My skin is clearer.
    
12. I can walk up the hill to work without getting out of breath.
    
13. My resting heartrate is no longer 85+
    
14. I can wake up easier.
    
15. Old clothes fit me.
    
16. Unhealthy food isn't as appealing.
    
17. I want to eat healthy.
    
18. I dont lie to myself anymore.
    
19. I understand how hard people have to work to lose weight.
    
20. I'm more focused.
    
21. The dog gets walked more.
    
22. I plan my days around being active.
    
23. People have asked advice from me.
    
24. I find preparing food fun.
    
25. I don't think about snacking much.
    
26. Thank god I quit smoking 4 years ago.
    
27. I can sit on the carpet without something hurting.
    
28. I can fit a towel around me now.
    
29. I actually look forward to getting on the scales.
    
30. I fit in a single train seat.
    
31. I didn't have to ask for a seatbelt extension on a plane.
    
32. I shop in stores instead of online.
    
33. Clothes are cheaper at this size.
    
34. I listen to my own advice.
    
35. The chip shop lady noticed I'd lost weight (I was just walking past)
    
36. I'm not as gassy.
    
37. I have learned what foods cause my stomach problems.
    
38. I love the taste of tomatoes now.
    
39. My back pain is practically non-existent now.
    
40. When I hold a guitar, it feels closer.
    
41. I don't get out of breath when singing in the car.
    
42. I no longer have a coughing fit when I laugh.
    
43. Doing this is just as important as quitting smoking.
    
44. I can still enjoy all my favourite foods.
    
45. Portion control is the key to CICO.
    
46. They make jelly that has 0 calories.
    
47. Push ups get easier as I lose weight
    
48. Having less chin to shave saves me time.
    
49. I was finally under the weight restriction for something.
    
50. I can't wait to prove that I can do this.
    
51. I don't eat 4000 calories on cheat days.
    
52. Spicy slaw on salad is amazing.
    
53. I pick from the healthy range when eating out.
    
54. Every meal has a low calorie alternative.
    
55. I can tie my shoelaces without having to take a break between feet.
    
56. I've lost over 14 points off my BMI.
    
57. The doctors don't blame everything on my weight.
    
58. There is literally always someone there to support me.
    
59. I don't need to use my inhaler before I go to sleep.
    
60. I've lost as much weight as an elephants penis.
    
61. I've gone down 2 notches on my fitbit.
    
62. I don't spend as much time on the toilet.
    
63. I'm now a 2XL t-shirt size.
    
64. I'm starting to notice a bit of loose skin.
    
65. I dislike unnaturally sweet food.
    
66. My teeth seem whiter.
    
67. My breath doesn't smell (other than onions)
    
68. My wedding ring needs resizing (smaller)
    
69. Noticeable man part differences. (saved for this number)
    
70. 2.2l of water isn't that hard to achieve anymore.
    
71. The sugar tax didn't really affect me.
    
72. I can eat McDonalds and stay in my kcal deficit.
    
73. I feel smarter.
    
74. I went to Kaspars and had a diet coke.
    
75. I need to buy a new belt.
    
76. Our friends give us home grown vegetables.
    
77. I get annoyed if the supermarket doesn't have my favourite type of lettuce.
    
78. We both managed to avoid ordering a takeaway when we didn't have much in.
    
79. Airfryers are really hard to clean.
    
80. If we didn't have a dishwasher this would be 10x harder.
    
81. Now 38" waist down from 52"
    
82. The recycle bin doesn't overflow with takeaway boxes.
    
83. I find it really easy to switch from beer to coke on an evening out.
    
84. I don't have to hide the scales anymore because just seeing them can depress me.
    
85. I don't need to take larger doses of medicine to feel the effects.
    
86. My hand can now fit to the bottom of a pringles tube
    
87. I get colder easier.
    
88. I get drunk easier.
    
89. Never missed out on a family event. Just adjusted what I do to my calorie limits
    
90. Can get down on the floor to play with my niece.
    
91. Can chase the kids around the park.
    
92. I can walk for miles without getting tired.
    
93. The worst feeling is when you put your plate on the digital scale, put your sauce on the plate without turning the scale on.
    
94. I got out of the 20 stone range for the first time since I was 16.
    
95. My shoes last longer.
    
96. Went swimming topless
    
97. I still move out of people's way but probably don't need to.
    
98. Look forward to social events
    
99. I'm extremely more confident in the way I look.
    
100. Losing 100lbs is my biggest accomplishment.

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[Challenge] European Accountability Challenge: October 10th

Hi everyone, how's things? Wishing you success today and hoping that we can all tick off October 10th as another day closer to reaching our goals. I'm really noticing the positive effects that weight loss and this challenge have had on my life lately. Making one big change has led me to want to make more...getting what you want and making it happen is quite addictive and empowering even though it's hard work!

For anyone new who wants to join today, this is a daily post where you can track your goals, keep yourself accountable, get support and have a chat with friendly people at times that are convenient for European time zones. Check in daily, weekly, or whatever works best for you. Anyone and everyone is welcome! Tell us about yourself and your goals and join us already :) And it's all more fun when you comment on each other's posts, so let's encourage each other too!

 

And on to the accountability part...how's your day going? Let us know how you're getting on with your goals, if you have any questions, need to vent, have a SV or NSV to share, etc. And feel free to just have a chat about how your day went! We got this :D

 

I’ll start: Got an SV today, I'm below 150 lbs for the first time since 2008 and the third time in my life ever! It's good motivation to keep sticking to my calorie, logging and meal planning goals. Apart from that, I stayed up later than I should have last night, and am now at home cooking and trying to complete this stupid CV so that I can send it off and go to the allotment already. Will check in again later. Have a great day everyone!

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