I have GOT to lose some weight.

[Bertha Venation]

All my work pants are too tight. I'm damned uncomfortable in my own skin. I can't climb one flight of stairs without getting winded.

The other day I was thinking back to my softball days, and picturing myself returning to playing. Then I laughed bitterly at myself. Who am I kidding? I could hit, and I could field easy ones -- maybe. But I would suck. And no way could I run. Yet I can picture myself in a better body, playing ball -- not in my memories, but now. It's a good picture. Maybe I should fashion it into a goal.

But I need a smaller goal to get started. Any suggestions?

Anyone else in the same boat, being held back by inertia?

[HopeHoops]

1. I was living on grilled cheese sandwiches for a while - bad news.

I hit 170 and my blood pressure was in the "should be dead by now" range. I started paying attention to fat (in particular saturated) and really cut back on sodium. I'm back down to my normal weight of 135 and my blood pressure is in the "reasonable" range now. It took a while, but I did it entirely with minor dietary changes - like paying attention.

Did you know a bag of Bugles is pretty much a saturated fat death sentence? That really pissed me off when I looked at the label. That was my FAVORITE snack as a kid (when I was skinny as a rail).

[Bertha Venation]

2. I loved Bugles!

Crunchy and loud! We'd eat them from the vending machine at the bowling alley.

I have to keep track of what I'm eating. I think that's the first step - as you said, paying attention.

[HopeHoops]

5. "DANGER! DANGER WILL ROBINSON! "

The term "bowling alley" has "get fat" written all over it. I love bowling, but they've got beer, pizza, snack foods from hell, and in some places they even have hookers (weight loss option). Stay aWAY from the bright light - stay aWAY from the bright light.

On the plus side, bowling does burn off almost 4% of the calories you consume while participating in the activity.

[Roon]

3. Start drinking water and going on short walks.

Then take on more goals as you accomplish them.

[Arugula Latte]

4. Do you like the water? It's very easy on the joints, and offers all sorts of resistance.

[Bertha Venation]

8. love it, but there's nowhere to go around here

except the community college, and their hours don't match up with my schedule. An excellent suggestion, though, and I appreciate it. :)

[Bucky]

10. I have a pool at my apartment complex. Just come over here anytime you like.

I'm just 20 minutes away from the airport.

[Arugula Latte]

18. Aw, too bad.

Hope you find something that works. I'll second the person who said walking; it gets you moving, helps your mental state, and, if you do it consistently, will lead to strengthened muscles and significant burned calories.

:hi:

[Iggo]

6. Same boat.

I know what I should do and, more importantly, what I shouldn't be doing anymore. But I just don't make the changes. Funny, too, because 14 years ago I quit drink and drugs. Easy decision. Judge told me to. Easier said than done, but nonetheless done. Seven years later I got sick and tired of cigarettes. Now that one was tough because it was completely optional. Harder to quit than drugs, but I got it done anyway. So you see I know for a fact I can make these changes, and I'm still not doing it. Crazy...

(EDIT: I spel gud.)

[dawg]

14. Yes, but you don't have to drink alcohol and do drugs "just a little"

every day in order to feed and sustain yourself. You do have to do that with food, and it is very hard to regulate. I guess I'm saying, don't be too hard on yourself. Sounds like you have way more willpower than most.
:bounce:

[Tripper11]

7. Same here, I know what I need to do yet....

I can't seem to make the wholesale changes. I walk to dog for a good 20 minutes, briskly about every other day. My wife is doing weight watchers, so I cook using their recipes which are really good. It's the in between bad habits I have to start to break.
That and more exercise but I just can't find the time, between dealing with kids appointments, my own, sleep etc...not enough hours in the day!
Oh and I work overnights, 1am-9:30am which I know doesn't help,but right now the way our life is with the kids, its' the best shift for me, so I can be home for them in the afternoons.

[Bucky]

9. God yes. It's all those hours I spend on DU.

And other computer related stuff. I used to ride my bike for entertainment.

What's really making me tired is work. It's soul sucking right now. As a 21st century American, I just expect a certain base amount of relaxation time in my life. Comfort food and tingling my eyes out with video monitors provides me with that, even though they're a bad combination, where my girth is concerned.

[mike_c]

11. raises hand....

I've lost about 55 lbs and have about 30 more to go, maybe 35, so I'm right there with you. Actually, I'm just beginning to get comfortable in my skin again-- the weight gain was the most I'd ever weighed (about 280) and it came on pretty suddenly in middle age. Or at least that's the way it seemed. I was always trim and athletic, then one morning I woke up middle aged and fat. WTF?!

So here's how I'm doing it. First, I made the decision that I don't want to ride the diet roller coaster. That essentially means that the weight loss won't be rapid, but it will be more likely to be permanent because it will entail genuine, lasting lifestyle changes.

Exercise. You cannot lose weight steadily-- at least not a lot of weight-- without regular exercise. Exercise serves several functions-- it burns calories directly, it builds lean muscle that increases your basal metabolic rate, and after you get it worked into your daily life, it makes you feel wonderful and helps keep you committed to keeping up the effort. Like everything else involved with this process, however, developing the right exercise regime for you takes time and patience. The results won't show up overnight, so you have to just keep it up, and have faith. One day, a couple or three months into things, you'll suddenly begin to realize how much better you feel. But only if you stay with it long enough.

My exercise regime combines weight lifting with cardio workouts on a treadmill, bicycle, or elliptical trainer, usually. I joined a gym because they have lots of different facilities and classes, which helps to keep things from becoming boring. After a few months, I came to value my gym time as one of the high points of my day. I typically work out at LEAST three days per week, often four or five. Again, I've come to absolutely love my gym time.

If you're concerned about the expense of joining a gym, I'd recommend you try it and stick with a regular, three-days-a-week schedule for a minimum of three months. I'm betting that like me, you'll come to regard that monthly expense as one of the best things you do for yourself.

Diet. I don't use any particular diet rules other than CONSTANTLY asking myself if I really need to eat "that much?" Portion control is king. Just work on eating lighter, meaning both less food overall and better, more filling and less calorie rich foods in the bargain. My partner and I hardly ever eat highly processed foods, although we do use frozen entres a lot these days because there are so many now that feature good, fresh ingredients and because we're both too busy for our own good. We often don't use the sauces they provide, preferring to make lighter sauces ourselves. I often eat single serving Healthy Choice frozen meals when I'm working-- they're about 300 calories each and I don't feel the least bit guilty eating one for breakfast or lunch (or both). We eat lots of fresh salads, etc. For the most part, the only diet rules we follow are to eat GOOD, healthful food, mostly from around the margins of the grocery market, and to not over-eat. It took a while to get used to leaving food behind in restaurants and such, but we've both become comfortable stopping eating when we don't really need to eat any more.

Evening snacking is the only remaining guilty pleasure for me, along with some occasional alcohol. I don't drink much, so I don't worry about it too much other than to ask myself whether I really want some now, or maybe later? Often "later" doesn't come. I try to snack on low calorie treats, like Skinny Cow ice cream and such.

It's working. It has taken two years to lose 55 lbs and I still have a ways to go, but I feel MUCH healthier now than I did two years ago. That's only about half a pound a week. It hasn't been especially difficult and I've developed great habits to help keep me healthy as I age (I'm in my mid-fifties). It's SLOW, but that's what makes it likely to last.

Best of luck to you!

[travelingtypist]

12. I've lost about 25 pounds in the last couple of years.

From 185 to 160. No big changes in exercise, but I gave up almost all bread. And regular Mountain Dew. And mini Reeses cups. When I snack, it's on cheese and liverwurst and Polish sausage, et cetera. It's not complete no-carb, but damn near.

Just a thought.

[flvegan]

13. Actually, you need a final goal first.

Then set a small goal that you know you can attain to get started. That final goal can't be "I want to lose weight." Here's where I laughingly introduce hideous business-speak...you want SMART goals. In other words, your goal needs to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. Then your initial small goal needs to be as well.

When you stand at that one flight of stairs, your goal is to get to the top. The smaller goal is to climb that first step. See?

It's a shame you don't know a personal trainer, say...right here on DU that would be more than willing to help you out from a distance. *thinks hard who that might be*

[Gormy Cuss]

23. +1

Too bad that Five-gan guy doesn't post here anymore.

[flvegan]

25. Yeah, well

he was a first class jackass anyway.

Hey, wait...

[Bertha Venation]

35. is this a goal?

My sister and I are trying to help each other. We made a pact for one week: she'll eat "normal" portions, and I'll stay away from the vending machines at work.

Is that a goal - staying away from the vending machines?

[Iggo]

36. I think that's more of a tactic.

[flvegan]

41. "My goal is to not eat anything from a vending machine this week."

That is a goal, but if losing weight is what you want, then (as Iggo also stated) that's more of a tactic. It's not a bad tactic, mind you.

You have a great advantage over other folks that want to lose weight...another person. If you really want to help each other, motivate each other, make it a competition.

[Primitive Mind]

15. Lifestyle Change

I know it sucks, but that's the answer. Eat some fiber for breakfast, a salad or lunch, and a enjoy your dinner but make it sensible. Try not go over 2000 calories a day intake. Drink Water. Drink eight glasses a day and be sure that one of them is before both lunch and dinner.

Find time to excercise and keep an excercise diary. Find three or four things that provide an aerobic you enjoy and can do, and vary throughout the week. Don't let something stop you just because you can't do it as good as the neighbor, you are in it for yourself. Find out where you start at and push yourself to get better everytime.

Don't focus on the scale. It doesn't know the difference between fat and muscle. Focus on how you physically feel, if you can suddenly climbe that flight of stairs without breathing hard, then you know that's an improvement.

I took this advice and lost thirty pounds in three months. It does work.

[fizzgig]

16. i lost a lot of weight just by cutting down on soda and fast food

i didn't cut them out of my diet completely, but i limit myself to a couple cans of soda a week and maybe a couple drive-through visits a month.

i also pay closer attention to my snacks. our primary grocery store has a great bulk section and i stock up on almonds, dried fruit (cranberries, apple rings or apricots) and stuff like that rice cracker snack mix. i buy pretzels or corn chips rather than potato chips and popcorn (popped on the stove top, not that microwave stuff) is probably the mostly commonly consumed snack food in my house.

i don't pay super close attention to my fat or caloric intake, but i try to be aware of what i'm eating. good luck :hi:

[applegrove]

22. I need to cut down on diet soda too.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

17. LOTS of good suggestions here, my dear Bertha!

I'm doing what mike_c's doing. His plan is a lot like mine. The weight comes off very sloooooooooooooooly but again, this is why it works.

Do what you can live with. I still eat desserts and enjoy my life. I also enjoy how fit I'm feeling!

And about inertia: I went back to the gym just today, after about 6 weeks of not going at all. But I returned because I have not been feeling well. I'm sleeping poorly, my gut doesn't work as well, and I'm tired all the time. I know all those things will get better now because I'm back on track.

Good luck! You deserve to look good, and to feel good!

:hug:

[Flaxbee]

19. Lots of good suggestions here --

and flvegan's offer to help you with some goals is great since he really does know what he's talking about and it's his job.

I will say, when you start to exercise, do so slowly and moderately. Simply start by walking around your office building twice every day on sunny days, or taking two flights of stairs twice a day every day when it's raining outside. You can do that. It may be a chore, but you can do it.

If you drink any sodas - diet or otherwise - try to cut them out of your diet. They're just bad for you, even the no-cal ones. Avoid drinks with high fructose corn syrup (pretty much everything these days) and drink as much water as you can. Make hot tea and pour it over ice if you don't like hot drinks -- I have an absolutely favorite tea that needs no sweetener or honey, and it's called Good Earth Sweet & Spicy Herbal Tea. It has huge flavor, no calories.

I guess I'm saying: don't drink any calories, unless you have a glass of wine with dinner.

And portion control. I think the Japanese have an attitude of "eat 80% of what you want" - see a blurb below:

One secret to a healthy life
The Japanese have a great expression concerning healthy eating habits: Hara hachi bu. Hara hachi bu means “Eat until 80% full” (literally, stomach 80%). This is excellent advice and it’s pretty easy to follow this principle in Japan as proportions are generally much smaller than in places like the US. Using chopsticks also makes it easier to avoid shoveling food in and encourages a bit of a slower pace. This principle does not encourage wastefulness; it does not mean to leave 20% of your meal on the plate. In fact, it is bad form to leave food on your plate. In Japan, and in Asia in general, we usually order as a group and then take only what we need from the shared bounty in front of us. I have found — ironically perhaps — that if I stop eating before getting full I am more satisfied with the meal, I’m not sleepy after lunch or dinner, and I just generally feel much better.

[nolabear]

20. You and me both, Baby. You and me both.

I eat very well, but probably a little too much. But I do NOT excercise and I have always had a hell of a time getting up and doing it. You'd think it was a horrible experience. It's not, though I'm out of shape enough to make it hard. But I'm healthy for a middle aged woman who needs to lose a BUNCH of weight. And I'm a therapist to boot so you'd think...but then, we don't have a lock on that kind of thing. I'm looking for inspiration too, so if you want to pitch in and start a Weight Loss Challenge Forum I'm there.

Edited for spelling and to wipe the peanut butter off the screen.

[applegrove]

21. I tried the atkins diet this winter. I lost 30 pounds and then gained back by eating really

badly. I'm now back to not eating after 6PM at night and hope I can make that the new normal. I'm also thinking of getting a treadmill so I can walk/run while watching the tv.It is hard. Sometimes when I lie in bed I can't breath for a second or two.

[marzipanni]

30. A friend of mine rides her bike for exercise outside and inside

She has a resistance trainer to which she easily attaches the rear wheel of her regular bicycle, indoors in front of the television, and pedals while watching the Daily Show with Jon Stewart or some program she'd watch anyways, on rainy days or when she feels she didn't get enough exercise.

http://www.kurtkinetic.com/trainers-c-7-l-en.html

Even if you don't have a bike now, a decent bike and one of these costs less than a treadmill- and you can use the bike outside for nice rides!

[femmocrat]

24. I lost 20 lbs. by cutting out sweets.

I don't even exercise-- too tired. But cutting calories worked for me. Good luck to you!

[Skittles]

26. TRACK WHAT YOU EAT

www.fitday.com

multiply the weight you want to be by ten and don't go less than that each day

and EXERCISE - get you some home workout videos www.collagevideo.com

[Rosie1223]

44. Also myfitnesspal.com

Free -- Mobile Apps, too

They have a huge database of foods to help you automatically track calories and nutrients.

Good Luck!

[AwakeAtLast]

49. I use that one, too!

:hi:

[zen_bohemian]

27. raises hand

I can't hardly walk up a flight of stairs without being winded too. I jump into an exericse routine with both feet, guns a blazin...I think I wear myself out, I need to start out slow, but I want to lose the weight fast. I get burned out too easily. Plus, I love to eat all kinds of food. I am good at eating fruits and veggies, it's just I eat about 5 servings at one sitting, I just love food, and it shows :(

[IMATB]

28. The water advice ?

It works. Before every meal, drink a full glass of water. You will not eat as much. You will have to remember to do it. That will not come natural.

8 glasses a day. Fill a gallon jug. That will be your measured water per day. A side benefit ? You will clean yourself out naturally.

Give up soda. Even the diet kind. Drink only water from now on. It's hard but you will get used to it.

If you can't walk around your neighborhood, start in your own yard. Just a slow stroll until you get going. It doesn't matter how long it takes you, the idea is to get you moving.

Put a picture of yourself the way you want to look up on the refrigerator or bathroom mirror. To remind you of what you're doing and why. Self motivation.

Do not give yourself a timeline. It took you a long time to get where you are today, it will take time to get where you want to be.

Someone told me recently my skinny days were over. LOL. I don't want to be skinny. I just want to like me. Once you see progress, you will like you too.

After you start to feel better, then you tackle the eating part. I don't believe in diets. This will be a lifestyle change and it will take time to think out what you like or dislike. Going at it full force will make you give up.

Good luck. I mean that.

[Arugula Latte]

29. This is something I was thinking about today.

It's sort of strange, but you never know what sort of thought will help people. What has helped me is my interest in evolution and evolutionary anthropology. I often think about how we evolved -- always on the go, constantly moving. Our ancestors were lean and muscled. I often have that sort of "caveman" image in my head and frequently tell myself: "Humans were meant to move." We weren't meant to sit for hours a day. It is killing us. And, the more you move, the more you'll WANT to move. Move every day, in different ways.

Also, I've never tried this, but I've heard that getting a pedometer can be very motivating. You'll want to increase your step count.

Best of luck!!

[prolesunited]

31. Just start walking

and go a little farther, a little longer and a little faster every day. Then maybe add some arm exercises during TV commercials. Keep building week by week.

If you rely on calorie reduction alone, it really doesn't work that well. With women, especially as we age, we are losing a bunch of muscle mass, which really slows the metabolism. By building more muscle tone, your body burns more calories even when you aren't doing anything.

Just get up and do something tomorrow and do it again the next day. Even if you mess up, keep trying to be consistent. I understand why people think they need to set big goals, but I personally find them too overwhelming and they just paralyze me.

I write down my exercise in a calendar and it's really satisfying to see when I've exercised more days than not during the week.

Just do something different tomorrow.

[murielm99]

32. I am in this boat.

Mine was a steady gain because of taking thyroid medications, after having my thyroid destroyed, and quitting smoking. I will have to lose the weight. I know what I need to do. In my case, I will analyze the problem, set goals and get to work. I am going to set a date for this, but there are a couple of things I need to take care of first. For example, I need to be sure my meds are correct, or this will not work. Thyroid drugs are tricky. But I have a plan.

I hope you have a plan, too. Good luck. Please keep us posted when you start. You know everyone here will support you.

p.s. - That picture of me holding the sign at the bottom of the post? That was pre-thyroid. I hope to look like that again.

[old mark]

33. BV - My cardiologist put me on Atkins (or South Beach) and it is working well for me

since last February. My tight clothing is now baggy, and I can fit easily into pants that I could not close before...and my blood sugar is in the normal range fo r the first time in many years.

I have had NO bad effects from it, despite dire warnings...I get blood tests several times a year, and my cholesterol if great, and my BP is in the 120/70 range. And I really feel better.
I was NEVER able to lose using other diets or methods.

I recommend trying it - I got a used Atkins book online for a few bucks.

mark

[6000eliot]

34. Cut out sugar and white flour.

I lost 91 pounds that way.

[JoDog]

37. Yep, me too

My doctor told me to start loosing weight last month when, at 33, I started to have blood pressure problems.

Started at about 238 lbs. almost a month ago and am down to 231. I'm happy so far because I want to go slow and avoid additional problems a crash diet can bring. My goal right now is 20 lbs., and I hope to achieve that by March. When I hit the first 10 lbs, I'm getting myself a small prize of some sort.

What I've changed so far:

1. Eating less meat. I try to avoid meat for all but 1 meal of the day, and even then attempt to keep the amounts down.

2. More exercise. Trying to get at least 20 min a day or every other day if things get busy. I've had some good results just from walking during my lunch hour in a county park near the office. The long muscles of the legs are some of your best calorie burners, so try walking or biking. Work up to running.

Good luck.

[rbnyc]

38. WAY in the same boat.

I wish I had a good suggestion. I'm trying to move more and eat less, and I'm trying to cut sugars and white starches. But trying and doing are not the same thing. I can't figure out how to set up my life differently so that it can be easier for me to make better choices. My schedule is totally dictated by work and family. (The eating right part is easier that the moving more part.)

Anyway, good luck. You are for sure not alone.

[maddezmom]

39. Same boat here

I stared slow by wearing a pedometer and set a goal of x-steps a day and kept adjusting it up. Now I'm onto walking a set amount of miles per day. Have been keeping a food/exercise/journal. I think the journal is a key to keeping on track and understanding what my triggers are for misbehaving.

I think setting small steps/goals are key to keeping yourself motivated. Good luck!

[Redstone]

40. Two suggestions, neither of which I hope you adopt, though they worked for me:

1) Mono.

2) MS.

Don't try either of these at home.

Redstone

[marzipanni]

42. Anyone have an iPhone?

This "Lose It" app has been working well for a lot of people-

http://www.theiphoneappreview.com/01/lose-it-iphone-weight-loss/

[maddezmom]

45. thanks for the tip, downloading it now. I also use the footsteps app.

:hi:

[Digit]

43. I lost 50 lbs

I never seemed to manage to get the willpower before, as I would get overwhelmed with the "hows", etc.

So, I started simple by cutting out bread and starches. If I had a sandwich, it would be whole wheat and only half a sandwich. I ate more soups and if I used crackers, they were low sodium. I didn't skip meals, but ate smaller amounts. All of it was just day by day without thinking of the goal. If I craved some french fries, I would have some, and then go back to the routine without beating myself up over it.
I drank more water, added kool-aid made with real sugar or that stevia stuff. Stevia or Truvia is pretty tasty.
No eating past 7pm. If I could not stand it, I would have a cup of chicken noodle soup to tide me over.
No fast food, but I don't eat that crap anyway.
I was amazed that small amounts of food filled me up and my clothes became looser.

Not wanting to spend a fortune on new clothes when I am in the process of losing weight I found some great slacks at the Goodwill. Just enough to get by and not break the bank. I still wore the same t-tops and did not mind if they were loose.

It became a way of life but now I eat the things I like but in moderation. I have kept it off now for over a year.

I went from a 18-20 to a size 12.

For me, setting small goals helped. I set out to lose 10 lbs which I thought I could handle okay and lost 50.

That was my strategy and you will find one that works for you.

I wish you all the best!

[maddezmom]

46. Congrats and great suggestions!

:thumbsup:

[Digit]

47. Thanks!

I forgot to mention that I don't eat salads. It would have been easier (I think), if I did, and that is one suggestion I would add.

The roughage and nutrients will do you good....and fill you up.

[maddezmom]

48. salad are one thing I actually love. Just need to motivate to get out the chopping block....

anything raw or fresh I can eat but love soup in the winter. Good stuff and a great filler. :)