Help with weight loss

[skittledoo]

I'm struggling with my weight more than ever and its really bothering me. The past year I've gained like 20 pounds when I was already overweight to begin with. I need to lose between 60-70lbs to be at a normal healthy weight for my size.

So eat healthy and work out... Sounds simple right? Unfortunately I have zero energy to get myself up and making it happen. I've been trying to jog with Bamm but I can barely jog an entire minute without feeling like I'm dying. I'm anemic and feel fatigued all the time.

Diabetes runs in my family bad and now my dad was just diagnosed. If I could lose the weight I might be able to bring my risk of developing diabetes down which is a big reason I want to get my weight under control.

Any advice on how I can get the energy to stay motivated and not give up eventually like I always do in this department? I need a serious boot camp.

 

[Dizzy]

Honestly, I'm not obese, but also lack motivation. The only thing that really did keep me motivated was actually doing a boot camp!! 3 days a week, early mornings. You pay up, and are part of a group, so that gives you incentive.

Look about for one.

 

[-bogart-]

Are you taking iron pills? They will help boost the energy sapped from the anemia.

 

[CaliTerp07]

You need a partner or a team to encourage you (and make you feel guilty if you don't go). Seriously, I made it to almost every soccer practice when I played with a rec team, but running on my own? Yeah, I've done that maybe 4 times in my adult life. I need to feel like if I don't work out, someone else is going to miss out.

Have you looked up meetup.com? There are lots of walking and hiking groups locally. I think there's even one called "NoVA Trail Dogs" or something like that, if you wanted to bring Cricket and make friends

 

[Snark]

I've always found it's better to 'suffer' in a group, otherwise I put off exercising and I really do need to lose about 25 lbs.

Have you thought about cutting sugar out of your diet? My mother is borderline diabetic and she manages it with diet and exercise (walking 3 miles every other day - she does a 15 min. mile so she's walking pretty fast). She's cut out all sugars - only buys the sugarless products and she dropped the pounds she needed to lose.

 

[Laurelin]

I'm kind of in a similar boat. I have PCOS, which is linked to diabetes. My mom had diabetes as do a lot of my uncles and my grandfather.

At first I started cutting back on everything. Low/no carbs and all that. I ended up feeling sick then going WAY off track. Right now I'm building back up to weight loss SLOWLY. It's working a lot better for me to change slowly rather than 'okay you need to give up everything!' I've lost almost 20 lbs since January, which is a slow weight loss but still a loss.

I started trying to write down everything I eat, which has always helped but it's always difficult for me. I also have been to a nutritionist that specializes in PCOS and diabetes to just bounce ideas off of about my busy schedule and what to eat. It also gives me accountability because I know in 4 weeks I'm going back in to weigh in in front of her and she'll know if I'm not trying.

I did tell my friends and we were trying to get back into exercising together. It didn't work well because we're all just so busy. But we do ask each other how the exercise programs are going and that kind of thing.

One thing that is super nerdy but has really helped me stop being so emotional about weight loss is that I keep an excel spreadsheet and a graph for each month with different calculations on it to track my progress. It really helps me not think of it so personally, instead it's just a statistic. The graph helps me see that even if I fluctuate up one day that the overall trend is still going down. I used to panic if the scale went up and then I'd usually eat poorly. I am a nerd and a mathematician so for some reason that makes more sense to me.

I'm also hoping to get some new medication for PCOS but that's a long story.

 

[~Tucker&Me~]

I am going to second the joining a group option. I love Cali's suggestion to find a hiking group on meetup.com, that's a great idea! Alternatively, have you looked into weight watchers? While exercising is a huge component of being at a healthy weight, you need to be eating the right portions and the right foods.

 

[skittledoo]

Bogart, i do take iron pills but I'm having trouble finding the right amount that I need daily. Some brands of over the counter iron pills make me sick which could be the dosage. I've found that liquid iron is a better option for me though it seems to be a more expensive option as well.

The group idea is great. Cali I just checked out the dog hiking group and put in a request to join their group. I'm looking to see if there is a boot camp group/class nearby.

Lauren, so many people in my family have diabetes and my sister has both juvenile (?) Diabetes and PCOS. She lost SO much weight from doing a gastric bypass surgery and its helped both the diabetes and PCOS issue a ton.

I don't know whether I have PCOS or not but I'm sure its a possibility. I am terrified of becoming diabetic though which is why I want to buckle down and get my health and weight in order to minimize my chances.

I'll look into the weight watchers as well especially if it would help me more with portion control.

 

[Renee750il]

It's really helped me to use www.myfitnesspal.com to track calories/carbs/exercise and watch patterns in how I drop -- or get stuck. It's helped motivate me to see the numbers and hold myself accountable.

 

[Red.Apricot]

I also like having a buddy--not for weight-loss, but I need more exercise, and without my mom asking me if I want to go to yoga, I'd never go. Without Elsie asking to go for walks/runs, I'd never go.

 

[-bogart-]

i have iron issues also , if you can find ones that have folic acid in them they are better because they folic acid helps your body absorb the iron .

if they are to expensive try taking them with a biog glass of citrusy juice , orange or some such.

hugs

 

[~Dixie's_Mom~]

I'm going to pm you the diet I've been doing. It's a little extreme but is not unhealthily so and it has worked great for me. I have lost 3 inches from my bust, tummy, and hips in one week.

 

[Renee750il]

Send that one to me, too, if you don't mind, Dixie! I'm at a plateau and it's pissing me off.

 

[PlottMom]

^^^psssst I second that!

My boyfriend eats super healthy but he also cycles at MINIMUM 4 hours a day - so his healthy & my healthy aren't really the same lol

 

[Greenmagick]

Also, have a full medical work up done. Adrenals, thyroid, etc. For me, my D was ridiculously low, I was in adrenal fatigue, etc. Its not always as simple as eating healthy and exercising.

 

[Paige]

I know this may sound kind of silly as it does involve sitting at the computer but look up a youtube guru of a diet or exercise routine you want to try! I find it really inspiring to hear stories of where people came from and how far they've come. It can really give you a nudge to get some encouragement.

 

[drmom777]

You know, if you are at very high risk of getting type 2 diabetes, you could just pretend you already have it and start counting carbs. You can reduce your risk of actually getting the disease while losing weight. Myfitnesspal is very helpful in this regard, as Renee mentioned, and the low or even very low carb lifestyle is not as horrible as I had imagined it might be.

 

[Zhucca]

I'm kinda in the same boat.

Around a year ago I started getting serious about weight loss, I weighed 258lbs :yikes:. Through calorie counting, weight lifting and cardio (walking/biking) I was able to lose almost 60lbs. I've had dysthymia for a long time but I slipped into some major depression around 6 months ago, which caused me to regain 24lbs recently.

Weight lifting is often more effective than traditional cardio routines and will produce a nicer body afterwards. Weights first, cardio second.
Check out these links:
http://crissfit.tumblr.com/
www.stumptuous.com
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/#more-10042
http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Starting_Strength_Wiki

I took my BMR (http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/) and subtracted around 450 from it, and that was my calorie intake for the day. I also aimed to burn at least 500 calories from exercise. Once you have a general idea of the amount of calories a certain serving of which ever food you eat, it gets really easy. Weight watchers is essentially calorie counting in a different form but if you want the moral support the meetings provide, that's a good way to go. I tried weight watchers but quite frankly found it annoying to go to the weekly meetings. I don't like bringing attention to myself, so WW wasn't for me.

The hardest part is diet, it's been said that %80 of weight loss is diet and I think that rings pretty true. You can do all the exercise you want and if you're still eating poorly and over maintenance you're going to gain. I work in construction as a drywaller - a super active job. I still managed to gain back that weight because I was eating utter crap every day. Fast food/processed foods for almost every meal. I'm trying to keep myself on track by reminding myself that if I don't do it now - I might as well never do it. Being healthy is a huge priority to me right now and I cannot fail. I've been fat all my life and I'm sick of it. I only have myself to blame too, which makes it that much motivating to change my habits.

good luck skittle!

 

[Laurelin]

Also, have a full medical work up done. Adrenals, thyroid, etc. For me, my D was ridiculously low, I was in adrenal fatigue, etc. Its not always as simple as eating healthy and exercising.

Definitely! I'd get your fasting blood glucose done too.

You know, if you are at very high risk of getting type 2 diabetes, you could just pretend you already have it and start counting carbs. You can reduce your risk of actually getting the disease while losing weight. Myfitnesspal is very helpful in this regard, as Renee mentioned, and the low or even very low carb lifestyle is not as horrible as I had imagined it might be.

This too. My diet is for 'diabetics' even though I'm not a diabetic.

I would get checked for PCOS if you can. I'm trying to get my doctor to put me on metformin. We will see. I couldn't get in to the doctor's for another month. My OBGYN just will not do it but my GP last time I was in recommended it. So in a month I'm going in to my GP to see what she thinks. *crosses fingers*

 

[Renee750il]

About the iron -- once upon a time I had a real problem keeping mine up to level, and iron supplements were just miserable for me to take. I "cured" it with a combination of eating plenty of eggs (at least half the time with the centers not hard cooked) and taking dessicated liver tablets with orange juice.