Help Me

[RunningScared]

I need all the help in the world. me and my wife got pregnant about a year ago i use to weigh 190 but now im topping 300 and im six foot 3 inches tall and i am technically obese. i need to know how not only me but my wife can lose weight. i am looking to lose one hundred pounds and she wanting to lose 60 pounds. all help is greatly appreciated.

[Trying4Thin]

Hi and welcome to our little forum! Congrats to you and your wife on the new arrival. One of our other board members (Mifsit) and his wife just had a new arrival too.

Well you have taken the first step; to come here and ask for help. Many out there cant even do that. Dont consider it a diet; call it a lifestyle change. You may or may not want to check with a doctor before starting any fitness program just to make sure you are good to go. I also recommend keeping a food and emotions journal. If you can see recurring patterns of behavior that you want to discourage; this will help a lot. Also, take your starting measurements; I wish I had. That way in a couple months you can actually SEE how far you have come (especially if the scale isnt cooperating). You dont have to change everything overnight, but small changes here and there will add up to big ones somewhere down the road. You are lucky that you have a loved one to support you. Use each other to lean on when the going gets tough. Weight loss is a journey of ups and downs; but if you stick with it, you will get results. Plus anything worth having must be earned because you will respect it a heck of a lot more. I wish you guys the best. If you have any questions feel free to ask. Everyone here is really friendly and willing to help everyone else succeed. Please keep in touch and let us in on your progress!

~Carrie

[Missy]

Hey there...I started trying to lose weight back in January and have lost almost 65 pounds so far so any way I can be of assistance I'll be glad to help...the first thing you need to fix is your eating/nutrition habits. Without a good diet it's pretty much impossible to lose weight. I am very anal when it comes to eating..so here's what I do...

Cut out sugars...juice, pop, candy, chocolate, jams, ketchup, salad dressings

Don't eat unnecessary fats...mayo, butter, margarine, peanut butter...ALL fast food, processed foods

Drink lots of water...8-12 glasses a day

Eat lots of green veggies, the greener they are the better...spinach, broccolli, green beans, romaine lettuce, green peas, celery...also eat things like carrots etc...but don't eat too much corn as it contains a lot of starch

Avoid white pasta/rice/bread etc....pick whole grains like whole grain wheat bread, whole grain rice, whole grain pasta (Personally I don't eat any pasta at all)

Gets lots of protein...chicken, turkey, tuna, egg whites, omega 3 eggs, cottage cheese, low fat yogurt, whey protein powder to make shakes...go for lean cuts of meat and make sure there is no fat or skin on it

Fruits...eat in moderation because they contain tons of sugar...yes it's natural, but if it's not digested properly it gets stored as fat

For GOOD fats...add olive oil or flax seed oil to your meals or if you use cooking sprays use olive or flax as well....for seasonings on salads I use plain vinegar

Make sure you are eating 5-6 times a day, every 2-3 hours apart. This keeps your metabolism working fast which in turn burns more fat....if you starve or skip meals your metablism slows to a crawl which makes fat loss harder. You will still lose weight, but it will be muscle...and most likely not fat.

Last...just exercise. Join a gym if you can. If not, get out for walks everyday or try jogging if you can, bike riding, swimming...invest in some workout dvd's. It's also good to do weight training along with your workouts so you don't end up with a lot of baggy excess skin...so if you build the muslce while you are going it fills in the extra space where you lost the fat.

For more tips you can check out the link in my signature, I have tons of stuff on my site. Good luck!

[stuielee]

Hi, I'm in a similar situation. I'm not pregnant and never have been, but I do need to lose a significant amount of weight, and the challenge seems so daunting. I just have no idea what healthy eating is or what correct portion sizes are. I've never been taught these kinds of things, because both my parents are overweight. I'm 31 years old, female, and currently 295, 5'8".

One of my biggest problems is that I really hate most vegetables. There are a few that I like, but it really makes weight loss difficult. I realize how ridiculous that sounds, but the very thought of putting a tomato or a pea in my mouth is absolutely revolting. It's not something that I can ever learn to like or tolerate. I have tried dieting by counting all my calories, but honestly, it just made me think of food constantly, and made the problem worse.

I need some help getting started, because I want to do this the right way. Everyone I know who diets basically starves themselves and are actually proud of it. My parents have both been on the South Beach Diet for about two years now, with great success, but fad dieting isn't for me. I have slightly high blood pressure, asthma, and allergies, but other than that, my health is ok. I just want to get this under control before it's too late. I've been overweight since I was a kid, and am now at the highest weight I've ever been in my life. Any advice or help would be hugely appreciated.

[Missy]

It would help me to help you...if you could list the things you DO like to eat, and then I can offer some suggestions from there. I am a pretty picky eater myself so I know where you're coming from.

[stuielee]

Well, I like carrots, bell peppers (raw only), baby spinach (raw only), corn, green beans, onions, most lettuces, potatoes and sweet potatoes, celery (raw only), cabbage (raw only), and this stuff called broccoli slaw (it's basically the stalks of the broccoli shredded, and comes already washed in a bag at the store). That's pretty much it. I love just about every herb there is, and try to use fresh if I can get it. We have a pretty cool farmer's market that is open twice a week, so my produce that I do buy is usually really great.

I just never was taught how to know when I'm done eating. I don't know when to stop because if I wait until I feel full, well, I might never stop. The constant tummy gurgling because I feel like I'm starving is a huge thing with me and dieting. I really appreciate everyone's help. I think getting advice from people who've done it, and can relate to my issues makes me feel better about trying it. Thanks so much.