Help starting weight loss

@guff05

It would help to start off small, dedicating fifteen minutes a day to exercise.

Building up on consistency.

Getting used to incorporating it into your day.

And then building to 30 mins and up etc 

Small steps will allow you to see progress and build confidence and not solely focus on weight 💛

@guff05

From my own personal experience back when I was consistent and cared about my health (even though laziness and procrastination have a hold on me right now, and I honestly don't know why I keep delaying it even though I really wish I could go back to how I used to be):

The single best and most effective thing for weight loss is preparing simple meals at home. They are healthy, you know exactly what goes into them, and they don't cost a fortune.

I used to make the most of my day off by prepping a variety of meals that would cover me for the entire week and keeping them in the fridge. That way, I was saved from the daily "what should I eat today?" struggle all week long. Even at work, when everyone else ordered takeout, I would look for a restaurant that offered salads or healthier options and order with them so I wouldn't ruin my progress.

You really don't need expensive meal delivery subscriptions like Factor prepping ahead at home is the simplest, most affordable solution.

Besides main meals, I always made sure to bring healthy, filling snacks with me to work or keep them around the house so I wouldn't give in to fast food or sudden hunger pangs. Some of the best options that worked great for me were:

 -A handful of raw or dry roasted unsalted nuts:Such as almonds, walnuts, or cashews. They fill you up super fast and provide great energy.

 -An apple or banana with peanut butter: The fruit gives you a refreshing kick, and the peanut butter slows down digestion, keeping hunger at bay for hours.

  -greek yogurt with a bit of honey or berries:Packed with protein, perfect for when you need something to satisfy hunger and boost your mood.or with homemade granola 

 -Sliced veggies (cucumbers, carrots) with hummus:Great for when you just want something to crunch on without adding calories, while the hummus keeps you full.

 -Hard boiled eggs:The easiest and fastest protein snack. Two hard boiled eggs at work will keep you satisfied for a long time.

 -Dark chocolate (70%+ kakao) A square or two whenever a strong craving for sweets hits to help keep sugar cravings under control.

Do you have any in your mind....

@guff05

Sometimes, especially in situations that challenge us this deeply, we might feel like what we need most is advice or direct guidance. However exploring the underlying needs and motivations behind these repeating patterns can actually be much more helpful in understanding them and preventing them from recurring.

From what you’ve shared, I can really feel how overwhelmed you are and how much of a heavy weight this puts on you. How would you feel about seeking professional support?

Hey guff... it's great to talk to you. You call me mimah.

Well I can imagine it's a very hard place for you and I feel bad you feel helpless at this moment but I want you to know that you are not alone. We are all here to help.

You must be really pressured and beating yourself around but we can walk through this together.

First, am going to ask you to take a deep breath, relax, take a quiet moment and breathe, get lost somewhere you want to be in your mind, somewhere peaceful, free and amazing.

Please do this everytime you feel this pressure come around you because it will help you relax and think of a better way of solving this problem.

Thank you for listening ... hope to hear from you if you wish to talk more.

Hello, I'm really sorry you're having a hard time. I agree with some of the other people who wrote here. I also believe that building up gradually to have change in your routine is wise.

And I agree that finding inner peace is your very basic, right. No matter what. And from inner peace it will be possible hear your own wisdom. Have fresh thoughts about what you want and how you can get there. Step by step. Because when our thoughts are very noisy and judgmental, The thoughts are then then and very loud and this doesn't allow for our quiet wisdom, a fresh new thought, to actually come through and bring us practical steps that we can actually use.

So I definitely second the voices here. Who encourage you to find your way to inner peace and inner peace doesn't have to be a big dramatic thing. Be kind to yourself in any way that you can, you are allowed to be who you are, to look the way you look, to weigh. Much you weigh, you are allowed to exist and be calm with a smile on your face no matter what.

Would i do exercise everyday? Or like once a week for like a month then go to 2 times a week for a month and so on and so forth

I am not sure if this is gonna help but as me facing the same issue here I feel the problem is not how to loose weight or how should I take time to go to gym or what to do, the core problem lies in why you wanna loose weight. Is it because you want to be accepted or want validation from people? Or is it for yourself? Loosing weight is never an issue if there is no emotional baggage attached. Ask yourself what is stopping you..it would be hard conversation with yourself but once you have the ans you would figure out things. You yourself will start taking care of your mind and body.

Tip: how I started is doing something unpredicted like just taking few steps out of the house without thinking. When you break your routine you will start enjoying.

Hi @guff05,
When I started my permanent weight loss, 
I did the math first.

(Confession: I used online resources to help me.) 

First figured out,

how many calories I already burned each day on average,

(due to my body size and my age and my activity level).


Next I figured out,

how many calories I ate each day, on average. 


Then figured out,

how much I needed to lower my calorie intake

to lose weight at a healthy, do-able rate,

(typically no more than 1 lb weight loss per week).


Now I knew the calorie reduction goal,

(but of course, I checked first with my medical providers).


Then I figured out,

how I can reach that my calorie reduction goal.


Like, I figured out, how I can:

replace my HIGH calorie, low nutrition foods,

with low calorie, HIGH nutrition foods,

especially foods I already liked, but just wasn't eating.


That way I could,

change my regular foods,

eat less calories,

and eat more nutritious foods,

and feel fuller,

so I could lose weight easier.


And I did all that.

It actually wasn't that hard when done smart,

and I lost 1 lb per week for 52 weeks!!!


I also drank water more,

because I learned that,

lots of times, a person can feel hunger,

but often it's a false sensation,

because it's actually due to dehydration.

So water also helped me eliminate hunger.


Eliminating craving foods helped me a lot too.

Sugar can cause cravings, especially fructose,

or sucrose (which is part fructose and part glucose). 

So I replaced all foods that caused me cravings,

with healthy foods that made me feel full for a long time.


I also managed my food portions

so I was not eating too much at one time.


All that can help the body,

regulate hunger better and enable weight loss.


So that's how I lost weight,

and kept the weight off,

and eliminated constant hunger pangs. Yay!


tl/dr: 
I calculated my daily calorie goal. 
I changed my menu to have 
foods that made me feel fuller 
but had less calories, 
and more nutrition,
and no cravings,
I drank more water to prevent false hunger.
I kept my portion sizes reasonable.
I lost 1 lb per week for 52 weeks.

Long story short: 
I permanently changed the foods I eat and portions.  

Good luck @guff05 on your weight loss journey!

Things that directly helped me stay healthy and get in shape 

1. Make it a fun habit

Realize any movment that makes you happy is exersize and is good for you. Zumba, swiming, biking. Dosent have to be "working out" in a regular context, if your moving, having fun, and makimg a habit out of it thats progress.

2. Make movment commonplace in your home

Theirs a great book called "The naked warrior" by Pavel, he talks about how it was common place in his home his kids would do 3 pullups every time they had to use the bathroom. The bar was right outside the bathroom and it just bacame habit that if ya gotta poop, do a pullup. Obvously you dont have to start with pullups but just like brushing your teeth becomes habit so does regular excersize.

3. Find a workout buddy

Helped me a ton. Working out or excersize in general was always fun with a buddy their to hype you up and it was fun to reach your goals together.

4. Its a marathon, not a sprint

If you see regular movment as a big daunting thing in your life that your only doing to lose weight that takes the joy out of it. Its not a race, make it fun! Find your groove and learn to love it :)

If you have any questions im here :)

@guff05

im with you on this... i used to think this is am issue only im facing ... first of all dont be hard on yourself ... make small targets and reward self .. dont make huge targets .. join some app on walk or running .. start to improve ur ranks in that app .. make like minded friends on walk or gym .. avoid late dinner and heavy dinner .. drink plently of water ... download some cardio exercise or zumba sessions .. which u can do at home ... initially it would be like moving a mountain but beleive me within 6 months u will be feeling much fitter and healthier ...   

finally be happy with SELF