Super and Fat ready to shead some pounds!!

[SuperFatGirl]

Alright, for the first time in my life i have gotten so fed up with my weight and i dont really know where to start. It wasnt until i went shopping for something to wear to a funeral that i realized i really needed to go something about my weight, and quick! I need someone to help me figure out what i need to do daily and what i should eat and excerises i can physically do without having a heartattack. Im what they a super size girl. Im 22 year old and about 380 lbs. and 5 foot 6inchs. My goal is 200. Which I KNOW is still considered over weight but i would be happy there.

WHAT DO I DO??? WHAT CAN I DO?? AND SUPPLEMENTS?? Tell me everything, where do i start??

[Russ_s]

Let me be the first to say welcome.... Welcome & Hi..

So far you sound pretty committed, and that's great. You'll find lots of support and information here. First thing though, whats your first name, or maybe a new screen name... personally I'm not gonna call you "SuperFatGirl" because it's not gonna fit you any longer ;-)...

You listed height/weight/age but could you give me a bit more? Are you doing anything now to lose weight? What did you eat today? Yesterday? How many times do you eat? When do you eat?

We actually have another girl that just joined also in a similar situation, I'd go through and read her thread also, it will help answer some questions you might have Weight loss pills

Losing weight just takes a few things
Commitment
A FULL healthy diet, starving yourself doesn't work.....
Finally
exercise - this could start as easy as walking around the block a few times every night.

This is just a starter reply.. I'll come back later and see whats been going on and other suggestions but I gotta fly.

Once again, Hi, Welcome, and we'll see ya on the boards.

[tooncesthecat]

Welcome to EF. You will find lots of great advice here. Try a search. Your plan will take some time so it's important you figure out a way to stay motivated. Do you have a buddy who can go through this with you?

I would highly recommend you start with the information here...
Bodybuilding.com - 2009 Women's Super Feature.

Good luck!

[SuperFatGirl]

This morning i ate a egg sandwich which was one egg on 2 pieces of white bread with about a tbs of mayo, salt and pepper. Drank a few diet sodas, 2 bottle of water today and had 2 homemade chili dogs (2 buns, 2 hot dogs, and maybe a cup of chili). I am a stay at home mother with a son who is 13 months old and literally do nothing ALL DAY. well except play GTA4 lol. So i have no excuse to not exercise. Whats a hour out of my day?? I started today keeping track of my caloric intake which is averaged out to be anywhere from 1800 to 2500.

I have had back surgery and still have back pain. I have neurofibromatosis. 2 years ago i had a spinal cord tumor removed from the t4-t6 area in my upper back. Prior to surgery i was paralyzed my from breast down. I literally couldn't feel anything. 2 weeks after surgery i got pregnant. and here i am now ready to conquer the 200 lbs i need to lose.

I don't seem to eat often, i just don't do any physical activity all day long other than housework..

[theatrain]

egg sandwich aint bad, minus the white bread

no chilli dogs, no sodas. .

[Hans_Rachid]

Hi,

Just as you didn't reach your current weight overnight, you have to realize losing it is going to take a while, and probably there are going to be moments when you'll feel like quitting and going back to your old habits with which you are more comfortable as they feel much easier to maintain. That's why you have to really want it bad and let your rational thoughts take the lead in this new quest, rather than your emotional thoughts and physical cravings which have probably led you to where you are today. I'm not saying you have to starve yourself though, on the contrary, but you have to educate yourself about what you should eat and what you should avoid, and be rational about it. This should be a new lifestyle. In fact, it MUST be your new lifestyle. It's the only way it's going to work. That means it's not something you're going to be doing for the next 3 months, some kind of magic diet or exercise program you will follow until the prescribed deadline. You're building a new you, adopting new habits, a healthy lifestyle that will hopefully follow you until the end.

But it's all worth it, because you're going to feel so much healthier, so much prettier, and just appreciate life more as you're going to be able to climb stairs without feeling out of breath, be able to play with your kid more actively, and probably live much longer to see him grow up and become someone.

So, you say you don't do any physical activity right now, could you tell us what you would be able to do? I would suggest, if possible, starting with a daily walk, nothing extravagant, just a 15 minutes walk at a comfortable pace to remind your heart and lungs what they're there for and hopefully sweet a little.

As far as eating, you should eat more often. 3 meals a day is a minimum, ideally you would want to eat at 4-6 different times, or you 3 main meals and 1-3 snacks inbetween. Eating more often will help control your hunger and stop your cravings, and will make you more energetic throughout the day and thus more prompt to moving and exercising! Also, when you eat too little and not often enough, your body tends to go into hibernation mode and store every calorie that you feed it as fat, to prepare for the upcoming starvation... not what you want.

You should avoid white bread, sodas, candies, ice cream, pizza, hot dogs and all that trash. Diet sodas are possibly not as bad as the regular ones, but you should get used to drinking only water. If there's a magical supplement, then that would be it : water. 0 calorie, fills you up, refreshing, essential for all the body functions... That's the one thing you can consume in large amounts and never feel guilty, so drink it! Also, you don't seem to be consuming much fruits and veggies, what's up with that? From now on you should have one and/or the other at each of your 4+ meals. You also want to select whole grain products, like real brown bread, oatmeal, brown rice, brown pastas, etc. They contain fibers which will make you feel satiated much longer and have stable energy levels, and help with digestion. In general, the closer to how nature made it, the better. The more processed it is, the least nutritional value it still has, and the further you should stay away from it.

Well, that's it in a nutshell. The most important is that you be motivated to reach your goals and start working towards them. Then, the results will follow.

I hope this helps, and don't hesitate to ask questions.

[Italianangel]

Wow your story is amazing! I think you will do very well here and like the others said, you seem rearing and ready to go!
what is your exercise history, sports etc?
What are your present injurys or areas of pain?
How hard or easy is it for you to modify eating?
These are questions to help me help you, not for judgment so don't worry.
The good news is that just making a few changes now will start to show a difference, consistency is going to be your key, and motivation.
the article above for the womens super feature is great but may be a bit more hardcore than you need to begin with although read it anyway!
Start a journal in the journal area, this thread can be moved there if you wish to make this your journal, your title was very 'journal like' and would work well.
YOu are going from superfatgirl to superfitgirl!
That letter is our goal, to change it from a to i.
Linda

[Italianangel]

btw, hans has some great ideas you should implement now, with the diet as that should be realistically doable.
Linda

[Russ_s]

Just a few food suggestions because it looks like there's lots of good advice above to get ya started.

Our local grocery store sells McCormick Grill Mate's marinades, lots of flavors... Comes in a bag and are each one is only a couple of bucks. Buy some chicken breasts let em soak in the marinades for a few days in a large Ziploc bag. Bake @ 350deg for 30 mins....... MMMMMMmmmmm, toss em in the fridge warm it up when you're ready for lunch. I put it on a small salad for lunch. Super healthy & Super good. Some of the best and easiest chicken you'll ever make.

Nix the soda's. It's a hard habit to break I know, I used to have a can of diet each day over lunch. Then I found out what was in my diet soda so I switched to those water flavoring single packs. You should be able to find them at your local grocery store like $3-4 for a 20 pack very few cal's in the flavoring and it makes the water more manageable. I like Pomegranate. Get yourself a 6 pack of water containers, ~24 oz. Type really doesn't matter. Drink all six every day. Six 24oz plastic containers is just over 1 gallon of water, what you should be drinking each day. Refill + toss into the fridge at night and you've got cold water the next day. Resealable caps make them easy to take with you on walks or running errands.

Just stick to it... losing weight isn't something that happens over night, and habits are hard to break, you just gotta work off the bad ones and onto the good ones.

[SuperFatGirl]

Thanks everyone for all the support. Russ, the chicken sounds great!! Chicken is what we eat the most around here, not much red meat anymore. Anymore food ideas? that is what im having the biggest problem with, the dos and donts of getting on a good food regimen... and think low cost too, cause we are poor. My son eats nothing but fruits and veggies so i should be able to too. Im going to the park right now. I have walked before and i know that i am capable to walking around a mile to a mile and a half. steady paced.

And Hans, thanks so much, i defnatly don't expect the weight to fall right off, its taken about 4 years to get all this weight on so if it take 4 years to get it off then im okay with that. You are completely right about building a new me!!

Once again, thanks so much for all the support, motivation and advice. It all is greatly appreciated.

[varbo]

I'm actually just copying and pasting from another thread but:

Workouts: If you're just starting most things will probably work just because you're getting active again. If you decide to do a split just remember that when you work chest, your triceps are usually involved so if you don't work them on the same day, wait 48 hours before you do. Same goes for bicep and back.
Here's a good site I found (i think it was even on this site): Weight Training, Exercise Instruction & Kinesiology
It shows exercises based on body part.

Supplements: CLA is supposed to be good for fat loss and fish oil is always a good choice.

Congrats on your decision, but remember, (and I'm always harping on this) getting fit isn't a destination, but a lifestyle change. Once you reach your goals you've got to keep up the lifestyle so make sure you make it fun and enjoyable. Also another reminder is to not fall for the 100 Calorie scam, to quote another person "100 Calories of crap is still crap"

But based on your description I'd say your best bet is to start out by dong what you're doing: going to the park with your son. Just make sure that when you get there you don't sit and watch but join in. Also, take plenty of water and vegetables along.

[lizzyb]

Just popping in to say "hi"! Looks like everybody's given some pretty good pointers here.
Definitley.....walking is the BEST form of exercise and well, it's free not counting the sneakers! How old are your kids? Are they still in a stroller by chance? If so, then eventually you could start running......I've got 2 children myself, and also am home with them. The park is a great place to start!

Here's a basic article to get you started on a shopping list....
YOUR FITNESS GROCERY LIST - Nutrition - Muscle and Fitness Hers

Also, a great read is Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet.....essentially it's just about clean wholesome eats........nevermind the macro counting weighing foods conundrum for now, just get into the habit of cleaning up in 'house' so to speak.

Also read this article.....Figure Athlete - Food Addictions: The Last Stand Don't be intimidated by where it came from, or the adverts.....just read the article, and if nothing else apply the diet....it's simple and designed for people just like yourself, just starting out. Follow the training too, if that's something you feel you can do, or modify it to your needs.

Oh and one more thing......welcome!

[vy224]

Burn more calories then you take in. It's that simple.

[bouncer]

Hi SFG, and welcome! You will find lots of encouragement here, plus there are many who have gotten in great shape over time. Added to that, there are personal trainers here. Linda (Italianangel) always has great things to share-among many others.

A few tips from me:

1) Get acquainted with the glycemic index, and stay away from high glycemic carbs. My own carb sources are green veg, and brown rice. Get a copy of the South Beach Diet.

2) Get moving! Having alot of extra weight on your frame is tough on the joints as well as your back, so to start with I would suggest that you find something that is low impact. I would also suggest that you find something that you can have fun with-that's also challenging. Walking at a brisk pace, biking (stationary or mobile) dance, workout videos are all good. My girlfriend has recently started taking NIA classes. We know some people who take those classes and they are feeling much better, and for those who need to drop weight, the pounds are sliding off.

Nia | Through Movement We Find Health

If there isn't a class near you, they have DVD's at a very reasonable price. I just bought two.

3) Go out and buy something like a dress or jeans that you really like that is two sizes too small for you. When you reach the goal of being able to wear them, go out and do it again!

4) Stay away from soft drinks. Aspartame stimulates the appetite for carbs, and reg soft drinks are full of poisonous sugar. Sparkling mineral water, and teas are great subs. Green tea has fat burning properties.

5) Don't drink too much caffeine. It stimulates insulin secretion from the pancreas, and that can lead to weight gain.

6) Drink lots of water! Mineral water, distilled water, spring water, water water water! 3-4 liters a day.

7) Find things that make you laugh. Sometimes dieting is tough, and laughing releases endorphins ( a chemical our bodies produce that makes us feel good.) There were times in the past that I should have worn a T-shirt that said, "Caution, Diet in Progress." Nobody likes a grouchy dieter. Besides that, if you find a way to enjoy the journey, you will have much more success.

8) Find a weight-loss buddy.

9) Start some resistance training. The more muscle you have the more calories you burn. Don't worry about looking like a man or getting too much muscle. Unless you take steroids, it's not going to happen. Talk to your doctor about any type of exercise you are considering though. You are very young, but you've also had recent surgery.

10) Meditation. Relax. Take some time for yourself when the 13 month old naps. Visualize feeling better, being healthier, stronger, and thinner. Visualize fitting into the smaller jeans.

All the Best!