Giving it a try.

alligatorob

alligatorob

Respected Member
I need to lose something close to 200 lbs and this morning I am going to give starting a try.

I've lost weight before, a lot sometimes, but always regained it. I know what a good diet looks like so today I am going to try and follow it.

I know I need to find some kind of group for mutual support, but there are so many treads here I am not sure where to look. Suggestions would be appreciated.

I am a 66 year old man, are there groups here where old fat guys are welcomed?

Will check back in tonight or tomorrow morning posting how my first day went, good or bad.
 
i will be 66 in less than 2 weeks, and last year you could have called me an old fat guy (BMI = 32), but today i am a little better (BMI < 24). i only had to lose 55 lbs to get where i am, though. good luck.
 
Welcome to the forum! One of the most active sections on the forum is the diaries section (not the best name for it, but oh well). People generally start journalling their food, exercise, and other things there. If you come back regularly, and participate in other people's threads, you can usually get some people popping in to see how you're doing, which can help with accountability. You can take a look at the sticky threads (some links are still broken... working on that!) both in the diaries section as well as other forum sections to get some good background information.

Here is the link to the Weight Loss Diaries: https://weight-loss.fitness.com/forums/weight-loss-diary.9/

Good luck and I hope to be reading your posts soon!
 
Rob - I'm 53 years old, and two years ago I weighed 400 lbs... today I just got off the scale at 256 lbs. I can tell you this, if you've lost weight before by depriving yourself of things via some typical diet (as I'd done in the past) it makes sense that you gained it right back once you stopped depriving yourself, you know?
But this time, if you just make small changes to your diet that you can integrate into your lifestyle... things that NEVER make you ask the question "how much longer do I have to keep doing this?" I can promise that whatever weight you lose, you'll never "find" it again. :)
Just don't fret about your age, or think that this is some race that you've got to accomplish this by some certain time. Start down the path in the right direction and then just be ready to see where it goes. Trust me, two years ago I did not see this much weight loss as possible, and now I see it as just a stopping point on the way to more.
Good luck!
Frank

P.S. If you have any specific questions, happy to answer them. Shoot me a message if you want.
 
Thanks for the thoughtful responses. I am going to follow PLB's advice and start something on the Diary page.

I made it through my first day just fine, ate about 1,250 calories and feel good. I also weighed for the first time in years, I was pleasantly surprised to see 320, that is below my peak weight of 360 years ago. So I "only" have about 160 lbs to lose!
 
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I'll be looking forward to seeing your thread! Also, that's great that you had a good first day. I'd just like to say that amount of calories sounds a bit low.

Wow, that must have been a pleasant surprise when you stepped on the scale!
 
Frank M said:
Rob - I'm 53 years old, and two years ago I weighed 400 lbs... today I just got off the scale at 256 lbs. I can tell you this, if you've lost weight before by depriving yourself of things via some typical diet (as I'd done in the past) it makes sense that you gained it right back once you stopped depriving yourself, you know?
But this time, if you just make small changes to your diet that you can integrate into your lifestyle... things that NEVER make you ask the question "how much longer do I have to keep doing this?" I can promise that whatever weight you lose, you'll never "find" it again. :)
Just don't fret about your age, or think that this is some race that you've got to accomplish this by some certain time. Start down the path in the right direction and then just be ready to see where it goes. Trust me, two years ago I did not see this much weight loss as possible, and now I see it as just a stopping point on the way to more.
Good luck!
Frank

P.S. If you have any specific questions, happy to answer them. Shoot me a message if you want.
Click to expand...
Hey Frank, thanks for your post. You have to listen to a guy who has lost almost 150 lbs, that is impressive. I was going to send you a message but could not figure out how. I just had questions about how you did it and if you are now able to control the craving that drives overeating. I have lost over 100 lbs in the past but that craving never went away, eventually I the craving won out and I regained the weight. You are someone who must have dealt with the same demon.
 
Honestly, Rob no... not this time. That's what I mean by deprivation-based weight loss vs. lifestyle changes. In the past when I'd lost a lot of weight, I too had been fighting against the cravings. It was like pushing a rock up hill. You can only do it for so long until, at the end you're spending all your energy just keeping it where it is... and when you finally give in? It comes racing back down the hill. This time, by making small changes that I could live with each time, I never took away anything that made me "crave" something.
I'll give you an example. I love Caramel M&M's. I know, I know... NOT your typical weight loss food. LOL. Well, I buy them and then sort them out into little ziplock bags with 11 M&M's each. That's one serving, 130 calories. And most nights if I have the calories to spare, I'll allow myself that treat.
Are they good for me. No, of course not. HOWEVER, because I do that... I don't CRAVE candy, and I'm not going to at some point go on some binge and eat 3,000 calories worth of something at one sitting.
I'm not recommending that action for you per se, I'm simply saying that instead of fighting your cravings, you have to make peace with them this time. You're not trying to do something temporarily to lose weight. You're trying to figure out a plan that you'll be happy with going forward on a permanent basis. And if you can wrap your head around that.. you'll be much happier. Trust me. Like I said, I never wake up and think "how much longer do I have to eat like this?" It's just how I eat now, and I'm fine with it. And every few months I reexamine, and if I can make another small change, I do so. The M&M's for example? When I started there were 20 in that ziplock bag... then at one point I dropped it to 15, and now 11.
Sorry to be so long-winded, but hope that answers your question and helps. Have a great weekend!!
Frank
 
Welcome Rob!

I’ll check out your diary soon. Everyone is welcome here regardless of age, gender or physical/mental health. It really is a great forum with some great people.

Glad to have you on board!
 
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