Looking for advice F 5’2” 215lbs

[shadowinthelight]

I’m currently at the biggest weight I’ve ever been. Im so exhausted and my back hurts all the time. I have no motivation to work out and my diet goes from being ok to over indulging. I know in theory of to lose weight but I don’t know how start.

 

[keepitsimple144]

@shadowinthelight Start small would be my best advice.

If you try to change everything at once, then as soon as you fail at one part (it’s inevitable, we’re human and life happens), then you’ll give up the rest too.

I’d look for things to add in before you start taking things away.
For example - more movement (aim for 1000 steps each day. When this becomes a habit, increase it gradually).
More water. More fruit & vegetables.

And then if (or when) you feel ready, or once these things become proper habits, you can start removing things. Less processed food, less sugary drinks, etc.

Honestly small habits add up and make a huge difference! Aim to be 1% better everyday. You’ve got this

 

[simple_man]

@keepitsimple144 People always laugh about it but taking meaningful steps is something that a lot of people do not do and it's the easiest way to be more active. Park in the furthest spot from the store every time, take the stairs every time. Take a walk when you're bored instead of putting on the TV.

 

[keepitsimple144]

@simple_man Exactly these! I always use the furthest parking space, and get up to move/squat/jog on the spot etc during tv ad breaks. Little changes are the easiest things, especially once they become habit.

 

[midushi]

@keepitsimple144 yes! this is basically increasing NEAT, which burn the most calories daily overall because it really adds up

 

[latenighttrain]

@shadowinthelight Start with diet. I’m 5’1” and was 210 at my heaviest. I’m down to 140 now but didn’t really start incorporating exercise much until I got down under 170 or so. I HURT at 210lbs - walking hurt, most moving around hurt. Once I got some pounds off, moving around hurt less.

 

[shadowinthelight]

@latenighttrain What diet of dieting methods did you use

 

[shadowinthelight]

@latenighttrain What diet of dieting methods did you use

 

[latenighttrain]

@shadowinthelight Just calorie counting. I don’t demonize any foods, I make what I want fit into my daily calorie goals. I downloaded the LoseIt app and let it tell me what to do lol. It’s free but you can pay for “premium” which gives you some further customization options. Also r/LoseIt and r/volumeeating are good resources. I like r/volumeeating a lot because you’ll learn how to get full on fewer calories.

 

[mbcf]

@latenighttrain Yeah what I did with the loser app is I did the free version and then it said they would give me a thing and I said no and then I think it was two and a half weeks into it I got a really good deal for an entire year and I just bought it. Completely worth it

 

[latenighttrain]

@mbcf I did the same thing, I think I got a year for $20 or something?

 

[bluescityleon]

@shadowinthelight CICO (calories in, calories out) is the best method. As the saying goes, you can't outrun a bad diet, meaning weightloss starts in the kitchen. I'd recommend checking out r/loseit and r/1200isplenty (the latter may not be the correct calorie count for you at this moment, but it's a great resource for support and info for us shorties and for general meal and snack ideas).

I definitely agree with naterz_28 that starting small is the best route to go. Little changes add up. When and if you're ready to start restricting calories, I'd say to stick to that same mindset. Restricting can be difficult, and if you try to cut too much at once, it can be too much and lead to you falling off the bandwagon. A lot of people recommend cutting 100-200 calories at first and once you've adjusted to that, cut more. It also may help to count your calories now as you eat as you normally would to get an understand of how much you're truly eating. It can truly be shocking how many calories are actually in things.

 

[latenighttrain]

@bluescityleon I wanna piggyback on this and second it — track your food starting NOW, even if you aren’t restricting yet. I can’t believe I didn’t even mention how crucial and vital that was for my own weight loss.

Most people really DONT know how many calories they are eating and even at my heaviest my husband would constantly tell me “you don’t even eat that much!”

Tracking is vital, just to kinda get your head around what you are eating vs what you actually need. Don’t feel guilty about what you track (track even if it’s “bad” or whatever). Having the data and being able to see it daily was so helpful for me.

Another thing I wanna add is that it’s important to know what your “maintenance” calories are. Some days I am HONGRY and I want to EAT (this is usually right before my period) and I will intentionally eat at maintenance calories when I am very hungry. I know I’m not going to gain. It will slow my loss, but I also can’t go through life not eating when I’m ravenous lol.

 

[whitab]

@shadowinthelight Agree with the above and will add, focus on diet now and maybe work in some walks if you can do it. 80% of weight loss happens in the kitchen. You have to find a sustainable way of eating so you don’t feel deprived and fall off the rails.

You might want to check out r/loseit as well. Lots of advice plus a getting started wiki.

 

[billclt16]

@shadowinthelight Others have already given some great suggestions. Small changes lead to big changes. I’d make a small diet or exercise change that’s sustainable for you and build from there. Many start with diet; I personally started with exercise classes and altered diet later to help make the exercise easier for me. By gradually making healthy changes I was able to go from 230 to 140lbs in a little under 2 years. It’s never easy and it has ups and downs, but it’s absolutely achievable and you can do it. I would recommend eating enough protein and adding some form of resistance training in early to prevent muscle loss, though.

 

[grahamvanhellsing]

@shadowinthelight This is what I do with all my clients:

Track your food, everything you eat, for the next 5 days. Figure out your average cals, protein, carbs and fat. - Based off my experience with clients your carbs are probably going to be high and protein will be low. You need to increase protein and decrease carbs.

Start a strength program focusing on lifting heavy weight. You should need a minute thirty to two minute rest between sets. Aim for 10,000 steps per day, this is roughly an additional 500 cals burned every day.

If you need help with anything let me know and I’d be happy to give advice.

 

[trying_to_make_it]

@grahamvanhellsing No offense-this sounds great-but IMNSHO, as a trainer I would never recommend this without seeing her, assessing her current abilities, and then making a plan with her input.

 

[grahamvanhellsing]

@trying_to_make_it As basic info I’d rather recommend this to them then have them, like most females in this group, jump on board with a 1200 calorie diet.

 

[shadowinthelight]

@grahamvanhellsing I think I’ll start with maybe exercises that don’t have weights for the moment I’m scared I’ll hurt my back by doing too much weight. I’ve had two back surgeries and have three bolts in my thoracic spine. I actually have a active job at the moment averaging about 10,000 steps on days I work. What are some cheap sources of protein I’m on a paycheck to paycheck budget at the moment.

 

[grahamvanhellsing]

@shadowinthelight How do you feel on a normal day? Any discomfort with your back? Or any movement’s that hurt your back?

Lean proteins are the main thing I recommend, chicken turkey etc. however, I also supplement with protein powders. Helps me get protein in without it costing an arm and a leg.