Other How do y'all deal with being overweight?

[Sylvio]

I'm not fat shaming at all I promise. I'm obese myself and it sucks, there are days where I can go losing a few pounds but then my weight spikes in a weekend and then thats my weight for the next couple weeks. I am doing my best to lose weight by eating healthy and exercising. Sometimes its not enough tho. I have a lot of cravings and eat more than I should, thus the spike in weight gain. I do have people who support me but sometimes I feel like I'm not good enough cause of how I gain weight

So like, those who are overweight and obese how do y'all cope?

 

[Idea]

I've kind of just come to accept it: it's my choice. Genetically I probably couldn't really escape having a little bit of a belly, but I know for a fact that I could improve my current health and body if I really committed to it. However, I value eating food I actually like, getting to spend time in my hobbies and such things more than I worry about my appearance. I do make an effort to at least stay at a level where I still feel relatively healthy though. Beyond that, if people don't really like me or don't take me seriously because of my appearance, if I miss out on things because I'm not especially fit, and so on... I must simply accept that's the result of my choice. If I don't like it, then I have to push myself to change. But I don't because I think the tradeoff is worth it.

 

[Cassie Lang]

I am doing my best to lose weight by eating healthy and exercising.

If you're drinking soda, you could try dropping it altogether or at least reducing your intake. My mother gave up both regular and diet soda for drinks like water, tea and lemonade (light on the sugar, obviously), and it has been doing wonders for her. Plus, her not drinking soda meant less in the house, which ultimately rubbed off on everyone else. I mainly drink teas and water myself, with the very rare soda if I choose to get one while dining out or really want one from a gas station or some other place that sells them, like a convenience store.

 

[ashwynne]

I was 50-60lbs overweight for about two years. Leading up to that I was on medication that screwed up my metabolism so I was hungry all the time and exercising didn't help... I just kept gaining. Got off the medication but was stuck with the weight! Eventually I got fed up with feeling like crap about myself and didn't have any interest in expensive diets/BS so I just decided to try and figure it out myself.

Eat less, do more. That was all I did and I lost the 50lbs. Probably in better shape now than in high-school and the only real exercise I did was walking... lots and lots of walking. There's a curve that comes with it. The first two weeks of cutting your calories are HELL because your body is used to getting a certain amount of food, but there's a big difference in how much your body needs versus how much it's used to.

I'll just break down what I did, it's pretty simple.
1. Don't do a fancy diet plan/try and change your quality of diet at the same time as cutting calories/portions. If you're cutting calories AND losing all the tasty garbage food at the same time you're not going to be able to stick with it.
2. First two weeks are hell so pick a time period where you're going to be busy and not have a ton of time to think about eating. OR plan a ton of events/things to do that will keep you distracted. Bonus points if you have friends to keep you accountable (I didn't so if you don't then that doesn't mean it can't work)
3. Count calories but do NOT obsess over them. I ballparked EVERYTHING. If a meal at McDonalds was going to be 800 calories then that left me 400 more to work with and I'd split those between smaller meals.
4. Balance calorie intake with exercise. If you can't get out and walk for an hour or so one day, eat less. If you walk for like two hours, go grocery shopping, and have lots of activity happening in general then you can eat more that day. Always balance amount of calories with exercise.
5. Light exercise! Walking is literally the most effective form of exercise to lose weight with. It's also easier on the body AND a source of endorphin release so you feel better all around. I started off with half an hour to an hour a day and by the end of it I got to a point where I could walk 4 hours a day if I had nothing planned.
6. "Splurge" meals. Eat your favourite things, just eat them in smaller amounts. Plan your week with these "splurge" meals peppered throughout so you have something to look forward to. Try and pick the items that aren't insanely calorie dense (unless you can eat substantially less for the other two meals)
7. Drink lots and lots and LOTS of herbal tea or healthy low calories beverages. They make you feel full, even when you're not, and if you're into herbal teas they also often make you feel calmer. Loading them with milk and sugar negates this though. (But see my thingy on Stevia two paragraphs down if you want a good soda alternative)

People will try and sell all kinds of weird concepts but the simple reality is that weight is calories in vs calories out. If you can manage your calorie intake then you can lose the weight. I ate too much, that was my problem, and while eating is a form of self-soothing the negatives outweigh the positives imo. So simultaneously finding something else you can do to soothe yourself is a great idea. Whether it's reading, writing, knitting, going for a walk, etc. any time you feel the "I want a snack" urge, go do the other thing instead OR eat your snack but then exercise some more that day.

Adding on to the soda thing... there are healthy alternatives that mimic the real thing. There's a pretty common fizzy drink brand called Zevia that uses stevia as a sweetner and has 0 calories. Gives you the bubbles without the calories OR the processed sugar. Great stuff. There's also this new brand of candy called "Smart Sweets" (stores like Natures Fare or even Save-On-Foods carry it) that only has 3g of sugar per bag, 80 calories total, and a whole day's worth of fibre... literally HEALTHY and their gummy bears are amazing, they taste just like the unhealthy real thing.

For me, frozen microwave lunches were also my lifesaver. You can get a wide variety of fairly healthy ones between 240-360 calories each which is a good size for a meal for someone my height/weight. Two of those a day still gave me room for a "bad" meal or else some snacks sprinkled throughout the day.

Honestly I could go on and on about this for hours because it was such a struggle and I muddled through it all alone xD You do NOT have to give up though! It can be really overwhelming at first but weight loss should be measured in months or even years, NOT days or weeks if you actually want to be successful so don't let it get you down!

 

[Imaginarium]

There is only one way to reduce body fat. And that is reducing your caloric intake below what you burn in a day.

Some exercise won't cut it. Some watching your food doesn't cut it. Especially if you're sat down a lot for your job, in school or whatever. Also, avoid overeating on weekends.

On the whole, you need far less food than you think you do. So, a good step is to reduce the size of your meals. Me and some friends call it the OEH diet. Only Eat Half. This leads neatly into meal prep plans, which reduce the issue of having to cook too much because you can't buy small packages or whatever. Make some meals for 2-3 days. Longer and you'll grow tired of always eating the same stuff. Drop soft drinks from the menu, entirely. Or like one or two a week . You'll get used to it.

As for exercise, start by focussing on increasing your stamina so you can build up the exercise duration without wearing yourself out.

Pro tip: get one of those home trainer cycling machines if you can find a cheap one. Put it on a low, but noticable, resistance and watch some tv or whatever whilst you cycle. This lets you exercise every day if you want to without having to go somewhere to do it.

Pro tip 2: eat slowly. After about 20 minutes of meal time your brain stops the "hungry" feeling.

 

[Trektek]

Honestly, the biggest thing that helped me in losing weight and which was the hardest and most rewarding was figuring out portion control. I was able to eat a lot of what I was eating, but I was measuring out my portions so that I was eating less. This helped me immensely because I wasn't hampering what I was allowed to eat, just how much of it I was eating. Then I didn't feel as deprived.

That can eventually allow you to start mixing in some healthier food options, like having zoodles(Zucchini Noodles) instead of noodles all the time. Looking up healthier recipes on a crock pot can also help since that requires very little actual cooking and you can let it sit.

Also, if you start walking places locally, than that can add up to calorie burning, plus it doesn't feel as much like exercise because you are going to a destination and not just walking around in a circle for it's own sake.

 

[Bi0S]

It might be apropos to find a hand hobby that excites you more than eating. Something that you wake up excited to do and that you can't really eat while doing it.

A healthy dose of skill honing is a very good deterrent for boredom/sadness eating.

 

[Psyche]

Well- I'll offer my input since I have somewhat of an experience with this feeling

I'm not saying to ignore it, but I also wouldnt obsess over it - or cut off all your cravings- cut down yes, but dont throw away everything you enjoy

I am sorry for potentially side-tracking, I just kinda saw myself in the past here. I used to be "overweight"- to be completely honest, I really don't know if I was actually obese or if it was just a delusion. To put it bluntly, my mother was fairly toxic- and I've always had a lot of... "comments" on my weight till it became an obsession, and I couldn't not focus on it.

Started off on a "diet"- which was hardly that looking back lol, like- tried to do one, but ended up fairly miserable with caving after a few hours. I skipped a meal or two, but then over-ate- negating anything useful I did.

So as a result, I turned to a wondrous (please note the sarcasm- never actually try this) habit of waiting till no one was home, eating to my hearts content- then just purging. Not that big of a deal, right? Only did it once in awhile- and I still ate something after that. Until it became more and more frequent, with eating fewer and fewer things in between, and losing a lot of my appetite- and despite dropping a lot of weight, I always kept on thinking that I was obese- since I was so used to hearing it too frequently. I thought people were mocking me when they said I dropped some, or it filled me with intense gratification that it was notable- and hey, a few more wouldn't hurt, right? What, your telling me a piece of chicken, a handful of cheez-its and some tea all day is not enough to support a person? Why, that is clearly too much- get rid of it!

Needless to say that is a bad mentality. Please do not read this and anything I said is a "great" idea- it can seriously mess your body, and could lead to a major down-ward spiral before you even realize "ok- maybe this is a bit of a problem"

Moral of the story? Whatever you do, cope with it in a healthy and safe way. I know I might be making a mountain over a mole-hill, it's just that I remember that the lack of satisfaction in losing weight kick-started me into looking for a more drastic change, and even then it was never "enough". Do it in small margins, do not starve yourself- and hiccups are natural, and while it might feel horrible- do not destroy yourself over it.

And well, always keep your happiness in mind- if you feel miserable or sad while doing it, it might be a sign to change it up or find another way to lose weight. Make it enjoyable while you drop a couple of pounds- go to the gym with friends, find healthy alternatives to food that you actually enjoy- and gift yourself to a designated treat day, so theres a prize at the end of it. I have no idea if this works for others- but used to have a system of "oh, drop 5 pounds- congrats, you get a cheat day"

looking back i have 0 idea if this post makes any sense but o well

 

[Bi0S]

Well- I'll offer my input since I have somewhat of an experience with this feeling

I'm not saying to ignore it, but I also wouldnt obsess over it - or cut off all your cravings- cut down yes, but dont throw away everything you enjoy

I am sorry for potentially side-tracking, I just kinda saw myself in the past here. I used to be "overweight"- to be completely honest, I really don't know if I was actually obese or if it was just a delusion. To put it bluntly, my mother was fairly toxic- and I've always had a lot of... "comments" on my weight till it became an obsession, and I couldn't not focus on it.

Started off on a "diet"- which was hardly that looking back lol, like- tried to do one, but ended up fairly miserable with caving after a few hours. I skipped a meal or two, but then over-ate- negating anything useful I did.

So as a result, I turned to a wondrous (please note the sarcasm- never actually try this) habit of waiting till no one was home, eating to my hearts content- then just purging. Not that big of a deal, right? Only did it once in awhile- and I still ate something after that. Until it became more and more frequent, with eating fewer and fewer things in between, and losing a lot of my appetite- and despite dropping a lot of weight, I always kept on thinking that I was obese- since I was so used to hearing it too frequently. I thought people were mocking me when they said I dropped some, or it filled me with intense gratification that it was notable- and hey, a few more wouldn't hurt, right? What, your telling me a piece of chicken, a handful of cheez-its and some tea all day is not enough to support a person? Why, that is clearly too much- get rid of it!

Needless to say that is a bad mentality. Please do not read this and anything I said is a "great" idea- it can seriously mess your body, and could lead to a major down-ward spiral before you even realize "ok- maybe this is a bit of a problem"

Moral of the story? Whatever you do, cope with it in a healthy and safe way. I know I might be making a mountain over a mole-hill, it's just that I remember that the lack of satisfaction in losing weight kick-started me into looking for a more drastic change, and even then it was never "enough". Do it in small margins, do not starve yourself- and hiccups are natural, and while it might feel horrible- do not destroy yourself over it.

And well, always keep your happiness in mind- if you feel miserable or sad while doing it, it might be a sign to change it up or find another way to lose weight. Make it enjoyable while you drop a couple of pounds- go to the gym with friends, find healthy alternatives to food that you actually enjoy- and gift yourself to a designated treat day, so theres a prize at the end of it. I have no idea if this works for others- but used to have a system of "oh, drop 5 pounds- congrats, you get a cheat day"

looking back i have 0 idea if this post makes any sense but o well

I think it makes sense and is good advice.

 

[Syvvaris]

I'm not fat shaming at all I promise. I'm obese myself and it sucks, there are days where I can go losing a few pounds but then my weight spikes in a weekend and then thats my weight for the next couple weeks. I am doing my best to lose weight by eating healthy and exercising. Sometimes its not enough tho. I have a lot of cravings and eat more than I should, thus the spike in weight gain. I do have people who support me but sometimes I feel like I'm not good enough cause of how I gain weight

So like, those who are overweight and obese how do y'all cope?

I cope by trying to find ways to fix my issues, and when I fail to try again and again. It's never to late to lose weight and at times it can get very difficult.

When I was at my heaviest, I almost eliminated pop/soda from my diet and trying to eat less. During that summer I lost 20 lbs by switching to drinking water with those flavor packets and setting a rule that I'm only allowed to drink pop/soda when I eat out.

Then when I really decided to lose weight to join the USMC I got really lucky with how things fell into place. I lost 25 lbs before I went to the recruiter because I ate 3-5 small meals throughout the day, exercised 3-5 times a week and my work was also a bit more on the physical side (Stocker at Target). I would have a packet of Poptarts when I wake up, Then go to work which hade me moving a lot for 4-4.5 hours then I'd have a small snack of yogurt and a slim jim. Then I would eat lunch which could be a small Tyson chicken wrap with spinach and ranch or Tacos for Taco Tuesday. After work I'd eat a snack-lunch type thing and wouldn't eat until dinner which my mother made for me. I would try to have only one serving maybe 2.

This shows that if you exercise and eat small meals throughout the day; it works. My exercise was difficult but still low on the performance scale. As I was running 1.5 miles in 15 minutes before I went to the recruiter and started doing some really tough exercise for 60-90 minutes straight 2-3 times a week along with my own exercise a few other times. I lost another 10 lbs in 2 months and went to boot camp.

I still struggle with weight and hitting 225 again. While I'm making my own food now, focusing more on eating less beef for Cholesterol reasons, I'm focusing more on trying to get back into exercise and stop drinking Pop/Soda again since I've picked that up heavily within the last month or so and limiting how many times I can go out to eat in a week.

You just have to set rules for yourself and focus on them.
ID what making gain weight during the weekend and try to change/prevent that habit or eating.
Drink water/ Tea/ Black Coffee
Either eat smaller meals but more frequently. Snacks included.
If exercise isn't really challenging you, switch it up or work harder.

Also, if you do count calories. Use Google to find how many calories you need a day and don't consume less than 500 calories underneath that. Otherwise you're not properly feeding yourself.

There are many ways to lose weight, you just need to find the best way for you.

 

[Kaztastrophe]

So like, those who are overweight and obese how do y'all cope?

Cope: to struggle or deal, especially on fairly even terms or with some degree of success

There is nothing to cope with. My weight does not bother me at all.

If people have a problem with me being fat, I find something I dislike about their body. Then I hound them about it until they apologize for being a dick. Then I don't apologize to them about it.

It's surprisingly easy to find something to hound people about.

 

[butterfly aubade]

Cope: to struggle or deal, especially on fairly even terms or with some degree of success

There is nothing to cope with. My weight does not bother me at all.

If people have a problem with me being fat, I find something I dislike about their body. Then I hound them about it until they apologize for being a dick. Then I don't apologize to them about it.

It's surprisingly easy to find something to hound people about.

While I don't agree with fat-shaming, I also don't think it's okay to normalize obesity.
If you're obese, you're at a higher risk for developing diabetes, heart disease and a multitude of other health problems that will ultimately effect your quality of life. This is the truth of the matter. If someone expresses genuine concern for your weight, then it is absolutely not okay to go and attack them for their own body. It is not being rude to be concerned about someone's health.

 

[Kaztastrophe]

While I don't agree with fat-shaming, I also don't think it's okay to normalize obesity.

But it's perfectly fine to normalize abnormal & disgusting body mutilation?

If you're obese, you're at a higher risk for developing diabetes, heart disease and a multitude of other health problems that will ultimately effect your quality of life.

Which is my choice. Why should I deprive myself of the things I enjoy and eat things I hate so I can live longer. Die faster, fatter, & happier or slower, skinny, and miserable? I will go with fat and happy every fucking time.

If someone expresses genuine concern for your weight, then it is absolutely not okay to go and attack them for their own body. It is not being rude to be concerned about someone's health.

Literally no one has ever expressed concern. If they can't take the heat they shouldn't have started the massive wildfire.

 

[butterfly aubade]

First off, tattoos/piercings (if done right) have no adverse effects on life span, quality of life, etc. Personally, I don't like them either. But other than for aesthetic reasons, I cannot find any objective reason to dislike it. I'm also not dictating how you should live your life, but no one said anything about being "skinny" as equated to being "miserable." You don't have to be skinny to be healthy. You just have to have be in the "medically-non-threatening" weight range in accordance with your height and lifestyle. It's also not a matter of "depriving yourself of things you enjoy"; you simply have to figure out a correct balance in caloric intake and burn. ​

 

[Uxie]

you def shouldn't feel bad to anyone supporting you to lose weight if you see it fluctuating!!! i think one big factor in staying dedicated to losing weight and maintaining it is really finding motivation for it-- and it should definitely be more for your own benefit than others! i think most of the others in this thread have given you really helpful suggestions and easier ways to really fit weight loss into your everyday life because at the end of the day, it's really a lifestyle change and commitment. it sounds scary but it's really positive personally to see the effects! but yeah, i think body confidence is pretty important! as long as you're not obese to the point that you're at high risk of bad ailments like diabetes, please don't let others' comments affect your self-esteem. don't ever feel obligated to anyone other than yourself to lose weight !

i also have a body type that makes it easier for me to gain a LOT of weight pretty fast so i know how you feel !!! but i try to set weight goals for myself and work towards that and then maintaining for a bit to get used to it-- then trying again. once you get started it really gets so much easier, esp doing the things that you can do with other things if you find yourself short on time, i.e. walking!

personally, the way i deal with my cravings is giving myself a cheat item every week? but i really limit how much of that cheat item i eat in one go? but yeah really just try to move around more and avoid over-eating, it does wonders! one tip i've heard going around to eat less is also to eat slower/drink water before/with your meal, because you'll feel more full !!!
sorry if this was kinda messy/repetitive overall, but i hope it helps even a little :")

 

[unholyrae]

It's hard! I have a disorder that actually causes weight problems so even when I was a young active kid who never sat still I was always the 'big' friend who couldn't hide as well when we played games or something. Many a time it was disheartening. And still is. Though when I found out the cause of why I had such issue no matter how I tried as I grew older, it did help me come to terms with it. I still despise shopping and still stare at myself in the mirror somedays, but I know it isn't entirely my fault. I just try to eat fresh and eat local. I do binge on junk, and I am not the most active now a days, but at my age I've come to decide it's my body. I think that helps me a lot. I don't lose weight for other people, but for myself. So if I want to eat some chips I'm gonna friggin eat em.

 

[The_Omega_Effect]

to be honest, just count. eat less than you use and you should be good to go. i essentially lost 20 kgs (metric>all) by just tracking my intake. consciously tracking it prevents you from just grabbing food and eating it whenever you feel the slight urge to do so. being overweight sucks. ur not able to be as agile as you could be, you sweat more, pain in feet/other joints.