Help begin to lose weight!

[u/Ok_Post8635]

Hi! I’m 23 F and i have had lots of up and downs with weight. I was at 240 when i graduated high school 4 years ago. I had my son, which brought me as high as 290 and went back to 250 postpartum. Had some health issues and lost 70 pounds in 2 months from being sick (Jan. 2022). I slowly maintained that weight until i had surgery in Feb of 2023. I was able to eat and enjoy life again. I slowly gained weight which was fine, i went back to 225-230. I had my second child this year and lost someone very close to me, so i turned to food. I am now up to 290 and so embarrassed and hate it. I have pain in my knees from gaining weight. I know grief is not an excuse, but that’s been my reason for overeating the last four to five months. I don’t where to start but i hate feeling this way in my skin. Help!😭i drive know where to begin. I want to start over at the new year🤍

[u/Strategic_Sage]

I would suggest starting over now. This minute. Don't wait for the new year.

It's natural to try to make ourselves feel better when we are feeling a lot of pain. It takes a lot of effort in many cases to learn not to do that with food.

The way to start is a simple as can be. Eat fewer calories. Look at what you are typically eating. It can be about eating different foods, or just eating less of what you already eat. Different tactics work for different people, the main thing is just to insist on finding a way to eat an amount that allows you to lose weight. I would aim for something around 2500 calories or start, or a little more, in your situation. Experiment with different foods and find something that works for you. If you are able, walk daily - start small, walking slowly 10 minutes a day and increase a small amount each week. Don't push yourself too hard at all, but the more activity you have, the better off you will be.

[u/WhoAmIWinkWink → u/Strategic_Sage]

I agree with the starting now point! And to add on: If you slip up and overindulge (which happens to all of us from time to time), don’t think to yourself, “Oh, I’ll just start over tomorrow/next Monday/next month.” Start over right away. If this is what you want to do, then there is no time like the present! Putting things off until later means missing out on the progress you could have made in the meantime. Future you will be grateful. Don’t let a hour-long slip become a week-long one. I’m 24F, so let me tell you: You are young and you can do this. Different people find different dieting techniques helpful, and it may take some time to figure out which habits are actually sustainable for your lifestyle. What’s important is staying motivated. There will be plenty of small victories to celebrate on the way to your target weight. Best wishes!

[u/Giraffeneck88]

It will be important to work on your grief in order to be successful. That will look different for everyone. Try to find something for yourself that can help with emotional eating (therapy, own research, finding outlets, etc)

You’ve lived a lot of life already. Don’t try to conquer everything all at once. To be successful start with nutrition. If you mentally can handle it calorie counting and tracking is the best way. Use a TDEE calculator set to sedentary to see what your current calorie burn is. Then subtract a reasonable amount of calories to be in a deficit. The more weight you need to lose the higher the deficit can be.

Once you have this down start thinking about the types of food. Prioritize protein and higher quality food 80% of the time and that other 20% is the foods that you enjoy but should limit.

Then start thinking about movement. Maybe that’s walking at first. Then finding an activity that you enjoy.

The important thing is to build the habits one at a time. Track for a month, then find new better for you recipes for a month, then increase your step count the next month and so on.

[u/Commercial_Repeat414]

I totally relate to your journey, and it’s tough navigating through weight changes, especially with everything life throw at us. Start small—set realistic goals, like daily walks or meal prepping. I found an app that helped me manage my carb intake effectively, making it easier to lose weight while feeling energized. It’s called Carbner. Remember, it’s about progress, not perfection. You’ve got this; take it one step at a time! Wishing you all the best!