Please Help....I feel ill and cant cope.

[Demolition Man]

Please can someone help me.  I feel awful and cant carry on like this.  I'm overweight and cant stop eating.  I'm addicted to sugar, caffeine and basically everything that's bad for me.  I have tried quitting and cant.  My body just shuts down.  I think I have problems with my blood sugar levels.  When they drop low after eating I fall asleep. Even when I am at work. I suffer massive headaches, I feel like I cant move or carry on.

 

Ive tried calorie counting and it works for a few weeks, then something goes wrong and i turn to food for help.  Then im back to square one.

 

I do exercise at the gym and other places but my diet is completely wrong.  I cant change and I don't know how to.......

 

PLEASE HELP BEFORE I AM SERIOUSLY SICK......

[alienjenn]

first things first.... you need to see your primary care provider... I know that when I was first diagnosed with diabetes it was easier to eat healthier when I was on medication... (not that I am saying you need medication but it is always best to check with them before starting any diet/exercise program)

 

 

second... I know from personal experience that whenever I set goals that are too lofty or ambitious I fail... then I am back to square 1 or less!!! so I have to make goals that are SMART...

 

I wrote what worked for me here.... it wasn't until I started making good smart goals that I started losing weight...

[Jay87]

Hi there

 

Without knowing a little more about you (how overweight you are, fitness level, any medical conditions / history etc) it's a little hard to recommend a specific action plan here...so the first thing I'd say is get a medical. The second thing I would say, and the thing that actually leaps out at me most from this post, is the actual mindset behind the mechanics...

 

They say that weight loss is roughly 80% diet and 20% exercise...but what about the stuff that actually motivates people to make those percentages happen? I think that's a critical thing to address here.

 

So...here comes the pep talk

 

1. You clearly want to change. That's GREAT. What do you want to change to? (envisage it now, please) 

2. Ok. Now what do you currently like about yourself? (it can be anything at all - tell me what it is. Don't be shy....I bet there's something awesome about you. I bet there's several things - I'm listening.)

3. Next, let's do some weighing up (of priorities; not yourself - yet) How much did you like the way you saw yourself in point 1? How happy do you think you'd be if you got to be that? Next...how happy are you now? 

4. If the answer to 3 is 'not very,' which I suspect it might be, then the wonderful news is that you CAN change this. And you can change it right now. You can wake up tomorrow a little bit thinner, a little bit healthier and a little bit fitter. And you can keep waking up like that until you get to where you want to be as per point 1. But it's an investment in yourself - not a shotgun purchase. That means you need to put in before you see the returns come out. But the absolute truth is that there won't be any returns unless you make the investment. And no one else can do this for you. The sooner you do it, the sooner those returns will come and the closer you'll be to what you saw in point 1. It's your body - that means you get to control when you start investing in it. You don't have to wait for anyone or anything to do this. Isn't that cool??

5. They say the first step is the longest stride. Make it a confident one. You are in control of this. No one makes you eat food and no one stops you burning off calories. You have control over that. You can manage this and reinvent yourself until you're happy with what you see. You're a work in progress and you hold the tools. 

6. Rome wasn't build in a day. I'd say the only thing our bodies do overnight is sleep! But baby steps are the best kinds of progress when it comes to weight loss. You're building new life habits and your body will need to adjust. Think about how you might have ended up where you are...did this happen overnight? Do tall trees grow overnight? It takes time. But focus on the present, because that's all there is. The past and future are concepts. The present is real and the present is what you can control. Take steps to define your present, rather than having it define you and in doing so you'll shape your future. And that future will become a present that you can enjoy. It'll become what you saw in point 1. 

7. Pending the results of your medical, make a plan of attack. Get a notepad and a pen and a calculator. Write down what you want to achieve:

 

How much weight do you want to lose?

Within what timeframe? (be realistic - you don't want to be derailed by unachievable timescales!)

What is your current BMR? What can you change in order to undercut this so that your body is in a sensible deficit? How does this fit in with your timescales?

What does that deficit add up to over a week? (1lb fat is equivalent to 3,500 calories) 

Set some goals

How will you measure these goals? 

Write down your reasons for doing this. Stick them on the fridge. Stick them all over the house if you like...

What obstacles might you encounter on this journey? How can you plan to sidestep these obstacles? 

What exercise do you enjoy? What music do you enjoy? Can you combine the two? Try to make it fun, not a chore. 

Write down why you might turn to food when you're not hungry. What other comforts can you turn to instead? What distractions might you be able to implement?

What kind of diet are you going to use as your method for this? (I'd recommend Paleo, as it's got a really nice tendency to curb appetite and control blood sugar, which you've mentioned you have issues with, but it's entirely up to you - see what your Dr recommends too from the medical.) 

 

Finally, keep a food log of all the numbers. Weight loss is basically maths and thermodynamics with a good dose of motivation making it all happen. You can also use the log to document your progress. Focus on each day and watch them build up to your goals. Pat yourself on the back when you make progress. Hop onto NF for support if you need it, but know that YOU are the one who can ultimately make this happen - and you're awesome enough to have it happen. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise and don't convince yourself that you aren't worth it. You are. That person you want to be is already inside you - you just need embark on the journey that'll make them emerge. 

 

Can't wait to hear how you get on and hope some of that helps.

Very best.

[JessFit]

Totally agree with Jay! You need to look at your mindset, it is hard but if you decide it is worth it and set up good support system then you can do it. And you should probably see a doctor as mentioned above because that sounds really drastic and could be a few different seriously problematic things. Also, again as noted above, take small steps and set small goals. Thats the best way to get drastic achievement. You can do it, you really can, if you just do it logically and slowly and set your mind to it.

 

I gave up caffeine a few months ago and it was so hard to go through withdrawl but I stuck it out and feel so much better now, months later, jut because of that little change. I didn't cut sugar and junk food and everything, just focused on caffeine and then was able to survive and tackle something small later on.

[Gobnait]

It sounds like there is something wrong with your body.

 

But after you get checked out, there are some gradual weaning things that you can do to get on slightly healthier things.  Instead of cola, try drinking sweet tea and then dial back the amount of sugar that you make it with.  Or you can decide if you can handle a mixture of sugar and artificial sweetener.  (Do your research.  I don't think artificial sweeteners are good for you, but manufacturers will use them to decrease the sugar in drinks.)  Dried fruit isn't really good for you either, but it's slightly better than candy.  Chocolate with really high coco content is better than your typical candy bar, especially if you can figure out how to nibble a little and gain satisfaction from that.

 

If you need to constantly eat, try carrot sticks or other vegetables.

[Demolition Man]

Hi all,

 

Thanks for the advice.

 

A little more about my situation.  Im 190cm tall and weigh 300lbs.  I play soccer once a week and badminton once a week.  I try to go to the gym at least 2-3 times a week and do some weights. (I keep a record so can go further into this if needed)

 

I work at a desk so spend 8 hours a day sitting and 2hrs driving to and from work.

 

My diet is awful.  I eat ready made sandwiches or Macdonalds for breakfast, my lunch is something like lasagne or chilli for lunch, then sandwiches or chocolate on the way home.  If im still hungry at home then I will cook chicken or pasta for dinner.

 

I drink 2-3 litres of fizzy drinks a day and swap between normal and diet brands.  I also drink tea/coffee throughout the day along with the odd glass of water.

 

I use Myfitness Pal and have on average been consuming 2500-3000 calories a day.  

 

I have tried to quit this diet but my body went into some kind of shock.  I could not function and went to sleep.

 

I really want to lose weight.  I have been overweight for 10 years now.  Its making my life unbearable....

[cline]

Keep it all simple.  You know what you want and why.  Good good start!!

 

Start with small, simple, easy to make changes.  I'd suggest pick one of the following and do it for a few months. Just one.  Don't try to change too much too fast.  Goals need to be reasonable and achievable.  With every success, you increase your odds for success on the next goal.  Promise.

 

Think about it like soccer (I love soccer!):  you pass the ball, look for openings, set up plays, right?  small steps add up to goals.  Imagine instead if every player went out thinking "every play I'm going for goal" - what a disaster.  Instead it's "every time I get a touch, what do I do?" 

 

Number 1:  cut out the soda (and if you can, cut out diet soda too, if that's too hard, at least cut out regular soda).  You can totally do that.  Drink more water.  If you love fizzy, drink fizzy water for a double win - you enjoy fizzy drinks and it's water.  You can totally do that.  That alone might save you a few hundred calories/day.  That adds up to weight loss.  Promise.  And you'll feel a lot better. 

 

Number 2:  make a decision to cut out 1 meal at fast food restaurant/day or 3 meals per week or something reasonable.  Start small, finish strong!  You can totally do that.  Maybe make a decision to eat breakfast you prepare 2x week to start, then 3x week after you get the hang of it, etc.  You're still eating plenty and plenty of meals, just less at fast food.

 

Number 3:  Make a decision to not eat in your car.  This will drastically change how/what you eat.  Make meals about being meals and nobody eats a meal in a car or on the sidewalk.  Just doing that will probably change how you eat.  I made a decision a long time ago to never eat walking down the street.  It is interesting to do that in America. 

 

Now.... pick a small, simple goal.  Get a calendar, make your red x's.  Get a chain going.  When/if you break the chain, just start over. 

 

You got this!  Seriously.  You can totally do this.

[JessFit]

I was typing something long and then Cline posted and I realized I was typing what he had already said. I 100% agree with Cline. As you do this you will stop craving the things you've cut out. This will take time and effort, it can't happen over night and you have to be strong but you can get there. Too much at once is overwhelming both to your mind and your body so take steps and take time to focus on each step and you will totally see results!

[I-Jo]

I agreeeeeeeee with what's been posted- here are my complied thoughts in a short list.  

 

 

1.) stop feeling sorry for yourself.  (that's not to be harsh or mean- it's just a fact of a matter thought so please don't take that as a yelling angry statement)

 

2.) realize that at some point- you WILL stumble and fall.  and that's okay. Start again the next day.

 

3.) pick ONE change- and go with that for a few weeks... that's okay.- you don't need to make huge changes all at once.

 

4.) You ABSOLUTELY can do this.  It isn't overwhelmingly complicated- but it can be hard.  There is a difference.

 

5.) Keep checking back in here for moral support.  We are here to help

[Demolition Man]

Hi all,

 

Thanks for the help and support so far.

 

I decided on Friday that I am going to avoid fast food.  I told my partner and she has agreed to do this with me.  (she is one of those people that eats everything she wants and never puts on a pound)

 

So since Friday I have not had any fast food.  I have driven past the places I used to go and feel better about it.  I want to aim to get to the end of the month without having any.  Hopefully by then I will have created a good habit.

 

At the end of the month I will pick another bad item to lose and try and eliminate them all one by one. 

 

I am going to get my measurements done this week and I will post on here and try to keep up to date with whats happening.

 

Thank you everyone for your support.

[cline]

I decided on Friday that I am going to avoid fast food.  I told my partner and she has agreed to do this with me....

 

So since Friday I have not had any fast food.  I have driven past the places I used to go and feel better about it.  I want to aim to get to the end of the month without having any.  Hopefully by then I will have created a good habit.

 

BAM!  And that, my friend, is HOW IT'S DONE!

 

YEAH you did!!!!  Good work!!!  This is exactly how to do it!!!  Hurrah!

 

And to have your partner in with you = win! 

 

Keep it up.  You CAN do this.

[Demolition Man]

Can anyone advise on how to keep the withdrawal symptoms at bay?  I am getting headaches and my energy feels really low.

[alienjenn]

drink lots of water and roll with it...

[DirtyLittleSecrets]

drink lots of water and roll with it...

 

That's pretty much how I had to get off my Coke habit. Specifically diet Coke. It sucks but eventually it will go away and you will feel much better for it. Energy wise I would go for small walks if it was just a groggy tired.

 

Step at a time still gets you to your destination.You can do it and we're all here for you .

[cline]

Can anyone advise on how to keep the withdrawal symptoms at bay?  I am getting headaches and my energy feels really low.

 

First tip:  it passes quickly! Promise.  So stick with it!!!!  I promise it passes quickly.  Know that and say that every time you feel it. 

 

Second tip:  distraction.  Distract that feeling with a healthy choice - water (toss a lemon in), baby carrots, or what I actually did every time (really) is get up and take a quick walk, around the office, around the block, whatever.  Just get moving and you'll feel better.  Sitting helps reinforce that sluggish feeling so get up and take a peppy walk.  Listen to your favorite song - stand up while you do it. 

[Demolition Man]

Ok, so first week without fast food.  i slipped up once and immediatley felt bad.  But stuck to itfor the rest of the week.  I have been shopping so I have things at home to avoid the need to buy something quick.

 

I do feel better for having done it and will try to make it two weeks!  However I think I am eating more other foods to compensate.  Should I focus on just avoiding fast food or should I also monitor what other foods im having...

[alienjenn]

Rather than thinking of it as "I failed one day" try thinking of it as "I succeeded six days" I find that when I think of things positively (even failure) it helps my mindset and helps me to approach my goals knowing I can succeed

Sent with tapatalk... if this post seems brief or full of misspelled words it's because my phone and autocorrect are actively plotting against me

[Leithient]

I understand you.

 

I think that, in your case, to start counting calories is a bad idea. Have you tried eating "without limits" healthy food? You are addicted to sugar, but if instead of eating 800 Kcal of sweets you eat the same number of calories provided by apples, well... it's harder overeating (you would count calories later, though, because it is possible overeating with healthy food, too).

 

This worked for me. And still does when I start doing things wrong again (everybody is a sugar-addict when eats sugar, and we feel the consequences in the same way, you are not alone ).

[Demolition Man]

I understand you.

 

I think that, in your case, to start counting calories is a bad idea. Have you tried eating "without limits" healthy food? You are addicted to sugar, but if instead of eating 800 Kcal of sweets you eat the same number of calories provided by apples, well... it's harder overeating (you would count calories later, though, because it is possible overeating with healthy food, too).

 

This worked for me. And still does when I start doing things wrong again (everybody is a sugar-addict when eats sugar, and we feel the consequences in the same way, you are not alone ).

Thanks,

 

I have now completed two weeks.  I have eaten fast food twice in this time.  Its a big change for me and I am soooo happy that I am now avoiding (90%) fast food and although I don't feel like I've lost weight or anything I do feel better.  Not so bloated or craving my next burger...

 

I am cooking food at home which is a big difference.  I am actually looking forward to my meals at home now.

 

My revised aims are going to be another two weeks without fast food.  This will be 4 weeks in total and I think I can then start to remove other bad items as well.  My next step is food in my car.

 

I drive 1hr each way every day for work.  I always end up buying sandwiches, chocolate drinks etc whilst driving.  So I will have a bag of apples or bananas instead. I know sugar wise this will still be very high but compared to drinks and chocolate I think its a step in the right direction. 

 

I weighed myself at the weekend and and im 21.6 stone which is 302lbs.  This is my starting point.  I'm not going to make any targets but will weigh myself every few weeks to see if there is a change.

 

Thanks for all you support everyone and anyone who has any tips or wants to share their experiences I would really appreciate it.

 

Thanks

[Gobnait]

It's been two weeks.  If you had lost any noticeable weight, it would likely be because your intestines don't have so much garbage in them.

 

You sound in danger of getting discouraged if the scale doesn't move... Just persevere for a while longer.  A 6-week challenge just started today, so give your healthy measures that much time before you start worrying about results.

[Demolition Man]

It's been two weeks.  If you had lost any noticeable weight, it would likely be because your intestines don't have so much garbage in them.

 

You sound in danger of getting discouraged if the scale doesn't move... Just persevere for a while longer.  A 6-week challenge just started today, so give your healthy measures that much time before you start worrying about results.

Im not discouraged as I know that its better for me, I just need to see something to know what im doing is making a difference.  If im replacing one bad habit with another I want to make sure I avoid this.

 

I feel that I am not craving fast food anymore. Its been two weeks since I started and I had fast food twice in that period.  I DONT NEED IT ANYMORE! That feels great to say.

 

I am now moving onto stage two.  I want to quit the buying of snacks.  No eating anything in the car or late night trips to the shop.  I will keep fruit and drinks in the car only.  Let me know what you guys think?

[Leithient]

Good point, but make sure that then you replace drinks with water, and it will be fine.

[cline]

yea for the update!!!! I was wondering how you were doing.

 

This is BIG BIG progress and that you are feeling stronger already is awesome.  Do you feel more in control?  That's fantastic.

 

Keep it up!!! You can totally do this.

[Demolition Man]

yea for the update!!!! I was wondering how you were doing.

 

This is BIG BIG progress and that you are feeling stronger already is awesome.  Do you feel more in control?  That's fantastic.

 

Keep it up!!! You can totally do this.

I do feel more in control.  I can now see and chose not to have any fast food.  

 

I have so many other things I need to change but do feel better for the changes I've made so far....  3 weeks with only two slip ups.

 

I read something the other day where you should pay more attention to your efforts than the results..  So I am really happy with my efforts.  I cant wait to make the next changes and the results will follow.

 

Thanks everyone.

[alienjenn]

I do feel more in control.  I can now see and chose not to have any fast food.  

 

I have so many other things I need to change but do feel better for the changes I've made so far....  3 weeks with only two slip ups.

 

 

it's nice to feel in control... 

 

 

I am proud of you!