How to i lose weight just on my own

Hey, I am just starting to try to lose weight and i was thinking about ways i can. I am 15 years old, 5' 7" and 520 pounds. i have always tried losing weight but never really have. I thought about surgery but that was always scary to me and we could also never afford it. I was always in a way ok with my weight.. Not in an ok with it way but just my apathy outweighed my care i guess. Recently i have started having a lot more mobility problems and because of that i am restricted to staying on the basement floor of my house and really stay in my bed or recliner all day and while i can still do the majority of things alone i need a little help all the time and that really gets in the way of my privacy. So i was hoping i could get some weight loss advice

For me, the first and best place to start was using myfitnesspal.com. I started logging everything I ate (and it is HARD to be honest with yourself about how much you are eating). It pushed me to measure my food and realize that I was underestimating how much I was eating by more than half. That was a real shock to me, but it showed me how much more I was eating than I realized.

Next, I cut out all liquid calories (sodas, drinks, ice cream, etc.). Anything that I could drink that had calories went. I switched to water, tea and diet drinks. Mostly water because I didn't like artificial sweeteners much. That made a weight shift for me right there (almost 15 lbs),  AND it cleared up my skin and headache issues really quickly.

After that, I joined a gym with a pool that offered water classes. At your mobility level, I would strongly recommend this. Most YMCA/YWCAs offer them now as part of the membership. It gets the weight off your joints and lets you move more with little to no  pain. I need shoulder and joint replacement right now so exercise is hard, and in the water I can keep up with everyone without pain. It also burns a lot of calories due to the water resistance and helps to build lean muscle.

With all of that and sticking to 1800 calories a day in MFP, I lost 50 pounds in about a year before surgery.

In the end, I also had surgery, because I do need to get my joints fixed and the safest way to do that is to get the weight off as quickly as I can while I can still be somewhat active. I don't regret the surgery at all, because it has helped so much as a tool.

14 months after starting with just using MFP and 10 weeks after surger, I've lost over 100lbs. 

Hi there,

Most of us on this board have opted for surgery. that might not be an option for you now, but there is still a lot you can do to improve your health, and mobility.

this article might be a great place to start, to learn about nutrition and healthy eating habits: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/w eight-control/take-charge-your-health/Documents/TakeCharge.p df 

are you able to prepare or buy your own food? If not, you will have to talk to who ever is and get them to understand what you need. 

Start tracking what you eat. From everything I've seen, among surgery and non surgery people, this is the one common thing among all those successful long term. It helps you understand calories, see patterns in your eating habits, etc. Like, do I eat because I'm bored? Stressed? Or if I feel guilty because I binged at supper/evening. Was it stress? Or because I didn't eat enough  throughout the day.

Get moving. Even if you can't move much, even 10 minutes of walking a day. Each week, add 2more minutes. Check out YouTube for chair yoga videos.

keep posting questions, there's tons of supportive people on here.

 

I see you have just joined and this is your first post....you express yourself in such an adult manner.  

I will follow the responses you receive from others.  Someone should be able to provide guidance.  I wish I knew just the right words to share with a 15y/o at your weight.

You have mail    

I think you ask the question a lot of us have asked prior to having surgery.

At your age....you really should start talking to the adults in your life that your an trust that can help give you the information you need to make a good decision. Most schools have a school psychologist that you can speak to....and that information should stay confidential.

What most of us (the people on this board) have learned over time is that we were overweight not just because of food but because of our unhealthy relationship with food. Obesity is a disease.....and there are many ways to lose weight. I think surgery is an option, however, it should be your last option. Something you consider only after you've tried a few other things.

Scott

I can't stress enough: track what you eat. As the previous poster said, get an account at myfitnesspal.com and if you eat a single grape, keep track of it. You'll be shocked at how many calories you're eating. I certainly was. 

Next, calculate how many calories you need to lose weight (http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html). According to this calculator, you need about 3000 calories a day to lose 2 pounds a week. Shoot for that.

Because you're so heavy, you'll lose weight very quickly at first. Every 25 pounds you lose, recalculate how many calories you need to keep losing. Get your family on board. Who is bringing you food? Can you ask them to make healthier choices? Your parents should be able to help you track your eating.

At your weight, everything is harder. You can exercise just by getting up and walking a couple of steps. Try to do that every hour. As you lose weight, it'll be easier and you can walk farther. One friend of mine was about the same weight you are, and she started by walking out her front door. After a few weeks, she got to the end of her driveway. After a few months, she got to the end of her street. It just takes perseverance. 

You'll want to look at nutrition as well, but you can get into specifics when you have a plan. There are a lot of people on this board who know a great deal about healthy eating. They can tell you more. For now, though, I think you need to focus on getting your weight down to more manageable levels.

You are so young! If you make these changes now, you will be so much happier as you approach your twenties. 

Oh sweetheart. I admire you for putting yourself out there and reaching for help. At 520 lbs I am sure youve had days where you think its too late to do this on your own. But let me tell you. It is NOT. You can still move. Even if it's sitting in your bed or recliner clapping for fifteen minutes at a time to get your heart rate up. Where are your parents in this? Do they provide all the food you eat? If so be sure to let them know that you have an addiction and they are enablers. What they think is giving in to you out of love, will eventually kill you if it doesn't stop. Thats how serious this is. I recommend family therapy. By the way, Medicaid covered my surgery. I am not in a good financial situation. If you want the surgery, do your research and dont give up. Seek out medical and financial assistance. Pressure your parents because they are responsible for getting all this in order. 

Other than that, the diet my surgeon put me on helped me lose weight before my surgery, so its plausible that while you are trying to get your parents on board to research ways to help you get surgery, you can do what you need to do on your own. A great way to do this is getting into ketosis, and it sucks for the first few days, but its so worth it. You can lose dramatically if you follow a good ketosis diet. Just type ketosis into google and learn about it first. High protein, low carb and sugar. Get excited and motivated. You can do this. Good luck!