Answering a question posed by commenter Janie on my previous post, I started thinking about the basics of getting started with weight loss. Here’s an excerpt from her comment:
I joined Spark People after you mentioned it, but I find the site a little overwhelming. I have not started my weight loss process really at all, I am still in the planning phase, but I want to get going I just don’t seem to have the initiative to do it. How did you force yourself to jump in?
When I really thought about it, I realized that I didn’t start using SparkPeople until about two weeks into my weight-loss journey—because although a tool like a free online weight-loss community can be very motivating and helpful, it isn’t necessary to lose weight. Very little is necessary. Here’s my response to Janie:
Hi Janie, SparkPeople is a lot of fun but I can totally understand how it might feel like a bit much at first. If that is something that is holding you back, maybe think about simplifying further to start off your weight loss. Get a small notepad and a calorie counter book (they cost around $7 at the bookstore, I use CalorieKing but there are a bunch of good ones). Rather than tracking on SP starting off, simply stick to your calorie budget by recording everything in the little notebook and adding it up (I’ll admit I used a calculator a couple times, my elementary math teacher would be so disappointed 
). The most important thing in getting started is deciding on a calorie budget and then keeping track of what you’re eating one way or another so that you can stick to the budget with some accuracy. SparkPeople has a lot of great features, such as Success Stories and motivational SparkPages and SparkTeams, but if it’s overwhelming you right now, don’t worry about that. Just keep the focus on your weight loss and your calorie budget.
For the first two weeks of my journey, I struggled with the simple fact that I was cutting back my intake. It took a lot of thought for me to plan out my food for each day, and I focused pretty much exclusively on finding foods and meals that tasted good to me but that also fit my calorie budget. I kept a simple pencil-and-paper food journal during that time.
Once I got the hang of my typical daily meals (I’m a creature of habit so many of my meals, especially breakfast and work lunches, are the same from day to day), I started thinking about getting some type of exercise more seriously. I didn’t worry about tracking it; I just did my best to walk a little more.
As my new routine has become more normal to me, I enjoy the regularly boosts in motivation and inspiration that a site like SparkPeople can provide. There are so many other people out there doing exactly what we are doing or trying to do! Some of them have succeeded amazingly well, and their stories keep me going. I do use the SparkPeople food and exercise trackers now, because they work well for my lifestyle (I’m often near a computer). However, my core commitment remains simply to track my calorie intake and keep it under 1700/day. If I start to find SP irksome or stressful, I will stop using it.
Similarly, there are some days where I read tons of articles on the site and leave lots of comments on SparkPeople message boards and blogs. Other days, I am busier or feeling more withdrawn and I just stick to tracking my food and exercise. This kind of flexible-use policy works for me.
Regardless of whether you sign up with SparkPeople or use any of their tracking tools, it’s always worthwhile to take a look at their Success Stories and Motivational SparkPages. True tales of encouragement help keep me going when things get rough, and may well do the same for you.
Do you have any advice or suggestions for Janie? How did you finally jump into weight loss? I would really love to hear about everyone’s experiences with this issue.
28. October 2009 at 8:49 PM
I really like the SparkPeople site too. Sometimes I jump into the forums to offer encouragement.
As far as Janey’s question goes I would just encourage her to just start. Planning is great but doing is important to. She can start by tackling one thing at a time. For example, if she is a night-time eater, maybe work on that habit first.
Or if she’s never exercised, perhaps aiming for 3 -4 days of walking for a week would be a great way to start. Oftentimes when we try and change everything at once we get overwhelmed and then go stagnant.
Great job on your own weight loss Hilary – you are doing it!!
29. October 2009 at 1:55 PM
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and advice on this topic, Diane. I love it when a veteran from the weight-loss trenches is so willing to share their wisdom :).
28. October 2009 at 9:37 PM
Well everyone is different, but for me sometimes it’s easiest to just slide into it. By this I mean not making a big fuss or a complicated plan or a wholesale change in lifestyle all at once and particularly not deciding on a date in the future when you plan to start. If you’re thinking you want to do it, slide into it right now. Have a smaller serving of dinner, then head out for a walk. Not a big production, just a little change. For me those big announcements, like saying, even to myself, “I’m on a diet” always backfire. Instantly I will feel hungry and become obsessed with food. To this day (nearly two years after I started) I do not count calories or consider myself on a diet. I’ve just changed the way I eat. I have to think of it in positive terms if I want it to be a permanent change. But at the beginning, I just slid into it, eating a smaller main course and a bigger serving of salad and then going for a walk. It built from there.
29. October 2009 at 1:57 PM
Babbalou, I know you don’t blog but I really wish you did :). I really like hearing your perspective and learning about what has been a successful approach for you!
29. October 2009 at 4:11 PM
Hilary, Thanks for the kind words. A little off-topic here, but I saw your twitter post (I don’t twitter but your posts show up here), checked out the NaNoWriMo website (which I’d never heard of) and signed up. So I am going to attempt to write a novel during the month of November. I have no illusions it will end up being a real work of art (I’m more a numbers person that a writer) but since I’m not currently working and have thought some writing experience would be useful I’m going to give it a go. Are you doing it? If you want to discuss offline, you have my email.
29. October 2009 at 4:36 PM
Babbalou, that’s so cool! I’m really excited that you are doing it! As for me, my biggest problem is coming up with something to write about. I’m totally stuck right now on plot ideas, but if I come up with one and sign up I will definitely let you know.
29. October 2009 at 4:45 PM
Well I figure I have until Sunday night to come up with a plot. I think the point is to get writing even in the absence of a fabulous plot. I’m going to do something mildly autobiographical but fictionalized, I figure that will make it easier plus of course it will make me look better! My goal is to write, not write a novel worthy of publishing. Their handbook is called “No Plot No Problem” – I decided to take them at their word!
28. October 2009 at 11:37 PM
Hi Hilary. I’m new to this blogging thing too. I’m also on day 3. I’m using the Weight Watchers site right now but I do belong to Spark too. Whatever you find is easiest to do, go for it.
I found your blog via Sean Anderson and I really like his approach. Until you get into your groove, just concentrate on the calories and worry about the rest later. I’m still trying to get into a groove, but I tend to make things complicated, so don’t go by me. I guess if you keep it simple, as Sean and Diane, above, and so many have, you’ll be successful. Hang in there, we’re all in this together!!
29. October 2009 at 1:58 PM
Hi Sara, welcome! Thank you for stopping by :). It’s really cool that you’ve started blogging and it sounds like we’re both fans of Sean!
29. October 2009 at 3:34 PM
The start to my journey was a long time in the making. I had several “false starts” along the way where I wanted to do it, made a crappy attempt and gave up after a week or two. Most people who’ve been successful at losing weight can tell you when their “a-ha!” moment was; for me I had several. Watching the story of Renee Williams, the “half-ton mom” whose story was shown on TLC really got to me. She finally got the help she was so desperately seeking for so many years and then tragically (ironically) died anyway from a heart attack. Then I saw Robert, a contestant on Hell’s Kitchen, who was also obese and had to leave the show because he was having heart trouble. I had been having chest pains for a few days prior to watching that episode and after watching it I was scared enough to go to the hospital and get checked out. They diagnosed me with Pleurisy. Even with all that in mind and knowing that my obese mother has diabetes and heart problems and my grandfather DIED from a heart attack, I STILL wasn’t ready to take the plunge. Or I was ready, but I hadn’t DECIDED.
My 35th birthday was fast approaching and I still hadn’t even accomplished all the things I had hoped to have had accomplished before my 30TH birthday! My weight was holding me back – and I knew it.
Then my sister went on a diet and started losing weight. I started to see her collar bone and facial definition that I hadn’t seen in her for a long time. She was transforming before my eyes and I started to wonder “what would *I* look like without this weight?”. So at this point I *knew* I wanted to “diet” but didn’t know “which one”…didn’t know what kind of exercise I’d do…I had a lot of questions. So, I did what I always do when I have more questions than answers and I hit the net. What I found was a plethora of blogs and articles with more than enough answers for my questions, but even more importantly were the people behind them. People who had started at twice my weight and now weigh less than me. People who had more kids than I do and lost 100 more pounds than I need to lose. People who had health conditions lose hundreds of pounds. People who used to be inactive (like me) actually become ATHLETES. People whose stories were so inspiring that, for once in my life, I actually felt motivated to *DO* it instead of *wish* I were doing it. I just thought, if these people can do it, I have no more excuses. And that was when I decided to do it.
Whew, that was long…haha. I don’t know what advice to give her, but for me, reading other success stories REALLY helped give me the kick in the butt I needed and might could help her. Also, she might want to give this post a read by Steve: http://logmyloss.com/?p=53
29. October 2009 at 4:21 PM
Josie, thank you SO MUCH for sharing a little about what got you moving toward weight loss! I love these kind of “shares” and I totally know what you mean about being inspired by the many amazing people out there who are doing and have done this thing :).
29. October 2009 at 4:10 PM
Sparkpeople made me jump in. I had been toying with working out and eating better, and was looking for a calorie count on something and on a lark signed up for SP. It gave me a whole program and I figured “why not” and gave it a month and did what it told me to do. I lost 8 lbs and was hooked, and lost 80 lbs total there. Some weeks I only track food and workouts (and some weeks not at all when I’m on a “break”), sometimes I participate more.
I just hadn’t had any good examples in my life of people losing a large amount of weight in a healthy way, and this site made me realize I could do it without pills or gimmicks or starving myself. I started like you, limiting calories (and that’s IT, any food was game), and along the way I’ve started to learn to like the healthier stuff more than the unhealthier stuff.
29. October 2009 at 4:29 PM
Quix, I think it’s pretty cool that you signed up on a whim with SP and ended up losing 80 lbs using the site—you never know where your decisions will lead you, I guess! Also, check the above comments, NaNoWriMo has one more participant thanks to you (Babbalou)—I posted about your blog on Twitter and one thing led to another.
29. October 2009 at 11:03 PM
Hi Hilary, followed you over here from Turtle Progress. Have never used SparkPeople, but have heard of people having great success. Recently started blogging about my weight loss using Weight Watchers and The Beck Diet Solution, and finally feel like I have the right mindset for it.
I never had a real “a-ha” moment about weight loss until the end of last year. Several months after my wedding I gained 40 lbs and started having a problem with a rapid heartbeat. I was tired and felt horrible for months and only recently have begun feeling better.
Thank you for sharing your story.
30. October 2009 at 2:25 PM
Hi there, Singingforasmallerme! I’m happy you made it over here :). The Beck Diet Solution book and Weight Watchers both offer a lot of helpful ways to think about and positively handle the weight-loss process. I’m so glad to hear you’re feeling well enough now to start your journey!
30. October 2009 at 2:12 PM
Hey everyone:) Thanks for all the great advice. Hilary-thank you for taking the time to write about this! I know that I need to stop thinking about it and just jump in, it’s just so much easier said than done. I am committing to start working out. I am going to follow the Couch to 5K plan to start out. I can handle 3 days a week and I already trained for a women’s 4 mile race in September. I ended up doing more walking than running, but I still did it. Since then I have been sitting on my ass and feeling sorry for myself. I think I’ve been dealing with a little bit of depression, but I know very well from past experience that if I start working out my mood will improve. I used to follow weight watchers, so I am going to start out by just writing my food down and paying more attention to what I eat. Several people said above that it can be really counterproductive to set too many goals at once b/c you lose momentum quickly and get overwhelmed. This has been a big issue with me. I will tell myself I’m going to work out 6 days a week and eat nothing but healthy food and this will last for a few days and then I get so sick of being so restricted that I eat anything that isn’t nailed down and completely stop working out. I need to start slow and recognize that it will take me a long time to lose the weight. I am not going to worry about sparkpeople for a little while. I think it was overwhelming me and distracting me from my real goals. I will go back to that site once I feel ready. Thanks for all the encouragement!
30. October 2009 at 2:29 PM
Hi Janie! As someone who lives with depression (sometimes more intense and other times relatively innocuous), I can relate to what you said here–and honestly my depression has been milder since I started watching my food intake and then exercising regularly. But yeah, I also tend to get easily overwhelmed. Starting out, don’t be afraid to set one goal at a time. Maybe for weeks 1 and 2, you just focus on your calorie budget or eating a certain number of fruits/veggies per day; or maybe you would choose to focus on simply doing your C25K program and not deal with the food stuff yet. And then after 2 weeks, add in a new component as you feel ready. I know you can do this, the power is inside you. Honestly, I feel that anyone who can survive the fluctuations of depression is also tough enough to do this. It’s a silver lining, the whole being a fighter thing!
30. October 2009 at 3:02 PM
You’re absolutely right! I am a fighter! :)