Am I doing this right?

jIngraffia7874

I'm 5'2" 23YO and I have been bouncing between 165-167lbs

I tend to eat A LOT of grilled chicken (honestly because it is an easy option that I can get at 99% of the places that I eat)

Now I do have my slip ups
Is there anyway you can look at my food and see if I am eating what I need to lose weight?

I'm not too sure of what I should and should not eat.

I hold most of my weight in my tummy and I do have PCOS.

I'm just not sure about my choices and I'm truly interested in changes that I can make.


I do know that I need to cut down on the alcohol.. Because even with good choices booze in any form does not suit a weight loss attempt.


Thank you to any and all who answer!

futuremanda

Hi! Your diary is set to private, so you'll have to open it up in the settings for anyone to take a look.

jIngraffia7874

futuremanda wrote: »

Hi! Your diary is set to private, so you'll have to open it up in the settings for anyone to take a look.

I believe I fixed it, thank you!

janejellyroll

jIngraffia7874 wrote: »

Because even with good choices booze in any form does not suit a weight loss attempt.

I don't agree. I am able to drink wine while losing weight. I simply log the calories and plan for it as part of my day. I know some people have good luck cutting it out completely, but many people also lose weight without eliminating alcohol. I know I am not willing to live without a glass of wine for the rest of my life, so I don't want to eliminate it to lose weight.

Not to say you have to do the same, but don't limit yourself unnecessarily.

SueInAz

If you're bouncing around between such a small range, congrats, you've found your maintenance calories!

Seriously, if you believe you are logging a calorie amount that is supposed to be what you should lose weight at then you're probably either not logging everything or you're underestimating the calories you are eating. Of course, PCOS can have an impact on your ability to lose weight, too. I've seen a lot of women with PCOS who have stated they need to control their carbohydrate intake to lose weight consistently.

There are actually a set of PCOS message boards here. You may want to join one of them (Use the Groups link) and get help from other women with the same challenges.

HeidiCooksSupper

You can technically loose weight eating any food. The amount you eat is most important for weight loss. But you want to maintain your health as well so aim toward eating a healthy, well-balanced diet. For more information about what comprises a healthy diet, a good, reliable, readable, science-based source is Nutritionsource http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/ Their "Healthy Eating Plate" http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/ is a particularly handy graphic.

futuremanda

In the meantime, and now that I don't have a puppy sulking on one of my hands:

Losing weight and nutrition are separate, related goals. Meaning that your calorie deficit is what will lose you the weight. You could eat anything and lose if you stick to your limit. (I know PCOS can have its own challenges, so hopefully someone else will weigh in on that.)

What you eat, when you eat, does not affect fat loss. It's just how much. But the what and when can affect your health, your mood, your digestion, etc.

So think of it more this way:

Hit your calorie target from MFP consistently = weight loss. This can include any foods, even alcohol.

Time your food to help you hit your calorie target. (Poor timing can lead to the "I could eat the whole kitchen" feelings. And then maybe also eating a bunch of things you didn't plan on.)

Make changes to what you eat to help you hit your nutrition goals and for satiety. This can be done all at once or gradually (gradually is often more sustainable, but people vary). For satiety, making sure you're getting adequate protein and fat with your meals and snacks goes a long way. (So, an apple and nut butter instead of just an apple. Or a banana and greek yoghurt w/ fat instead of just the banana. Full fat greek yoghurt alone, if you need a lower cal option. Oil for your veggies and meat when you cook. Hummus with veg. instead of salsa. etc.)

This means that you can have a day where you met your nutrition goals, but not your weight loss goals. (Ate well, but over calorie target.) Or met your weight loss goals but not nutrition goals. (Didn't get enough of a certain macro, maybe had a lot of "emptier" calories.) Or a day where you hit both, or neither. Seeing it this way helps you improve and helps you not feel like a failure every time you don't do something perfectly. (Because you won't always hit your goals and you will not be a failure because of that, but feelings come up, and you need to be armed with perspective and some good self-talking points!)