The Struggle Is Real

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I've been @ this whole weight loss thing for almost 6 months. On & off my diet & barely exercising. Time is not something I have a lot of. However, I learned today that I have lost 8lbs. The thing I struggle with is my appetite. I have a really big appetite plus I stress eat. Now I've finally gotten into the groove of exercising (been @ it just about every day for about a week). My question is, with me exercising, is it possible to still lose weight with the type of appetite that I have or should I do my best to eat less?

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  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
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    poohtaytay wrote: »
    I've been @ this whole weight loss thing for almost 6 months. On & off my diet & barely exercising. Time is not something I have a lot of. However, I learned today that I have lost 8lbs. The thing I struggle with is my appetite. I have a really big appetite plus I stress eat. Now I've finally gotten into the groove of exercising (been @ it just about every day for about a week). My question is, with me exercising, is it possible to still lose weight with the type of appetite that I have or should I do my best to eat less?

    It is ALWAYS possible to lose weight and there are ALWAYS excuses to not lose weight.

    I'm not sure what your question is but you need to enter your data into MFP and eat to your goal. Weigh all of your food so that your logging is accurate. Then find the best way to control your appetite. This can be done many ways and it's somewhat up to the individual. I don't have a big problem with this so I really don't have an answer however there are plenty of threads on this forum that address this.
  • michelle7673
    michelle7673 Posts: 370 Member
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    The really quick and really dirty answer is that having at least some controls on intake is best. Do the calculations to lose a pound a week, log your exercise, eat back maybe 75% of your exercise calories. If you don't have a lot of time, and you have tended not to be exercising while trying to lose -- it's going to be really hard to rely on the gym to do it for you. I find that doing the "eating back your exercise calories" method works well for me because it GETS me to work out. Otherwise I'm just not getting enough to eat!
    Plus, logging and tracking teaches you SO MUCH about food choices and the "bang for the buck" of various things in terms of nutrition or satisfaction.
    You don't have to starve to make it work, and maybe the exercise can be a replacement for stress eating :)
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    If you eat fruits and veggies, you can stuff yourself for very few calories. There is no reason to go hungry just because you're losing weight. Big appetite people can lose weight, too. :)
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    It is very difficult to out exercise a bad diet/ excess calories.

    Op what's your calorie goal everyday?
  • SIMAKRA
    SIMAKRA Posts: 97 Member
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    Make sure to always have "healthy" snacks in your fridge, healthy in this case low calorie (e.g. cherrie tomatoes, carrot sticks etc), so that when you do get the munchies, it will not directly end up on your hips.
  • vivelajackie
    vivelajackie Posts: 321 Member
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    I had to train myself to grab a glass of water instead of food whenever I had the urge to snack when working around food. You need discipline. You would have to work out, hard, to be able to balance out an overabundance of delicious food. Sure you can lose but it'd be at a very slow pace more than likely. Stock up on fruits and veg. Beans and rice also keep you fuller longer.
  • SoleSister1234
    SoleSister1234 Posts: 16 Member
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    I am so glad I am not the only one who feels this way! ?The more I exercise, the more I want to eat! What I know I must do is stop buying the junk and high-calorie food items. If it isn't in the house, I can't eat it. Next, I need some self control. I should not put myself in situations that are bad for me, and I need to be proud of myself for making good choices while indulging just a little.
  • Werk2Eat
    Werk2Eat Posts: 114 Member
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    Kalikel wrote: »
    If you eat fruits and veggies, you can stuff yourself for very few calories. There is no reason to go hungry just because you're losing weight. Big appetite people can lose weight, too. :)

    Im not big but i have a big appetite. I eat a small portion of really good, really bad for you foods and eat a huge @$$ bowl of vegies with a few spices and S&P as filler.

  • afatpersonwholikesfood
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    poohtaytay wrote: »
    I've been @ this whole weight loss thing for almost 6 months. On & off my diet & barely exercising. Time is not something I have a lot of. However, I learned today that I have lost 8lbs. The thing I struggle with is my appetite. I have a really big appetite plus I stress eat. Now I've finally gotten into the groove of exercising (been @ it just about every day for about a week). My question is, with me exercising, is it possible to still lose weight with the type of appetite that I have or should I do my best to eat less?

    Unfortunately, exercise just doesn't burn enough. It's absolutely wonderful that you're doing it. You're still getting health benefits from it, and you are making a habit of something that has been shown time and time again to be essential for maintenance. Keep it up but don't give up on the food part of the equation!

    Complex carbs + Protein + Healthy fats + lots of produce = feeling full. A bowl of Frosted Flakes won't do much for me, but a piece of whole wheat toast topped with avocado and a poached egg will. Same idea with other meals and snacks.
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
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    I also have a big appetite :)

    A couple of years ago, I quit the 'diet' plan and just stuck to my gym work-out's. I figured that I wouldn't gain weight eating whatever I felt like because I was still having my 3/4 work out's per week. I had a shock when I got on the scales a few months later after noticing my clothes were VERY tight and discovering I'd gained 28 lbs. Yes, I was working out and keeping relatively fit but I was eating FAR too much! I really had to get my appetite under some kind of control if I wanted to lose weight - it really was as simple as that for me.

    I had to make a choice: Eat what I want and continue gaining or staying as I was OR eating at a sensible deficit and losing those 28 gained pounds. I chose to lose so the big appetite had to be put in it's place! BECAUSE my calorie deficit is realistic, I can still enjoy foods I love but in moderation. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

    Hang in there.