Trying to have a healthy balance this time!

beckydel93

Hi everyone!

I've had a history of disordered eating, primarily over exercising and restricting. I've been working on my comfort with food and exercising for performance over aesthetic. I'm hoping to stay away from the scale.

Last time I weighed myself I was between 138-140lb at 5'5.5". I had been lifting and running this summer - happily with good results! But as a current graduate student and intern, I've had difficulty maintaining my progress. I've joined MFP in hopes of taking a more mindful and health driven approach to my fitness journey.

I'd love to hear from others who have also struggled in the past. Logging food is not my favorite but I will try not to let those numbers dictate my happiness!

Xo

mccindy72

Buy a food scale, weigh the foods you are eating and then log them. you will be more accurate in your calorie counting, and you will be able to eat the foods you like and be more aware of serving sizes. Don't give yourself too large of a deficit, because you don't have much weight to lose and you will struggle trying to stick to a large deficit. You need a small deficit when have a small amount of weight to lose.
Also read this: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here/p1

Karooka2

Hi Beckydel93- I to struggle with over-restricting and exercising. Too many times I have been motivated by some unattainable photo in a magazine. I'll start with an inspired burst of resolve for change that will inevitably fall to the wayside after a hard fall down a mountain of cookies. I also despise tracking but can't deny it gives me the control I need to stay on track. My plan is to continue tracking until I hit my goal (I'm 8 lbs off) Once I hit my goal I am hoping the good habits I'm establishing will keep my below my goal. I want to learn how to eat and how much I need to exercise on a daily basis to be healthy and happy with my body. I'm going to weigh in on Wednesdays and as long as I stay under my goal weight I won't have to track for the following week. This for me is MAJOR motivation...did I mention I hate tracking?? I'm on board with your mindful and health driven attitude & I too am hoping to finally find that balance myself. Good luck & keep us updated on your progress!

beckydel93

mccindy72 wrote: »

Buy a food scale, weigh the foods you are eating and then log them. you will be more accurate in your calorie counting, and you will be able to eat the foods you like and be more aware of serving sizes. Don't give yourself too large of a deficit, because you don't have much weight to lose and you will struggle trying to stick to a large deficit. You need a small deficit when have a small amount of weight to lose.
Also read this: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here/p1

Thank you for your advice and linking me to that post! I've been following some instagrammers for several months now so I'm pretty familiar with tracking macros and such in theory, just not in practice. I'd like to buy a food scale and track but given my past I do worry I will get a bit too obsessive. For now, I think I'm going to try just logging for a week and see how I feel mentally and then introduce the food scale and weigh ins. There's gotta be a good way to do it right (weighing and tracking and making healthy lifestyle changes little by little) without getting overly obsessed.

I appreciate your insightful advice and hopefully I will be able to put it to use in the near future (-:

beckydel93

Karooka2 wrote: »

Hi Beckydel93- I to struggle with over-restricting and exercising. Too many times I have been motivated by some unattainable photo in a magazine. I'll start with an inspired burst of resolve for change that will inevitably fall to the wayside after a hard fall down a mountain of cookies. I also despise tracking but can't deny it gives me the control I need to stay on track. My plan is to continue tracking until I hit my goal (I'm 8 lbs off) Once I hit my goal I am hoping the good habits I'm establishing will keep my below my goal. I want to learn how to eat and how much I need to exercise on a daily basis to be healthy and happy with my body. I'm going to weigh in on Wednesdays and as long as I stay under my goal weight I won't have to track for the following week. This for me is MAJOR motivation...did I mention I hate tracking?? I'm on board with your mindful and health driven attitude & I too am hoping to finally find that balance myself. Good luck & keep us updated on your progress!

Congratulations on being so close to your goal! I'm entering MFP with a similar mindset as yours and it is empowering to hear about your success. Thank you for your kind words and good luck to you as well!! (:

mccindy72

Karooka2 wrote: »

Hi Beckydel93- I to struggle with over-restricting and exercising. Too many times I have been motivated by some unattainable photo in a magazine. I'll start with an inspired burst of resolve for change that will inevitably fall to the wayside after a hard fall down a mountain of cookies. I also despise tracking but can't deny it gives me the control I need to stay on track. My plan is to continue tracking until I hit my goal (I'm 8 lbs off) Once I hit my goal I am hoping the good habits I'm establishing will keep my below my goal. I want to learn how to eat and how much I need to exercise on a daily basis to be healthy and happy with my body. I'm going to weigh in on Wednesdays and as long as I stay under my goal weight I won't have to track for the following week. This for me is MAJOR motivation...did I mention I hate tracking?? I'm on board with your mindful and health driven attitude & I too am hoping to finally find that balance myself. Good luck & keep us updated on your progress!

Don't let a photoshopped, airbrushed picture in a magazine be your motivation. That kind of unrealistic goal just can't be reached by anyone! Look in the mirror and focus on your own beauty (and NOT your imperfections). Everyone has some unique feature that makes her stand out and look special! Find yours and celebrate it. and remember that no one, absolutely no one, has the 'perfect' body. I've been at my goal weight and in maintenance for a couple of years now - I'm a size -0/1 and I have cellulite. I have a little saggy skin on my belly from pregnancy. I have stretch marks. But I am beautiful, because there is no one like me in the whole world!
And the same goes for you. It doesn't matter what size you are. You are unique and beautiful.

As far as tracking and logging goes, girls - I know you don't like it but if you don't do it, how do you know how many calories you are eating? You need to make sure that you are eating the right amount. Not only can you be sure that you aren't overeating but also that you aren't undereating. That's important too.
And don't be afraid of food. Just learn that you can have a single portion of it. Fit it into your calorie goal and enjoy it. You don't need to binge on it, because you know you can have it again tomorrow if you want it.