Where do I begin........literally?

East1726

I've finally made the decision to focus on my weight loss and not give up after two weeks like I normally would. I think the reason I always lose my motivation is because I go strong for about two weeks and then I binge and say to hell with it.

Can anyone please give me some tips on how to start this journey and make it last, forever?

Literally, what is the first thing I do when I wake up tomorrow morning?

Need tips on healthy foods that aren't boring, breakfast ideas, meal plans, foods to completely cut out, foods that are still okay to eat...etc...

In serious need of help here. I've got over 100lbs to lose and I just want to jump in a pool with my kids without feeling like a floating device

seska422

First thing: log everything you eat and any caloric drinks. Get into the habit of logging before you eat. I would do this for a week or two without making any eating changes just to see what you are eating and how much.

If you log before you eat, you get the chance to change your mind about what and how much you really want to eat before it's been eaten.

Second thing: get a food scale so that you can weigh solid foods. It's much more accurate to weigh than to use measuring cups/spoons for solids. It will take practice to get comfortable with it but soon it will become second nature.

Third thing: start making small changes that you'll be comfortable sticking with forever.

I've been at this for about 9 months. I eat the things I like and I don't eat things I don't like. I am making different choices, such as grilled chicken rather than fried chicken, but I like grilled chicken. I'm having a little chocolate every day because I'm not going to give up chocolate. Portion control using the food scale has helped oodles at losing weight without being overly restrictive about what I'm eating.

You can do this!

East1726

seska422 wrote: »

First thing: log everything you eat and any caloric drinks. Get into the habit of logging before you eat. I would do this for a week or two without making any eating changes just to see what you are eating and how much.

If you log before you eat, you get the chance to change your mind about what and how much you really want to eat before it's been eaten.

Second thing: get a food scale so that you can weigh solid foods. It's much more accurate to weigh than to use measuring cups/spoons for solids. It will take practice to get comfortable with it but soon it will become second nature.

Third thing: start making small changes that you'll be comfortable sticking with forever.

I've been at this for about 9 months. I eat the things I like and I don't eat things I don't like. I am making different choices, such as grilled chicken rather than fried chicken, but I like grilled chicken. I'm having a little chocolate every day because I'm not going to give up chocolate. Portion control using the food scale has helped oodles at losing weight without being overly restrictive about what I'm eating.

You can do this!

Thank you so much! Those tips are very helpful. As I was reading through some of the posts I did notice that it's important to have a food scale. Guess what I'll be buying tomorrow? lol

Thanks again

valleryfarms

following because I need tips also! I have to do this for real this time, I want to be able to wear cute clothing and be more healthier and feel better about myself. If anyone wants to be friends on here or on fitbit please send me a request, I could use all the support I can get! and I love to help motivate others and hopefully motivate myself at the same time.

East1726

valleryfarms wrote: »

following because I need tips also! I have to do this for real this time, I want to be able to wear cute clothing and be more healthier and feel better about myself. If anyone wants to be friends on here or on fitbit please send me a request, I could use all the support I can get! and I love to help motivate others and hopefully motivate myself at the same time.

Sending you a message

Forty6and2

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
This is one of my favorite threads for getting started!

In addition to the first poster, who really hit the nail on the head in terms of eating habits, I would suggesting finding an exercise you like to do and stick to it. I find the group exercise classes (if you have access to a gym) really help me stay motivated. If you don't have access to a gym (I know memberships can be super expensive) there are plenty of workouts you can do at home. I started with 30 Day Shred a while ago and I absolutely loved it. There's also a website called Fitness Blender where you can find workouts depending on what you like to do, your fitness level, and the equipment you have on hand. AND IT'S FREE!

These are definitely the places I would suggest starting. Good luck!

blankiefinder

Where do you begin? Either at the sexy pants thread listed above, or with my post here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10257474/starting-out-restarting-basics-inside#latest

veganbaum

Start with reading the stickies:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300331/most-helpful-posts-getting-started-must-reads#latest

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads#latest

Then, start making changes - one thing at a time if necessary. Some people can jump into things and completely immerse themselves and be successful, others need to do things a little bit at a time. Find the way that works for you and just start doing it. Be consistent and patient. And seriously, read the stickies.

TeaBea

Baby steps. Make a decision to make better choices. You don't need to be perfect. You just need to improve. Cut yourself some slack. None of us are perfect.

Don't make drastic changes. Eat less; but choose a calorie goal you can live with for awhile.

Don't eliminate foods you love. That can lead to binges. I love chocolate. So I allow myself a square of dark chocolate everyday. Ghiradelli squares are individually wrapped, so they work great for me.

Veggies are low calorie and high volume. I add veggies to lunch and dinner. Choose different varieties, cook them different ways, add different spices and they won't be boring.

Protein, fat and fiber are filling. I like Greek yogurt with berries, nuts, and Fiber One for breakfast.

After the food thing is in hand, make a plan to move more. If you don't have a pedometer you might want to invest in one. This may motivate you to move more. Find an activity that you enjoy. This will make you more consistent.

East1726

You are all so amazing for taking the time to offer me some tips. I've read all the stickies At the moment, I'm racking my brain about what to eat for breakfast tomorrow morning. I don't want to screw this up with my very first healthy meal. Lol

gems74

Good Luck East! So much great advice here. I especially like the logging for a week before making drastic changes. Just being aware of calories and nutritional content will help you make better choices. Start small, then as you get more informed you can make more changes. It's a marathon, not a sprint... This is for the long haul!

seska422

I don't know if this will help or not, but every morning for breakfast I eat a Jimmy Dean Delights English Muffin (found in the breakfast freezer section at the store) that is made with egg white, cheese, and turkey sausage. It's convenient, 250 calories, microwaves in 2.5 minutes, and it has a good macro balance to start my day. Kind of heavy on the sodium but nothing's perfect.

East1726

seska422 wrote: »

I don't know if this will help or not, but every morning for breakfast I eat a Jimmy Dean Delights English Muffin (found in the breakfast freezer section at the store) that is made with egg white, cheese, and turkey sausage. It's convenient, 250 calories, microwaves in 2.5 minutes, and it has a good macro balance to start my day. Kind of heavy on the sodium but nothing's perfect.

Yep, I've seen those but I'm trying sooooo hard to stay away from pre made meals, frozen meals, etc. I bought some quick oats and greek yogurt today so I think I'll start with that and see where the rest of the day takes me

seska422

Remember, you want to try to avoid

I think the reason I always lose my motivation is because I go strong for about two weeks and then I binge and say to hell with it.

Quick oats and Greek yogurt are great if you like them. Don't change too many things at once or else you're more likely to give up.

East1726

seska422 wrote: »

Remember, you want to try to avoid

I think the reason I always lose my motivation is because I go strong for about two weeks and then I binge and say to hell with it.

Quick oats and Greek yogurt are great if you like them. Don't change too many things at once or else you're more likely to give up.

I've always liked greek yogurt. The quick oats are new for me but I'll give them a try. If I don't like them, I'll have a slice of whole wheat toast or something. This needs to work for me. I cannot lose myself after two weeks like I always do. I'm not going to make myself eat something just because it's healthy. I need to enjoy it too

lulalacroix

I understand your issue. It's the same that I have except that I usually do well for 4-6 months and then fall off the wagon and not get back on until I've regained all my weight plus some. So my biggest focus this time around is to make sure I always continue on this path, even if I've had a cheat meal, day, or weekend.

As far as breakfast, you should eat something that you like. My favorite is a small-medium sized baked potato, 2 eggs, plus some type of delicious sauce like pesto or salsa. I look forward to this meal almost every day and I never feel like I am dieting when I eat it. My breakfast usually comes in around 300-450 calories and fills me up for hours.

Good luck and feel free to friend me.

East1726

lulalacroix wrote: »

I understand your issue. It's the same that I have except that I usually do well for 4-6 months and then fall off the wagon and not get back on until I've regained all my weight plus some. So my biggest focus this time around is to make sure I always continue on this path, even if I've had a cheat meal, day, or weekend.

As far as breakfast, you should eat something that you like. My favorite is a small-medium sized baked potato, 2 eggs, plus some type of delicious sauce like pesto or salsa. I look forward to this meal almost every day and I never feel like I am dieting when I eat it. My breakfast usually comes in around 300-450 calories and fills me up for hours.

Good luck and feel free to friend me.

Awesome, thank you! Friending you if that's okay

SolotoCEO

Many times when someone quits their resolution to lose weight it's because they look at this as a diet instead of a lifestyle change or they do the all or nothing approach and when they fall off the wagon they stay off instead of jumping back on. Here's some things that have helped me lose over 100 lbs.

First - only weigh yourself once a week. Weighing every day will decrease your motivation because the scales can go up for what seems like no reason. Weight loss is not linear.

Next - drink lots of water. It helps you stay hydrated and full.

Next - vegetables are your friend. I'm a big eater and often will eat 3 cups of veggies at a meal. That's a lot of food for 100 or so calories.

Next - this is a lifestyle, not a diet. You can eat whatever you want, whenever you want. Just do it in moderation and work those calories into your daily goal.

Next - try to stay within 5% or so of the calorie intake that MFP recommends. Trying to shave lots of calories off that goal will only hurt in the long run. With that you should lose about 2 lbs per week for awhile then it will slow down.

Hope this helps!

East1726

SolotoCEO wrote: »

Many times when someone quits their resolution to lose weight it's because they look at this as a diet instead of a lifestyle change or they do the all or nothing approach and when they fall off the wagon they stay off instead of jumping back on. Here's some things that have helped me lose over 100 lbs.

First - only weigh yourself once a week. Weighing every day will decrease your motivation because the scales can go up for what seems like no reason. Weight loss is not linear.

Next - drink lots of water. It helps you stay hydrated and full.

Next - vegetables are your friend. I'm a big eater and often will eat 3 cups of veggies at a meal. That's a lot of food for 100 or so calories.

Next - this is a lifestyle, not a diet. You can eat whatever you want, whenever you want. Just do it in moderation and work those calories into your daily goal.

Next - try to stay within 5% or so of the calorie intake that MFP recommends. Trying to shave lots of calories off that goal will only hurt in the long run. With that you should lose about 2 lbs per week for awhile then it will slow down.

Hope this helps!

This is very helpful! Thank you! I already drink a lot of water but I'm going to try to increase that each day/week. I'm a huge snacker and most times don't eat an actual meal. This will be my biggest hurdle by far. I've already filled out my log for tomorrow and will do my absolute best to eat everything I've logged for the day.

Big congratulations to you for losing over 100lbs!!!

mamadon

1. Figure out how many calories, you should be eating and eat that much. MFP can calculate it for you.
2. Buy a food scale if you don't have one, its important to be accurate. Also, don't eat too little in the hope you'll lose quicker. This only leads to binging later, out of sheer hunger.
3. You do not have to cut out any food in order to lose weight. its ok to eat anything if you can make it fit into your calorie allotment. Some people, however have trouble limiting themselves to certain foods though.
4. Exercise is very important for overall health, but it is NOT essential for weight loss.
5. Take your time, don't be in a hurry. it's better to lose the weight in a slow sustainable way.
6. It's ok if you have an occasional bad day, or even a bad week. It took a long time to gain the weight, you will not blow it by overeating once in a while. So many times, it's the guilt that gets us to give up. Just keep going.

seska422

There's nothing wrong with snacking all day rather than eating actual meals. Overall calories are what count, not when you eat them.

emmooney235

I'm starting over myself and I agree with everyone above. Frozen breakfasts are a life saver for me. Use the search function for some yummy oatmeal ideas, I haven't tried them. One of my favorite counter top appliances is a combo rice cooker/steamer/crockpot. Steaming veggies while it's cooking rice gives the rice a lovely flavor! Hard boiled eggs keep me fuller longer than scrambled. And again, baby steps! I now know I changed too much too fast. Crock pot meals can be so yummy, easy, and healthy. Sorry for any rambling, it's early and I'm rushing. Yay, a snowy commute to work anyway, you got this! Don't get upset when you have a bad day or week, get right back too it.

WinoGelato

There's a lot of good advice in this thread but OP I will also emphasize:

Try not to make too many big changes all at once. If you aren't currently exercising, maybe just focus on tracking your food at first. A lot of people spend a couple of weeks just tracking your normal food intake to get an idea of how many calories you are currently consuming so you have a better idea of what deficit you'll be creating, whether you are way over on sugars, etc. Others jump right in with the recommendations from MFP and that's good too.

Along with the series of small changes, you don't have to be perfect all the time. For example, some people say they can't eat a cookie because it isn't healthy. Well sure, eating nothing but cookies isn't healthy, but if you are eating a balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats, there's nothing wrong with eating a cookie too. There are no unhealthy foods, there are unhealthy diets.

There's nothing wrong with convenience foods. There are a lot of them which have a good balance of nutrients for the calories, they are convenient, and can help with portion control. I eat those Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches and bowls pretty regularly. The bowl with egg whites, turkey sausage, potatoes and cheddar cheese is filling and tasty and has 24 g of protein. Greek yogurt and oats is good too, but don't shy away from some of those things because someone told you processed food is bad. Both yogurt and oats are processed!

Good luck! You're off to a great start!

amusedmonkey

One thing before I start with my own tips. You have 100 lb to lose and you probably picked to lose 2 lb a week. This is possible now, but as you lose weight it will not be possible without restricting too much. As soon as the calories given to you by the app reach 1200, know that they won't go any lower and the expected weight loss will probably be inaccurate. When you reach that point, it's best to set your goal to 1.5 or 1 pound a week.

Now, I find the key to sustainability, for me at least, is not to change my diet too much but to modify the size of my portions or the way I prepare foods to help reduce their calories. If it doesn't feel like a strict diet you are more likely to stick to it.

What do you usually eat for breakfast? lunch? Dinner? Take that and play around it.

For example if you usually have an omelette and bread breakfast try using less oil for frying and less cheese for topping and slice your bread thinner. You don't even have to use whole wheat bread if you don't like it, just your usual. To make up for the ingredients you reduced, bulk up your omelette with extra veggies. This way you won't feel like you made drastic changes but your usual meals end up lighter in calories. Same for lunch and dinner. Just take your usual meals and try to either modify them or reduce the portion size, making up for the lost bulk with vegetables.

You mentioned you tend to eat frozen meals. If you like them, they satisfy you, and they are within the calories you have budgeted for a meal don't feel pressured to quit them. It's perfectly alright to have a convenience meal every now and then. I'm feeling too lazy to cook today for example, so I prepared a cup of instant noodles for lunch. While I usually prefer foods that have better nutrition there is absolutely nothing wrong with eating convenience foods every now and then. It's only 240 calories which is about half of my lunch allowance, so why not? If your favorite frozen meals tend to be high in calories, try cooking something similar but lower in calories and freeze appropriate servings yourself.

Keeping things less rigid and less complicated and my changes less drastic helps me stick to them and reduces the chances of burning out.

deniseteas

I made a motivation board in my bedroom...so the first thing I see when I open my eyes is the reason im doing this in the first place...and its not because of the hot guy in the bed next to me who lifts weights 4 days a week without complaining and finding excuses...although he could be part of my motivation I find that my board of photos of what I want to look like quotes to inspire me and a visual tracking of pounds and inches lost forces me to stay on track because its visible....im accountable to myself and he's watching too...and so are my kids...they come in and see how mom is making out...did she lose this week, did she lift more on chest press than last week...or did she fail...and honestly that word "FAIL" is the big thing keeping me going....also you need encouragement and congrats from people...that keeps you going too...just remember it takes 4 weeks to make a change and make it stick...8 weeks for your body to actually notice and 12 weeks for anyone close to you...as my boyfriend says its not a sprint...its a damn marathon and a long one! DON'T GIVE UP!

ForeverSunshine09

Alot of good advice. My biggest piece of advice is even if you have a bad day and eat way over. Log it and move on. I have done it plenty of times. You only fail if you stop trying. I personally took control of my eating for several months before doing any kind of exercise. I just started doing small things here and there. Don't avoid foods unless you don't like them or are allergic. On my journey I have eaten cake, pizza, pasta, cookies, ice cream and every other thing under the sun. You can make all of those things fit in your cals. Friend me if you want. My diary is open to friends.

GBrady43068

TeaBea wrote: »

Baby steps. Make a decision to make better choices. You don't need to be perfect. You just need to improve. Cut yourself some slack . None of us are perfect.

Don't make drastic changes. Eat less; but choose a calorie goal you can live with for awhile.

Don't eliminate foods you love. That can lead to binges love chocolate. So I allow myself a square of dark chocolate everyday. Ghiradelli squares are individually wrapped, so they work great for me.

Veggies are low calorie and high volume. I add veggies to lunch and dinner. Choose different varieties, cook them different ways, add different spices and they won't be boring.

Protein, fat and fiber are filling. I like Greek yogurt with berries, nuts, and Fiber One for breakfast.

After the food thing is in hand, make a plan to move more. If you don't have a pedometer you might want to invest in one. This may motivate you to move more. Find an activity that you enjoy. This will make you more consistent.

I agree with EVERYTHING above especially the bolded items.

Most people that fail think they are going to from sitting on their a** everyday on the couch stuffing their face with Doritos to ripped aps in 6 months. That just isn't realistic. You aren't going to undo years of bad exercise and/or eating choices immediately. Small changes you make and STICK TO will yield dividends over time.

I will suggest two relatively small changes you can make to begin with:
1) Park farther from the door..every door. When you go shopping...to work...to church..grandma's house...wherever. That will immediately add some more steps to your day. Tell yourself it's to keep other people from banging your doors if that helps.
2) Don't drink your calories. It's OK to have the have the occasional Starbucks Mocha Frappucino extra whipped cream (tasty) calorie bomb but if this is an everyday thing for you, it will make it more likely for you to be "hangry" while on a calorie deficit...simply because there are fewer calories left for actual food if you're spending 400-500 on that drink...or on soda...or sweet tea..or a sugary smoothie.

And yes, read the stickies...lots of good info in there.

GBrady43068

WinoGelato wrote: »

There's a lot of good advice in this thread but OP I will also emphasize:

Along with the series of small changes, you don't have to be perfect all the time. For example, some people say they can't eat a cookie because it isn't healthy. Well sure, eating nothing but cookies isn't healthy, but if you are eating a balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats, there's nothing wrong with eating a cookie too. There are no unhealthy foods, there are unhealthy diets.

And this too..because there will be plenty of people who will tell you things like "never eat XXX" or "ONLY eat XXX" or "don't eat (macro group here)".

IGNORE THEM.

The truth is unless your doctor has specifically told you not to consume something, you can eat whatever you choose that still fits your calorie/macro plan.

mrushworth213

Loads of great ideas!!!

crb426

seska422 wrote: »

I don't know if this will help or not, but every morning for breakfast I eat a Jimmy Dean Delights English Muffin (found in the breakfast freezer section at the store) that is made with egg white, cheese, and turkey sausage. It's convenient, 250 calories, microwaves in 2.5 minutes, and it has a good macro balance to start my day. Kind of heavy on the sodium but nothing's perfect.

I make a homemade version. Toasted english muffin, 1 egg (scrambled), 1 thin slice of ham (heated in pan for a moment after egg), half slice of american cheese. Yummy! And it's super easy. Still under 250 calories, but fresh and less expensive.

Spliner1969

seska422 wrote: »

Third thing: start making small changes that you'll be comfortable sticking with forever.

That's the rub. The catch 22. Your life must change. As soon as you accept that you'll be successful. I miss the days of sitting on the couch eating a half package of Oreo's and milk watching movies with the kids. I miss selecting the snacks for the weekend that we'd all munch on while watching our favorite shows for the week (usually chips and dip). I miss little chocolate doughnuts every morning with my extra sweet coffee. I want to just say screw it and go back to that as I pass by the new flavors of chips in the store each week or the new Oreo flavors or the freshly made doughnuts or cinnamon rolls in the bakery. But I choose not to go down that road ever again. I give myself holidays now, and that's it. On holidays I still log everything but I indulge as much as my stomach will take. I then feel guilty as hell and go back to my routine afterward. I just finished giving away all the leftover sweets and crap we made for Christmas this year to co-workers, friends, and family yesterday. I did it so that I would not be tempted going forward. New Year's Eve is this week, and I'll be dieting. I'll be cooking a big breakfast on New Years day, but then I'll be doing an extra long workout that day to make up for it. It's a way of life you have to adopt. But you can't just take away everything you love about food, you simply have to make smarter choices, learn to love your scale, and adjust recipes to be more healthy. You'll probably find that you like some recipes even more with substitutions, and you'll find new recipes that are better for you and taste good. You'll also discover snacks that you can eat without guilt.

The first thing I gave up was sugar. That white granulated stuff. I figured it was going to be the most difficult thing to give up, so I started with it. I now add it to nothing, and if I need extra sweetness I add Stevia or Truvia. But, I dislike the aftertaste that most sweeteners have, so I rarely use them. I simply go without. A few months of that and I realized that many things have their own sweetness, especially vegetables. Their sweetness was masked by the sugar all these years. The second thing I did was adopt a daily exercise program. For me it was walking, and now it's using a Bowflex M5 in the Winter, but I'll go back to walking in the spring most likely. I set MFP at a 2lb loss per week and added in the exercise and managed to lose 90 lbs in 10 months. That's pretty extreme, and I was not able to maintain that rate of loss forever I'm just demonstrating that it can be done. Trying to maintain that rate of loss actually put me in a ton of pain because I managed to re-injure my back and ended up with sciatica this last summer and fall (twice!) just from being stubborn and doing too much (I was walking 4 miles a day at 3.5-4mph before breakfast each morning). I also started lifting weights, and doing other general body-weight exercises. I now keep my calories adjusted to about a .5lb/week loss on MFP and do about 500 cals of exercise a day on top of that and am stuck. But that happens and you just have to ignore it and keep on going.

But back to the point. You have to change. Make a conscious decision to make the change and start small. One thing at a time. Try to take things steadily and give yourself holidays (birthdays, etc.) as days off your diet. Log everything on those days as well so that you know how much extra work you need to do to make up for it. Think of things in terms of weeks instead of days. If you binge for a day with 1000 extra calories over your goal, divide that by 7 and try to put yourself at an extra 150 calories per day for the next seven days and you've undone what you did on the holiday. It's much more simple when you think about it that way.

The next question for me is once I lose this last 10-20lbs, how do I maintain it? I'm going to be so used to dieting at a deficit it's going to be tough. But I will simply do the same thing I've always done. Adjust a little bit at a time until I find the right amount of exercise and calories to keep me at my desired weight.

Good luck! You CAN do it.

Oh and by the way: I eat ice cream, deserts, etc. all the time. I simply log them, deduct the calories, and adjust the total I eat each day accordingly. Snacks like that are ok to eat as long as you realize they are pretty much empty calories. You're going to want them, so eat them when you have the extra calories left so that you won't be so tempted to binge later.