Appropriate eating for weight loss

aubrii94

Hi guys I'm not new to this app, I have had it for a few years but just now started a diet a little over a week ago and I WILL stick to it this time. I'm over weight. I'm a woman 21yrs old, 5'3, and weight 192lb. I would like to get down to 140lbs so I have about fifty more pounds to go. That's a lot of weight to drop. My current diet involves lots of veggies. Carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, salad with tomato and onion, baked chicken or rotisserie chicken with little or no seasoning on it, fat free ranch, tons of water with lemon juice in it, apples and oranges and tangerines, poached eggs on whole grain toast, 90cal granola bars.... This is what I'm eating on. Daily basis. No burgers or sugar or a ton of carbs. What else can I do to help the weight fall off? I have been overweight since I was 13 and now that I'm 21 I want to look good in a swim suit and tank tops and cute summer clothing. Does anyone have any tips for me?

janejellyroll

The foods you eat are less important (for weight loss) than the calories you're taking in. If eating things like fat-free ranch help you meet your calorie goal and feel full, then keep using them. But there's no reason why you can't use things like regular ranch (or burgers or whatever) as long as you log the calories and stay within your goals. In fact, many people find that including some fat in the diet helps them feel fuller and more energetic.

So my best tip: get a calorie goal from MFP (if you haven't already), log every day, and strive to meet your calorie goal. Don't think you have to eliminate everything you enjoy or eat just "diet foods."

acheben

janejellyroll wrote: »

The foods you eat are less important (for weight loss) than the calories you're taking in. If eating things like fat-free ranch help you meet your calorie goal and feel full, then keep using them. But there's no reason why you can't use things like regular ranch (or burgers or whatever) as long as you log the calories and stay within your goals. In fact, many people find that including some fat in the diet helps them feel fuller and more energetic.

So my best tip: get a calorie goal from MFP (if you haven't already), log every day, and strive to meet your calorie goal. Don't think you have to eliminate everything you enjoy or eat just "diet foods."

All of this.

For a reference, it took me 16 months to lose 40lbs and I continued to eat all of the food that I enjoyed in portion sizes that fit my calorie goal. I found that eating as close to my calorie goal as possible helped prevent me from over eating. I also found that protein and fat were really helpful in keeping me full. Good luck with your weight loss!

aubrii94

The Calorie intake it gave me was 1600 a day and a lot of people said that was a little high. I enjoy the veggies, my body feels a lot better. Now I'm worried I'll get sick if I eat anything greasy or fattening because 1. I had a few pizza rolls the other night at my friends house and it cause my stomach to get upset and 2. I now have nightmares that I'm binge eating fattening food like tacos and burgers and fries and candy. Should I includ a little bit of "fatty" foods in my diet if I'm having these nightmares?

kommodevaran

You've tried diets before. You know how it works - eat less than you burn, and you lose weight, you can expect a faster rate at the beginning, tapering off as you get closer to goal weight. I guess you've wanted to succeed before, too. What's different this time? Do you enjoy your current diet? Is this how you'll want to eat after you've reached goal weight (just including slightly more calories)? If so, don't change anything. You will lose weight if you have a reasonable calorie deficit and can sustain it for the time it takes (1/2 - 2 pounds per week).

jemhh

I have never read/seen anything indicating that there is a connection between such nightmares and nutritional deficiencies. However, keep in mind that fat is good for you. You need it to maintain your hormones. If you go too low, you can have a host of symptoms such as missing your period, low energy, etc. I would suggest aiming for a minimum of .4 grams of fat per pound of bodyweight per day.

magtart

Fat free ranch sounds like a nightmare.

janejellyroll

aubrii94 wrote: »

The Calorie intake it gave me was 1600 a day and a lot of people said that was a little high. I enjoy the veggies, my body feels a lot better. Now I'm worried I'll get sick if I eat anything greasy or fattening because 1. I had a few pizza rolls the other night at my friends house and it cause my stomach to get upset and 2. I now have nightmares that I'm binge eating fattening food like tacos and burgers and fries and candy. Should I includ a little bit of "fatty" foods in my diet if I'm having these nightmares?

"A lot of people"? Like your friends and such? Unless your friends are experts in weight loss, I would take what they said with a grain of salt. There are so many myths about weight loss out there.

You don't have to eat things like pizza rolls to meet your needs for fat (unless you want to eat them). You can get fat from things like nuts, avocado, plant oils, coconut (I mentioned plant sources because I'm vegan, but you can include non-plant sources as well if you prefer).

PiSquared

Do you do any exercise? It doesn't need to be complicated. I started by just going for short walks. I liked it because there is no special equipment or training needed, no cost, and you can walk anywhere.

I am in no way a weight loss expert, so take my advice with a grain of salt (everything in moderation, right?). One thing that worked for me in the beginning was to start slow. Don't cut too much out of your diet, or it won't be sustainable long term. These days I try to eat a variety of foods, with a focus on vegetables and whole grains. I do eat the occasional burger and sugary treat.

When I first started, I didn't even try to cut things out at first. I just logged in the diary to get a feel for what I was eating, and how much I was eating. That was eye opening.

Portion control is my weak point. I highly recommend that you invest in a food scale if you don't have one already. They are relatively inexpensive (I think mine cost $30) and they are invaluable for portion control. Use it to weigh your food versus measuring with cups and tablespoons. It is much more accurate, and less messy most of the time. This is especially true for calorie dense foods like peanut butter or mayonnaise. I put the whole jar on the scale, tare the scale, and then what I take out is shown as a negative number.

Are you cooking your own food, or eating out? If you are cooking yourself, you'll have the greatest control over your diet. I do a week's worth of meal planning at a time, and pre-load my intended meals into My Fitness Pal. That way, I know if I have some extra calories to play with, so I can go on a Starbuck's run or have a slice of cake at the inevitable office birthday party.

Lots of places have healthy recipes you can use. I use Cooking Light a lot. I have a subscription to the magazine, but the recipes all end up on myrecipes.com, which you can access for free. A lot of people here are more than happy to share recipes, too.

You also mentioned that you're eating lots of veggies. That's good. Vegetables tend to have a lot of volume for minimal calories. Make sure you get enough protein. It will help you feel full. Chicken is relatively inexpensive, and versatile. Fish is another good choice, but tends to be pricey, though you can get some good deals. I am a big fan of pork, and I've noticed that it's on par price-wise with chicken these days. Red meat is not off limits. There are some great plant sources of protein, too, like beans and nuts. Don't fear fats too much. They have their place in a healthy diet.

Good luck!

chastity0921

Make sure you aren't depriving yourself too much! It isn't about how fast you can lose the weight, it is about keeping it off for good. Protein is good, get enough of that-- a lot of people say it helps to prevent overeating/binging. If you don't enjoy eating the way you have been, then incorporate foods you do enjoy eating. You may have been eating lots of veggies and bland chicken since you were little (that's fine), but if not then don't set yourself up for a binge! Like @janejellyroll said, fats are in a lot of foods! You need it to live. Some other tips: Find something active that you enjoy to do. Weigh your foods for accuracy. Someone is going to get me on this, but maybe think of a goal that isn't fleeting?

Good luck with the weight loss.

magtart wrote: »

Fat free ranch sounds like a nightmare.

AGREED.

blankiefinder

I would suggest using a food scale, and while you may need to eliminate a few things for now, you need to be aware that deprivation can lead to binges which can lead to quitting. Also, if you're having nightmares, I would be concerned.

Only put lemon in your water if you enjoy it. It will not do anything magical like raise metabolism, and the acidity is very hard on your teeth.

blankiefinder

magtart wrote: »

Fat free ranch sounds like a nightmare.

Bolthouse makes a really yummy Ranch yogurt dressing that is very low cal. I'd definitely recommend that over any fat free or sugar free dressing!! http://www.bolthouse.com/product/classicranch

dewd2

aubrii94 wrote: »

The Calorie intake it gave me was 1600 a day and a lot of people said that was a little high. I enjoy the veggies, my body feels a lot better. Now I'm worried I'll get sick if I eat anything greasy or fattening because 1. I had a few pizza rolls the other night at my friends house and it cause my stomach to get upset and 2. I now have nightmares that I'm binge eating fattening food like tacos and burgers and fries and candy. Should I includ a little bit of "fatty" foods in my diet if I'm having these nightmares?

How do they know what works for you? How do YOU know what works for you until you try it. If you find that you are not losing after a couple weeks at 1600 drop it down to 1500. Repeat until you find what works.

Good luck.