A month in and starting to wobble : (

Abby2810

I am a month in and about 9kg down already (currently 5'10, 120kg and completely sedentary due to illness)

I am trying mostly high protein low carbon but ultimately just stuck religiously to keeping my calories and sugar under the 1480 recommended.

I average between 1100- 1400 and don't feel deprived and log EVERYTHING. I after the initial fast drop I am happy with my 1kg a week, it's slow and sustainable and doesn't require much effort or angst on my part.

But today I am desperate for some cake - I have already prologged for the day and just don't have the space for it. Nor do I want it - it will be the starting of a binge.

Not sure what I am looking for in terms of advice... I've just been doing so well I don't want to slip up.

Now mildly amused as I realise I am worrying about something that hasn't happened yet!!

Gosh I was a small fondant fancy!

rainwater467

Don't deprive yourself. Work in small treats. I think this would make you less likely to binge.

Ninkyou

Moderation, not deprivation.

IMO, with your stats, you can stand to eat more. You should make it a point to at least meet the minimum 1200 calories, but with your height and weight even that wouldn't be an appropriate goal for you. IMO, you're being too restrictive and that's going to cause you adherence issues.

Abby2810

Okay - fondant fancy here I come!

Edwardsl1985

Unless your goals to be a professional body builder your diet doesn't have to be perfect. You can have one every day if you fit it into your macros or you can just have a treat meal once a week. For example Ive gone from bulking up the last few months to now trimming down and I've started a new keto style diet today. Already I have planned in a treat for this Saturday night where I'm having a meal before work with friends. I will not be calorie counting or worrying. I will be right back on it Sunday morning. Stay off the scales too. Tape measures, clothes, photos and general wellbeing are better measures. I know Sunday morning I will have put weight on because the sudden hit of carbs will cause me to retain water. I know by monday/Tuesday it will come off again. However if you didn't know to take the scales with a pinch of salt it's enough to derail you.

Seriously you will never stick to a healthy way of eating if it means the end of the food you enjoy. Just limit the bad food and if you have a bad day hit reset and get back on it the next day. No one will ever have a steady transformation. It will be up and down as you go. Just stick with it, do the right things most if the time and it will happen. Good luck x

kgirlhart

I agree that you shouldn't be too restrictive. It won't hurt to have an occasional treat. Just log it and try to fit it in. Even if you go over one day a week if you stay at your goal most days and don't go to far over it will average out over the week.

sndrd49

abby2810 wrote: »

I am a month in and about 9kg down already (currently 5'10, 120kg and completely sedentary due to illness)

I am trying mostly high protein low carbon but ultimately just stuck religiously to keeping my calories and sugar under the 1480 recommended.

I average between 1100- 1400 and don't feel deprived and log EVERYTHING. I after the initial fast drop I am happy with my 1kg a week, it's slow and sustainable and doesn't require much effort or angst on my part.

But today I am desperate for some cake - I have already prologged for the day and just don't have the space for it. Nor do I want it - it will be the starting of a binge.

Not sure what I am looking for in terms of advice... I've just been doing so well I don't want to slip up.

Now mildly amused as I realise I am worrying about something that hasn't happened yet!!

Gosh I was a small fondant fancy!

I personally agree with you. One small cake could easily start a sugar binge for me too. Every time I'm able to ride out the craving and resist I feel stronger. Hopefully I will get to a point where I can eat a bit of a sugary treat and stop.....but not yet.

lemonychild

you're awesome because u didn't let yourself fall you're just wobbling and recognizing it before its too late. go you. it is better and EASIER to seek help and prevent the fall then to fall and then try to get back up.

the issue about constantly restricting your foods is that you will find that you cannot go on forever and a day without cake, sweets etc. the best way to lose weight is to allow everything in your diet and making it fit in your calories. i dont know about your calculations for your cals but i suspect they are too little. also, if you have an injury, and cannot do strenuous activity u can always walk 15-20 minutes or swim both of those are low impact activities and it will help with ur weightloss

lousoulbody

Go out and have a piece of cake in a restaurant, don't bye a cake then there will be to much temptation. Having your cake out will feel like a pleasure and you won't feel deprived anymore. Depriving yours self will turn into sabotage and you are working so hard. Congratulations on your weight loss, that awesome!

1stplace4health

Sometimes having a small piece and logging it works. It takes care of the craving and you're not thinking about it all day. Be kinder to yourself and enjoy your life. You don't really want to get stuck on that, then it has the control. You can do it! Best wishes. ~Friend request sent~

KathyApplebaum

The sedentary part sucks. What's worked for me in the past is to go ahead and have the cake, but only after I do at least 30 minutes of intense cardio like running. Either a) I find I don't want the cake badly enough to run, b) I run and have the cake, but the run gave me some extra calories to play with or (most frequently) c) I do the run and by the time I get back I've forgotten about the cake. When I started doing the 'earn the cake' trick, I found I had very few problems with binges, I think because one cause of the binge was the 'well, I've completely blown it now' thinking that goes on. Crossing my fingers that you'll be able to come up with a similar trick that works for you!

macgurlnet

What you might want to try is setting a designated time and/or calorie amount for treats.

I try to only have dessert after dinner when I'm losing. I have a variety of goodies, ranging from <100 to 300+ calories that I can have, depending on what I have left at the end of the day. If you can't work in the treat you want daily, consider looking at your calories on a weekly basis and saving a few here and there for a specific treat.

Focus on filling up on nutritious foods, ensuring you get plenty of protein, fat and fiber. Don't worry about not quite getting there on certain days - tomorrow is a new day

~Lyssa

VintageFeline

I'd agree that you can afford to eat a little more at this stage. If that one cake does trigger a binge then lesson learned and you can find something else that satisfies a craving without triggering you. This isn't about 100% perfection, it's as much about learning how to manage your relationship to food and that requires a certain amount of "failure" too and how you go about dealing with it.

And whilst you may not feel deprived, I know that if I have been eating under goal for too many days in a row I am going to get smacked with every craving known to man. Its my body's way of ringing the alarm bell. Eating too little can be as detrimental to reaching your goals as eating too much as it can lead to binge/restrict cycles.

You're doing great! And coming here to let off steam and ask for advice is a great way to keep yourself going.

TangosHuman

Leave off the cream blob from the top I find speak K chocolate flavour, alpine light chocolate and fudge, sainsburys cereal bars, etc all make me feel like I'm having a good sweet snack but they each have 65-95 calories Max, and feel substantial when I eat them. Would recommend you give them a go if you're craving sweet treats. You're doing great though! Don't give up

sgarbacik

I had a pretty difficult time with food when I first started logging. It was eye-opening to begin to understand the amount of calories I was consuming. The first thing that stuck out to me in your post was the low end of your calories at 1100. I think the usual recommendation is 1200 minimum, but all of our bodies are different so if a low of 1100 is working for you and is easy to maintain, stick with it.

Using good self-control I let myself have a treat meal once per week, usually on Friday evening when we splurge on pizza for dinner. And even though I let myself have pizza, I stick to having only 2 slices - which is quite a bit less than I could eat, but I don't need to eat more to feel satisfied. After my treat meal last night, my weight is actually down this morning. I know the science of burn more calories than you eat is pretty simple, but our bodies are so much more complex than just that.

Check out this article on treat meals (they call them cheat meals, but I think that makes it sound like you're doing something wrong - and you're not!). It gives some good advice on how to allow yourself a treat and how it can help your weight loss efforts. It seems to work for me.
livestrong.com/article/542505-the-art-and-science-of-cheat-meals/

Hope you can find that balance and keep up the good work!

VintageFeline

Not going to lie, there have been times I've sacrificed a meal for a dessert or cake. Sorrynotsorry.

toe1226

I see you don't have any friends on MFP, I find my friends super motivating! They comment on my posts with advice and answers to my questions, and like when I complete my diary entry for the day, its really motivating, plus I wonder how they are all doing so it keeps me coming back

WalkingAlong

There are some decent mug cake recipes out there. I've used this one.
http://fitnessista.com/2015/07/grain-free-dairy-free-mug-cake-for-one/

Abby2810

Lol @VintageFeline.

Thank you guys I do feel so much better sharing - I am happy to have friends - this is my first post I think since I joined MFP and I love reading the community boards.

I have found some fondant fancies I can fit in under my goal but will probably blow my fat and sugar but I can survive

Walking (or any format of exercise) isn't feasible at the moment as I suffer from Myasthenia Gravid which causes severe muscle weakness - my legs are really playing up at the moment.

I do try a lot of engaging my core muscles when sitting and I have small 1.5kg weights that I use for my arms whilst sitting. Just looking forward to getting well enough to start walking and using my cross trainer.

Before getting sick I didn't think twice about walking 8 miles a day to and from work/school. Now walking from my front door to the car (maybe 20 steps) is incredibly difficult.

I spent all of last year in a total depressive funk but this year I need to turn it around and the first thing to do is tackle this extra 50kg I am carrying - and hopefully my body will appreciate a lighter me

I am not going to fall off the wagon- I have too much at stake.

Thank you to all your kind words and encouragement, it really is appreciated xxx

Abby2810

WalkingAlong wrote: »

There are some decent mug cake recipes out there. I've used this one.
http://fitnessista.com/2015/07/grain-free-dairy-free-mug-cake-for-one/

That looks like a fab recipe! Thank you