Stopping All the Excuses!

staindgal

I only recently started trying to be healthy. I'm not going to call it a diet, diets clearly haven't worked for me, but instead I'm just making an effort to get healthier, move around without hurting, quit being so short of breath, and live till I'm at least 40!!

That being said, I had an experience today which usually would have derailed me if I was on a "diet."

I had already eaten 2 good healthy meals for the day, and was planning on just snacking on grape tomatoes and string cheese until I fell asleep... Then my dad called. They are snowbirds, and leaving first thing in the morning to drive back to Pennsylvania for the summer. They wanted to see me before they leave, and we're all going to Beef O'Brady's for dinner and drinks...

EEEK!

If I was "on a diet," I most likely would have written the meal off as a cheat day, and then not tracked the calories, and then felt depressed that I fell off track, and then continued to eat badly because I was mad at myself for messing up...

But I'm not "on a diet." I'm watching my calories, holding myself accountable, and trying to make smart and healthy decisions. This let me have a beer and a meal with my parents, and still come in under my calorie goal for the day! I was way higher on calories for the day then I would have liked to be, but I still tracked them! I also substituted steamed broccoli as a side instead of french fries... That was a trial!

But I did it. I'm still standing, and I'm actually still feeling stuffed. In addition to that, I got to enjoy the night with my parents without making myself feel guilty or depressed!

NO EXCUSES!

What are some things you all have done to keep yourself accountable and avoid making excuses to sink back into comfortable behaviors?

Orphia

I do a lot of walking and running so I can eat pretty well, but I sometimes go for an extra walk to earn enough calories for an extra treat for dessert.

Machka9

Orphia wrote: »

I do a lot of walking and running so I can eat pretty well, but I sometimes go for an extra walk to earn enough calories for an extra treat for dessert.

Me too ... only mine is walking and cycling.

In a situation as described, I would probably hop on my trainer (bicycle on trainer) for 30 min before going out just to give me some extra calorie room to play with, and I'd encourage everyone to go for a walk after dinner.

snickerscharlie

If I know we're going out for dinner or ordering in, I'm known to hop on the treadmill to earn a bit of extra caloric padding beforehand.

veganbaum

staindgal wrote: »

This let me have a beer and a meal with my parents, and still come in under my calorie goal for the day! I was way higher on calories for the day then I would have liked to be, but I still tracked them!

Sounds like you've changed your mindset in a really positive way.

I do just want to say I find the above a little concerning. You said you ate two meals for the day. Then had enough calories left over to have a beer and another meal, but that while you were still under your goal, your calories were higher than you would have liked.

If this was a one-time thing, then please feel free to ignore my advice. However, if you are routinely leaving enough calories for another meal, please eat more. A goal is to be reached. I don't know what your daily goal is, but especially if it's low, not reaching it could mean you that you aren't getting the nutrition you need and are losing at a faster rate than may be best for you. Of course, if you are estimating/eyeballing servings or using cups, you may be eating more than you think you are anyway. But don't be afraid of eating to your goal.

juliaky84

Way to go! You made a huge step in thinking about it differently, and our mind is our most powerful tool in life...changing behaviours that will get you to the healthiest you and likely cause weight loss as a side effect. You are doing it!

Make sure to eat sufficient calories as the norm, as the poster above stated, so it doesn't lead to feelings of deprivation and possible bingeing later on. Just my 2 cents and what helped me as well.

May I also suggest a pedometer if you are so inclined...I love my fitbit and it has led me to increase my steps. Months ago I was at 2-3 k most days, and now I walk about 7.5 k steps daily, on average. It's easy on my knees and is "moving" that I can do anywhere, even marching in place in front of my favorite show.

staindgal

veganbaum wrote: »

I do just want to say I find the above a little concerning. You said you ate two meals for the day. Then had enough calories left over to have a beer and another meal, but that while you were still under your goal, your calories were higher than you would have liked.

If this was a one-time thing, then please feel free to ignore my advice. However, if you are routinely leaving enough calories for another meal, please eat more. A goal is to be reached. I don't know what your daily goal is, but especially if it's low, not reaching it could mean you that you aren't getting the nutrition you need and are losing at a faster rate than may be best for you. Of course, if you are estimating/eyeballing servings or using cups, you may be eating more than you think you are anyway. But don't be afraid of eating to your goal.

Thank you for the advice! I am very, very, VERY overweight... My starting weight on June 1st was 397 pounds! That being said, MyFitnessPal is giving me a calorie allowance of nearly 2300 calories a day, which I think is WAY too many. I've been aiming to eat about 1200 a day, but because of the whole surprise meal outing I came in over 2000 calories for the day!

veganbaum

staindgal wrote: »

veganbaum wrote: »

I do just want to say I find the above a little concerning. You said you ate two meals for the day. Then had enough calories left over to have a beer and another meal, but that while you were still under your goal, your calories were higher than you would have liked.

If this was a one-time thing, then please feel free to ignore my advice. However, if you are routinely leaving enough calories for another meal, please eat more. A goal is to be reached. I don't know what your daily goal is, but especially if it's low, not reaching it could mean you that you aren't getting the nutrition you need and are losing at a faster rate than may be best for you. Of course, if you are estimating/eyeballing servings or using cups, you may be eating more than you think you are anyway. But don't be afraid of eating to your goal.

Thank you for the advice! I am very, very, VERY overweight... My starting weight on June 1st was 397 pounds! That being said, MyFitnessPal is giving me a calorie allowance of nearly 2300 calories a day, which I think is WAY too many. I've been aiming to eat about 1200 a day, but because of the whole surprise meal outing I came in over 2000 calories for the day!

Why do you think that's too many?

For that one day you were still very much in a deficit. The general recommendation for safe weight loss is no more than 1% of your body weight per week (another recommendation is 1-2 pounds per week, but that leads smaller people to think they should be able to lose 2 lb/wk, when that can lead to more muscle mass loss than necessary and healthy).

Since you just started you will likely see some big losses the first couple of weeks, mostly water weight, but expect the losses to slow down. If you are consistently losing more than 1% of your body weight after about 4 weeks, you need to eat more. I still say you should be eating more now, even though you can probably safely lose more pounds per week than the standard 1-2 recommended. MFP has given you a goal that you are undershooting by 1,000 calories. Faster weight loss is not better, unless you have been advised by a doctor to lose some initial weight quickly for health reasons. Truly, if I were you I'd up it to at least 1,600 if you're too scared to go over that right now, but I'd even say 2,000. With 2,000 you'd have a 300 calorie buffer for mistakes. As you lose weight, that goal will, of course, decrease.

Have you read the stickies? I strongly suggest it:

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

Good luck.

ETA: I'm 5'8", aim to get at least 10,000 steps a day at least 5 days a week but almost always manage at least 4, do jiu jitsu twice a week, then maybe some other exercise but right now the extra's not consistent due to recovering from an injury. I weigh about 165 and eat around 1800-1900 as a daily average to lose around .5/lb week. My weight loss goal per week is low because I'm nudging the top of a healthy BMI range and I want to retain as much muscle mass as possible. Just a comparison, since I weigh 200 pounds less than you do and eat a lot more while still losing.

RW7724

I'm on the same page with no excuses anymore because I want to get healthy and stay healthy. Not dieting but eating better in general. I want to lose weight, have more energy, and feel comfortable in my own body again. I'm holding myself accountable for everything that I eat and drink, which before I would just skip logging entirely if I did bad.

staindgal

veganbaum wrote: »

MFP has given you a goal that you are undershooting by 1,000 calories. Faster weight loss is not better, unless you have been advised by a doctor to lose some initial weight quickly for health reasons. Truly, if I were you I'd up it to at least 1,600 if you're too scared to go over that right now, but I'd even say 2,000. With 2,000 you'd have a 300 calorie buffer for mistakes. As you lose weight, that goal will, of course, decrease.

Have you read the stickies? I strongly suggest it:

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

Good luck.

ETA: I'm 5'8", aim to get at least 10,000 steps a day at least 5 days a week but almost always manage at least 4, do jiu jitsu twice a week, then maybe some other exercise but right now the extra's not consistent due to recovering from an injury. I weigh about 165 and eat around 1800-1900 as a daily average to lose around .5/lb week. My weight loss goal per week is low because I'm nudging the top of a healthy BMI range and I want to retain as much muscle mass as possible. Just a comparison, since I weigh 200 pounds less than you do and eat a lot more while still losing.

My doctor has recommended 800-1200 calories a day due to health issues. I'm well aware of science behind healthy eating and gradual weight loss, but thanks for the concern!

kikkipoo

For me, what's helping is trying to become a food snob in a roundabout way. I've been hitting the local farmers market up weekly and trying new flavors and recipes with whole foods grown and prepared with love. The meal feels ten times more rewarding with zero guilt. I'm telling myself it is okay to pay $5 for a dozen farm fresh eggs because I know the chickens were raised with care like pets where their product is a gift from nature instead of manufactured inhumanely inside a feces filled dark industrial warehouse swarming with maggots and infection. Pride...that's what it is, I'm taking pride in what i eat. And my body rewards me generously for doing so.

staindgal

RW7724 wrote: »

I'm on the same page with no excuses anymore because I want to get healthy and stay healthy. Not dieting but eating better in general. I want to lose weight, have more energy, and feel comfortable in my own body again. I'm holding myself accountable for everything that I eat and drink, which before I would just skip logging entirely if I did bad.

Yup! This exactly!

Ignoring bad choices and burying them doesn't mean they didn't happen, it just means I'm making my path more difficult!

staindgal

kikkipoo wrote: »

For me, what's helping is trying to become a food snob in a roundabout way. I've been hitting the local farmers market up weekly and trying new flavors and recipes with whole foods grown and prepared with love. The meal feels ten times more rewarding with zero guilt. I'm telling myself it is okay to pay $5 for a dozen farm fresh eggs because I know the chickens were raised with care like pets where their product is a gift from nature instead of manufactured inhumanely inside a feces filled dark industrial warehouse swarming with maggots and infection. Pride...that's what it is, I'm taking pride in what i eat. And my body rewards me generously for doing so.

You look amazing!!! I like the idea!! I currently can't physically move without being in pain, so my husband is currently shopping, preparing, weighing, and cooking all my meals for me... I look forward to being able to take part in my meal preparation myself!!