Major Lifestyle change - the good, the bad, and the confusing

jelleigh

Hello all,

So my hubby and I have just moved to Thailand for a year to do volunteer work. Although I think I have a decent grasp on basic nutrition and weight loss, I find that I'm in some 'new waters' and could use some advice.

The good: we have gone from a very sedentary lifestyle to walking and biking everywhere. With both of us needing to lose over 60 lbs, we are excited for the change aND even welcome waking up sore from being so unaccustomed to the activity. On an average NON active day, we hit 15000 steps and cycle 1-2 hours. There are lots of veggies and the cuisine favours healthy fats from coconut and nuts etc. We've lost 5 lbs in the first week (I know probably just water weight but our clothes are getting looser)

The bad: we have no cooking facilities of our own and don't always have the freedom to eat where we choose. This means we don't REALLY know what's going Into the food, and people love MSG here- it's difficult to avoid it entirely - even if you specially ask. I try to estimate serving amounts and use the thai food entries in the MFP dB. When in doubt I guess high. In a few months we may be able to cook a bit for ourselves but I won't be able to eliminate eating out entirely.

The confusing. Knowing we'd be more active, I upped my calorie goal to 1600 and I don't count my steps for exercise - just the cycling. I eat back maybe half of the cycling calories but only if I'm hungry. (I find it hard to hit the 1600- I'm just not hungry in the heat). I know it's not great to lose more than 3 lbs a week and I also know that I will need an actual exercise regime (I'm thinking weight lifting and pilates) to tone and to continue weight loss later. I guess my question is, does my plan sound right? Can I continue to lose at a quicker rate and still have it be healthy? Or is that a sign I should be eating more even if I'm not hungry? Normally I worry about things being sustainable but we have no choice but to live this way for a year so maybe it's not a big deal to lose quickly? Does anyone have any other advice for how to track when you know so little about the food?

I feel like at home I would know some of this but with a new climate, diet, exercise, etc etc I find myself questioning weekdays the best way to handle things. Any and all insights are appreciated!

kommodevaran

I think I have insight. On holiday, traveling etc, when I have been busy and happy, I have always lost weight without even trying or thinking about it. I have been trying to grasp what it is that I do differently, and why it has that effect. Was it being on the go all day? Was it no grazing? Being happy and feeling stimulated? Exposure to sunlight? Different foods? All of these factors may have had an impact, but I recently found out that I was eating functionally. My main focus is to be able to keep up with everything I have to do to get value for money. So I eat good food, food that I know keeps me going. I choose what I want and eat until I'm full. I never think about what's "healthy" or what I "should" and "shouldn't" eat when I'm on vacation.

At home, I used to focus on "healthy" and never what I liked - until I got fed up from boring tasteless food and just ate whatever I wanted, in too large amounts, for long intervals. I never stopped thinking about "healthy" and what I "should" eat, though, and I felt guilty and miserable, but I couldn't stop. The problem was that I never thought about what I needed.

Now - after discovering MFP - I have inadvertently emulated some of that holiday eating and living, even though I have phrased it differently: I eat anything I want, but not everything at once, and not all the time. I eat food I like, and nothing I don't like. I eat food that satisfies me in appropriate amounts. Nothing is off limits, but I steer away from trigger foods. I get out and move every day, have some fun and relaxation, and I aim to get 8 hours of undisturbed sleep every night.

I have lost 50 pounds and kept them off for 22 months, effortlessly.

rosebarnalice

Everything you've out

rosebarnalice

Let's try again. Everything you've outlined sounds reasonable. Even if you don't have the opportunity to cook, you're being mindful, and the increased activity level will certainly help you trim and tone provided you don't use it as an excuse to overeat.

Besides, living in a foreign country with different responsibilities means you've got other things to spend your mental and emotional energy on right now.

See how it goes the first two months, then, if you're not happy with your progress, consider making adjustments.

HeidiFuture

Your plan sounds good. Give it some time-- you just go there. You will find it gets easier. You will get used to the food, the culture, the language, and find what foods to enjoy and what to avoid. It's AWESOME you have so much biking and activity to do! Stay healthy but don't spend too much energy on your appearance. Enjoy the experience of your new country!!

upoffthemat

I would think focus on making sure you are getting enough protein so you don't lose excess muscle. If the diet is mostly plant based that would be my biggest concern. I was actually just reading an article the other day on food myths over the years that mentioned that harm that MSG causes as one of the biggest exaggerations ever. It may not be as big a deal there as you are fearing either. It is high sodium, but that is really the only danger from it according to more recent studies.
Sounds like a wonderful adventure.

trigden1991

With 60lbs to lose and not being able to accurately track your intake, I would not eat back any/much of your exercise calories. As other have said, give it time!!

laur357

I would say to keep doing what you're doing and enjoy the experience. Keep an eye on your intake and portion sizes when you can, but since you're losing steadily and being active, just see where it takes you. If you stop losing for a few weeks, you can readjust!

And MSG - literally billions of (arguably healthy) people eat it daily with no ill effects. If it causes headaches or nausea, that might be a good reason to stop eating it. But if not, I probably wouldn't worry about it.
http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/FoodAdditivesIngredients/ucm328728.htm

jelleigh

OK thanks everyone. That's some great insights! I hadn't thought of the mental/emotional changes of essentially being on a year long vacation - of the lack of stress and just feeling happy. I wonder if that's helping the weight loss too (I gained most of this weight through a fairly stressful 2 years). Also good call on the protein @makingmark - there is meat in most of the dishes here but I'm hoping to incorporate beans and yogurts when I get a kitchen. I have been being a bit careful of what I'm eating - not eating all the rice I'm given, avoiding things deep fried, not eating dessert unless for a treat (and even then it tends to be fruit based) . I guess I will keep and eye on things like suggested and see how it goes!!