Some help please

BAHRJE6576

Hi, I'm Jennifer.

Since about January I've really buckled down and have been trying hard to lose weight. In January I started at 320lbs and am right now 308lbs. I haven't had soda in over 6 years, fast food in about 7 1/2 months, junk foods (candy bars, chips..) since August I occasionally eat some cake but I strictly limit myself to 1 piece. I eat as many fruits and vegetables as I can, but they just get so damn blah after a while. I walk a minimum of 3 times a week (more if I can) Monday, Wednesday, Friday for a absolute minimum of 1 hour each time. I'm currently working up to a hour and a half. I use a exercise bike twice a week every Tuesday and Thursday, for a half hour minimum each time, then use my wii fit for a half hour. I let myself rest Saturday and Sunday to prevent over working myself. I've only now just started writing a meal log.


The questions I have are.

(Please if any suggestions require buying anything make sure I'd be able to do it on a minimal budget. I mean Foodstamps and dollar store cheap. Because I'm currently unemployed and have NO money.)

1. Can some of you give me some tips how to help prevent me from straying from my diet because fruits and vegetables have started tasting so blah and boring?

2. I want to lose the weight in a safe way, at a safe and healthy pace and I want to make sure by the time I hit my grand goal of 140lbs I'll have the healthy habits instilled in me so I can keep it off. That being said, would using a vitamin or supplement to help boost my metabolism a bad thing?

3. Is there anything more I can do that any of you can think of?


Thank you very much.

healthygreek

Most important for you is buying a food scale! The least expensive I saw on Amazon was 10 but you may be able to find a cheaper one. It is imperative to weight loss to weigh all the food you eat so as not to exceed your daily calorie goal.
Put your info into MFP and follow the goal they set for you. You can spice up your veggies to make them taste better or dip them in hummus. Eat food you enjoy but keep it within your calorie goal and you will lose.
You may eat some of the exercise calories you burn back.

Cahgetsfit

good job so far excellent!

meal logging definitely important. Doing well on the exercising too.
No need to vitamins if you are eating fruits and veggies

do you cook your vegetables with protein? I use different spices to make things taste different. Or for example, bake some stuff.

Like sweet potato can be baked or cooked on the stove top and just add different herbs to it and it will taste different (ish anyway)

Make frittatas (cut up veggies and mix in egg like a massive omelet)

Make veggie muffins - those are great and last for ages

keep it up!

Mumu190672

The only thing you need is a kitchen scale. They are not expensive but I don't know how tight is your budget.
You really need it if you want to log accurately.
You need to weigh everything and don't trust the weigh on the packaging.
You also need to make sure you use the right entry for your food. Some entries in mfp are wrong. Go in my food and create your own entry with the information you see on your product or Google it and see what you find.
Log everything oil, butter, mustard ketchup spices and of course fruits and vegetables.
I try to eat more fruits and vegetables myself.
I don't have a solution if you get bored eating them except try new ones.
At the start don't focus too much on it.
Try to log accurately what you eat and try to reach the goal mfp set up for you.
Your goal is to have a calorie deficit to lose the weight.
Eat in a way that is sustainable for you in the long term.
You can allow yourself a treat if it fits your goal.
If you want to make healthier choices you can always do it gradually when you feel ready and eat food you like.
You can lose safely 1 or 2 pounds a week.
It is your choice, the more aggressive the goal the less calories you get to eat daily.
Do what is more comfortable for you.
At the moment I lose 2 pounds a week because it motivates me a lot and I don't feel hungry but if I feel tired or hungry I will change my settings to lose less quickly.
For the vitamins, maybe you could check if you need supplements with your doctor.
If your diet is balanced you should be fine.

raymax4

Are you cooking your veggies or eating them raw?
There are some ways to decrease the fat in dips for raw veggies. I substitute Fage non fat greek yogurt for any sour cream in dip recipes. it has the added benefit of increasing the protein you can get.
One of my personal favorites is
Fage yogurt and costco honey smoked salmon in a 2:1 ratio. add any spice you choose (Italian herbs, dill for example) then I stuff those small sweet peppers with it, and dip other veggies like carrots, cucumbers, and cauliflower.
Are you trying eating a variety of veggies. It would get old to eat the same thing each day.

nutmegoreo

I agree with the food scale. It's an eye opener. As for veggies, I take any recipe I am making and use approximately double the veg, that way I can still enjoy the recipes I like for fewer calories, or a larger portion since the veggies bulk it up without adding significant calories. If you are getting a varied diet, nutritional deficiencies are less likely, but I usually take a one-a-day, and because I'm in Canada, some Vitamin D. Weight loss supplements are a waste of money at best, and some can be harmful, so save yourself there. You can do this without.

Some general advice: there are some amazing people here, and a wealth of information. Do some reading. There are great threads that are stickied at the top of each forum board. Here's my favorite, pick a few of the links inside to read, particularly the ones for getting started (logging and weighing foods):

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10260499/i-like-old-posts-and-i-cannot-lie/p1

ETA: I love roasted beets with carrots covered in a thin layer of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and sprinkled with rosemary. It really has an amazing flavor. If your veggies are getting boring, play around with some different recipes. Love roasted potatoes too.

canadianlbs

this friend of mine got completely caught up in some little app called (i think) habit.rpg. idk if she had to pay for it, but she's struggled with eating habits and obesity the whole 20 years that i've known her, and it really helped her with #2 from your list. i'm not sure about your other questions, so i won't bother you with uninformed guesses

congratulations on where you've already gotten to.

jolive7

If you are starting to get bored you may want to look into IIFYM. Doesn't mean that you eat crap - most of us eat 80% clean and allow for a treat/don't deprive of any foods, its all just calculated into your macros. I.e. if I want an ice cream I make sacrifices throughout the day to allow..

a45cal

Accurate measurement/calorie counting is probably going to make a really big difference for you here. It seems like you've been trying to lose weight via the "healthy/clean" eating method, which, don't get me wrong, is good for your overall nutrition and such, but doesn't really hit at the heart of the matter, which is calories in versus calories out. And it's easy to eat healthy foods but still eat far too much of them, which is what I'm guessing has been happening for you for the past nine months or so. (I notice you've lost 12 pounds in that time. No disrespect for that at all, well done; it's just that you very likely could have dropped around 1-2 pounds per week if you'd been counting calories.)

One thing I just wanted to let you know, is that you don't have to avoid unhealthy foods if you don't want to. As long as you can fit them in under you calorie goals, you can have anything you want. I've been linking this thread around a lot lately, but it's really eye-opening, so it's worth sharing: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10348650/cico-still-skeptical-come-inside-for-a-meticulous-log-that-proves-it/p1

But most of all, you should be proud of hanging in there. Sticking with it and staying consistent are the main things that people need to lose weight, and sadly so many lack.

theJojoUK

Well done on your fantastic efforts so far.

RoxieDawn

I don't think right now you have to buy a food scale right now or in the next month. But you still need to use MFP to log your food intake to as close approximations as possible.

I think if you were to stay diligent for the first 25 - 30 pounds pounds loss, then the food scale at this point would be more than optimal. During this first loss you can try to save a couple of dollars here and there to save $20 - $25. Ozeri food scales are $20. on Amazon.

I think that if you could create a mini goal to lose X pounds that would be a great starting point. Let MFP create you a deficit that is sustainable and simply eat your favorite foods within that calorie allotment.

Find new ways to enjoy your fruits and veggies add in proteins with your veggies, etc.. Since I do not know what you enjoy vs what you are eating now and if you cook or not, my best advice is to not restrict your diet too much. If there are certain foods that you like that are already easy to prep and prepare, I don't see the need to cut those out.. And since you are on a tight budget, you already know what fits in that budget grocery bill wise. But all in all meal/food logging is still important.

Next, just move more. Exercise too if you will. But just move more. And on vitamin supplements, these are not needed unless you are truly deficient in certain micro nutrients. There really is no metabolism boosting supplements and again since on a budget save those dollars, perhaps add to the food scale "kitty".

So if you truly ready to begin this journey and tackle your goals, you know what? you will.

There are "stickies" at the beginning of the forums here in MFP. These stickies contain invaluable information and can answer many many basic and more complex questions you may have regarding weight loss, exercise, logging food, etc.

BAHRJE6576

Thank you all. I really appreciate all the help.

mysticlizard

Condiments like mustard (there are sooo many different kinds) and siracha sauce. I mix different combinations with herbs and spices for different flavors. It isn't too costly either.

elphie754

I would reccomend getting a food scale. You can find them for 10-20 dollars. The dollar store may have them for cheaper.

I would look up different ways to cook veggies as well as different veggies to try. You can even cook some fruits into awesome desserts (apples sautéed in a bit of cinnamon and sugar is a fall favorite of mine).

There are no supplements that "boost" your metabolism, at least not OTC. Most substances that could boost your metabolism are either illegal or prescription. Honestly-I wouldn't waste your money.

On a side note-have you ever heard of flipp? It is a free app that compares prices of local stores as well as lists coupons and weekly deals. It could help make your limited funds stretch a bit. It has helped my household save quite a bit.