i'm at a lost for words. i need serious help

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SadDolt
SadDolt Posts: 173 Member
edited February 2017 in Health and Weight Loss
so 4 weeks ago i started by weight loss and in 2 weeks i lost 4.2lbs. but these last two weeks have been awful and i binged a lot. this is my second time losing weight, before i lost 105lbs easy, but gained it back because of hard times. this second time around it feels like my body is working against me. i do great for 2 weeks and then by the 3rd week i can't stop eating, and have so many cravings. it's like my body is forcing me to gain back whatever i lost. i know my calories can't be too low because i'm never weak. i eat anything from 1200-1600. i eat whatever i want but i count calories. this the exact way i did it the first time i lost weight, but now it's hopeless and i'm so effing hungry.

when i gain back all the weight i lost (4 pounds) i'm back to not having uncontrollable cravings and i can easily control my calorie intake again. but when i lose the 4 or 5lbs again i get super hungry again. what the hell is going on? i ALWAYS lose control on the 3rd week. it's like clock work

anyone else have this problem but overcame it and lost the weight??? :(

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Replies

  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
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    It's hard to give accurate advice without more info. What are your stats? Maybe open your diary so people can have a look.
  • CynthiasChoice
    CynthiasChoice Posts: 1,047 Member
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    Yes! Protein is so important for me. Without enough, I'm craving all the time. Also helpful for me is lots of water and fiber and, for me in particular, low sugar. Sugar and high carbs make me crave.

    There's been some interesting research into how harmful bacteria in our gut can communicate to our brain via the vagus nerve. The harmful bacteria want sugar, so our brain signals us to eat. Fat people actually have different bacteria profiles than thin people do!

    If you have enough friendly bacteria in your gut, the harmful bacteria is subdued. But you can kill off the friendly ones if you drink a lot of diet soda, eat pesticide-laden fruits and veggies (look up the "dirty dozen") have a lot of stress or mainly, if you've been on antibiotics.
    You might want to look into taking some probiotics and prebiotics to help build your friendly bacteria up. But truly do your research first and ask your doctor.
  • SadDolt
    SadDolt Posts: 173 Member
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    prattiger65 wrote: »
    It's hard to give accurate advice without more info. What are your stats? Maybe open your diary so people can have a look.

    i deleted everything in my diary, because i was ashamed at how much i binged :( but i logged pre planned meals for this week.

    i'm 5'3 female and last time i weighed i was 223.8. my lowest weight was 150
  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
    edited February 2017
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    Weight loss does seem harder after the first time- it's like the body knows what you are trying to do and rebels. Not exactly sure what causes this but I do know the body fights for homeostasis- it doesn't like to lose weight, it would rather stay the same weight so at first will resist your efforts.

    I would say the trick is getting through that first month and then it gets easier because your body starts to get on board with the plan.

    For now forget about 1200 calories, stick to at LEAST 1600 as long as this is still less than your maintenance calories, which I'm betting it is if you have 100 pounds to lose. Ideally you want to eat less than your TDEE but more than your BMR. 1200 is probably less than your BMR and that's what is causing you to have cravings and binges- eating too few calories.

    You can either check your TDEE & BMR with a calculator like this:

    http://www.iifym.com/tdee-calculator

    And make sure your daily calorie goal is higher than your BMR.

    Or you can enter your stats and goals into myfitnesspal and make sure to choose a slower weight loss rate like 0.5 or 1 pound per week (do NOT choose 1.5 or 2 pounds, that will make your calories too low).

    Another thing you can do is make sure you get enough protein and fiber each day (check this in "nutrition" -> "nutrients"). Make sure to eat a lot of lean protein and vegetables to help with this. You can also avoid trigger foods like sugary sweet foods, fast food, restaurant food, junk food... anything highly palatable with lots of salt, sugar, or fat tends to make you hungrier and less satisfied and more likely to binge or go over your calories.
  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
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    SadDolt wrote: »
    prattiger65 wrote: »
    It's hard to give accurate advice without more info. What are your stats? Maybe open your diary so people can have a look.

    i deleted everything in my diary, because i was ashamed at how much i binged :( but i logged pre planned meals for this week.

    i'm 5'3 female and last time i weighed i was 223.8. my lowest weight was 150

    Try not to do that in future- log EVERYTHING and don't delete your diary entries. Even if it is embarrassing it is valuable data. If you hadn't deleted everything you could go back and look for patterns, but now that data is lost.

    Pre-logging is great, just make sure what you've entered is realistic.
  • CynthiasChoice
    CynthiasChoice Posts: 1,047 Member
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    I was unaware of the Microbiome Diet until I looked it up, just now. I don't know anything about it, and I concede that the use of probiotics and prebiotics is based on an ever-evolving science. But it is very promising.

    I only mentioned this subject because some people might find it helpful to understand that there is more to craving and binging than a simple lack of good sense, lack of good character, or lack of self-control.

    Knowing that you might have an enemy within (a proliferation of harmful bacteria) that's making you crave may be just the insight you need to begin a journey of healing through eating appropriate foods and avoiding foods that cause cravings to continue.
  • CynthiasChoice
    CynthiasChoice Posts: 1,047 Member
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    OP - I like the idea of starting slowly. As you become accustomed to new habits, you can adjust your calorie intake to lose a pound a week - provided your diet makes you feel satisfied, and you can stick with it.
  • Sheisinlove109
    Sheisinlove109 Posts: 516 Member
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    Start slow, set realistic expectations, log properly, realize some days are up and some are not so up, sleep well, drink a lot of water....stay strong and work at it...it won't be easy but you can do it!
  • everher
    everher Posts: 909 Member
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    I started off with just a goal of losing a pound a week. I've lost weight before more aggressively, but I knew going into this I couldn't cut myself back so much even though I was obese.

    And sometimes, yeah I was hungry, but I didn't eat. Some days I still am hungry or want to eat all the things, but I just simply don't let myself. Not like I'm going to die every time I don't let myself have that cookie when I've already eaten all my calories for the day.

    If I really am hungry and bed time and a meal time aren't close by I will let myself have a low calorie high protein snack.
  • MissBecca145
    MissBecca145 Posts: 149 Member
    edited February 2017
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    Nutrient. Dense. Foods.

    I (and others) can't stress this enough. It's all well and good to 'allow' your favourite trash food now and then, but if you use it as your staple day-to-day you will feel nowhere near as nourished and then go rabid when those cravings hit. I had a quick look at your projected diary for the week and this is maybe an area you could address?

    I don't profess to be an expert, I can only speak to what works for me. I'm down 25 pounds (of 200 I want to lose, mind you!) in these past 6 weeks. That includes the odd 'slip up' - eg. a pizza meal over the weekend, and the odd treat dotted throughout the week. But any times I have fallen 'off the wagon' it was super easy to get back on because I knew the food I was going to be eating was satisfying and also just makes me feel good.

    Protein (without breading/deep frying), veggies (not incl. potato, she's in the carb family), whole grains/complex carbs (if you are allowing them). I watch my sugar, cook 8/10 things from scratch (which doesn't have to take too much time if you're smart about it). And of course meal prepping works for some.

    I can sit here and praise whole foods til I'm blue in the face... it jsut makes such a difference at keeping the binges away. And when they do hit they aren't nearly as bad and are recoverable. The science of CICO will always work, but the feeling of adequate nutrition is a totally different ballgame.

    Good luck.
  • SadDolt
    SadDolt Posts: 173 Member
    edited February 2017
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    MissBecca145 wrote: »
    Nutrient. Dense. Foods.

    I (and others) can't stress this enough. It's all well and good to 'allow' your favourite trash food now and then, but if you use it as your staple day-to-day you will feel nowhere near as nourished and then go rabid when those cravings hit. I had a quick look at your projected diary for the week and this is maybe an area you could address?

    I don't profess to be an expert, I can only speak to what works for me. I'm down 25 pounds (of 200 I want to lose, mind you!) in these past 6 weeks. That includes the odd 'slip up' - eg. a pizza meal over the weekend, and the odd treat dotted throughout the week. But any times I have fallen 'off the wagon' it was super easy to get back on because I knew the food I was going to be eating was satisfying and also just makes me feel good.

    Protein (without breading/deep frying), veggies (not incl. potato, she's in the carb family), whole grains/complex carbs (if you are allowing them). I watch my sugar, cook 8/10 things from scratch (which doesn't have to take too much time if you're smart about it). And of course meal prepping works for some.

    I can sit here and praise whole foods til I'm blue in the face... it jsut makes such a difference at keeping the binges away. And when they do hit they aren't nearly as bad and are recoverable. The science of CICO will always work, but the feeling of adequate nutrition is a totally different ballgame.

    Good luck.

    this is a huge problem for me because my diet has always been like this. my parents never made me eat veggies, and i am allergic to fruit and most nuts. the only veggies i like are spinach and string beans, and carrots. the only thing i can think to eat with that is chicken, which gets old fast. i get sick of food easily. the only exciting foods i really know are junk food related. the only healthy meals i can think of that won't make me gag is salad and chicken, or spinach and chicken. and the thought of only eating those, and having one cheat meal a week is torture. for now my only hope to losing weight is calorie counting.
  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
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    Yeah I'm not a fan of the food you have planned to eat... captain crunch cereal, chicken nuggets, and hot chocolate? Where are the vegetables? Where is the fiber? Where are the nutrients? Wouldn't it be better to have real berries, not crunch berries? Maybe some Greek yogurt with them- lots more protein than a serving of milk has. How about some broccoli of zucchini or salad with your lunch/dinner? How about an oven roasted whole chicken instead of processed breaded nuggets? How about skip the hot chocolate and have tea instead (save the calories for something else more nutritious, hot chocolate has 150 calories but no nutrition, tea has 0 calories but does have antioxidants).

    When in a caloric deficit it's important to make smarter choices and make your food work for you. Add in some greens, veggies, fruit, and healthier protein sources.
  • MissBecca145
    MissBecca145 Posts: 149 Member
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    SadDolt wrote: »

    this is a huge problem for me because my diet has always been like this. my parents never made me eat veggies, and i am allergic to fruit and most nuts. the only veggies i like are spinach and string beans, and carrots. the only thing i can think to eat with that is chicken, which gets old fast. i get sick of food easily. the only exciting foods i really know are junk food related. the only healthy meals i can think of that won't make me gag is salad and chicken, or spinach and chicken. and the thought of only eating those, and having one cheat meal a week makes me want to die.

    im not much a cook either, so if anyone has any healthy easy meals, that taste really good i'm open

    I get it, it's tough. The thought of the chicken/broccoli/brown rice cycle is depressing (but I'm naff and this is actually one of my favourite meals lol). But it doesn't have to all be about chicken. Lower fat content ground meats are good - turkey, lamb, pork and even beef (just check the fat ratio). Turkey chilli is delicious. I'm in Australia so we actually eat a fair bit of game - namely kangaroo. Super healthy and tasty when you don't want to go all out on beef. But lean steak and lamb, even pork fillet will help with variety. I do confess that chicken is my cornerstone though.

    And of course fish/seafood. How do you go with them? They are a staple for me. And also tofu, eggs, legumes.

    The best tip I can give you for veggies is to just try new things. Go to the fresh section or a veggie market and just go nuts. Give it a go.

    Other times it's just about making 'better' choices i think. From memory there was some sort of 'this, not that' book going around (can anyone remember?).
    Brown rice instead of white.
    Spiced and grilled chicken tenderloins (preferably made yourself) instead of nuggets from the freezer.
    Sweet potato instead of white potato.
    Avocado instead of... I don't know, mayo?

    I kinda grew up cooking so don't really have recipes per se, but you're welcome to add me to see the types of things I'm talking about. But, oddly enough, tonight I'm using someone else's recipe:
    http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/02/thai-eggplants-and-chickpeas-in-peanut.html

    Meat-free Mondays for dinner in this house. We'll be having with brown rice and a grilled zucchini salad. Doesn't help you with peanuts, but you could sub for a nut you're not allergic to. But it might be a touch tricky if you're not used to cooking.

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