Losing a bunch of weight looking for opinions on diet

CharlieBeansmomTracey

op you can eat more and you should,.weight loss takes time. you didnt put in on fast(or at least I doubt you did) so it wont come off fast. even if it comes off fast at first it will slow down. have some patience and do it the slow way,the healthy way.

tirtoilgaming

BlueSkyShoal wrote: »

You are definitely committed, which is the main trick to losing weight. It sounds like you're scared of falling into bad habits if you let the pressure off yourself. I get that; especially if you tried before and gained back the weight (which has happened to me and many of us.)

Do you have any insight into what caused you to stop last time? Like, was it that weight loss was too slow and you got frustrated with the lack of progress? Was it that the high calorie foods were in the house and were just too tempting?

The previous times I found it difficult to stay within things like sodium while still getting my calorie goal and seeing me fail daily on certain parts I believe led to me giving up.

ejnxyz

Add a ton of vege's. Fruits and Veges. Foods with fiber. It looks like you have a very incomplete diet for basic vitamins and minerals. Possibly use a program that gives you the complete breakdown with a grade? or something similar? Perhaps take a multivitamin until you know you have it correct with food only?

tirtoilgaming

ejnxyz wrote: »

Add a ton of vege's. Fruits and Veges. Foods with fiber. It looks like you have a very incomplete diet for basic vitamins and minerals. Possibly use a program that gives you the complete breakdown with a grade? or something similar? Perhaps take a multivitamin until you know you have it correct with food only?

vege's are my biggest problem, only a handful I enjoy like cucumbers, lettuce, carrots and celery. A multivitamin is deff something I plan just broke at the moment, when I get paid next week I'll deff be starting on those!

estherdragonbat

Here's the thing about sodium: it may temporarily lead to water retention, but it's not going to impede fat loss. I think (and I am not a dietician; this is just my own experience), if you were taking in more sodium than recommended before you tried to lose weight, it's probably not going to hold you back too much. You might actually be taking in less now as your calories have decreased.

I'm a 45-year-old woman, 5'3 with a starting weight of 254. This is what 3 months of sodium and weight loss look like for me:




As you can see, despite my going way over sodium most days, the weight is dropping. If there's a medical reason for you to be on a low-sodium diet, that's one thing. If you're concerned about your blood pressure, dropping the weight is going to do a lot toward getting it under control. (And I think they're now saying that a high-sodium diet doesn't cause HBP after all. Or that the link is a bit more complicated.)

misskarne

tirtoilgaming wrote: »

ejnxyz wrote: »

Add a ton of vege's. Fruits and Veges. Foods with fiber. It looks like you have a very incomplete diet for basic vitamins and minerals. Possibly use a program that gives you the complete breakdown with a grade? or something similar? Perhaps take a multivitamin until you know you have it correct with food only?

vege's are my biggest problem, only a handful I enjoy like cucumbers, lettuce, carrots and celery. A multivitamin is deff something I plan just broke at the moment, when I get paid next week I'll deff be starting on those!

Hey, you're speaking to kin here. I hate most veggies or salad stuff too. So you know what I do? I don't eat them! I eat the veggies I DO like, but nowhere is it written that you must eat ALL THE VEGGIES to lose weight.

OhMsDiva

I want to chime in. 2 years ago I was about the same weight as you. I also was desparate to lose weight. The plan I selected put me on 1800 calories + all the veggies I want. I have basically remained on that same plan for the entire 2 years. Do I go over some days, of course, but I have taught myself that it is okay to have a hamburger or a donut if I really want it. The way I look at it is that this is my new way of living. I don't know that I could live without cake or pie or french fries the rest of my life so I am learning how to incorporate those things into a healthier lifestyle. I have at least one piece of chocolate every day.
The first year I was very strict on what I ate, but I still allowed myself to eat things I like and I have never felt like I am punishing myself for allowing myself to get that large. I exercise 6 days a week and I drink plenty of water. Granted you have to do what works for you, but what I discovered is that if you do not have the right mindset you will not be successful long term. Someone commented on sodium. I don't go out looking for sodium laden foods, but I dont restrict my calories based on how much sodium is in the food.
You have to be realistic. Get a good, realistic plan and stick to it and you will succeed. Good luck to you.
Btw, I have lost 200 lbs since March 2015 and I am still going. This morning when I got on the scale the first number was a 2 and I cant remember the last time I was under 300 lbs.

ccsernica

Enter your stats in MFP's fitness profile, tell it how fast you want to lose weight (for now 2 lbs/week is good, give your starting point) and what your daily non-exercise activity is like, and then eat as many calories as it tells you to. You don't want to be losing too much muscle, and you don't want a diet so low in calories that it's unsustainable, and you need to get adequate nutrition.

Don't worry about other macros right now, just focus on calories. If you're getting a really unbalanced diet you might want to supplement, but if you only eat food you enjoy that's OK. Make it easy on yourself. The easier it is, the more likely you are to stick with it, and sticking with it is the important thing.

Every 10-20 lbs that come off, have MFP recalculate your daily calories so that you don't stop losing. And be sure to record your exercise; cardio will provide you with extra calories you can at least partially eat back. (If you're not exercising, don't worry. It's not necessary for weight loss.)

mandalunia

I was nearly 300 pounds and 5'2 47 year old woman when I started loosing. I started at about 1700 calories a day and was losing a little more than 3-4 pounds per week at first. I'm telling you this because when you are heavy you can eat more and still loose as rapidly as is safe. The first few months staying at 1700 calories I was getting more than enough success to keep on track and not derail. I never feel deprived and I got really fast results considering my age and starting weight. I totally understand the need to make a drastic change so you can feel like you are committed. I promise 1700 calories or even 2000 or 3000 calories is a drastic but sustainable change. I have lost over 90 pounds in 7 months and each pound loss has meant I could exercise more and keep the positive cycle going. Use the time to reeducate yourself about portion size, about what foods you can give up ( I only went cold turkey on soda) and what you can eat in moderation. Trust me you will see results without setting yourself up for failure. Plus now that I am in the second half of my weight loss journey I have to be much more strict about my calories to get the loss I am aiming for and it is so much easier because I don't feel like I have been dieting for the last 7 months.

However you decide to go forward I admire your decision to make a change and I know how hard it is to just make the decision to live your life differently. You can do it.

LessofAJ

Can I recommend a podcast that has been helpful to me? It's called Half Size Me and is hosted by Heather Robertson, who has lost and kept off 130 lbs for many years. It really helps me get out of the "diet mentality" and more of a lifestyle change/long-term perspective.