help me please!! How can I still love food while on a diet? (short people advice too!)

ShyShineGirl

You guys Im desparate...Im not sure WHAT im supposed to do and I need some help/advice.

Im 5'1 and *almost* 27 years old...for most of my adult life (15-20 years old) I was average 105-110 pounds..( i was never a very active kid..spent most high school playing world of warcraft and I could eat mostly whatever i wanted without issue I just didnt need to eat that much so that helped lol). I got married at 20 and slowly but steady put on some weight lol...im now 126lbs and while I know thats not *that bad* its still TOO much for me and I am absolutely miserable about it..but the problem is I cant seem to get it off!!!

Im trying to just get down to at least 115 which I think its perfect for being older now etc. I have tried the 1300 cal diet that MFP would reccommend the past couple years ive been on and off MFP but it just never sticks..its just not sustainable for me to be constantly checking calories all the time. Im good at realizing whats healthy vs not healthy and I am conscious about not eating anything too high in cal. I try to be more active but the thing is I just do not like exercising. I dont mind going on walks, thats great but Ive been trying to get into running/jogging because I feel like thats the best way to lose weight while dieting but I dont like it and I dread it and running is totally a chore for me.

I seriously dont eat that much, I know the weight gain is mostly because my husband and I do eat out too much (2-3 times a week) and my metabolism has slowed and I dont exercise vigorously im sure but I think im just addicted to good foods and every time I diet its hard to stick to it because I dont like or gravitate towards healthy stuff and then I get depressed because the GOOD stuff is what makes me happy and I hate feeling like I cant look forward to eating because the dieting doesnt excite me like at all.

Sorry this is so long I just...I dont know how to love healthy food and still be excited about meal time...I dont want to have to kill myself running every day because I hate running and I like to just go on nice walks instead but I feel like running is the best way. Sometimes I feel like since im so short the weight is harder to lose because 10 pounds looks like a lot on my petite body and Ive been trying to get this down for a few years but if anything I just gain more....

IM so stressed about food. People always just suggest "oh make veggies this way or that way youll love it" but honestly I eat them but I dont enjoy it and when I cant enjoy food i get so depressed! ugh...

sorry again this is so long and rambley..lol if anyone understands what im getting at please let me know if you have any advice at all

livingleanlivingclean

Defining what you think "good" food is might help. I only eat delicious, good food (to me). it is generally veggie - full, tasty, and nutritious as well. I have no issues losing weight or sticking to my calorie goal.

To lose weight, you need to eat less calories. You can do that by eating less of the foods you currently eat.

How do you know your metabolism has slowed? You've put on weight because you're eating more and moving less. Start moving more and eating less. You don't have to run, do something you enjoy! I like lifting weights as it helps retain muscle, and gives me a better look when I've lost the weight.

Orphia

If you don't want to count calories (though I highly recommend it), you might want to read this:

http://www.bodyforwife.com/the-caloric-deficit-cheat-sheet/

Running isn't the only type of cardio by a long shot. Try one or any of these:

Walking
Hiking
Trail running
Mountain Climbing
Rock climbing
Indoor rock climbing
Walking on a treadmill
Cycling
Spin class
Aerobics
Zumba
Tai Bo
Les Mills Grit
Les Mills Pump
HIIT
Elliptical trainer
Ballet
Tap Dancing
Jazzercise
Swimming
Open water swimming
Water aerobics
Water jogging
Kayaking
Canoeing
Surfing
Bodyboarding
Paragliding
Football
Australian Rules Football
Soccer
Basketball
Netball
Tennis
Squash
Lacrosse
Hockey
Ice Hockey
Boxing
Burpees
Plyometrics
Skiing
Snowboarding
Gardening
Raking leaves
Rollerblading
Skateboarding
Ice skating
Rollerskating

ScrapStitching

Keep your focus on delicious. You don't need a huge quantity to enjoy that.

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

If you don't want to exercise. Don't want to calorie count, don't want to change food type, you're left with one option, eat smaller portions of the food you already eat.

Francl27

There's no magic. You have to want it enough to do the work.

vivelajackie

Dude, there are SO many recipes online for balanced, nutritious, and delicious food out there. Like, I've got a board on Pinterest for all the food porn that's mildly healthy I've encountered via simple search and scroll...scroll...scroll (because Pinterest am I right???)

Whenever we go out I tend to go to places that display calories or have database records, which are quite a few of the chain restaurants. I try to find the closest equivalent when not. These places are probably going to be packed with sodium to boot. With cooking at home (do it as a date night with husband) you can at least control what is going in your food. Your metabolism hasn't slowed. You're torturing yourself with running and you're eating out often. The poster that gave suggestions on different exercise is A+. As long as you're moving it's good for cardiovascular health. Aka you're not out running a bad diet. It's an additional perk.

Wysewoman53

Almost two years ago, I started walking...just walking and eating only recommended portions sizes of whatever food I ate. That included my favorite foods. Funny thing is, when I started eating only what was recommended as a portion, I started losing weight. I got a food scale, had measuring cups and spoons and started using them. I did make a lifestyle change by eating healthier by adding more raw veggies to my diet and cutting back on the sugar/carbohydrates but it helped me lose 80 lbs doing this in 10 mos. I have maintained that weight with a pound or two up or down but now I eat whatever I want on weekends and maintain my lower calorie food 5 days a week while working. I log in with my food intake only 5 days a week now. When I started, I logged everything meticulously because it took me a while to figure out how much was enough. I've been logging in 510 days now and it works for me. Oh, and I'm still walking. My daily goal is 10,000 steps a day but I usually have anywhere from 3000 to 10,000 more steps a day than that without even trying anymore. The word 'diet' is a nasty word even tho' it just means the food we eat on a daily basis...nothing more. It might help to look at it from the angle of food choices (and you get to choose what you eat!) instead of always dieting. The Skinnytaste cookbook is a good place to find delicious choices that are soooo good and believe me, you won't feel like your 'dieting' at all. It's available online. Good luck!

beanz744

u got it ALL WRONG. there r tons of healthy n DELICOUS foods out there. just google search for
500 calorie delicous meals
400 calories delicous meals

https://www.google.ca/search?q=500+calorie+delicous+meals&oq=500+calorie+delicous+meals&aqs=chrome..69i57j0.1456j0j4&client=ms-android-rogers-ca&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#xxri=3

jgnatca

If you are a gamer you might like zombies, run.

A pro tip for eating out; eat half. Order your meal and as soon as it arrives, ask for a takeout container. Pack half right away. After a while you will get used to half portion sizes and that will be your new normal.

Avoid the fattiest offerings at the restaurant. That may be the "salad" and it is the fries. Skip the mayo and cheese on your burger.

Eat slow and eat mindfully. Learn to leave your plate as soon as you are full.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mindful-eating/200902/mindful-eating

kenyonhaff

I've lost 35 pounds and I think I eat tastier food now. I learned I needed to focus on portion sizes and get more protein. And that led me to figure out there are a lot of tasty meat dishes, protein bars and low carb options. And I have not banned any food but I make smarter choices.

Also exercise can let me eat practically anything....yesterday I ate cheesecake and pizza after 2 hours gardening and still came under my limit!

Gamers and sci fi fans often need some encouragement to actually try out real activities rather than fantasy. But why not try out an actual martial art? Or enjoy enhanced reality exercise like Pokemon Go? I love Zombies, Run! Which is about walking or running to save mankind when the zombs overrun England. Fun!

LuvtoBeme1

I am a dr love and there are tons of amazing advice on food and exercise here.I have this to add.You ARE looking at this all wrong.You stated that you do not feel good.So this is your "why" Why you want to ,yes, get healthy.You need to change your mindset.Your generation are in serious trouble because of this mental attitude that "you want change but not want to do what is necessary to have that change happen."This isn't to bring you down. Please.This generation has the highest level of disease in years because of a lax attitude. So, from my heart, I suggest that you look at it from a health perspective and not I want to look like (x,y,z) also love mind you a woman's body doesn't fully mature until roughly 21-24 years of age this is another reason why in uni women think they have blown up. It simply isn't true. The hormones have just changed and they reached a different stage of maturation. You may have well buckle down bella because a woman's body will change every several years. It is 10 for men.Another tid bit...Eating too low of a nutrition dense Kcal count will cause your body to retain adipose tissue.This mechanism goes way back to Neanderthal days.When the women were nomadic and had to maintain this to keep the bebe's alive.To the body goes into what I call camel mode and it will store resources thinking it is going to die.So you need to make sure you are drinking at least a gallon of H20 provided you do not have any illness that would state otherwise.Exercise(cardio and strength) for a minimum of 30 minutes each a day.Leslie Sansone has a fabulous system for people who are not big fans of exercise and she only uses natural walking movements and she incorporates both.DO NOT DIET!!!!! This should a swear.Simply think nummy food with colour. meats should be the size of your palm.cheese is one slice, Deli meats one slice,choose whole grains that have more iron and protein.Go yogurt at least once a day.Obviously all these are pending on your allergies etc.You can go to myplate.org to learn more. Also SLEEP!! Your brain needs this sunshine. Your body needs this. It cannot run certain chemical processes without it. You can change bulbs when you are working to blue or green florescent which keeps you more alert during the day then opt for a rose or amber to sleep. Himalayan baskets and lamps are great to induce sleep. Find your creative spark. This has been proven to not only decrease stress levels which lowers hormones that not only cause weight gain but when not in balance are quite harmful to the body.Take 30 minutes a day for your own what I call (cave time) this is your time to meditate, do what ever makes you feel loved honoured, valued and appreciated...this is uninterrupted time to learn to love you!Believe me bella. Incorporating these steps to make a healthier lifestyle is more important than a number on a scale.Muahxx have a great day