How I Started Over

chandraminick

I was having problems starting over, and I'm not going to go into why I couldn't get traction; but, I will tell you how I did it. I'm keeping this post simple because simple is what I knew I had to do to get a handle on this. I did not want to cook or food prep much, and low calorie frozens dinners weren't an option since they are expensive. I have a small lunch box, and I take it to work with me. I set my goals to lose one pound a week. I am not worried about exercise right now. I walk on the days I feel like it, and I eat those calories back so I'm not extra hungry. My goal is 1600. For breakfast I eat a chobani yogurt or flip because I like them. For lunch I eat a turkey wrap with cream cheese and a piece of bacon because I like it. For my morning snack, I eat two boiled eggs because they are convenient. For an afternoon snack, I eat an Armor "lunchable" because I like it. I even eat the Butterfinger. Before dinner snack I eat two more eggs. For dinner I eat a pork chop or steak sandwich because they are thin, and can go on the George foreman grill. Then, I eat whatever else I want to reach my calorie goal. I repeat this and stick to it on my days off. There it is simple.

chandraminick

Update: it has now been three weeks since I started logging my meals. I've lost twelve pounds, I think. I've been walking almost every day for about 45 minutes. I discovered that 1600 calories was more than enough food to satisfy me after the cravings for junk food slowed down. I've cut my calories back to around 1300 and then 1200 on the days that I'm not going to my job and being active other than the daily walk. I'm eating almost the same thing every day, with just a small variationvariation like trying to switch from the Chobanni yogurt to regular yogurt since it is 1/3 of the price. I still eat boiled eggs, lunchables, wraps and pork or steak sandwiches for dinner.

Danp

Congrats on the progress you've made!

I do have to ask though. If you're losing weight why drop your calories?

You're losing weight so what you're currently doing is working. Why risk derailing that by messing with a winning formula? As the saying goes, If it ain't broke don't try and fix it.

chandraminick

Danp wrote: »

Congrats on the progress you've made!

I do have to ask though. If you're losing weight why drop your calories?

You're losing weight so what you're currently doing is working. Why risk derailing that by messing with a winning formula? As the saying goes, If it ain't broke don't try and fix it.

I dropped my calories because I only work two days a week. Those are ten hour days where I do heavy lifting and deliveries from 8 am to six pm. On those days, I can eat 1600 or whatever I feel like I need for energy, but the other five days, I just stay home; and, don't need as much energy. I eat at 8, 10, 12, 3, 5, and then a couple times before bed. If I'm hungry after walking, I eat and finish out the calories. If I'm not hungry, I let that be a lower calorie day.

Beachrunner54

That is so great!! Why isn’t it working for meeee??? I swear I’m eating less calories than MFP says (1400) for over 50 days without missing ...only 3.5 lbs down. What is wrong? I’m even exercising too!?! Ugh! I’m going to try what you doing, it’s very discouraging NOT to have the scale move!!!

chandraminick

Beachrunner54 wrote: »

That is so great!! Why isn’t it working for meeee??? I swear I’m eating less calories than MFP says (1400) for over 50 days without missing ...only 3.5 lbs down. What is wrong? I’m even exercising too!?! Ugh! I’m going to try what you doing, it’s very discouraging NOT to have the scale move!!!

I'm also using the scanner function for barcodes on food, and I have a digital scale that measures in grams and ounces. I weigh everything and log everything. I'm careful about not over estimating my exercise burned calories, and I keep an eye on my goals page on here so that I'm accurately picking my activity level. Maybe you have one of these things not right.

chandraminick

Update: it has now been 5 weeks since I started logging meals. I've lost 15/pounds so far, and have had to throw out bras, pants and shorts because they were too big in the waist and around the ribs. I was walking a mile every day which was once around the local pond and that took about 45 minutes, and this week I've progressed to 4.5 and 5 mile stretches in 1.5 - 2 hours without any breathing problems during or any leg pains the next morning. I look different and feel better. As far as food goes, I'm still eating almost the same things, and if I have something extra like some chips or protein bar, I still keep it at the same amount of calories as whatever I substituted it for, and I'm logging everything. Yogurt, boiled eggs, Armor lunchables, more eggs and a steak or pork sandwich for dinner. One thing I improved on is that I can eat an early dinner, and go to bed without eating more snacks at night before breakfast. I just put eating out of my head by doing something, and then going to bed and sleeping through it. Then, I weigh the same time every morning before I eat again.

TavistockToad

chandraminick wrote: »

Update: it has now been 5 weeks since I started logging meals. I've lost 15/pounds so far, and have had to throw out bras, pants and shorts because they were too big in the waist and around the ribs. I was walking a mile every day which was once around the local pond and that took about 45 minutes, and this week I've progressed to 4.5 and 5 mile stretches in 1.5 - 2 hours without any breathing problems during or any leg pains the next morning. I look different and feel better. As far as food goes, I'm still eating almost the same things, and if I have something extra like some chips or protein bar, I still keep it at the same amount of calories as whatever I substituted it for, and I'm logging everything. Yogurt, boiled eggs, Armor lunchables, more eggs and a steak or pork sandwich for dinner. One thing I improved on is that I can eat an early dinner, and go to bed without eating more snacks at night before breakfast. I just put eating out of my head by doing something, and then going to bed and sleeping through it. Then, I weigh the same time every morning before I eat again.

you might want to consider some fruit and veg, its not really important but just for the good of your health...

naxeeya

I lost only 4.6lbs in one month.This is so frustrating.I’m on treadmill for an hour, watching my calories and eating less than MFP.😒

steveko89

naxeeya wrote: »

I lost only 4.6lbs in one month.This is so frustrating.I’m on treadmill for an hour, watching my calories and eating less than MFP.😒

Even excluding factors like your age/height/weight and how much you have to lose, averaging 1.1+ lbs/week loss is nothing to scoff at.

A few things for clarification:
- Are you eating back your exercise calories? If so, how are these being calculated? Calorie burn estimates from machines and even heart rate monitors can vary great in accuracy and do not necessarily work for everyone.
- What does "watching my calories" mean? Are you weighing your portions and logging 100% of what you eat, including dressings, condiments, oils/butter used in cooking, etc.?

Those are common reasons people struggle to match their loss rate target expectations.

chandraminick

naxeeya wrote: »

I lost only 4.6lbs in one month.This is so frustrating.I’m on treadmill for an hour, watching my calories and eating less than MFP.😒

I really don't know. I know that I am eating almost the same thing every day at the same time of day. I log every calorie, and I don't cheat. I have not eaten out at a restaurant or take out since before May 1st, and I only ate dinner at my friends house twice. So few of times that I can remember both. I've been walking at least two hours a day lately, and I log those walks making sure not to over estimate what I have burned. Few people would agree with what Im doing because I'm eating prepackaged processed foods, but I don't care because it t is still calorie in vs calorie out. The past few days while the weather has been nice, I've dated fewer calories than I should, but that too isn't always gonna be the case. Just while I am preoccupied with outdoor hobbies.

chandraminick

Whoop there it is! 18 lbs down this morning.