Finally starting back up again

Jirachii

Hey guys! In 2017 I really got into my groove with myfitnesspal and managed to go from 228 pounds to 160 pounds in about 8 months. For the first time in my adult life I wasn't obese, and I was SO close to a normal BMI! This had a phenomenal effect on my self image and my self esteem. I felt like a door had been unlocked in my brain and I could finally get my weight under control.

Then I started my first job in late 2017. I wasn't great at time management and stopped cooking lunches. Still, I was able to hold my weight between 162-164 lbs without tracking for about half a year. Then I met my current boyfriend who has the exact opposite problem I do. He eats and eats and eats and is forever underweight and I'm a social eater so I'd always want to eat when he did! My brother got in a horrible accident that shook my family and I started nursing school, so I started eating my stress. I let myself go for another half a year and climbed steadily back up to 182 lbs. I kept telling myself I'd start again at 170, then at 175, then at 180, but I couldn't get into the mindset I used to have as my situation felt so different. Luckily I've seemed to even out around 182 lbs, but that's bordering obese and I think I've finally figured it out again.

For the first time in like a year, I've started cooking. I'm doing 3 day meal preps now on my two days off from school and work. I started by logging a couple things here and there and now I'm getting back into the habit of wanting to log things again. Soon I'll be getting some new shoes and picking up running again. For the first time since the end of 2017, I feel like I can actually do this.

Admittedly I feel a little guilty for letting myself go for this long. If any of you guys have stories about your ins and outs, I'd love to read them! I need the motivation!

jp1cor13

I am starting back up too. Good for you! Progress is everything! I am looking for healthy recipe miss that will fill me up. I just can’t eat salads every day. Any suggestions?

Jirachii

I'm a poor college student so I usually go with chicken as my protein. Lunch is all I really prep, and I think I'm settling on different variations of the good ol' chicken veggies and rice.

Last time I made honey lemon chicken with half cauliflower half fried rice with mixed veggies from one of those 98 cent 2 pound mixed bags at Walmart. Tomorrow I'm doing orange chicken. I have it marinating in ponzu and orange slices right now. Going to try a higher vegetable content in my rice today and cut the cauliflower to play around with the texture. I'm also lazy and don't feel like processing a head of cauliflower tomorrow haha. I'm kind of new to thinking outside of the box with cooking, so I can't offer much in terms of recipes!

Low calorie fried rice (if you like veggies and cauliflower) is a great and filling side. Ate it at 12, held me over until 5 when I had a snack which helped me not gorge myself in the frozen lasagna my family had for dinner tonight. As much as I love salad, I can't eat it without smothering it in dressing so I've kind of ruled it out 😅