Looking for a “diet” lifestyle that is a no-brainer and sustainable!

torrance86

I’m struggling once again with my weight. I’ve been trying to follow Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle for a few months now. After reading the book I agree with the philosophy but I find it very time consuming and hard to follow. I eat out several days a week which is extremely hard on this plan. This is causing me so much unneeded stress!!! It’s too much to think about all the time. What to make for supper? Do I have all the ingredients? What’s a carb and what’s a fat? Ugh!!! Enough already! I’m realizing this method is not working for me! The best thing to come out of the past few months is I’ve learned to live without sugar. (I did find a zero calorie sweetener that tastes great - Monk Fruit. But i limit my sweets. And I’ve basically given up white rice, flour, bread, etc.. And cut out processed foods. And man, do I feel better!!! My stomach does not hurt after I eat anymore. Amazing. But now what? Do I just watch calorie intake? I know good foods from unhealthy ones. Years ago I did Weight Watchers and loved it but don’t want to count points again (plus I got hooked on their frozen entrees - and they are processed and expensive. But WW did teach me that tracking my food was a major part of being successful. So now what? I know eating healthy and limiting my calorie intake (along with exercising) is the key to losing weight. And portion size is also very important. I need to follow a plan that is sustainable lifestyle but I need help getting started. A guide, menus, something! Any suggestions? (I plan to track daily in MFP again)

Je55ica_79

Just use MFP the way it was designed log all your food everyday even the ones that aren't perfect. Try to stay at the calories they give you to meet your weekly goal. Some weeks you may not see a loss don't give up. It happens to most of us. Then other weeks you may lose a lot. Forgive yourself often, plan your food out and enjoy your treats. Remember tomorrow is always a new day and keep moving on. On my down days I like to read success stories here or just reach out to the friends I've made here. Supporters are definitely key to sticking with it. There's no magic just patients, Persistence and creating a new normal.

Wishing you lots of success and strength. Feel free to add me.

MichelleSilverleaf

Eat foods you like in whatever way helps you stick to your calorie goal. Food is food, there is no such thing as "good" or "bad" unless you have allergies or medical conditions. It has to be sustainable for you and something you can see doing long-term to give you success once you get to your goal.

MikePTY

The beautiful thing about MFP is you don't need a plan. Just a calorie goal. Eat what you like as long as it fits within your limits.

AnnPT77

I used this to lose about 50 pounds (at age 59-60, while hypothyroid, if that matters (I think it doesn't, mostly ), and to maintain a healthy weight for 3 years since:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-not-spam-or-mlm/

You can use it alongside your knowledge of the foods you've found make you feel best.

Best wishes!

Danp

Well, that certainly is a lot of rules, restrictions and complications for someone looking for a 'no-brainer' solution.

If you're really looking to keep things simple then simplify and start with the one and only rule you need drop body fat. Eat food (good, bad, fresh, processed, prepared, raw, junk, cooked, vegan, fast, meat, whatever) in amounts that allow you to maintain an appropriate calorie deficit.

Once you've nailed that you're 80% there and in a better position to start to tackle the other 20% and tweak and improve your progress and health.

zeejane03

MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »

Eat foods you like in whatever way helps you stick to your calorie goal. Food is food, there is no such thing as "good" or "bad" unless you have allergies or medical conditions. It has to be sustainable for you and something you can see doing long-term to give you success once you get to your goal.

This 1000%

In the context of weight loss there are no 'bad' foods or 'good' foods, they'res only calories.

Back when I started this process (2012), I had just received a medical diagnosis that was likely due to my excess weight. I had never dieted before and had no idea what I was doing. So I started with where I was at and continued eating the foods I was eating (a very SAD way of eating with gobs of 'processed' foods, eating out 2-3 times a week, lots of convenience type foods/meals etc).

What changed was I learned how CICO actually works. I started paying attention to portion sizes. I started switching out some of the higher calorie things for lower calorie options (regular Coke to diet Coke, regular condiments to lower calorie condiments, small orders of fries instead of super sized fries, 1 serving of chips vs the entire can of Pringles etc etc). By adjusting things so I hit the calorie deficit I needed for my weight loss goal, I lost 50lbs and improved all my health markers-including correcting the medical condition.

Fast forward to almost 6 years of maintenance now and I eat quite differently than how I used to back then, (I now do a mostly whole foods, plant based way of eating based on the Blue Zones and the DASH protocol). I can say that I eat much 'healthier' now, but it was a natural progression that happened after I got the weight under control.

I love how I eat now, but if I had started out by making a bunch of drastic changes or tried to follow a complicated plan with a bunch of rules and restrictions I would have become frustrated and failed, and I wouldn't be where I'm at today.

All to say-keep things simple Eat the foods you like, focus on your portion sizes, hit your calorie targets and then be patient.

cheryldumais

zeejane03 wrote: »

MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »

Eat foods you like in whatever way helps you stick to your calorie goal. Food is food, there is no such thing as "good" or "bad" unless you have allergies or medical conditions. It has to be sustainable for you and something you can see doing long-term to give you success once you get to your goal.

This 1000%

In the context of weight loss there are no 'bad' foods or 'good' foods, they'res only calories.

Back when I started this process (2012), I had just received a medical diagnosis that was likely due to my excess weight. I had never dieted before and had no idea what I was doing. So I started with where I was at and continued eating the foods I was eating (a very SAD way of eating with gobs of 'processed' foods, eating out 2-3 times a week, lots of convenience type foods/meals etc).

What changed was I learned how CICO actually works. I started paying attention to portion sizes. I started switching out some of the higher calorie things for lower calorie options (regular Coke to diet Coke, regular condiments to lower calorie condiments, small orders of fries instead of super sized fries, 1 serving of chips vs the entire can of Pringles etc etc). By adjusting things so I hit the calorie deficit I needed for my weight loss goal, I lost 50lbs and improved all my health markers-including correcting the medical condition.

Fast forward to almost 6 years of maintenance now and I eat quite differently than how I used to back then, (I now do a mostly whole foods, plant based way of eating based on the Blue Zones and the DASH protocol). I can say that I eat much 'healthier' now, but it was a natural progression that happened after I got the weight under control.

I love how I eat now, but if I had started out by making a bunch of drastic changes or tried to follow a complicated plan with a bunch of rules and restrictions I would have become frustrated and failed, and I wouldn't be where I'm at today.

All to say-keep things simple Eat the foods you like, focus on your portion sizes, hit your calorie targets and then be patient.

I couldn't have said it better myself! Over time you will make changes you can live with. I started out using lean cuisine and other packaged foods but just stayed within my calorie limit. It took me 2 years to reach goal but it was worth every step. Now I am slowly eating healthier and healthier. I now make homemade soup on the weekends for my weekly lunches (instead of lean cuisine) and have finally given up sour cream in favor of Greek yogurt but that took time in maintenance to get to those healthier choices. Start by getting your calories under control and work from there.

garystrickland357

All great comments above. One objection to logging and calorie counting I hear from personal acquaintances is, "I don't have time for that." I think they simply mean it's a something they don't want to mess with. I get that as well, but you know what? Being overweight is a pain. Brushing my teeth is a pain, as is laundry, and doing dishes, etc.
The truth is it only takes 5-10 minutes of my day to weigh and log food.

If you will do that as stated above, all you have to do is stay within your calorie goals to lose or maintain weight. Weight management is not complicated, it just takes some knowledge and adherence to the behaviors that will make you successful. I essentially eat all the same foods as I did when I was 80 pounds heavier. That includes eating out and having adult beverages and pizza and all the foods many people label as "bad." I just eat them in appropriate amounts. I can sustain this for life.

I hope you discover a way of eating that is sustainable as well.

AnnPT77

garystrickland357 wrote: »

All great comments above. One objection to logging and calorie counting I hear from personal acquaintances is, "I don't have time for that." I think they simply mean it's a something they don't want to mess with. I get that as well, but you know what? Being overweight is a pain. Brushing my teeth is a pain, as is laundry, and doing dishes, etc.
The truth is it only takes 5-10 minutes of my day to weigh and log food.

If you will do that as stated above, all you have to do is stay within your calorie goals to lose or maintain weight. Weight management is not complicated, it just takes some knowledge and adherence to the behaviors that will make you successful. I essentially eat all the same foods as I did when I was 80 pounds heavier. That includes eating out and having adult beverages and pizza and all the foods many people label as "bad." I just eat them in appropriate amounts. I can sustain this for life.

I hope you discover a way of eating that is sustainable as well.

I think this is 100%, right down to the 5-10 minutes daily to weigh/log food. But I want to add this:

It will take more than 5-10 minutes at first, not necessarily a huge amount, but more, perhaps as much as two maybe three times that initially. That's because it takes time to learn a new skill and get efficient at it. It's an investment.

Before your "recent foods" are populated in MFP by database entries you've checked for accuracy, before you learn how to use a food scale efficiently, while you're learning how to use saved meals and the recipe builder, it takes more time. And, for some people, it will feel like a hassle, burden or disruption because it's a change in routine. You have to think about it really a lot of time while you're fixing meals or eating, for a while. Sometimes people quit here.

But that phase doesn't last very long at all: Couple of weeks, maybe? It starts being easy, automatic, just how you do things, your "recent foods" are full of things you've checked out and eat regularly, you know how to use all the tools and features . . . and it takes 5-10 minutes daily to weigh/log. That time is so worthwhile, to me, for the benefit of being at a healthy weight and staying there. (I'm in year 3 of maintenance after most of a year of weight loss.)