Finding Balance in 2024

ceplace

I am starting today, February 2, 2024. I have pounds to lose. However I need to find balance. Love of food vs portion control; love of exercise vs Fibromyalsia; solitude vs lonliness. "A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step"

KMayf1

You can do this!! Starting is the hardest part

OaklandTeacher

Hello. Best wishes on your journey. I rejoined MFP recently. I've renewed my commitment to tracking my meals daily.

ceplace

Thank you for the support. I found that if I go to the gym, the circuit is a great option for me. Also, water exercise and stretching is gentle and provides a super workout.
Portion control is still an issue. I log into MFP daily, but still find I eat more calories than I plan. Any suggestion for practicing accurate portion size?

wm3796

I just weigh the amount that I already pre logged so my mind accepts that’s the correct serving for my body and health. It really amazed me how far I was off for serving size before I started weighing and measuring food. I nearly always ate more than I thought. It also takes some time for you to adjust to eating lower calories but it will. In the meantime I ate the serving size that I had prelogged then cleaned up the dishes. If I wanted more I would allow myself up to 1 more serving of vegetables. IMO prelogging for the day helps a lot!

ceplace

I never thought to pre log. I plan my day, but log in at the end of the day. I am going to give it a go starting tomorrow.
Thank you so much for the suggestion!

Indi_Gold2

You won't regret it 💪🏽 enjoy the journey

ceplace

I started logging my plan in the morning. So far so good. I still struggle with portion size. I think I need more..so it must be a mind game. Any suggestions are welcome if portion control was/is an issue. I am seeking balance..

PinUpDreamer926

THIS!!! I was just talking with a co-worker. Most days I feel like it's not that I eat unhealthily, but my portions aren't what they should be!
There is a guy I follow on Insta and he has a lot of salad recipes that are "bulk eating" but low calorie. And I was thinking on my hungry days to really utilize the internet for low calorie bulk recipes.

Have you found anything that helps?

ceplace

Well, I have to say I am trying to be intentional. I have discovered on this journey that I need to reestablish my "appetite " or "appestat" (like thermostat..)
Growing up i had to clean my plate,; I had to eat 3 meals a day, i could not serve myself...parents portioned food. Consequently,
I rarely feel hungry, and it is rare that I feel full. Odd, but something I just realized may have contributed to my portion distortion. Solution??? Buy pre portioned food? Not eat until I feel my stomach growling?
I continue to seek balance.

Celesteme

Balance Yay !!!!

I was getting to a point where i had a lot of trouble getting up off the floor at yoga. I took a leap. I thought yoga was a leap. Age 56, oldest, largest and unfit. I signed up for jiu jitsu. I love it. I'ts hard but it's getting me to be more comfortable in my body. I used to joke that I was an awkward hugger. Being in close contact with the classmates is letting down my walls. Laughing at ourselves is helpful too. I want to be Strong !

ceplace

I never considered jiu-jitsu .
1. Do you attend a class with all ages and all fitness levels?
2. Has this practice helped you find balance in your life?
3. If so, how????

Thank you for your response!!!

tornadoroo

Portions are the hardest. I have lost 55 pounds and still have trouble with portions. I still use measuring cups, liquid measuring cups and a food scales. After time you will learn what brands to buy to get the most nutrition and what I call fillage for your money. Here are a few tips to help your brain that I use. Maybe they will help. For breakfast or any meal I set out everything separate that I can. Then put it on my “salad” or smaller than average plate. This feels like you’re having more. Place your lettuce on the plate first for lunch and dinner. A cup of chopped lettuce can take up a lot of space. Then add a cup of vegetables (watch out for starchy ones). If you want corn take the 1/3 cup serving and then add 2/3 cup broccoli. Your plate will be full and now you get to add that 3 ounces of lean meat and a whole wheat roll with grass fed butter (1 pat or teaspoon please). Need rice or potato? Go for .5 cup brown rice or sweet potato steamed or baked. Spread the rice or sweet potato out to take more space. Remember hunger pangs pass in 10 to 15 minutes so find something to take your mind off it. Have pre measured snacks ready to go and keep some in you purse for emergency situations. Plan all restaurant meals ahead of time when your ready to eat out or can’t stand another home meal. If you can’t order anything that fits your requirements for calories (forget nutrition eating out at most places), don’t eat there. Kids meals can make your day. Good luck from one of the over 190 and headed south club. Take care! We are here for you.

AnnPT77

ceplace wrote: »

I started logging my plan in the morning. So far so good. I still struggle with portion size. I think I need more..so it must be a mind game. Any suggestions are welcome if portion control was/is an issue. I am seeking balance..

Are you a volume eater?

I also use that "smaller plates" idea mentioned above. Somehow, psychologically, that helps.

There's also a volume eaters thread here, if that applies:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10563959/volume-eaters-thread/p1

It takes many of us a while to figure out our best "formula" for staying full and happy. Experiment with whether it helps you to rearrange your nutrient timing, meal/snack frequency and timing, food choices. Notice which days you feel more satisfied (or less) and think about what was different on those days: It can be eating routine, or even sleep, stress, or other factors. Figuring it out is a process, but keep working at it, and you'll find some new habits you can practice until they work almost on autopilot, I think.

Everyone will be different, but just as an example case: I figured out that I need a solid breakfast with plenty of protein, protein spread through the day, and high volume at some point daily. (Most days, the high volume is really a lot of veggies at dinner. I shoot for a minimum of 5 80g servings of veggies/fruits daily, and ideally more like 10 servings.)

But that's just me. Different people do best on high protein, or low carb/high fat, or balanced macros; and anything from one meal a day (OMAD) to all-day grazing on small snack-sized portions and everything in between.

For me, the balance issue was between short-term pleasure (I love food!) and feeling good long term (healthy weight, well nourished). On the food front, I found that I actually enjoy food more now that I'm more selective about it, vs. just shoveling in whatever was handy. I enjoy selecting yummy things at the store or farmers market, cooking them in new (lighter) ways, savoring them. On the activity front, key for me was finding a type of exercise that was so fun to me that I'd do it even if it weren't good for me (but it is).

To succeed, it's not necessary to be perfect in all ways on all days. It's only necessary to be pretty good, on average, over a period of time. Even that doesn't need to all happen on day 1 (or we count ourselves as failing). If we keep working on finding our personal best process, and make incremental positive progress as we work that out, that's the real way to succeed, IMO. Only giving up the effort is going to limit the possibility of success. Keep working at it.

Best wishes!