Overseas and overweight

molligamy

Hello! Despite struggling along with weightless for quite a few months and have managed a small loss, this is my first day with MFP. I am an au pair living overseas at the moment, and due to the lifestyle change (higher fat foods, not as much chance to exercise, and a lot more bread!) I gained about 15kg in three months! It was a shock to my system to say the least. So, as a beginner, I have a few questions. I have logged that I plan to do at least 40 minutes of exercise 5 times a week, which is no exaggeration, I do Julian Michaels 30ds and 6wk6pk most days. MFP has given me a corresponding amount of calories for weightloss. Do I then need to log my exercise still, or is it already taken into account? And I have been reading the forum, and it seems like some people continue eating what they want, only in smaller amounts to keep to calorie goals, and some people have made the clean eating switch entirely. As I have little to no control over my meals, will it affect my weightloss dramatically if I continue eating the fat, just in smaller portions? Or will I need to have the awkward conversation with my host family about changing what I eat with them? I would really appreciate help from any of you more experienced losers! :)

RaggedyPond

I am also overseas and working to lose weight. I basically just try to eat more protein that way I am less likely to want high calorie snacks.

manoozo

Hello! Despite struggling along with weightless for quite a few months and have managed a small loss, this is my first day with MFP. I am an au pair living overseas at the moment, and due to the lifestyle change (higher fat foods, not as much chance to exercise, and a lot more bread!) I gained about 15kg in three months! It was a shock to my system to say the least. So, as a beginner, I have a few questions. I have logged that I plan to do at least 40 minutes of exercise 5 times a week, which is no exaggeration, I do Julian Michaels 30ds and 6wk6pk most days. MFP has given me a corresponding amount of calories for weightloss. Do I then need to log my exercise still, or is it already taken into account? And I have been reading the forum, and it seems like some people continue eating what they want, only in smaller amounts to keep to calorie goals, and some people have made the clean eating switch entirely. As I have little to no control over my meals, will it affect my weightloss dramatically if I continue eating the fat, just in smaller portions? Or will I need to have the awkward conversation with my host family about changing what I eat with them? I would really appreciate help from any of you more experienced losers! :)

hi there
OK, my loss might not be that big, but i can share what i learned so far.....(it works and i haven't gained 1 pound):smokin:

as you know....it kinda should be a life style change, so ,you can do healthy choices and switch bad for good, for example....i make oatmeal pancakes instead of original pancakes, and i use fruit instead of adding sugar...(i do have 1 tsp of sugar in the morning for coffee)
so switching bad carbs for good carbs......eating a lot of protein and vegetables and a moderate amount of fruits
i eat rice ,pasta and whole wheat brown bread......
of course fats are very very bad for you......but fortunately you can use good fats (google it)
but what about cravings??!! right!!!!
we're humans, we're meant to live our life and enjoy ...BUT IN MODERATION.....it's alright to have a doughnut or a pizza or a milk shake,it's not the end of the world...just take it easy ,relax and enjoy your life.....just NEVER EVER STOP WORKOUTS .....that's the key........
it's a life style to become healthy and Stay healthy, so the workout should not end after you finish the 30 day program......if you stop working out, then you'll have to do some control on your food ,every thing in moderation is good...
so all in all:
-Do I then need to log my exercise still, or is it already taken into account?
yes...MFP counts the calories you need a day without your workout calories

- will it affect my weight loss dramatically if I continue eating the fat, just in smaller portions?
definitely yes, fats need tons of energy to be burnt, and they're just bad source of energy...try having 1 tbsp of peanut butter a day,that's healthy fats ,energy boosting and delicious..

-Or will I need to have the awkward conversation with my host family about changing what I eat with them?
well,that depends, you can either take your food with you, or you can just chill and have a slice of this and a bite of that then you burn it in your workout....take it easy, it's life, everybody needs to chill:flowerforyou:

damask1988

Just resist the bread and the extra fat, leave it on your plate or just brush it away when offered, and say that "your body isn't dealing well with it". So it's not about their food, it's about your body and its ability to process their wonderful food.

damask1988

Also I have no idea if your host family is super healthy or not but once you try making things for yourself separately at the dinner table (or making yourself something healthier to have instead of the bread part of your meals), everyone will get jealous and want to try your healthier fare, and they will ask if you made extra. If they just make fun of you, then just ignore it, say it's your troublesome body, and eat your carrot sticks. It's not as awkward as you might think.

Hope that helps.

molligamy

Thank you both so much! I will test it out a bit with less fat consumption and hope for the best! And manoozo, if you haven't gained a pound back, then I like your approach! Slow is ok as long as it sticks.

viiikyyy

Hi.
I was an au pair until recently in UK. A few months before I went there I completely changed my lifestyle and eating habits and lost 27kg (from 85kg to 58kg). I exercised regularly and ate healthy food. In my 7 months of au pairing I gained 10 kg. Due to my working schedule it was difficult to exercise on daily basis and the food in the house was terribly unhealthy. For the first 4 months I didn't say anything to the host family and just ate the same food although I felt bad. Then I decited that I need to change something, so I started buying my own food. Whole wheat bread, fruits and veggies, soy milk... I ate dinner with them but I ate salad and they ate their food. If we went to a restaurant I ordered a starter (soup or fruit) and a salad as a main meal. Before my meals I made sure that I drank a lot of water (3dl before every meal) as it makes you feel full faster.
The best thing to do is making small changes and you don't have to buy loads of food for yourself, just buy some healthy alternatives and if your host parents are nice people they will understand you and maybe buy you some healthy food or who knows, maybe they will start eating healthy themselves as well.

Good luck on your weight loss journey!

manoozo

Thank you both so much! I will test it out a bit with less fat consumption and hope for the best! And manoozo, if you haven't gained a pound back, then I like your approach! Slow is ok as long as it sticks.

you got that right