Terrified to ask, but getting frustrated

2

Replies

  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    I'm not a fan of eating clean, I believe in everything in moderation, but fast food every night is not moderation. Your sodium intake must be through the roof. I noticed you don't track it, and I'm assuming it's because it's always in the red.

    Sodium can really make you retain water and hide all your weight loss. Also, a lot of your meals seem to be fairly generic, so you are only taking a rough guess at how much you are actually eating.

    My advice; get a scale, do some home cooking and monitor your sodium levels.
  • mdcoug
    mdcoug Posts: 397 Member
    I took a quick look at your diary, and here is what I think is going on. This is what happens to me when I eat like you have been...

    Day 1: I am on this! I am going to eat so well, I'll have 200 cals for breakfast, my lean cuisine for lunch and dinner is another lean cuisine and now I get to have a little snack to tide me over. I'll do Zumba today and I am going to kick this diet's *kitten*!!

    Day 2: Woot! I got this! Way under my calories again today! Zumba me crazy!

    Day 3: OK. I can do this. It's another Lean Cuisine, but that's OK, because I'm staying under my calorie goal. But I think I need more than just a little snack tonight, Zumba kicked my butt today. I'm just a little over, that's OK.

    Day 4. Sigh, I'm going to do it. I just need to get through today. Another Zumba class, geesh, I'm tired.

    Day 5. F@$k this *kitten*. Somebody give me a goddamn pizza. A big one. And a bottle of wine

    Day 6. Ugh, what did I do? Gotta get back on this...tomorrow.


    My recommendations?
    1. Skip the prepared foods. Find some nice, FILLING foods that give you energy. Save the Lean Cuisines and take out for the days you're desperate and can't spare the 10-20 min. it takes to make something.

    2. Give yourself more credit for the Zumba. Find a HRM and use it. I guarantee you that you're burning more than 100 cals.

    3. Measure AND LOG everything, at least in the beginning, so you have a good understanding of what a serving of food really looks like.

    4. Most of all, don't try so hard! Take each day one at a time and make simple, healthy changes that you can live with for the rest of your life. The rest will follow.
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    One thing I would do as a general health thing is add a lot more fruits and veggies to your diet. I would imagine you are severely lacking in micronutrients that you need. I know cleaning and cutting the veggies can be a pain, which is why we clean and cut them on Sundays and Wednesday nights if we are running low. We package them into ready to grab containers.

    Relax and step back and evaluate what you are really doing. In your Zumba classes are you sweating up a storm and struggling to breathe, or are you able to carry on a conversation? If the answer is the second one, you probably aren't burning many calories. Are you really logging everything you eat, dressings, dips, condiments, drinks? These can add up. One day of bingeing can also undo a full week of work.

    Are you taking your measurements? I find that I'll go a few weeks where I lose weight, but not inches, then I'll go a few weeks where I'll even gain back some of the weight, but that is when my measurements go down.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,328 Member
    Ok, I know that asking this is asking for people to pick me apart, but I think I may be at the point where I need that now.... My weight loss has puttered to a stop already and I really just got started. My weight has been fluctuating since the beginning, but it was trending down... Now it just seems stuck between 303-300. I got down to 299, but it went back up right away and now won't go back down again.

    I did have some issues where I think I was overestimating calorie burn from zumba, which I now adjusted so I only eat back 100 calories on those days, so that should be taken care of (the past week anyway)

    Also, I will state now that I don't eat super clean. I try to stay in my calorie limit although I have days when I binge and I have days when I just go a bit over, but even when I go just a bit over, I should still be eating at below maintenance....

    What am I doing wrong?! at this weight and this early in the game I should be losing super quickly, right?!

    Ok... deep breath.... bring it on.....
    You're not consistent is the reason. If you binge and go over that means you're not consistent with your program. Fix that first and you losses should continue.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    ^^^^^
    THIS

    Consistency is key. If you are not consistent, that is likely where the problem lies. Just as an experiment, don't go over your calories for a week.

    Secondly, how carefully are you measuring what you eat? It is very easy to go over when you are not measuring everything. Ideally use a kitchen scale for what you can, and measuring cups and spoons for the rest.
  • FrankiesSaysRelax
    FrankiesSaysRelax Posts: 403 Member
    Agree with many of the comments here. You've definitely been given some good advice. Are you logging every single thing you're eating? I saw a comment about salad but no dressing logged. What about drinks? Are you drinking any juice/soda/coffee? Every single thing you eat needs to be logged. I also saw some fast food on there- are you getting fries or dipping sauce?

    If you aren't losing weight, my guess would be that you aren't accurately logging everything and you're consuming more than you're burning. There's always the chance, if you just started, that you're retaining water from exercise. Finally, a binge a few times a week could easily put you over your calories and cause no weight loss. Something to consider there as well.

    Also, at 300 lbs, you can lose weight on A LOT more than 1500 calories. I would recommend calculating your TDEE and eating 20% less than that. You want to lose weight on as many calories as you possibly can.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    As much as I'm not a huge proponenet of clean eating, I do think finding a healthier balance may help you. You've got some salads in there, which is good but I'd try to eat more fruits and veggies and more fresh foods at home rather than all the packaged and prepared stuff. And not just because it's healthier but because whole foods tend to stick to us longer. If you're eating a lot of breads and cookies and sugary coffee drinks, those tend to burn up quickly so you're hungry again and therefore eating more than you may want to in a day. But if you eat a good balance of lean proteins, healthy fats (good job on the coconut oil BTW) and complex carbs (fruits, veg, whole grain), those foods tend to help you stay full longer so you're not as tempted to give in to the less healthy snacks.

    Ultimately though it's does come down to calories in vs calories out. Try harder to stay within your daily calorie goal. Planning foods for the week helps me a lot in this regard. I'm usually able to pre-log my day's food most days. This week was off because I didn't have time for that planning/preparing last weekend, so I did a lot of overeating on the fly. It's amazing how much of a difference it makes!
  • Geeky_Girl
    Geeky_Girl Posts: 239 Member
    I would suggest getting a HRM and tracking sodium. Sodium is tricky sometimes and, if you're eating lots of prepared food and fast food, will mess with your weightloss.

    Once you do that, decide that you want this and stick to a plan that works. Maybe limit eating out to once a week, or only at Subway or someplace you can get a reasonable meal. Don't go too far too fast or you may burn yourself out before you even get going.

    Good luck on everything! Never be afraid to ask for help (but be prepared for some negative people if you ask in the general forums)! :)
  • aezaidan
    aezaidan Posts: 31 Member
    ok... I should also mention....

    When I eat at home I do measure EVERYTHING!!! I count my chips out one by one and I measure EXACTLY one tbs of coconut oil, etc.

    when i eat out i do estimate or use the same foods from other restaurants, but I do try to make sure the portion sizes are the same. So i will try to cut out eating out more (but it's hard with my husband who is a junk food addict) but that is no excuse. I CAN eat at home and I WILL make that a new focus....

    when it comes to eating prepackaged meals.... this one is hard too. the funny thing is I LOVE to cook!!! It's what I went to school for.... BUT I have a hard time making my own food without crap tons of salt, butter, cream and all the things in the world that taste so darn good!!!! and I find it harder to keep track since i don't know how to measure as I go when I'm cooking meals... So i figured I'd be better off eating something already portioned and already calculated..... Also, the packaged salads come with dressing that is already included in the calorie count which is why i like them. they hold me accountable for not just dumping dressing on and saying "yeah...that looks like 2tbs"

    I do have a HRM and that was what made me lower my exercise calories down to 100/session. My HRM and MPF were saying I burned 1000 or more calories, but when I did the math, my actual average bpm came to only burning 300, so i figured if i put 100, i would be under no matter what and I would be better off.....

    oh and another thing... i do not drink juice and i log every coffee I drink!!! I swear i do!!!!!!!
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    You have your calories in/calories out out of balance, it really should be that plain, regardless of macro balance.

    1) If you don't have a hrm, buy one to assist you in getting your best estimate for calorie burn during cardio activity
    2) If you aren't measuring and weighing everything, change your approach as very few of us have a real accurate eye for such things.
    3) pick up some weights, this will help you retain some lean mass while losing fat, which helps reduce bf% more quickly.
    4) stay away from more generic food items, ie: Kroger salad +1 topping (an no mention of dressing - what's in the salad, what was that topping?
    5) Along with your basic macros, pull your sodium into your diary. I'm not saying this because I track mine or over ths long run it will necessarily deter you from losing wieght, I'm saying this because you eat a lot of processed foods (which I personally don't have an issue with execpt see #6) and therefore it may benefit you if you have other health concerns (hypertension) to watch your levels. I suspect that you're consuming sodium at rates that are pretty much off the charts.
    6) Processed foods, while tasty and easy, are not the best souces for a) nutrition or b) food efficiency. If you have a habit of binging I propose you have single servings of yogurts, fruits, lean meats, whole grains, and avocados or other fat sources available as opposed to frozen or prepackaged meals. Lately I've been eating a load of grapes or watermelon instead of the bag of chips or sweets I want (not that I don't eat chips or sweets, just trying to get back into moderation).
    7) Don't try to eat low fat/cab/etc . . . both of these balance with your proteins to make you feel full. When I eat low fat and low carb instead of moderate fat and moderate carb I have a greater tendency to binge.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    ok... I should also mention....

    When I eat at home I do measure EVERYTHING!!! I count my chips out one by one and I measure EXACTLY one tbs of coconut oil, etc.

    a scale is better than a measuring cup

    when i eat out i do estimate or use the same foods from other restaurants, but I do try to make sure the portion sizes are the same. So i will try to cut out eating out more (but it's hard with my husband who is a junk food addict) but that is no excuse. I CAN eat at home and I WILL make that a new focus....


    If you look at websites the consumer reports tested calories to those the restaurants publish can be +/- 300 calories or more

    when it comes to eating prepackaged meals.... this one is hard to. the funny thing is I LOVE to cook!!! It's what I went to school for.... BUT I have a hard time making my own food without crap tons of salt, butter, cream and all the things in the world that taste so darn good!!!! and I find it harder to keep track since i don't know how to measure as I go when I'm cooking meals... So i figured I'd be better off eating something already portioned and already calculated.....

    you can still cook with butter, I do . . . there are somethings that just require butter. Sour cream I substitute Greek Yogurt (makes it even tangier and works the same, even having to bring to room temperature), using herbs and spices can help with flavoring too. When you just can't substitute, eat an appropriate portion. As you're cooking having your phone with you and if it goes into the dish scan it using the mobile app recipe builder. If your concern was sodium, then you might be surprised by the amount of sodium in the prepackaged foods. Also, as you should know, sea salt will get you there quicker and with less sodium than table salt.

    I do have a HRM and that was what made me lower my exercise calories down to 100/session. My HRM and MPF were saying I burned 1000 or more calories, but when I did the math, my actual average bpm came to only burning 300, so i figured if i put 100, i would be under no matter what and I would be better off.....

    No. Not "better off" but under. my understanding is that at around 300 pounds a vlcd may not be as detrimental to your health as it is at a lower weight, however it can be detrimental to your progress. Getting within a pretty good estimated percentage for calories in/calories out is important to continued positive progress. Up that estimate, if your still afraid at least go with the more conservative number of 300, but I would go slightly higher.
  • ok... I should also mention....

    When I eat at home I do measure EVERYTHING!!! I count my chips out one by one and I measure EXACTLY one tbs of coconut oil, etc.

    when i eat out i do estimate or use the same foods from other restaurants, but I do try to make sure the portion sizes are the same. So i will try to cut out eating out more (but it's hard with my husband who is a junk food addict) but that is no excuse. I CAN eat at home and I WILL make that a new focus....

    when it comes to eating prepackaged meals.... this one is hard too. the funny thing is I LOVE to cook!!! It's what I went to school for.... BUT I have a hard time making my own food without crap tons of salt, butter, cream and all the things in the world that taste so darn good!!!! and I find it harder to keep track since i don't know how to measure as I go when I'm cooking meals... So i figured I'd be better off eating something already portioned and already calculated..... Also, the packaged salads come with dressing that is already included in the calorie count which is why i like them. they hold me accountable for not just dumping dressing on and saying "yeah...that looks like 2tbs"

    I do have a HRM and that was what made me lower my exercise calories down to 100/session. My HRM and MPF were saying I burned 1000 or more calories, but when I did the math, my actual average bpm came to only burning 300, so i figured if i put 100, i would be under no matter what and I would be better off.....

    If you love to cook, you must check out Skinnytaste.com. She has wonderful recipes with calories and macros counted for you. There are probably other sites as well, I think Allrecipes has a "low cal" section if you hunt around.

    Good on you for the salads, just make sure (if you're not already) that the calorie count is for one serving only. That prepackaged stuff can be tricky.

    I agree about the sodium tracking. I am a recovering salt junkie myself but I retained water like nobody's business until I made a concerted effort to cut down on the stuff and include sodium in my macros.

    And not to sound like a broken record, but make sure you are weighing everything as well as measuring. It sounds like you have some good habits established, try for just one week without fast food or restaurant food and see if you get results. Your hubby can get take-out if he is really craving it.

    Good luck!
  • owlie246
    owlie246 Posts: 4 Member
    Hello! Firstly, can I just say that putting yourself out there on a forum is incredibly brave, so probably a big step right there. I think we probably have similar goals and a similar way to go, so I will send you a friend request, as we might be able to help each other. :) What I have been doing is not trying to go a diet, but change my entire lifestyle.
    I have always cooked pretty healthy meals (having done nutrition as part of my degree), but have really surprised myself since I started weighing out ingredients and looking at portions. I have been sort of sticking to a 80/20 rule, as I think for me it is more sustainable as a lifelong change. So, 80% of the time it is healthy eating and careful with calories, then 20% of the time it is pretty much (within reason) what I fancy eating. I have also started going to the gym, aiming for 3 times a week.

    Something else that I think using the food diary helped with is looking at something high in calories and thinking about taste and satisfaction of that food, divided by the calories involved, then deciding if it is actually worth blowing that many calories on that item. :)

    Anyway, i'll stop waffling on and just wish you all the best with your journey. :)
  • exmsde
    exmsde Posts: 85 Member
    I had a similar experience in that I lost a lot the first week, as expected, and then stopped. When I broke through the plateau the weight loss was still much lower than might be expected based on calories in vs out. Because I'd concentrated on upping my exercise before I even started to cut my calorie intake, and bought a scale that measures body fat percentage, I could see that I was losing body fat at a much higher rate than weight. Other measures of the benefits of the change in diet and activity levels (e.g., blood pressure) also showed progress faster than weight loss. So you might want to start looking at multiple measures rather than just weight. They could help keep you motivated.

    Sounds like there is a pretty good chance you are both over-estimating your burn and under-estimating your intake just enough for you to feel the negatives (e.g., always feeling hungry) but not have any weight loss. What I do in that situation is take a week or two (or three...) to really concentrate on making sure I stick to my calorie goals. Measuring cups and a scale become my best friends. I avoid eating out, or if I still do so then it has to be things I can get good calorie counts for. I up my activity level too, and I'm conservative about much more that will let me eat.

    Also, the hardest thing for me, and I suspect for you based on your binge comments, is dealing with cravings. I make sure to keep snacks around and allocate calories for them. Part of the fun for me has been finding and trying snacks in the 100-150 calorie range that really do address my cravings. Both mid-afternoon and mid to late evening I eat something. Sometimes mid-morning, but that is much less likely. And while often those are healthy low-calorie snacks like fruit, I have a cabinet full of things geared to meet my traditional craving needs without blowing my calorie goal. So start building your needs into your diet rather than trying to fight them!

    Lastly, go get a Fitbit or similar device. Then use it to motivate you to push your activity level up. Not as a substitute for specific exercise activities like Zumba, but as a way to slowly and fairly painlessly make more progress. See how many steps per day you are doing. Try upping it by 500 or 1000. It's amazing how easy it is to add 1000 steps per day (ie, don't try going from 4000 a day to 10000 all at once, do it a bit at a time) even if you are way out of shape. It is also going to come in handy when you reach the point of trying to achieve your internal vision of yourself as a runner!
  • Alluring72
    Alluring72 Posts: 50 Member
    Don't forget to look at other measurements - waist, thighs, etc. I have plateaued weight wise too, but I can feel and see a definite difference in my legs, pants are fitting more loosely. Muscle weighs more than fat - but you are far better off having more muscle and less fat.

    Focus on the whole picture, not just the scale. The scale will move again. Just keep up the good work.
  • Brige2269
    Brige2269 Posts: 354 Member
    A couple things I noticed about your diary....

    You have a lot of prepackaged salads, but there is never any dressing. Do you eat it without? If you use dressing, make sure to add that because most salad dressings are filled with calories, sodium & fat.

    My other question, are you measuring your foods or just guessing? I see mostly pre-packaged or restaraunt type foods that appear to not always go with everything else, so it almost looks like you are just picking something that may be close to what you are eating. Often times we think that we are estimating over the calories we are eating, but in reality, we are not estimating enough calories. It looks to me as if it is possible that you need to weigh and measure your food and stop estimating.

    And where are the fruits and veggies :wink: Add more fresh fruits and veggies to your diet, that will help as well (from my experience).

    Best of luck :drinker:
    This was my exact response. Popcorn for lunch is not a great way to go either. If your going to be working out, you need that protien. Def add the fruits and veggies, watch your sodium, add that counter back onto your diary. Good luck to you!! Feel free to friend me.
  • judychicken
    judychicken Posts: 937 Member
    Bump
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    I should also note that the meal times don't necessarily reflect when I'm actually eating it. sometimes when I eat a cookie or something I'll trow it in dinner because it's the first thing I clicked.....
    This shouldn't matter
  • Ivey05131980
    Ivey05131980 Posts: 1,118 Member
    I have JUST gone through a 3 month plateau/maintain period...this past week I've lowered my carbs, less processed "boxed" foods, less calories, more water and not eaten back my exercise calories burned. I've lost 2 lbs. this week.

    Try something new this coming week. Change something up. If that doesn't work, change something different the next week.

    But, don't give up!!
  • walleymama
    walleymama Posts: 174 Member
    I notice that nobody has asked you whether you are finding it easy or difficult to stick with your caloric goals. Why do you think you go over on some days? Is it frustration from being hungry and always feeling deprived?

    If so, I agree with those who suggest you eat more filling foods, getting more satiety "bang" for your caloric "buck". AFAIC, it really doesn't matter one fig whether that's a hamburger from McDonalds or a nutritious homemade dinner, either of those things will make you feel full compared to, say, popcorn or coffee drinks.

    OTOH, perhaps you are not feeling deprived and hungry, in which case I would not change your caloric goals. Obviously there is a measurement issue here and since it sounds like you've got your Zumba estimates well within control then it must be an underestimate of what you are eating. I hear that you are measuring everything and I'm going to agree with you against others that actually eating pre-packaged foods can make tracking calories and macros much easier.

    Whether it is having a big fat latte every day or eating frozen dinners, do whatever you need to do to make this as easy on yourself as possible. Don't be hungry and don't feel deprived. Do stick to your goals.

    While I feel pretty strongly not to look at macros when you are first beginning your journey, I will agree that very high sodium intake can cause water retention, but if you are eating at a true deficit your weight should still go down over time, even if the estimate of weight is a bit high due to water weight.

    My final piece of advice: if you have been tracking your weight, exercise, and intake daily you can analyze your own data to see how much weight you have actually lost and compare it to the amount you *should* have lost based on your daily caloric deficit. You may need to tweak your TDEE or NEAT estimates, but more likely it is an error in tracking intake/outake.
  • WhiteRabbit1313
    WhiteRabbit1313 Posts: 1,091 Member
    I'm going to reiterate what others have said. I calculated your daily average for the past seven days at 1744 calories/day, which is probably reasonable at your size in this stage of your weight loss journey. If you arrived at your daily goal via the use of a TDEE calculator, I'd say your problem may be that you're underestimating what you're eating. You need a food scale; it keeps you honest. I bought one and was shocked at the results and how much I fib on my intake. So, check your daily caloric goals to make sure you're fueling your body at the right amount to create a reasonable deficit, then closely monitor your portion sizes.
  • schondell
    schondell Posts: 556 Member
    Consistency.

    A binge for a day may not seem like a big deal but those extra calories don't just disappear.
  • chickiepea
    chickiepea Posts: 7 Member
    I'm relatively new here, and will admit that I did not read all of the replies, but wanted to chime in with my 2c.
    I would highly recommend reading _It Starts with Food_ and reading the information online about doing a Whole 30.

    I don't have any fancy letters after my name, but have been researching health and food for 13 years now, as my daughter has struggled through an immune disorder. We've changed our diet (mostly removing foods) many times, but I finally feel like this book has all the right information in ONE place. So, after 13 years of reading everything from cookbooks to medical journals, I highly recommend it!

    I am not interested in starting a debate, but I absolutely disagree that you should not eat clean. It's true that you can lose weight by eating even fast food, but if your end goal is HEALTH, then you should put clean food as a priority. Without clearing the inflammation and healing your gut from all of the "bad" food, you will either put the weight back on, or still suffer the consequences of eating the unclean food. Being thin and sick is no fun at all.

    (By the way, I am in no way affiliated with the Whole 30 folks at all, in case you are wondering. I just finished reading the book, and am on Day 12 of my first Whole 30, and it is really resonating with me.)

    Best Wishes!
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    When I eat at home I do measure EVERYTHING!!! I count my chips out one by one and I measure EXACTLY one tbs of coconut oil, etc.

    Measure with a kitchen scale. Don't count each chip, weigh them on your kitchen scale. Con't measure your oil,in a Tablespoon, weight it on the scale.

    (For things like oils and peanut utter, I put my bread or salad on the scale, zero it out, then drizzle the oil or mayo or PB until the scale shows the correct weight)
  • ereck44
    ereck44 Posts: 1,170 Member
    first of all, congrats on the 10 pound weight loss in a month or 6 weeks time! Can't figure out when you joined.

    My guess based on all the processed food that you eat is that you are retaining a significant amount of water weight. Wow, if you are a cook, then you are doing a big disservice to your taste buds by eating like that. I too eat frozen dinners from time to time, but pair it with some broccoli, an apple, some steamed corn. You can buy a container of mixed greens and add a lot of tasty toppings that you can measure and control. Vinaigrette dressing has a lot lower calories than most dressings, and I measure it using the gram setting on a food scale.

    I love that you have specific goals. Set mini-goals that are achievable. Don't be afraid to sweat. You don't have to run to get fit.

    I think plateaus have to last 6 weeks or longer to be a true plateau. (I learned this from my fellow mfp-ers.)

    Don't be in a hurry to lose weight or make huge changes in your diet or fitness regimen. This for the long haul, right? A life time change?

    Any chance that your spouse can eat a little healthier--he may be skinny, but not doing his arteries any good.

    good luck. you are getting a lot of good advice.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    (For things like oils and peanut utter, I put my bread or salad on the scale, zero it out, then drizzle the oil or mayo or PB until the scale shows the correct weight)

    Awesome idea! I would never have thought of that!
  • I want to second others and say that you're showing your courage and dedication by asking here for advice! I would ask you to consider adding more protein to your diet, if you're struggling with overeating some days. When I have protein for snacks, instead of just carbs, it keeps me full for longer and I don't get to the point of "I-am-so-hungry-right-now-that-nothing-will-do-except-a-bacon-cheeseburger!" Try keeping around some nuts or trail mix, beef jerky, or a hard-boiled egg for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack.

    I also started packing a lunch: tuna salad (with lots of cut up veggies like pickles, green onion, bell peppers, and I don't skimp on the mayonnaise) eaten on crispy romaine leaves, a single serving of chips or crackers so I get a little more crunch and some salt, a hard-boiled egg, extra veggies like carrots or celery, a sweet fruit like grapes or tangerines to satisfy my sweet tooth, and even a small yogurt if needed. I'm full till dinner time, and I ate so many different kinds of foods, textures, and sweet/salty tastes, that I feel like I ate a lot more than the calories involved!

    I also have tried to stop drinking nearly as many sugary beverages. I was having a large Coke every day, sometimes even twice a day, and while I totally miss it, I enjoy my one or two "splurges" a week even more. I only have a sweet warm beverage once a week, a trip to Starbucks or Peet's with co-workers. (I still can't comprehend that a small hot cocoa with vanilla uses up almost 400 of my calories for the day!)

    I still have a long ways to go, but I'm seeing progress and it's helping stay excited and motivated. I hope that you can get past this plateau, and get back to the excitement of life change. :)
  • lajpeck
    lajpeck Posts: 83 Member
    I am guilty of eating the lean cuisines too. Working a full day I just don't want to cook when I get home. Recently I have been making a roast chicken on an off day and using that for several dinners. Also I do use breakfast sandwhichs but on off days I make my own omelet. Also now that fall is here apples are my new sweet. I was where you were a year ago and just made substitutions here and there to make things healthier. But I still don't eat completely clean and suspect I never will. Love to be friends if you would like too.
  • ashandstuff
    ashandstuff Posts: 442 Member
    The best advice I can give you is to HOME MAKE YOUR MEALS, especially since you like to cook! I love to cook too, and when I had to switch to gluten free eating due to health issues I just adjusted all of my recipes to be better suited to my lifestyle. ANY recipe can change to be healthier, it's just about getting creative with it.

    Make sure you eat enough, and limit your "going out to eat" to maybe once a week, twice a week AT THE MOST, for a while and see where that takes you.

    Definitely go with what your heart rate monitor is telling you for calorie burns. You need to eat back SOME of those calories.
  • I am just peeking below 300 lbs. My dietician suggested weighing in a maximum of once per week. Daily weight fluctuations can be as high as 2% That means 6lbs. If you see an overall loss over a couple of months, you are doing fine despite variations. Be in it for the long haul: this is for life and it takes a long time.:wink:
  • k1o2r3i4
    k1o2r3i4 Posts: 33 Member
    Hi there- Looks like you have a lot of prepackaged, processed, convenience and fast food. In my opinion if you cut back on that stuff, eat cleaner and cook more at home you will start to see a difference. I would guess you are pretty busy and dont put any time into planning you meals. If you plan your meals a few days a week in advance this might help as well! You will absolutely have to change your eating habits if you want to succeed. Best of luck :)