Feeling like I can't really eat anything anymore

NightKeepr

Looking up calories on everything that I have eaten, or want to eat, it seems like I can't really eat anything anymore.

Even iceberg lettuce has calories associated with it. And I've always thought that it was calorie-free.

I'm not trying to starve myself and I keep a healthy 1600 calories in my body, daily, but I've gone from being 235 pounds to 183 pounds and am still trying to lose the rest of the weight.

My body LOVES calories. If I were to return to eating normally, my body would get fat again before the end of the week. It's just the way my body reacts to food.

It becomes a bit concerning that I can no longer enjoy a beer, a glass of wine, a night of Chinese take-out, haven't been able to eat at a restaurant in forever, or really eat anything that is enjoyable anymore for fear that I'm over-eating, or taking in too many calories and that I'm going to ruin everything.

It may sound as though I am paranoid, but, honestly, I am. It took me a very long time to get to this weight with a lot of hard work, sacrifice and dedication and I am terrified that I'm going to undo all of it with evening of going to dinner, or purchasing the wrong thing for dinner. :indifferent:

mapenguinkeeper

eating normally? that is what you are supposed to be doing.

AmykinsCatfood

Why are you restricting yourself so much? I ate out like 4 times last week and still lost... it's possible to eat what you want as long as it fits in your macros and still lose weight...

Edited to add that one night out won't undo your progress. It's like a drop of rain in a lake. That lake is not going to be any bigger because of it.

uconnwinsnc

A glass of red wine for a normal adult is one of the healthiest drinks in the world. Humans have been drinking wine for thousands of years before obesity.

Eat what you want, drink what you want. You need to watch quantity. Iceberg lettice? No human has ever gotten fat from eating lettuce and veggies.

Denjo060

Why are you restricting yourself so much? I ate out like 4 times last week and still lost... it's possible to eat what you want as long as it fits in your macros and still lose weight...

Edited to add that one night out won't undo your progress. It's like a drop of rain in a lake. That lake is not going to be any bigger because of it.

^^^^^^^ this and everything in moderation

Mokey41

You're setting yourself up for failure because eventually you're going to snap and binge. 1600 calories isn't enough for an adult male to start with. You are undereating and can most likely eat quite a bit more without gaining weight. I'm 5'2" and 115 lbs and I eat 1500 calories a day!

Check out your BMR and at least eat that much. It will make life a lot more enjoyable and you'll be healthier in the long run.

SlimJanette

You can eat what you want in moderation. The more you tell yourself you can't eat something, the more chance you will have of bingeing.

janessafantasma

It sounds like you are making this a lot more difficult than it needs to be. I'm only 4'11" and I eat on average 1650 calories a day...you definitely need to be eating more. There is nothing wrong with enjoying foods or drinks that are high in calories as long as you do so in moderation. Some people choose to completely remove those foods from their diets and some choose to do it in moderation. You should probably calculate your BMR and see what you should be eating and then base your calorie intake on that.

Mr_Knight

Why can't your 1600 calories a day be your new "normal"?

WhisperAnne

I know how you feel, but you will slip sometimes and eat more but it wont make you gain all the weight back in one night! cut yourself some slack and enjoy fodo but in small portions. What I do is If I want a cookie I take one bite, or one cookie. And I'm satisfied and don't feel the urge to pig out. Some days I hate my weight and body..but then I remind myself I've come a long way from my old weight.

moment_to_arise

this will help with reducing your body size, and will allow you to eat slighty more calories a day.

eat lift and be happy!

kellybellyjellyn

It think it's time for somebody to have a little treat.

Part of this new lifestyle should involve learning how to incorporate the things to enjoy. If it's meant to be a lifestyle change well then you should still include things you love. Just not all the time, or everyday. But we're not meant to enjoy these things all the time anyway.. thats what made us fat and unhealthy.

I recommend going and treating yourself to something good.. something you fancy and not worry about the calories for one meal.

It's good for your soul and will keep you on track in the long run.

Don't go overboard and eat ALL the food.

Get back on track afterwards. and keep going.

I'm not recommending you eat take out every night, or even every weekend.

But once in while, it can be good for you.... not in the healthy sense, but in the "stop yourself from imploding" sense.

x

happysherri

Congrats on losing the weight. Try and look at this not as a diet but a life style change. Long term will you be able to keep eating ice berg lettuce and super clean? Some people can and that's fabulous. However i enjoy pizza, Chinese, fudge, movie popcorn and more. Of course i try and find healthy recipes but i do allow splurges so i don't break down.

Hang in there

kellybellyjellyn

Also you may weigh more the following day.. this is normal and will go away.

flumi_f

What got us fat, was not eating normally, but eating too much.

That being said - Some of your thoughts, give me the feeling, you may want to seek some professional help in order to learn to have a more normal relationship to food and calories. Food is important and should be enjoyed...in healthy quantities. That is what most of us (myself included) are trying to learn, IMO.

TheFangsKittie

You don't log. And when you do you log one meal a day at 800 cals. Log properly you will be surprised how much you can eat ..

DaveneGfit

I think it's just about making better choices so you don't feel like you're on a diet. It sounds like to me you are restricting yourself almost too much and this is when people start to give up. I use to try so many diets and would give up all the time because it was so taxing. Now I eat really clean and sometimes don't count my calories because I have learned to really listen to my body. At the end of the day it's not just about calories.

Derf_Smeggle

Congratulations on your success!

I think you will find, as everyone has said, treating yourself once in awhile is okay. I eat out regularly and have been losing weight steadily. You just have to moderate the treating of yourself. Once a week the end it will not make. 4 days a week, then we are into something else.

Saucy_lil_Minx

You can eat anything you want. Just learn to adjust portion size. 1600 calories is reasonable, and you should be able to enjoy lots of variety in your diet. Cutting out foods you love, or not enjoying the pleasures of eating, and drinking out with friends is the fastest way to failure. As another person commented you did not gain weight over night, and so one night of indulgence is not going to throw your world into a tailspin. Try asking for a togo box right away, cut your meal in half before you start eating, and that will prevent you from over indulging.

You still feel good about yourself, still go to enjoy the meal (now you can have it again tomorrow for lunch), and your still think you ate the whole thing b/c you'll see an empty plate when your done.

You can eat a truck load of veggies, and yes they do have some calories, but the calories are nothing compared to the benefits. I would chose a lettuce for my salad that I would actually benefit from over iceberg lettuce. It is nothing but water, and insoluble fiber (not worth the calories by itself), but romaine lettuce has great nutritional value. It is one of the better source of plant based protein, and soluble fiber. The phyto-nutrient levels of the darker leaf greens are just phenomenal! Try them anything over plain iceberg is a better choice!

This does not mean don't eat iceberg! I love a good wedge salad on a hot day. The water content in that cool, crisp head of lettuce is so delicious! Insoluble fiber is important to have in you diet too. I just make sure I add some other veggies to ensure I am getting my nutritional one. two punch in there as well.

Try reading some sort of nutritional info 3x a week. The more you know the better choices you will make, simply b/c you educated yourself.

Ready2Rock206

I eat around 1600 a day and eat out all the time. Start logging. Stop worrying about iceberg lettuce. If you go over occasionally life will not end.

NightKeepr

Thank you all for the suggestions and advice.

I don't log very well right now, because I just recently joined the site on a recommendation from a co-worker and still don't really know what I'm doing yet.

I don't really own any exercise equipment and have been meeting my exercise needs by using pushups, situps, crunches, etc. including an hour a night on the stationary bike.

I've recently tried to start jogging, but, although, I do jog until I'm tired, the tired part comes up quickly, usually only letting me clock in about five minutes before my body is ready to stop breathing. I'm attempting to move my time up by pushing until I absolutely cannot do anymore, but I seem to have leveled at five minutes, walking for another three minutes, jogging again for five minutes, etc.

I don't have a fear of food, but more so that I really don't know what I'm doing. I know that 1600 calories a day, combined with a vigorous workout routine have helped me to lose 49 pounds and so, I've stuck with it. I don't have the money to visit any dietitians, or formal gym trainers, so I'm pretty much winging this.

Once again, thanks for the suggestions and advice.

Mr_Knight

I've recently tried to start jogging, but, although, I do jog until I'm tired, the tired part comes up quickly, usually only letting me clock in about five minutes before my body is ready to stop breathing. I'm attempting to move my time up by pushing until I absolutely cannot do anymore, but I seem to have leveled at five minutes, walking for another three minutes, jogging again for five minutes, etc.

Sounds like you're totally rocking it. If I would make a suggestion, it would be to do the running differently. Look up a "couch to 5k" type program - that will extend your running ability through intervals of walking and running - and that will get you where you want to be quicker, and with less risk of injury.

Good work, and good luck the rest of the way!

NightKeepr

Thank you, Mr. Knight. I will look that up. I'd really love to run a 5k at some point. Most of my co-workers do it and they seem like they're a lot of fun.

Francl27

I eat 1600 calories a day and have no problem eating what I want (within reason) within those calories. It's definitely possible.

la8ydi

It's like a drop of rain in a lake. That lake is not going to be any bigger because of it.

Ooooooh I love that!!!!!