new to the forum - not sure this is going to work

ali4579

I'm sorry to hear you had a stroke. It sounds like you know you could have a better quality of life, but the changes you feel you have to make are really overwhelming you.

My suggestion is to set your MFP settings for maintaining just for now. Just log your food (with food scales preferably) and make your goal not to gain any more. When you are comfortable with logging your food then change your settings to lose half a pound a week.

If the thought of eating different foods is too much to handle right now, then don't. You can lose weight eating any foods, but you'll probably find you are ready to try different things once you start to get a bit more control over the situation. Good luck xxx

ccmzone2013

You can achieve your goals! Trust me . .. Check out my story!

Good Luck ...Think Positive! One day a time ...

asciident

Losing weight is mostly about diet. And by diet I mean simply eating less than maintenance calories. You can continue to eat what you do now if you simply eat less of it. Set up your MFP goals or use http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ to figure out your number of calories to lose 0.5 or 1lb a week. Then start logging your food (be honest, and get a food scale if possible).

You can worry about exercise and buying healthy on a budget separately, but the actual losing weight part is mostly about simply eating fewer calories.

You have medical issues, so I strongly suggest talking to your doc too.

Your attitude, and I say this with kindness because it's what stopped me from trying for a long time too, is going to be your biggest hurdle.

daw0518

P.S: I seriously doubt that you have tasted every vegetable there is, much less every way there is to prepare a vegetable.

Example - I used to HATE green beans because my mom opened a can and boiled them. But I'd try them every once in awhile if they were prepared differently, and now I have a green bean recipe that I LOVE.

^THIS.

In the last year or two, I've figured out that I like SO MANY veggies. The problem was that I wouldn't try them because I didn't think I liked them - & when I did try them, I didn't actually give them a chance. Now I like sugar snap peas, mini peppers, green onions, avocado, artichokes, spinach, kale, bok choy - just to name a few. I've discovered that I actually LOVE trying new things and now I don't knock it until I try it.

Also, in terms of the cost of eating healthy - the first trip was really expensive, I think like $70. After that though, a lot of things last for weeks, like spinach, carrots, tomatoes on the vine, sugar snap peas, etc., so I go shopping once a week for the things I need & it usually doesn't add up to more than $25, and that's even with me sneaking in additions that weren't on my list. Granted, I live alone & am only feeding myself, but I don't think $100/month is that bad. & especially if you shop at Winco or Walmart and buy the store brand, it can make a huge difference & save you a lot of money. Hope that helps!

handyrunner

P.S: I seriously doubt that you have tasted every vegetable there is, much less every way there is to prepare a vegetable.

Example - I used to HATE green beans because my mom opened a can and boiled them. But I'd try them every once in awhile if they were prepared differently, and now I have a green bean recipe that I LOVE.

^THIS.

In the last year or two, I've figured out that I like SO MANY veggies. The problem was that I wouldn't try them because I didn't think I liked them - & when I did try them, I didn't actually give them a chance. Now I like sugar snap peas, mini peppers, green onions, avocado, artichokes, spinach, kale, bok choy - just to name a few. I've discovered that I actually LOVE trying new things and now I don't knock it until I try it.

Also, in terms of the cost of eating healthy - the first trip was really expensive, I think like $70. After that though, a lot of things last for weeks, like spinach, carrots, tomatoes on the vine, sugar snap peas, etc., so I go shopping once a week for the things I need & it usually doesn't add up to more than $25, and that's even with me sneaking in additions that weren't on my list. Granted, I live alone & am only feeding myself, but I don't think $100/month is that bad. & especially if you shop at Winco or Walmart and buy the store brand, it can make a huge difference & save you a lot of money. Hope that helps!

same thing..I am learning to love them. still fighting old prejudices but willing to try!!

janesmith1

Hi all!

Well, here goes. I am way, way overweight and I keep on gaining. I am currently not working and am not active at all. I have a hard time standing for more than 10 minutes because of the pain in my back, which would no doubt be helped by losing 100 pounds say, yesterday. Because of this pain, though, I can't really walk to exercise and without exercise, I can't seem to lose weight. In addition, I just suffered a stroke two weeks ago and now I am supposed to be inactive for about another month. Before that, I was planning on exercising by swimming at the Y.

To add to this problem, I am on food stamps and I have to buy what is cheap and on sale. And just to be difficult, I tend to be a very picky eater. The problem is, if I have to eat foods I don't like, I say I'd rather be fat first and so I am. But I simply can't get past many vegetables without gagging and there are a lot more food items I couldn't eat if you paid me. So, is a diet even workable for me?

Totally understand all of this.

I'm a picky eater.

I have been on food stamps in the past.

I really am not a big veggie person.

I am trying to cut down on our food bill too.

Here's my advice:

1 - beans. Beans will save you, they are cheap, they are full of really good things, protein for instance. I could eat beans every day of the week. You can make burritos, enchiladas, etc.

2 - cheese. Cheese makes everything good.

3 - try salads with vin & oil & you can add lettuce, tomato, onion to your beans. Really good.

4 - shop at ethnic stores, specifically Mexican/Latino, also Asian stores. You can buy fresh made tofu there really cheap!

5 - you can make your own bread cheaper than you can buy it. You can buy 5# bags of bread flour at the store or all purpose flour.

6 - popcorn. Popcorn is amazing for filling you up if you like to eat a lot & you can put kernal seasonings (brand) on it & spritz it with water, add the seasonings & yummmm.

7 - exercose. You can walk daily, walk everywhere. Save up for a heart rate monitor.

8 - Indian food. Delicious and pretty cheap to make too. You can use tofu for paneer cheese for instance in paneer & peas recipe.

Hope this helps!

PS, I invited you to the group I made, I've lost 11# since I founded it on 24 Dec 2013!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/18126-lose-10-lbs-a-month

GL!!!

janesmith1

Start out with this one thing: come to MFP and log every bite that you put into your mouth. At first, don't worry too much about the calorie count, just get into the habit of logging. Then make small changes to bring the calorie count down.

It will work if you work it.

Agree with this! Log & pre-log!! Pre-logging works too!

GL!

jenilla1

Ok so you can't exercise right now, no problem you lose weight by having a calorie deficit. You don't want to eat veggies right now, no problem eat all the same things you eat right now just measure out smaller portions. There go those 2 excuses, now the hardest part changing your attitude, because you have to believe you can do this.

When I started a year ago, I had just been released from the hospital, was supposed to be calling to have oxygen set up at home, was told I wasn't allowed to stand for more than 5 minutes at a time, and heaviest thing I could lift was 5 lbs. Well at that moment I decided I could take control of this, I started tracking my calories and finding ways I could make small changes to cut back. I didn't rush out and buy organic or whatever, I couldn't even go to the grocery store then. But I could eat less of what I had here. Guess what if I was honest in my logging, weight came off. I did NO exercise for the first 2- 3 months, when I finally started exercising it was to stand up for 5 minutes at a time, once an hour. I've built up since then. Sorry I'm rambling but if you get your attitude and head in the game you can make drastic changes to your life.

Good luck to you

^ Listen to this lady. She knows EXACTLY what she's talking about. You can do this. :flowerforyou:

rodentraiser

For those who have offered support, let me say thank you very much, because I need all the support I can get.

I think for now I will do as ali4579 and some others have suggested. I will use the food diary to get myself comfortable with reducing portion size so at least I don't gain any more weight. After that, I will try to reduce slowly. Once I can exercise again, then I will be set to see some real weight loss. I used to walk 1/2 mile uphill and then back down 7 nights a week and boy, was I able to drop weight then. Unfortunately, because of my back, I haven't been able to do that in a couple of years. But hopefully, if I can go to the YMCA, they have an exercise there where you walk against the current. I am also awaiting confirmation from my health insurance to see if I can start therapeutic horseback riding and doing centered riding. These are things I can do to get me moving without impacting my spine. I am hoping that once I have lost enough weight, my back will improve to the point where I can walk again.

And I have to say, that while I don't like most vegetables, there are a few (granted, not many LOL) that I do like: Corn, tomatoes (I LOVE cherry tomatoes which I plan to grow this summer), peas, celery, and I love salads. Mainly I like fruits and could eat strawberries until the cows come home.

Anyway, I'll see how it goes. If I have to have another procedure done, that of course, will set me back in exercising again, but better to have that done than have another stroke.

Kelly