HELP!!

samfelder

Hello! I posted this in the introduce Yourself section, but it really belongs here as I did way more than introduce myself lol
Looking for advice and help in my journey

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I'm late to the party, I had no idea this support community existed, I'm super ecstatic! Please add me I'm looking for motivating people and also looking for people to motivate!

Soo..a little about me, I'm 22, living in Queens NY. I'm 5' 6, 182 lbs. I've slowly gained weight over the years, almost to the point where I didn't notice it (never weighed myself)...until I realized my clothes were getting tighter and my belly was getting bigger x_x

I'm hoping connecting with MFP I can start to document everything and hopefully that will help with my motivation.

I live with my bf, (who's 6ft, 280) and we've begun to eat healthier and exercise a few times a week. It really was hard to motivate him, which I felt held me back from beginning my journey sooner, but now I think we've turned a new leaf. For those of you who are doing this with your s/o do you have any advice on dealing with sometimes that lack of support? Or those times when you want to work out and they do not?

As far as my eating goes Im not really a junk food person, don't really like chocolate, and can go without eating out for months & not even realize. These past two weeks I have starting drinking a lot more water. I never drunk water. Like ever...I'd go months without drinking water, probably just enough to take medication if I needed to. I'm looking for ways to 'spruce' up my water however I'm not a fan of those flavor additions they have out now. Does anyone know of any tips to increase your water intake? Just something to maintain on a day to day basis (I work a 9-5)

My biggest problem is SUGAR. After doing research I've finally learned that it's an actual addiction. I have to add large amounts of sugar to everythingggggg. Things like Frosted Flakes, Honey Nut Cheerios, Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal, coffee, tea, milk....basically anything that I don't feel is sweet enough. On an average cup of tea/coffee I would have to add at least 10 packs of sugar before it tastes good to me. When it comes to cereal/foods I probably would add at least 1/4 cup of sugar until my taste buds were satisfied. My temporary solution has been to just avoid everything that I normally would add sugar...for the past two days I've been eating oatmeal with bananas mixed in, and only adding 5 packets of sugar. I know all this sugar is horribleeee & I'm scaring some of you lol but I don't know how to tell my body no. Does anyone have any tips on eliminating excess sugar from your diet?

As far at weight loss goes, I'm trying to lose 40 pounds, and of course focus on my tummy area. I've started the Biggest Loser Cardio Max, and it seems to fit in my schedule...I just sometimes wish it was a tad longer. Then again, I am still on levels 1-2 so I'll probably won't feel that way in a month. Today my bf & I attempted to start insanity. Let's just say Shaun T basically watched us for an hour x_x! God bless those of you who physically can get through the exercise! It's truly a physical challenge, but I'm hoping one day I can do it.

I truly did not mean to write this much x_x I promise I'm not long-winded lol...this was supposed to just be my introduction! Anywhoo, if you read all of this, thank you & sorry for any typos!
I appreciate all feedback and advice! Also pleaseeee add me, I'm looking for motivation and people to hold me accountable!!!

-Sam

martyqueen52

I get tired of going to the gym a lot, but, I always remind myself of where I was (body wise) before, and where I am not. And also the fact that my father is obese, and I do not want to be an obese father. I want my kids to be proud of me, and their friends think " Wow! Your dad is all muscle!". So, that always gets me going, along with some heavy metal music.

I know you said you don't eat junk, but don't develop a phobia for it. Eating "junk" is perfectly fine as long as it DOES NOT put your over your daily caloric allowance.

My wife always have a massive pitcher of water in the fridge with lemons and lime soaking in it. She might do cucumber and lemon, and other combinations too. I use the green tea water packets to add to bottles of water since I'm in love with green tea.

There's a lot of hippie fools on there who hate Splenda, but regardless of whatever you read about how bad it is, those tests were conducted with INSANELY MASSIVE amounts.... not a few packets. So use some Splenda if you like sugar, but don't go crazy.... and remember... 3-5 packets of Splenda has like 5 calories and 5 carbs.... but it's nothing to worry about.

And as far as losing "tummy fat", it's random where you will drop fat. You might lose some from your arms and legs first, then your tummy. It's different for everyone.

But overall, just be mindful of your calories per day and you're golden! Good luck!

SmokeAndMirrors83

Sam - As far as your sugar cravings go, you're speaking my language. I have a similar problem, but with my good friend sodium. People look at me as though I'm a crazy person as I sprinkle a healthy dose of NaCl onto already salted foods such as pizza.

I found benefits from reading about the impact to one's body about consuming excess sugar - not just long term effects, but the short-term effects and how it relates to weight loss. After that, I think it's a matter of acclimating oneself to the "new" tastes of food without the added condiments. Your (and my) taste buds are all jacked-up after years of being assaulted with insane tasting food, so it's going to take a while to ween.

So if I were you, first I'd spend time researching what happens in my body when I consume that much sugar. Second, if you feel a sugar craving, really try to force yourself to wait about 20 minutes. If the craving is still there, help yourself to an apple or banana, or even the occasional candy bar. I keep sugar free gum (Stride) at my desk at work at all times to keep me from venturing to the vending machine. I know it's not exactly the healthiest thing in the world, but it beats the alternative.

Make sure you're tracking your sugar on MFP. Try every day to know that number down a little more, until you're eventually under your goal.

If all else fails, try to fall back on one of the best pieces of advice that was ever given to me: "Suck it up."

lthames0810

You seem to already have figured out what may be the main thing that's keeping you from your goals. Rather than bingeing on cookeis or something, you seem to just prefer for your food to be sweet. I have no expertise in modifying behaviors but I have a couple suggestions to try.

As you are already doing, avoid the foods that you feel the need to over-sweeten. Rather that have cereal for breakfast, have eggs and toast. Rather than a beverage that you prefer to drink very sweet, find something that tastes ok by itself. You may be able to get your taste buds used to less sweet things by gradually reducing the amount of sugar you put in them...like use one less pack for a week, then another less pack next week, etc. I agree with a previous poster that artificial sweeteners are ok and many of us rely on them to get to the calorie deficit we need. They taste a little different than sugar, but you can become accustomed to it. If you still want to have coffee and put a lot of sugar in it, maybe limit yourself to only one cup let it be your treat for the day.

Last thing is about the excercise. It's possible to lose weight without it and many people on here have. It's good for your health, though, and If you do excercise, you can eat more while losing. But don't let an over-strenuous excercise program knock you off your plan. You can set that aside for a while or tone it way down and still meet your goals.

samfelder

I get tired of going to the gym a lot, but, I always remind myself of where I was (body wise) before, and where I am not. And also the fact that my father is obese, and I do not want to be an obese father. I want my kids to be proud of me, and their friends think " Wow! Your dad is all muscle!". So, that always gets me going, along with some heavy metal music.

I know you said you don't eat junk, but don't develop a phobia for it. Eating "junk" is perfectly fine as long as it DOES NOT put your over your daily caloric allowance.

My wife always have a massive pitcher of water in the fridge with lemons and lime soaking in it. She might do cucumber and lemon, and other combinations too. I use the green tea water packets to add to bottles of water since I'm in love with green tea.

There's a lot of hippie fools on there who hate Splenda, but regardless of whatever you read about how bad it is, those tests were conducted with INSANELY MASSIVE amounts.... not a few packets. So use some Splenda if you like sugar, but don't go crazy.... and remember... 3-5 packets of Splenda has like 5 calories and 5 carbs.... but it's nothing to worry about.

And as far as losing "tummy fat", it's random where you will drop fat. You might lose some from your arms and legs first, then your tummy. It's different for everyone.

But overall, just be mindful of your calories per day and you're golden! Good luck!

I totally get your motivation!! Im the smallest in my family, everyone on both sides is obese. I don't want to end up like that either... & I don't avoid junk food, its just not something I ever ate (thanks to my mom)...Sugar & Milk were my vices growing up...Even know, I can drink milk like its water (Even though I've somehow developed a Vitamin D deficiency ) I've been under my calorie goal for a few days now, but Im never really that hungry afterward! & I definitely will invest in Splenda..its funny because my doctor tried to warn me against it, and told me to just limit my sugar intake (my sugar is still in the safe zone, but I am VERY close to the hello pre-diabetic zone). I think a little Splenda can't hurt and would be good! Thank you MartyQueen

samfelder

Sam - As far as your sugar cravings go, you're speaking my language. I have a similar problem, but with my good friend sodium. People look at me as though I'm a crazy person as I sprinkle a healthy dose of NaCl onto already salted foods such as pizza.

I found benefits from reading about the impact to one's body about consuming excess sugar - not just long term effects, but the short-term effects and how it relates to weight loss. After that, I think it's a matter of acclimating oneself to the "new" tastes of food without the added condiments. Your (and my) taste buds are all jacked-up after years of being assaulted with insane tasting food, so it's going to take a while to ween.

So if I were you, first I'd spend time researching what happens in my body when I consume that much sugar. Second, if you feel a sugar craving, really try to force yourself to wait about 20 minutes. If the craving is still there, help yourself to an apple or banana, or even the occasional candy bar. I keep sugar free gum (Stride) at my desk at work at all times to keep me from venturing to the vending machine. I know it's not exactly the healthiest thing in the world, but it beats the alternative.

Make sure you're tracking your sugar on MFP. Try every day to know that number down a little more, until you're eventually under your goal.

If all else fails, try to fall back on one of the best pieces of advice that was ever given to me: "Suck it up."

Ahh!! I definitely haven't done deep research, just read a few articles via google here and there. Those in my life are just telling me to quit cold turkey and i just can't. I took your advice and started tracking my sugar instate & i think I'm slowly making progress. Is it still safe to eat sugary things though? You mention a candy bar, I can't imagine thats better than actual sugar right?

samfelder

You seem to already have figured out what may be the main thing that's keeping you from your goals. Rather than bingeing on cookeis or something, you seem to just prefer for your food to be sweet. I have no expertise in modifying behaviors but I have a couple suggestions to try.

As you are already doing, avoid the foods that you feel the need to over-sweeten. Rather that have cereal for breakfast, have eggs and toast. Rather than a beverage that you prefer to drink very sweet, find something that tastes ok by itself. You may be able to get your taste buds used to less sweet things by gradually reducing the amount of sugar you put in them...like use one less pack for a week, then another less pack next week, etc. I agree with a previous poster that artificial sweeteners are ok and many of us rely on them to get to the calorie deficit we need. They taste a little different than sugar, but you can become accustomed to it. If you still want to have coffee and put a lot of sugar in it, maybe limit yourself to only one cup let it be your treat for the day.

Last thing is about the excercise. It's possible to lose weight without it and many people on here have. It's good for your health, though, and If you do excercise, you can eat more while losing. But don't let an over-strenuous excercise program knock you off your plan. You can set that aside for a while or tone it way down and still meet your goals.

Thank you !! I've invested in buying egg whites (my cholesterol is a little high) so If I don't have oatmeal, its usually an omelet with cheese. I'm scared to weigh myself because if I don't lose weight I think I might stop eating more consciously. Right now my bf and I are only working out 3 times a week, and I just don't feel like its enough. I'll have to try diff things if just eating right & my limited exercise isn't enough.

JohnsElan

To make the water go down, I add a shot of lemon juice. I also have developed a habit for herbal teas.
For your sugar problem, if you cannot quit cold turkey, try sugar substitutes. For the longest time I could not stand coffee without sugar. After trying so many other substitutes that I could not palate, I found agave nectar to be agreeable. Good luck to you in finding your solution.

handyandy9x

For an alternative to Splenda, try Stevia its an all natural sweetener that has no artificial aftertaste, well to my taste buds anyway.

littleburgy

I highly encourage you to just keep working out even if he doesn't feel like it. For me, working out and taking care of myself is my way of rewarding myself at the end of the day and I always feel so good afterwards.

Ironically, even though it was my husband who kickstarted our fitness regimen over the summer, when winter rolled around, I was the one who was being more active. I think winter isn't as fun for him because he cycles, but when he sees me going to the gym I think something kicks in where he doesn't want to be outdone so I find him lifting weights when I get home

So you keep doing what you are doing. It might even help inspire him when he's having an off day and wants to slack!

samfelder

I highly encourage you to just keep working out even if he doesn't feel like it. For me, working out and taking care of myself is my way of rewarding myself at the end of the day and I always feel so good afterwards.

Ironically, even though it was my husband who kickstarted our fitness regimen over the summer, when winter rolled around, I was the one who was being more active. I think winter isn't as fun for him because he cycles, but when he sees me going to the gym I think something kicks in where he doesn't want to be outdone so I find him lifting weights when I get home

So you keep doing what you are doing. It might even help inspire him when he's having an off day and wants to slack!

That's so awesome!! That's my goal that I can inspire him and it won't take me suggesting a work out for him to take initiative. I'm hoping me leading my example will be enough and he'll take a hint !!

samfelder

For an alternative to Splenda, try Stevia its an all natural sweetener that has no artificial aftertaste, well to my taste buds anyway.

Will do!! I definitely know the aftertaste you are talking about so if this doesn't have it that might be awesome !

samfelder

What does your doctor say about skipping breakfast?

Get used to living with an empty stomach-at least in the morning- and eat your first meal of the day at noon.

That isn't healthy at all starving yourself won't yield long term results
I hope you rethink this plan and at least try to eat somethingggg in the morning

daniicaliforniaa93

Skinny Girl makes liquid zero calories sweeteners that I am IN LOVE with. They make Stevia, Agave and Monk Fruit. There's 180 servings in each little squeeze bottle thingy and it's zero calories. They are absolutly the best.

pmur

I had a massive sugar addition! I know exactly what you are talking about. I needed three/four tsps in my coffee and I had multiple cups a day. I also needed sugar heavily with oatmeal and other food. I tied reducing but could never stick to it. What helps me was cutting it out cold turkey. The first week was hard but I increased my protein intake to stave off the craving. I didn't use any substitute and just didn't give into the craving. I'm two months into it and now I do eat the occasional piece of cookie or cake and its too sweet for me. When you don't take any sugar, even a small quantity will taste sweet! This morning I ate some refrigerated muesli that I had made for my daughter but she didn't like. It had a tsp maple syrup in it and I almost didn't eat it because of how sweet it was. I eat mine with fruits and the sweetness of the fruits are just fine for me.
Try giving it up for a couple of weeks. The reason I didn't use any substitute was because I wanted to learn to live without all that sugar. And it really helped with the weight loss. From being on a plateau for months to losing 10 lbs in the two months I stayed off sugar is enough reason for me to give it up altogether!

HakkaFist

Heya,

Some stuff I have found that helps me -

Water: You can add things like slices of fruit (lemon, lime, kiwi, etc.), a few berries, fresh herbs (mint, basil) to kick your water up a notch. Also sparkling water (if it is zero calories) is water too.

Sugar addiction *can* be helped by taking L-Glutamine. Take between 500-1500 mg three times a day. If your craving gets too bad you can break a 500 mg capsule and pour it under your tongue for a quick hit and it will diminish the craving quickly. This tip I learned from Dr. Julia Ross in her book "The Diet Cure" . It works for me and it has helped my cousin who is majorly a sugar addict get over her cravings.

Stevia has a aftertaste at first, but it has zero impact to your blood sugar, so is a nice sweetener to use from time to time.

LeahFerri

What does your doctor say about skipping breakfast?

Get used to living with an empty stomach-at least in the morning- and eat your first meal of the day at noon.

That isn't healthy at all starving yourself won't yield long term results
I hope you rethink this plan and at least try to eat somethingggg in the morning

I don't know that it's really all that terrible to skip breakfast. I didn't eat breakfast for YEARS because my mornings were time crunched, and it was never a problem. A small population of people on MFP do intermittent fasting (IF) and I think that means they eat all their calories for the day between like 11AM and 8PM. Or something like that. It varies from person to person.
If you prefer to eat breakfast, by all means do so. But I don't think anyone should choke down breakfast when they're not hungry; that's really counter-intuitive to me.

Edited for typo.