n00b with "eating disorder"

Scottstoner83

Hello all, I have lost weight and gained it back more times than I can count. I have gone from 275 to 235, then back up to 285 then back to 215, then now back up to 295. I am trying to drop it once again. Today is the first day.

About me: I love the outdoors: fishing, hiking, backpacking, survival.
5'8" 295lbs

Majority of my exercise comes from the above activities, I have been slacking as of late.

Problem:
1. I start with good motivation then it dies off. Meaning I will be good for a week or 2 working out 3 days a week for 1 hour then I slowly start to slack off. At this point I am in the good motivation

2. I am a very picky eater, so much so that I go to counseling by my own choice in hopes to get over my picky eating. There is no rhyme or reason as to why I don't eat most foods other than they make me want to vomit just thinking about ingesting them. Almost all healthy foods are out. The only veggies I eat are corn and green beans. A typical meal for me would be meat, potatoes, bread. I like almost all sugary foods, and many starches.


Please help, I cannot eat healthy like most people, I need direction. My only weight loss program that ever worked was the HCG diet 500 cal a day. Atkins didn't work as i craved the carbs. I want to go on a low calorie diet however I am afraid I will be told I am eating the wrong calories.

IIIIISerenityNowIIIII

Have you tried any "hidden veggie" recipes? They even make pasta infused with a serving of veggies.

palmerdanielle

I think one thing that may be helpful is to see a dietitian and go over the foods you do like and create a meal plan based on them. I also like the hidden veggies idea, try to incorporate them with other foods cut up small so you don't notice them so much. Maybe try something new every week and try to prepare it in different ways to find more healthy foods you enjoy. If you like potatoes, make mashed potatoes but use cauliflower as well, eg. 1/3 potato 2/3 cauliflower or half and half, something like that to make foods a bit healthier. I believe they say it takes trying something 7 times to really know whether or not you like it, you may end up liking it.

I'd also like to point out as you already know I'm sure that motivation doesn't last forever. You need to do this for more than motivation or once it runs out you'll quit. I've done this many times. Everyone really has to find what works for them. You need to be TRULY committed. If you give up you weren't ready or didn't try hard enough. It sucks to hear, but we've all been there. I'm not saying at all that you don't want it but you need to look at this as a lifestyle change, and when you can really accept that I think you'll be able to stick to it
Remember a bad day doesn't ruin everything, just like one good day doesn't make up for all the bad. Keep active on MFP, add some friends and log everything. It will make it a lot more interesting and keep you coming back.

Finally, don't deprive yourself. It's all about learning moderation. Don't say you can't have something that's less healthy, because for me personally if I'm of that mindset I start to feel hopeless and give in. Instead I try to eat how I imagine I'd like to when I've lost the weight, a realistic diet of about 80% healthier foods 20% not as healthy is a good goal.

Be careful with low calorie, use what MFP sets you at as a guide line. If you try to lose too fast you're more likely to give up, as much as we all hate how long it takes sometimes, slow and steady is the way to go and you're less likely to put the weight back on.

Good luck! Feel free to add me as well.

AllyCatXandi

Hi there,

Good news - you can eat (a good deal) more than 500 calories and lose weight. You can eat carbohydrates and lose weight. Heck, you don't have to 'forbid' yourself from any particular food group or item.
Bad news - there are no 'quick fixes'. Putting on weight doesn't happen overnight, and it takes a good long while to get rid of it as well.

Everyone wants to lose as much in as short a space of time as possible. But trust me when I say starvation is not the way to go, and Very Low Calorie Diets should only be done under medical supervision.

Find out what your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), how many calories you burn by simply being alive, is. Find out what your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is - that is, how many calories you burn in a day when daily activity is factored in. Eat somewhere between those numbers and you will lose weight. There are online calculators you can find with a quick Google search that can give you a good estimate.

As for the key issues you've pointed out:

1. Sometimes it really is a matter of doing things even when you don't feel like it. There are good weeks and there are bad weeks, but you will never regret a workout. The start can be difficult, but you just have to push through until exercise becomes a habit, a non-negotiable part of your life. If you're someone who is motivated by other people, maybe make commitments to go hiking with them regularly. I have friends who meet first thing in the morning at the park to do video workouts. Find team sports or group classes, whatever you find you like. If you're getting bored of one thing, switch to something else. Find an event to train for. Prepare your food/lay your clothes out in advance so you have no excuse about the time it takes to cook healthily/get ready. Know those little tricks your mind pulls to try and get your to slack off, and figure out how to stop them.

2. The fact that you've sought out counselling is good. Try finding ways to enjoy the foods that you typically wouldn't like on their own or as a main flavour. My mum has been putting eggplant (which I HATE) in spaghetti bolognaise since forever, and I never knew because it was chopped up into little pieces. Try vegetables you haven't before, and try cooking ones you have in different ways. You don't have to revamp your entire lifestyle instantly. Just stay within your calories and gradually introduce new things and make little improvements here and there. Fruit and home-made hot chocolate are quite good for the sweet tooth as well, but there isn't anything wrong with the occasional cookie.

Best of luck to you :flowerforyou:

nikkihk

Hello all, I have lost weight and gained it back more times than I can count. I have gone from 275 to 235, then back up to 285 then back to 215, then now back up to 295. I am trying to drop it once again. Today is the first day.

About me: I love the outdoors: fishing, hiking, backpacking, survival.
5'8" 295lbs

Majority of my exercise comes from the above activities, I have been slacking as of late.

Problem:
1. I start with good motivation then it dies off. Meaning I will be good for a week or 2 working out 3 days a week for 1 hour then I slowly start to slack off. At this point I am in the good motivation

2. I am a very picky eater, so much so that I go to counseling by my own choice in hopes to get over my picky eating. There is no rhyme or reason as to why I don't eat most foods other than they make me want to vomit just thinking about ingesting them. Almost all healthy foods are out. The only veggies I eat are corn and green beans. A typical meal for me would be meat, potatoes, bread. I like almost all sugary foods, and many starches.


Please help, I cannot eat healthy like most people, I need direction. My only weight loss program that ever worked was the HCG diet 500 cal a day. Atkins didn't work as i craved the carbs. I want to go on a low calorie diet however I am afraid I will be told I am eating the wrong calories.

What's not healthy about Meat Potatoes or Bread? With the way you described it I was expecting you to tell us you down a half vat of Crisco and wash it down with beer laced in sugar packs.

There is no such thing as "wrong calories" they are just calories. You could eat a box of Twinkies every day and as long as you are in a deficit? You'll loose weight. Of course you probably won't feel awesome? But a calorie is a calorie no matter where it comes from. Sure, healthy alternatives are always a good choice for your body to operate at peak performance, but eating seven pieces of toast and a pound of bacon will cause you to gain weight as fast as a similar calorie intake from mounds of broccoli.

I have eggs and bacon with cottage cheese for breakfast, pork or beef with bread for dinner and wine almost every night... I lost 10 pounds in the last 2 months. I just watch my weekly calorie count. Corn and Green Beans are enough veggies, if you don't like the other ones? Don't eat them.

As for Calories... As a guy you shouldn't probably drop below 1,500. 500 will just make you crabby and evil. It's a longer process, but it SHOULD be a loner process to do it in a healthy way that doesn't damage your kidney's or cause potassium deficiencies that will lead to water retention and swelling in your limbs.

Expect to see 1-2 pounds drop a week, eat back your exercise cals, WEIGH EVERYTHING because thanks to American restaurant portions it's very easy to underestimate how much you are eating. And finally, don't stress about it. If you are happy and approach this is a great attitude? Your body will respond faster.

jennifries227

Have you tried any "hidden veggie" recipes? They even make pasta infused with a serving of veggies.

^^ THIS. I LOVE hidden veggie recipes for myself because I'm a horrible eater too. If you like pasta sauce try tossing a couple handfuls of spinach into a blender or food processor and adding it to your pasta sauce. It won't taste any different, I promise, but it does make it that much healthier! You can do broccoli instead or with the spinach. You can also add them to meatloaf, burger patties, soups and stews, etc. It's good stuff!

Don't limit yourself on what you can eat, just limit HOW MUCH you eat. Get a food scale (they're only $10-20 and WORTH IT) and weigh ALL your foods before you eat them.
I find it useful to log my food before I eat it. No nasty calorie surprises that way, and I can always get a little more or put a little back if I need/want to.
Force yourself to retry veggies cooked different ways. Try not to think too much about it and just DO IT. Your taste buds change every so often, and some things taste completely different when cooked. Roasted veggies always taste better, I'm convinced.

Good luck, and never be afraid to ask for advice or assistance!

LKArgh

If you have aversions that are that bad, maybe trying a specialist in nutrition issues would help. I have no idea how this goes in adults, but for kids such issues are often sensory related and need work with speech and physical therapists to be resolved, so maybe thsi is something you should look into.
Also working with a nutritionist, to make a realistic plan that will be healthy and based on foods you can eat, sounds like the best for you.