Help needed!!!!

Jodipops21

This is my first blog, I really hope someone will read it...
I have been using MFP on and off for a while now, adding foods and trying to stick to my daily calorie limit. I always fall off the wagon, I never seem to be able to stick to a diet, and it's getting to the point now where I am desperate!

I recently quit my job as a Senior Care Assistant, as I'm sure you can imagine, working in a care home keeps you on your toes. So with healthy eating and a lot of running around I managed to lose 7lbs in my first week. This was probably about a year ago, I have since put it back on and more, I can feel how fat I am getting at probably over 16st now, last time I weighed myself I was
16st and that was a couple of months ago.

Motivation is the key for me, no matter how much I want to lose the weight, I just can't seem to stick to it! I feel disgusting but I soon forget that when I'm for filling the craving to eat chocolate biscuits and cakes.

I am now blogging to see if any successful MFP users can help me, even if you haven't reached your goal, I need advice from someone who is managing to do it. I don't know what else I can do, I have tried everything including a hypnotic gastric band. I am not getting much exercise either.

Someone please help me. I can't take much more of being this size!!

struggletodiet

Hello, not that you have taken the first steps, you now need a support network of friends that will give you support and motivation along the way and to keep you on the straight and narrow, I am getting on with MFP as feel free to add me, what I am doing is setting a overall target and then setting mini goals along the way to get going as this helps with the psychological side of things

suey2k1

Hiya. Firstly don't think of yourself as 'being on a diet'. This implies that you are being deprived of things which will immediately make you want them. For example, if i fancy chocolate I have 50g of 85% cocoa chocolate broken into little pieces with 12 almonds and a pear as a snack. 177 cals, protein, fibre and carbs from the fruit and you get the chocolate 'hit' that you crave. If you ever feel 'disgusting' which you are most certainly not, try and think of someone you admire or who you think is successful who is near your size. An actress, singer, even a really attractive model from a plus size catalogue or something. This will show you that being a certain size does not make you 'disgusting'. It's just an idea that someone or something ( most likely the media) has put in your head. We all have our demons. The thing you need to question is are the things you think about yourself true? Most likely not. You worked in a care home? I used to work as a Home Support for the elderly helping them with things like cleaning, shopping, gardening etc to help them stay independent. It's a very stressful career but it shows that you are a kind, considerate and caring person. Time to be kind, considerate and caring to yourself. :happy:

KendraT1992

I found that this time around adding people from the MFP community has really kept me motivated. I will add you as a friend and hopefully if you add enough of us you will stick with it. Sure is easy to fall off the wagon, but nice when you have people who will help you back on

Jodipops21

Thank you so much to those of you have replied so far, you have said some kind and helpful things. It would be a good idea for me to have friends on MFP as I don't actually have any friends on the outside world. Sounds dramatic but I literally don't, drifted away from school friends so I have no one to help me stay motivated. Setting mini goals sounds good, I'll have to think of some...

Chance535

What has helped me stick to doing exercise everyday was to pick activities I really enjoy.
I started with walking, swimming and jogging and now I'm enjoying spin class and weight training.
Feel free to add me if you are still looking for support.

gypsy_spirit

In order to lose weight you have to be in a calorie deficit.

In order to know if you're in a calorie deficit, you have to weigh/measure/log your food. ( use a food scale)

Exercise is important to health, but not necessary to lose weight. (find something you like and do it consistently)

Meal timing is irrelevant to losing weight. Eat at the times that work for you.

Eat foods you like, make healthy choices along the way, learn portion control/moderation


Most importantly, motivation is fleeting. What really works in the long haul is building your habits around getting healthy. First work on staying within a reasonable calorie deficit (see link below). When you are doing that successfully - work on meeting your macros (protein, fat, then carbs). Once you can do these 2 things, look at other things like fiber, etc.

Build habits. They will carry you through. Make yourself do it for a while. Pretty soon, you'll start seeing results (and more importantly feeling results) and you'll be on your way. Good luck.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypant

ivery28

I understand what you are going through because I have been through it too! Its one of those things where just because you eat a biscuit doesnt mean you lost! This is a game and if you think of it that way you will win! Have you ever played Mario or any other video game? You have to start at the beginning you may lose a life and then game over but all that happens is you get three more lives and you start back at the beginning of the level. The point is you just keep on going! Stop thinking about yourself on a DIET and eating DIET food! Eat the things you like but in small moderation. Start by cutting one small thing out or not even cutting it out but not eating or drinking it as often. Like soda. I now only drink water, no soda or ice tea or even coffee. I dont exercise a lot but I have seen a change just by doing that small thing. Dont get me wrong I do occasionally drink those things but on special occasions like birthdays or parties, or when im just really craving (coffee!). I also snack ALL DAY LONG. Little things like carrots and freeze dried fruit or i'll eat a greek yogart or oat meal. I dont know these are just things I do and I find it works! Eat all day long dont deprive yourself of the things you like just make healthier decisions. When you go to McD dont get fries and a burger get a grilled chicken sandwich and a small soda. I really hope this helps you.

lisaabenjamin

This is a game and if you think of it that way you will win! Have you ever played Mario or any other video game? You have to start at the beginning you may lose a life and then game over but all that happens is you get three more lives and you start back at the beginning of the level. The point is you just keep on going!

I like this!! :-)

motivatedmartha

MFP friends are good for motivation but also to help you get ideas about how to eat at a calorie deficit so that you don't feel you're hungry or deprived (you may feel peckish early on as you adapt) - look at friends' diaries for menu ideas - seeing what works for other people is so helpful - you will see that people losing do eat normal food

One of the keys for me is to eat proper food and cut most of the cr-p out - planning in a treat is a great idea eg I plan in a small amount of chocolate and a glass of wine (or 2) most days. Planning my food for the day in advance helps me too. I log before I eat so that I can see the damage before I have actually eaten it.
Also look at all the different things people do for exercise (not essential but excellent for lifting the spirit - and earning more calories!). You will see that exercising can be really enjoyable - need not take huge amounts of time and need not depend on expensive membership fees etc. Walking and/or jogging are free.

You are certainly not disgusting - you do sound a bit depressed. If being more active and eating more healthily does not help you feel better you may need to address that with some help.

Good luck - you can do this.

nicolebailey35

hi im new to this to! I feel very positive with this calorie counter as I have a very hectic life with four children 16, 12, 2 and one! so it takes alot of the thinking out of it for me. I was disgusted with my weight when I got on the scales and have found by shaming myself and telling people what I weigh has helped me! good luck and add me if you need any support

1956jimbob

I will help you! I do not Diet. I however have found some healthy foods very tasty.And I monitor my intake of food.
One other thing I use is my FITBIT to monitor my calories burned, And I try for 1000 calories a day deficit. Using this site and my Fitbit site I have managed to loose 40 pounds. It will not happen overnight but if you can deficit 1000 calories a day it can translate to 2 pounds a week. My 40 pounds weight loss took me 160 days because I would fall off of the wagon now and then. Another thing I did was joined a walking club. I walk every day trying to do 10000 steps or more a day. So keep Blogging and I wish all the success

eric741

Hey Jodi. I have been using MFP since about Christmas with great success. This tool has been the most successful aid to weight loss and fitness that I have ever used. I don't feel like I am dieting. I eat what I want but pay better attention to serving sizes and nutrients. The keys I think are:

I have a friend (my wife) also using it regularly so we support and encourage each other.

I increased my exercise from twice a week for 30 minutes to 4+ times for 30 - 40 minutes

I log everything I eat - skipping or ignoring a sweet etc is only cheating myself. If I cheat myself I feel guilty. If I feel guilty I am inclined to eat another sweet. You see the cycle. Log it all and be honest with yourself.

We fast once or twice a week. This is mainly because we believe it helps the brain but it also helps the weight loss. Our method is not too severe - we will fast from dinner to dinner. So we'll eat a regular dinner then skip all food (except coffee/tea/water) until dinner the next day. This way we get 24 hours of fasting and it really has helped us recover from a night out with friends etc.

Our targets are fairly modest but not trivial. I wanted to lose about 30 pounds in 5 months and am right on track.Some days I am behind and some days I'm ahead. I generally look at whether I am trending in the right direction for the week and make adjustments as necessary (like consuming less than my target net calories).

Keep focused on your future - what do you want to look like and WHY. I find having a goal that is more than just a number - that is about life, health, something more meaningful - is important for me.

Good Luck.
Eric

scubasuenc

If you are not happy with yourself, the only one who can change that is you... Folks on MFP can give you ideas, advice and encouragement, but you need to find the motivation yourself. Think of one thing that you really want to change about your life that you can achieve by getting healthier. I am a Type 2 diabetic, for me my initial motivation was to stop needing insulin injections. Every time I wanted to give up, I would think about that goal. I no longer need injections, so I've reached that goal. Now I've come up with some other goals.

You did not gain weight overnight, so it will not magically disappear. Think of this as a marathon, not a sprint. However rather than focusing on how far you have to go, focus on today. I set myself two goals each morning (1) eat within my calorie goal (2) exercise at least 30 minutes. I only have to worry about being 'good' today. However I know if I string enough 'good' days together then the weight will come off.

Weight loss is ultimately about calories in versus calories out. You must eat at a deficit to lose weight. The problem many people have is that they are either under estimating their calories in or over estimating their calories out. I'm a firm believer in
gathering accurate data so that you can make fact based decisions. For the calories in side of the equations make sure you weigh and log everything you eat and drink. For the calories out, you might want to consider a FitBit or similar activity tracker.
With your job, you might find you are burning a more calories than you think because you are on your feet all day.

Once you get an accurate picture of your calories in and calories out, you can then determine what changes you should make. To lose 1lb per week you need to burn 500 more calories than you eat each day. To lose 2lb per week you need to burn 1000 more calories than you eat each day.

And finally, remember that weight loss is not linear. There will be weeks when you are confident that you ate at a deficit to lose 2lbs, but yet the scale shows no loss. Other weeks you will eat at a 2lb deficit, but the scale will move more than 2lb. Weight fluctuations quite a bit due to hormones and water. What you really want to look for is a steady downward trend.

Don't just focus on a number on the scale. You are more than a number. Take photos and measurements so you can see changes in other ways. Celebrate the non-scale victories - loser clothes, a smaller size, doing something you could not do before, etc. This should be about becoming healthier which is much more than a number on the scale.

Holly_Wood_888

Hey girl! Don't lose hope, your in the right place - I've been on MFP since Jan and I feel very successful! I was addicted to starbucks gingerbread lattes over Christmas! Once I started on this site and saw that I was spending 360 calories on ONE drink - I was able to go from having them several times a week to once a week and then got off completely and switched to Tim Hortons Coffee.

-Log, Log, Log ! It may be hard to face the calories your consuming at the start but you need to know what your filling your body with and WHY you are dealing with weight issues - eventually you will LOVE logging !

-Go through Community on here and read posts - you will find many blogs to be helpful and encouraging

-Don't give up Everything you like! Keep your diet healthy (ie. lots of veggies to help fill you along side your protein)
For me, I needed SOMETHING Sweet every day to take the place of starbucks, so I switched to med coffee, 1 milk, 1 sugar with a hazelnut shot from tim hortons - that equalled only 55 calories instead of 360 from starbucks !

-Exercise Improves your MOOD! Even if you start with something simple, such as a 20 min/ half hour walk every day or every evening... you will find that it makes you feel good and you'll want to exercise longer and try new exercises!

I will love to help you on your journey if you so wish to add me
Keep your chin up !
If you WANT to lose the weight you WILL !

eddiesmith1

lot's of good points here

I will point out a couple of things that may help you realize your goals,
You need to assess your caloric needs. Initially you should be able to lose at a good rate (say 2 pounds a week)
to do it (or confirm the numbers MFP has given you) try

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

You can calculate
- your TDEE (how many calories you need to stay the same weight right now - this changes so revisit it say monthly)
-Your BMR - Base Metabolic Rate - what you need to just sleep 24 hours

to lose 1 pound per week - reduce tdee by 500 calories
to lose 2 pounds per week - reduce by 1000 calorie

Though I now exercise daily I still use the Sedentary settings on calculators. I then eat back at least 50% of the calories I burn through exercise. I do it this way because i have a sedentary job so on an off day i'm focused on the correct number to still lose

Have a look at others diaries for inspiration, and if you want constructive criticism set your diary to open so people could give feedback

Now for the hard part - to really do this right you need to log everything that passes your lips, and to do that you need to weigh it not use a measuring cup or guess based on packaging (packaging uses an average and the items actually vary quite a bit)
If you are off in the calculation by 100 calories a day that's 36500 calories a year - 11 pounds
the same is true for measuring caloric burn, you can estimate based on calculators but a Fitbit or Heart Rate monitor will be more accurate (and they can still be off - which is why you don't eat back all the exercise calories)

You've made the first step congratulations, if you want you can add me and I will encourage you

junkey17

Its great that everyone has sooo much motivation to give!

My question is what is the amount of calories you set MFP for?

Second, you have to think about this as a life style change not a diet.

This is what i do (wrong or right it works for me):

I have my calories set at 1800, take a walk for 30min 2-3 times a week (dont log the walk so no eating the burned calories), have one cheat meal a week without tracking the damage and eat 3 meals plus 3 snacks!

you can add me

ValGogo

Look, it's not that I want to be callous, but this is just like being in a 12 step program. You can share about this issue until you are blue in the face but if there is no true desire or action behind the sharing, you will be discussing this "problem" forever and never reach a solution.

AND, the only solution, the only answer lies in watching what you eat and exercising. There is no magic bullet that will give you extra will-power. There are no magic words that will get you to be motivated. One has to eat a healthy breakfast, early, and one has to do exercise. It's uncomfortable and it's hard at first but one has to keep on doing it until one gets that energy surge that inevitably comes. It takes weeks, not days. It will take at least 6 weeks before you start to actually nootice that you are doing the exercises better and they are not as hard as they were when you started.

Here are examples of starting small and getting bigger. I began to walk to work which is just under 2 miles (3.5 kilometers-I assume youare in a non-US country becasue you said "biscuits"), and walking briskly, not strolling. I walk back home as well. I walk everywhere I can. I have the distances timed so I know how long it takes me to get from point A to point B.

I don't keep junk food in the house. If you live with your parents, ask them to help. Tea Time is a bad time. It's an excuse to drink sugary cups of tea and simple carbohydrates.

Culture is also no excuse. I hear people say like "I'm Italian, we eat pasta" or "I'm Irish, we drink" or "I'm Spanish, we like rice." For that matter, I could say "I'm American, we like excess." This one really irks me; "I have a sweet tooth." Please, it's still no excuse.

You have to get out of your comfort zone. The comfort zone could also be feeling down and uninspired. It's really easy to give up. It's really comfortable to say "I'm never going to lose weight so why bother." You are better than that. You are a human being with the capacity to run, jump, think, reason, and with all those human traits. YOu can do it, you just have to DO IT. JUST DO IT, like Nike!

I have faith that everyone can do it. I have faith in you too. YOu look young so do it while you're young. YOu can do it when you are older as well, but it will take more work.

ValGogo

In order to lose weight you have to be in a calorie deficit.

In order to know if you're in a calorie deficit, you have to weigh/measure/log your food. ( use a food scale)

Exercise is important to health, but not necessary to lose weight. (find something you like and do it consistently)

Meal timing is irrelevant to losing weight. Eat at the times that work for you.

Eat foods you like, make healthy choices along the way, learn portion control/moderation


Most importantly, motivation is fleeting. What really works in the long haul is building your habits around getting healthy. First work on staying within a reasonable calorie deficit (see link below). When you are doing that successfully - work on meeting your macros (protein, fat, then carbs). Once you can do these 2 things, look at other things like fiber, etc.

Build habits. They will carry you through. Make yourself do it for a while. Pretty soon, you'll start seeing results (and more importantly feeling results) and you'll be on your way. Good luck.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypant

"Exercise is important to health, but not necessary to lose weight. "

I'm sorry, but do not listen to this. Exercise IS important to lose weight and keep it off. It will take you less time and it will take care of the musculature and how your skin sits on your body. It will give you more energy. Please, don't poo poo exercise, because that's why the world is in the round shape it's in.

laureneliset

I used to be a platinum card holder member of the "falling off the wagon" club until I realised this thought in itself is the wrong way to look at things. When starting on a new diet plan, it's so tempting to think "right from this day onwards I will eat X calories per day and exercise Y times per week and therefore lose Z lbs per month" and, while this can be very motivational to begin with, what most of us fail to take into account is that changes in diet and exercise can often take time to fit into our busy lives. Therefore when we inevitably give into our cravings or avoid the gym because we're too tired, we often see it as failure. What you need to do is give yourself a break. If you find yourself "falling off the wagon", don't beat yourself up about it and don't give up! Take the time to figure out what happened and what tweaks you need to make, so gradually you build up a diet and exercise plan that works for you.

As an example - I started a new job in a new country 6 months ago and for the first 4 months I lost no weight, but made a lot of progress in terms of figuring out how to make a diet and exercise plan fit my life. In that time I learned what macros worked for me (I wasn't eating enough protein), how to get my food (there is no chance of me making my lunch to take to work with me so I've found where I can buy the right food during the work day) and what exercise worked for me (I had no motivation to run, so unsurprisingly failed every morning to get up and go for a jog as planned, but I have now become addicted to weight training and actually look forward to going to the gym after work to de-stress). I also figured out with the help of MFP what was sabotaging my attempts, and a large part of that was lack of sleep, leading to tiredness at work, leading to two grande caramel lattes a day at over 300 calories each,,, Once I made sure I got to bed at a decent hour - hey presto. I'm now really seeing weight loss results and I'm still learning and tweaking.

Also being active is a great excuse to make new friends. I have a regular Saturday morning hike with a group of girls I met through a girl who moved here the same time as I did. It's really a 2-hour girly gossip but takes place as you all walk up a hill. I burn over 1000 calories each time I do it and these girls have now become good friends.

So in summary - don't be down on yourself if you don't get it right. Learn, adjust, and keep going until you have your perfect exercise and diet regime. Seek help if you need to from fitness professionals. And go out and try something active, because there are some great friends out there waiting to meet you. Good luck!!

donnat238

Make it a lifestyle change...that is what finally worked for me. I would go on a different diet every month and eat baked chicken & fish and salads for weeks on end and then eat a pint of hagen dazs ice cream and tell myself that I had failed and was such a loser and that would be the start of an eating crap food binge. This time - if I make a bad choice I pick myself up and continue to eat healthy or make better choices. As many people have said - LOG LOG LOG, you will be amazed at what you are actually eating (too little or too much!) and find your calorie goal and stick with it. Add exercise, even if it's walking around the block. I joined a gym and would go and walk on the treadmill 15 minutes a day and slowly increased my time and pace. Good luck to you! This a great site to get helpful advice and friends to help motivate you!

davidhooie

First of all, I want to tell you that the advice you have gotten on here is very good! Make friends on MFP and ask them to help you stay accountable. Also, it gives you the opportunity to help others who are some steps behind where you are. I would encourage you with 3 things if I may.

First, remember the words "BABY STEPS". I have them printed on a piece of paper and taped to the mirror in my bathroom. It is a reminder that change takes time and every tiny step you take in the right direction is getting you toward your goal. Be patient with yourself!

Second, the person who said not to think of it as a "diet" was dead on! Diets imply that you will stop eating one way and go back to the way you ate before. Mentally, you are giving yourself a short term window when what you should be doing is permanently adjusting your food choices to something healthier. Find what you like as a healthier alternative and stick with it.

Lastly, and I can't emphasize this enough, please don't ever let the word 'disgusting' crawl into your head/heart and make its home there! Our world thrives on body image and no one feels the pressures of that more than young women. I am the father of a teenage girl and I see it first hand. I have always told my daughter that beautiful starts on the inside and goes outward from there. Please remember that truth and embrace your beauty while you work on changing the package that it is wrapped in!

Feel free to add me as a friend, I'd love to hear how you are progressing!

spara0038

When starting on a new diet plan, it's so tempting to think "right from this day onwards I will eat X calories per day and exercise Y times per week and therefore lose Z lbs per month" and, while this can be very motivational to begin with, what most of us fail to take into account is that changes in diet and exercise can often take time to fit into our busy lives.

^^ THIS. I'm such a numbers person and I had everything calculated. I thought: "Ok, I'm starting on 1/30/14, going to eat 1200 cal/day and burn 300cal/day to lose 1lb/week- and I'll reach my goal by the end of summer!" It worked... initially. Then it stalled out and I gained some weight back, some of which I'm sure is water bloat. BUT- rather than get discouraged, I'm now finding ways to mix it up and fine tune it until I find something that works. I started incorporating weight training and upped my calories to 1400/day, which seems to be working better.

Now, not even 2 months later, I look forward to exercising after work and the eating part of it has just become second nature to me. I do still have my splurges (I still like my pizza and my wine!), but I try to confine them to the weekends, or at least to work them into my calorie goals. Even if I have a bad day, I log everything I consume because I've reached a point where I've realized I need to be honest with myself. No, I'm sometimes not making progress... but no, giving up isn't going to help either. Your future you will thank you for that mentality.

KnitOrMiss

I find that for me personally, I have to be less of a strict-calorie-counting person, and focus more on getting healthy. Some days I hit my deficit, other days I don't. But if I don' t hit the deficit because I ate more fruits and veggies, I consider that a win. I have my target calories, and I use my two breaks at work to walk 15 minutes each, which usually comes out to two miles a day, 30 minutes. I am working to incorporate strength training into my routine (as it continues to burn more calories up to 24 hours later), but I haven't achieved that yet. Regardless, rather than beat myself up on it, I just keep walking, because at least I'm getting moving. In a little over 3 weeks, I've lost 7.4 pounds.

I've found that drinking water is the key to my personal loss, as I've tried every restrictive diet/workout program/combos known to mankind (or so it seems!), and it is only now that I'm drinking more water that anything is happening with me. A co-worker went on a product called GoCleanse, and it has worked wonders for him, but whenever he is off of it, the weight all starts creeping back. However, one of the things he learned on this journey is that on a minimum, you are supposed to take your weight in pounds (those on metric could use a conversion - or a modified calculation, I think!) and divide it in half. Whatever that number is, you are supposed to drink that many ounces of water as a minimum a day to clear your body of toxins and improve your digestive and metabolic functions. For me, when I did my initial calculation (this time) it was 272 pounds, divided by two equals 136. So 136 ounces is 17 cups (8 oz is a cup) of water a day. For me, it is easier to refill water bottles as we have a refrigerated and filtered cooler at work, and water bottles I'm using are 16.9 ounces. This comes out to a little over 8 water bottles a day. So I am for that. And I can seriously tell a difference. Yes, I'm in the ladies' room a little more often, but it is well worth it to see the evidence of my body's fluids getting clearer (even with the little excess that clears out from a multi-vitamin). Not wanting to get graphic, but all of my "processes" are getting more efficient! :-)

Another thing that I find truly helpful is that I sincerely work each day to motivate each of my friends here on MFP and on a private Facebook group we have. Most of these folks I personally know, but some I know only online - but I feel like I really *KNOW* them now. In working to motivate others, I find myself motivated! It is really strange, but it works. And I don't motivate them to help myself. I genuinely want to share anything I've learned that might help them or just remind them someone is in their corner. And I find that more times than not, it works to buoy my spirits as well! And then once they feel better, they pass it on, and it goes on and on!

Feel free to add me (that goes for anyone on here needing or wanting to share motivation!) on here. Shifting my focus to getting healthier rather than worrying about a dadgum scale has also taken a lot of the pressure off. It is all about making your thinking match your goals. If you are only wanting to lose weight, there are many unhealthy paths. If you focus on making sure you are healthier, weight loss will be less complicated! Best of luck to you!

130marie

hi there,
I've been where you are. I have PCOS which means obesity right from the start. I've been over weight since I was 14 years old, now I am 53.
I took a family picture this pass Christmas and refuse to hang it up. So I started the next day. I found a Raw food shopping list that I started on January 23, 2014. (I love it I dont have to cook...I hate cooking). and the Whey protein drink (one scoop) chocolate from Walmart. I took out ALL process food from my diet and if I cant read the label I dont eat it. After I started with the fruits and vegetables and fiber my body and mind got use to not having the junk food and I was so stuffed I couldn't have eaten them if I wanted to. I would also have minute oatmeal (not instant) every morning.
I stuck to this way of eating for a good 2+ week no cheating (I was down 15 lbs.. Since I started at 220 lbs I lost 44.5 pounds as of 3/18/14.
I can not do much exercising due to physical disabilities so I manage to start the Wii fit. I started out by doing the Basic step program about 20 minutes a day (no all at once) I then went to the running in place and the step total of 20 minute, and I walk.
I use the raw food list as my guide but I do eat other food if I crave it, I just dont over due it.
The list below is what I eat. I dont eat every thing on the list just what I like. I did also buy flat bread (watch the labels) I dont eat raisin or banana cause they are not good for losing weight. (later I will add them back to my food list).
The think is to remember to exercise even if it is 10 minute a day and when I feel like going off the wagon that is ok cause I go back to it the next day. I tell myself, "people may say I am not fat and I look ok, But I tell them my body is not healthy." I'm hear if you need advice or encouragement just keep on plugging away one day at a time.
good luck and keep us posted.

Vegan Shopping List – Choose Organic, Fresh and Raw!
For free vegan and raw recipes see thebestofrawfood.com
Produce
???? Avocado
???? Broccoli
???? Celery
???? Carrots
???? Cabbage
???? Cucumber
???? Green/String Beans
???? Green Leafy Vegetables (Kale, Chard,
Spinach, Lettuce, Collard Greens, Beet
Greens, Dandelion Leafs, etc.)
???? Seasonal Veggies (Pumpkin, Endive,
Sweet Corn, Fennel, Kohlrabi, etc.)
???? Tomatoes
???? Mushrooms (Shiitake, Portobello, etc)
Fruit
???? Apples
???? Bananas
???? Lemons
???? Seasonal Fruits (strawberries, tangerines,
pears, cherries, oranges, etc)
???? Young Tai Coconuts
Herbs
???? Garlic
???? Ginger
???? Onions
???? Fresh Herbs (parsley, basil, etc.)
Nuts & Seeds
???? Almonds
???? Cashews
???? Brazil Nuts
???? Almond Butter
???? Tahini
???? Sesame Seeds
???? Hemp Seeds
???? Flax Seeds
???? Pine Nuts
???? Pumpkin Seeds
???? Sunflower Seeds
Snacks
???? Chocolate Bar - Green+
???? Lara Bars
???? Didi’s Raw Granola Bar
???? Pecan Cookie – Good Stuff from Mom and
Me
???? Trail Mix
???? Baby Carrots
???? Dried Fruit
Sea Vegetables
???? Nori Sheets
???? Dried Kelp, Dulse etc.
Condiments
???? Pesto
???? Tapenade – Black Olives
???? Tapenade – Sun Dried Tomatoes
???? Black Olives
???? Salsa
???? Artichoke Dip
???? Stone Ground Mustard
???? Apple Cider Vinegar
???? Tamari (Soy)
???? Miso (unpasteurized)
Oils
???? Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
???? Extra Virgin Olive Oil
???? Sesame Oil
Spices/Salt
???? Himalaya /Celtic Sea Salt
???? Raw Vanilla Beans (or powder)
???? Cinnamon
???? Herbs of choice (Provence, Curry)
Sweeteners
???? Raw Organic Honey
???? Raw Agave Nectar
???? Liquid Stevia
???? 100% Pure Maple Syrup
???? Yukon Syrup
Grains & Pasta
???? Spelt Flour
???? Spelt Pasta
???? Quinoa
???? Buckwheat
Bread (refrigerated)
???? Sprouted Bread or Tortillas (e.g. Ezenkiel)
???? Sprouted Bagels (e.g. Alvarado)
Super Foods
???? Carob Powder
???? Camu Camu / Acai Powder (vit C)
???? Chocolate Powder (or Nibs)
???? E3 Live (Blue Green Algae)
???? Goji Berries
???? Green or Wheatgrass Powder
???? Lucuma Powder
???? Mesquite Powder
???? Maca Powder
Supplements
???? MSM Sulfur
???? Vitamin B-12 (or from E3-Live)
???? Vitamin D3
???? Vitamin K2

Holly_Wood_888

Its great that everyone has sooo much motivation to give!

My question is what is the amount of calories you set MFP for?

Second, you have to think about this as a life style change not a diet.

This is what i do (wrong or right it works for me):

I have my calories set at 1800, take a walk for 30min 2-3 times a week (dont log the walk so no eating the burned calories), have one cheat meal a week without tracking the damage and eat 3 meals plus 3 snacks!

you can add me

mlh612

I agree with what others have said - don't think of it as a diet, think of it as a lifestyle change. My focus is on eating healthy, but that doesn't mean I am forbidding myself from chocolate or ice cream on occasion. Everything in moderation and then you don't feel like you are restricted to what you can and can't eat. Best of luck and feel free to add me.

eddiesmith1

I agree with what others have said - don't think of it as a diet, think of it as a lifestyle change. My focus is on eating healthy, but that doesn't mean I am forbidding myself from chocolate or ice cream on occasion. Everything in moderation and then you don't feel like you are restricted to what you can and can't eat. Best of luck and feel free to add me.

I've lost 25.6 pounds since Jan 3rd and I've never restricted what I would eat just the quantity. I have some dark chocolate regularly, I've had Frozen Yogurt bars, I've had really good full fat Ice Cream, I've had eccles cakes and Sticky Toffee Pudding - But I've stuck within the plan for the week if not the day in all cases
The whole point of this is learning to live within a healthier lifestyle. You can eat anything in moderation and exercise. it's the moderation part that i'd say pretty much all of us have had a problem maintaining and the exercise second.
At 53 going on 54 I want to ensure I don't have the health issues i've seen crop up for friends that are caused by weight issues or other bad habits (and I've managed to quit smoking and haven't drank in 12 weeks either - though I will moderately when i've lost the weight I just would rather spend the calories on food while at a deficit. when i have 6-700 more calories a day a drink or 2 will be a nice addition