Hoping for a Better Me
Cocotrendy
Posts: 20 Member
Hello. I just signed up for this and I haven't the faintest idea of what I am doing. I will be 50 years old in November and just really need to do a better job of taking care of myself. I have fallen into a very comfortable, convenient lifestyle and it has to change. My goal is to lose 50 lbs. I am going on a cruise to celebrate my birthday and I want to be healthy to enjoy the cruise and my life thereafter. As I mentioned I am a convenience type chick, with a busy schedule, working a full time job and operating a part-time biz. I don't cook much ( my hubby is the cook of the family) and can't do salads either. (I love salads but have trouble digesting them right now.) I am just looking for something different and I hope this is it.
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Replies
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Hello!
I'd start here if you're unsure of how to go about it, loads of good information in there:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants0 -
Thanks ransaka. That was very helpful, good for putting things into perspective.0
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Hi! Feel free to friend me! This is my second time here at MFP. I've also done WW before. My weight goes up and down (each time I had a kid, and then stayed up after the last). I've lost 5-10 pounds here and there in the last couple years, but it always goes back up. Over the years I have figured this out - if it's too involved, I won't stick with it. If it's too restricting, I won't stick with it. I cook for my family and I can't NOT eat what I fix. So I've figured out I can do really well during the day, keep my calorie intake low, and then enjoy dinner with the family. I do watch my portions at dinner so that I can have a snack in the evening. This time around it's been a week and I've been under my calorie goal every day. I went to the store specifically to find things I could snack on that wouldn't bust my daily limit.
For a healthy protein snack in the afternoon I will have a light cheese stick, a turkey sausage stick and maybe some of those pretzel chips (half a serving). This is just a small snack that's not junk food and will keep me going.
It is easy to find light ice cream or sweet snacks, and honestly sometimes one of those M&M fun size bags is enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. I do have to put the chocolate in the freezer though because otherwise I'll eat it all (and I don't like frozen chocolate so this solves my problem - all I have to do is just get one piece out to thaw and I'm good).
I also drink a lot of water. My other drink of choice is iced tea, which is mostly water and not a lot of calories.
Oh and I also know that I have to have the same thing for breakfast every day - peanut butter toast and milk. So I got lite bread (fewer calories) and I just know that I am using those calories in the morning and I work around it. Otherwise whatever I'd eat would not hold me till lunch and I'd probably consume even more calories. And reduced fat peanut butter (which I used to eat) only has a bit fewer calories but a lot of extra junk, so I quit that and stuck with plain old Jif.
Don't know if this helps, but it's my experience!0 -
Thanks phantomrain10. This does help, especially the protein snack ideas. I am having a problem finding low sodium options which forces me to be better prepared for my meal options. It is getting easier and I find that I am still motivated as well. Thanks again for the motivation.0
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Hi. I am new as well. I am on information overload.0
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This might be counter intuitive to your busy schedule, but I'd ask you to learn to cook. Get a cook-book with calorie estimates, and start learning what you are actually putting into the food you eat. Learn what things you like and what it does to you, don't just accept what others serve you. If your hubby cooks, he will enjoy that you share the interest, and he will most likely enjoy cooking your meals after a while, as you find tasty options that suit you.
Cooking doesn't take that long, and it is a very important skill for a lasting change in how you eat. Modern food is so weird, with so many things added in, that it is a survival skill to understand what options will give you the best nutrition for the least amount of calories.
And then see if you can make some of your busy schedule less convenient. Can you stand while you type, can you ride a bike to your work, can you walk to lunch, can you walk to the store instead of driving? Often the search for parking or the wait for a bus is so long that you don't really save any time by driving. If you just manage to burn a few hundred calories more each day it will help.
Good luck!0 -
If you stick with fresh food and not packaged you will do fine. I have not eaten packaged food in over a year. My breakfast smoothie takes 5 minutes to make. I make good healthy soups for lunch on the weekend and make containers so I have them for the week. And you could help hubby plan menus so you don't have to just "eat what he makes". You could be having him make (or learning to make yourself) healthy choice meals that all of you could eat.
You don't mention why you can't eat salads? If there isn't a medical reason, your gut will get used to them. It only takes about a week for our guts to get used to the healthy choices we make and then it regulates to that.
Make sure you eat!! You will not lose weight if you do not eat. There is a reason they give you a calorie intake goal. It is okay to eat about 100 calories under or exercise yourself under but you need to eat.
Do not consider this a diet, consider this a lifestyle change. Most of us need this change and our families should join us on this journey. There is no reason that they shouldn't be eating healthy like we are. That's the rule in my house. If it is a lifestyle change, everyone will benefit!!
Good luck on your journey... you can do this!!0 -
Baby steps - one change at a time or it will become overwhelming. It is a life-style change that is a long and winding road BUT you can do it!!
Lots of water, fresh fruits and veggies and exercise! That's where I started and it worked pretty well.
Sending a friend request and wishing you all the best!!!!!0
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