What is wrong with me?

djbarriger

I have been watching a lot of videos and reading a lot of success stories, and people always describe their bad habits before their weight loss journey. They describe consuming soda, coffee with tons of sugar and creamer, and alcohol daily; munching on chips, ice cream, and fast food multiple times a day, or eating entire boxes of snack cakes or sugary cereals.

Now that I am in control of my own home and the things that I bring home from the grocery store, I don't buy ANY of that stuff like my mom always did. If you come to our house you will not find chips, cookies, cake, soda, ice cream, or candy. I eat fast food, maybe, once a month and it is just a sandwich to tide me over while I'm out and about. The only drinks I consume are skim milk and water. I am eating healthier now that I ever have, and I am heavier now than I ever have been. I realize that age has a lot to do with it, but I am 25 and supposed to be at the prime of my life!

I did give birth 6 months ago, and lost 20 lbs during my pregnancy because I was having trouble keeping food down for several months. I have now gained almost all of that back. I'm holding on to the last 5 lbs with all the strength that I have! I know that giving birth definitely changed my body. Even after loosing the weight, a lot of my clothing still did not fit like it did pre-baby. Would it change so much that I can't eat the same way that I did before without putting on pounds?

I must admit that I do consume a lot of carbs. Rice, pasta, and bread are SUPER cheap and filling. With only one income, we have a very strict budget and I just don't know how to make healthy mean plans without breaking my grocery budget. Is there a way to "trick" the bank, or do I just need to get used to hunger pains?

Please, any suggestions would be appreciated! I am trying to get back on the weight loss wagon yet again, and I haven't had much success in the past. I cannot remember a time when I wasn't overweight or obese. I am only 5'1" and at 16 yrs I was 150 and at 18 I left home for college at 180. The only time my weight loss was successful was when my husband and I first started dating and I lost 20 lbs by skipping dinner. My pre- baby weight was 203 (which is the heaviest I have ever been) and I want to change that for my husband, my daughter, my future children, and myself. I really want this time to be different!

firebloom

I'm the same as you. I gained my weight just eating too much of the right foods and not moving enough. I can't remember the last time that I had fast food. Maybe 7 or 8 years ago and it would have been a once off, not a regular thing. Same for soda (which we call soft drink where I live). For the past 3 years I have eaten a mostly organic unprocessed pescetarian diet. The only regular bad habit that I had was having sugar in my coffee which I have now eliminated.

I still eat healthily and have all of the foods that I was eating prior but now I also monitor the calories and pay attention to my activity levels. People sometimes act like you have to choose between calories in calories out vs clean eating but you really don't. I apply both.

It has actually made it easier for me that I started off enjoying healthy foods. I am losing weight steadily due to cutting down on my calories but I am enjoying the additional habits that I am creating since I was always someone who took an interest in health.

squishprincess

i'm a relatively poor/low income person and i can get a lot of frozen/fresh vegetables fruits (or even canned), beans (bagged/canned), whole grain breads/rice (which i don't really eat except for on occasions), oats, eggs, canned tuna or salmon, nut butters, nondairy milks (cheaper imo and last longer/extended shelf life than reg dairy, plus i get it cus my preference), maybe some healthier cereals/granola bars, or kettle corn for snacks and i can usually get a good bit of things for under $120, sometimes even $100, it just depends what i get each time/what's in season. i just get basics usually and combine different things like beans/salsa/seasonings and veggies together, or pair oatmeal with frozen fruit in the mornings with cinnamon, or you can have toast with peanut butter and a banana. i love making salads and throwing in eggs or tuna or beans and using salsa as dressing for lunch. mostly i just eat a lot of beans and veggies bc hey they're cheap and filling, and if you buy a lot of frozen/canned (just watch the sodium) it lasts longer and tastes fine if you season & cook it right. just some suggestions


also dont skip dinner! it's good to eat, and sometimes frequently if you prefer smaller meals throughout the day.

PrizePopple

Having two kids I can tell you that my body changed more with my second pregnancy than it did with my first. After my eldest was born I got back into pre-pregnancy jeans with no problem. I had always had to wear juniors clothes because of a lack of hips. With my youngest I now have wider hips. It happens, and I've begun accepting that my body is not what it was 11 years ago or even 8 years ago. I'd like to give back all the stretch marks though.

As for the food... instead of bread, pasta, and rice try things like beans and lentils. They are also inexpensive, pretty filling, and pack more nutritional bang for your buck - especially if you're eating more processed versions of bread and pasta. Chili with ground turkey is one of my favorite meals. Lentil soup/stew with plenty of carrots, celery and onion is also a staple in the cooler months (though not always appreciated by my youngest who claims to hate lentils).

tony56pr

First don't give up. It takes work to do this. Be prepared for ups and downs. Nothing wrong with you. It took me time to start losing, it might take time for your body to get fat off.

Do you track your intake? You'd be surprised how many calories are in small amounts of food. My worst foods were fried potatoes, pasta, bread, etc... it wasn't until I started on my journey that I realized just how much I was eating. 6 egg rolls at 200 calories a pop for instance. Track your intake. Get kitchen scale (can be found pretty cheap) so you can weigh everything. Spend a week doing this, don't try to do anything different just log your normal intake. See if that matches what you think you are eating if it does great simply reduce how much you take in, if not you found one problem now fix by reducing to what you think you need and go forward from there.

Drink water, don't go crazy, but get that water. Eat fats and protein at every meal to help keep you full. (Good fats fish, nuts, eggs etc but beef, chicken, turkey, pork are ok too ) Watch sodium, water retention can keep your weight up. Avoid things like tv dinners or pre made meals (eating out too) they are very high sodium.

Pay your dr a visit to make sure nothing going on with thyroid or whatever is giving you trouble.

RodaRose

I must admit that I do consume a lot of carbs. Rice, pasta, and bread are SUPER cheap and filling. With only one income, we have a very strict budget and I just don't know how to make healthy mean plans without breaking my grocery budget. Is there a way to "trick" the bank, or do I just need to get used to hunger pains?

Please, any suggestions would be appreciated! I am trying to get back on the weight loss wagon yet again, and I haven't had much success in the past. I cannot remember a time when I wasn't overweight or obese. I am only 5'1" and at 16 yrs I was 150 and at 18 I left home for college at 180. The only time my weight loss was successful was when my husband and I first started dating and I lost 20 lbs by skipping dinner. My pre- baby weight was 203 (which is the heaviest I have ever been) and I want to change that for my husband, my daughter, my future children, and myself. I really want this time to be different!

Cheap foods:
sweet potatoes, white potatoes, large containers of greek yogurt, oatmeal, corn meal, frozen fruit (put it in a baked dish or a smoothie if you do not like the texture), frozen vegetables (great for side dishes, casseroles, stews, soups), canned refried beans, canned tuna, canned chicken,canned spaghetti sauce, pita bread, eggs, dried lentils( very easy to cook) , black beans, black eyed peas, tofu, quinoa, fresh spinach, winter squash, peanuts, peanut butter, canned pumpkin, ingredients for home made granola, Prepare burritos with leftovers -- put everything in a tortilla shell with a little bit of cheese,
Sometimes rotisserie chickens from the grocery store are cheaper than raw ones that you have to cook,
Ethnic markets often have produce cheaper than our grocery stores,
Also check out dollar stores. They often have canned or packaged food cheaper than you can get anywhere else.
Remember to budget for oils and fats: butter, cooking oil, . . .
Take care.

Liftng4Lis

Your body DOES change after children so if possible, incorporate strength training. There are some excellent ideas written here on food choices and budgeting so I'm not going to repeat them. I will say, try farmers markets when you can, and possibly buy in bulk (break down and freeze). As a single mother with one income, I'm fully aware of the obstacles this can create, still it CAN be done.

LoraF83

I have been watching a lot of videos and reading a lot of success stories, and people always describe their bad habits before their weight loss journey. They describe consuming soda, coffee with tons of sugar and creamer, and alcohol daily; munching on chips, ice cream, and fast food multiple times a day, or eating entire boxes of snack cakes or sugary cereals.

Now that I am in control of my own home and the things that I bring home from the grocery store, I don't buy ANY of that stuff like my mom always did. If you come to our house you will not find chips, cookies, cake, soda, ice cream, or candy. I eat fast food, maybe, once a month and it is just a sandwich to tide me over while I'm out and about. The only drinks I consume are skim milk and water. I am eating healthier now that I ever have, and I am heavier now than I ever have been. I realize that age has a lot to do with it, but I am 25 and supposed to be at the prime of my life!

I did give birth 6 months ago, and lost 20 lbs during my pregnancy because I was having trouble keeping food down for several months. I have now gained almost all of that back. I'm holding on to the last 5 lbs with all the strength that I have! I know that giving birth definitely changed my body. Even after loosing the weight, a lot of my clothing still did not fit like it did pre-baby. Would it change so much that I can't eat the same way that I did before without putting on pounds?

I must admit that I do consume a lot of carbs. Rice, pasta, and bread are SUPER cheap and filling. With only one income, we have a very strict budget and I just don't know how to make healthy mean plans without breaking my grocery budget. Is there a way to "trick" the bank, or do I just need to get used to hunger pains?

Please, any suggestions would be appreciated! I am trying to get back on the weight loss wagon yet again, and I haven't had much success in the past. I cannot remember a time when I wasn't overweight or obese. I am only 5'1" and at 16 yrs I was 150 and at 18 I left home for college at 180. The only time my weight loss was successful was when my husband and I first started dating and I lost 20 lbs by skipping dinner. My pre- baby weight was 203 (which is the heaviest I have ever been) and I want to change that for my husband, my daughter, my future children, and myself. I really want this time to be different!

Overeating on any food will make you gain weight. Even healthy food. You need a calorie deficit to lose weight. You don't need to skip meals, or give up carbs, or anything like that. You can do this on a budget.

Read this to help you get started:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants?hl=sexypants&page=1

djbarriger

Everything I have read has been so helpful. It seems that I simply need to discover new foods that are both healthy and affordable. I have the same bad habits that my parents did and I don't want to pass those one to my children. The change in the line has to start somewhere! Now that I am staying at home and my baby doesn't need to eat every 1.5 to 2 hours, I have more time for coupon clipping, researching, reading circulars for sales, and attending local markets for good deals.