Motivation Exchange (Please contribute or ask for help here)
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Any suggestion for night time eating? I do really well during the day but at night I have massive sugar cravings, I don't eat chocolate but instead I have fruit/yogurt and seconds of dinner to 'help' the cravings.
I think fruit and yogurt are great ways to solve the sugar cravings. another way is eating raw honey a tablespoon, I stopped having cravings a long time ago but when I did have cravings I would use the fruit method or the honey method0 -
I am struggling with snacks. I injured my back a couple months ago and have been taking LOTS of steroids and other meds. Plus my mobility has been really low. As a result I am starving all the time but I can't do any exercises to work it off. Add to that I have ulcerative colitis and my doctor has advised me not to eat too many raw vegetables. Really? So hungry all the time, can't move and can't snack on vegies. My mother has really stepped up and helped me out by doing 98% of the cooking for me. Which is wonderful accept for sometimes she "forgets" to make a vegetable.
So my question is does anyone have any advice or experience with a situation like this? If I can get my between meals snacking under control I would be better able to deal with meals that consist of carbs and proteins. The ravenous hunger all day long is making me crazy. Ultimately I need to get off the steroids but in the meantime I would really like to not gain 20 pounds.0 -
I am struggling with snacks. I injured my back a couple months ago and have been taking LOTS of steroids and other meds. Plus my mobility has been really low. As a result I am starving all the time but I can't do any exercises to work it off. Add to that I have ulcerative colitis and my doctor has advised me not to eat too many raw vegetables. Really? So hungry all the time, can't move and can't snack on vegies. My mother has really stepped up and helped me out by doing 98% of the cooking for me. Which is wonderful accept for sometimes she "forgets" to make a vegetable.
So my question is does anyone have any advice or experience with a situation like this? If I can get my between meals snacking under control I would be better able to deal with meals that consist of carbs and proteins. The ravenous hunger all day long is making me crazy. Ultimately I need to get off the steroids but in the meantime I would really like to not gain 20 pounds.
Hi lujo,
Here's a couple of my favorite snacks that might work better for your current situation:
0% Plain Greek Yogurt is usually 100cal, 0g fat, 7g carbs, and 18g protein per 6 oz. You can mix in things like berries or grapes, or I even like to cut up a hand-fruit like plums to have with it.
Soup, especially thicker vegetable based "cream" soups can be really filling. I like the boxed soups from Imagine and Trader Joes. They do have some lower sodium options if you'd prefer, and if you watch the ingredients you can usually find something that is low calorie and filling. I particularly like broccoli, butternut squash, and tomato-based "cream" soups. If your mother is helping, maybe she could make a custom pot if you have trouble finding the right fit at the store.
Whole wheat bread is a great carrier for other munchies. If you're feeling low on energy, a slice of toast with 1/2 T honey could be a nice pick-up. You can also serve things like hummus or make spreads out of yogurt to put on top. If you're less concerned with calories, peanut or almond butters are great with toast.
Nuts or seeds can make a great snack, just be aware that things like nuts or trail mixes can be very calorically dense. I have to be very careful with portions, or bulk up your snack by adding them to something else like yogurt.
A glass of almond or soy milk can also help curb cravings. I prefer unsweetened soy milk as I find it more satiating. Unsweetened soy milk generally has slightly more fat than almond milk, and 7g protein vs. 1g in almond milk.
Another favorite (but can be high in sodium) is turkey pepperoni with mozzarella cheese stick. 17 slices of Hormel Turkey pepperoni is 70 cal, and 80 cal for the mozzarella. You'll get a lot of protein and a good balance of fat.
I also really like Quest bars, and find them to be a great filling snack or even meal. They're expensive, but it your current situation they may be a lifesaver. I get mine for about $2 a bar. Quest bars usually have 18+g of protein, 17g of dietary fiber (75% your daily need!), and a bit of fat plus 1g sugar and no artificial sweetener. If they'll help you stay sane, they might be worth the cost! Calories range from ~160-210
Ultimately it's great that you're trying to get in your veggies, but the worst case scenario is your diet changes a bit and becomes more fats/protein based for a while.0 -
Today I had an NSV that I'm having mixed feelings about, mostly because I feel like I really dropped the ball and didn't assert myself, which is really frustrating to me.
I was ordering coffee and asked for pumpkin flavor, thinking it was sugar free. He informed me that it wasn't sugar free so it wouldn't be "black" like I'd asked for, so I asked to change it to hazelnut. He told me "well the drink is already made, just try it and I'll make another one if you don't like it". I didn't want to argue, but I know that I hate sugar in my coffee. I took the drink (for some stupid reason), but looked up the nutrition information and threw it away. I was more peeved with myself for not standing up and saying no.
I really wish I wasn't such a pushover sometimes...that's what bothers me the most, especially because it always seems to be about food. I can say no to eating something in the first place, but if people don't listen to me (like preferences for condiments, etc) when it comes to food I tend to just "go with it" as I hate wasting food. I also think I have issues being anything but agreeable, especially as I'm ALWAYS the peacekeeper in disagreements and mediate a lot of stressful situations at work. I also have enough stress in my days without getting worked up at little things, but it doesn't help if I end up more frustrated with myself in the end. I can assert myself when my clients' issues are being ignored or when I need something to do my job, but don't do well with asserting myself just for me. I'm struggling to not give myself a hard time about this...![:\](https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/resources/emoji/confused.png ":\")
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SOS SOS SOS
I've been majorly stress eating the whole week. I need to get serious right now, my body feels gross and I don't want to spend another minute like this! I've been so busy and tired... eating right and exercising daily makes me a better me. I need help. If anyone is interested in doing daily checkins with me that would be amazing!0 -
peaches026 wrote: »SOS SOS SOS
I've been majorly stress eating the whole week. I need to get serious right now, my body feels gross and I don't want to spend another minute like this! I've been so busy and tired... eating right and exercising daily makes me a better me. I need help. If anyone is interested in doing daily checkins with me that would be amazing!
Not sure what kind of check ins you think would help but I am generally on every day and don't mind to share messages or posts to walls if that would help you. Feel free to add me if you want or let me know if you'd rather do it on this thread.0 -
hortensehildegarde wrote: »peaches026 wrote: »SOS SOS SOS
I've been majorly stress eating the whole week. I need to get serious right now, my body feels gross and I don't want to spend another minute like this! I've been so busy and tired... eating right and exercising daily makes me a better me. I need help. If anyone is interested in doing daily checkins with me that would be amazing!
Not sure what kind of check ins you think would help but I am generally on every day and don't mind to share messages or posts to walls if that would help you. Feel free to add me if you want or let me know if you'd rather do it on this thread.
You are welcome to add me as a friend. I'm on everyday, too.0 -
Weighed this morning, and took the kids out for a stroller in the double stroller. Today is a good day! Hopefully the day that will be the beginning of a good week, then month, and then onward!
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Really could use some words of encouragement as I've been getting off track more than usual and am beating myself up more than usual too. I've hit a really frustrating point and could use some help...
The past few days I've been anxious about getting fillings. I delayed getting a new dentist after officially staying on Long Island, and now I have two cavities that are to be addressed today. I've been overeating and justifying it by saying "you won't want to eat after your fillings" or "after your fillings you need to be really on top of things, so eat this now". I absolutely hate getting dental work - as a kid I had 8 years of orthodontic work and multiple oral surgeries and extractions, including ones where I wasn't fully numbed. This of course has made me very afraid of future dental work, especially with a new dentist. I feel guilty about having developed cavities in the first place, despite the fact that they likely developed during a much darker time in my life when I was 80 lbs heavier and depressed.
Right now writing everything out is helping a bit, but I'm on the edge of tears just thinking about getting these fillings. I'm feeling stressed and guilty, and want to eat to cope but know it's not going to help. Does anyone have some advice or encouragement to help me stop this vicious cycle?0 -
lalepepper wrote: »Today I had an NSV that I'm having mixed feelings about, mostly because I feel like I really dropped the ball and didn't assert myself, which is really frustrating to me.
I was ordering coffee and asked for pumpkin flavor, thinking it was sugar free. He informed me that it wasn't sugar free so it wouldn't be "black" like I'd asked for, so I asked to change it to hazelnut. He told me "well the drink is already made, just try it and I'll make another one if you don't like it". I didn't want to argue, but I know that I hate sugar in my coffee. I took the drink (for some stupid reason), but looked up the nutrition information and threw it away. I was more peeved with myself for not standing up and saying no.
I really wish I wasn't such a pushover sometimes...that's what bothers me the most, especially because it always seems to be about food. I can say no to eating something in the first place, but if people don't listen to me (like preferences for condiments, etc) when it comes to food I tend to just "go with it" as I hate wasting food. I also think I have issues being anything but agreeable, especially as I'm ALWAYS the peacekeeper in disagreements and mediate a lot of stressful situations at work. I also have enough stress in my days without getting worked up at little things, but it doesn't help if I end up more frustrated with myself in the end. I can assert myself when my clients' issues are being ignored or when I need something to do my job, but don't do well with asserting myself just for me. I'm struggling to not give myself a hard time about this...
I wouldn't see it as being a pushover. You had a victory by not drinking it when in the past you would have drank it (your post said you "hate wasting food"). So this is a step in the right direction. Keep up the baby steps and before long you'll be able to say "no" and hold to it.
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peaches026 wrote: »So far so good here. I've been craving sweets big time though, asking for help.
What are your go-tos for a small something to satisfy dessert cravings?
I keep a bag of Hershey kisses with almonds and eat about 4 a day but no more than 9 (9 is the serving size which is about 250 cals) it helps me quite a bit I don't have a sweet tooth per say but a severe chocolate tooth, honestly I cant go a day without at least a little bit of chocolate I just really wish I could stomach dark chocolate but unfortunately it makes me gag.
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I love eating frozen fruit when I crave something sweet. The bag of frozen fruit I get is only 70 calories for 1 cup.
I have been feeling hungry at night for the last week or so. I don't eat after 7pm have been doing this since June. Any idea what I can do to curb the feelings?0 -
justdebbie1 wrote: »I have been feeling hungry at night for the last week or so. I don't eat after 7pm have been doing this since June. Any idea what I can do to curb the feelings?
Hi Debbie,
If having lots of fluids won't mess up your night's sleep, it might be worth trying some hot beverages. While I find drinking water helps curb appetite, having a hot tea feel more satisfying if it's late and night and I'm craving food I don't need. Do you have a particular reason for not eating after 7? I think that if you've been generally sticking to it and this is a more recent development it's worth thinking if there's any external factors that may be leading to this. I notice when I'm stressed or feeling depressed I'm more likely to want to constantly nibble. Boredom is another trigger - maybe occupying yourself with a hobby in the evenings would help?0 -
I work 2nd shift so no chance of getting bored. Not eating after 7 seems to help me lose weight. Will try some hot tea and see if this works.0
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I need help! Its been about a month now and I haven't lost a thing.
I don't know why. I even bought a food scale and heart rate monitor to log more accurately but that hasn't helped much. I found out I was actually estimating my food portions pretty accurately since I would try to overestimate portions instead of underestimate, so weighing my food out hasn't made much of a difference. Last week I started working out 6 times a week for like an hour a day, previously I was working out twice a week or so. I've been eating typically between 1300-1500 calories a day and I haven't ate greasy fast food in well over a month. My diary is open if anyone wants to look. 0 -
Hi Nicole,
It's hard to say exactly what might be at play here. I looked at your diary and you seem to be staying on track and keeping to your deficit. How did you obtain your goal calories number? Usually if someone seems to be having difficulty losing on the deficit MFP sets for them, I recommend checking out what your Total Daily Energy Expenditure, or TDEE, is. This might be a better number for you to use to plan your deficit than the one MFP gives you. Generally it's recommended that you don't go any lower than -20% from your TDEE, which takes into consideration your BMR (basal metabolic rate, or how many calories you'd burn sitting in bed all day) plus activity levels. While I don't subscribe to the "starvation mode" idea, eating too few calories for your needs can easily lead to overeating down the road which we often don't remember when reflecting on our behavior, and can lead to you feeling too drained to keep up the good habits. It's also possible that you're experiencing some recomposition, where some of your body fat is being lost and muscle being gained. This can happen for a short time on a deficit, usually when people are first starting out, but won't generally continue. You also might see yourself holding on to some water weight when starting a new exercise routine.
I'd also encourage you to give your eating an honest look to see if what is recorded in your diary is actually what you're eating. I saw you logged things like wine and juice - are you logging other liquid calorie sources? For example, many people drink coffee with sugar or milk and don't think to log it. Are you taking little bites of food throughout the day that aren't getting logged? Do you record your use of things like cooking oils and butters? Are you drinking enough water to stay hydrated? If not, you can see the scale "jump" the next day you drink enough. I know I have a tendency to want to avoid logging food I eat over my goal, and will forget within a couple days when I've gone overboard. Our minds like to use avoidance and forgetfulness to lose track of times we've fallen off track. I'd also take a look at how you tend to eat on work out days - are you eating a lot of calories back to compensate? Lastly, when drinking anything, do you measure out these portions? I've found liquid measurements are the most difficult for me to estimate because of how much glasses vary. For example, I found out my wine glass is 14 oz, and I only can fill it about 1/3 for an actual portion of wine.
The only other area I can provide feedback on is when you're weighing yourself. I was having issues myself with never seeing any loss. I was weighing in on Saturday mornings and was getting really discouraged. It's important to remember that eating habits throughout the week can lead to temporary water-weight gains. Once I started weighing in more frequently (was doing it daily for a while) I saw that my weight WAS going down during the week, and creeping back up over Friday, Saturday, and Sunday due to me being more relaxed with my intake or drinking alcohol. Adding a mid-week weigh-in or trying daily for a while might help you see that you are losing, it's just not showing all the time.
If you still aren't having luck after looking at these factors, I'd strongly recommend seeing your doctor. If you're consistently eating at a deficit PLUS working out and not losing weight, its possible you might have other medical factors holding you back. Maybe they can help you identify a better strategy to lose. Check back in with us on how things are going!
Best,
Alicia0 -
Good news you guys!
So, as you may know I haven't been losing weight for a month despite working out harder, buying a food scale, heart rate monitor ect. Well this morning I think might have I found out why! I decided to use my old scale that I had been using for years up until 2-3weeks ago, (I switched a new one that measures to .1 lbs and my old one only rounded to .5lbs). Well, today I tried stepping on the old scale I was 3lbs lighter! I was like "whaaaaaaaa!?" The first day I compared scales they were exactly the same weight, so I thought they were. Well the floor in my bathroom is uneven or something as both scales can change depending where they are on the floor, but the new scale is especially sensitive and gets thrown off more easily with slight movement. Even though it appears to be in the same place: simply moving it and putting it back changed my weight by 2 lbs. After messing around with scales pushing them all around the bathroom I would say that I have lost at least 2lbs this month. Maybe my old scale only rounds to .5lbs but its more consistent than the new one, it doesn't change if it moves a little or gets rotated, and its what I've used for years. So, I'll be weighing in back on "old reliable".
lalepepper,
I actually was at the doctor yesterday and she was extremely unhelpful. She asked me if I tried eating 1200, calories a day and I was like "yes, but that made me lethargic or too weak to exercise", and then she asked me if I tried 1100. Which I know its bad to eat that little so clearly she didn't know a thing. She kinda admitted she was not an expert but I thought that she would at least know how much I should eat or have some basic knowledge of the topic! She just told me to do weight watchers because thats what she does and it works for her. I asked her if I should see a dietitian, and she was like "No, more like a weight watchers counselor". She was exceedingly unhelpful.
But, I am going to start eating a little more and netting higher on my calories. I noticed that the first couple weeks of myfitnesspal I lost 1.5 lbs a week. Well, I actually netted above my calorie goal on those weeks. So I'm going to try and make sure I net above my bmr and see if it improves weight loss. But according to todays weigh-in I've been losing maybe 0.5lbs a week, not 0. So maybe I'm losing a little slowly. But I'm just happy that I lost anything now. If 0.5lbs a week is all my body can do, I can accept that. I changed my goal to a more realistic one, and to be honest even if I maintained my current weight through to the end of the year it would be huge accomplishment. I gain 10-15 lbs every year during the holidays, so even simply maintaining would be a huge win.0 -
nicolejo143 wrote: »Good news you guys!
So, as you may know I haven't been losing weight for a month despite working out harder, buying a food scale, heart rate monitor ect. Well this morning I think might have I found out why! I decided to use my old scale that I had been using for years up until 2-3weeks ago, (I switched a new one that measures to .1 lbs and my old one only rounded to .5lbs). Well, today I tried stepping on the old scale I was 3lbs lighter! I was like "whaaaaaaaa!?"
I would never have thought to check something like this!
Great that you lost some weight, too! Never mind if it is slow, as long as it goes down :-)0 -
nicolejo143 wrote: »lalepepper,
I actually was at the doctor yesterday and she was extremely unhelpful. She asked me if I tried eating 1200, calories a day and I was like "yes, but that made me lethargic or too weak to exercise", and then she asked me if I tried 1100. Which I know its bad to eat that little so clearly she didn't know a thing. She kinda admitted she was not an expert but I thought that she would at least know how much I should eat or have some basic knowledge of the topic! She just told me to do weight watchers because thats what she does and it works for her. I asked her if I should see a dietitian, and she was like "No, more like a weight watchers counselor". She was exceedingly unhelpful.
But, I am going to start eating a little more and netting higher on my calories. I noticed that the first couple weeks of myfitnesspal I lost 1.5 lbs a week. Well, I actually netted above my calorie goal on those weeks. So I'm going to try and make sure I net above my bmr and see if it improves weight loss. But according to todays weigh-in I've been losing maybe 0.5lbs a week, not 0. So maybe I'm losing a little slowly. But I'm just happy that I lost anything now. If 0.5lbs a week is all my body can do, I can accept that. I changed my goal to a more realistic one, and to be honest even if I maintained my current weight through to the end of the year it would be huge accomplishment. I gain 10-15 lbs every year during the holidays, so even simply maintaining would be a huge win.
I'm so glad to see you've found the culprit! If you'd like to see a dietitian and your insurance requires referrals, I would return and be assertive that the purpose of your visit is to obtain a referral to a registered dietitian. To my knowledge, Weight Watchers counselors are not medical professionals, and Weight Watchers participation is generally, at minimum, $160+ to participate in per month. It's just not an acceptable answer, and I'm so sorry to hear how unhelpful she was! A dietitian is exactly the right person to talk to if you continue to have issues over the next few months. I think your ideas sound good - maybe you'll see more signs of your effort now that the scale situation is sorted.0 -
I am struggling with snacks. I injured my back a couple months ago and have been taking LOTS of steroids and other meds. Plus my mobility has been really low. As a result I am starving all the time but I can't do any exercises to work it off. Add to that I have ulcerative colitis and my doctor has advised me not to eat too many raw vegetables. Really? So hungry all the time, can't move and can't snack on vegies. My mother has really stepped up and helped me out by doing 98% of the cooking for me. Which is wonderful accept for sometimes she "forgets" to make a vegetable.
So my question is does anyone have any advice or experience with a situation like this? If I can get my between meals snacking under control I would be better able to deal with meals that consist of carbs and proteins. The ravenous hunger all day long is making me crazy. Ultimately I need to get off the steroids but in the meantime I would really like to not gain 20 pounds.
Hi @lujo321
I injured my back too (double hernia ops). The conventional advice I was given was here's prescriptions for pain killers etc, but eventually they'll damage your liver and or kidneys. Physio didn't help. Losing 30 lbs via calorie restriction didn't help. Pain demotivated me from moving well and I gained everything back and a lot more.
Eventually after several years I did a total lifestyle shift. I began it as a 30 day challenge (with my partner) to make it seem less scary. It's almost the exact opposite of your docs advice.
I adopted a whole food home cooked plant only based diet. Very high raw fruits and veggies content (since have some more cooked and flexible still plenty raw green smoothies for breakfast etc). no cooking oils bar coconut oil sometimes. some nuts and avocados. Very little veganised packet products e.g. fake meats etc.
Felt rough for 2 to 3 days (sugar salt sweetener withdrawal?) then something amazing happened. Total shift in health really rapidly: energy rocketed, back pain dropped away, acid problems stopped, blocked sinus (had unsuccessful operation for) steadily reduced, insomnia stopped, cramps and muscle twitches stopped, loads more. I stopped all Meds pain killers including Meds for stomach acid suppression etc. My partner had equally dramatic improvements in all health issues we had partially attributed to getting older, including migraines, damaged knee, auto immune etc. This was before we really lost any weight.
I had way better energy for exercise (could suddenly carry 50lb bags of potatoes and 40lb boxes of bananas up and down stairs etc). I lost 50 ish pounds without any calorie counting because whole plant foods (without cooking oils) filled me up for less calories and I naturally moved more and better. It was no longer a fight against low energy, cravings and back pain.
Two years later still going plant powered.
No Meds.
Lost over 80lbs so far.
Using mfp (love it, so accurate, weigh everything by gram not inaccurate cups etc including spices and condiments) and step tracker (for tracking general burn and lazy days much better) and workout logging to get through the more stubborn area from low obese to overweight to goal weight.
I hope my story helps you in some way.
Btw something like a nutribullet blender is the best kitchen tool we've purchased for keeping plant powered super quick and convenient when your days are busy.
Also here is a couple links re auto immune and digestive an UC that could be interesting to view.
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/achieving-remission-of-crohns-disease/
http://nutritionfacts.org/questions/bringing-the-fun-back-into-my-medical-practice/
Good luck!0 -
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/
Just saw this website great way to get in a 20 minute workout at home.0
