Hi - fat, fair, female, forty -

annmariegabrielle

Good morning

So here I go again.... But this time is different - I have got help for one part of my weight gain - to stop drinking the 2 bottles of Pino Grigio I have been drinking every night for the past 10 yrs. it's been a month exactly and I have lost a stone. i also when I drank seemed to eat loads and loads of bread - sandwiches (2 rounds a day,) toast & croissants for breakfast and whole pizzas for tea with my wine. I know feel great a month on - but I am unsure if I am still eating to high carbs - I have limited my cals to £1000 /1200 a day - I don't do any exercise as I don't know where to start once or twice a week - I try to swim 30 lengths front crawl (with a break in middle).
I also have a craving for sugar - which I never had before - it's annoying cos I know how bad chocolate is! Also love LIBERTE 0% fat Greek yog hurts - thought these were ok but been told they should be a treat - it's so difficult to know what is good to eat - I eat apples but they are a lot of :flowerforyou: too!

I hope someone can give me advise as I am determined to lose this weight - sick of being so fat and unhealthy -

Thanks

tah41

Morning Annmarie

well to myfitnesspal. Everything you described in your post is just like me except for the wine. I dont like wine but my downfall is diet coke.
I am fat, fair and in my mid 40's. I would like to feel good about myself one day too.
perhaps we can help each other :-)

Hope to hear from you soon. I am away off to the gym this afternoon but before that I have my housework to do. Its my day off work and I am busier.

speak soon
Tracey Ann

jamesdavidy

I hear you, and you will get lots of advice, I wont pretend to be any kind of expert, and what I do can only really apply to me, we are all different thats a fact to log early on, do not try to live up to other peoples values, find your's and stick stubbornly to them!
Here is a great place to start, this man is an expert:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW7So0gjT4E&list=PLPtixC_0nF1C_gdCU-8UmdVCnKjo97k__&index=2

Good luck on your journey

James

onelonelysocknoble

Oh my gosh, it's nice to hear a person on here rather than the spam attack that's going on.

Hello \o/

Congrats on your weight loss so far.

Best thing about exercise is that it's easy to get used to it relatively quickly as our bodies are built to respond to it. So start small. Build up time little by little.

Have you tried hummous, it's creamy but healthier. Carrot sticks and hummous is my thing when I'm on the edge of a binge.

Anyway, good luck with it all x x

leomcdee

Hey AnnMarie

Congrats on giving up the wine and losing a stone so far - that's amazing progress!

My advice: don't listen to people who say things are 'bad' for you! Liberte 0% fat yoghurt is full of protein and it's only 58 cal per 100g, so unless you're eating bucket loads of it a day, it's perfect for breakfast with a bit of fruit!

Chocolate is delicious and dark chocolate has antioxidants and triggers endorphins in your brain. I eat a bit of dark chocolate every day and I've also lost a stone in just over a month!

Foodwise: I eat anything I want (including pizza, ice cream, biscuits etc) but much less of it. I also supplement those things with lots of fruit, veg, eggs, wholegrain carbs and white meat (I can't eat red meat because my body can't digest it). You can do this!

barbz2119

Hello AnnMarie
Well done on your progress so far, you've done fantastic!
Try not to go too low with your calories. I cant remember what MFP set mine too when I started, something like 1500, but I was also seeing a dietician and she recommended me starting at 1300. Im 5'9" have an office job so sitting all day and wanted to lose 1-2lbs a week, so it depends on lifestyle etc. Just keep logging everything and you will get there. Swimming is great for you and if you can do a little bit of exercise every day even a 30 minute walk it will benefit you.
Feel free to add me as a friend and I will try to give you all the support I can. Good Luck

Barbz

belucky1

hello and welcome I agree with what as been said find what suits you and stick with it, sometimes there are "too" many experts putting their point over and it can have the opposite effect, so do what's best for you. I am also new been on MFP just over a week and doing ok. Add me as a friend if you wish.

NotSoPerfectPam

Good luck! I have pretty much given up alcohol (and I live in New Orleans!) I could easily put a way a bottle or two a night myself. it probably doesn't/didn't help with the carbs and cravings. I know now that my problem wasn't so much having no willpower (which I always thought was the problem) but rather being addicted to carbs! good luck!

cosmonew

Once you stop drinking alcohol, you will crave sugar... go to an AA meeting and see the candy being passed about.... anyway, it will pass. YOU CAN do this and make healthy changes for your life and those around you.

chissnazura

Hello! I want to start off by saying congratulations on giving up wine. That is a fantastic feat in itself. Good luck on your journey~!

rides4sanity

Don't over think this and don't try to do everything at once. It can become overwhelming and restrictive if you try and remove everything you love... Limiting sugary food is a great start, but no reason to eliminate it at this point unless you just want to. I eat a high protein, low carb diet because I like it and it works for me. I still have pizza and pasta on occasion, but not 5x a week like I used to.

Being that you are just starting out keep your changes small and build your plan gradually. For now dropping the wine is a big change. You seem to have that under control and are starting to add exercise. THAT IS AWESOME! As time goes on you will find things you want to try, so try them. If it works for you and you like it stick with it. If you hate it or it isn't working for you, try something else. Everyone is different, so this isn't a one size fits all site. There a million ways to produce a calorie deficit. Find one you like and give it a go, modifying and making it fit your life style as you progress.

Best of luck!

Nikki

Oh, I'm 40, fair and now fit... But my 20's & 30's were a different story...

disneygallagirl

Welcome...I think you are doing great...check out this link from a well respected member here..
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
Best of luck. ..you can do it.

annmariegabrielle

What an amazing group of people you all are. I really feel so lucky to have such support. Thank you all so much for your replies and your advise is brilliant. I have been in bed all morning - sleeping -( my one day off) feeling so lazy now! Not had any thing but a banana so far - going go have some hummus and veg sticks - was meant to go swimmimg but had no energy - it's really hard to get motivation to go do any exercise. I'll go this pm.

thanks again - you are all so great

Xxxxx

micheleld73

Oh my gosh, it's nice to hear a person on here rather than the spam attack that's going on.

Hello \o/

Congrats on your weight loss so far.

Best thing about exercise is that it's easy to get used to it relatively quickly as our bodies are built to respond to it. So start small. Build up time little by little.

Have you tried hummous, it's creamy but healthier. Carrot sticks and hummous is my thing when I'm on the edge of a binge.

Anyway, good luck with it all x x

OMG!! I totally forgot about hummus and I have had evening munchies all week! Thanks for the reminder!

tashlm123

Hi. Congrats on your loss so far. I'm reasonably new on MFP and am loving the support (lots of lovely people) you have to do what is right for you and your doing fabulous so far. Good luck with your journey (feel free to add me if you like) I'm on here frequently as this seems to be my new Facebook hahaha and it is keeping me very motivated

ValGogo

Good for you on the limiting of the wine. Hey, the swiming is a good start. Walking is a great exercise.

bkthandler

In the past when I have started up swimming after a hiatus I crave sugar like no one's business. For some reason I wanted Sunny Delight, which I think is literally sugar water. Those cravings do pass. Just keep moving forward...stuff like that gets easier.

Also remind yourself it will take awhile.

nmcrosier

I thought you were me posting for a minute! LOL

I found myself doing all the same things as you; wine, pizza, croissants, chicken wings, burgers, omg it didn't end. February 9, 2014 - I woke up and said that's it. I need to change, I'm 41 and going downhill fast. That morning, I joined DietBet.com DB10 (six month program, bet to lose 10% of your starting weight). I weighed in at 241...good gosh...that was big!

I started here the same day on MFP logging in my foods, then slowly incorporating new healthier options and now opt for mostly healthier items with a few indulgences to keep me going now and again. The next was to change my daily addiction - from sugar overload coffee to just milk - and now I really appreciate the flavors all that crap masked. I also changed my habit of wine & booze - to only drink a couple of glasses of wine/alcohol on the weekends. Increased my water consumption to 100oz a day. My skin looks so much healthier and I feel better/less sluggish in the am too!

The next step for me, I started incorporating exercising. First with just walking a mile, then two, then making sure I exercised a few days a week, got a fitbit to help get me to 10,000 steps a day (about 5 miles for me). Then I stepped it up to interval jogging and walking to just jogging. In the 6 months since I started with Diet Bet - I lost 43 pounds - way more than the 10% --- and I couldn't be happier.

And, although I broke my ankle in June, which halted my weight loss - I kept my MFP tracker logging going so I didn't get out of control and just worked on maintence. I was just given the go ahead now that I am finally out of a cast to start walking 2 weeks ago. So I am back to trying to hit small goals. First few days goal was 5k steps, then 8k. I am now working up to 10k. Somedays I don't hit it. But I don't let it stop me. I still want to lose another 25 and continue to learn to eat better.

So this brings me back to you, like others are saying.... It's a process, start slow, change slow and you'll see your goals in reach. You're making progress - keep going. We are here to support one another - it's not overnight - and if you feel you fell off the night/weekend before - just get back on that horse - don't let it derail you!

successgal1

You're doing great. Don't beat yourself up. Remember you CAN eat what you want within your calorie goal. You don't have to eat very restrictive foods until you're better at it. And exercise should be logged in too. Exercise allows you to eat more calories. So if you want to add in something sweet you definitely CAN.

I eat chocolate. I recommend getting something 70 or 80% cocoa as its loaded with antioxidents, and getting something pre-measured to a 1 ounce square, like gharadelli squares. Generally I can fit one of them in on any day if I feel the need for chocolate. I can treat my chocolate as a form of vitamins lol.

Change your grains from whites to whole grains. You'll get more bang for the calories, and you'll have more energy. I get very tired and unmotivated if I restrict my whole grain carbs too much. Try a fried egg sandwich made with one egg and one slice of whole wheat bread. Use olive oil on the non-stick pan, and ketchup for extra flavor. My other go-to breakfast is 1/4 cup grape nuts with skim milk, microwaved for one minute, then add in a bit more milk and half a banana. Both I find filling enough to get me going in the morning.

A baked potato with picante sauce is both filling and flavorful with some lean chicken and a good sized portion of your veggie of choice.

Have greek yogurts. I found a brand in 3.5 oz cups with flavors I enjoy and easy for me to keep at work and eat on the run in between meals. I don't worry about fat in the food beyond choosing skim milk over 2%. I don't buy lowfat yogurt anymore.

The important thing is to eat OFTEN, and eat what YOU like within your calorie goal. Then you don't feel like starving yourself.