In need of general help/motivation

mhayes5632

Hi-I at one point in my life weighed about 220 lbs, I was able to slim down to 140 needed to loose more but unfortunately I have gained 20 lbs back. I am trying to figure out how to stay within the 1200 calorie maximum. Can someone offer me some good advise of the best filling foods that will last so I can stay within the 1200 calorie maximum. I have become very disappointed in myself and appear to be self sabatoging as I have put on this weight. Any advise would be deeply appreciated. I have seen people do great at loosing weight-I want to be one of those people-my goal is to loose 30 lbs ultimately. I am way to old to be a super model and look great in a swimsuite. I can accept just being a healthy weight and feeling better about myself at this point.

road2peachtree

Veggies, whole grains, nuts, and stuff that packs a fiber power punch.

87beckyRN

Fiber bars (fiber one, fiber plus, etc.) are amazing! I eat one for breakfast almost every day & it keeps me from feeling hungry until lunch time or later.

87beckyRN

And all the ones that I've had are under 200cals.

Xaspar

What they said... and make SURE you drink your water! A lot of times we mistake when our body is telling us that we are thirsty for hungry and eat when really all we needed was a drink.
~Namaste

spoofed

Beans, eggs, milk! I'm amazed by how full I am drinking a glass of milk.

Also..I've been making this awesome 'milk shake' that's low-cal but filling: milk, ice, splenda (or whatever sweetener you like), and hershey's cocoa powder (1 Tab only has about 10 calories). It's awesome!

anulle2009

Yes keep up on your water. I would Google receipes. Or even look on this site. I believe it is eatingbetteramerica.com that has some really good ones. make sure you get your veggies and fruits. i normally eat breakfast at 6am and my first snack at 9, if i find myself getting hungry i go for a little walk to the bathroom, (i have a desk job) that helps too.

skatkatb

I'm all about lean proteins and fiber throughout the day. A typical morning for me consists of a slice of Arnold's 10-grain whole wheat bread/toast with laughing cow spread and a cup of 1% milk or a scrambled egg with a cup of milk (I usually eat the egg on workout days). Mid-morning I'll have a yogurt as a snack. I despise greek yogurt and do not eat it, but if you can tolerate the taste/texture it is a great source of protein and should definitely keep you full through lunch. Lunch time is either 1) a garden salad with grilled chicken and low fat dressing + an orange + low fat string cheese; or 2) a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and one of the following: mustard, hummus, or guacamole + orange + cheese. Then in the afternoon I'll have a protein or granola bar. Dinner might have a lean protein, small carb portion (brown rice, whole grain/wheat pasta, potato) and a veg.

It doesn't sound like much, and in the beginning it sure won't feel like much...but if you eat smaller meals throughout the day your body will not only get used to it, but also stay fuller longer.

Keep in mind, I don't eat like that 365 days out of the year. I plan my cheat days or cheat meals, and I document them. And I exercise 3-4 times a week (on those days I will typically eat 300-500 more calories.) I will also drink coffee in the afternoon to trick my body into thinking it has food. That usually tides me over for a couple hours till dinner time. The main thing is to track EVERYTHING you put into your mouth and hold yourself accountable for what you're doing.

Magazines like Women's Health and Shape contain great ideas for meals (and exercises), plus the success stories are highly motivating on their own.

If you workout, incorporate weight training to help you burn more calories post-workout. My co-workers and I participate in a cardio challenge where we workout on a single piece of cardio equipment (of our choice) 3 times a week for 30 minutes each time. That along with weight training helped me lose on average 1lb/week. If you're not working out in some capacity, I would strongly encourage it. Everytime I try to lose weight on diet alone, I only get so far. Working out, at a minimum, will help you maintain all the hard work you've been doing.

If you want some real encouragement, know this: you are NOT too old to look great in a swimsuit. Even if it's a one-piece, make that your goal.

I hope I've said something you can use to your advantage...good luck to you!

PS...water, water, water (with lemon or lime wedges)

RGJeff

Big box of plain quick oat meal. Every morning, I add peaches and almond extract, or a bananna and maple syrup because I want peach cobbler or pancakes. Whatever you are missing, you can probably turn plain oatmeal into a very filling version of it...

Big bags of frozen broccoli and a big can of cheese sauce. I have 3 cups (yes- 6 servings) of broccolli and 1/4 cup of cheese sauce with alot of meals (214 calories total). Add a 200-300 calorie portion of whatever you want on the side- and I mean whatever you want- slice of pizza, grilled chicken, half a big mac, whatever your mood.

Late at night, you want a cookie or a bananna, or a beer. Walk it off first on a treadmill or around the neighborhood. I call this "Going on a beer run." Its only like 12-15 minutes on the treadmill for the items I listed. Want another? Do it again. Soon enough it will be bedtime and breakfast is right around the corner.

Be precise with your entries on Myfitnesspal. You'll get dialed in on your weight loss so well that after a while, nothing is a mystery...