OK what am i doing wrong????!!!

jojoworks

Ditto most of the responses I've viewed. Too much processed food and too much sodium. The best way to get out of the processed food rut is to buy fresh foods and make your own. This is the only way you can control what ingredients go into what you eat. I have a couple ideas for you:

1: regarding sodium: the MFP states 2,500 mg / day as a "goal". This should be restated as the very most outer limit. Most doctors now recommend no more than 1,500 mg / day. The best way to achieve this is to make your own sodium controlled food.

2: making all your own food from fresh ingredients: you need a routine. I cook on the weekends. I make a big pot of steel-cut oats that I dish from the rest of the week for my breakfasts. I make a batch of my own salad dressings that go on my daily salad that is my lunch. I make a big pot of soup that is usually my dinner and I make a batch of roasted beets that I usually dress in vinegar and spices that I use a a salad topping.

3: as much as possible eliminate refined carbs (white flour, white pasta, white rice and white breads): these foods have very little nutritional value and they take up too much space in a calorie restricted diet.

4: as much as possible reduce or eliminate "added sugar": by added sugar I mean sweeteners that aren't inherent in the fruit or fresh food item you're eating. Sugar has emerged as the most likely contributor to obesity. Fat used to be viewed as the culprit but more and more the focus is on sugar.

what seems hard to do can be manageable in no time, you just need to get used to the routine and changing what you view as "food"!

good luck and happy eating!!!

thank you very much!! i know i asked for mean comments..i made my diary public.. i know i dont make the best choices but i TRY to exercise and i almost always stay under in calories...but anyway thank for being nice about it :flowerforyou:

I know it can be hard to open your diet up to scrutiny. Most people on here ARE nice, but ALSO opinionated. By and large your well-being and success is what people want for you. When feedback is solicited, though, feedback is what you'll get!!

milaxx

I just looked at your diary and for today, there was not one healthy thing thus far. Instead of instant oats try quick oats and add your own fruit. Try and ditch the frozen meals and granola bars (not much better than a candy bar), and energy drinks are not healthy at all. Your body may be fighting you as your are not giving it what it needs, which is real food. Try eating fresh fruit and veggies and fresh lean meats, and drink water, and for carbs stay away from refined sugar and stick with whole grains (complex carbs)

thank you...i know that the amount of processed food could be a problem...im dont cook too much and $$ is tight also

You actually save money by not buying processed foods. Buy meat in bulk and split it up either before freezing or cook and separate. Find a farmer's market or produce market or even buy veg/fruit on quick sale at the market and blanch, roast and freeze the veg & freeze any fruit that you can't eat before it goes bad. Use the frozen fruit in smoothies. Buy a inexpensive crock pot from walmart or Kmart. Mine was $10. Then you can cook your own beans. I make a pot of beans and rice or grain (usually quinoa) once a week and use in a variety of meals throughout the week. Brown rice and potatoes are dirt cheap as are onions. There are a zillion meals that can be made from them. Slowly stock up on seasonings and spices beyond salt and pepper.

Remember the less processed food is, the better it is for you. If you take the time to prep at the beginning of each week, meals should never take more than 15mins to prepare throughout the week.

SHBoss1673

been some great responses so far, so I won't reiterate them.

I will say this though, just looked back about 2 weeks and I saw maybe 3 entries total for veggies. That's a no-no. Besides the healthy complex carbs they give you, veggies are VITAL super super important VITAL for your micronutrient levels (vitamins and minerals). 6 Servings a day is what you should be shooting for. At a minimum 1 serving with each meal. And vitamin supplements don't cut it, they're not the same. Nor are energy bars and drinks, they don't deliver the micronutrients in the same way as natural foods. There's no way around eating veggies. Remember, this isn't just calories in vs calories out, that's a big part, but having the correct chemical balance and hormone function is also very important to fat loss and proper health, and micronutrients play a big part in that.

Can you still lose weight without eating veggies, yes, but it'll take longer, and you'll have far more imbalances doing it that way.

LainMac

Hi

I agree totally with SHBoss1673 about the veggie eating.

When I have had success, it has been when I've vegged up.

And the processed stuff has so much hidden salt. I like to see my salt personally.

milaxx

Just came across this Youtube. These guys shopped for 3 days on $20. That's less than $50 a week on groceries.

http://youtu.be/y5BSwWqFkgw

MakingAChoice

I just looked at your diary and for today, there was not one healthy thing thus far. Instead of instant oats try quick oats and add your own fruit. Try and ditch the frozen meals and granola bars (not much better than a candy bar), and energy drinks are not healthy at all. Your body may be fighting you as your are not giving it what it needs, which is real food. Try eating fresh fruit and veggies and fresh lean meats, and drink water, and for carbs stay away from refined sugar and stick with whole grains (complex carbs)

thank you...i know that the amount of processed food could be a problem...im dont cook too much and $$ is tight also

One thing that will help a lot is starting to cook your own foods. processed foods, even the 'healthy' ones are loaded with sodium at a minimum. I find that I spend less money eating unprocessed foods than I used to buying the processed stuff. Why is that? Because veggies are cheap, fruits are cheap if you watch sales. Brown rice and pinto beans (staples of mine) are dirt cheap by the bag and will fill you up. Eating healthy does not have to be expensive, that is a myth. Even if you replaced 1/2 of the processed foods you eat with healthy unprocessed food you would be better of.

Also you might not be eating enough, you can go to www.fat2fitradio.com/tools to calculate your BMR. This is the number of calories your body needs if you are in a coma. If we eat below that the body's metabolism compensates by slowing down and sabotaging your attempt at weight loss. These guys at fat2fit also have 3 years worth of podcasts on iTunes, well worth listening too, they have a ton of good info. No fad diets, just real food and solid information to help.