Helppp females!!!

zundel93

This is my 3rd week on my fitness pal and I lost 5 lbs, but this past week was the time of the month. Although my actual weigh in wasn't til tomorrow I weighed my self the morning and saw I gained it all back. =( very depressing. So I need help eating more healthy, but my problem is im on a low budget considering im a college student....so are there any cheap healthier foods I can eat? An how can I stop going over on my calories (1200) and still be full? Any ideas will be much appreciated. Oh and also Im not used to exercise so I been trying to run on my non electric tread mill at home, but I just cant find the energy to do it with my 18 credit hour semester. I started this weighing 170lbs and I want to get down to 125lbs and Im 19.

soccerchey1

I wouldn't worry about the weight gain. As long as you are being honest with your calories and logging all of them than there is no way you gained back that weight in fat. Also, while on your period alot of people hold extra water so that's probably what your seeing on the scale. It will go away don't worry about it. Good luck!

ladylu11

oatmeal, egg whites, chicken.
All fairly low in price and in calories

You can also buy the frozen veggies that you steam in the bag that are around a dollar a bag. Those will fill you up very fast and very, very low in calories. I like the broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, I also like the corn and brown rice but they are higher in calories.

whiterice83

To be honest, it was hard for me the first couple weeks to stay under the 1200 and feel full. I've tried to replace crap snacks with real snacks- almonds, dried cranberries, fruit, salad, plain baked potatoes. Also I'm in the habit of working out [almost] every day so it allows me more of a cushion to eat a higher caloric amount.
Anyway, I started January 8th-- with logging everything I eat, exercise, etc. My appetite has gone down dramatically. I think it's just a pattern you have to find and stick with it. Once you do it will all become easier.

zundel93

Thanks I usually have oat meal and blueberries for breakfast.

tinacc1

Also baby carrots as a snack. Eat them raw, and you can burn as may calories as they're worth just digesting them! XD

jasinclair

fruit, veggies, oatmeal, eggs...all fairly low in calories (easy to cook in the microwave), and inexpensive....also you can earn more calories from exercise....make sure you add everything (walking around campus will add up!)

freedomlady

Read the book "the anderson Method" by Bill Anderson. I have lost 28 pounds doing the anderson method. I am 52, not very active, but now I look like a 20 year old in my jeans. OMG I wear size 5. In my whole adult life I was never this small. I love it!!!! Hunger is in the mind. Tell yourself that when you are hungry you are actually burning fat. So this is a feeling to be MUCH DESIRED! Just like you feel sore after a good workout, or you are tired after sex. When you are hungry you are burning actual fatty tissue. It is such a good thing. You can do it, really. If I can, you can. I am sure of it!

newCourtney

Women usually have one week a month where they either don't lose weight or gain a couple of pounds. It's a hormone thing and usually balances back out. Drink plenty of water and get lots of protein. Eggs are cheap protein sources (just the whites if you are worried about fat and cholesterol). Try buying in bulk when you can; larger portions are cheaper per serving. Protein makes you feel fuller and you can eat more of it for fewer calories than carbs. Healthy fats will also help you feel full. Try peanut butter or nuts.

zundel93

Thanks at least Im not the only one having a hard time I mean I usually eat 1400 calories a day I wouldnt have thought 200 would be so much of a difference.

beach_chelle

I am having a similar issue with TOM. Honestly with the amount you are trying to lose setting the goal for 2lbs a week might be a bit too high. consider changing to 1-1.5lbs per week.
secondly I would say that even though my weight in was today that I know the temporary weight gain was due to TOM and not due to eating habits.
Check again a few days after TOM and see what happens.
Remember lots of water goes a long way.
And if you are having trouble feeling full at the 1200 calories another suggestion you could do is go to the BMR tool and see what your daily calories would be at your goal weight and use that as what you should eat. That way you get used to eating at the maintence level for when you reach your goal weight and you will continue to be eating in a deficet.

chelbel89

I have been through the same problems! I am a broke college student, who at one time was taking 21 credit hours per semester. (I am not crazy, I wanted to graduate with my husband who is a year ahead of me.) I finally stopped taking so much because I decided that putting myself through so much stress was not worth the ordeal, afterall remember we are on no one's time schedule but out own. However, what I have also found is that you really can make time. You just have to make a true schedule throughout the day that you can follow. Schedule in your workouts, meals, and study time. Make exercising fun. My college has a gym, I hope yours does too. They have all sorts of fun fitness activities you can participate in throughout the week. As far as feeling full goes, load up on protein and fiber. But do not overdo the bread for fiber; instead look for cheap frozen veggies that you can microwave. My favorite to stay full is a mix of broccoli and carrots. Fresh carrots are fairly cheap and they keep me full with a little bit of peanut butter on them. And I would not worry about "gaining it all back" when aunty flow is in town, its probably just water weight. Oh, thats another thing: drink LOTS of water. I hope this all helps! Let me know if there is anything else i can do! :happy: Friend me if you wish, I would be more than happy to help support and get support in return!

seehawkmomma

are you eating 1200 and not working out?

sloew

I've added chia seeds and fresh ground flax seeds to my diet and it seems to help filling me up. Yogurt and apple sauce with chia seeds.. you can't even taste them! Flax seed to oatmeal and I'm not hungry till lunch!

I hope that helps!

zundel93

I usually only get to work out 3 times a week for about 20 mins do to college and this snow isnt helping much...and the gym at my college cost about 75 dollars a month and I just cant swing the extra costs right now.

rpantusa

weigh again after your time of th month is over, you are probly holding water weight. and oatmeal is a great "cheap" food when your on a budget, and apples, and cabbage. eat protien to help you stay full longer, and if you do go over your calories, do a little exercise to bring you back under. Good Luck and do not give up, it will happen! :flowerforyou:

elewis571

I was having the same issues. My problems was that I was not getting enough caloires and my body went into "famine" mode. It was thinking there was a huge reduction in food so it held on to all of the weight I'd been trying to lose for the last two weeks. I changed my exercise habits and was able to consume more calories. I also was not getting enough proteins. I did that for the last 7 days along with walking on the treadmill. Even after work feeling like I just wanted to sit on the couch and watch my DVR'd shows. I did it for 30 minutes twice last week, increased my caloric intake and I was able to lose my 1.5lbs for the weeks. It felt wonderful to get on the scale and see that accomplishment. I did almost give up too. Glad I didn't.

HBinOC

I would not weigh yourself this week-
Apples are fairly cheap- they last - put some cinnamon on them to add some flavor - cabbage, carrots - you can steam - they fill you up. I buy frozen chicken breasts ( Schwan's) but Sams or BJs has them and you can defrost- 1-2 pieces verses wasting a " fresh pack" . Buy Yogurt on sale and start eating for breakfast - and cucumbers with a little flavored vinegar is filling lunch for me.
And for PMS chocolate attacks- Hot chocolate - with 2 jumbo marshmallows!!!

ready2beme

Drink lots of water and avoid added salt.

I also agree about trying to eat the calories to maintain your goal weight. 1200 calories is hard to maintain for a lot of people I think (not everyone...)

For exercise, turn on some music in your room and dance around or try getting a few exercise dvds at the library or looking some up online.

For food on a budget, buy whole chickens! Roast them with lots of veggies. Then use the leftovers (or freeze them!) in salads, sandwiches and soups. Boil the bones to make stock for your cooking and soup. You'll get a lot out of just one chicken!
Check out marked down fruits and veggies that you can chop up and freeze for soups and stews and smoothies (the fruit of course )

Feel free to message me if you have any questions or just want to chat

maddmaddie

I'm also a college student, but I'm only taking 13 credits and working 33 hours a week. I'm doing Live Fit 12 week program which includes nutritional and exercise plan (have to have a gym membership). So far I'm on week 3 and I haven't cooked so much in my life! All the recipes provided are awesome, and I've been able to eat 5-6 meals a day and keep my calories around 1200. AMAZING!

Here is the website (check out the recipes at least)

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-easons-livefit-phase-1.html

chelbel89

I usually only get to work out 3 times a week for about 20 mins do to college and this snow isnt helping much...and the gym at my college cost about 75 dollars a month and I just cant swing the extra costs right now.

Holy cow! Our gym cost is included in our fees! I cant believe they are charging that much! Sorry girl!!! Have you though about getting a step for aerobics? They dont cost much and you can youtube the workouts.

Elundari

Thanks at least Im not the only one having a hard time I mean I usually eat 1400 calories a day I wouldnt have thought 200 would be so much of a difference.

200 x 7 = 1400 calories - that's almost half a pound a week that you are cheating yourself out of! If you feel you need the extra calories go for a half hour walk a day, or exercise while watching the tv.

As it's only been a short while you have not put it back on as fat - most of it will be water - you have to give your body time to adjust - every so often I lose nothing at all and I just stay there and then my body decides 'fine you win' and carries on losing. So long as you stick to the basic math of more calories out than in you WILL lose weight - it just takes time, every body is different but hang in there!!

itzjulz

Read the book "the anderson Method" by Bill Anderson. I have lost 28 pounds doing the anderson method. I am 52, not very active, but now I look like a 20 year old in my jeans. OMG I wear size 5. In my whole adult life I was never this small. I love it!!!! Hunger is in the mind. Tell yourself that when you are hungry you are actually burning fat. So this is a feeling to be MUCH DESIRED! Just like you feel sore after a good workout, or you are tired after sex. When you are hungry you are burning actual fatty tissue. It is such a good thing. You can do it, really. If I can, you can. I am sure of it!

While I congratulate you on your success, I wanted to add a note of caution for the original poster, because I believe that teaching young women (she's only 19) to desire the feeling of hunger can in some circumstances lead to dangerous results (e.g. eating disorders). This isn't to knock your success, but younger women, especially on a college campus, are much more susceptible to heading down that path.

You can and should be able to love food, and be satiated by it. Allowing yourself to go hungry will put your body into starvation mode.

I'm a law student, so I've been both on a budget and in school for a LONG time.
-Another poster mentioned flax or chia seed -- add them to your oatmeal in the morning! A package of ground flax is only a few dollars
-Scope out the grocery store sales papers BEFORE you go to the store. Most larger chains will let you view their ads online if you don't get the paper in the mail. When you see healthy staples on sale, stock up! (assuming you live at home and not in a dorm, so you have freezer space) I fill my freezer with frozen veggies and fruit, chicken (buy fresh in the family pack when they're on sale for under $2/lb and freeze into individual ziplock baggies--cheaper and better tasting than buying the pre-frozen ones). If you have competing grocery stores in your area, check both ads -- I often make 2 separate lists and stop at both places!
-Invest in a crock pot. I make a huge pot of chili or soup for just a few dollars (and mostly easy-to-find, cheap canned or frozen ingredients). The best part is that you can toss everything in in the morning before you go to school and it'll be ready when you get home!
-Keep healthy snacks on hand: baby carrots, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, nuts. Preportion snacks like nuts into sandwich bags so you aren't tempted to eat more than one serving
-Drink lots of water! Make sure you're drinking 8 glasses a day! I've found that I'm hungrier on the days that I don't have my water bottle parked at my side. If you don't have a high quality water bottle, try the Contigo brand -- they usually run about $10 and will last! Fill it up for free at the drinking fountain before class, sip through class and before you know it, you'll easily be drinking your daily water requirement.

Do you drive to school? Can you park further away from the building your class is in? It's cold out now, but on sunny days, bundle up and go for a walk during a break between classes. Making time to work out is my biggest struggle during the schoolweek, but I've started to evaluate where I'm spending my time. If you spend 1/2 hour on facebook or watching a TV show, you have time to work out. Do you have cable? If you have on-demand programming, check to see if they have an exercise video section! There's lots of great free stuff there.

amymarie8709

I usually only get to work out 3 times a week for about 20 mins do to college and this snow isnt helping much...and the gym at my college cost about 75 dollars a month and I just cant swing the extra costs right now.

Go to Walmart or somewhere similar and get some workout DVD's Jillian Michaels DVD's are amazing!! Try getting up a half hour earlier or do it before you go to bed. Good luck!!! And all this advice is amazing!!! I was going to add something about food and water, but everyone else said it perfectly!

gaily_68

I started out at 175lbs. My ultimate goal weight is 125lbs. The first couple of times I tried to use MFP, I didn't stick to it. This time I decided to MAKE it work. Like some others have said...oatmeal is a good start...cheap, filling, low-fat & low calories. I also use apples slices with a little peanut butter spread on them as a snack (cheap & filling & curbs the sweet craving). Fresh veggies are the best, but like you, I have limited budget so I use the store brand frozen veggies. If you buy fish & unbreaded chicken in the frozen meat section in the bags it is cheaper & you can get out only what you need when you need it. Also, I made myself start exercizing on January 2nd.....started out very slow. Started with riding a stationary bike for 20 minute per day....every day. I have gradually built it up & now do a variety of exercises for 60 minutes per day. I was told if you make yourself do something daily for 3 weeks it becomes habit. Worked for me! :-) I'm down to 164 now...got a long way to go, but off to a good start. Hope this helps. Good Luck!

meg7399

1200 is a really low amount! Consider upping it and eating healthier. If you are indeed working out, you body NEEDS more calories to jump start metabolism and burn fat!

lauehorn

As others have said, it's totally normal for your weight to fluctuate due to hormones, etc. Do not be discouraged! Just staying on track and keep pressing forward.

On a budget, I would recommend buying things in bulk when they are on sale (Be aware of the shelf life, though) and stick to whole, fresh or frozen foods. You can make great meals on the cheap, much cheaper than buying packaged foods. Also, try incorporating some vegetarian meals into your diet. Legumes and lentils are much cheaper than buying meat and they are still very nutritious and filling.

For working out, head over to the library and check out workout DVDs. They may be older, but who cares? They are free! And you can swap them out for a new one as often as you like, so you'll never get bored. There are many that you can do without equipment of any kind - yoga, pilates - or head over to a park for some basic weight training sans weights - push ups, pull ups, lunges, step ups, etc.

MPF usually sets your calories low, IMO, so 1400 calories may not be a problem. It's important that you feel full and satisfied, and you may need to make some healthy food swaps to ensure you are maximizing the nutrients in your calories. Eating a healthy balance of good carbs, protein and healthy fats for each meal will ensure you are satisfied and won't be starving again in two hours. Feeling hungry is not a good thing and it's your body's way of telling you it's not getting the nutrients it needs. If you are at your calorie goal and still hungry, look at what you have been eating and see if there is a way to improve it.

Good luck and feel free to add me or message me. I'd be happy to help support your journey.

princessjarvis

Heyy heyy,

I started my weight loss journey on the 11th of feb and have so far lost 6lbs, I was aiming for a 2lb a week lost , around the time of month this weight is water weight so i wouldnt worry about it, just keep exercising and remain positive!!

Now on the case of eating 1200 and not being satisfied.... I was exactly the same i found i was grouchy and run down and hunger pangs were kicking my *kitten*...its your bodys way of telling you to eat/sleep etc

So what I have done and its working for me is...first found out my BMR using http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/...once i had found that out i deducted 500 cals a day from that and it gave me a daily calorie limit.

I changed my diet settings on MFP to a 40/30/30% set up and I train 3 times a week aiming for atleast 700 cals a session this means i am eating a high protein moderate carb diet.

So in theory (and is working every week) a 1lb will be lost through calorie change and 1lb will be lost through exercise....hope this makes sense

princessjarvis

Ps Add me if you want ill always be happy to help....took me ages to get it right xx