Okay Ladies, I need some help PLEASE

heatherrose9

I've gotten myself to a point where, by limiting my caloric intake and upping my proteins, I'm just not hungry. I have no desire to indulge in chocolates, cakes, or other high-cal foods. Keeping with my diet is now just a fact of my life, it's the way of life, it's not a thing I have to think about. It's really frustrating to not see huge results quickly, but I think about how GOOD it'll feel when the pounds do come off.

amen!

jrwatson87

What's really helped me is to always pack a Luna bar to fight off hunger. It is very filling for only 190 calories and gives you time to think about your next step. I cannot think/plan when I'm hungry haha

happypath101

I am stupid busy. And, I'm a snacker. And, I have blood sugar/cravings issues. Here are some of my tips:

* Roast a big pan of boneless, skinless chicken breasts on Sunday. (Just a little spray of cooking oil and some spices and herbs will do.) Use the left-overs for days worth of healthy eating: chicken sandwiches, chicken stir fries, chicken and ww noodles, etc.

* Clear out a portion of your desk and use it as a pantry. Keep lots of healthy stuff there. I like: whole roasted almonds, jello no fat puddings, Nescafe skinny latte mix, healthy packaged oatmeals, rice crackers, granola bars, you get the idea.

* Make it a habit to eat either some fruit or some veggies every time you put someting in your mouth. This can be monumentally difficult at first. But, then you won't believe how much you like your fruits and veggies after a while. I like to walk over to the mall by my workplace once a week and get a bag-full of stuff to consume throughout the week.

* Google 100 calorie snacks and check out those lists. There are TONNES of great ideas out there.

Good luck! You can do it!

blowsfire

i look at motivational pics of what i wish to look like. i really love zuzana light channel on u tube. i eat alot of salads and tuna, chicken, and for once i am addicted to water. i put apple cider vinegar in it sometimes for detox and weightloss. i go to this site or visit my workout buds on facebook. keep like minded people around ya. u can do this!:flowerforyou:

k8tls

What kind of kitchen options do you have at work? Is there a fridge, microwave, kettle, or nothing? It might be worth investing in a microwavable cup or dish to keep at the office. If you have a fridge at work, bring in a grocery bag of healthy snacks (fruit, cut up veggies, yogurt cups, cheese portions, whole wheat bread, and anything else that you like.)

If you have a microwave, you can heat up your own homemade food or a healthy frozen dinner. I eat a lot of frozen dinners at work because I dislike cold sandwiches. I like looking forward to a good-tasting lunch after a long morning :-)

If you don't have either of these things it gets a little more challenging, but there are still healthy, shelf-stable snacks available. I like canned hummous, fruit in shelf-stable cups, peanut butter, canned vegetable juice and canned tuna salad. Whole fresh fruit is another great snack that will keep in your desk for several days. There's also oatmeal and soups, stews and chili available in individual cups that simply require hot water.

Frozen dinners and shelf-stable items tend to be high in sodium, so you'll want to keep an eye on that. There are lots of great suggestions on this thread, and hopefully you'll find some meals that appeal to you!

I work in a recreation department which gives me access to a full kitchen and all kinds of cooking supplies. I just dont usually have to to get in there and cook something. I usually bring yogurts and fruits, tuna, sometimes frozen veggies. i keep things like eggs and peppers there too. I can, on some days, go to the gym before work and then cook breakfast when i get there before i clock in and eat it while i am working.

As far as my schedule, I have two jobs, this is what it looks like 4 out of the 5 work days:
Monday Nottingham 8:30-2 Gym 2:15- 3 Portsmouth 4-5:30
Tuesday Gym 8-8:30 Nottingham 9-2 Gym 2:15-3:15 Portsmouth 4-8
Wednesday Gym 8-8:30 Nottingham 9-2 Gym 2:15-3:15 Portsmouth 4-8
Thursday Nottingham 9-3 Gym 4-5:15 Portsmouth 5:30-7 Pool 7-8:30


I go to bed at 10 every night and wake up around 7 or 7:30 sometimes later which ends up bumping my entire day out of whack... so, i really dont have time for prepping any meals and by the time i get home from work each night it is to late to eat dinner. I have tried cooking meals on the weekend and having them in the fridge for the week. The best one that worked for me was home made individual pot pies. I prepared all of it but didnt bake it. I could throw them in the oven at work and that worked out really well for me but the summer is coming and I run a summer camp which mean that i will be outside all day with the campers and will no longer have access to the kitchen for microwaving or baking or cooking at all. I almost never eat breakfast. It seems to slow me down a lot. If i eat right away when I get up i usually get sick, which is weird but it is what it is. So if I eat breakfast it is an hour or two after ive gotten up and is usually at my desk consisting of yogurt, an apple, or whatever snack i threw in my purse that day.

lucylAnneMason

I tend to take packed lunches to college and work with me, really simple things like a pita and hummus or a sandwich with literally take 2 minutes to make and I always take a Packet of crisps (chips) with me, but i make sure that the packet is under 100 calories.
I also prepare it the night before because I struggle for time too, and its nice knowing that its ready for you in the morning.

I set times for myself when I'm at college or work for when I'm aloud lunch or a snack, but i have a drink of water before i eat the snack to be sure I'm actually hungary and not just board
Hope this helped
I rejoined MFP again the other day xx

rhenda_iris

Sweetie, you are only 25 years old. Don't trap yourself into a lifestyle where you are "too busy" to take care of yourself. Make time to shop for healthy food, make time to exercise. You can do it! Once you make it habit, you will not even have to think about it.

Misslisat

I pack my lunch every night before I go to bed. It includes my breakfast, too. A normal day would be a Special K Strawberry Protein drink for breakfast, and then for lunch I'll have a salad, or a can of tuna and a few crackers, or a packet of microwave mashed potatoes (they're really good and only 100 calories). I also like taking the large apple cinnamon rice cakes with peanut butter on them. Then I pack a little baggy of veggies (cauliflower, carrots, green peppers, etc.). I like a little dessert, too, and usually go with a Dole fruit cup with jello. I found that the key is to always pack that lunch and be sure to take it. You're the one with the control, get creative. It takes no more than 5 minutes. Another little tip - record your lunch the night before so it's right there, logged in MFP. It makes it more difficult to change your mind. I, too, have quite a bit of weight to lose. I learned that snacks can be a dangerous game. Sure, you can find 100 calorie snacks out there, but eat just one at a time. Also, take advantage of the reports that MFP provides. You can see where you're doing good (nutritionally speaking), and where you need some improvement, to get a healthy and balanced diet. You have to retrain your brain before your body follows. You can do it!!! :happy:

Jezebel9

What are some of your favorite & healthy on the go meals?

When and how do you prepare them?

What encourages you to keep with things when you are frustrated after trying so hard and seeing so little results?

What advice or encouragement can you give me???

Thanks ahead of time for all of your kind words and advice!

I pack an avocado and chips- Lara Bars(raw fruit and nuts), cheese, apples and peanut butter, turkey jerky (in moderation) a container of yogurt, a jar of raw green juice (juiced fruits and veggies). Or go to the salad bar at the grocery store. Or- worst case- Wendy's salad with chicken.

I stop looking to the scale for 'results' - I focus on the positive: pants- baggy, arms- more toned, stronger, more energy... bras don't cut anymore I can run farther. The scale sucks. I am not on a diet, I am on a lifestyle change which includes a diet and also a change of my habits.

MFP is encouraging, music! my ipod! watch a motivational video, remember why you began in the first place- make a list- read it every day.

What encouragement can I give you?
Are you worth it or not worth it?
Do you love yourself or not?
Is your health important or not?
Exercise and eating right are not easy, requires effort, determination... such effort and persistence can only be given to the worthy- THAT'S YOU!

emilycarr_7

Awesome blog, those are some good tips!

samanthahien

i know what you mean by busy...i work full time and am working on my masters as a full time student as well...i dont have much time to cook and stuff in between.
i try to snack on fruit and something salty like chex mix or something. i always so something sweet and salty. and nuts! eat nuts! eat a handful of almonds...your body needs fat to be "full" so put good fat instead of the bad stuff. subtitute unsweetened almond milk instead of cow milk...itll cut calories by about 100/cup.
i'm a vegetarian so i feel like i am hungry all the time. lately ive been eating sandwiches....i love loading them with alfalfa sprouts!...some avocado, green lettuce, tomatoes, light on the red onions and cheese....if you can find it, sprouted wheat bread is really good. just a few tips i found helpful:
if you like eating salty...try and cut back! its something i have been working on...not only is it bad for your health, but it retains water...eat potassium (banana, sweet potato) to help get rid of the excess salt.
drink warm/hot water-it will aid in digestion and help you lose that extra bit of weight
try to add some exercise- try walking during lunch?...or anytime during the day, do the tip toe exercise...in one place just go up on tip toes off the heal of your feet...you will feel it in your butt and calves....or when youre brushing you teeth, do the phantom chair against the wall...ever little bit of movement helps.

keep up the good work! stay encouraged!

krodriguez277

eating nut mixes really helps me trick my stomach into thinking that its full. this can either help you greatly or set u back. if you eat too many of these nuts in a sitting, u will end up gaining weight because they r very high calorie. but if you eat them sparingly, and stop when youve satisfied your grumbly tummy, it is a very good way to loose weight. they say to only eat around 20 individual nuts in a sitting. so what i do is put 20 nuts in a sandwich bag (so i cant eat more even if i wanted to) and eat them when i get my 1st grumbles of the day, usually around 10 AM for me. (i buy my nut mix from costco because it comes in large quantities, but im sure u can find them everywhere) i also keep cheese sticks or string cheese in my fridge at all times so that i can take one to work to eat for my 2nd grumbles of the day or so that i can just grab one when i get bored and feel like snacking. another thing i do is take a half of a bagel with creamcheese for a snack. some might say that this adds calories because of the bread, but when you get tired of fruits, veggies and yogurt and you look at all the horrible alternitives, half a bagel isnt that high in calories. i also reccomend packing everything the night before so u can grab and go. good luck!!!!!:)

bewitchinglife

You can totally do this!

My husband travels a lot and gained a lot of weight from eating out. He's stopped going to restaurants entirely. It's made a huge difference. Huge difference. Restaurants don't care how much you'll gain from their meal. They just want you to come back so they make it yummy and all kinds of bad for you.

My first suggestion to you would be to stop going into the places you know you can't make the choices you need to. There's no reason to go to Dunkin' Donuts unless you wanna eat a donut, you know? I had a terrible McD addiction a couple of years ago. I just started telling myself that it isn't food, and that 'I don't eat that.' Eventually, it worked and I stopped wanting to go. Now the thought of McD is gross. Really really gross in fact.

Grocery stores are a great place to go if you need quick food. Almost all of them have sushi, salads, grilled chicken etc in the deli section.

My big problem at the grocery store is getting a Venti latte and a chocolate bar. It's a habit that I'm breaking. I went last night and I really wanted 'mama's treats' but I didn't get them. I felt weird and awkward not doing what I usually do, but I made it out of the store without buying anything I would regret. It was hard, but I did it. You can do it too! I know it!

Second is plan ahead. Make all of your lunches for the week on the weekend if you can. There are all kinds of websites that have suggestions on how to do that. My gal friend is very strict Paleo and she has lost half her body weight eating like that. She makes an entire week of lunches for her ENTIRE family on Sunday and then they grab and go on their way out the door.

You can do this! You can do this! Just plan ahead, make some rules for yourself that you won't break, and take it easy on yourself. A slip up every now and then is OK. If it's a pretty common occurrence, it's time to change your plan so you can work with it.

emnk5308

I knew a lady that carried around a loaf of bread and peanut butter with her everywhere! Try something like that.. Lots of ladies I work with have a stash of greek yogurt, one has pretzels in her locker. I like to keep some of my lean gourmet meals in the freezer too. Nuts are good.. if you can, make some meals in advance, freeze them, and take them with you.. You can always stop in Subway too ;D

lyfurlong

I use a cooler bag and plan ahead for the week. I eat alot of veggie/chicken wraps, raw veggies, yogurt, bananas and other fruitetc. Just make sure you pac ice packs in your cooler bag and you will find youself having to skip Dunkin Donuts and boy do I LOVE Dunkin!

ktwitchell

I also have a very busy lifestyle (3 kids, fulltime-way-more-than-40-hours-a-week job, plus my husband has a fulltime job, part-time job and goes to school on the weekends!). I totally get how hard it is. There are weeks where I think we've hit every drive-through window in town. That said, if I've got to go through a drive-through (or fastfood) I try to hit Wendy's, Subway, Chick-Fil-A or McDonalds (as long as you stay clear of the mayo/sauces and fried food and ask for the whole wheat buns--or skip half the bun--every bit helps!). I try to get salads or whatever grilled chicken they have and go with a side salad, fruit cup, etc.

Per snacks, I pre-portion in small snack-size zip-loc bags almonds, cheez-its (or other baked crackers--although right now I'm trying to limit Carbs because I'm a bit of an addict when it comes to Carbs!), raisins, carrotts, grapes, etc because I tend to overeat (especially something like almonds--they just keep popping into my mouth). I also keep light string cheese and Slimfast meal-on-the-go shakes and bars, along with Kashi protien bars on hand both at home and the office for a quick protien snack. And I've switched to Greek yogurt because it has so much more protien. It is more expensive, but a lot more filling than regular yogurt. My office is a "youth house" and it is literally stacked with every sort of imaginable snack food--if I get hungry it is way too tempting/easy to run downstairs and grab whatever bag of chips or box of cookies is at hand.

Pre-making the bags takes time on the front end, but makes it really easy to have with me. I know some folks will frown against "diet foods" like Slimfast, but they are a life-saver for me. I also have access to a freezer at my office so I keep a few Healthy choice frozen meals in there (we serve Pizza almost every Wednesday and Sunday night and that's part of how I got so overweight). Keeping an alternative meal on-hand gives me a choice. Sometimes I choose the pizza and just try to remember to not go overboard with it!

On the otherhand, don't beat yourself up because you have a crazy schedule. I started this a year ago and fell off after a few months because I didn't feel like I was "sticking to my program." When I had had enough bad days in a row, I just gave up. But I've learned my lesson--that my life is crazy and I just have to realize that there are days when I'm going to end up with no good choices and that is just how it is. I just need to make srue I don't have too many of those days in a row or if I do (I travel a lot and the food is chosen by the program and so sometimes there aren't good choices even if I want to make them) then it is what it is, but I'll make as good a choices as I can there and try to sneak in 10 more minutes of exercise.

Oh--and a little dark chocolate is another life-saver. A few small pieces can satisfy that sweet craving!
Good luck. Hope some of this helped!

Fitfortat

If you hit Taco Bell... go for the chicken soft tacos and get them Fresco style. If you have a Subway close do a 6 inch veggie on flatbread, if you skip cheese you can have a little mayo or olive oil and vinegar. Ultimately the best thing to do is pack your lunch the night before and put your lunch calories in that night. Then your less likely to cheat. If you love fried potatoes... saute garbanzo beans w/ onion and bell pepper in EVOO with some seasoning. Lots of protein , very little fat and tastes amazing!! Turkey and avocado on whole wheat sandwich thins, jalapeno black beans, unlimited veggies and fruit, hardboiled eggs, those are my diet staples. But if you have to fast food, portion control is a must. Drink huge amounts of water before and during! Good luck!! EAT LESS, MOVE MORE, SMILE OFTEN AND LIVE FULLY!

ChelseaM18

I cook chicken in bulk, along with homemade turkey burgers and sweet potatoes. Then I put them in containers and either refrigerate or freeze them (when I put them as a meal) and they keep and I stay full

bewitchinglife

You know, I just read that you don't eat breakfast. You just gotta eat some protein in the morning. YOU GOTTA. Your body won't start burning the fuel until it knows that you are up and ready to burn and you tell it that by eating breakfast.

If eating in the morning is hard for you (I feel pretty yacky when I eat early) try drinking a smoothie. Here is my favorite smoothie recipe that is a total win with everyone in my house and it tastes like a chocolate milk shake.

Chocolate chia milkshake
1 serving

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbs Chia seeds
5-9 drops vanilla stevia
1 banana
1 cup ice

Blend for a few minutes. Let sit and blend again. Enjoy! It's very nutritious and will keep you going all morning.

zaithyr

I work from home so usually I can eat first but if I have to run out I usually make sure I have some trail mix/granola bars on me to stave off hunger until I get home, or if I eat out I try to make it to Taco Bell to get something off the fresco menu. If I eat out at Mcdonalds or Hardees or something I try to get a salad (they are usually higher in sodium though so you have to watch it!) or I get a bunless burger or grilled chicken sandwich and an unsweetened iced tea or bottled water. If they have parfaits or apple slices I get that instead of fries.