Newbie here! Needing some willpower & a poor girls diet :o)

MeesaC

Hey all! Brand new to the 'diet' scene- never dieted before, always been a "thick" gal. Just started the calorie counter thing yesterday and HOLY COW I never thought about what I eat! Quite a wake up call- especially after the McD's value meal I just had for lunch!

So... a couple questions...

How do you find the willpower to eat the 'healthier' options?
And considering that most healthy food is more expensive, do you have "poor girls" options/ideas? I would love to cut as much sugar out of my diet as possible but I know I lack the willpower to go completely sugar free immediately- I need to ween myself off. Suggestions?

Red5446

Welcome! Honestly, eating healthy has to become a lifestyle, meaning that you have to find your own way. Tons of fatty entrees can be slimmed down and still taste good; it's a matter of knowing what you like and being creative with substitutes. If you aren't a huge fan of meat, I'd recommend cutting that out for a while. It's expensive, and you can get complete proteins from legumes and grains, and I think that trying to craft meals focused on veggies is a good way to load up on nutrients while cutting calories. Of course that option is not for everyone, but it worked out well for me personally. Planning your meals helps save a lot of money, as well as making foods that freeze well. The latter is also great for decreasing your time spent in the kitchen. I can probably offer more specific advice if you tell me what kind of foods you like, but for starters, check out skinnytaste.com for recipe ideas. Good luck!

dani_1977

HEy and welcome..

My first suggestion, is to not think of as a diet.. but more of healthy lifestyle. Diets are restrictive.. can't have this.. cant have that. Diets have some many negative hangups. You want to eat.. in moderation to become healthier.

Cheap Healthy Eats ( again all in moderation)
Eggs
Bulk Beans
Bulk Brown Rice
Frozen Veggies ( not the steamables)
Fresh Veggies on sale... broccoli, Spinach, green bean
Bulk Oatmeal ( you can make a batch for the week, reheat for breakfast)
Already Made rotisserie chickens. You can so much with them
Apples
Pears

dani_1977

I forgot to add... also buying lowfat, light, sugar free.. will UP the cost and to honest chemicals.

MeesaC

Thanks! I love fruits and veggies- and really not much of a red meat eater but I love chicken, turkey, and bacon. I wish I liked seafood but unfortunately I just don't have a taste for it. I just moved to a smaller town where it may be easier to access the farmer's market so I'm hoping that will help. My weakness is usually lunchtime- I hate staying in the office at lunch, so I usually end up buying fast food even if I bring something just so I can get out for an hour.

ndblades

You are already on your way-- knowing this is a lifestyle and not a diet, knowing to cut food slowly - way to go! Here is what worked for me, as I've had a lot of the same issues:

1. Moderation on the "junk" -- I have 5 kids and we travel a lot with their activities - eating out is inevitible. If I can't get to a subway or healthier option, I choose just the burger, not the burger and friest. I am not a pop drinker - so that is good anyway!

2. I started eating more protien for breakfast (most days), as well as bigger lunches and breakfasts, it reall does curb the appetite later in the day.

3. I set my goal at 1lb a week -- not huge, slow progress,,,, but I am rarely hungry and don't feel deprived. Sure there are days that I could make better choices, but I don't beat myself up!

4. Eating cheap is always my goal- we go through a lot of food in my house. Eat the veggies and fruit that are in season - have a garden if you can. Watch for sales, only buy prepackaged (Healthy food) as an emergency food source, don't rely on it. Once you start eating in moderation, you'll see you spend less!

Feel free to add me as well.

ElegantGoose

Hi,

I'm new too. I lost a BUNCH of weight a few years back by keeping a food journal and exercising... but then I had kids and fell off the wagon.

Now I've been using this app on my phone and on the computer for 6 days and I've lost FOUR pounds. It's SO nice to be able to use it to make healthy choices when I'm going out to eat, without having to guess the calories. Even when I go to smaller mom-n-pop type places, I can usually get a much closer guess by choosing very similar items from the database.

Once you start choosing healthier options after a week or two, you'll notice you feel SO MUCH BETTER that you won't want to eat a lot of the same crap. I'm not saying I don't still eat pizza once in a while, but thinking of McDonald's food makes me queasy. So, replace McDonalds with Subway, for one. That's one way to start. And if you go to Subway.com, you can calculate the calories of a sub the way you want to order it BEFORE you go, so you aren't as tempted to stand there and ask for MORE mayo.

Another quick fix is to stop drinking soda. Or at LEAST replace it with diet. You do NOT want to be drinking your calories and you do NOT want your calories to come from high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Switch to diet soda, iced tea, or crystal light-type drink mixes and drink LOTS of water.

Healthier options don't HAVE to be more expensive. Chicken breasts aren't that pricey. Frozen veggies are as healthy as fresh as long as you don't get the kind in the box that come with a sauce. Fat free greek yogurt is a GREAT way to get protein, and most of the flavored ones (Chobani, Oikos, etc) don't use HFCS, even though they do use sugar. Don't do frozen meals - even the "healthy" options usually have 1/3 - 1/2 your daily salt. The more salt you eat, the more water you retain, and no body wants to keep water weight while trying to lose weight. Not to mention the other bad stuff (high blood pressure) that comes from too much sodium.

And don't forget to exercise. I do cardio 4-5 times a week for at least 30 minutes and I lift HEAVY weights about 4-5 times a week, too. Lots of girls think we can't or shouldn't lift heavy, but muscle burns more calories than fat, so I'm building up my muscles as I'm toning up and losing fat. (You don't need to worry about getting huge like those body builder ladies unless you're doing steroids. That not natural for MOST women's bodies!)

I'm really excited about my progress so far and wish you lots of luck!

Crochetluvr

I got the willpower from being so disgusted with my weight. In other words, I hit bottom and I don't intend to remain there any longer.

As for the sugar, I had to go cold turkey.

inraptorswetrust

No willpower needed. Healthy food tastes better than processed crap.
Frozen veggies and canned beans are super cheap and very good for you. Look for sales on produce, buy staples (rice, oatmeal, lentils) in bulk whenever possible.

whatthedeuce23

For me - I sat and looked at all the exercise equivalents - as in, how long I would have to bike to burn off that burger - and so (in a weird way), my laziness helped a bit! As I saw the scale go down, I began enjoying cardio more - but I'd still classify it as a chore rather than a fun activity...Feel free to add me!

freels73

There is an easy way to have to will power to eat healthy and stay on task with your diet. Go to the biggest mirror that you have and look at yourself naked. Is that what you want to look like forever? If you said no, then you have the will power to change yourself. It only takes discipline and self control. I know that it will be tough. I love MD's too!! I went there today for lucnh myself but I ordered smart. I didn't have a burger. I had chicken. I didn't get it fried, i went grilled. I also went esay on the drink by having a Lite Lemonade. It takes a while but it will be easier later on. Just stay focused on the goals and task at hand. You know that you are doing it. Stop yourself before you do it. Go shopping when you aren't hungry. Look for fresh veggies. Look at labels. I know the phone app has a scanner. Use it before you buy it. You will be suprised. Good luck and stay healthy!!

josiecowboy69

Once you start logging your food intake. You will start looking at the calories and so on. And believe me, you will either put it back or only eat a little. If you can't fight the urge, just eat a quarter or maybe a half. Just enough to curb the craving When you see them calories adding up and its only like1:00 pm, you will see that its not worth it. Good luck.

BobOki

Go to supermarket (Kroger, HEB, Piggily Wiggly whatever) and buy the family packs of 6oz Ribeye. Low calorie, about $5 or so a steak, taste awesome, and get that protien.

missashley884

welcome ! like others have said, this needs to be a lifestyle! and as for healthier food being more expensive, LOL thats a bad excuse u gotta kick! honestly it is harder to buy "healthier" but only because it takes more time; looking at labels, looking for deals etc. but by no means is it impossible due to being too expensive! i'm a full time nursing student and i make it work!

good luck

lizsmith1976

If you just want to get out for an hour at lunch, then go outside and walk for an hour. Then eat the healthy food you brought from home at your desk

Make spaghetti with meat sauce with whole grain pasta and ground turkey. I make huge batches and freeze individual portions. So inexpensive and so good.

crimznrose

Inexpensive eats: Bananas, Apples, Wheat bread (I buy Meijer brand split top wheat), tuna (in WATER).

for salad: a head of lettuce and a bottle of kraft fat free zesty italian dressing would take care of my lunch for a few days for a couple bucks.

meat: 1 lb of SHAVED deli turkey is low cal and shaved thin can last for a week as sandwiches, 1 pkg of turkey bacon is lower in calories and makes DAYS of bacon sandwiches on wheat bread with light mayo

Don't buy into the "diet" foods and prepackaged garbage. Most of it isn't as healthy as advertised anyway. My prepackaged treats include Fiber One 90 calorie peanut butter/chocolate chewy bars and Pringles Fat Free Sour Cream & Onion chips. Apart from those, I don't really eat packaged stuff anymore. Also, watch your portions. Invest in a food scale (mine cost me $19). It's amazing how much we overeat in our portion size. You'll be surprised what a single serving actually looks like and you should use the scale wherever possible until you're familiar with proper portion sizes.

_Bob_

I used to be in great shape and then after injury and years of slacking I had a wake-up call. now I'm dedicated to be who I used to be

Vicki66C

Hi there, and welcome!

I am fairly new to MFP. I am not however new to losing and gaining weight. About 4 years ago I lost 55 pounds with weight watchers and walking. It went fairly smooth for me. Thinking I knew the plan and didn't need to attend meetings, I stopped all of it. What happened? I gained the weight back, then some! So here I am, hanging my head in shame doing what I said I would never do again - lose weight. This time I am counting calories. What has worked for me tremendously in the past and now is logging/journalling. I am using the MFP app on my iphone and absolutely love it. My phone is always with me, I don't need to carry around a separate journal or need to get to a computer to log my meals. I am also using a fit bit to track my activity. The fit bit also syncs with MFP which is another bonus!

I currenty have 48 (well lets just say 50 pounds to lose). I'm so angry with myself for letting myself go. But I'm back on the path and hope that this time I can stick with it.

Reading success stories and finding a weightloss "buddy" are also things that have helped me in the past.

You can do it! We can do it! Hang in there, the road may be bumpy but it will eventually even out!

bpwparents

Eating healthy can be expensive, yes. I'm in the same boat with 2 growing boys & a constantly eating husband so the last think I needed was a bigger grocery bill. My suggestion is portion control. If you deprive yourself of what you like, the diet will be just a diet, not a lifestyle change. Also think about little things you can change about ordering out that make a big difference. A good example is indulging in that burger or chicken sandwich (grilled) but get it without the bun. That itself takes off around 300 calories!! I was shocked when I saw that. The tracking is your biggest help though. As long as you're honest, you'll do fine. I had a day a couple of weeks ago when I was away for the weekend and indulged in pizza. It looked really crappy on my diet journal but it really made me realize how much I'm not doing that again or if I do, only have one piece. As far as the sugar, I found the more I have, the hungrier I stay, aka eat more. I have to just keep to the minimum/portion out ahead of time. Good luck!

MeesaC

Wow! Thank you all so much for your responses! Definitely some good input and I think this site is really going to help a lot! ) I look forward to learning the ropes and hopefully seeing some results soon! It's only the second day on here and seeing today's lunch totals has got me pretty motivated- it's no wonder I've always been thicker! lol! I never realized what I was eating!

dwkloveswine

I too have a horrible habit of eating out. Recently I looked at the money it was costing not to mention the 1 main reason why I am here ~ the weight gain. :noway:
There is a gym in our building at work, that is free it also has a locker room. So last week I started running down to the gym on my lunch break and working out on the elliptical for 30 minutes and then eating a homemade salad or sandwich. This is going to cut back on my eating out which in turn saves money and calories!
I am hoping that this will give me results!
If you don't have access to a free gym or gym then take 20-30 minutes to walk outside. It really is a mood booster and it will get you away from the office.
Also check to see if there are any produce stands/markets in your area. I have found that their cost is much lower then purchasing fresh from the grocery store.

Welcome! Feel free to add me to as well, I am looking for all the support I can get. :flowerforyou:

pogojr

My will power has come from me finally being ready to make a change. I know what my last straw was, and I'm sure you know yours too. My beginning motivation was realizing what I was eating when I first started logging. It made me feel guilty about what I was doing to myself. I started slow. Before changing what I was eating, I changed how much I was eating. A big part of it is portion control! I was eating 2 or 3 times the amount of one serving. I started weighing everything. Get a food scale! I've slowly added more whole grains, fruits and vegetables (trust me, I'm not a big fan of rabbit food), but I still eat some of the old foods too. I drink lots of water (which thats all I really drank anyway). My typical day includes a bowl of cereal for breakfast, a sandwich on something multigrained and steamed frozen vegetables (in the microwave) for lunch, whatever my family is having for dinner (my husband cooks) and a few snacks in between (fruit, carrot sticks, fiber one bar (my daily chocolate) and most days a fun treat at the end of the day (sm piece of cake, scoop of ice cream in a juice cup so it doesn't look lonely in bowl). Nothing exotic and nothing that requires trips to a special grocery store or even a special aisle at the store. My struggle is exercising regularily, but that will come with time. My problem is making "mom" time. We are constantly running for stuff for the kids, and they aren't old enough to leave unattended yet.

My willpower now, is the fact that people are noticing my loss and are saying something! It keeps me going!

jesindc

Congratulations on getting started and welcome. I totally hear you. I was a little bit shocked when I first started logging in the foods I was eating. What works for me is that I plan out our meals (my husband and I are doing this together) for the entire week and then I hang the week's "menu" on the refrigerator. It *is* true that healthier foods are a bit more expensive, but my husband and I were both guilty of going out to lunch all the time and now that we are packing our lunch every day, the higher grocery bill is negated by the savings of not buying lunch out.

Here are the general rules we set up for ourselves. We try to stay away from breads, pastas, rice and potatoes and get our carbs from fruits and vegetables. We also cut out all juice and soda. And, okay... when I say "cut-out", I mean that we just don't eat it regularly, but I'll still allow myself to have an occational slice of pizza or bread at a restaurnant -- I just don't do it very often.

So here is a typical day for me.
FOR BREAKFAST I'll have an omelette that I make with egg beaters (sometimes I add a little cheese, peppers & onions) occasionally I'll also have a slice of canadian bacon on the side. I also have a cafe au lait with 1 % milk and equal (sugar substitute).

FOR LUNCH I have a cobb salad -- mixed greens and iceberg lettuce - 1/2 c, chopped chicken breast (I usually roast 4 chicken breasts on Sunday and cut them up and store them in a ziplock through the week) -- a quarter of an avocado -- a TBL of crumbled blue cheese -- 1/4 c of chopped cucumber -- a slice of crumbled bacon (sometimes I use turkey bacon, sometimes I go for enter-cut bacon) --Then in a smaller tupperware I pack 2 TBL of Marie's Super Blue dressing which is my favvvvorite. On days when I don't feel like salad, I make a wrap sandwhich, but I make sure to use a tortilla that is multigrain and high in dietary fiber.

FOR DINNER We do a lot of grilled chicken and grilled fish with a steamed vegtable and a garden salad. We also do simple stir fry chicken or beef and broccoli or shishkebobs.

My husband is bigger than me and has a high calorie allotment so he also take two snacks to work every day. Examples of snacks are hard boiled eggs (I switched to eggland's best since they are lower in fat and cholesterol), cheese sticks, veggetables and ranch dip.

Oh, one other deal my husband and I made with each other is that we don't drink any alcoholic beverages unless we've exercised in some way, shape or form for at least 20 minutes that day.

So far it has been working for us -- I've lost 7 lbs in the last 2 months and my husband has lost nearly 20 lbs.

Good luck!!

HeartlessHarlot

Forst off, welcome! I know exactly what you're feeling right now with that eye opener. The first day I tracked my calories, I realized that I was eating 4000 calories a day. Talk about a slap to the face. But, you're here and you've taken the first big step to getting on track.

Like Dani said, you gotta stop thinking about it as a diet.

Diets don't really work in the long run. You have to look at it as a change to your lifestyle.

What helped me is to realize that there really aren't any bad foods, just bad decisions regarding food. Yes, I can have a brownie at lunch, but that means I need to be smarter with my food and spend a little more time on the tread mill the rest of that day. I was watching someone being interviewed after losing 300 pounds and he said something that really helped me. "If I want chocolate, I have a Hershey's kiss, instead of a whole candy bar. If I want Mc Donald's, I get a small, single patty value menu cheeseburger instead of a quarter pounder with cheese, fries and a drink. Basically, I eat just enough to stop the craving, but not enough hurt my new lifestyle." That may not work for everyone, but it works for me.

For cutting out sugar and fat. Cut out the processed pre-made food. If you're making it, then you control what goes in it.

Look for bulk things. Rice, beans, bags of apples/pears. Talk to your grocery store department heads. I talk to produce and the meat section and ask when shipments arrive. A lot of places mark down food when they're expecting a lot more to come in. I got 6 whole chickens for 2.50 each (usually around 6.00 each) last week. Even with the produce, there's nothing wrong with it, they just need to make room.

Frozen veggies are awesome! You can get a bag of generic frozen veggies for a dollar or two.

Also, if you price out the food you buy vs the food you get at a fast food place the cost is less per plate when you make it. For me to have a Chicano breast, green beans and a starch side at a fast food place, I'm looking at around 6.00+. Making it at home (even paying full price for the whole chicken) it's about 2.50+.

The other cost effective thing you can do is team up with a few people (one of which a member of a bulk store, Sam's, Costco ect) and all split the cost of a 15 pound bag of carrots, 20 pound bag of potatoes...ect. I've done this a few times. It comes out really cheap and you get a crap load of veggies.

Lastly, for willpower, get some friends on here (I'm going to friend you) and every time you feel your willpower slipping, or need a bit of encouragement, post. I can't tell you how many times I've posted when my willpower starts failing and I have people comment telling me it isn't worth it. And, they're right.

nifer1029

I'm a single mom with a budget. That said... I LOVE to make soups and load them up with veggies! I make large batches, separate tham into individual serving containers (admittedly, probably not the BEST containers, but hey...) and freeze it. That way if I didn't have time to prepare a lunch, I can grab a container out of my freezer and feel good about it. (I have a picture of my freezer in my profile)

When things I use often go on sale, I stock up if can.

Frozen veggies are great! They are inexpensive and a time saver.

Most generic items are just as good as brand name. Sugar Free Pudding is NOT one of these, but milk, cheese and eggs are.

Don't buy something on sale if you *might* use it. If you *know* you don't like something, don't waste the money.