First day, struggling

SlimSlow15

It gets easier everyday. Once you get into the rhythm of things, logging your food will become second nature. Once you start eating healthier, the cravings for junk food cease. Its gradual, not overnight. Just stick with it! Add me if you want a friend for motivation and support.

Thanks

sicilysclover

1800 is good... we can work with this.. what foods dont you like?

I don't like seafood or raw veggies, but I'll eat them cooked. I love almost any kind of beans or peas. I love fruits, although it's a huge hassle to get them from the store often. They spoil quickly and I'm in college, living on campus. So going to get fresh fruits every few days isn't really an option as it takes an extremely long time to get there and back.

try buying the ready made veggies that you only have to steam (in a microwave) and squeeze some fresh lemon on them. Its fast easy and low calorie.

Hmm sounds like a good idea. I saw some on sale at the grocery store a few weeks ago

I buy that and the butterball turkey strips (ready to eat). Mix them together and you have a really low calorie meal. I even added some whole wheat pasta to bump the calories up a little bit.

slpsparklette

Healthy snacks in between meals. Apples are pretty filling. I make a quinoa muffin that is packed full of protein and fills me up between meals. You can do this!! The first few weeks are rough as your body adjusts, but it will be worth it!!!

chlorisaann

For that mindless snacking that I feel like I just MUST have something, but I am not at all hungry, I snack on crushed ice... gives me the feeling of eating something without the cals.... Although it is high in sodium, I also like frozen pickle juice.... VERY LOW cal there, I count each cube as 5 Cals tho I don't believe it is even that much...

daisiecpa

congratulations you are taking the 1st step and that is always the hardest. the 1st day i started i thought i did good but it ended up being around 3000 calories i could only imagnine what i ate when i was not being good. that was a rude awaking. but i started out at a higher calorie (2200 - 2000) until i was able to lower the calories without being starving. i try to stay around 1700 a day now and have been doing it for 6 months.

also drink lots of water. eating protein keeps you fuller longer.

good luck feel free to add me as a friend.

literaryweasel

Congratulations on taking the first step! That's huge. I too struggled at first; it was shocking to realize just how much I really did eat, and how much food occupied parts of my life. Others have suggested writing down what you plan to eat, and that works really well for some people. I also recommend two other things--one, find a hobby that you like. I don't recommend something "mindless" like TV--that's when you really want to snack. I like doing something with my hands, so I've taking up knitting and I'm ridiculously obsessed with Pinterest! Two, start finding different physical activities you might enjoy. For me, at the start, all I would consider was maybe walking through the mall. And that's great! Get up and moving, however you do it. I found that once I noticed that I was getting healthier, it was a LOT easier to resist the temptation of whatever food. It's the mentality of--I worked SO hard to get here--why throw it all away?

Substitution snacks work sometimes--my mom has a huge sweet tooth and she swears by red bell peppers. I really recommend trying out different healthy snacks to see if they'll work for you. Further, keep healthy food at the ready. The lure of junk food is sometimes how easy it is--you can just open a box of crackers and chow down. So take a little time each week and chop up veggies or fruit and keep them at the ready in your fridge. That way you can quickly grab something healthy instead of defaulting to junk food.

It is difficult at first. But you will get there. You will learn how to allocate your food, you will learn the tricks and tips that work for you, and you will succeed! Just hang in there, and don't beat yourself up if you have a day where things didn't quite work out. Just move forward and keep making the right decisions.

zaph0d

You have to plan your day in advance. Don't to to bed tonight before you plan out tomorrow. Then tomorrow, stick to the plan.

dalgal26

Congratulations on deciding to take this step to a healthier future! You are gonna love it here.

All of the suggestions before me are awesome! But, I have one more....BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!!!! :happy:

You CAN and WILL do this! The first week is the hardest. :happy:

Wishing you the very best in your journey to a new you! :flowerforyou:

jaj68

when I find myself hungry when i shouldn't be eating...or just feeling like eating out of boredom....I try to exercise. Or do something constructive to get me moving and to redirect my mind.

I try to keep sugar free jello on hand....and some fat free cool whip. You can have a big bowl with a spoonful or two of coolwhip and it satisfies cravings and the want of something sweet.

It is going to get easier. Trust me.

janak2004

First of all, congrats on joining MFP. This place is very beneficial and full of supportive people who have the same goal as you. When I started here I weighed 282lbs and had little to no exercise daily. Now I weigh 265 and just completed my very first 5K last weekend. If I can do it, I know you can!

One of the best ways I can tell you to avoid snacking is to drink two glasses of water before each meal and one after you eat. This not only helps flush you out, but fills you up faster. I do this everyday and you would be amazed by how easy it is to eat and stay under your calories. I can only have 1500 and at first it was hard to stay under, now that I do this it is easier. Plus, when you exercise, you can earn some calories back so those days you just want a "treat", you can have it guilt free.

Good luck on your journey! Keep us posted!

nikinyx6

I know you said raw veggies aren't your thing, but what about salads?

My favorite meal now is a iceberg or romaine based salad.

Add tomato, cucumber, onion, peppers, mushrooms...any types of veggies you do like. ( most of the ones I mentioned will last at least a week if bought a bit under-ripe)

Add protein, boiled egg, last night's chicken, a can of tuna...what ever ( I always put cheese and almonds on mine too)

Slowly build up a variety of low cal dressings, ( they're not cheap) so you can switch up the flavors and not get bored of salad.

Best of luck of your journey! Just remember, eat less, move more, repeat daily

StephanieEmpson

well congrats on making the first step... you need to space your meals out further if you've already eaten your calories... if your hungry still go and drink water i find drinking water in between meals and snacks helps and what are you eating that has you already at your limit?? try eating more fruits and vegs.. they are low in calories

I had a couple bananas, green beans, pineapple, cheerios, a sandwich, and chili. I know that it's a lot of food, but I'm used to eating much larger portions. I'm committed to sticking to this for my health. I just don't feel full

It would help if you shared you meal diary, is my first thought. Second is how many calories are you to be eating? What are your dietary goals? ... Add me if you like, I am big on reduced carbs as I am a type II diabetic so carbs are killers.

cgale8

First: Congratulations for beginning your journey!! Second: I would start by getting a set of measuring spoons and cups and become friends with them!! I have always mindlessly ate and this is the only way I could get a handle on my eating.

Start drinking water! Many times you think your hungry and your actually thirsty.

Make up several healthy snacks that you can grab when you feel hungry: grapes, baby carrots, celery, etc. and try to spread out your eating over the course of your day. Every two hours to start and when your body gets used to being fed on a regular basis you can spread out your increments a little more.

Eat breakfast! This was very hard for me cause I was never a breakfast eater.

And always remember: if you over eat tomorrow don't beat yourself up about it, just get up the next day and try again. This is a journey not a sprint!!!

RobynMWilson

There's already some great tips on here..I'll add my 2 cents lol. I don't like raw veggies either besides salad mix. Here's a website of recipes you can try to get veggies to taste good...basically rule of thumb is mix them with olive oil (good fat), garlic and roast for 20 or so minutes, then sprinkle a lil parm cheese on them. Broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, eggplant or a squash medley. Works great for all those veggies

Also, keeping busy really helps! Right down WHY you want to do this and make a lil collage of inspirational pics and keep it somewhere in the kitchen to remind you WHY you're doing this. Staying on MFP will keep your hands busy and keep you motivated till you go to sleep tonight.

And remember, none of us were perfect from day one. It took me 3 yrs of failed attempts before I finally lost my weight. We've all been there!

AmyFett

drink water instead of eating. Honestly, you get used to knowing you shouldn't go over a certain amount of food, it's tough in the beginning. You got this

KT022

Hey - who said you can't still feel full?! You can still eat until your hearts content, just eat the right foods, and over time you will be able to eat less because the high fibre (in some of them) will start to trick you. Change a banana for a cup of broccoli - less carbs, less fat - just put some salt on it and it is delicious! I'm not saying a banana is bad, definitely better than chips but if you want to get fuller off the same calories, then there are ways to trick your body into doing it!

californiagirl2012

I keep busy. Drink lots of water, herbal tea. I think the key is to keep yourself busy though.

I fill up with big salads and fruit, low calorie stuff, high volume. I make sure I totally enjoy whatever I eat, calories are too precious to waste on foods you don't like.

I allow treats within the calorie budget so I don't go insane.

Good luck. It's hard. Simple but hard.

2hobbit1

Hi,
Congrats on taking the first step. Change can be hard at first but it does get easier.
Have you set yourself up with a realistic weight loss goal to begin with and a good estimate of how active you are each day?
Having the right calorie goal makes this easier. You should eat more than you BMR and less than your TDEE. THe link explains how to get set up properly.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

Also its a good idea to set your macros so you have a protein target around 40%. Having at least 20gm of protein at each meal will help you to feel fuller longer.

When you first start out sometimes it is good to just log your normal diet for a week to see how far of target you are. Then make small changes to bring it closer to where it needs to be. It can be easier to do this in steps rather than jumping into the deep end all at once. Then start to plan/change/improve one meal at a time. find you breakfast foods that work, Then work on lunch and finally work on dinners. Plan healthy snacks whole fruits/nuts/ veggies. Once you know what keeps you fuller with good energy keep it in your rotation.

Be patient with your self - keep trying new foods - log everything and keep track of what works for you.

mercadov77

I find that if I drink alot of water it tends to curb my appetite. And ever since I started on this website which was one week ago, I know I have to put in everything I ate and this serves as a huge motivator. First things first get all the junk food out of your house. I've substituted hersheys almond chocolate which was my favorite late night craving for special k chocolate chip bars which have 90 calories. I have definately found this site useful and I hope it helps you too! congrats on step 1!! stay tough it will all be worth it in the end!! :0)

Timby1

You're getting lots of good tips and ideas already! My suggestions would be to take photos and measurements (and look at them when you are wanting to mindlessly snack), and spending a lot of times on the forums here - especially the success forum, it's extremely encouraging and inspiring. Hmmm, don't try to change everything at once - baby steps as they say. Oh, and if you don't see the success you think you should see in the first few days or even months...don't give up!!! Finally, make some friends here (feel free to add me) who can encourage and cheer for you on this journey. My favorite saying has become - You CAN do this!:flowerforyou:

elainecroft

My best tip would be to put veggies in everything. Mac and cheese goes well with peas and broccoli, for instance.

And in terms of allotted calories, I find that it is better for me to stick to a meal schedule and always eat something for dinner, even if I am over calories. I try to remember that one day is just one day, and I want to be able to do this for the long haul, realizing that I won't always be perfect.

Welcome!

sullykat

Make sure you have plenty of healthy snacks on hand. It is only the first day - logging is an excellent first step, pretty soon you'll see just what foods are worth and which aren't, where you can make changes, etc. and you'll start adjusting accordingly. You've already had a smaller amount of food today so don't worry so much if you're "over" calories today since you're Under your normal calorie count. Give yourself some time to get used to everything and enjoy those small victories.

Yeah, I really need to buy some low calorie snacks. I still have some junk food, because I just started this. I don't really want to throw it away and be wasteful

throw them out. it is not wasteful, as they are junk and you are not getting anything nutritious out of them, just added calories, and possibly a sugar/ fat/ salt addiction. Buying the junk in the first place was wasteful (I know you said you bought it before you chose this new life style, but just try to think of it this way from now on... it is hard. I know) I have to tell myself this often. My husband's birthday was a few weeks ago, and his mom gave us a whole tray of whoopie pies to bring home because she "didn't want to waste them". I ended up throwing half of them out because I just kept eating them on top of my alloted calories for the day. I don't know if you have any kind of food addiction, but I do, and I just simply can not have junk in the house. Even if I've bought it and ate a quarter of it, I will likely end up throwing it out because it was a poor choice on my part.

You CAN do this. You will have days where you stumble and even fall, but in the long run, YOU CAN!

oh, also, if you can, go for a walk or workout. You will have more calories to eat that way when you are hungry at night.

Also, try to make healthy low calorie choices throughout the day. Instead of small calorie dense meals (a burger and fries, for instance), have larger calorie reduced meals (load up on the veggies, have some lean protein, and a healthy fat like nuts of avocado... the fat will keep you feeling full). Try to eat every 3 hours and have a set calorie goal for every meal.

jag0128

I am trying something new today.....because I am the same way..and it seemed to work. I planned to have something every two hours. Usually I eat breakfast, bring my lunch and a snack. I'm a stress eater and I suffer not allowing myself to eat until the planned meal time. So....now I said I'm not going to wait. I am going to eat often. So the things I bring for lunch; soup, crackers, fruit, sweet treat, I'm now breaking up. Eat cereal at 6:00am....get to work - at 8:00..YAY I get a banana! No time to get hungry cuz at 10:00 I'm eating my grapes. Woohoo its noon - soup and crackers. Back to the desk and before i know it......2:00 peach time. 4:00 means its time for a 90cal brownie and a cup of coffee. 6:00 dinner and 8:00 pretzels and a crystal light. It's actually fun to know I'm getting something soon, and dont feel deprived. The trick is to pack the appropriate portion so you dont eat monster cals at the early times. Then you are sad....cuz the later times are no fun...rice cakes and water! You will find your way - I am sure of it!

xo_Sarah_xo

My tips/tricks I use:

1. Water, water, water and then....some more water!
2. Brush your teeth after every meal. It kills the urge to continue eating
3. Protein, protein, protein and then......some more protein (it really fills you up for a while). I like greek yogurt for this. I eat the blueberry greek yogurt and it is so thick it tricks my mind into thinking I am eating blueberry cheesecake (at least that is what I try to tell it.)

You CAN do this, just take it 1 pound at a time and don't look too far ahead, just KEEP GOING!

Friend request on its way! :happy:

rockingallovertheworld

Well done on getting through your first day. I have been on this site for a while but only been taking it seriously for three weeks and I have to say it's great. Last week I just for fun logged all the foods I used to eat just as snacks and they alone came to over 3000 calories!!!!!!!!!!! I was shocked but it was a definate eyeopener. I am now eating sensibly and most days am a bit under my allowance and rarely feel hungry between meals but if I do I will have a low calorie chocolate drink as this takes away the sweet craving and being hot takes a while to drink. This week I am also trying hard to drink more water. Good Luck an feel free to add me as a friend as we are all here to help oneanother.:happy:

DaughterOfTheMostHighKing

if you really don't like raw veggies, you may need to change that... sorry. I know that some veggies really taste better cooked! maybe cooking them will help you... you have to wait for them to cook! or do you eat at the cafe or fast food places on campus? they do have some healthy foods...

I lost the 15 pounds by eating raw veggies and fresh fruits mostly, but I did eat a hot dinner of pasta and protein.

you are in the right place. don't let weirdos/rude/jealous/hurtful people scare you away. they do lurk here... just remember why you are here and work hard! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!

add me as a friend if you'd like! I'm not always around but if you message me I'll make time to answer!

chicadejmu

Don't throw out the junk if you don't want to throw it out. Even though it's not exactly great food, eating it in small amounts could actually keep you on track. Don't completely deny yourself a favorite food - you will binge! Just learn to moderate your portions. And try not to "treat" yourself every day.

Drink lots of water and tea to help with the hunger. And since you don't like raw veggies, try steamed. They don't have a lot of calories and will help fill you up. And really, give it some time - your body has to get used to your new diet. It will happen!

Also, you could try going on a walk when you feel hungry - sometimes exercise will make the hunger go away. Good luck - you can do it!

MFPBrandy

I phased myself into it. On week one, I didn't stress about going over my calories. I was about 700 calories over for the entire week. Then I set the goal of eating 100 fewer calories over per week, thinking I'd slowly reduce. I ended up cutting calories much more quickly (it started getting easier once I identified a few huge calorie traps/surprises in my regular eating, like loading up my salads with pecans), and was at the MFP suggested brake (1200 for me) in 3-4 weeks.
You're already eating less than you were; give yourself credit for that. Just because you're not 100% with the program yet doesn't invalidate what you've already done -- it's not all or nothing. "Some" will still have an impact, just a little bit more slowly.

glennstoudt

It is not supposed to be torture. But the first two weeks are tough. I used grapes, carrots, watermelon, almonds, walnuts and so on to eat between meals. After two or three weeks, I was not hungry between meals.

Lose the junky carbs. They are your enemy and are evil. I used to eat half a bag of chips without even thinking about it. Don't and don't want to do that any more. You will too, soon.

Up the protein. Keeps you full longer. I know it costs more. Try to find the funds. A Big Mac is not an increase in protein because it is so high in carbs.

Don't worry about dietary fat and cholesterol for now. Most of that is nonsense anyway unless you are sitting around gulping lard, which you are not.

Think of carbs as sugar, as that is what they are. Lose the bread and anything white. That's a tough one too, but you can buy low net carb tortillas and stuff them with almost anything and have a great meal for $, not $$$.

Increase fiber, big time. Fills you up and has other benefits.

You will lose weight if you do the above and increase your activity calorie expenditure. It is simple to say, hard to do.
But many on this site and elsewhere have obviously done it. I have been at goal weight for a while, maintain effortlessly doing the above.

Diligence is required, but being miserable after the first few weeks is definitely not required. Good luck.

angelew

Buy yourself a pretty teacup and drink hot tea when you start to think you are gonna lose it!