I honestly feel like I can't do this.
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You can do it! You just have to figure out what works for you. It takes some time, trial, and error to make plan that will work. I really hope you weren't trying to get by on 800 calories a day. Take the time to read the boards on here and read some of the success stories. Typically they explain what they did to lose the weight.0
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If you are at only 800 als then anyone would be wanting to grab any kind of food that they see. The human body is in self preserve mode at this time. Just take it in small steps. If before dieting you were consuming 2000+ cals a day make a goal to eat no more then 1800 for a week or two. Then drop it by 100 cals a week until you get to the recommended cals that MFP suggests.0
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You can do this! You have to eat at least 1200 calories a day. Anything under that will slow down your metabolism. Try doing maybe 1500 calories to start until your body adjusts to a smaller intestine and the hunger pains will eventually lessen. Dont drink away your calories. Always drink diet pop if you are addicted to having some type of taste because they are usually 0 calories but water is always best! You can also look for flavored water but check the calories because not all flavored water has calories of zero. Hope this helps!
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First of all you can do it. I am a life long food addict (for real, not to be funny). I have struggled with this my entire life. I had a lot more to overcome as far as weight to lose than you and I am doing it. I wish I had dealt with the addiction sooner and may I wouldn't have gotten to 290 and had gastric bypass.
Two options to consider, see a counselor and/or attend an Overeaters Anonymous meeting. Start to find ways to deal with the obsession. It is now easy and you won't be perfect.
Get your hands busy. I taught myself to crochet to avoid tv snacking.0 -
sounds like you just need to find something else to keep your hands busy. look for a new hobby- try knitting while watching TV. see if your local dog shelter needs volunteer dog walkers, etc. i obsess about food too, but i've realized it's most related to boredom. also higher sugar foods and processed foods spike your blood sugar, then you crash quickly afterwards making you want to eat again. try to eat more protein, and less sugar and processed foods.
i would also encourage you to keep a diary for at least a week. everytime you eat blog about what you eat, how you felt at that time, what you were doing, etc. it will help you notice your patterns so you can figure out a plan to break those bad habits.
snacking is a habit, just have to break that habit. it's not easy, but you CAN do it.0 -
I would use your maximum calories to start. When I first started using MFP I felt more fixated on food that when I wasn't watching calories. That caused me to be more hungry, I decided to just focus on tracking what I was eating first and increasing my water intake. I didn't lose weight but I started thinking more about what I was choosing and what were good choices to satisfy my hunger. I really like Mac and Cheese and I have difficulty eating a regular portion, the carb count is also high and I end up getting hungry sooner. That was a food I decided to stay away from. Carrot sticks don't satisfy me when I am hungry so I would try something with protein and fat when really hungry. Don't be so hard on yourself either. Sometimes you just start by making smaller easy healthy changes like more excercise and then build from there. Good luck!0
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If there's something you want to make sure you don't eat, DO NOT buy it when you do your grocery shopping. If you know you can't keep yourself from eating hot dogs, mac and cheese, etc. pass them up. Worked for me-- I really like the Red Baron single serve cheese pizzas but I know they're horrible for me so I just don't buy them anymore.0
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Like so many others have said, you do NOT need to starve yourself or go hungry to do this. Get some exercise, count your calories, and you'll be fine. If you know you want a snack at midnight (like I do), save some calories for that snack. It's not a bad thing. If you want to take a look at my diary, its open. With exercise I usually eat around 1800-2000 calories a day. Plenty of food.0
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you can still have snacks just have healthier ones like celery or baby carrots with either peanut butter or hummus, light string cheeses, low fat yogurts, grapes, apples, oranges0
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Please don't feel like you need to give up all food that you love, or eat way too little. If you spend a couple of weeks not changing your eating at all but JUST logging... You'll gain an awareness of where your food dangers lie, what you need to avoid, and what you need to work on. I can't see your diary so I'm going to trust that other people aren't wrong when they see you are eating 800 calories a day. Why not shoot for 1500-1600 instead? Unless you are already very small, you can lose weight on in intake of 1600 calories. There is no need to be hungry all the time. Will you ever experience hunger? Yes. Sometimes. But recovering from being controlled by hunger (brain hunger, boredom hunger, but not actual hunger) is part of the process, and taking control back will be extremely rewarding.0
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Bump for later0
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well as others have said, of course your hungry eating that little.
make a lot of good choices and you can eat more and still have a reduced calorie intake, without resorting to mac and cheese.
but here's my tip:
Since I've cut out all/most sugar and a most bread, I hardly ever crave anything. When I DO crave something though, PROMISE yourself you can have it in the morning.
By the next morning, you'll probably forget about it. but even if you don't, you'll be well rested and you'll know you can either indulge a little, or eat breakfast and move on with your day and feel good.
I think there is really something to your point about cutting sugars and breads. I get sugars from fruits and veggie and I usually have a chocolatey granola bar as a snack, but since I've been on MFP I haven't had many sugars or breads, nor have I wanted them!0 -
If I only had 800 calories in a day I might eat the tv remote along w/the Hot Dogs and Mac & Cheese!! Up those cals a bit - be sure and eat filling foods rather than junk and go to bed earlier (says the girl who was up at midnight last night and most nights)....0
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You have had soooo much good advice given to you in this thread. I really hope you take it all on board.. and give yourself a chance to do this! Good luck to you xx0
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Are you eating enough protein? If you are, and are still hungry, fill yourself with fruits & veggies. You can eat A TON of produce for not very many calories and it will fill you up!0
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Make a deal with yourself,
You have to change your triggers0 -
Please add me-
I am eating about 1200 cal daily, and exercising almost daily (5-6 times/week... sometimes my little one sabotages my plans!)
You HAVE to learn to listen to your body. Your stomach will growl when you are truly hungry. Once I got into the rhythm of eating when I was HUNGRY, not when I was bored, or when something yummy was offered, I started doing much better. I realized that I had not felt that hungry feeling much in the last 4 years, because I was always snacking.
AND- once you start eating only when you are actually hungry- you will find that ANYTHING you eat tastes fantastic. Raw baby spinach, broccoli, chicken breast- I look forward to eating these things, when before, when I was eating all the time, regardless of what my body needed, these things did not appeal to me.
You have to retrain your brain. If you know that you are up late, eat light early, then save a good chunk of calories for late night.
I cook up a bunch of chicken breast for the week and buy baby spinach, a solid block of pecorino romano, and I like Drew's dressings (especially garlic peppercorn and shiitake ginger), and eat 1 or 2 big salads a day- 130 grams of baby spinach, 7.5 grams of grated pecorino romano, 3-4 oz of chicken. I dress the greens in 1T of dressing, and then cut up the chicken in 3/4" cubes, then coat them in the grated cheese. Toss it up with fresh ground pepper and a sprinkle of Himalayan Pink Sea salt, and bob'syouruncle.
I would recommend that you cut out sugars and carbs for two weeks to start out. Some people will disagree with this, but, I found that it killed my cravings for carbs and sugar. Carbs and sugar act like a drug in the brain, and tell you to eat more of them even if you are full. It is much easier to tackle this journey when you are in control of your cravings a bit more.
I am a night owl as well- usually up until 3-4 am EST, so do add me if you like. I will be up and around MFP latenight.
This is possible!!!0 -
Well, you've heard it a thousand times. You didn't eat enough at 800 calories a day to keep yourself going even if all you did was lie in bed and do nothing, unless you're like 3'9" and 75 pounds! When you set your profile for MFP, don't request to lose more than two pounds in a week and it should give you a reasonable suggested calorie intake. Or go to one of the online calculators to find out your BMR and TDEE (you can google those acronyms). Base your intake on that.
If you aren't getting enough calories, you're gonna be hungry. That's just your body saying "feed me".
And as for the lifestyle change to healthier eating not being doable. You only have to do it for today. You can do anything just for a day, right? Then tomorrow do it again. Don't look at a lifetime of "dieting". That won't work long term for most people. Just one day at a time.
You can do this!!!!0 -
It must be something about Ohio girls. lol Cleveland is my hometown. I'm not going to address exercise, your calories, etc. I will just tell you that I am a snacker. My nightly snack used to be Haagen Daz coffee ice cream and potato chips. I lost 50 pounds over 2 years ago - the same 50 for about the 10th time - and have not put any back on. I knew I would never be able to eat dinner and eat nothing else in the evening. I replaced the Haagen Daz with Skinny Cow cones and sandwiches and a while later I would have a 100 calorie bag of popcorn. I would always plan for my snacks, and still do. It gives me something to look forward to. You don't need to stop eating after a certain time. You can't deprive yourself. That was always my mistake in the past. You can definitely do this. Don't worry if it goes slower than you'd like. You'll get used to eating differently and will keep it off long term. Good luck.0
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There are two words I want to say to you, first and foremost. I understand!
Everyone on here has given the best advice they know how and to see that is truly heartwarming. This is my first post on this forum, as a new member, but I couldn't have chosen a better topic. Your post reminds me of every day of my life since I was in my middle teens. I'll describe the whys and whatfors in my blog, but you need to know that you're not alone in what you're feeling.
I'm not going to tell you you're eating too few calories. I'm not going to suggest a menu to follow or an exercise regimen. All of the above and more has been caringly suggested, so I'd like to take a different approach. While it is true that we tend to overeat and choose the wrong foods when we're hungry, I don't think this is the root of your problem. I'm thinking it either comes from finding emotional happiness/satisfaction through food, a well developed habit during pregnancy (or possibly even before that) or boredom. From the tone of your post, I'm going to lean towards the first.
If you could find a good behavioral therapist in your area, that will go a long way towards sorting through some of the reasons behind the behaviors. If you cannot do this for any reason, that's okay. In lieu thereof (or at the same time), I'd suggest picking up a couple of credible books that explain this type of binge-like behavior. Not only will they give you some insight, but can also give you renewed faith in the fact that you can overcome your obstacle and possibly, some tools on how to do this. I wish I could give you a list of books, but someone here may be able to do that or just a search on Amazon.com for binge eating, bad eating habits, etc. may turn up some good hits. As a side note, perhaps you would find the subject matter interesting enough that it would lessen your desire to eat until you can sleep.
While you are working on the actual behavior, I can only suggest what has worked for me in the past and what works for me currently: 1.) I've removed all unhealthy foods from my house. 2.) I write down everything I put in my mouth. MFP.com has made this very easy. That way you can see what your diet lacks. Cravings can often be caused from eating too many refined sugars and carbs or deficiencies in some vitamins/minerals. 3.) I've refused to buy any new clothes until I can fit back into the ones I already have. While it sounds like punishment, it's not for me. It gives me something to look forward to, especially when I see older pictures of myself in the outfits of which I've 'out' grown.
I'm not telling any of this to you as gospel or as any sort of medical professional. Your post just really hit home with me and I wanted to off help in the best way I know how. I wish you every bit of success and I believe you CAN do this. Feel free to add me as a friend and I'll be happy to support you any way I can! :flowerforyou:0 -
Anthony Robbins 'Awakening the Giant Within' taught me how to mentally reprogram myself. It will teach you too. it is called the pain vs. pleasure principle. and it works. I started at 300 lbs and entirely addicted to food. try it. Get the audiobook if you want. i used to listen while i would take my beginner small walks.
Here is a video with a piece:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfSj4_n_C_s 0 -
In the same boat. Mentally, I'm on board the weight loss train.. now I just need the support! My SO always tells me that you don't need support to lose weight and that I should just be able to do it on my own.. I agree to a certain extent.. but "I" do need motivation and support.. it doesn't mean you're weak or unable. You can do it!0
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I'm sorry but I haven't read all the replies so I may be repeating what others have said. You said it yourself, you are addicted to food or addicted to the additives, preservatives, the sugar and everything else the food industry adds to our food to make us addicted. I am guilty of it, too, even though I've learned better. If you don't know about the effects of processed food on our bodies and mind, learn about it. Slowly start substituting hot dogs and mac and cheese with real food. Eat more real food, 800 calories are never enough. Train your body to sleep earlier if you can (another big problem for me). And if you're not exercising, start. Best of luck, you can do it, we all can.0
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Wow. I am truly touched by every post that I read. I read this entire thread and I honestly teared up a few times (in a good way and because of how true what you're all saying was)
I have opened my diary. I didn't realize people had them opened. You will find it very sporadic as I haven't kept up with it like I should.
I have no idea what macros are, but I'm going to try going to the help post a couple of you suggested.
The 800 thing wasn't/isn't my every day goal. It was yesterday because I was trying "the military diet" to jumpstart my diet.. I was/am going for 1000 calories per day.. I will bump it up to 1200 after reading what you've all said.
I've always ate junk food. Always. My mom could make a 4 course, brilliant meal, and I'd rather eat a t.v. dinner or fast food. The amount I'm eating though definitely changed during pregnancy. I was a partier and drank beer all the time and smoked cigarettes. I quit both of those things while I was pregnant and just constantly ate.
I'm glad I posted this so I can re-read what you've all written when I need to. I've also added tons of new people on here and hope to get to know everyone
I've wanted to change my sleep habits for a long time. I'm going to shoot for going to sleep around 1am. That's early for me.
I am going to try this 1200 thing with exercise and I will bump this thread up in 2 weeks to let you all know my progress.
Thank you again every one of you for taking the time to read and to reply!0 -
Sorry to bump this again, but I wanted to tell you all that I've been on a 1200 calorie diet for a week straight now and i have lost 7 pounds
I'm ecstatic and much more motivated now that I'm seeing results. Thanks again everyone.0 -
Just give up. There's no need to overexert yourself. I gave up and feel happier.0
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I felt this way especially when I started this journey. Amazingly I still feel this way at times even in maintenance when everyone tells me I shouldn't. We are all human. We have good days and bad days, all of our lives. The tools you find and use to get out of a funk will serve you the rest of your life, and you will always need them. I call it sharpening your sword for battle and you will always need to keep your blade sharp for the rest of your life. We may get to relax at times for a few moments, but life is a bit of work until the end.
There is nothing easy about this journey. Don't give up. Keep your eye on the prize. You do not have to be perfect to do this. You just have to have more good days than not. A bad day is not the end of the world. Tomorrow is a new day. Just pick it right up again. Be kind to yourself at all times and never beat yourself up.
Being on a calorie deficit is hard. You can't do this journey on will power alone. You must set up your environment for success. Have a team around you in your real life, not just online. Get trigger foods out of the house. It will take some sacrifice and it's not easy. You might have to say no to some social events sometimes.
Too many changes at once can be hard on some people. I've always eaten healthy so it easy for me to simply eat less. Eating at a calorie deficit is hard on people; even a small deficit puts your body in a state of flux with hormones and such. Everyone is different. Some people can handle a deeper calorie deficit than others, this is not right or wrong, it just is. Stress in your life affects your hunger hormones; lack of sleep, fatigue, job stress, family stress, financial stress, etc. Add in emotional eating issues and it gets even more complicated. Most people can only handle so much change/stress at once, they try to do too much and fail. Sometimes it might be a better strategy to eat at maintenance and make some small changes first, it really depends on how much stress you are taking in at the moment.
For me it's all about a calorie budget. I had less of a budget available when I was losing weight, more to spend now that I'm maintaining and all the tools I used for weight loss come into play for the rest of my life maintaining.
When you have accumulated excess fat, you have accumulated a debt. It is hard to pay off the debt (you have less calories to spend). If you are sitting next to someone your same gender and height and they are not overweight and you are, they get to eat more than you (have more calories to spend) because they are debt free. You have less calories to spend because you are paying off your debt.
There is no mystery to weight loss, everyone thinks something is wrong, their metabolism is broken, they have low thyroid, they have menopause or whatever issue, they are as unique as a snowflake, whatever. I thought a lot of these things once too but once the doctor helped resolve the health issues for me I learned there is still no magic pill. Most people eat more than they need to and are not at good at estimating calories as they think they are. Most people have a lower BMR than they think they do. The only way to know for sure is to go to a lab and have it tested. It doesn't seem fair to have to eat less and feel a little hunger. It's hard to face the truth of it, very hard. It's not fun. It's drudgery at times. But if you learn to enjoy your smaller amounts of food (necessary to lose weight, since the reason we got fat in the first place was eating too much whether we knew it or not), and rejoice in your victories it can be done.
Wishing you the best! -Bobbie0 -
Eating less than 1200 puts your body in starvation mode, which is probably what happened. I'm glad you're finally seeing results as well as feeling better! You can do it!0
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Wow. I am truly touched by every post that I read. I read this entire thread and I honestly teared up a few times (in a good way and because of how true what you're all saying was)
I have opened my diary. I didn't realize people had them opened. You will find it very sporadic as I haven't kept up with it like I should.
I have no idea what macros are, but I'm going to try going to the help post a couple of you suggested.
The 800 thing wasn't/isn't my every day goal. It was yesterday because I was trying "the military diet" to jumpstart my diet.. I was/am going for 1000 calories per day.. I will bump it up to 1200 after reading what you've all said.
I've always ate junk food. Always. My mom could make a 4 course, brilliant meal, and I'd rather eat a t.v. dinner or fast food. The amount I'm eating though definitely changed during pregnancy. I was a partier and drank beer all the time and smoked cigarettes. I quit both of those things while I was pregnant and just constantly ate.
I'm glad I posted this so I can re-read what you've all written when I need to. I've also added tons of new people on here and hope to get to know everyone
I've wanted to change my sleep habits for a long time. I'm going to shoot for going to sleep around 1am. That's early for me.
I am going to try this 1200 thing with exercise and I will bump this thread up in 2 weeks to let you all know my progress.
Thank you again every one of you for taking the time to read and to reply!
THIS is AWESOME! Glad you did not give up. 0 -
If I ate only 800 calories, I would be hungry and thinking about food all of the time, too. You're not eating enough. You should be eating, at the very least, 1200 calories. I personally can not do it at 1200 calories. I have mine set for 1600 calories and I'm still at a deficit so that I am losing weight. The way I am doing this is by eating whatever I want as long as I don't go over 1600 calories. That's my first step. I'll change a little bit at a time because I know that I'll fail if I try to do it all at once.
Hope this helps. :flowerforyou:
This would be me after only eating 800 cal/day: :grumble: :explode:
You need more food throughout the day. That is #1. #2 is I will say not to be discouraged if you fall off the wagon one day - just get back on the next, and keep moving forward. You can lose this weight! We are here for you.
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