Uggg... feel so overwhelmed.

grippys

Hey all... I am looking for some advice. I started on this journey about the middle of January. I am determined to not just lose weight, but give my girls (12 & 10) a positive role model and some great tools so hopefully they never have to deal with weight issues.

However, my first issue is mealtime and how can you possibly stay within your calories and not feel hungry and not eat salad ALL the time?? Writing everything down has been a huge eye-opener, however meals (especially dinner) seem to have soooo many calories. I am wondering what my goal should be for calorie consumption for dinner??

My second issue is a question for all the ladies out there, and dealing with menstration!! I was doing fabulously (however, eating a ton of salad ;P ) until that dreaded time of the month, and then boom... no self control at all. Then, the old mindset crept in, and everything kinda went downhill from there. So, here I am now, feeling like I need to start over as I have gained back 2 of the 14 pounds I had lost...

Any advice that you guys can give me would be much appreciated

Thanks,
Shauna

TheMaidOfAstolat

Take a look at my food diary. Substitute my soy for meat if you're not a vegetarian. Also....excersisze-this gives you more cals you can eat.

During TOM I try to eat the same...I know I won't-I usually allow myself one salty and one sweet treat (usually 1 cup of air popped popcorn and a 2x2 square of good dark chocolate-think Dagoba or Endagered Species brand).

Also...take a multi vitamin that has iron in it (it helps not feeling run down due to the blood loss).

chgudnitz

I'm going to take a stab at this...

To stay under your calories you need to start looking at what makes up your higher calorie meals and find substitutions that you enjoy which can keep your calories down and your energy high. When I first started I would do things like if I had lasagna, instead of loading it with cheese and meat I would have a ton of spinach or other veggies in it. Eating veggie which are high in fiber and low in calories helps you stay full while your body adjusts to a lower caloric intake.

As far as question 2, lol. I have no clue about that... All I can say is if you eat very well 3 weeks out of the month, then only kind of healthy the other week, you should still end up healthy overall, right?

FireMonkey

What are you normally eating for dinner? Chicken or fish has fewer calories and less fat than red meat. Not to say I never eat red meat, but I eat chicken and fish more often. Big helpings of steamed veggies don't add too many calories and help to feel full. Limit your portions of potato, rice, pasta. Use brown rice and whole wheat pasta for a more filling dish. If you like dessert, try fruit and cheese, and occasionally fat free jello or jello pudding. Hope this helps! :flowerforyou:

kicklikeaGIRL

First off...way to go for starting this journey and for being determined for your girls! You CAN do this!

Now, I'm not sure what your total calorie goal is, or what your weight goal loss is set at...but you can do this! The first month I think is always the hardest when trying to get in the habit of a healthy lifestyle. I know it was hard for me because I was used to eating larger portion sizes. As you start to lessen your portion sizes, over time you will find that those portion sizes are plenty! Also, if you are getting in exercises during the day, you are not only strengthening your body but you can refuel & eat more food. (Sometimes my motivation to GET my exercise in..haha!)

You don't have to eat just salads. Personally, I like a lot of variety in my diet. I have grown fond of lean meats, a huge variety of veggies, and "tweeking" some of my favorite recipes to make them more healthy. I'd rather eat a lot of heatlhy food than a small portion of non-healthy food. Not only will your hunger be satisfied, but your body will feel good doing it.

What is your total daily goal for calories? And when do you typically work out (morning, afternoon, evening)? Maybe then, we can adequately determine how much might be good for you for dinner consumption. Also, are you snacking on healthy snacks during the day? (about every 2 hours) Are you drinking a lot of water?

Now as far as the awesome TOM (time of the month).... It will help if you eat more of a variety of food (not just salad). Salads can be good every once in a while, or as a side. But, lifestyle changes are a lot easier if you don't deprive yourself of good nutritious food. As time goes on and you continue in your healthy habits...you may find that during the TOM, you may start to crave less "bad" foods and want to exercise to help with cramps. I know this has helped me.

Each day we get to "start over" as you said...so keep your chin up and take this beautiful day to get a good strong hold of your goals. Don't make this a "diet"...make it a true lifestyle change. Also, keep in mind that my advice is purely based off of what has worked for me. You CAN do this!! Keep your chin up!!

sam_seagroves

Remember that your body fluctuates up to 4 pounds everyday, especially during that time of the month when you get bloated, etc. The way I handle meals is to keep it simple. Eat a protein, like 3oz. chicken breast, a veggie-maybe green beans, and some nuts-like 9 almonds. The protein and nuts will help you feel full and the nuts give you your healthy source of fat. If you're still hungry, maybe eat an apple....It's the carb/protein/fat block. It comes from the zone diet. It's been working really well for me. My trainer also says that the calorie goals on this site tend to underestimate what you're daily calorie intake should be, especially if you are also exercising.

DrBorkBork

I feel like I eat a lot of food during a day, and I'm almost always under on my calories. My diary is public if you ever want to see it. The trick is planning ahead. Jillian Michaels has been quoted, "If you fail to plan, you pretty much plan to fail."
What I do is log all my dinners for 2 weeks at a time since I know it's my highest caloric meal of the day, then I log everything else around it. It's like putting a puzzle together. If I get to a certain day & don't want to eat a certain food, i switch it out for something else. You don't have to eat salad every day (I sure don't!)

AndreaLee

Hi! 2 lbs comes off fairly quickly especially if you drink your 8 cups of water. I gain back around my period on the start of my period not just because of swelling, but because I have strong cravings...and same thing, eat more especially the carbs and cheese - last time I had pizza, 4 beer and a snack plate of garlic sausage, cheese and crackers! Oops! But I managed to get it off again within the week and kept going. I wouldn't let it phase you, it's the long term that you are looking at.
And hey, 12 - 14 pounds since mid-January - Awesome! It's working...keep going and don't give up!

I don't eat salads much....just keep my handy 1/2 cup measure and 3/4 cup measure around for my rice or whole grains and keep my protein portions to the size of my palm. Vegetables are pretty low calorie and you can eat a lot!, not just salad which sometimes just doesn't fill the same. Fill up with an apple or a piece of fruit and a small handful of almonds inbetween meals, or half your meal portions, and save half for snack times. It leaves me feeling less hungry if I know I can graze. lol

Keep your eye out for an old Weight Watchers meal planner book or something similar at garage sales or check out your local library - they have tons of recipe books, find what you want and photocopy the pages you like. Of course, there's recipes on here as well, and I'm sure other ladies on here have good internet sites to check out for low calorie meals that fill you up!