New to all of this and getting frustated!

ashleeaz

Hello, Im new to the weightloss scene and trying so very hard. I keep getting frustrated though because I always only ate one maybe two meals a day. The nutritionist wants me eating 4-5 times a day. Yet I cant seem to make the calories works out. Im either under or over everyday. My life is also pretty hectic most days and it is an inconvience to try and fit in eating that often. I know she said it could be a simple small snack but Im not sure what to buy. Basically Im worried and frustated.....hoping to find some friends to help me desipher all the confusing issues.

filledwithJoy

First off...try to relax and breath a little. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Keep trying different things and you can find something that will work for your lifestyle. I keep Zone or Designer Whey bars handy in a plastic baggie. Then I can eat half and keep the rest for a later snack. I'm sure there are other brands that work but I like those because they are naturally flavored and are most are high in protein so I feel full. Step by step!

LisaLamb1

I have tried many times to lose weight, sometimes successfully, but I have always managed to sabotage my efforts by giving up just because I over ate one day. I promised myself that this time, if I stayed within my calories or not, I would start again the next day with a clean slate. As long as I have MFP as a guide and I log in everyday to keep me on track, I think I will be OK - I think you will too!

dgljones

One great piece of advise I was given once, if you do something bad, don't tell yourself you will start fresh tomorrow, start fresh right then. You can't go back in time and stop yourself eating that cake from an hour ago, but you can take the stairs and have a salad for dinner that night. "I'll be good tomorrow" can just lead to you giving yourself an excuse to totally pig out and turn a minor problem into a far worse one.

Kutchka

well said and your right start straight away and get beck into it

MrsAnderson_GettingHealthy

Don't give up... no matter how frustrated you are.

I am just starting my 100 pound weight loss (92 to go).
In the beginning, I had a really hard time finding meals that were low enough calories to be able to eat more than 2 meals. Now, I realize that I don't need to eat BIG meals at all anymore. Here are a few options-
Breakfast: Banana, oatmeal (200)
10:00 snack: Apple (30)
Lunch: Progresso soup (100)
2:00: string cheese or yogurt (100)
super: Grilled chicken, broccoli (400)
7:00: Rice cakes or low calorie popcorn (100)

You have some left over calories this way and you SHOULD be eating at least 1200 a day. I have noticed that if I eat more than 5 meals a day, I am able to eat lower calorie meals when I do because, I'm not AS hungry. Also, you should try to drink at least 8 glasses of water. I notice that I could feel hungry and than drink a tall glass of ice water and be able to hold myself off for another hour when I can enjoy a low calorie snack. It's hard to not slip into old indulgences but, you can do it... you have a great positive outlook on weight loss but, it won't happen overnight. I have already been on here for 3 weeks and I have 8 pounds to show for it. I thought that it would happen much faster but, I am so excited for the long term successes that I am not disapointed.

Please add me. I don't know how much weight you have to lose but, I have a few good groups that I have created. We would love to see your positive outlook on our message boards!
Good luck!

LJS0411

When I don’t eat enough food or frequent small meals, that’s when I gain weight. If I slip up and only eat a protein bar or something light all day at work then eat a normal dinner - if that continues for a few days or weeks I’ll gain weight. When I eat 4-5 small meals a day, my body recognizes I am not starving it and it knows I am going to feed it every 3 hours or so. Sounds crazy, but it works. Some of my small meals/snacks include – a yogurt, a protein bar, a piece of fruit, a piece of cheese, a rice cake with peanut butter, an apple with peanut butter, a hard-boiled egg, a rare piece of dark chocolate, ½ of a portion of a salty snack like potato chips, popcorn, or tortilla chips & salsa. I “allow” myself some of my favorite foods in smaller portions so I don’t feel deprived – because, if I make a food “forbidden”, I have always binged and set myself back weeks or months. You can be so creative in the variety of the food you like and what works best for your schedule. It really doesn’t take much food to be a “meal”. I find it easy to plan a weekly menu – and then purchase the items for the week at the market. That way, I have everything I need on hand and I am not as tempted to make a quick decision on convenience (like to a fast food restaurant). Many of my snacks do not need refrigerated which makes those hectic days easier. I also pack my meals (breakfast, lunch, and snack) for my workday. I have not bought a single item from the vending machines or the McDonald’s across the street in over a year! As you get used to the food tracker, you will begin to see what foods are better to eat than others – plus, for me, I try to remember the foods I eat that gave me the most satisfaction of feeling full and content for the longest period of time. I find starting my day with protein works best. If I start with carbs or fruit, I seem to be much hungrier all day. These are just some things that have worked for me – but it took me a while to figure it out, too! Best wishes – the first couple of weeks are the most difficult – but don’t give up. We all had to start somewhere!

Bri_Becq

Relax!!! We are all here to help. Try to take one day of the week to plan some meals ahead. When I do groceries, that's what I do. I don't work weekends, so on Sunday nights, I try to more or less plan the week ahead. If you plan, it makes it easier. As well as having the foods available. Remember that if you have good food in the fridge, you'll eat good food. If you have bad food, you'll eat whatever because you are hungry.

sunsnstatheart

Find a new nutritionist. Unless you have a specific medical condition (such as bariatric surgery), the number of meals you eat has nothing to do with weight loss or weight gain. Neither does how late you eat, or any of the other numerous myths out there. It's calories in vs. calories out, and if you function better off 2 meals a day, and that works for you, then do that. Weight loss is incredibly simple. The difficulty is in the consistent application and willpower. Stick with it and you will see success!

pakona

I am going to lose 40 pounds, or more...

I think exercise and any kind of activity is important to this whole deal, less calories in and more calories to burn, there should be an inbalance in the equation...

Oh well, here's to shirtless lake holidays, lol...

RhonndaJ

I'd be curious to know why your nutritionist wants you to eat so often, I know it would make me crazy trying to fit that in to my day sometimes. And if it's freaking you out, then it's not beneficial to weight loss anyway.

I would say relax and talk to your nutritionist about how you can modify what she wants to your lifestyle because that's a hugely important thing. The easier it is for you, the longer you'll keep at it.

What I'll also say is that at the beginning it is a little harder because you're learning new stuff, what are good choices, what are the caloric values, all that good stuff, so just relax, give yourself time on the learning curve.

jb55mee

I only ever ate an evening meal, probably around 700 calories, or so I thought, because I was too busy to eat during the day!. Last September I joined MFP and knew I would have to commit myself to eating a breakfast, to kick start my metabolism every day, which I have to say annoyed the hell out of me at the beginning because I just hated making the time for breakfast, but weeks on I refuse to miss it and if I can't sit down to have breakfast I eat a cereal bar/banana while driving. I always eat lunch now, and a have a snack too. The result is 24lbs have gone I make time for lunch, ususally oatcakes/crackers with reduced fat pate or philadelphia. Snacks are fruit or 0% fat yogurt and my evening meal is around 500-600 calories, smaller portions of the same food I always ate but they're accurately weighed now and made in batches and put in the freezer. I drink water before each meal. MFP calculated 1200 calories a day for me and sometimes I hit this, sometimes more, or less. Now that I've lost 24lbs I've started using an elliptical trainer at home and I'm up to 15 minutes ... I could only do 5 minutes a week ago. ... and I never had time for exercise before either, again so I thought. My BMI has dropped 4.5 points. This is a journey to health and wellbeing, a marathon not a sprint (as someone said earlier) and breaking weight loss into small chunks helps .. mine is 28lbs at a time and there's a lot of 28lbs ahead. Good luck with your journey.