I'm REALLY Struggling!

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  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,775 Member
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    Visually divide your plate into 1/4 sections. Protein goes in a section, carbs in the 2nd section, fruits and veggies in the remaining 2 sections. There, it's done - a balanced meal.
  • kmcosgrove115
    kmcosgrove115 Posts: 260 Member
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    I hope you are not pounced too much on here - I really get the frustration level and diabetes is scary. I went fully plant based 2 months ago and the weight comes off steady (even fast initially) but more importantly, my health is so much better. Cholesterol down, BP down, so many benefits. If you are interested in making a true lifestyle shift, go to Netflix and just watch Forks Over Knives. If you want to give this way of eating a try, email me here as I know many websites with quick and easy and yes, TASTY dishes that are so good for your health.................hope you find what you are looking for and I am here for any support!
  • michelle7673
    michelle7673 Posts: 370 Member
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    As far as the whole quality vs quantity...there was interesting research where a man ate only 1500 calories or so a day...but ate all junk. His overall health still improved as he dropped weight. So for pure weight loss, calories are the most important factor. But keep in mind that junk food doesn't satisfy and will leave you with cravings for more, while fruits and veggies and such will fill you up for much longer. Not to mention the long term benefits you lose through basic nutrients and such when eating junk. It's all about balance. If we try to change everything we often quit and change nothing. So focusing purely on calorie intake to start with is not a bad idea. I just shouldn't be your stopping point either. Once you have formed. routine and habit of eating correct portions, then start moving on to the next area of your eating habits...and so on and so forth. :)

    THIS ^^^^^^

    You have to eat at a deficit to lose weight. Is that easier if you eat less processed food and sugar? Absolutely. But it's entirely possible to over-eat "healthy" foods. Even a moderate amount of nuts and bananas in a day can put you there.

    So yes, track calories, and figure out what a good benchmark is for you. There's lots of help here on that, but MFP will do it for you; it's set up that way. Then my best advice is to give it time. I'm about 45 days into tracking (well, more than that, but I first weighed myself in mid-February). I have MFP set to "lose 1 pound a week", and I've lost about 9 in about 6 weeks. And I eat all kinds of things, but mostly "healthy" things.

    The other thing I'd recommend is this -- identify five vegetables, five fruits, and five sources of leaner protein (ie, not bacon) that you really like. And make those the backbone of your plan to start with. The problem I have with pre-written plans (like the notorious glossy Shape magazine plans) is that they require tons of exotic stuff you may not like, and it's a LOT of cooking. What if you don't like grapefruit/quinoa/avocado?

    For example, mine would be:
    baby spinach/bell peppers/cherry tomatoes/sweet potatoes/asparagus
    blueberries/raspberries/mango/bananas/green apples
    chicken breast/turkey breakfast sausage/eggs/salmon/shrimp

    I eat a LOT of chicken breast and rice, almost always with bell peppers, usually with some hot sauce and either lowfat cheese or avocado. I satisfy my taste for salty/crunchy/sweet with gluten free pretzels and sugar free caramel sauce. And I would never, ever give up my coffee.

    My point is that you can have what YOU like, and not what Tosca Reno/Oprah/magazine editors like :)

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