Im seriously about to call it quits

jurgitafit

No I would never say you have it easy, you work go to school and have a toddler, that's like 3 full time jobs And I feel ya, I'm in the same boat!!! You aren't eating too bad, but all those granola bars, while convenient, add up to a lot of sugar and extra carbs and depending on what kind you get, refined white flour which is little bang for your buck, so to speak.. Try apples, oranges, baby carrots, lowfat or fat free yogurt, small servings of nuts or seeds or other seasonal fruit as snacks or lunch components to fill in the spaces. You will get more whole foods, lower calories (except with the nuts), more fiber and more variety of vitamins and minerals by eating these instead of granola bars. Plus all of these travel well( except the yogurt) I bring these to school in my back pack on a regualr basis. As for exercise, can you use a gym at school? You'd be suprised at what just 30 minutes can do for you. How helpful is your husband, or how helpful is he willing to be? that can make a huge difference. My fiance is very supportive and helpful, he will take our daughter out to play so I can stay in and workout. Is that an option for you (realistically, don't just say no because you would feel to guilty to ask)

Good ideas on food, I was gonna mention the same. Too many carbs are really making me sleepy rather than energetic throughout the day! Protein is a good choice for snacks, combined with fruit and veggies (for a healthy carb).

HealthyChanges2010

Bumpin to save so I can read again and again!:drinker: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

You have no clue how inspiring you ARE Lilmissangi!:flowerforyou: (trying to fit it all in and take care of you too, (that's the most important person of all since you're the glue for the rest!) The fact that you are stickin' this out when you began the thread crying out for help and everyone dove into save you with ideas. You scooped up all the help and are putting the ideas into play.

Heck and I've only read part way through the thread and I'm bawling:sad: :laugh: but it's tears of joy!

Man you MFP'ers are the BEST EVER! I mean I already knew that but to see it all over again is just rockin' my world!:drinker:

Love you guys & how you jump right in to help another member in need!!

Becca:flowerforyou:

Rhyssa6

If you search the web you'll find a lot of places that say the whole thing about needing 8 cups of water a day is a myth - and the ones that do say you need 8 cups don't actually offer any scientific evidence as to why. Most days I manage to drink 3 - 4 cups.I ALWAYS have a water bottle with me (which holds exactly 3 cups) and it generally takes me the whole day to drink it all. I go to the bathroom often and it's a very light colour so I really don't think I'm dehydrated.

It sounds like you need some ideas for foods that are quick and easy. I'd suggest sugar free jellos (only 60 calories each), fat free yoghurt (80 calories per cup), protein and granola bars I find are good too, just read the nutrition information on the packs to find which are best. Fresh fruit is good, don't worry about the sugar, your body needs a certain amout of sugar to function. I eat a banana almost every day, they contain a lot of important nutrients. If you don't like fresh fruit much (like me) try canned fruit - I find it much easier to eat.

Walmart sells 1 cup size plastic containers, they're about $2 for 6 containers and they're great for making up ready-measured snacks. ( Imade a huge pot of antioxidant vegetable soup and then froze a dozen 1 cup servings. Also small ziplock bags are great for storing pre-measured servings of things like nuts or dried fruit.

I eat a lot of Healthy Choice type meals. I usually add 1/2 to 1 cup of frozen vegetables to them, which adds only a few calories but makes it into a bigger meal. I also eat a lot of fish (Gorton's uncrumbed varieties are healthy and convenient) and a lot of mushrooms.

For exercise, every little bit of movement helps, run on the spot or dance in the kitchen while dinner is eating, use cans or packages as weights, park a little further from the shops and walk briskly.

I hope you find these suggestions helpful, as lots of others have said you've done well so far, 3 pounds might not sound like much for 1 month, but multiply that by 3 months and you'll have lost 9 pounds. You want to make a lifestyle change, not go on a diet. The weight may come off more slowly than on a diet, but it will stay off and you'll fell better.

questionablemethods

I think a lot of other posters have given you some great suggestions with regards to foods and scheduling and whatnot. I just wanted to highlight how GREAT 3 lbs in a month really is! It may not be nearly as fast as you were hoping to lose, but just think about how that will add up over time! You can either keep "fighting the good fight" and even if you "only" lose 3 lbs/month from here on out, next year you will be 36 lbs lighter! Think about how great that will feel!

Or you can call it quits and stay where you are for now. Then maybe work up the motivation to try again next year and you will be where you are right now, if not heavier.

I hope this isn't sounding harsh and it isn't meant to at all. I'm just trying to point out that even a small loss is a loss and all of those small losses do add up to be really noticeable over the course of the year. My guess is, also, that as you get the hang of things, the pounds will start to come off faster.

Best of luck! You are doing great.

HealthyChanges2010

If you search the web you'll find a lot of places that say the whole thing about needing 8 cups of water a day is a myth - and the ones that do say you need 8 cups don't actually offer any scientific evidence as to why. Most days I manage to drink 3 - 4 cups.I ALWAYS have a water bottle with me (which holds exactly 3 cups) and it generally takes me the whole day to drink it all. I go to the bathroom often and it's a very light colour so I really don't think I'm dehydrated.

ouch!:noway: I find it so hard to hear how little water some drink, I can't imagine drinking less than a minimum of 8 a day.:flowerforyou: It's so good for so much of our body, our skin, ridding our body of toxins, our hair, our nails, keeping us hydrated, keeping us energized, alert, the list could go on and on and on....

I highly suggest you give it a go and make it to at least the bare minimum and see just how much different you feel before you take advice and drink less.:noway: I really don't think you'll regret it.

I think if it's really researched well you'll find far more reliable sources that highly recommend getting plenty of water in each day for your health. Our bodies are made up of approx. 70% water.

Becca

KatieM7

If you search the web you'll find a lot of places that say the whole thing about needing 8 cups of water a day is a myth - and the ones that do say you need 8 cups don't actually offer any scientific evidence as to why. Most days I manage to drink 3 - 4 cups.I ALWAYS have a water bottle with me (which holds exactly 3 cups) and it generally takes me the whole day to drink it all. I go to the bathroom often and it's a very light colour so I really don't think I'm dehydrated.

ouch!:noway: I find it so hard to hear how little water some drink, I can't imagine drinking less than a minimum of 8 a day.:flowerforyou: It's so good for so much of our body, our skin, ridding our body of toxins, our hair, our nails, keeping us hydrated, keeping us energized, alert, the list could go on and on and on....

I highly suggest you give it a go and make it to at least the bare minimum and see just how much different you feel before you take advice and drink less.:noway: I really don't think you'll regret it.

I think if it's really researched well you'll find far more reliable sources that highly recommend getting plenty of water in each day for your health. Our bodies are made up of approx. 70% water.

Becca

I agree with HealthyChanges2010! The real test is HOW you feel when drinking the minimum 8 glasses a day. Not what the so called "experts" on the internet. Plus like she said it is good for your body and it helps replenish what you use and if you are only drinking very little you are not replenishing what you use and what your body needs to work properly.

lisawest

If you search the web you'll find a lot of places that say the whole thing about needing 8 cups of water a day is a myth - and the ones that do say you need 8 cups don't actually offer any scientific evidence as to why. Most days I manage to drink 3 - 4 cups.I ALWAYS have a water bottle with me (which holds exactly 3 cups) and it generally takes me the whole day to drink it all. I go to the bathroom often and it's a very light colour so I really don't think I'm dehydrated.

Everyone is different. The 8 cup recommendation, like so many things, is an average. My husband drinks over a gallon of water/tea every day. My eyeballs would float if I drank that much!:laugh: As long as you "pee clear," you are probably doing alright. As for scientific evidence, a couple summers ago I took a grad class about the theories of teaching. In one of those theories we talked about the brain and its make up, chemistry, and how it works (or as much as we know about it so far!). Water is a HUGE factor in brain function. All the synapses in our brain are filled with water (and other stuff). That water conducts the electrical impulses, chemicals and hormones that make our brain function. Even slight dehydration can effect how quickly our nerves fire, and how we process information/think. I can dig out this research if you'd like. I don't think, though that anyone has come up with a formula that says exactly how much a person should drink. So many factors go into it, I think it might be impossible to make one that wasn't 100 pages long!:laugh:

Also, any liquid you injest counts! The liquid in fruits, veggies, jello, milk, coffee, etc all count. Somethings are dehydrating (caffiene for an example), but the effect of that varies person to person. They say water (I think ) because it's calorie free.

That all said, try upping your intake for at least 2 weeks. If you don't notice any changes (more energy, clearer skin, etc.), then go back to whatever seems comfortable.

Keep up the good work. Now that schools done for the semester, relax, take a breather, and then have a little fun exercising!