32 yo male, ready to make a move

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rockinright
rockinright Posts: 241
in Introduce Yourself
Hi everyone. Seems there aren't many men on here.

I'm 32, 5'7, male, and 247 lbs as of Friday May 21. I wasn't always fat, in fact, until I was about 14 I could eat like a horse and was so skinny you could see my ribs. By the time I graduated from college I was 175, which, although still "overweight", I think would look pretty good right now! Over time I have become accustomed to larger portions and have seen my metabolism slow, so here I am.

I'm finding that the hardest part is not so much healthy food choices, I can do that reasonably well, but the PORTIONS. I am STARVING after eating a "normal" portion, since my body is so used to literally pigging out. I did OK this weekend (made my calorie goals both days) but am hungry as I type this.

Any advice on dealing with that?

Thanks!!

Replies

  • CreativeRedhead
    CreativeRedhead Posts: 2,166
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    :wink: Hello! Welcome! There are plenty of men here, some are just hiding! :tongue: I wish you the best of luck here on this journey! My thoughts on the portion problem is to drink lots of water, have a salad before your meal. Just know that "starving" feeling will eventually go away. I'm not an expert though so hopefully someone else has more useful information! Lol! I hope you love this site and love the community!!! :smile:
  • tkrall
    tkrall Posts: 109
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    Water and Gum!! I try to drink a lot of water to fill me up. I also try to drink Milk with my meals to fill me up too. But once I hit my calorie goal, I chew mint gum! This helps with stimulating my mind into thinking I'm eating. Try exercising too, the more you exercise the more you get to eat. If I find my self starving to a 20 minute work out and you can eat more. Good luck! It is very hard to over come habit, but you can do it!! We are hear to support you!!
  • HealthyChanges2010
    HealthyChanges2010 Posts: 5,831 Member
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    Could be more to do with 'what' you're eating. Plenty of fiber, protein, healthy carbs, food such as that can really help keep your body satisfied.

    Also some member eat 5-6 small meals a day about every 2-2.5 hours in between. Breaking up your allotted MFP cals into 5-6 portions can really keep your body content and keep you from that hunger feeling, keep your metabolism reved up, balance out your blood sugars. That can keep the binges at bay and the urges to snack easier to deal with because you're eating more often.

    Depending on your MFP cal allotment, for example a portion of mixed nuts and a peach, or some veggies and pb, pair up a carb and protein and that will likely help you out alot:drinker:

    Also as Reanna just shared, drinking plenty of water is very good for your body and helps with the above as well.

    Best of luck,
    Becca:flowerforyou:
  • Doctorcb
    Doctorcb Posts: 31
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    I'm here!
  • wiseg2
    wiseg2 Posts: 210 Member
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    I slowly cut down my portion sizes. And I eat smaller meals more often instead of 3 large ones.
  • KDuckGirl
    KDuckGirl Posts: 32
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    Many times I have come across helpful magazine articles that list "healthy foods that are more filling". Usually those foods tend to be higher in fiber. Depending on if your a real picky eater or not, adding some high fiber and protein foods in your diet definitely wouldn't hurt! There's a brand called Fiberone that I LOVE (they make granola bars, cerial, pancakes, muffins, ect.). Oatmeal is great, whole wheat breads, and so are almonds and walnuts :) DON'T PANIC- your stomach is just adjusting to the change in eating more smaller meals instead of the few large meals that you were eating before. The elasticity of our stomach will adjust to our diet and within the next week you should start noticing that your becoming full much quicker. I always become unpleasantly aware of this after a late night of drinking which is usually followed by binge eating when your my age (Taco Bell). Whenever I wake up the next morning after a night like that I fell prepared for a FIVE course breakfast as my stomach is growling and I'm wondering how on earth I could be that hungry after a night of eating all that food!

    For the past few weeks I've been having the Dr. Oz belly blaster smoothie for breakfast and lunch which has extremely filling ingredients that keep my tummy full for at least 4-5 hours! It's great for on-the-go when I don't have time to prepare a healthy meal, it tastes good, and it fills me up...And I've lost about 8 pounds since I incorporated it into my diet :) You can look the recipe up online if you care to try it yourself. I hope that maybe helps a bit! Good luck!
  • rockinright
    rockinright Posts: 241
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    Thanks everyone!! Today was a rough day - all day I wanted nothing more than a big, greasy cheeseburger and a crapload of fries, but I didn't do it!

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