Does EVERYTHING need to be perfect?

WinstonH123
WinstonH123 Posts: 19 Member
edited January 1 in Health and Weight Loss
I just started MFP at 160 lbs, 5'6 and at the age of 21. I am a girl that likes to eat crappy food but I can give it up. I have started to eat better and bought a whole fridge full of healthy low cal snacks to eat in my dorm room/apartment. I recently had a bday so ive had some cake a few times recently, and every once and a while eat unhealthy with my boyfriend when we can't make it to the cafeteria. I am a college senior so I know what kind of foods the caf is capable of making and to be honest, not many of them are healthy at all. I always have the option of making a salad but eating those alot gives me no energy. I guzzle water all day and I have started working out about 3X a week. I try to workout for 45 minutes when I workout and that involves brisk walking and jogging for as long as I can (about 15 minutes but getting longer) I also take a one day a week rock climbing class. I guess my question is, do all of the protein/fat/carb amounts need to be perfect because alot of times mine are over. What kinds of foods can I eat to get all my protein and stuff in but not go over on my calories? I am at a 1200 calorie a day diet and I am trying to lose 1.5-2 lbs a week. Thanks!

Replies

  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
    Weight loss is a journey, not a destination. Change your weight loss goal to .5 lbs per week and never go over your calories. If you set your lifestyle to sedentary, eat back your calories; if you set it to lightly active, don't eat them. Does everything have to be perfect? No, weight can be lost eating twinkies, but you will feel like crap if you do it that way.
  • maricash
    maricash Posts: 280 Member
    Everything doesn't need to be perfect, but figuring out portion sizes is important. If you aren't weighing/measuring than it is difficult to know if you are really eating the number of calories that you think that you are. Does the cafeteria provide nutrition information for the meals it serves?

    We are the same height, so I know that 160 is just a few pounds into the overweight range. At that starting weight, 1.5-2 pounds a week is probably unrealistic. I weigh about 40 pounds more than you do and am only losing a bit over a pound a week. .5 pounds a week would be a more realistic, less frustrating rate of loss to aim for.

    I don't have any good advice on protein, but I'm sure someone else will. I have trouble getting enough protein as well and I'm not shooting for a particularly high amount.
  • Julicat6
    Julicat6 Posts: 231 Member
    Life isn't perfect, so eating doesn't have to be either. Focus on what makes you feel energized and ready to take on the day. Try to keep your daily calories near your target and don't worry so much about the daily make-up. It's all well and good for someone who is a competitive athlete to need to meet certain numbers, but I think most of us who are just trying to be healthier and lose some weight are better served by eating in the way that makes us feel energized. For me that means a little higher carb than a lot of the folks on here recommend, but less than the original default setting allowed. Do what feels right to you and allows it to be a maintainable change.
  • kentmac
    kentmac Posts: 101 Member
    If everything had to be perfect, how could you expect to sustain your results?

    Make healthy choices, exercise regularly, and try to eat within your daily limit. Give it time, you'll get further than you ever imagined.

    In terms of low calorie protein sources: chicken breast, pork tenderloin, white fish, tuna, greek yogurt, egg whites, cottage cheese, lean cuts of beef. Usually salad bars have chicken breast to add to your salad if there isn't any at one of the hot stations.

    Also, keep up the rock climbing! Nothing beats a workout that doesn't feel like one...

    Hope that helps. Let me know if you've got any questions.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    Look at the macronutrient amounts as general guidelines, not hard limits.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,997 Member
    Nope. I don't even pay attention to mine and I lose weight.
  • victorious27
    victorious27 Posts: 250 Member
    LOL, if you saw my stuff you'd know that nothing had to be perfect.

    In the end, weight loss isn't just about numbers...it's about how your body reacts to the food you put inside of it and how you use it. As long as I exercise, I will always maintain a weight. To lose/gain, I know what I have to do to get the result I want. If I followed the rules that a lot of MFPers do, I'd be gaining weight like crazy no matter if it was cutting calories or busting my @$$ trying to run every day for as long/hard as I could.

    Soon you'll figure out how your body works and what you need to do to accomplish that...and as long as it's healthy...it's absolutely fine. :)
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