Don't know what to do anymore

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  • SeeShelle3
    SeeShelle3 Posts: 22 Member
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    Allow yourself one cheat day a week. You can have a blizzard or candy or whatever you want on that day. When tempted just tell yourself I can have that on my cheat day. It really is easier than thinking you can never have it. Just remember do not bring it in the house. If you want ice cream. Go out for an ice cream cone.

    LOVE THIS!! Thank you for the tip. I never really thought about 'not bringing it home' before but I did that just yesterday with Entermann's Chocolate Chip cookies. I had a couple and then gave them to my co-workers. I could have brought them home, but I knew I'd be sitting at the computer and I'd probably eat the rest.
  • lbesaw
    lbesaw Posts: 267 Member
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    Food addiction is horrible to overcome.....it has taken me YEARS to finally change my relationship with food. The turning point for me was pondering my options......gastric bypass---no thank you. Alot of the people have issues forever after---can't eat dairy--this makes them sick, that makes them sick. Dawned on me that I really LOVE food and the only way for me to continue to enjoy life healthfully and happily was if I changed permanently. This is now my "forever" plan--I WILL try to stay within my calorie/fat goal every day. I WILL grant myself an occaisional "cheat meal" without guilt but will maintain my healthy eating plan faithfully. I WILL revamp my recipes to lower calories and fat without compromising the flavor. Whenever possible I WILL plan and adjust to accommodate my desires so that I CAN have the foods I want. So far I am totally happy with my results and can honestly say that I do not feel deprived or feel forced to eat things I don't enjoy. You'll get there...just be patient and DON'T GIVE UP--if you screw up start over, again, and again if necessary. I did the food diary for three full weeks before I started---it was a real eye opener--and allowed me to see where I was going wrong. Be honest and write down everything that goes into your mouth. If you cook in a tsp of olive oil---write it down. There are many ways to adjust so that you can be happy AND lose weight. Good Luck :)
  • SeeShelle3
    SeeShelle3 Posts: 22 Member
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    Oh, and try fresh lemon juice on your veggies. Made me like broccoli and green beans:) Lemon juice is my new condiment.
  • khelm31
    khelm31 Posts: 51 Member
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    It is hard, but the key is to make changes you can live with. Don't eat what you don't like, but sometimes by trying new things, you may find things you do like that could replace some of the not-so-good for you things. Here's some of my staples that I use for some of the things you were asking about:

    Bread: Nature's Own Double Fiber Wheat Bread- It doesn't sound good, but it is. My husband loves it and it has a lot fiber, which will keep you fuller longer.

    Sometimes instead of bread, I use low carb tortillas for sandwiches. There are some that are low in calories and carbs..

    For snack foods: Goldfish, multigrain tostitos, Fiber one brownies-these are great and if you take one and crumble it up in some low fat ice cream or frozen yogurt, you have a homemade blizzard.

    Sometimes despite the substitutes, you still want the real thing-so maybe work a mini blizzard into your calories for the day.

    Hope that helps!
  • MzBug
    MzBug Posts: 2,173 Member
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    Another suggestion.... find a good ethnic food store. Look at the spices and sauces (not creamy based) that add a ton of flavor. I found that just a couple teaspoons of Thai Peanut Sauce goes a long way on cooked vegies. Add some spaghetti squash and some lean protein and it makes a huge fantastic dish for very few calories. If (and that is a big if) you can find it, Thai Peanut salad dressing is kind of creamy, lower in calories than Ranch and huge on flavor. Experiment with some of the dried chilies in the Asian or Hispanic sections. Get a little inventive with your food. Half the time the fun is in the cooking and not the eatting. If you don't like something you cooked, think about how you can make it better next time. Ask the people at the store to make recommendations on what to try, or use Google to get some ideas. Just because you are trying to reduce calories, it doesn't have to be boring and tasteless.

    You can still have your goodies.....just less of them. One trick that helps me is that I make a deal with myself, I have to finish a plate of vegies and a portion of lean protein before I can have my treat. That way I am full and want less of the treat. I try (notice I said TRY) to keep away from trigger foods between meals. I try to keep myself busy and away from where the food is until it is time for my meal. I also drink a glass of water before my meal or snack, and a cup of coffee or tea (decaf depending on the time of day) after.

    That few days of the month....well, all bets are off. :ohwell: Haven't found anything to help those days.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    1. Dont worry about eating salads then. Just add some veggies to your plate full of meat and protein. Try a 500-700 calorie meal there.

    2. Sandwiches should be AT LEAST 300 calories. The best healthiest ones are between 400 and 600.

    3. Hummus and Triscuits, cut up tons of fruit and eat it all that day (a couple kiwis and strawberries and two oranges and an apple cost about the same as a bag of chips and some dip and a soda)

    tumblr_mc1uz9cgtJ1r6u05ro1_500.png

    4. You HAVE to put fatty things on healthy foods in order to eat them? you HAVE to? Are you 8? Search for other things that you do love. Instead of saying oh i hate all these- take the time to try lots of new things, if it really really matters to you- you will. Everytime I see someone say that they cannot eat food with Ranch dressing, I worry that they dont actually want to change their body OR their life. Just TRY new things.

    How do you break them? SELF DISCIPLINE. You matter enough to stick to the rules.

    Also - check out this way of looking at it - its silly- a fun light hearted read that has so much OMG NO WAY wisdom!!!

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/08/09/robots/ <~~~~ WONDERFULNESS!!!

    Forget Dairy Queen - Dairy Queen isnt getting you anywhere but further from your goals right now. When you have better self-discipline then you can practice getting treats in moderation, but not til you can prove you arent going to go overboard.

    Someone brought in a bag of candy yesterday at work, I ate SIX pieces (Twix, Snickers) instead of controlling myself and having one or two and working them into my calories. <~~ Are you going to bed telling yourself that tomorrow is a new day and to forgive yourself for today? cause... that doesnt work.

    Your body keeps an accurate record of what you eat and telling yourself tomorrow is a new day - does not and will nto change that. You have got to accept that the reason you arent making progress is because you're making bad decisions and not learning lessons. It seems like sweets are more important to you right now than changing for the better? Is that true? :frown:

    It's like I just give up once I've made one bad choice and make six more bad choices before bed time. <~~~ What on earth??

    Have you ever heard the saying, well I ate something bad so today is completely SHOT - is the same thing as dropping your phone and then smashing it to pieces cause it touched the floor. Your life is your life and eating a cupcake today is not a good enough reason to throw away an entire day. Thats being wasteful of your life. Why would you throw away an entire day?

    I need to exercise but I don't want those exercise calories to be an excuse for not eating well. <~ try actually doing what you say you will do before deciding that making a good decision is going to be made into an excuse later. You cant say what healthy choices you will make after you exercise- when you feel a million times better and the endorphines and pride are flowing... "I need to exercise but I don't want those exercise calories to be an excuse for not eating well." has to be the worst excuse to not exercise that Ive heard in many many years.

    I log my calories in the morning and by the afternoon, I've blown it so bad that I just don't bother logging the rest of the day.
    ^ giving up on a whole day because its easy.

    I really want to be healthy, but it's like I'm addicted to a drug that just won't let me go! I don't want to give up but I don't know what to do anymore.. <~ Are you really really sure you want this? It honestly seems like youre favorite thing to do is give something a half try and then quitting ten minutes later.

    I dont think this is the best you can do. I think youre scared of being awesome :frown:



    Just had to get that out there.
    [/quote]
  • ghodgett
    ghodgett Posts: 4 Member
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    I am having trouble too, but I would like to share ....Bakery Style Tortillas. H.E.B .....low carb...whole wheat...flour tortillas...5gr...fiber...no sugar...50 calories...Really does help....Sometimes I make a sandwich out of them...and put 30 cal. ham.fat free cheese.... .from Wal Mart..mustard.....lettuce (get the head)..and all the veggies...and enjoy it. It really does help....
    For my sweet treats I am using honey....and so far it is working...take a TBS and eat it by its self...drink ice water with it....
  • BlueInkDot
    BlueInkDot Posts: 702 Member
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    I recommend not worrying about your calorie goal for a few days, but just log EVERYTHING you eat. Even the butter and salt and teriyaki sauce you add to your veggies. :P

    That way you'll at least have a number to start with. Then maybe it won't be so overwhelming.

    After that, just try to incorporate individual changes in your days to improve that number. Drink more water? Incorporate other foods into your diet like yogurt or whole grain snacks? Eat at different times? Just experiment and see what works. When you log EVERYTHING you eat and keep a CONSISTENT, ACCURATE record, you'll be able to see trends over time, which will give you ammunition against your struggles.

    Don't get discouraged! It's hard work, but it's worth it!!! <3 - Mary
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    I don't understand. What is wrong with a 300 calorie sandwich?

    Also, you do know that MFP sets up your goals so that you lose weight without exercise, then when you exercise it gives you more calories to eat? So if your goal was 1,200 then you exercised and burned 300, you need to eat 1,500.
  • toya316
    toya316 Posts: 137 Member
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    Pasta tastes good. Cookies and cake taste good. Alcohol tastes good. We all know that.
    If you're trying to make changes in your diet, it's going to be difficult. Eating vegetables when you're used to daily blizzards is going to take some time for your palate to adjust to. Stop saying that you can't and just suck it up and do it.

    How is this comment helpful?

    I know exactly where this lady is coming from, I have many of the same issues. That is why a lot of us are here, because we need support and advise, not condescending comments.

    NICE.....:drinker: I couldn't have said it better... We are all here pretty much for the same reason.. Support if it's to lose 1 lb or 100...:indifferent: If we knew it all we wouldn't be up here...
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    Suck it up and just do what you need to do instead of whining about what foods you dont like, as if you were an 8 year old pushing pease around the plate - IS ACTUAL SUPPORTIVE ADVICE. Telling the OP its ok that you dont want to do any of the work, you will still get results darling - IS NOT actually helpful at all :flowerforyou:
  • Kaydana123
    Kaydana123 Posts: 71 Member
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    If you can't live without your sauces, the internet has plenty of recipes to make as alternatives to most commercially available sauces. Homemade sauces often have significantly less calories than even the low fat commercial versions (I got a huge shock after calculating the number of calories in one dip I made to discover it contained a THIRD of the calories of the low fat commercial versions). And blend some veggies into any sauces you make (or even the ones you buy), you won't even know they're there. Dipping sauces, pasta sauces, tomato sauces for pizza... you can blend extra veggies into all of them.

    Following on from that idea... try making your own soups, all you need is some stock, veg, chicken/beans and herbs/spices to taste. It's not particularly time consuming and a thick soup can be really filling. Get yourself a flask if you don't have one already and take soups for lunch instead of the sandwiches.

    Experiment with herbs and spices to add flavour to foods you aren't fond of and try cooking vegetables in stock or with a small amount of sauce added to the water to give the extra flavour. Minimises the extra calories while still improving on the taste.
    Suck it up and just do what you need to do instead of whining about what foods you dont like, as if you were an 8 year old pushing pease around the plate - IS ACTUAL SUPPORTIVE ADVICE. Telling the OP its ok that you dont want to do any of the work, you will still get results darling - IS NOT actually helpful at all :flowerforyou:

    That kind of "supportive advice" puts people off doing anything at all. Pretending that the only way to be healthy is to force yourself to only eat foods you hate for the rest of your life is ridiculous. Sure, you have to be willing to give new things a try, but there are plenty of ways to cut calories while actually enjoying the food you eat, telling people otherwise sets them up for failure.
  • here_I_go_again
    here_I_go_again Posts: 463 Member
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    At this point... suck it up. Honestly.

    Basically the only things you like are caked in sugar and fat. Everything healthy, you seem to hate. So, no way around it. You'll need to stop looking at food as a source of pleasure and now as a source of fuel.

    No matter how you feel or what you want... YOU are in control of your actions.


    To the people saying "suck it up" or "make up your mind," etc....that doesn't help her I''m sure. She asked for HELP, saying "suck it up" is NOT help. I was drawn to this thread to get help too. Thank goodness for those who have actually commented with helpful tips and advice. We all know this is not easy. We are here to support each other, or so I thought. Darn, if I can't come here for motivation and support where I once felt was definately here...well, that would be really sad and disappointing.
  • DKWaggoner
    DKWaggoner Posts: 185
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    We have to change our idea of what is "good" food.
  • transvenouspacer
    transvenouspacer Posts: 182 Member
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    Weight loss is all about calories in and calories out. It's really very simple. I like the challenge and have made it into sort of a game. Planning ahead really helps. Try planning for the whole day ahead of time.

    Maybe try not focusing on veggies and foods labelled "healthy" right now as you're starting out. Buy frozen dinners and packaged food items that have your cals already measured for easy counting. Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice have some decent low cost options. Go eat fast food but check out calorie counts beforehand and try to incorporate it into the plan for the day. I have several fast food places I like to go that have good lower calorie options.

    Don't cut out all things you like,if you do that you will fail. I don't crave things like chocolate and taco bell because I still eat them pretty frequently, just in smaller quantities. That blizzard you like? Try only consuming half of it and freeze the other half. On the other hand, if you can't control your intake of certain foods,it might be best to stay away from them until you've been at this for a while and then reintroduce them slowly back into your diet.

    I also realized I don't need as big of portions as I thought I did to feel full. Eat half of your lunch and eat the other half a couple hours later. For lunch at work many times I'll bring a sandwich cut in half, some apple slices and peanut butter and maybe some veggies I like. I eat one half sandwich, then a couple hours later the apple and pb then a couple hours later the other half sandwich. By the time I'm done I'm not hungry and I've only eaten 350 cals.

    Like others have said, don't give up just because you screwed up. Keep moving forward. Practice, practice, practice!
  • geomartinez70
    geomartinez70 Posts: 2
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    try chicken, fish, or shrimp tacos in corn tortillas. Candy's corn tortilla, for 2 = 90 calories, + 1 ounce of chicken of tyson's chicken breast = 28 calories(in each taco), + 1 ounce of pico de gallo (in each taco= 8 calories grand total for 2 tacos=164 calories!!!
  • Pinkigloopyxie
    Pinkigloopyxie Posts: 231
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    My problem is that 100 cal snack packs and related items taste like crap to me.

    I eat plain veggies fine, though. Right now I'm eating plain baby carrots to avoid pumpkin spice almonds and chocolate in the freezer.
  • towens00
    towens00 Posts: 1,033 Member
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    Bump
  • Loving_My_Life_2013
    Loving_My_Life_2013 Posts: 8
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    where are u located because I am looking for a walking partner?
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
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    Tortilla bread is 100 calories. It's really good too.

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