Please don't skip over my post... I need help!

michele040673 · October 2012

Hi. My name is Michele. I have lost forty pounds with mfp since Feb. I am super proud of myself. Since June I have only been able to take off ten. I stopped eating salads because I ate them every day for four months straight, so at night I tend to eat a bowl of steamed vegetables instead. My biggest problem is from six at night until when I go to bed. It seems I really have gotten bad with obsessing about food since I have started to try to "eat clean". I obsess so much. The last couple of days I have gone over my calorie allowance and feel horrible.
I walk one hour everyday but am also considering joining a gym...it seems that every friend I have on mfp burns so many calories doing eliptical machines and everything else they do.
I work two jobs so my sleep schedule tends to be a bit screwy. I am on the overnight shift three nights a week.
I need help!!!! I want to lose twenty more pounds, preferably two pounds a week. This eating clean thing is driving me crazy and I would appreciate any motivational advice.
Thank you.

hope8311 · October 2012

you have to remember this is a life change..so that does not mean you quit eating all the foods you loved..But do it in moderation....I have been losing weight slowly.However I workout and eat enough. I don't deprive myself from my favorite foods...Just eat a little...Can you honestly say you'll give up those foods forever? I hope you find the advice you looking for...I hate posting a question and know one replies....

Good luck

iambuttercup · October 2012

Eat more protein, drink 8 glasses of water, Check out atkins diet, it works when you are stuck. Ill be a friend if youd like to add me, good luck

thomasxaviersayles · October 2012

You are doing great, look at it this way, you have lost 50 lbs this year. That is quite an accomplishment. As for salads, make them more interesting, in fact make them a meal in themselves. Secondly, eat in a way that you can sustacin the practice for years instead of weeks or months.
As for salads, I make them Mexican style by adding beans, chicken or red meat cheese and tomatoes, olives etc. and then using either tomatillo sauce or a red salsa but it is just as easy to change the toppings and make a different style eg: different beans, meats, cheeses, etc. use your imagination.
Also add soups with your salads so you are not just eating the same diet all the time. Variety is key to good eating. Also try a small snack that kills your appetite between dinner and going to bed. Some of these foods are mayonnaise, a small slice of cheese, or some other food, even a celery stick with a bit of peanut butter will do. It does not have to be a lot of food.

KimZM · October 2012

well i wish you luck I am new on my journey. the ellpitical kicks my keester after a minute and i walk and do what i can...I can gladly be supportive of you..but i suggest setting a routine depending on your work schedule..I have to schedules one for the days i work, one for the days I don't...that way i don't have to guess. I work from home which makes it more difficult to stay away from food. But i work late into the night and usually starving by the time i get off...you have to find what works for you if that helps

gmallan · October 2012

If only want to do cardio (and I don't reccomend this you should be doing weight/strength training too) and don't want to join a gym, you could try doing some running to burn more calories. Build up slowly doing run/walk intervals until you get better. I have a gym membership for liting weights but prefer to do all my cardio outdoors where possible. It's much nicer

rhannie8 · October 2012

If clean eating is stressing you out and causing you to overeat, then that's a red flag indication that it is probably not the right lifestyle choice for you. I'm not losing weight as quickly as I'd like to (only 9 lbs this month), but the fact that I'm losing instead of gaining, and I'm not depriving myself of any foods (plus I choose FUN workouts, like dancing and other games on the Xbox) is what keeps me going. I'm sure it's going to get better as I learn what works and what doesn't...

And my wonderful MFP family helps me a lot!!! Friend me!

nz_deevaa · October 2012

The less you have to lose, the slower you should try and lose it. I would recommend you back off your 2lb a week goal and eat more than 1200 calories.

If clean eating is 'driving you nuts' ... then don't eat clean. Eat 80% clean, or whatever is sustainable to you.

MFP often overestimates calories burnt, so don't compare your burns to others. If you are happy walking. Keep walking. If you want to join a gym and would actually use the cardio machines, do that.. but don't do it just to get the same calorie burn as somebody else.

I recommend adding in some resistance training also, but do what works for you.

WAMarathoner · October 2012

Michele, you are doing AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME. Try not to get discouraged if the weight isn't coming off as fast as it used to. That's normal. And it's still coming off, right?

I am not a fan of fad diets (like Atkins). It sounds like you are eating well, but it's okay to cheat once in a while to help get rid of cravings. DO NOT FEEL GUILTY ABOUT IT! That's an order.

Unfortunately, your work schedule is helping to make a mess of your metabolism. Whatever you can do to get enough sleep will really help - 7 hours would be great, even if you have to sneak a nap to do it.

And ... although it sounds like you are really busy already, increasing your exercise volume might help, too. Just something small that burns 200 or 300 calories a few times a week can have a huge cumulative effect.

But back to my original comment - you are doing an awesome job! You've lost more than me, and I've been at it a lot longer, so you must be doing something right. Keep it up!

Sarauk2sf · October 2012

The less you have to lose, the slower you should try and lose it. I would recommend you back off your 2lb a week goal and eat more than 1200 calories.

If clean eating is 'driving you nuts' ... then don't eat clean. Eat 80% clean, or whatever is sustainable to you.

MFP often overestimates calories burnt, so don't compare your burns to others. If you are happy walking. Keep walking. If you want to join a gym and would actually use the machines, do that.. but don't do it just to get the same calorie burn as somebody else.

^^this. I would also add that you should do a 2 week diet break and eat at what should be maintenance. Then reset your goal to 1/2 lb a week. Dieting is very stressful on the body and can screw up hormones, especially in women. Take the 2 weeks to give your body a rest. You may gain a little weight - it will be temporary and mostly water weight. However, many people that do it actually see a drop in weight as your hormones get back in sync and you drop water weight.

Here is a good article explaining why they are a good idea:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html

pixiestick · October 2012

The less you have to lose, the slower you should try and lose it. I would recommend you back off your 2lb a week goal and eat more than 1200 calories.

If clean eating is 'driving you nuts' ... then don't eat clean. Eat 80% clean, or whatever is sustainable to you.

MFP often overestimates calories burnt, so don't compare your burns to others. If you are happy walking. Keep walking. If you want to join a gym and would actually use the machines, do that.. but don't do it just to get the same calorie burn as somebody else.

^^this. I would also add that you should do a 2 week diet break and eat at what should be maintenance. Then reset your goal to 1/2 lb a week. Dieting is very stressful on the body and can screw up hormones, especially in women. Take the 2 weeks to give your body a rest. You may gain a little weight - it will be temporary and mostly water weight. However, many people that do it actually see a drop in weight as your hormones get back in sync and you drop water weight.

Here is a good article explaining why they are a good idea:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html

^^all of this. I would also add that getting a heart rate monitor (HRM on here on MFP) might be the best way to ensure that you are actually logging the correct number of calories burned.

Find an activity that you love (my cousin found racquet ball and hiking and has lost a ton of weight... enjoying what he does). Before I my accident (and mu subsequent relapse into the land of unhealth :grumble: ) I burned great cals every day by running.

Be brutally real: losing 2lbs a week is great, but it's not sustainable in the final phases of weight loss and it isn't healthful for everyone. Find something that you can reward yourself with (even if it isn't "clean") that you find satisfying. I personally love the Swiss Miss 100cal fudge bars (definitely not clean but oh-so-good!).

Make life choices, not just weight-loss choices. :flowerforyou:

michele040673 · October 2012

Thank you everyone for your suggestions and input. I feel better already!!! I apprciate all of you!!!

MidgeN27 · December 2012

Hi Michele, I would add a slice of cheese to add some protein to steamed veggies you have or maybe mixing it up with fruit...one of my favorites is grapes and Swiss cheese. What about a protein shake or a quest protein bar. Remember protein will fill you so that you won't be craving as much. Carb cycling may help you too...there are several books on the subject and a group here doing it. Let me know if I can help you. Don't get discouraged you're doing great...plateaus happen, now to just change your diet up a little bit. You got this!

Please don't skip over my post... I need help!

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