Please Help! Unsure of what to do next!

spellcheck
spellcheck Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am a longtime dieter, and this probably makes things worse. Atkins, South Beach, Weightwatchers, and calorie counting-- I'm an old pro at restricting. (BTW, I'm 34 and female.)

Not so long ago I had a close call with an eating disorder. We'll call my frame of mind "disordered eating" and leave it at that. As a result, I tend to stay away from the scale, focusing on how my clothes fit. (This head-in-the-sand approach is the result of near- breakdowns after weighing in some mornings.) I try to eat intuitively, but admittedly overeat at times. I prefer whole foods but eat crap a couple of times a week too.

For the most part, I've been satisfied with my weight just above a normal BMI, but recently the pounds have been more evident-- pants a little tight, puffy face, and yesterday on Facebook two friends asked if I were pregnant!

I know I need to lose weight but am terrified of returning to disordered eating. It truly took over my life...

I'm also a regular exerciser so fewer than 1,500 daily calories eventually leads to serious overeating for me.

How do you "do" healthy weight loss? I feel so lost!

Please help!

Replies

  • mydeloo78
    mydeloo78 Posts: 328 Member
    Choose healthy foods.... lean proteins, fruits, veggies and whole grains. Stay away from processed food.. eat every couple of hours and drink plenty of water. Let your clothes/body be your guide so you don't get obsessive.... make it about being healthy not about a number on the scale.
  • bearsmom82
    bearsmom82 Posts: 72 Member
    You've come to a good place - many people have great success here by very carefully logging everything they eat, and maintaining a healthy exercise regime.

    HOWEVER - if you have concerns about an eating disorder, I would consult your doctor first and ensure that everything is ok with you physically and emotionally.

    Then, with your doctor's support, use this website. Set an achievable and safe goal, usually 1 pound a week loss, honestly log everything you are eating, and eat back any exercise calories. Try to emulate the "clean eating" lifestyle - minimize processed and refined foods. Stick to lean proteins, lots of fruit, veggies and water.

    The site does the math for you - I've had great success losing and maintaining. Good luck to you and consult your doctor!:smile:
  • lil_pulp
    lil_pulp Posts: 701 Member
    One thing that has been helpful to me is to use the "notes" section of the Food Tab on MFP to record what I eat. I'm not counting calories, points, carbs, etc (and I don't even usually weigh or measure my portions), but knowing that my MFP friends can see what I'm eating helps me stay on track and make better choices.

    While under-eating hasn't been something I've struggled with, I think this could be helpful for you too, as you'll want your friends to see that you have 3 meals plus maybe a snack or two throughout each day. You can encourage your friends to read and comment on what you're eating, if that's motivating to you.

    Whatever you decide to try next, good luck and don't give up!
  • spellcheck
    spellcheck Posts: 8 Member
    I did not know about the "notes" section. I was also unsure about eating calories back. This is helpful.
  • kegalvan
    kegalvan Posts: 1
    Restricting my diet too much in the past is what led to previously being unsucessful. This time around, I haven't restricted anything, just using serious portion control. If you're craving fast food, get a happy meal instead of a big mac, or buy the mini candy bars instead of the big ones. By giving into your cravings a little bit, you can generally fill them without splurging too much, getting discouraged and give up because you feel like you failed.

    I also make healthy versions of decadent dishes, like mock mashed potatoes (mashed cauliflower and canellini beans), pastaless lasagna (use zuchini slices instead of pasta, low fat cottage cheese instead of ricotta, and turkey instead of ground beef) and baked chicken "fried" steak and onion rings (cornflakes and ranch packet mix crushed into bread crumbs and an egg white wash, then bake). Eating things that taste delicious, resemble comfort food, and are healthy has been my key to consistantly losing weight. The whole grilled chicken breast and asparagus three nights a week was just not sustainable. Hope these ideas help!!!

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