The truth is ugly

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  • camaris
    camaris Posts: 36 Member
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    Yes, I have cut down so much by simply having a jug of water and everytime I would ahve had soft drink or cofeee having a glass of water. Helps with hunger too, I drink about four glasses while eating a meal.
  • marciml
    marciml Posts: 41
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    The daily diary is a very helpful tool for realizing exactly what we are doing to ourselves. I just joined yesterday and have been a hard time in the evenings. I went crazy last night and ate anything not nailed down. I logged in every bit of it. WOW! You are so right, seeing those numbers staring back really make you see the power we have to make changes for ourselves. You can substitute something else yummy in place of those mountain dews. Maybe try a flavored tea, or the store brand carbonated waters. They are all super low cals, if they have any at all. They give you the fizzy goodness and provide an excellent water bottle to refill a time or two or three with water. Its easy to count your water intake when its in a measured bottle. Make a goal, perhaps, for every fizzy drink-you drink the same in water. For me, Diet Coke was my vice. I discovered very quickly when I started my weight change, that when I drank that wonderful drink, it made me crave other goodies that I didn't even think about when I didn't drink the Coke. Its just a thought, but maybe if you can kick the Dew right off the bat, you will have easier success for the journey of weight loss.
  • Rmeikel
    Rmeikel Posts: 35
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    You have some great insights here. I feel the same way many times. The truth can be ugly, but so are some of my habits. Many of them have become habits, because I have "let go" of the responsibility of tracking. I know I have some very good habits too. I know that my good outweighs my bad.

    I see even days that I don't make my goals as information. If you don't track, the chance that you will mess up more often than not is high.

    What has accelerated my weight loss was the exercise. If you love the mtn. dew, make a deal with yourself to exercise those calories that way. If I want one can, I need to do this much exercise. My vice is slurpees! If I walk my dogs for 30 minutes, I can have my favorite flavor! This way, I can really evaluate if it's something I really want!

    This is just feedback. Those numbers don't define who you are ... they give you information about how you are doing. The fact that you do your journal is a good sign! You are holding yourself accountable. Keep going sista!
  • HealthyChanges2010
    HealthyChanges2010 Posts: 5,831 Member
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    I'm not going to beat myself up too much. I know the first week of this for me is just getting an accurate picture at my eating habits. The first week is not necessarily about changes but more about knowledge, recognition and accountability. The change will come later.
    This is the part that shined the brightest for me in your entire post, you're getting it!! The first week and you are SO GETTING IT!!:flowerforyou:

    Becca:drinker:
  • candican
    candican Posts: 96
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    You're so right. When you log everything you can sit back and see it in writing...like, OK, I see why I'm not losing weight. You can't get on that poor me attitude anymore and make all these excuses of why your life is so hard and how every body else can lose weight except for you..LOL (that's how I think). Now I can see exactly what I'm doing incorrectly and what I'm doing right. When I mess up, I can say, OK, well I got to accept I'm not losing a 1lB this week cause I ate all that pizza and pasta..LOL. It's such a great tool and you're doing great by reflecting on it!
  • dgroulx
    dgroulx Posts: 159 Member
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    You always need to be honest with yourself. There is no sense not recording food or drinks that you consume. I love diet Mountain Dew. I work overnight and my 2 diet dews do a great job of keeping me alert in the hospital (and I need to be!)
  • xarra
    xarra Posts: 128 Member
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    In a week I've gone from drinking a 1 litre bottle or more of coke a DAY to drinking tesco basic lemon squash at 3 cal a glass. And I'm not missing it. I can have a 63 cal 150ml can if I REALLY want as a treat...

    I'm already feeling better. :)
  • LotusF1ower
    LotusF1ower Posts: 1,259 Member
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    I didn't want to finish my food journal tonight. I knew how bad it would look. The truth is ugly. But I finished it anyways and got to see it in black and white (and red) the numbers are red if they are too high. It made it easier finishing the journal knowing no one else can see it, it's bad enough to have to look at it myself but to have others look at it would be just too much. But I guess that is one of the things that will make this weight loss process successful and different from the ones in the past. I am facing the truth, no matter how ugly it is.

    I'm not going to beat myself up too much. I know the first week of this for me is just getting an accurate picture at my eating habits. The first week is not necessarily about changes but more about knowledge, recognition and accountability. The change will come later.

    By noon time today I had 400 calories left for the day, when my son asked me why I admitted to the few mountain dews I had this morning. Mountain Dew is my biggest vice, my children call it the green monster.
    Of course I know Mountain Dew is bad for me in more ways then one, but I always justified it by saying at least it is not drinking, drugs or smoking (the vices my parents had when I was growing up).

    But the thing that really struck me today, when looking over my food diary for the day, my recommended calorie intake for the day is 1600, those calories are beginning to look kind of valuable to me. I easily drink a meals worth of calories everyday. Do I really want to waste my precious calories on a drink?

    Although I am disappointed by the totals on my food diary today, I am also recognizing that my mentality is beginning to shift and that makes me happy because in the end that is what will help me maintain any weight loss I acheieve.

    The truth today is ugly but it is not permenant, tomorrow I have the amazing opportunity to redefine my truth. I am looking forward to it.

    You are now at your turning point and turning the corner, at last!

    WTG, the best thing that happens is when you finally see the truth and all it entailed - granted it may make you feel sick, but at least now you know and can move onwards!

    I reckon you will be massively successful in your weight loss because you faced up to it all.

    Your posting is an inspiration and totally honest. Never lose your honesty, it will be that that will save you and to make it better, that honesty is the real you.

    The very best in your weight loss programme, if anybody can succeed, I reckon it will be you. :flowerforyou:
  • jasonweinberg
    jasonweinberg Posts: 270
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    camaris you might want to experiment with not drinking water during your meals. its obviously great to drink lots of water but during meals really is not the best time. it can stretch your stomach some and while it make make you feel fuller at the time it moves your food out of your stomach more quickly leading to you feeling hungry again more quickly. it can also effect your digestion process by having the food leave your stomach more quickly. i find that by not drinking with my meeals the feeling of fullness stays with me longer. if i have to drink with my meal, i try to keep it to a few small sips. works for me, might work for you.
  • krinio
    krinio Posts: 138 Member
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    Regarding fizzy drink addictions:wink: I was completely addicted until recently. I was never a bi coke fan but I LOVED diet coke, I preferred the taste. Anyway, I know it's really bad for you. I've went from a can a day to one a week. You can gradually cut it back until it's completely gone. My next step is to cut it out for good!
  • hkystar
    hkystar Posts: 1,290 Member
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    The truth can really be ugly. I think you are going through what lots of us (or at least what I did) when I started here. But the key is now that you see the ugly truth start making small changes. Try to get by on one less soda (and yes I LOVE LOVE LOVE mt dew). I chose to give soda up cold turkey and now I dont get my own EVER. I drink water and occasionally have a sip of the bf's soda (but not often).

    Good luck!
  • CollegeGirl2
    CollegeGirl2 Posts: 30
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    Kudos to you for being so open. I know it's hard. The first step is admission, and you've done that. You see that you have a problem, and now it's in your power to do something about it. Knowing that you have control over your body and what goes in your mouth is an absolutely amazing feeling.

    As far as going over your calories goes, it might help if you tried logging in your meals ahead of time. It'll let you see exactly how many calories your favorite foods are going to cost you, and how much you have to spare for snacks.

    I know quitting soda can be really hard, but it's well worth it. If you can get yourself through the initial cravings (the Propel idea is great), you'll find that after a month or two if you do have a sip of soda, you'll hate it. I can't even stand putting it near my face because the sugar smells so strong.

    Congratulations on starting your weight-loss journey. If you ever need some extra support, check out the Weigh in Wednesday group (and feel free to join!). Good luck and keep it up!!
  • keith0373
    keith0373 Posts: 2,154 Member
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    a little start you can do is change from regular mt dew to diet.

    I'd rather have a single regular pop than as many diet ones as I could choose. The artificial sugars are not processed by your body and can be stored as toxins in your fats. Studies have suggested that aspartame can actually trick your body into gaining weight, rather than helping you lose it by reducing calories.

    That study is flawed in our case. THey all include people who are borderline on daily calories. Noone here should be anywhere near that if they are serious about this! I have lost 55 lbs and drink 2 to 5 diet drinks a day. You will also find that many of these "studies" are funded by sugar growers associations.
  • Sharont213
    Sharont213 Posts: 323 Member
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    Congrats to you for starting MFP - and for being so honest about how it is affecting you. I think that is the greatest thing we can all take away from - journalling our food and exercise habits helps us to see how and where we might want to affect changes, whether it is changing from regular to diet soda/pop or deciding to walk for 30 minutes so we can enjoy that little square of chocolate. And along the way, hopefully we can find new foods and new activities to keep us focused and committed. Good luck to you and to everyone who is trying so hard to make a positive change in their life.
  • sindyb9
    sindyb9 Posts: 1,248 Member
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    Your post hit home for me. I felt like that when I first started logging. I was amazed at how many calories were in the foods I loved. My down fall was coffee. I could drink pots a day, but it was not the coffee it was the sugar and cream I put in it. I cut sugar out 1 tea spoon at a time. I do drink coffee but only 1-2 cups a day and with no sugar. The rest of the time is water. I never drank soda.

    You have taken the first step and that is being honest with yourself and that is so ugly as you put it but it brings you to step two, knowledge. You will learn what is worth eating and what is not. I look things up now check calories and if I really want that treat I will do exercise so I can have it.

    This is not a diet it is eating healthy and having the knowledge will make the difference. Thank you for posting this you are great at writing too.
  • Lilliesmom2010
    Lilliesmom2010 Posts: 52
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    I am also a soda addict, mine is Dr Pepper! I feel your pain when it comes to knowing how bad they are and yet we continue to drink them. Hun, don't beat yourself up about it, just take it one day at a time and one meal at a time. When you want a Mt Dew stop for a second and think... "Do I want to take a Diet one and feel a lil better about the choice or do I want to drink a regular Mt Dew and do added exercises to make up for drinking it?" This has really helped me think about my choices and making a better one! If I do then I make myself do the extra exercise so that I can have it when I want it. If I don't feel like doing the exercise, then I drink water, unsweet Iced Tea or Crystal Light instead. Personally I know that it's too hard to stop drinking soda cold turkey, so don't even try that. Just take a second to stop and think before you pop it open if you really really want it, or do you want to try something else first.

    What really sticks out to me is that you said that you noticed "recognizing that my mentality is beginning to shift" THAT'S A HUGE START!! Congrats to you for being able to recognize that is what is happening. You are on the right path! :flowerforyou:

    "and that makes me happy because in the end that is what will help me maintain any weight loss I acheieve." YEP, YOU ARE SO RIGHT THERE! I think that for myself it facing the ugly truth before I can say okay, so what am I going to do about it? YOU ARE AWESOME AND YOU WILL AND CAN DO THIS!!! KEEP IT UP!!
  • Rugbychick16
    Rugbychick16 Posts: 183 Member
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    a little start you can do is change from regular mt dew to diet.

    I'd rather have a single regular pop than as many diet ones as I could choose. The artificial sugars are not processed by your body and can be stored as toxins in your fats. Studies have suggested that aspartame can actually trick your body into gaining weight, rather than helping you lose it by reducing calories.

    That study is flawed in our case. THey all include people who are borderline on daily calories. Noone here should be anywhere near that if they are serious about this! I have lost 55 lbs and drink 2 to 5 diet drinks a day. You will also find that many of these "studies" are funded by sugar growers associations.


    I have to agree with you here, I love me some diet pop, and although I drink much less then I used to, I still drink at least one a day, and I don't believe it hindered me in losing in the least. :smile:
  • AllisonMO
    AllisonMO Posts: 68 Member
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    You have so much courage in looking at yourself honestly! I came to the same conclusion that I didn't want to get so many calories each day in a drink, so I now rarely drink fruit juices and limit wine to 4-5 oz a day( and not every day.) MFP makes it easier to be accountable, and that is the first step to success. You can do it!
  • keith0373
    keith0373 Posts: 2,154 Member
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    In the end, you can eat and drink what you want if you are willing to do the work to burn the calories and maintain some level of nutrition. For em, just watching Protein and calories is enough. I am not a big sugar, fat, or carb eater and I work out enough that sodium is not an issue and my blood pressure averages 100/68 or so. Everyone will be different.
  • megamom
    megamom Posts: 920 Member
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    I swear stopping pop is as hard as quitting smoking. They add additives to cigarettes to keep you addicted, probably do to the pop also. Wean yourself off by allowing yourself smaller and smaller portions until you quit. You won't get as bad a withdrawal that way.

    I really think pop is one of the worse things out there for a person. Completely worthless harmful calories. And the diet is as bad if not worse. Good luck. My son had the worse time getting off mountain dew. It really was easier for me to quit smoking then it has been for him to resist his pop.

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