Greetings from the middle of nowhere!

uortian
uortian Posts: 28
in Introduce Yourself
Hello. I'm new to My Fitness. I logged on over a year ago when I was about 20 pounds lighter just to see what this was about. I'd had friends who were tracking their food and managed to lose weight. I thought to myself, "Well, I am not going to track my food. That's a waste of time. Counting calories won't do it for me..." I had been on my way to losing weight little by little and was living in the big city fully equipped with gyms, pools, and just about everything one could want.

Then....I broke my leg last summer AND moved to a small town. I gained a good 10-15 pounds due to my broken leg and then gained another 10 or so due to the stresses I faced from being a teacher in a very struggling district. (I began drinking soda for breakfast just to give me some energy to face the day.) And to make matters even more challenging, there is nothing around this area such as a gym, pool, etc. that can help me get the ball rolling to lose weight.

The good news is that I have healed and am on my way being back to "normal" with my leg and ankle. AND, the hubby bought us an elliptical machine. Bad news: I don't get on that thing nearly as much as I should. I have never been this heavy before and am looking to lose weight because, to be honest, I want to start a family soon and do not want to gain even more weight on top of the amount I gained.

I just filled out the food diary for today and was not surprised to see that I was already surpassed the calories for today. =-( Again, I am not letting this get me down, but I know that I need to make a change. My worst indulgence has always been soda. I have noticed that I have been drinking more than I should due to the extra stresses I faced this year from broken bones to moving to working in a school that really stressed me out more than ever.

I could definitely use some tips and motivation right now because I want to really slim down to a healthy weight. So please, feel free to share your "secrets"!

Replies

  • lostdogg
    lostdogg Posts: 450 Member
    Hey wanna add me? I'd be happy to share encouragement through your journey. I'm fairly new to mfp as well. I've also been where you are. "Counting calories wasn't for me"....... Well, it was. But I didn't want to hold myself accountable for my food.
    For me it's not about just counting calories. That's part of it, but it's about holding myself accountable. Making sure that I maintain portion control by only eating the recommended serving size. Making sure I double the amount on my tracker when I do cheat. Looking at what I've eaten already before I decide to eat that bowl of ice cream. Getting on that bike or elliptical even if only for 20 minutes a pop. And logging that too........

    It's not counting calories. Nor is it just dieting or just working out. It's a lifestyle change. It's hard to do it alone.

    You are definitely on the right track. I don't have any "secrets" but I do have support and can share what I do. Of course each person is case specific. You take a little bit from a lot of ppl and find what works for you.

    Hope this helps.
  • parmoute
    parmoute Posts: 99 Member
    Secrets: Patience & honesty. A cheerleader or two helps too, but not technically necessary :smile:

    I started out my first few months here focused on nothing but the total calories for the day and that was good enough to get me started with very little exercise. Now I'm attending fitness classes and paying close attention to my macros, but I've spent the last year adding in details bit by bit as I've had time to learn about them properly. Your body can't change over night and any change you make might take your body a few weeks to adjust to, which is why the patience is so important. I've had to take days off of logging and I've logged some pretty bad days, but I can accept that when that happens it means I'll need just a little bit longer to get to my goal.

    Soda has also ben one of my problems. I have bouts of insomnia and don't drink coffee, so sometimes it's the caffeine/sugar in the soda that keeps me going. Here's what I did:

    (1) recognize when you're drinking it purely out of habit -- then stop

    (2) recognize when you're drinking it because you need the boost and try to figure out if there's anything else that will provide it for you in the time/energy that you have. Some days I can squeeze in a quick walk or a few minutes with some really upbeat music, and some days I'm falling asleep in between classes and need a quick fix. If you can accept that it's "one of those days", then drink it; if you're going to feel guilty later, avoid. I have green tea caffeine pills for the days I really need the boost but know I'll regret the calories. In both cases, I try to "use" caffeine as infrequently as possible.

    (3) recognize when you want it just because and decide whether you can calorically afford it as a treat -- then act accordingly.

    Good luck!
  • uortian
    uortian Posts: 28
    LOSTDOGG:

    Hi! Thanks for the reply. I agree that this "journey" isn't all about counting calories. If anything, I just got off the phone with a friend who is very physically fit and a police officer and the first thing she said was, "Don't focus on the calories. People stop eating and doing all sorts of crazy stuff once they begin simply counting their calories..." I don't think I will fall into that category; however, I do want to be aware of what it is that I am eating. I also want it to motivate me into working out more and really thinking before I simply grab that can of Coke and swig it. I hope to think, "Um...is this worth the empty calories or can I find a better alternative?"

    I'm glad to see it has worked for you. This gives me some motivation for sure. I hope to make some healthy changes for myself and my husband, too! And on that note, I am going to hit the elliptical and watch my Spurs win...HOPEFULLY!

    BTW, I will surely add you. Thanks, again! :smile:
  • Reepir
    Reepir Posts: 32 Member
    Soda is a hard habit to break! If you are not against tea then you should try subbing that in for 1 soda a day. Black tea, plain has about twice as much caffeine as the coke. Green Tea is slightly less. If it's the bubbles you love and not the sugar or caffeine try using carbonated water (flavored or unflavored). Stopping cold turkey is hard and if you don't like the taste of diet then you might want to look to alternatives. Even Diet soda isn't the best for you.

    Hope this helps!!
  • uortian
    uortian Posts: 28
    PARMOUTE:

    Thanks for the reply! God, sodas are like the bane of my existence right now. And yes, you are so correct, soda drinking for me is like a bad habit I can't shake. I often open a can, drink a few swigs and then leave it on the table. I find myself having to pour warm soda down the drain, along with $$$. So yes, it's more of a sugar high that I like from the caffeine. NOT GOOD.

    I like the tips you have left me, especially the first one. It is certainly a habit I have and need to wane it. Again, thank you for the suggestions. I will certainly take them into account!

    PS: Have you found any other drinks that you have alternated in lieu of soda? Thanks!
  • uortian
    uortian Posts: 28
    REEPIR:

    It takes a soda drinker to know a soda drinker! You mentioned something to the effect that, "If it's the bubbles you love..." Sometimes it is simply that! Just the carbonation alone is great. I will definitely start small and alternate soda with teas, etc. But it's nice to see that you've gone through this, too. I appreciate the help!
  • EllieBMackal
    EllieBMackal Posts: 116 Member
    feel free to add if you want
  • uortian
    uortian Posts: 28
    LILY:

    Thanks for the reply! And btw, I am also vertically challenged. I'm 5'5"! I wish I were much taller, too! I will add you, thanks.
  • JEMQuilter
    JEMQuilter Posts: 30 Member
    I have been a soda addict since my teenaged years. It was my caffeine--I never could switch to diet and was drinking at least a 2L bottle each day. I quit last September 10 when I realized I could not fit into an airline seat. I resolved that day to quit and I haven't had any since. I have always been a sweet-lover but I swear that once I quit drinking soda, my craving for all sweets has greatly diminished. Good luck on your journey. You can succeed.
  • Winston1717
    Winston1717 Posts: 184
    Hi, Dave 48yrs old lost 50. Feel free to add and good luck!
  • uortian
    uortian Posts: 28
    JEM:

    I totally hear you on having that A-Ha moment of not fitting into the airline seat. I have never been this big before, and unfortunately, have carried weight well all my life. I say that it's unfortunate because my weight gain never looked bad on me. It was only until recently that I really started looking in the mirror thinking, "Wow, you are starting to look chunky!" For a time about two years ago, I had a lot of people telling me I was looking skinny. Stress was causing me to lose weight and I dropped a good 20 pounds. Although I looked good, it wasn't necessarily due to anything terrific. It was a hard point in my life and I wasn't eating so well. (I'm one who doesn't eat when stressed.)

    Well, the weight slowly came back once I wasn't stressed, but I started to combat that with exercising and what not. Then I broke my leg. BOO! I have packed on the weight again and a lot of it is due to lack of exercising and soda drinking. You understand how hard it is to quit! I don't think I will quit cold turkey, but I need to start bringing it down to a minimum. Hopefully this will help me log what I'm drinking and eating. It certainly motivated me to get on the elliptical tonight to knock off some calories!

    Again, thank you for the kind words. They do help!
  • uortian
    uortian Posts: 28
    DAVE:

    Thank you so much! Wow, 50 pounds??!? That's amazing! I can't even fathom losing that much. I will certainly add you to my friends list. Thank you, again!
  • MichelleMac58
    MichelleMac58 Posts: 77 Member
    Hi...It's never too late.....you said it...give up the pop and you don't look for sweets....all that sugar causes so many problems! You have to change your mind set. You are a knowledgeable human being....you know the best way to lose weight...you have to be mindful and put your health first...you are worth it!! Add me and we will support and set each other in the right direction...we are focused!!!
  • Littlegurl
    Littlegurl Posts: 172 Member
    I love Sobe Lifewater! It tastes so sweet!
  • uortian
    uortian Posts: 28
    LITTLEGURL:

    Cute profile name, btw! I need to look into all these cool products you all are recommending. Unfortunately, I open my fridge and see all the sodas still there. I am not going to quit cold turkey, but I need to definitely buy alternative drinks. I'm not really a sweets type of person, which is good. It really is all about the soda for me.

    I will look into that Sobe Lifewater for sure! Again, thanks!

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