Follow up post: Seeking advice.

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Replies

  • Unless you have a medical reason to limit your sugar, don't worry about it. I've never heard anyone be worried about eating an apple! :laugh:

    Simple fact of the matter is you will continue to feel like this until you eat more. I eat 2200 calories a day and I lose weight.

    And you're LOVELY. I am going to have my apple..like NOW and call it living dangerously for the day! I wanted one all day yesterday even talked myself out of half an apple with my fish. That's going to be my first snack of today!
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    1800kcal over 4 meals works out to 450 calories per meal.

    Aim for that, and start eating real food. No more nutrition bars for breakfast and no more incomplete meals. Vary your diet.

    I agree with the person who said eat more protein and get some fats into your diet. Your body needs fat to survive. Eat as close to the numbers MFP is giving you as you can.

    What do you consider a "complete meal" ? I find it hard to eat meals..as in a plate of food. I have always kind of nibbled throughout the day a handful of this or that. I rarely sit down to a plate of food. Even as I was gaining the weight I remember snacking a lot on high fat, high calorie things but never really eating plates of food. I need help with this...putting whole meals together while staying under the allotted calories for each meal as meal prep is not something I've ever really done.

    Examples of meals:

    Breakfast
    Oatmeal with fruit and nuts
    Eggs with veggies and yogurt

    Lunch
    Sandwich with veggies or fruit
    Salad with a protein and lots of veggies with dressing
    Soup with salad

    Dinner
    Protein (fish, chicken, beef) with side if veggie and carb
    Salad with protein
    Pasta with salad
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    Unless you have a medical reason to limit your sugar, don't worry about it. I've never heard anyone be worried about eating an apple! :laugh:

    Simple fact of the matter is you will continue to feel like this until you eat more. I eat 2200 calories a day and I lose weight.

    And you're LOVELY. I am going to have my apple..like NOW and call it living dangerously for the day! I wanted one all day yesterday even talked myself out of half an apple with my fish. That's going to be my first snack of today!

    What changed in your way of thinking from when you ate what you want to not even eating an apple?
  • HappyStack
    HappyStack Posts: 802 Member
    What do you consider a "complete meal" ? I find it hard to eat meals..as in a plate of food. I have always kind of nibbled throughout the day a handful of this or that. I rarely sit down to a plate of food. Even as I was gaining the weight I remember snacking a lot on high fat, high calorie things but never really eating plates of food. I need help with this...putting whole meals together while staying under the allotted calories for each meal as meal prep is not something I've ever really done.

    A source of protein, a source of fats and a source (or two) of carbs (preferably majority vegetables).

    2571tup.jpg

    Here's the thing. You're trying to change your life... what better place to start than with old habits?
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    You are lucky.. i wasn't able to walk, see or talk straight when I finally acknowledged I had a problem. It's not fun.. it lasted 5 whole days and i had to learn to eat properly.

    Every morning look in the mirror and tell yourself you will eat enough to get healthy, you are beautiful, you are worth it. I do this every morning now.

    I didn't eat actual meals at first either, other then dinner. I started making protein shakes for breakfast just to up my calories and get me used to eating more. I made salads with cranberries, cheese and sunflower seeds and/or nuts on them and started throwing tuna on them too. I looked up recipes and started cooking really healthy foods from scratch.. basically taught myself how to cook. Peanut butter and avocados were my best friends. Hard boil eggs, mush them up and mix them with mustard, or mayo or avocado and add spices, celery and tomato.

    The worst feeling in the world is having your son pick you up off the floor because you are too weak and your boyfriend basically carry you into urgent care because you can't walk straight. I'll never let that happen again.
  • Unless you have a medical reason to limit your sugar, don't worry about it. I've never heard anyone be worried about eating an apple! :laugh:

    Simple fact of the matter is you will continue to feel like this until you eat more. I eat 2200 calories a day and I lose weight.

    And you're LOVELY. I am going to have my apple..like NOW and call it living dangerously for the day! I wanted one all day yesterday even talked myself out of half an apple with my fish. That's going to be my first snack of today!

    What changed in your way of thinking from when you ate what you want to not even eating an apple?

    When the cast came off and I stood up the first time and saw myself in a mirror with no clothes on,could walk around and felt how heavy I was. I started going out once I could walk and clothes actually clung to me as opposed to hanging, the looks I got from people,the way I was treated by people..that's what changed me. I had a hard time even losing the weight because initially I would workout and diet but when weight came off I was happy and sad at the same time and would stop exercising out of fear even though I am disgusting and really wanted the weight gone I was torn between wanting it gone and not wanting to lose the new lens I saw life through. The ability to see people honestly is not something I ever want to lose. My weight is an *kitten*^&le filter and it exposed superficial,unkind people. In the end I decided that I don't have to worry about that as I'll NEVER look the way I once did anyways. I'll probably need surgery after this weight is gone and looking like a stretch marked,patchwork quilt with scars on the arms and abdomen will be enough to keep superficial people at bay. I can deal with never being called pretty again and with fighting long and hard only to look in the mirror and still hate my body when this is said and done. What motivates me now is the thought of playing basketball again,being able to throw on jeans and a tee and not have to worry if every inch of me is covered and not bulging through clothing,being fit so that my kids never become overweight,having more day to day energy ..just the basics. Anyhow that's what's responsible for the shift. In a hip to toe cast with a fractured jaw,rib,wrist and pelvis all I could do was sit,watch tv and eat. Now I can live again and I want to.
  • You've been told what you need to do. Eat more. So, do it. That's what will help you lose weight and be healthy. It also sounds like you could use a little basc nutrition education. I would ask your doctor if s/he can refer you to a nutirtionist to help develop a diet for you. In the meantime, this might help.

    http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/


    This is he type of stuff I NEED. I will read this!!
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    Unless you have a medical reason to limit your sugar, don't worry about it. I've never heard anyone be worried about eating an apple! :laugh:

    Simple fact of the matter is you will continue to feel like this until you eat more. I eat 2200 calories a day and I lose weight.

    And you're LOVELY. I am going to have my apple..like NOW and call it living dangerously for the day! I wanted one all day yesterday even talked myself out of half an apple with my fish. That's going to be my first snack of today!

    What changed in your way of thinking from when you ate what you want to not even eating an apple?

    When the cast came off and I stood up the first time and saw myself in a mirror with no clothes on,could walk around and felt how heavy I was. I started going out once I could walk and clothes actually clung to me as opposed to hanging, the looks I got from people,the way I was treated by people..that's what changed me. I had a hard time even losing the weight because initially I would workout and diet but when weight came off I was happy and sad at the same time and would stop exercising out of fear even though I am disgusting and really wanted the weight gone I was torn between wanting it gone and not wanting to lose the new lens I saw life through. The ability to see people honestly is not something I ever want to lose. My weight is an *kitten*^&le filter and it exposed superficial,unkind people. In the end I decided that I don't have to worry about that as I'll NEVER look the way I once did anyways. I'll probably need surgery after this weight is gone and looking like a stretch marked,patchwork quilt with scars on the arms and abdomen will be enough to keep superficial people at bay. I can deal with never being called pretty again and with fighting long and hard only to look in the mirror and still hate my body when this is said and done. What motivates me now is the thought of playing basketball again,being able to throw on jeans and a tee and not have to worry if every inch of me is covered and not bulging through clothing,being fit so that my kids never become overweight,having more day to day energy ..just the basics. Anyhow that's what's responsible for the shift. In a hip to toe cast with a fractured jaw,rib,wrist and pelvis all I could do was sit,watch tv and eat. Now I can live again and I want to.

    It doesn't sound like you want to live again because you are harming your body by not fueling it. Also, how is it living if you can't even eat an apple? It's as though you went from bad habits to other bad habits.
  • You are lucky.. i wasn't able to walk, see or talk straight when I finally acknowledged I had a problem. It's not fun.. it lasted 5 whole days and i had to learn to eat properly.

    Every morning look in the mirror and tell yourself you will eat enough to get healthy, you are beautiful, you are worth it. I do this every morning now.

    I didn't eat actual meals at first either, other then dinner. I started making protein shakes for breakfast just to up my calories and get me used to eating more. I made salads with cranberries, cheese and sunflower seeds and/or nuts on them and started throwing tuna on them too. I looked up recipes and started cooking really healthy foods from scratch.. basically taught myself how to cook. Peanut butter and avocados were my best friends. Hard boil eggs, mush them up and mix them with mustard, or mayo or avocado and add spices, celery and tomato.

    The worst feeling in the world is having your son pick you up off the floor because you are too weak and your boyfriend basically carry you into urgent care because you can't walk straight. I'll never let that happen again.

    CONGRATZ on 62 pounds!!!!!
    I feel like you understand where I am psychologically which is such a HUGE part of it. I felt like "If food can do THIS to me I don't want it..any of it" and I still look at it skeptically. Obviously if I went from 118 to 306 in 2 years (immobile or not) my relationship with food hasn't been the greatest. The same way we learn not to trust people that burn us I don't trust food. So much misinformation out here I'd do something wholly invested for weeks then find out it was all wrong then I'd stop eating because I was so afraid to make a mistake I'd freeze and do nothing at all. My heart races when I step on the scale because I'm terrified of what I might see...every time. This is new and very scary for me. By the time I'm done I will have lost more than I weighed initially.
    I'm glad someone else understands but sorry that you understand at the same time. REALLY glad it's working out for you know though a HUUUGE congratz!
  • HappyStack
    HappyStack Posts: 802 Member
    Stop worrying about what your body will look like in the future and concentrate on getting there - healthily - in the first place. If your determination was even half your expectation, you'd be making good progress.

    At my heaviest I was close to 300lbs, and I have the stretch marks all up and down my sides to prove it. I'm 5'4. It was not a pretty sight.

    I've spent 3 years getting to where I am now... it's a long slog, I promise you, but you can get there if you keep trying. My stretch marks have faded to barely noticeable and I have minimal loose skin that I'm working on every day.

    It's possible, but you can't keep putting it off.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Your brain and body needs at least 1200 calories a day. It doesn't run well without it. Eat more. You will still lose weight, I promise.
  • Unless you have a medical reason to limit your sugar, don't worry about it. I've never heard anyone be worried about eating an apple! :laugh:

    Simple fact of the matter is you will continue to feel like this until you eat more. I eat 2200 calories a day and I lose weight.

    And you're LOVELY. I am going to have my apple..like NOW and call it living dangerously for the day! I wanted one all day yesterday even talked myself out of half an apple with my fish. That's going to be my first snack of today!

    What changed in your way of thinking from when you ate what you want to not even eating an apple?

    When the cast came off and I stood up the first time and saw myself in a mirror with no clothes on,could walk around and felt how heavy I was. I started going out once I could walk and clothes actually clung to me as opposed to hanging, the looks I got from people,the way I was treated by people..that's what changed me. I had a hard time even losing the weight because initially I would workout and diet but when weight came off I was happy and sad at the same time and would stop exercising out of fear even though I am disgusting and really wanted the weight gone I was torn between wanting it gone and not wanting to lose the new lens I saw life through. The ability to see people honestly is not something I ever want to lose. My weight is an *kitten*^&le filter and it exposed superficial,unkind people. In the end I decided that I don't have to worry about that as I'll NEVER look the way I once did anyways. I'll probably need surgery after this weight is gone and looking like a stretch marked,patchwork quilt with scars on the arms and abdomen will be enough to keep superficial people at bay. I can deal with never being called pretty again and with fighting long and hard only to look in the mirror and still hate my body when this is said and done. What motivates me now is the thought of playing basketball again,being able to throw on jeans and a tee and not have to worry if every inch of me is covered and not bulging through clothing,being fit so that my kids never become overweight,having more day to day energy ..just the basics. Anyhow that's what's responsible for the shift. In a hip to toe cast with a fractured jaw,rib,wrist and pelvis all I could do was sit,watch tv and eat. Now I can live again and I want to.

    It doesn't sound like you want to live again because you are harming your body by not fueling it. Also, how is it living if you can't even eat an apple? It's as though you went from bad habits to other bad habits.

    I went from bad habits to other bad habits and I'm willing to admit that when I don't know what to do I do nothing rather than something I feel may hurt me. In this instance the doing nothing has also hurt me so I'm stuck again.
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
    You're eating half or less of what you need to be eating. You were given 1800 calories for a reason, eat them!! Add more protein and fat to your diet in place of some of the carbs and you'll reduce the sugar crash shaky weak feeling. Track fiber, shoot for 25g/day. You still need to feed your body for the size it is now, otherwise you can't expect it to be able to function. The 1800 calories you were given is already a reduced number that is designed to have you lose weight. Undercutting the system is just going to cause you problems. Please listen to your doctor and eat. Real, whole food.


    A little scared to add fat. The worst I do now is a little bit of butter on my rye or wheat toast. Ideally where would this fat be coming from? Fish? Chicken? I don't do dairy or eggs.

    Why don't you do dairy or eggs? Olive oil, avocado? Butter is dairy and so you must do some dairy?


    I cook with olive oil but I don't consume a large quantity of it and avocado I like but haven't eaten it since I started this diet. I really didn't want to eat butter but I was convinced that it's natural and thus better than artificial spreads which are still somewhat high in fat and calories. I was told that "Morbidly obese people like you" (me) "don't need dairy". The person that said that to me is in amazing shape and attends my gym so I abide by the advice.

    OMG that person is a tool. don't listen to them just because they are fit and they go to the gym. you can be as fit as you want and still have unhealthy eating habits. i did notice in your diary you are eating a lot of talapia but you only ever list it as raw. are you eating it raw or cooking it? when entering food in your diary you should capture everything right down to the 1/2 pat butter you use to cook the fish or if you are breading/cooking it the ingredients you use for breading.

    there's also no reason why you should NOT eat diary unless you are sensitive to it. you should eat protein and diary and carbs and fats all in moderation. good fats not bad fats. avocado is good for you.

    i am a firm believer that if you restrict yourself TOO much you are setting yourself up to fail. constantly saying no no no to yourself just means that eventually you are going to give in to your cravings and when it happens it won't be pretty. there is no need to restrict yourself as long as you eat in moderation. instead of an entire bag of chips, take out 10 chips, put the bag away eat the chips drink some water and move on. like avocado - eat it. like eggs - eat them. like cheese - eat it this is all good for you but that doesn't mean eat 3 avocados or 6 eggs or lb of cheese. good luck to you.
  • You're eating half or less of what you need to be eating. You were given 1800 calories for a reason, eat them!! Add more protein and fat to your diet in place of some of the carbs and you'll reduce the sugar crash shaky weak feeling. Track fiber, shoot for 25g/day. You still need to feed your body for the size it is now, otherwise you can't expect it to be able to function. The 1800 calories you were given is already a reduced number that is designed to have you lose weight. Undercutting the system is just going to cause you problems. Please listen to your doctor and eat. Real, whole food.




    A little scared to add fat. The worst I do now is a little bit of butter on my rye or wheat toast. Ideally where would this fat be coming from? Fish? Chicken? I don't do dairy or eggs.

    Why don't you do dairy or eggs? Olive oil, avocado? Butter is dairy and so you must do some dairy?


    I cook with olive oil but I don't consume a large quantity of it and avocado I like but haven't eaten it since I started this diet. I really didn't want to eat butter but I was convinced that it's natural and thus better than artificial spreads which are still somewhat high in fat and calories. I was told that "Morbidly obese people like you" (me) "don't need dairy". The person that said that to me is in amazing shape and attends my gym so I abide by the advice.

    OMG that person is a tool. don't listen to them just because they are fit and they go to the gym. you can be as fit as you want and still have unhealthy eating habits. i did notice in your diary you are eating a lot of talapia but you only ever list it as raw. are you eating it raw or cooking it? when entering food in your diary you should capture everything right down to the 1/2 pat butter you use to cook the fish or if you are breading/cooking it the ingredients you use for breading.

    there's also no reason why you should NOT eat diary unless you are sensitive to it. you should eat protein and diary and carbs and fats all in moderation. good fats not bad fats. avocado is good for you.

    i am a firm believer that if you restrict yourself TOO much you are setting yourself up to fail. constantly saying no no no to yourself just means that eventually you are going to give in to your cravings and when it happens it won't be pretty. there is no need to restrict yourself as long as you eat in moderation. instead of an entire bag of chips, take out 10 chips, put the bag away eat the chips drink some water and move on. like avocado - eat it. like eggs - eat them. like cheese - eat it this is all good for you but that doesn't mean eat 3 avocados or 6 eggs or lb of cheese. good luck to you.


    I bake my tilapia on a piece of foil,on a cookie sheet in the oven. I spray olive oil on the foil and season the tilapia with various seasonings and squirt raw lemon juice on it. I don't add anything else to it. I usually eat it with broccoli or frozen peas
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    I wrote on your wall. There is much work to be done here. Seems to me you went from not thinking about food to fearing it, food is not a thing to be afraid of, it's a thing to embrace, understand, and enjoy. Living a healthy lifestyle includes having a healthy relationship with food. You fear the monster under your bed, the thing that lurkes in the dark, the fuzz in your drain pipe, you do not fear something that is essential for life.
  • If you are having trouble with 'meals' and how to go about them, but snack throughout the day, check out the US food pyramid and it gives you an outline for how much and what types of food to have in a day.

    For example
    7-9 servings of veggies and fruit
    3 servings of dairy

    etc.

    It also tells you what are the proper guidelines are.

    It doesn't matter when you eat, only how much and what type of foods.
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member

    I would feel more comfortable eating more if I had a way to know for a fact how many calories I'm honestly burning a day. Is there any accurate calculator that can tell me with a reasonable degree of certainty how many calories I burn daily vs. what I take in?

    I have a BodyMedia Fit that I wear on my upper arm, and it calculates how many calories I'm burning every minute of the day. It can help you match your intake to your calorie expenditure every day.

  • I would feel more comfortable eating more if I had a way to know for a fact how many calories I'm honestly burning a day. Is there any accurate calculator that can tell me with a reasonable degree of certainty how many calories I burn daily vs. what I take in?

    I have a BodyMedia Fit that I wear on my upper arm, and it calculates how many calories I'm burning every minute of the day. It can help you match your intake to your calorie expenditure every day.

    I will look that up on Amazon now! Thanks for that! I know there are bras but was told they might not give an accurate reading at my size maybe the armband will work for me!
  • I wrote on your wall. There is much work to be done here. Seems to me you went from not thinking about food to fearing it, food is not a thing to be afraid of, it's a thing to embrace, understand, and enjoy. Living a healthy lifestyle includes having a healthy relationship with food. You fear the monster under your bed, the thing that lurkes in the dark, the fuzz in your drain pipe, you do not fear something that is essential for life.

    Honey you nailed it!! I'm terrified. I never thought about food at 118 because I never had any issues as a result of it. Food was a small part of my day and not something I thought about at length. If I wanted something ..I ate it, the day went on and that was that! Now I have no choice but to watch and count and portion very carefully. Now it HAS to be important and picked over and worried about everything that I eat must meet certain criteria and be documented and there are rules and no two people agree on the rules. Fad diets come and go,fad exercises come and go and it's all so overwhelming it can drive a person crazy!! I just want to be thin again as quickly as possible with as few repercussions as possible. I never understood just how hard loosing even a few pounds was. I have a new-found respect for anyone that's ever lost more than a few casual pounds.