Line very much drawn this morning. I'm done.

annaroll87
annaroll87 Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
So I started doing my food tracking may over a week and a bit ago. Wasn't sticking very strictly to it but thought if I could keep an eye on what I was eating that it wouldn't be that much of a problem and I might stay the same/lose without being too focused.

I've done Weight Watchers, Slimming World, Cambridge Diet and the weight just keeps going on. Today I weighed in a total of 3lbs heavier and I have to honestly I don't ever remember being this heavy.

I've gone through a LOT of change in the past year - moving in with my boyfriend, changing jobs (which I'm currently going through) and I have two weddings this year that I DO NOT want to look AWFUL in the photos for.

So I'm here and I'm sticking to it - would really appreciate any help to be honest!

Thanks

Replies

  • mactaffy84
    mactaffy84 Posts: 398 Member
    Wish you luck. Can't really help you with specifics, your profile only shows you are a 20- something female. What are your height/weight? What are your goals? What is your correct diet like?
  • DMicheleC
    DMicheleC Posts: 171 Member
    Good luck in where you want to be, set all your goals on your profile to help you achieve what you want. Then look at keeping within your calories and start doing some exercise if your not already doing some. Try to use the weddings as your motivation to help you stick to your goals. Eat healthy and clean as much as you can and maybe try to reduce your carbs and increase your protein intake as this can help to reduce weight and body fat. But most of all don't be too hard on yourself, we are all here for the same reason to loose weight and get fitter. So you have come to the right place, if you want to add me for motivation that's fine.
  • annaroll87
    annaroll87 Posts: 3
    Thanks both - I really appreciate it!

    I'm desperately keen to ensure this time around isn't a failure!!
  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
    (1) buy a food scale and weigh everything. It's the most accurate method to determine what you're eating accurately. It will be a PITA at first but gets easier as you build up your personal food library and learn what a portion size is.

    (2) weigh in weekly, not daily. I've found a daily weigh in leads to obsessing about minor changes in weight that are in the end rounding errors. Weight loss is not a straight line.

    (3) log accurately and consistently, every potato chip, every hard candy, every thing. You can't solve a problem that's poorly defined.

    (4) setbacks will happen. Don't internalize them as failures.

    (5) play 'the long game' - you're progressing to a final goal weight or look, not to arch some weekly goal. Set frequent and reachable milestones - five pounds lost, an extra rep in the weight room, a timed mile - and celebrate those goals.

    (6) Do not reward yourself with food. You're not a dog. :)
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    (1) buy a food scale and weigh everything. It's the most accurate method to determine what you're eating accurately. It will be a PITA at first but gets easier as you build up your personal food library and learn what a portion size is.

    (2) weigh in weekly, not daily. I've found a daily weigh in leads to obsessing about minor changes in weight that are in the end rounding errors. Weight loss is not a straight line.

    (3) log accurately and consistently, every potato chip, every hard candy, every thing. You can't solve a problem that's poorly defined.

    (4) setbacks will happen. Don't internalize them as failures.

    (5) play 'the long game' - you're progressing to a final goal weight or look, not to arch some weekly goal. Set frequent and reachable milestones - five pounds lost, an extra rep in the weight room, a timed mile - and celebrate those goals.

    (6) Do not reward yourself with food. You're not a dog. :)

    Pretty much this.


    Also, your body can fluctuate by 5-7 lbs daily (especially women). So gaining weight over night is not fat, it's water. Success is about diet adherence, accuracy and consistency. Pretty much you do not have any of them right now. But if you set a goal and want to achieve it, you need to make sure you are in a calorie deficit and you do that by logging everything.

    If you exercise, a combination of weight training and cardio should occur. If you struggle with time, then concentrate on full body weight/resistance training as it will provide the best visual results.
  • lizzyclatworthy
    lizzyclatworthy Posts: 296 Member
    Keep coming here, use the forums, they keep me motivated like nothing else I have ever found.

    remember it's a commitment to better health and not a quick fix, it is good to set targets and goals but there is no end point, you can always be stronger, fitter, happier.

    and good luck and welcome x
  • annaroll87
    annaroll87 Posts: 3
    Hi all,

    I really appreciate all of your comments!

    CipherZero - such great tips - thanks so much. And I am the worst for rewarding myself like a dog....

    This is very much a long goal but I will definitely be setting individual goals.

    Anna x
  • lawlorka
    lawlorka Posts: 484 Member
    I agree with most of what has been said before bar 2 points

    - I weigh daily - it is exactly because weight loss isn't linear that I do this - I like to see a trend and learn what my patterns are. Each to their own though, you need to find what works for you. If you think your going to freak out if you are up 2lbs from yesterday then just weigh weekly.

    - I see no problem with rewarding yourself with food. If food is something you enjoy and take pleasure from why not? Yeah don't go overboard and reward yourself for a week, but I do a nice dinner out somewhere fancy with my boyfriend if one of us hits a particular goal and don't see any problem with this. The fact that I enjoy food is not what made me overweight - laziness and a lack of discipline is.
  • thomaszabel
    thomaszabel Posts: 203 Member
    My pieces of advice:

    1) Besides counting calories (which you should), look at what kinds of foods you are eating. I'm of the impression that veggies and fruits are best, followed by meat, followed by pasta/bread. So if you cut down on the pasta/bread and the meat, and add more veggies, it helps. Don't completely eliminate the "bad" stuff immediately. Just gradually cut down on it.

    2) Look at how much processed food you eat. Cut down or eliminate food you buy out of a box. I look at it like this - if you can find it growing out of the ground or directly from an animal, eat it. A bag of chips or a box of hamburger helper doesn't grow on a tree or on a plant, but potatoes, carrots, apples, oranges, etc. do. Read the ingredients on what you buy, and if you can't pronounce the ingredients without a chemistry degree, Google a recipe online on how to make that food from scratch.

    3) Start exercising if you aren't already. If you have money for a local gym, awesome. If not, use Youtube to find free exercise videos. You can find free zumba, aerobics, cardio kickboxing, spinning, etc. online. I even set my bicycle up on some rollers in front of my TV, and searched for "indoor biking videos", so as I'm riding for an hour, my TV is showing me beautiful scenes of bicyclists going through quaint German towns or along a mountain pass in Mallorca along the sea.

    4) If you are just starting exercising, start EASY. Going all out your first day will make you hurt, and you won't want to do it again tomorrow. Start with 15 minutes or 20 minutes of light exercise, do it a few days, then add in another 5-10 minutes, or up the intensity, then after you do that a few days or a week, add in a little more time or intensity. Baby steps. Baby steps.

    Good luck.
  • sshintaku
    sshintaku Posts: 228 Member
    I think with the "food as a reward" thing, it's important to start out at least ridding yourself of that mentality. Because really, isn't that how most of us got here? After you get practice with more self control and start to feel better, it's a lot easier to stop at one serving of a treat rather than consume the whole package. IE. Last night I had ice cream as a treat for working out super hard all week. But, I had 1/2 cup and stopped, whereas before, I would have have 2 or 3 cups.
  • petefromguelph
    petefromguelph Posts: 84 Member
    (1) buy a food scale and weigh everything. It's the most accurate method to determine what you're eating accurately. It will be a PITA at first but gets easier as you build up your personal food library and learn what a portion size is.

    (2) weigh in weekly, not daily. I've found a daily weigh in leads to obsessing about minor changes in weight that are in the end rounding errors. Weight loss is not a straight line.

    (3) log accurately and consistently, every potato chip, every hard candy, every thing. You can't solve a problem that's poorly defined.

    (4) setbacks will happen. Don't internalize them as failures.

    (5) play 'the long game' - you're progressing to a final goal weight or look, not to arch some weekly goal. Set frequent and reachable milestones - five pounds lost, an extra rep in the weight room, a timed mile - and celebrate those goals.

    (6) Do not reward yourself with food. You're not a dog. :)

    ^^^ This x 100. Log EVERYTHING and accurate as possible. That's the only way. Food scale is your best friend
  • aarontfen
    aarontfen Posts: 4
    I find that I have to log everything that I eat and be careful to stay within my calorie goal, otherwise I am eating more than I should be even though I "think" I am OK. I am struggling as well and looking for the willpower to stay the course. Good luck on your journey!

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