Things need to change

imabeevampire
imabeevampire Posts: 166 Member
in Introduce Yourself
So i am a total newbie.
Lost a stone on the special k diet and then went back to my previous diet (destined to fail)
out it all back on (minus a pound or so)

I started monday. I went swimming for the first time ever.
Theres a new gym being built at my swimming pool which i will hopefully be joining when it opens (&)

Its hard going from eating a tub of pringles in a day and those share bags of chocolate would last me about 3 minutes infront of the telly, to eating salads and handfuls of nuts ((which arent fun!))

I need to do this. I tried on a dress for a wedding I have to attend in 3 weeks and cried in the shop.
Im going on holiday next week and know all the photos are going to look horrible. They will be my motivation pictures.

I dont want to diet, I dont want to cut out pizza and chocolate all together. Life is short! Id rather not waste it worrying about calories. However the life I do have, I want to enjoy, I want to enjoy what I eat, enjoy being healthy and enjoy the occasional guilty pleasure! I want to change the way I eat, and what I eat, not some fad diet to loose weight quickly.

So thats me :)

Replies

  • gingerpeachy6
    gingerpeachy6 Posts: 74 Member
    Hello and welcome :)
    Yes there are no fad diets and no magic bullet. You have taken the first step and posted here. You are among friends who will support your journey.

    I tried cutting out things or when I get cravings not giving in. That tends to go very bad (for me) and I end up overeating instead of eating my craving.

    Slow and steady, add exercise, make small changes in your diet and pretty soon you will be so pumped by the changes that you will gravitate on eating things that your body will now crave.

    keep posting :)
  • gdreeves71
    gdreeves71 Posts: 29
    welcome! Don't be depressed about how you are now....be optimistic and use that sadness as motivation. When I first started out I was a size 16 and 160 lbs (at 5'3"). I'm now a size 4 and 123 lbs and can run a mile!!

    Salads and starving won't do it. Your body needs fuel and EXERCISE (even walking 30 min a day) will help. If you starve yourself your body metabolism will slow down to compensate. It's not how much you eat as much as WHAT you eat.

    Don't Diet...change how you eat and Exercise
    Here's some simple beginner tips.
    1. Read up on Clean eating. It's about replacing bad stuff with good stuff. Ex: Extra Virgin Olive Oil instead of Veg Oil. Skim milk or almond milk instead of whole milk. Fresh or Frozen Veggies instead of canned
    2. Don't eat fast food or anything pre-processed. Chemicals kill your body. Fresh is best. Your body can break it down easier.
    3. Drink water with flavoring like Mio Fit instead of sugar sodas or drinks. You can even use sparkling water if really wanting the carbonated beverages. Staying hydrated will also help you feel full
    4. Instead of sitting around after dinner, clean up, brush your teeth (it kills dessert cravings for me) and go for a walk. 30 minutes 5x a week will do wonders!
    5. when sitting around watching TV just do some simple exercises....air squats, crunches, leg lifts.

    In a few weeks you'll feel the difference and want to do more and be motivated to do more. Hope this helps you get started
  • pauldm1
    pauldm1 Posts: 38 Member
    "Life is short! Id rather not waste it worrying about calories"

    get rid of that attitude. If you want to lose weight then you're going to have to start concerning yourself with calories.
    But don't look at it in such a negative light. instead of seeing it as "worrying about calories" why not look at is as "investing effort in your nutritional balance" sounds much better that way doesn't it?

    Not tracking macros will multiply your difficulties of losing weight. Tracking them will actually make your life easier and your progress much more scientific. You'll have total knowledge and control over what you eat. Eliminate the guesswork.

    And don't tell yourself that eating well can't be enjoyable. You don't have to live a life of deprivation in order to be healthy at all. You just have to be responsible. Make small changes day by day to your lifestyle and primarily your diet - make it manageable, but constant. Make a change every day.

    It's good that you don't want a quick fix because they don't really exist, so good for you for not expecting the impossible there. Always see the long game. Developing a healthy sustainable lifestyle and eating habits is your main focus right now.
  • Cindyf1t
    Cindyf1t Posts: 4 Member
    Hello,
    I have only been on here a month so I guess I'm fairly new to. I worked out off and on for about 3.5 years, lost a little weight and did not change my eating habits. Eventually I started eating less, thinking it would help more. It did not! In fact, it got worse. Recently I learned that if you count calories, you can still eat any food you like, just less of it.

    Like gingerpeachy6 said, make small changes and then that will motivate you to do more. I am now at the point that some of the foods I used to like and still have some of, is no longer appealing. I am also learning that sometimes when I try to eat right and count my calories, the sodium can be too high. Too much sodium means you retain water.

    This is just my two cents worth but you took the first step and that is the most important part. Keep at it! :)
  • gdreeves71
    gdreeves71 Posts: 29
    Very good tip - don't deny yourself when you crave something....But don't keep it in the house. Go and buy a single serving. I am a chocoholic and when I really need a taste of chocolate I have Hershey mini special dark in the freezer.

    1. IN the freezer they take longer to melt in my mouth and I eat slower
    2. Dark chocolate kills the craving quicker
  • Cindyf1t
    Cindyf1t Posts: 4 Member
    I agree!
  • thismamarox
    thismamarox Posts: 105 Member
    I was in the same boat, except my nemesis was BEER...Oh how I love Beer. I decided in July that I was sick of looking like crap and feeling like crap. I am a beautiful woman and I need to take pride in my appearance and not make excuses for being a chub! So I got it in my head that I AM GOING TO DO THIS.... the more I watch what I eat, the more I don't give in to temptation...that does NOT mean that I do not indulge, that just means that I eat what I want, but I am very careful. Also, the more you eat right, the less you crave the junk (NO JOKE)... I now have an occasional beer, but I don't drink it as heavily as I did. As for exercise, the more you do it, the more you crave it! Weird how that works!
  • irisheyes321
    irisheyes321 Posts: 52 Member
    Hi.

    I started on MFP nearly five weeks ago.I have lost 7bs since but have a lot more to lose :cry:

    Congrats on joining MFP.I have been on a diet since as long as I remember.But something just clicked as soon as I found this site.

    This time I am going to succeed no matter how long it takes.I have sent you a friend request and remember you don't have to do it
    on your own.

    The best of luck on your journey:happy:
  • caminoslo
    caminoslo Posts: 239 Member
    So i am a total newbie.
    Lost a stone on the special k diet and then went back to my previous diet (destined to fail)
    out it all back on (minus a pound or so)

    I started monday. I went swimming for the first time ever.
    Theres a new gym being built at my swimming pool which i will hopefully be joining when it opens (&)

    Its hard going from eating a tub of pringles in a day and those share bags of chocolate would last me about 3 minutes infront of the telly, to eating salads and handfuls of nuts ((which arent fun!))

    I need to do this. I tried on a dress for a wedding I have to attend in 3 weeks and cried in the shop.
    Im going on holiday next week and know all the photos are going to look horrible. They will be my motivation pictures.

    I dont want to diet, I dont want to cut out pizza and chocolate all together. Life is short! Id rather not waste it worrying about calories. However the life I do have, I want to enjoy, I want to enjoy what I eat, enjoy being healthy and enjoy the occasional guilty pleasure! I want to change the way I eat, and what I eat, not some fad diet to loose weight quickly.

    So thats me :)
    So eat dark chocolate and The pizza toppings or use portabellas for a pizza "bread"
  • imabeevampire
    imabeevampire Posts: 166 Member
    Thank you all for your lovely replies :)

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