Already Discouraged

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  • katdanash
    katdanash Posts: 1,390 Member
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    I personally think it is normal. Take these days as learning experience. We are all creatures of habit. Changing those habits ,and reprogramming our minds and taste is hard. But like most things in life working hard at things brings us rewards . Those rewards can come in different shapes and sizes ln the case of weight loss \ you dont want to do it too quickly. You want to be able to keep it off when your goals are met. look over your food journal and change one thing daily. or one thing at each meal'. Baby steps.
    YOU CAN DO THIS> good luck to you in your journey:smile:
  • audjrey
    audjrey Posts: 360 Member
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    Let this be the START of your journey and not the DESTINATION. You now have very valuable information that can help you make tiny corrections to your health & fitness plan. That's what it's all about. It's not about starting out perfect, but learning what mistakes you are making and then using the available tools to correct them.

    That said, do you still feel discouraged?
  • ladyduval
    ladyduval Posts: 10
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    My thought is planning also. I have some of the similiar issues myself. I have found that planning your meal/snacks and taking them with you versus just grabbing something and going will work out better for you in the end. I just purchased a food scale also, so that I can try and weigh my food. Good luck with everything though! Be encouraged :)
  • Tisha247
    Tisha247 Posts: 849 Member
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    Hey already discouraged, I've only just started here but have discovered my normal eating plan was actually really healthy. The foods that were adding up to weight gain and calories were the foods I knew were unhealthy. I was eating those between my main healthy meals.

    Don't give up, you can do this! It takes loads of self control and yup I plan my meals the day before.
  • CoreenF
    CoreenF Posts: 4
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    If I'm having a binge day or two I find it helps a lot if I pack a lunch box for the day and eat only whats inside it. I can do this because I cook on weekends for the next week and make frozen dinners portioned out. get yourself a large lunch box and put 3 meals and two snacks in it for the day and when its gone your done.
  • klawson76
    klawson76 Posts: 6
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    Absolutely was in the same boat. 1450 calories is very easy to go over. It really isn't a lot of food. I got on the Nutrisystem food plan, you may want to look into it. You don't have to go full boar like I am, but they have AWESOME chocolate bars and snack foods that help you throughout the day with not going over. I'm trying to use those tricks too with drinking water before a meal and also taking those chewable fiber pills, because it acts like a sponge and fills you up, or using a smaller plate when eating dinner... portion control.
  • EricInArlington
    EricInArlington Posts: 557 Member
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    I just adjusted my exercise from 1 to 3 days a week and it gave me less calories a day. I workout every other day and just wanted to change it. maybe you should put down no exercise then latter add 1 day.

    I lost 18Lbs the first month with no exercise at all,So I know it can be done. keep it up, you can do it!!! everyone on here will help you, all you have to do is ask
  • melodyg
    melodyg Posts: 1,423 Member
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    Welcome to MFP! I agree with the others... the first step is just being aware of what you are eating (even if you set your calories to maintenance at first if going over is too discouraging). Then you can start to make small changes and figure out where to change your diet or bump up the exercise.

    Some of the keys for me (I've been on here about 10 months... trying to lose a pound a week here too):

    1) Plan ahead! At this point I don't always log my food in the day before, but I do usually try to have a good idea of what the calories for dinner are. I am at home so I have the luxury of tweaking things during the day as well... if I was away from home working all day I think it would be even more necessary for me to plan out lunch and snacks.

    2) Part of what helps me to plan ahead is to do menu planning for the week. I've been doing it for a year and have built up a list of quick and easy recipes that I know are healthy... though I love to explore and cook so I often do new recipes too. It is great for me to have some standbys that I know are healthy and I can throw together quickly when needed.

    3) Load up on vegetables -- easier said than done somedays but they really are an easy way to get nutritious food without a lot of calories.

    4) Look at other peoples food diaries. No one eats the same but I love looking at other's food diaries for inspiration. Mine is public if you want to take a peek. :)

    5) Oh and eat breakfast! I don't always eat a lot... but I have learned that getting too hungry is a sure way for me to overload on calories and make bad decisions.

    6) Get support! Make some MFP friends and encourage each other along. I never would have made it this far without MFP buddies.

    You can definitely do this, just take baby steps! :) Good luck!
  • slapshotgolf
    slapshotgolf Posts: 163 Member
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    Just had a look at your diary - a couple of pointers:

    1. Don't skip meals - not sure if its just how you are tracking, but it looks like you aren't consistently eating thorughout the day. Always make time for breakfast, it's the most important meal of the day. It kicks your metabolism into gear for the day.

    2. Invert your calorie intake - I used to have a small breakfast, followed by an average lunch, and then a big dinner when I got home. In addition to the problem I noted in #1, these large meals at the end of the day don't get a chance to get burned, and lead to a "stuffed" feeling which makes it hard to exercise off the calories.

    3. Food choices - Mom was right - eat your vegetables. In addition to giving you essential nutrients on a restricted diet, they help you feel full. You don't have to avoid Pizza forever, but make it a treat, only once every couple of weeks - and even then, in moderation.

    4. Exercise - Diet alone will not help you achieve the results you are looking for. Even going for 30 minute walks every night will help you bank some extra calories for those days you may go over. When you are ready, add in some cardio into your routine, as an elevated heart rate helps burn fat.

    Good luck, and lean on the MFP community for help - there are alot of great people here!

    SSG
  • Butterflygalmel
    Butterflygalmel Posts: 10
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    Good Idea, I didn't think of doing that. I find it's kinda fun to tick off my calories and see how creative I can make my dinner with the left over calories. I guess I have to play the game with myself to have fun at this :)
  • aflane
    aflane Posts: 625 Member
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    You really need to eat breakfast and lunch. It will keep you fueled for the day, and then you won't have those really big dinners. I noticed that your average dinner is 1500-2000 cals. That's an awful lot. Increase your veggie intake, and allow yourself a snack or two (fruit is nice)... again this will help you from doing the dinner binge-out thing.
  • aeckels616
    aeckels616 Posts: 210 Member
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    What really got me when I first started tracking what I ate was all the snack foods. I would just grab some chips here, half a peanut butter sandwich there, some yogurt an hour before dinner. I also had a habit of nibbling on whatever food I was fixing for my kids or packing in their lunches. I had no idea I was eating about 500-800 calories per day in snacks!

    Now I plan and log my snacks, and have a list of "acceptable" snack foods - it includes things like boiled eggs, strawberries, an apple, etc.

    Another thing that has really helped me is doing one of the "2 shakes a day and a sensible meal" plans. I'm using Isagenix because I know it gives me the nutrition I need, but I'm sure there are other good ones out there too. By having shakes for 2 meals per day, I don't have to constantly THINK about those meals and what I should/shouldn't eat etc. I find that when I'm dieting just by myself, I spend my entire day thinking about food in an attempt to plan out my meals, and that makes me eat nonstop. Also, the fact that I eat a smaller meal and still have enough calories left over for 2 snacks during the day helps. Also, like others have said, planning ahead helps, because you're less likely to just eat whatever is in front of you.

    Also, if you avoid things like breads, sugar, pasta, white rice, and other high-glycemic-index foods, you'll end up getting more food (and more filling food) for less calories, which won't leave you hungry. Anything you eat that has white flour or sugar in it will just leave you wanting more food. It's nearly impossible to get full on high-g-i foods without overdoing it, unfortunately.

    One more suggestion: eat your largest meal for lunch instead of dinner.
  • Jflow1
    Jflow1 Posts: 1 Member
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    Welcome!! Please don't let yourself get discouraged!! Making food habit changes is extremely difficult, and takes time! Meal planning was a good suggestion. Take your total allotted calories and divide it into 3 meals. Or 2 meals plus snacks...however works best for you. (Figuring this out takes time also, so don't hesitate to try a different routine every week until you find one that works best!) It helps to pay attention to the serving sizes on product labels. Try to stick to no more than one serving per food item. Also, there are tons of lower calorie versions of all kinds of foods...for example go for the 45 & delicious whole wheat bread (45 cals per slice as opposed to 80/90, and up!) Making those small changes should definitely help you keep the calorie count down! Like I said, it's not easy, but you can absolutely do it!! Don't give up!! Good luck!
  • daddyratty
    daddyratty Posts: 305 Member
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    Do NOT get discouraged. You have made a wonderful choice being here, and that needs to be recognized as a tremendous first start.

    Awareness of what you're eating does not always happen quickly. You're beginning to become aware of the calories in your daily diet, but it may take some time (days, weeks, etc.) to be able to change some of this. Awareness is really one of the most important assets you have, though.

    My first day tracking here, I was allotted just under 2200 calories. I ate over 4,000 that day. It was a pretty normal day. And that little message at the bottom said I'd gain about 10 pounds in the next 5 weeks if every day were like that day.

    You're in the right place. Find some folks in the forums who have similar goals/struggles as you and also find some who have already been down the path you hope to go on. It's a good balance. I've been on for less than 5 weeks. Now -- me and MFP are BFF's.
  • cincera09
    cincera09 Posts: 2
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    It's hard. I've done it twice and quit before and i'm trying again. i just exercised as much as possible so i get more calories to eat. i also ate smaller meals but more frequent. and one thing my nutrition teacher taught me...... eat fruits veggies and whole grains. keeps you full so you intake less calories. don't be discouraged!!!! we are all here for you!
  • ronieslp
    ronieslp Posts: 12 Member
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    Like many have already adviced, plan your meals ahead of time, keep healthy snacks readily available in a zip lock in your purse, increase your exercise and maybe it's time to do another activity to surprise your muscles, also drink lots of water! Drink half of your weight in ounces of water. Good luck

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