Okay, I need help, too many diets have messed up my brain (a

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lauz45
lauz45 Posts: 243
in Food and Nutrition
I've been going from one faddy diet to another, for years, including a bit of calorie counting via MFP, but not really sticking/committing to anything for long enough to see a result. I've been stuck at this weight for a couple of years now, and i'm sick and tired of it. One day i'll eat really healthily, then i'll give up and binge on junk food all day, and I really want to know the proper, healthy way to eat, and stick to it. I don't lose weight easily, I know that white carbs make me feel bloated and sluggish, and I don't eat nearly enough fruit and veg. Fluid wise I exist on tea with 2% milk and sweetners, or sugar free fruit squash.

My joints ache (mainly knees), I feel constantly exhausted, suffer from mood swings, and although my weight doesn't seem that high, i'm carrying a lot of fat on a small frame.

I'm so confused, I know everyone has different things that work for them, but can someone please just give me basics of a good, healthy, sustainable diet for life?

I'm 27 yrs old, 5'3, about 146-148lbs, aiming to get down initially to 126lbs (my lowest weight, achieved through going to slimming world classes and a lot of horse riding a couple of years ago) I've since moved away from my horses so would be happy to do walking/running as exercise instead, in fact i'd love to become a runner, it's just never happened. I've also got 30 day shred collecting dust on the shelf...

Basically I need dieting for dummies! I just don't know what i'm doing to myself anymore, my dieting is sort of a running joke, my boyfriend doesn't take me seriously and I don't blame him.

Help me please lovely MFP people! I am ready to give it 100% and stick to it and change for life now, no more diets...it's just that so much conflicting advice everywhere is really confusing me :(

Replies

  • SaraTonin
    SaraTonin Posts: 551 Member
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    There is always going to be conflicting advice, but just do what your body is telling you. I personally don't believe in the Atkins diet, but if white bread makes you feel sluggish and bloated, then maybe carbs are something you need to be looking after.

    Put in your MFP stats with 1 pound loss per week, and try your best to follow it. I say that logging is the best teacher!

    Otherwise, search for "healthy meal plans" online. You'll find a lot of suggestions for cooking balanced meals for yourself. If I have any tips, a good one is to cut out the drink calories and go straight for water or plain tea. It's annoying at first, but worth it for your health and saving those extra calories for your meals!
  • SaraTonin
    SaraTonin Posts: 551 Member
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    Or here's a good quote to live by: "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." - Michael Pollan

    Good luck!
  • pocketsam
    pocketsam Posts: 134
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    Fresh Foods. Whole foods. Super foods! - Google that last one.

    If the ingredients list starts with 'sugar' or something you cant pronounce then walk away!

    Get creative in the kitchen :) I love websites like skinnytaste.com and BBCgoodfoodguide.

    Weird faddy diets dont work - or they work in the short term before you put it all back on again. I am also 27. I am 5 ft tall. Weigh 98 lbs and maintaining. I dropped 14 lbs in about 4 weeks doing the above and working out hard! Been maintaining the same weight for nearly 11 weeks now so that all works for me :)

    Best of luck to you!
  • themommie
    themommie Posts: 5,023 Member
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    the best thing I have found is to just track calories and exercise daily, go by what mfp says as far as calories and stick to it. come here everyday for motivation and encouragement. it has really worked for me
  • Tiggermummy
    Tiggermummy Posts: 312 Member
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    My suggestion would be -

    1) log everything into MFP - it it goes over your lips log it.
    2) Just do this for two typical weeks - if you have a big event or a week which is outside your norm then do an extra week,
    then look at it and consider what it shows you.
    how many calories am I averaging per day,
    am I eating way to much or not eneough
    how much am I drinking
    are my ratios of protein/fat/carbs ok.

    3) Change one thing - just one to improve your food chocies and do it every day for a week
    4) week 2 - change one other thing in your food diary, I wouldn't worry too much about the weight loss at first.
    5) Add one exercise - have a look at c25k or stick the DVD in the machine and just do it!
    6) Remember this is a long term thing so it's not going to happen overnight

    i think this might help you get started, because youy have done so many different things, you may not know how your body will react.
    so start slowly, changing one thing at a time, and this way if what you do doesnt work for you, you will know "actually swapping brown bread for white was great I don't get so bloated, but when I get whole wheat pasta that makes me feel worse"
    maybe try some of the gluten free stuff in the supermarkets they might make you less bloated.

    Then once things are a little more stable you can look at adjusting calories, you want to loose about 20lbs so an achievable target is 1lb a week.
    once you have got started on some exercise, you should look into some weight related exercise to tone up, jillian's dvd is good for that, but watch your knees as the jumping jacks can be a little hard on them, I've been stepping out to each side instead, but keep the heart rate up.

    hope this will help get you started.
  • Eskimopie
    Eskimopie Posts: 235 Member
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    I feel ya...I've been "dieting" for five years now, since I piled on some weight the depressing summer of 2006. My boyfriend just laughed every time I'd talk about eating better and exercising. MFP is the only thing I've stuck to, and even this is going slowly...I'd say just do the best you can to start changing little things...eat one piece of chocolate (or whatever your junk of choice is) instead of a bag. Try going to a walk 15 minutes at lunch...then upping it to a half hour after a month. Just expect the weight to come off slow and steady and every week try to be a bit better. If you fail one day, don't renounce the whole idea. Just pick up again the next. Also, don't try to change every thing at once, with someone like you or me, that's a recipe for failure!

    I've actually become a runner through this whole walk thing, something I've always sworn I'd never do. Though I can still only run a mile at a time, its .9 more then I could when I started! I just stopped expecting change overnight and that's how I've come to terms with this, and have (mostly) stuck through it.
  • aanddplusoanda
    aanddplusoanda Posts: 189 Member
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    I would eat as clean as you can. Fresh fruits, fresh veggies, lean meats. I'm also 5'3" :) Just an FYI fruits and veggies are low in calories, great for you and can be quite filling. 30 Day Shred is awesome! I'm currently on my 6th day and the first time I did it I lost quite a bit of weight so I'm doing it again. :) You shouldn't consume less than 1200 calories a day, your body will go in starvation mode and you won't lose any weight. I would also get a few different exercise programs so you aren't getting bored and giving up. Change can be great in that area. Good luck!
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    Tigermummy has great advice! Log everything, change slowly, don't feel like you have to drop to 1200 calories just because it seems like everyone else is doing it!
  • wehavethestars
    wehavethestars Posts: 56
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    Hi,

    I am a lot older and have been on "diets" my whole life. When I was 9 or 10 the school wrote my mother that I was overweight (13lbs). My mom knew zero about how to lose weight, so off to the doctor. He put me on diet pills and an 800 calorie diet. I was pretty miserable. Mostly because I never thought there was anything wrong with me. Now I felt like a freak. I lost the weight but when I was a teen I gained it back plus more. I gained and lost for all my life and always felt unhappy. I could never find a diet that made me feel content and still be healthy and at the right weight. Now I hit 50 and I decide to eat anything and everything. I skyrocket up to 264lbs and wake up one day to the fact I am killing myself. When I was younger my weight never went over 175 and I was 5'6". I finally decided diets don't work and started to experiment to find out what foods I could eat that were healthy, but that I really enjoyed instead of the broiled chicken, steamed broccoli etc. So, my advice to you is to start with basics like fruits, veggies, chicken, fish, turkey and once a week beef if you like those. Then find ways to make them taste really good so you enjoy them. Next you must do away with all the junk food and replace white carbs with brown carbs. Try to replace the junk food with low cal treats that are all over the place now. I have a 100 cal muffin that I enjoy. That has regular flour and sugar. It is my one real treat. I have the 100 cal packs of trail mix, boxes of raisins, walnuts, sugar free pudding and jello with lite cool whip, 1 slice raisin bread with 1/3 fat cream cheese, half an apple with 1 tbls peanut butter, strawberry short cake made with the lite cool whip , real strawberries and a thin slice of angel food cake, low cal and good. you have to try all kinds of different foods to see what "you" like and can live with for the rest of your life. Now this does not mean you cant go out to eat and enjoy a high cal meal now and then or holiday treats, birthday treats, etc. one day of eating never killed an eating plan. You just have to learn how to stop and go right back to your regular foods the next day. Fad diets do not work long term, take it from me. I have kept the weight off for about 6 years now. Do fun exercise, zumba, swimming, bike riding. If you are a person who can do real exercise, go for it. Please do the hard work and write down everything. Also if you are an emotional eater, write down how you feel when you overeat or eat junk. It will help you understand yourself much better. Fight cravings. you can hold off a craving. Try for fifteen minutes. Get away from whatever is tempting you if possible. Don't let food run your life. Don't let a cookie boss you around. You are young and have your whole life ahead of you. I wish you the best and hope something I said here may have helped you.
  • lauz45
    lauz45 Posts: 243
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    Aww thanks everyone for the great responses, I knew you'd come through :) Pocketsam that skinnytastes website looks good, and reminded me of another great website, spoonfedsuppers.com, I used to get daily recipes from them :)

    I've been thinking and I think I need to make the time for myself, my boyfriend is 7 years younger than me and lives off of crisp (chip) sandwiches and french fries and pies, and gets away with it. Actually he's about 3lbs heavier than me, and 6" taller. I always cook separate meals but I tend to be lazy when it comes to my own dinner, and I let him persuade me to get takeaway in at least once a week. I think I will just have to ask him to gently support me, and find healthy meals that we can both eat, and expand his palate a bit in the process!

    I like the sound of a clean diet, I feel like my body needs a break from nutritionally empty food like white potatoes, crisps, sandwiches, and cereal bars. I haven't been near anything sweet like chocolate for a long time, if I start, i'll go through a big phase of wolfing down every chocolate bar I can find, so I just avoid it, even that bitter 70% chocolate, it's best to be banned from the house (didn't even buy an easter egg this year)! I can quite easily get addicted to things, fortunately not alcohol though, I can take it or leave it. Tea and cigarettes are my main vices, and neither of those are good for white teeth! I also like the idea of gradual changes..some things i'm not going to change overnight, like cutting back the caffeine or drinking more water or eating more fruit..but if I can start increasing the healthy things and cutting back on the unhealthy things I should find it easier.

    I'm going to aim to do something active every day, even a walk to the shop and back, to get me into the habit, and then I can build on that, i've got the couch to 5K app on my phone, i'll try the 30 day shred once I feel a bit more settled in my routine, and i've got EA sports active on the Wii and things like that, to mix it up.

    I think I need to prioritise my health, I do everything for other people but can't seem to look after myself properly. I even write little motivational notes to myself (usually late at night when I feel fed up) to read every morning, and then forget, so I need to make that a habit too.

    Going to google superfoods and plan, plan, plan, so I never run have to resort to junk food. I think i'm addicted to salt at the moment too so that's going out of the door. I'm going to try and replace one or two of my cups of tea with green tea (i've got a box of pomegranate green tea bags in the cupboard) and gradually increase it. I've been drinking at least 5 cups of tea a day with 2 sweeteners and a splash of milk for as long as i've been allowed caffeine! And I *must* drink more water...must!

    Thank you everyone, please keep posting and i'll keep you updated :happy: I feel a bit clearer in my mind now...
  • sweet_lotus
    sweet_lotus Posts: 194 Member
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    Are you near stables now? It helps if people find a physical activity that they really enjoy, and you have one you know you like and it has helped in the past! It's sad you're not near your horses but maybe you could take riding classes or, maybe even volunteer at a rescue stable? I know someone who does that, and the rescue always needs help with the labor - clearing stalls, sorting out the pasture, grooming, exercising the horses - you could build a lot of muscle that way!

    I love Tigermummy's advice about habitual changes. That is rare advice that you don't often hear on diet plans; it's always, "lose weight quick". But, forcing yourself to get used to healthier habits will help in the long run. Try not to think of being "on a diet" but rather framing a healthier eating plan that you can sustain long after the weight is gone.
  • lauz45
    lauz45 Posts: 243
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    Wehavethestars that was a brilliant, inspiring post, thank you :) I'm a boredom eater and I actually love swimming and cycling (I did a 12 mile bike ride for charity last year and that was the one time I rode a bike all year) so I will definately look into getting a second hand bike and getting a swimming pool membership.
  • SaraTonin
    SaraTonin Posts: 551 Member
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    I agree about habitual changes. Just do what you can, and if that's not very much, you are STILL SUCCEEDING! I like to track a bunch of goals with joesgoals.com on top of MFP. There I make sure I'm picking up my healthy habits, like getting enough sleep, taking my vitamins, getting in some exercise, eating breakfast, and so on.

    Those little steps all add up eventually. Be sure to give yourself credit where it is due! Victories aren't all about the numbers.
  • lauz45
    lauz45 Posts: 243
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    Thanks sweet_lotus, it's difficult because I no longer have a car but i've worked out that i'm sure I could cycle to a riding school, or maybe find a horse to share nearby, when I lived at home with my mum and dad (200 miles away unfortunately) I was so toned from all the riding and chores, without even noticing I was exercising! I need to do some research and get back into it, I do really miss it. My ponies live with my parents now but hopefully they will be moving here over the next year which is great :)
  • lauz45
    lauz45 Posts: 243
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    Sorry I keep cross posting! But thank you SaraTonin, i'll look into that, I love lists and goals and things like that.
  • marianne_s
    marianne_s Posts: 986 Member
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    I started on the UK Rosemary Conley (typical low fat) diet at the beginning of January, and have lost 28 lbs... lost 9 lbs in the 1st 2 weeks.

    I... personally hate diets... too restricitve...! But I think it's what is needed for a short while, so we can gain control of our eating habits.

    I peviously scanned the weekly plans from this diet for my friend & sister who live abroad.

    So, if anyone wants a copy - just send me a message with your email address & I'll send it to you.
  • lauz45
    lauz45 Posts: 243
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    Hi, i've actually got some good recipes from a Rosemary Conley magazine :)

    For everyone in the UK, I just found a site called walkit.com, where you put in your postcode and how long you want to walk for, and it gives you a circular route, very handy. I'll be putting that to use soon!

    I've had a much better day, still had some naughties but the difference is I controlled it, my boyfriend got some dark chocolate biscuits, and bearing in mind I haven't had chocolate for ages, I had 2 and put them back, and logged it. Small victory! And I had a very nice dinner, half my plate was salad with a spash of balsamic vinegar, 1/2 plate was home made masehed potato, and the other 1/4 was a baked chicken breast stuffed with low fat soft cheese and herbs, and wrapped in a single rasher of lean bacon. Very fulfilling, and yummy!

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