Im new here but not to trying to lose weight.

First off - congrats on the 40lbs loss!! It can be hard to stay motivated if you have a lot to lose but people have done it without surgery and I believe if you really want to do it you will

When it comes to eating - it definitely sucks, I know!!!! I have about 80 more pounds to go before I hit my first BIG goal and I can relate to feeling like your choices are limited. If my friends or colleagues want to go out after work I have to base my whole day around what I'm going to be eating that night or if I know I have a week coming up where I'm eating out a lot I have to base my meal prep on that and it can seem restrictive but I have found there so much I really can eat, I just have to be open to trying new things.

For example, I started making my own tandoori chicken - which doesn't have a lot of salt in it, which is good because I react to salt and bloat like crazy! I eat a TON of fresh veggies/fruit - like I eat vanilla yogurt, blue menu chocolate protein boost granola and some kind of fruit every morning for breakfast. It's not bacon and eggs BUT because I am sticking to this 6 out of 7 days a week, one day a week I can treat myself. It's so much about balance and just know that you can treat yourself every once in a while but it has to be controlled. BIG TIP: if you know yourself well enough to know that introducing even a little bit of that "good" food back into your diet will result in you overeating and bingeing on it, don't do it. Do not attempt to re-integrate these foods until you know you can control it. My thing is chips and french fries: I could eat a whole meal on french fries so I had to stay away from them until I knew I can just have a few.

If you ever need to chat or anything, feel free to add me It can be daunting but it takes dedication and if you can do this, you can do anything and you're way more dedicated than a majority of people in this world. Best of luck to you

peachyfuzzle wrote: »

You don't specifically have to eat those foods if you don't want. Foods like tuna, and baked chicken are pretty much just high in protein with low calories which is good for a healthier diet, and necessary for anyone with any sort of workout schedule.

Technically, you could eat whatever you want as long as you stay under your TDEE. I'd recommend looking into that, and using that to figure out how many calories you would have to cut in order to lose weight. From there, you can basically eat anything you want as long as you don't go over your calorie count. If you just strictly want to lose weight, and absolutely don't care about anything else, what really matters is that your calories in are less than your calories out meaning that if you weren't to work out, you would have to eat less calories than your body naturally burns by just keeping itself alive.

Of course, that number will change the more weight you lose, so you'd have to adjust it every so often.

http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

Seconded. Congratulations on your loss so far! Use that website: it will give you excellent information to help you make this not only a lifestyle, but an enjoyable one. You don't have to limit what kinds of food you eat, just how much food you eat.

acorsaut89 wrote: »

peachyfuzzle wrote: »

You don't specifically have to eat those foods if you don't want. Foods like tuna, and baked chicken are pretty much just high in protein with low calories which is good for a healthier diet, and necessary for anyone with any sort of workout schedule.

Technically, you could eat whatever you want as long as you stay under your TDEE. I'd recommend looking into that, and using that to figure out how many calories you would have to cut in order to lose weight. From there, you can basically eat anything you want as long as you don't go over your calorie count. If you just strictly want to lose weight, and absolutely don't care about anything else, what really matters is that your calories in are less than your calories out meaning that if you weren't to work out, you would have to eat less calories than your body naturally burns by just keeping itself alive.

Of course, that number will change the more weight you lose, so you'd have to adjust it every so often.

http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

Yes and no - yes that OP can eat whatever as long as it fits into caloric intake BUT if the OP has a tendency to binge and over eat with certain foods, I wouldn't recommend this.

Also, chicken, tuna and a lot of other meat have high protein counts: this will keep you full and not crave the other stuff. It's not necessary for a diet - I happen to eat chicken every day because it's my personal choice of protein but if you drink protein shakes that could be it for you or if you're a vegetarian. If you have a work out schedule: what's necessary is protein because protein helps repair muscles after a workout.

I would advise of being careful with how much you reduce calorie count because if you reduce too drastically to speed up weight loss it could have the same affect as being anorexic on your body: you're essentially starving yourself and it could lead to serious organ damage, loss of lean body mass and other issues. If you can exercise (as you said you travel with work a lot), then easy cardio would be the way to go for now. I started at 320lbs and lost 70 of it by doing spin classes 4 days/week and eating normal portioned, healthy foods. This can be done, you just have to want it

I said nothing about binging. I only said that if you eat less than your TDEE, you'll lose weight, and it doesn't matter what foods you eat to get those calories as long as those calories stay under.

Binging, and going over is completely up to OP.

Congratulations on your loss so far! Celebrate your successes instead of focusing on what you haven't yet accomplished. It helps me to make several smaller goals of 5-10 pounds at a time; one easy way to focus on this is to join the monthly groups on here where you set a weight loss goal (could be anything from 1 pound to eight pounds, if losing 2 pounds a week is reasonable/possible for you).

If you're not trying to lose weight, but are instead focusing on the quality of your food, here's something quick that I make: instant rice. I know, it's not nearly the most nutritious food you could eat, but hear me out on this...

Instant rice takes about five minutes to make. I make two cups of rice on Sunday night, get one bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables, one can of beans (whatever kind you like), some protein (chicken, beef, fish, or tofu), and seasonings (Sriracha, soy sauce, sweet and sour, sour cream and/or cheese, or whatever you like). From these ingredients, I can make a week's worth of meals in a fairly short period of time:

-Rice, ground beef or chicken (fry it [no oil needed] to cook the meat faster) with beans and cheese, sour cream, or tortillas for makeshift Mexican food. **(NOTE - this is a meal you may wish to pre-log on MFP because the calories and carbs add up super fast. I sometimes eat just beans, rice, and sour cream to cut down the calories.)**

-Rice, frozen stir fry veggies with salmon (or tuna) and just a touch of Sriracha is healthy and has a lot of flavor. If you're not into spicy foods, swap out the Sriracha for another sauce, or skip the sauce; it's good plain, too.

-Rice, stir fry veggies, chicken or beef, and soy sauce (salt alert) or sweet and sour makes an excellent stir fry that can be made even by a beginner in 20 minutes total.

-Rice, steak or ground beef, onions, diced baked potato, some pepper or chili powder, and canned tomatoes/tomato sauce/maybe sloppy joe sauce (salt alert) would probably make an excellent chili-esque stew.

You can also make a boatload of recipes with pasta. Look at Noodles and Company's menu (or whatever restaurant you like) for some ideas. Like the rice recipes, you can fill it up with veggies and protein, but watch the carbs and calories if you're trying to maintain or continue losing weight. These are just some ideas for quicker meals. Congrats again on the progress you've already made!

ETA - I don't eat pork, but that is another option for protein. I tend to stick to leaner beef and chicken. Also, as the post above me said, protein shakes are out there if you want them. Some of the diet shakes have a lot of protein and taste okay, and might make a nice (chocolate flavored) backup to a meal that is otherwise lacking in protein...but I'm not a doctor or nutritionist, so you may wish to double check that out for yourself.

peachyfuzzle wrote: »

acorsaut89 wrote: »

peachyfuzzle wrote: »

You don't specifically have to eat those foods if you don't want. Foods like tuna, and baked chicken are pretty much just high in protein with low calories which is good for a healthier diet, and necessary for anyone with any sort of workout schedule.

Technically, you could eat whatever you want as long as you stay under your TDEE. I'd recommend looking into that, and using that to figure out how many calories you would have to cut in order to lose weight. From there, you can basically eat anything you want as long as you don't go over your calorie count. If you just strictly want to lose weight, and absolutely don't care about anything else, what really matters is that your calories in are less than your calories out meaning that if you weren't to work out, you would have to eat less calories than your body naturally burns by just keeping itself alive.

Of course, that number will change the more weight you lose, so you'd have to adjust it every so often.

http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

Yes and no - yes that OP can eat whatever as long as it fits into caloric intake BUT if the OP has a tendency to binge and over eat with certain foods, I wouldn't recommend this.

Also, chicken, tuna and a lot of other meat have high protein counts: this will keep you full and not crave the other stuff. It's not necessary for a diet - I happen to eat chicken every day because it's my personal choice of protein but if you drink protein shakes that could be it for you or if you're a vegetarian. If you have a work out schedule: what's necessary is protein because protein helps repair muscles after a workout.

I would advise of being careful with how much you reduce calorie count because if you reduce too drastically to speed up weight loss it could have the same affect as being anorexic on your body: you're essentially starving yourself and it could lead to serious organ damage, loss of lean body mass and other issues. If you can exercise (as you said you travel with work a lot), then easy cardio would be the way to go for now. I started at 320lbs and lost 70 of it by doing spin classes 4 days/week and eating normal portioned, healthy foods. This can be done, you just have to want it

I said nothing about binging. I only said that if you eat less than your TDEE, you'll lose weight, and it doesn't matter what foods you eat to get those calories as long as those calories stay under.

Binging, and going over is completely up to OP.

Have you ever been seriously overweight though? There's a big psychological component to it and sometimes for those of us who don't just have 10 or 20 to lose, just making sure it fits into your calories isn't always enough there can be more to it. Restrictive dieting is not what I'm saying either - it's just different when you have a lot to lose. I started at 320 lbs as a 5'9 woman. I didn't have a food addiction, just ate the wrong thing however even when I started working out and reducing portion sizes and such, I still had cravings and it wasn't until I learned how to control myself and the amount I ate that I could let myself have those foods - whether they fit into my calories or not was a different story.

It's up to the OP to control intake - I agree - my point was that sometimes when you have more than 75+ lbs to lose it starts out a little differently. It's just as much mental as physical and controlling the amount of food eaten on a daily basis. I agree that you need to eat under your TDEE to lose anything - no argument there - but with carrying around that much extra weight it becomes a little more difficult and it's not just enough to say as long as you eat under your TDEE

Hi. Well done on your hardwork so far

If you want a Big Mac and can fit it into your day then have one. It's much better to have some of the things you enjoy in moderation than deprive yourself.

Another option is to make your own burgers. I can have 2 homemade cheeseburgers with a huge salad for around 700 cals (with quite a decent macro profile) as opposed to my go to from mcds - quarterpounder meal which is around 850. I fit both these options into my diet.

I dont think I have any good advice, obviously you know what to do since you have already lost significant weight.
I would say to KEEP AT IT..Even on days you do poorly, get right up the next morning and get back on track.
I go to the gym almost 7 days a week. I cant walk fast or jog or run, so I walk slow but i raise the incline so I can burn MY maximum calories.
From what i have read more people seem to do well with pre-planning your menu instead of waiting the day of.
Good luck to you and congrats on your recent success.

Sodium is somewhat counterbalanced by potassium in terms of blood pressure. It's not foolproof and definitely not an excuse to stop worrying about sodium intake entirely, mind you, but it could help a lot if you're already doing the best you think you can to limit sodium.

Bananas and sweet potatoes are my personal favorite potassium-rich foods. In fact, most vegetables have very little sodium and a decent amount of potassium.

larrynlight wrote: »

Thanks to everyone that has posted I really feel like this is a community and not so alone trying to win this fight. Thank you. If anyone has any good recipes that are low salt please let me know where to find them. Thanks.

Basically anything you make from scratch should be quite low in salt. Remember not to go too low though, it is an essential mineral. If you find yourself feeling lightheaded or dizzy, you've gone too low - that's the time for bacon

Note the videos on you tube i mention below will help you with motivation. So look them up asap.

If you have high blood pressure, i'm afraid you are going to have to commit to giving up bought food. All bought food is high in added salt whether you buy it from a supermarket or a restaurant. If you care about your health at all, you will make the choice.

You say you do not have time to cook. This is a big problem for people with very busy lives but you do have to become more organised. If your job is well paid you can pay someone to cook healthy meals for you. But if you have weekends off, you need to make this time, cooking time.

Do a big shop. Cook up vegetable soups, lentil and beans soups and casseroles, meat casseroles, baked veg dishes and stick them in the freezer. You need your fridge and freezer to be stocked with foods that only need reheating and throwing together in a few minutes during the week.

Grilled fish is a good alternative to chicken - choose a fish you like not a cheap one. You can also still eat chops and steak and roast meats. Avoid sausages, bacon and all processed meats. These should only be eaten on rare occasions from now on.

Learn how to cook bean dishes. These are cheap and bulking and are easy to cook in bulk and reheat. Serve with rice but not too much.

Maybe you can afford to start by still eating one bought meal a day for a while. So maybe buy your lunch if you are used to doing that but cook your night time meal at home. And take all your snacks to work.

In the morning make salad for snacks or simple sandwiches of whole grain bread and a little butter and eggs or salad or canned fish. But do not put on the usual gooey stuff like bottled sauces. You need to learn to eat whole foods all the time.

Also concentrate on eating high fibre foods. These are fruit and vegetables, nuts, lentils beans and chickpeas as well as whole grain bread and nuts and seeds.

The thing is given your weight and probable metabolic syndrome, you need to reduce your carbs so i would recommend not eating too much bread, pasta and rice. Instead eat as much lentils beans and chickpeas and vegies and fruit as you need.

Also eat full fat milk, and unsweetened yoghurt. Do not eat low fat foods at all. In order to cut your carbs, you need to increase your fat. Overall you should still eat less food and less calories but the fat should become your main energy source. Fat bypasses your insulin system.

As you lose weight, you can cut out the bought lunches as well. But probably some time after you reach 300 pounds. Although so long as you eating bought lunches, you are bound to be eating high salt so look for the healthiest bought lunches you can find.

I would mention that when you eat chickpeas etc, you do have to add a good dose of salt to make the food taste edible, but its nothing like what you have been eating in processed foods. Instead of eating macdonalds and the like for lunch, look for a proper restaurant. Try indian and choose the vegetarian options. Try french or italian but don't go for pasta. Probably avoid most asian restaurants because they use a lot of salt. Stay away from cheese as much as possible because its very high salt. Eat raw nuts and seeds because these are high fat and low salt. In fact nuts and seeds should become one of your most important foods for a while. You will need to measure and count all along the way.

A favourite comfort food of mine is fresh fruit with natural yoghurt and mixed seeds. This would be a good food for you because the seeds and nuts are low in carbs but high in calories and nutrition and don't require cooking. Nuts and seeds make any salad fantastic. Make your salad dressing with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar 50/50. Its so easy and so good.

Get your energy from high fat foods like nuts, seeds, cream, sour cream, olive oil rather than the carbs you have traditionally eaten.

Keep your protein intake fairly high. Again it doesn't have to be only meat. chickpeas beans etc are good.

Look at this program: Catalyst-gut reaction parts 1 and 2. On you tube. Absorb the lessons therein. And look up Gut Flora on wikipedia for more information. You might even want to send your own sample to the lab mentioned in the show for analysis. I think its sounds like a fascinating project. Presumably since you are working so hard, you can afford to do this.

Also you might like to try the 5:2 fasting diet. Its not as hard as it sounds and it will be great for you on busy work days. This diet works on you eating only 500 calories on fast days. Other days you eat at or below your TDEE. When you do the fast its important to eat mainly vegetables and protein foods only because carb foods will trigger your appetite. Its also important to drink more water because you will get dehydration headaches if you don't. And a little salt because your electrolytes may get out of balance. The 5:2 diet should be great for your blood pressure. check it out more on the FAST Diet website. there's a youtube video for this too. the best thread on the forum is the southern hemisphere one. Read it and learn. There are some people there who've been doing this diet for a long time and have lost a lot of weight and healed their health problems. You can do it too.

you just have to be dedicated and serious, organised and stay focussed. You can't afford to give up. Trust me losing weight is a very rewarding process. I know its going to be a long process for you but if you make it rewarding with good food and enough of it to avoid hunger you will love it and never look back.

Also given how much weight you need to lose, there is one other thing i would suggest you do right from the start but you will be very happy about this strategy if you do it. You will have skin issues by the time you reach your goal. So start saving for corrective surgery from the beginning. It is not covered by private health insurance. Stick the money in an account that you can't go dipping into.

I wish you all the best and am happy to offer you any other advice or support you need.

Just a little about me. I did not have as much weight to lose as you. But i have been dieting all year. And i am loving my food so much. I also love learning to cook new things. I had to quit sweets because i can't control my intake of sweets. But i do not miss them. I replaced sweets with good healthy nutritious food. and a lot of fruit. Also i haven't bothered much with exercise. You don't need to in order to lose weight. So forget about the exercise until you get slim. You haven't got time.


Get yourself a pressure cooker. It will save time in the kitchen!

larrynlight wrote: »

I am 34 years old and I have been obese most of my life since 11 years old. Recently in the last year I finally topped 550+ pounds. I freaked add to this that I ended up in the hospital with high blood pressure and I am having a hard time staying motivated. It seems like there is so little that I can eat that doesn't also have a lot of salt. I know salt occurs naturally in some foods but I am constantly on the go for my job and rarely have time to cook. lately I have lost almost 40lbs in the last 5 months. I am truly happy that I have done this but I have soo much more to lose. I don't want to stop till I hit 300lbs then I can reassess and make a new goal. I am really tall so my body can handle some weight but I am not trying to go out because of a big mac. Any help you can provide even if its just an word would be appreciated. Im getting tired of just eating tuna and backed chicken. I want to join the real world again.

Stop obsessing over salt. There are some people who have salt-sensitive hypertension, but most people do not. At 500+ pounds, your hypertension isn't likely to be salt-sensitive, or it would have shown up a long, long time ago. You have to start making time to take care of yourself. Cook your food on the weekends and package it to take with you. Weigh everything so you can track your calories and know what you're consuming. If you do that, then you can consume whatever you want within your caloric budget, which means you don't have to live apart from the "real world" during this journey of yours (which will be long). Good luck, hang in there, and keep pushing towards your goal!