ending my first week and wanting to just say forget it
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This sounds like a mental block, which I suffered from for a while. The hard work seemed pointless. I found this random book at a thrift store and there’s this awesome paragraph about personal power that really helped me (in all aspects of my life). Maybe it’ll help you too:
"The first step in the process is to create the space. That is, we must expand our attitudinal and belief structure limitations to include more of the world as well as the idea that achieving X is possible. This is the risk we have to take! When you want to create the space for anything you want to be or to have, you must examine what you have previously believed if X was an acceptable part of life. Ask yourself..."Was X considered a feasible option for me as a future adult?" If for example you want to have good health, you may find a lot of reasons in your own belief structure why you couldn't succeed. And why you therefore probably wouldn't even try."
THEN you create the space for yourself to believe that you CAN lose the weight.
In my opinion, living healthy is like, 80% mental. Do what you have to do and don’t let the excuses, which can only hurt you, stop you from getting where you want to be. Also take it day by day lol. Live in the present! :-)0 -
Hon--you just need organization. I also cook everyday for a large family. You are right about planning ahead and then, while you're cooking, have something like cut up carrots to munch on so you won't go crazy munching while cooking. I'm the last one to sit down at the table and don't want to arrived famished. You just eat more veggies than they do and that will help you alot. Best of luck.
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I think small changes to your habits so the transition feels normal, combined with greater organization, is your key. Eat the same things you make for your family. Use MFP to calculate what you ate, even if it is after the fact. Set your goal to 0.5 lbs loss per week and eat back your exercise calories. That will keep you from getting grumpy. This is all about your well-being, after all! Your new eating habits should make you feel better, not worse.
I am a planner, and that helps a lot.- I have a large salad sitting in the fridge that I make up every few days. That gets used in lunches and in dinners, to make sure I hit my veggie targets.
- I make up a large bowl of air-popped popcorn too in case I get the munchies (especially while planning dinner).
- I have a protein shake, a protein bar, and water bottle in my outing bag so that I am never caught away from home when I need to eat.
- I eat half of restaurant meals. Easy to record, and easy to cut back on the calories.
- I take out my main meal protein to defrost in the morning, and pick the side that will go with it.
- My pantry has a variety of sides to choose from including rice, quinoa, pastas, potatoes. Having these staples handy help to mix and match dinner choices.
- A Sunday roast and it's leavings makes a stew for Monday and cold meats for lunches. It could be a whole chicken, a side of beef, or salmon.
I think you have two children who are ready to start helping in the kitchen. Delegate a kids meal once a night to give yourself a day off
As for the starving husband, I've got one of those too. I have a list of proven recipes that I recycle through. Many of my changes like switching to low-fat sour cream for instance, are nearly invisible. He has to try something new once every couple weeks. If the recipe is a hit, I mark it.
As others have mentioned, you can diet on regular food using MFP. Simply watch your portions.0 -
I don't have anyone else to cook for, so I can't help you there. But I wanted to chime in with a few simple things to keep in mind.
If you are really hungry all the time, you are doing it wrong. Did you set your goal to 2 lbs per week? If so change it to 1 lb or even half a lb per week. 2 lbs is really aggressive, and losing half pound per week is easier, and certainly better than quitting and not losing anything.
The MFP way requires some practice and playing with the numbers, which requires patience. Log consistently, and if you have days where you go over, or days where you only stay at your goal by being hungry and miserable, instead of giving up look at what you ate and see what you can do better next time.
No one is perfect, I bet every person here who lost a big chunk of weight had days and weeks where they were over their calorie goal. The difference is they learned from the mistakes and kept going. This is a process, not a final exam that you either pass or fail.
Keep trying! :drinker:0 -
I don't have anyone else to cook for, so I can't help you there. But I wanted to chime in with a few simple things to keep in mind.
If you are really hungry all the time, you are doing it wrong. Did you set your goal to 2 lbs per week? If so change it to 1 lb or even half a lb per week. 2 lbs is really aggressive, and losing half pound per week is easier, and certainly better than quitting and not losing anything.
The MFP way requires some practice and playing with the numbers, which requires patience. Log consistently, and if you have days where you go over, or days where you only stay at your goal by being hungry and miserable, instead of giving up look at what you ate and see what you can do better next time.
No one is perfect, I bet every person here who lost a big chunk of weight had days and weeks where they were over their calorie goal. The difference is they learned from the mistakes and kept going. This is a process, not a final exam that you either pass or fail.
Keep trying! :drinker:
Thanks for the advice!0 -
I think small changes to your habits so the transition feels normal, combined with greater organization, is your key. Eat the same things you make for your family. Use MFP to calculate what you ate, even if it is after the fact. Set your goal to 0.5 lbs loss per week and eat back your exercise calories. That will keep you from getting grumpy. This is all about your well-being, after all! Your new eating habits should make you feel better, not worse.
I am a planner, and that helps a lot.- I have a large salad sitting in the fridge that I make up every few days. That gets used in lunches and in dinners, to make sure I hit my veggie targets.
- I make up a large bowl of air-popped popcorn too in case I get the munchies (especially while planning dinner).
- I have a protein shake, a protein bar, and water bottle in my outing bag so that I am never caught away from home when I need to eat.
- I eat half of restaurant meals. Easy to record, and easy to cut back on the calories.
- I take out my main meal protein to defrost in the morning, and pick the side that will go with it.
- My pantry has a variety of sides to choose from including rice, quinoa, pastas, potatoes. Having these staples handy help to mix and match dinner choices.
- A Sunday roast and it's leavings makes a stew for Monday and cold meats for lunches. It could be a whole chicken, a side of beef, or salmon.
I think you have two children who are ready to start helping in the kitchen. Delegate a kids meal once a night to give yourself a day off
As for the starving husband, I've got one of those too. I have a list of proven recipes that I recycle through. Many of my changes like switching to low-fat sour cream for instance, are nearly invisible. He has to try something new once every couple weeks. If the recipe is a hit, I mark it.
As others have mentioned, you can diet on regular food using MFP. Simply watch your portions.
Great ideas, thank you!0 -
Insnowflake954 wrote: »Hon--you just need organization. I also cook everyday for a large family. You are right about planning ahead and then, while you're cooking, have something like cut up carrots to munch on so you won't go crazy munching while cooking. I'm the last one to sit down at the table and don't want to arrived famished. You just eat more veggies than they do and that will help you alot. Best of luck.
Right there with you on the last to the table. Double veggies for me sounds like a quick easy tip. Thank you0 -
One of the mentalities that I fight with - is that healthy seems so far off. I am looking to lose 40 lbs and at .5-1lb a week, which is healthy and worth celebrating, my big moment seems like it will never come and I am faced with the mentality that I will have to eat this way forever. This occurs about once a month - and everyone deals with the frustration. As time passes, it will become second nature and it won't be as obnoxious. You will settle into a pattern of go-to meals that you can count in your head and know the macros out taking out all the guess work. If you are feeling hungry, you may need to re-adjust your calorie intake. Maybe you aren't eating enough or are missing more filling items. There is always quick success in the beginning when weight loss is rapid, as it begins to slow you will need to learn to analyze and make adjustments. (I'm an analyst by nature - so I find this interesting, not everyone does). If you don't like the constant counting try making the bulk of your meals around veggies/fruits and choose not to count those but just protein/fats/carbs instead and that may help limit your entries. If your husband doesn't like what you cook - then he can cook for himself. good luck friend, keep your head up! 0
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Why not just eat a normal dinner with them and just eat a smaller portion?
I eat a normal dinner daily. My deficit is worked into my breakfasts and lunches. You don't have to exercise to lose weight. Just eat less.
Try thinking of it as a change in menu instead of healthy eating or losing weight. Don't think about the weight loss so much, get it going, and then just continue with your daily life as if you're not really doing it. Work it into your life, don't work your life around it.0 -
Menu planning our dinners was a revelation to me. On the evenings I start to feel lazy, I see the dinner plan written down, and I have the ingredients. I can't tell you how helpful it's been to get dinner -- a great dinner! -- on the table.0
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like someone said pick your hard, it is hard being fat and it is hard getting fit. One thing I do know women spend too much time taking care of their family and not themselves. Take care of you. You can do it. I think we all feel like quitting but we know the results.0
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jenniferann320 wrote: »But I say I just need to figure it out. Half way through day six and to be honest I'm tired of feeling hungry and tired of having to think through every meal I'm about to eat to make sure I have enough calories. . . . I know lots of options for cutting calories and fat. I know how to add protein into my diet. I know the importance of water and exercise but I just don't follow through. Someone please tell me what I'm missing lol I need to get healthy!
What is your calorie goal? There's no need to be feeling hungry all the time to lose weight. And you don't need to cut fat excessively either - some dietary fat is necessary for health. You can keep eating the same foods as the rest of the family, just portion control. I still eat the same things for dinner as I did a year ago, and I'm down 64lbs.
I'm assuming (perhaps I'm wrong) that your calorie goal is lower than it needs to be. It would be way better to lose slower by eating more than to give up entirely. Try setting to lose 0.5lbs/week - that will add up if you can stick to it!
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I did a lot of frozen meals in the beginning. They are quick and easy and you don't have to put thought into it. Once you get past the first couple of weeks, it really does get easier. You start getting more ideas of things to try once you're past the initial "I'm hungry" phase. Pre-planning makes it all much easier, too!0
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I've been doing this for way over a year now and I have never made a separate meal for myself. I eat what I fix for my husband, family and friends and I've lost over 60-lbs doing it. I just eat less and make healthier meals. Absolutely NO ONE can taste the difference between the butter, cream, oil rich foods I used to make from their lesser counterparts because I use so many spices, herbs and seasonings that compensate.
You do have to make an effort to change the way you cook and eat but it's so worth ever ounce of effort when you rock those skinny jeans and everyone notices! ♥0 -
You're trying to change too much too soon. Make a small change. Once you feel like you have a grip on it, make another small change. Then another. These things will become habit and down the road it won't feel like so much work.0
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If it was easy, everyone would do it. I find it's more of a mental challenge than a physical one. Just remind yourself that it will get really tough, but it also gets easier...your mind is like a muscle too, the more you practice 'will power' the stronger and easier it gets as you go. You can do it! You'll thank yourself for it when you've hit your goal, feeling great & have ppl complimenting you on how amazing you look.0
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Velum_cado wrote: »Would it be easier to cut your portion sizes down instead of making a completely different meal for you? Or, on days that I need to save a few calories, I might do little swaps - so, let's say I made roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. I'd give myself double the broccoli, or some tomatoes and cucumber instead of potatoes. Or if I make pasta with a chunky vegetable and tomato sauce - I give myself half the portion of pasta, but extra sauce. I find little things like that are really manageable changes if I need to eat a bit lighter to balance my calories out, and it saves me from forcing "health nut" food on my husband, or making two different meals.
^^ This. I do the same thing, my mother lives with me and is very underweight, so I'm not going to serve her some low-cal low-fat foods. I just control what I eat by portions.
Also, you might be starting the hard way. Try just logging what you normally eat, to see what the high calorie hitters are, and see if you can cut portions, or substitute some other food. Do this for a week, and then start your portion controls.
A lot of people fail because they set their goals to high (2 pounds a week) and the app gives you a really low calorie goal that may not be realistic.
Good luck.
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There has been a lot of good advice here.
My thought:
As a husband whose wife cooks almost every night, I eat what I'm given for dinner. Period.0 -
I hate to be the wet blanket here, but this is my experience.
I kept saying "I should lose weight" and I would try and stick to it for 2 weeks and quit. I knew I needed to do it, but wasn't motivated. One morning I woke up and said "I will do it" and I haven't looked back.
No one and nothing can motivate you to lose weight until you are actually ready and the fire is burning inside. But, a quote that has been my mantra for the past year and has changed my life is:
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What I did probably wouldn't work for you. I told hubs he could either eat what I cooked or cook himself. Actually was a win-win. He cooks more, and is eating somewhat healthier.
Seconded.
But I would also say that it generally just takes time and patience, as cliche as that sounds. I have been cutting sugar for three weeks now and it has been tough, but my body has thanked me in ways too. You get so used to eating certain foods and your body just has to adjust. It's also a huge source of comfort, so mentally you have to be prepared to let those foods go and find other ways to help with stress, etc. As others have posted, it's a slow process. You may be better trying to lose the weight gradually and letting yourself adjust. I have found that foods I used to love are now too salty or too buttery.
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