Needing some insight

stacystrouse86 · July 2015

Hi everyone,
I am just needing some insight on some things because in all honesty I am new to this and I am doing this alone. I am 28 years old 5ft 2in and current weight is 229.8 lbs. I do have PCOS and have been a stay at home mom for 8 years. I know that my activity level is very inactive and I know that in order for me to succeed I need and must become more active. I just want to make sure I am headed in the right direction. My calories goal for a day is set to 1200 calories but to be honest I'm starving. I am trying to walk 4 miles a day. I am lifting 3 lb weights at home and doing some other light strength exercises. I am drinking only water. I am now going to start limiting carbs from my diet more and increase other foods I see I am lacking. I have not take. Very good care of myself in years and have just been focused on my kids and mainly my special needs son. My mother was 500lbs at 33 years old and I am so afraid to follow in her foot steps. She passed away at 44 of a massive heart attack. If anyone has any suggestions for me please feel free to leave them, I am open to anything because I want this for myself more than anything. Thank you.

jemhh · July 2015

Hi there. Change your weekly weight loss goal from 1.5/2 pounds to 1 pound. That will give you more calories to eat each day. There is no reason whatsoever to feel like you are starving. Might you feel a bit hungry before your next meal? Yes. Starving? No, you really should not. Also, you should be logging your exercise and then eating those calories. Many people find that the MFP calorie counts for exercise are overstated so they eat only 50%. That is fine. I would suggest picking a certain percentage (e.g., 50%), eating that amount for 4 weeks, and then re-evaluate after that to decide if you want to eat more or less.

As far as the content of your diet, many women with PCOS find that eating fewer carbs makes it easier to stick with a caloric deficit but keep in mind that it is not absolutely necessary and that, if you do choose to eat fewer carbs, you don't have to go super low. I found that eating fewer breads, pasta, and other baked goods kept me at around 100g per day when I was first starting out and that was plenty low to help me out. Now that I am in a healthy weight zone I eat at a more typical/normal level. Don't demonize carbs, though, as they are a good energy source.

katharineshalia · July 2015

@ your height 1200 might be adequate but if you are starving then up it to 1300 and see if you can lose at that number. Good luck on your journey, and sorry about your mom. I'm 44. Way too young to pass away.

tspencer824 · July 2015

1200 is too low. I am sorry, but consulting strangers on a fitness posting board is not going to help you get the correct advice. With the PCOS and the obesity, I would be consulting a doctor first, a therapist (yes, you need to talk this through with a professional) second, and get a referral to a dietitian third. Then when you get those things under control, hire a personal trainer to help you with the exercise. Too many "newbs" in the gym are clueless, just walk around doing whatever then quit. Professional help is needed. Check with your insurance and reevaluate your finances to pay for health related expenses.

Your special needs son will need you around, so I would be doing everything in my power to get myself healthy for him if I were in your shoes (BTW my career is as a special educator in a high school).

Good luck and I hope you take my advice on this one.

jemhh · July 2015

tspencer824 wrote: »

1200 is too low. I am sorry, but consulting strangers on a fitness posting board is not going to help you get the correct advice. With the PCOS and the obesity, I would be consulting a doctor first, a therapist (yes, you need to talk this through with a professional) second, and get a referral to a dietitian third. Then when you get those things under control, hire a personal trainer to help you with the exercise. Too many "newbs" in the gym are clueless, just walk around doing whatever then quit. Professional help is needed. Check with your insurance and reevaluate your finances to pay for health related expenses.

Your special needs son will need you around, so I would be doing everything in my power to get myself healthy for him if I were in your shoes (BTW my career is as a special educator in a high school).

Good luck and I hope you take my advice on this one.

Lol @ "don't consult strangers" and "I hope you take my advice."

SueInAz · July 2015

jemhh wrote: »

tspencer824 wrote: »

1200 is too low. I am sorry, but consulting strangers on a fitness posting board is not going to help you get the correct advice. With the PCOS and the obesity, I would be consulting a doctor first, a therapist (yes, you need to talk this through with a professional) second, and get a referral to a dietitian third. Then when you get those things under control, hire a personal trainer to help you with the exercise. Too many "newbs" in the gym are clueless, just walk around doing whatever then quit. Professional help is needed. Check with your insurance and reevaluate your finances to pay for health related expenses.

Your special needs son will need you around, so I would be doing everything in my power to get myself healthy for him if I were in your shoes (BTW my career is as a special educator in a high school).

Good luck and I hope you take my advice on this one.

Lol @ "don't consult strangers" and "I hope you take my advice."

Glad I'm not the only one who found that amusing.

OP, you don't need to exercise to lose weight but it is important for overall health and fitness. Walking 4 miles per day and doing some light strength work is a very good start and there's no reason you can't just continue doing that for the time being. You don't need a fancy gym or an intense regimen.

If you're starving at 1200 calories, eat more. Since you know this is something you need to do for the rest of your life does it matter how fast you lose the weight? Take it a little slower while being satisfied and you're more likely to reach a healthy weight than if you are starving and miserable.

As far as the PCOS, if you are losing weight at a decent rate there's no reason to cut carbs. That said, there are plenty of women who find that it really helps them. Talking to a doctor and a nutritionist is good advice but in the meantime there is a PCOS group in these forums who may also be able to provide you with support and advice.

Amanda_Tate28 · July 2015

Some tips I have for feeling fuller! (Im on a 1800 cal diet but normally finish my day around 1400-1600)

-Don't eat while distracted. Take time to focus on your meal. Eat slowly and make sure to drink a lot of water as your eat. It helps your brain register what you are eating as a meal not just a background action.
-Make sure to eat lots of fresh veggies and fruits. Not only are they are full of nutrients but they are high volume foods compared to the calorie count. Thats why things like dried fruit are a big no-no in my diet. If I am going to eat fruit I was it to be fresh because it helps fill my tummy.
-Odd tip I have found is to if I start to feel hungry again after dinner I hussle to bed. You dont feel hunger in your sleep. :]
-Putting your food on a smaller plate (white in color helps to make your veggies colors pop! There have been studies that it helps you eat healthier. Yellow and Red plates are the worst in these studies) will help you feel like you are eating large portions. This has been shown in quite a few studies but I really agree with it. Since buying small plates I have been able to feel full and eat less.

Hope this helps you! :]

kshama2001 · July 2015

I set my goals to lose one pound per week and do not feel deprived on the amount of calories MFP gives me. I focus on eating fullness-enhancing foods, which for me are protein, fats, veggies, and foods with fiber.

http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html

Tips on how to feel fuller

So how can we best try to enhance these feelings of fullness to help us control how much we eat? Here are some top tips for helping you feel fuller:

Foods high in protein seem to make us feel fuller than foods high in fat or carbohydrate, so including some protein at every meal should help keep you satisfied. Foods high in protein include meats such as chicken, ham or beef, fish, eggs, beans and pulses.
If you are watching your weight, opt for lower fat versions, using leaner cuts of meat, cutting off visible fat and avoiding the skin on poultry as this will help reduce the energy density of the diet, which can help to enhance satiety (see below).
Foods that are high in fibre may also enhance feelings of fullness so try to include plenty of high-fibre foods in the diet such as wholegrain bread and cereals, beans and pulses and fruit and vegetables.
Alcohol seems to stimulate appetite in the short-term and therefore drinking alcohol is likely to encourage us to eat more. Alcoholic beverages can make you forget about your intentions to eat healthily by making you lose your inhibitions. Alcoholic drinks are also calorific, so you should cut down on alcohol consumption if you are trying to control your weight.
The ‘energy density’ of food has a strong influence on feelings of fullness or satiety. Energy density is the amount of energy (or calories) per gram of food. Lower energy density foods provide less energy per gram of food so you can eat more of them without consuming too many calories. Low energy density foods include fruit and vegetables, foods with lots of water added when cooking such as soups and stews, and lower fat foods. Click here for more information on energy density.

katsmo · July 2015

Kudos for taking this step. A couple things I wish I'd known sooner: 1. You don't have to restrict yourself severely. 1200 calories is too low, is not sustainable, and will likely cause you to shoot yourself in the foot and give up. You can lose weight eating more than that. 2. You don't have to give up carbs. Figure out how many calories you need in one day, just to maintain your weight. Then eat less than that each day. That's it. It can be carbs, protein, fat, a salad, a McDonalds fish filet, a donut, whatever. As long as it adds up to less calories than you need in a day, it will result in weight loss. 3. Be honest and accurate about what you're eating each day. For me, this meant investing in a food scale. It may sound extreme, but it mean the difference of a few hundred calories or more each day, which will obviously impede any weight loss. 4. Good news: You don't have to exercise to lose weight! Exercise is great on so many levels, but if you get your food in check without even factoring in exercise, that will result in weight loss. Also, some notes about your situation- your mother is your mother. You are you. You can change course and steer your own ship at any time. Also, just be good to yourself overall. If you're hungry and really craving something, plan to make room for it in your day. I still eat ice cream and dark chocolate and drink wine and beer, while losing weight. Just account for it all in your calories, and you won't feel so deprived. Good luck!

Needing some insight

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