Out of shape and wondering about the best plan to fix this?

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neeterskeeter
neeterskeeter Posts: 571 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I am an old member of MFP but recently back and trying to re-focus on my health. I had 3 pregnancies in 3 years, 2 of which went to full-term. I lost a baby and then less than a year later had my son. I was really depressed and ate way too much and drank too much too.

Now my son is a year old and I feel better mentally but am trying to take care of the physical problem that is my weight. I have ballooned up to about 210 pounds and I am only 5'2". I would like to be able to keep up with my active toddler and also to get pregnant again at a lower weight so that I have an easier pregnancy and childbirth next time.

In the recent past I tried the Paleo diet and lost weight fast. But then I fell off the wagon and re-gained most of it back. My husband has digestive issues and is going to try being a vegan to see if that helps him. So now I'm thinking of doing kind of the reverse of Paleo... a diet heavily based in veggies but I will add some protein like chicken and lean meat to mine while he will eat his vegan.

Basically I want to avoid sugar and processed foods (and alcohol, and caffeine) and focus on whole, nutritional foods. This is similar to the "Eat Clean Diet" I did in the past before I ever got pregnant, and it's when I looked and felt my best. (But I was also training for marathons and trail races and worked out often, whereas now I get winded if I go for a walk!)

I keep wondering, though, if I should do Paleo again because of the quick weight loss results that I got before. It was very motivational to start off losing so much weight so quickly. It also fit well with my lifestyle because I like meat and eggs and such, and it was easy to find anywhere and just remove the bun or sides or whatever.

However, my husband does most of the grocery shopping/cooking and it was easier when he made all the burgers etc. and now he will be focusing on his vegan diet. (He will still make food for me and I also plan to get move involved in cooking food for both of us... I just mean it might be harder than before when we were both doing Paleo, and I'm trying to take lifestyle into consideration. I am looking for something I can do consistently and on the go/while traveling... I know it's not always easy and I am willing to do what it takes to lose the weight but I am trying to figure out what the best and most realistic plan is.)

Does anyone have any input or advice as to what kind of diet might be right for me?

Replies

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    All that's required is a caloric deficit. You've got this!
  • Rebekahl87
    Rebekahl87 Posts: 95 Member
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    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    All that's required is a caloric deficit. You've got this!
    Truth! The most important thing is that you find a nutrition plan that is sustainable. Eat foods that you enjoy (maybe not super healthy) but balance them with healthy stuff. Do you utilize the macro pie chart in the nutrition section of MFP?
  • Amber_hanson27
    Amber_hanson27 Posts: 66 Member
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    The fewer rules you set the better. Don't diet. Eat what you like but weigh it and log it honestly and the weight will go if you stay within your calorie allotment for the day. Walking may be best for exercise, kiddoe in the stroller and you are good to go. Walking or any workout isn't required to lose but it feels so good :) or it will start to... really! You can do this for sure. Get you some good buddies and be REAL about how much you are eating. You got this.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    You've seen in the past that you can't stick to a restrictive diet, why do another restrictive diet now? Whole foods are great but you don't have to cut processed foods totally... just have some in moderation. All that matters is a calorie deficit... basically, eating less.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    Calories in Calories out - while paleo and strict clean eating plans are nice in theory it takes a ton of work and you've already seen you haven't been successful. Doesn't mean you should live off oreos and ice cream, but just find something more realistic for your lifestyle. So when you can do those paleo meals or whatever, but don't be afraid to eat off plan either. It's the calories that really matter.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    Eat less than you move. It's that simple. If Paleo encourage you, then by all means do it. Whatever it takes. Just do it and don't stop. If it's something that you consider temporary, re-think it, because changing your diet for life is NOT temporary.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,140 Member
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    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    All that's required is a caloric deficit. You've got this!

    This ^^

    You don't need a special "diet" of some sort ... you just need to eat fewer calories than you burn.

    And if you feel out of shape, bundle up your son, grab your husband, and go for some evening walks to the park and further.

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,988 Member
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    The best way of eating for you is one in which you can be in a deficit, feel good, and stick to, which includes being able to fit it into your lifestyle.

    10 weeks felt like a LOOOONNNNGGGG time for me to lose 10 pounds, but I felt better right away due to eating more protein, less carbs, and exercising more (and thus sleeping better), which is the formula that works for me.
  • neeterskeeter
    neeterskeeter Posts: 571 Member
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    Thanks everyone. I have found that eating processed food takes up a lot of my calorie allotment really quickly so even though I only worry about calories in/out, I also have to worry about the types of food I eat in terms of how quickly they will fill up my daily calorie allotment. For instance today I was going to eat potato salad with my rotisserie chicken but I saw that it had like 220 calories a cup! So I chose to just have the chicken with a little quinoa and veggie salad.
  • neeterskeeter
    neeterskeeter Posts: 571 Member
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    Rebekahl87 wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    All that's required is a caloric deficit. You've got this!
    Truth! The most important thing is that you find a nutrition plan that is sustainable. Eat foods that you enjoy (maybe not super healthy) but balance them with healthy stuff. Do you utilize the macro pie chart in the nutrition section of MFP?

    I have not tweaked the macro pie chart, no. But in general when I'm eating healthy/whole foods I end up eating more protein and fat than carbs, and much less sugars.
  • neeterskeeter
    neeterskeeter Posts: 571 Member
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    Francl27 wrote: »
    You've seen in the past that you can't stick to a restrictive diet, why do another restrictive diet now? Whole foods are great but you don't have to cut processed foods totally... just have some in moderation. All that matters is a calorie deficit... basically, eating less.

    Because I am really extreme and I find that if I have much sugar/processed food I get cravings for more whereas if I eat whole foods or paleo only I lose my taste for it. I want to model healthy eating behaviors for my son and I am not against the occasional treat in moderation but I know that I feel my best when I *usually* eat healthy and to me healthy does not equal processed foods.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited August 2015
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    What's his vegan diet like? Can you grill a steak or fry some eggs to go with whatever he's made? Seems like it's not totally incompatible to me.

    Or if he's got the magic touch with burgers, he can still make them, even if he doesn't eat them. Otherwise, if your burgers aren't amazing, maybe get a George Foreman grill or something like that so they'd at least be easy to make.

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