KISS-Keep it Simple Sweetheart-diet

breezedaze
breezedaze Posts: 357 Member
edited November 22 in Health and Weight Loss
I need to lose a lot of weight, at least 50 lbs.

My health is impacted by the weight and it's time.

And I'm tired of the gimmicks. I've decided to eat healthier, eat less, drink exercise and walk.

Perhaps in the winter I'll join a gym for some weight training because I like that and winter is boring.

I'm not going to spend a single penny on anything but healthy food. I've got a fit bit and I love it.

I've set reasonable goals. 10,000 steps a day and a reasonable calorie intake with the most nutritious food I can find but with no limits on the food I am allowed.

Does anyone want to start with me?

I think support is very important. So if you are on the same page and serious about this, let's do it.

Cheers
«13

Replies

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Welcome to MFP. Good luck!
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    Best of luck. Even if you eat healthy food you can still eat enough so you don't lose weight.

    In most cases eliminating the nutritionally less dense foods will make a big difference for many people
  • Bshmerlie
    Bshmerlie Posts: 1,026 Member
    I eat primarily a whole foods diet. A simple lean protein, fruits and vegitables, and water. I try and limit the amount of processed foods from my diet although I haven't cut them out completely. Sometimes it just comes down to what do you have left in the fridge. Although I do believe it is in our best interests to make healthier food choices when it comes to what we consume I also don't think it's wise to drastically change your diet simply because you're trying to lose weight. When we try and cut out a lot of things from our normal routine that's when we are more likely to fail. I think people should continue to eat what ever they were eating before just less of it. And then make a couple of healthier choices along the way. When we try to do too much or go too extreme that is when we give up and go back to our old ways. I'm eating a whole foods diet because that's what I've always eaten. I have cut out sodas and i have limited my intake of popcorn but that's about it. I just simply eat less at each meal. So far I've lost 44 pounds and I have 81 to go.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    breezedaze wrote: »
    I need to lose a lot of weight, at least 50 lbs.

    My health is impacted by the weight and it's time.

    And I'm tired of the gimmicks. I've decided to eat healthier, eat less, drink exercise and walk.

    Perhaps in the winter I'll join a gym for some weight training because I like that and winter is boring.

    I'm not going to spend a single penny on anything but healthy food. I've got a fit bit and I love it.

    I've set reasonable goals. 10,000 steps a day and a reasonable calorie intake with the most nutritious food I can find but with no limits on the food I am allowed.

    Does anyone want to start with me?

    I think support is very important. So if you are on the same page and serious about this, let's do it.

    Cheers

    Sounds like an overall good plan! However, I am confused about the "no limits on the food I am allowed" part of the bolded. What does that mean?
  • tequila5000
    tequila5000 Posts: 128 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    breezedaze wrote: »
    I need to lose a lot of weight, at least 50 lbs.

    My health is impacted by the weight and it's time.

    And I'm tired of the gimmicks. I've decided to eat healthier, eat less, drink exercise and walk.

    Perhaps in the winter I'll join a gym for some weight training because I like that and winter is boring.

    I'm not going to spend a single penny on anything but healthy food. I've got a fit bit and I love it.

    I've set reasonable goals. 10,000 steps a day and a reasonable calorie intake with the most nutritious food I can find but with no limits on the food I am allowed.

    Does anyone want to start with me?

    I think support is very important. So if you are on the same page and serious about this, let's do it.

    Cheers

    Sounds like an overall good plan! However, I am confused about the "no limits on the food I am allowed" part of the bolded. What does that mean?




    I wonder if the OP means that they are not prohibiting a particular type of food, but instead plans to incorporate any desired food into a reasonable calorie plan. (rather than saying sometime like: I'm gonna go gluten free OR vegan OR paleo etc and that is the answer!).
  • Luvzy
    Luvzy Posts: 30 Member
    Quality calories are still calories. You'll no doubt be healthier, but if losing weight is your goal, calories matter.
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
    You should check out these threads, lots of helpful information to start you on your journey:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177907/most-helpful-posts-getting-started-must-reads#latest
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    edited August 2015
    Good for you! I cleaned up my diet to get more healthy - not to lose weight - and dropped forty pounds before I started thinking, "Hey! Maybe I could get into my size 18 shorts again!"

    Most of it was just eating healthy foods. I don't go hungry. I wasn't even trying to lose weight, but to get healthier.

    Eat right, exercise and get enough sleep! It's what I tell people in real life when they ask how I did it. Aside from the "sleep" part, it's what experts always recommend (and I'm confident that they'll figure out the sleep part one day)...and it works! You lose weight and healthy food makes healthy bodies!

    Don't give up! :)

    (You have a typo that says you "drink exercise." I think you meant water, lol, but I was like, "I wish! I wish it were that easy!" Exercise is my Thing I Don't Always Love, so it cracked me up a little.) :)
  • pmm3437
    pmm3437 Posts: 529 Member
    No limits is what got most of us to show up here in the 1st place.

    You going to have to track, to pay attention, and to make sure your at a deficit if you want to lose. That means limits.

    I would advise that if you plan to strength train at all, do not delay. Weight lifting while losing weight, when supported by proper protein intake, helps preserve muscle.
  • breezedaze
    breezedaze Posts: 357 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    breezedaze wrote: »
    I need to lose a lot of weight, at least 50 lbs.

    My health is impacted by the weight and it's time.

    And I'm tired of the gimmicks. I've decided to eat healthier, eat less, drink exercise and walk.

    Perhaps in the winter I'll join a gym for some weight training because I like that and winter is boring.

    I'm not going to spend a single penny on anything but healthy food. I've got a fit bit and I love it.

    I've set reasonable goals. 10,000 steps a day and a reasonable calorie intake with the most nutritious food I can find but with no limits on the food I am allowed.

    Does anyone want to start with me?

    I think support is very important. So if you are on the same page and serious about this, let's do it.

    Cheers

    Sounds like an overall good plan! However, I am confused about the "no limits on the food I am allowed" part of the bolded. What does that mean?




    I wonder if the OP means that they are not prohibiting a particular type of food, but instead plans to incorporate any desired food into a reasonable calorie plan. (rather than saying sometime like: I'm gonna go gluten free OR vegan OR paleo etc and that is the answer!).

  • breezedaze
    breezedaze Posts: 357 Member
    I think I asked for support and people on the same page. Perhaps I started out wrong somehow. I am not asking for any advice, I'm telling you how I am approaching this, this time, and I am being relaxed. I'm going to eat the best I can and record it here. I'm not going to get all obsessive about calories and counting but use common sense, walk, be moderate with portions and see what happens. I have to lose the weight and all the obsessive, weighing, dieting, excluding this and that or calling foods bad or good, etc has never worked. I had fries today, recorded them, moved on because I had pretty much zero choice due to a very traumatic day at the vet with my cat.


    So, if you think I should have starved and waited for the salad and drove home hungry because it was more "nutrient dense" then I guess you're not in line with my plan and that's perfectly ok as well.

    Maybe next week I'll choose the fries over a million "better" choices. Maybe not. If I do, I'll record it, move on.

    Anyway, I'm going for the real life plan. I love healthy food, prefer it and I know exactly what healthy is, for me. Stuff that grows and requires harvesting of some sort and is prepared as easily as possible.

    And chocolate. Small amounts of great chocolate.

    And wine. Small amounts of great wine.

    So that's pretty much the plan.

    I'm letting up on myself. And doing this.


  • Jozzmenia
    Jozzmenia Posts: 252 Member
    Whatever works for you. Not everyone has time to log or loves salad. Good luck!
  • barryplumber
    barryplumber Posts: 401 Member
    Bottom line you can eat what you want but if you fail to maintain a calorie deflict you then you set yourself up to fail....

    Good luck
  • Flookbird
    Flookbird Posts: 81 Member
    You sound like you're really ready to take control! That's the number one factor in being successful! Good luck!
  • breezedaze
    breezedaze Posts: 357 Member
    pmm3437 wrote: »
    No limits is what got most of us to show up here in the 1st place.

    You going to have to track, to pay attention, and to make sure your at a deficit if you want to lose. That means limits.

    I would advise that if you plan to strength train at all, do not delay. Weight lifting while losing weight, when supported by proper protein intake, helps preserve muscle.

    I choose to delay.
  • breezedaze
    breezedaze Posts: 357 Member
    Hahaha, I drink water but drinking exercise would be so awesome. I am going to walk as my activity of choice right now. It fits with my needs and I find when I walk I eat better. It's a thing with me for some reason. I appreciate the support. I am approaching this from a health standpoint. I hope to lose weight but I can't see a fail in eating healthy, weight loss aside. I enjoy lifting weights but unfortunately a hand injury that is "almost" healed doesn't allow for that at the moment. I could give it a go but I'm so close to having all the feeling back I don't want to risk a re-injure.

    Cheers!

    Kalikel wrote: »
    Good for you! I cleaned up my diet to get more healthy - not to lose weight - and dropped forty pounds before I started thinking, "Hey! Maybe I could get into my size 18 shorts again!"

    Most of it was just eating healthy foods. I don't go hungry. I wasn't even trying to lose weight, but to get healthier.

    Eat right, exercise and get enough sleep! It's what I tell people in real life when they ask how I did it. Aside from the "sleep" part, it's what experts always recommend (and I'm confident that they'll figure out the sleep part one day)...and it works! You lose weight and healthy food makes healthy bodies!

    Don't give up! :)

    (You have a typo that says you "drink exercise." I think you meant water, lol, but I was like, "I wish! I wish it were that easy!" Exercise is my Thing I Don't Always Love, so it cracked me up a little.) :)

  • breezedaze
    breezedaze Posts: 357 Member
    Bshmerlie wrote: »
    I eat primarily a whole foods diet. A simple lean protein, fruits and vegitables, and water. I try and limit the amount of processed foods from my diet although I haven't cut them out completely. Sometimes it just comes down to what do you have left in the fridge. Although I do believe it is in our best interests to make healthier food choices when it comes to what we consume I also don't think it's wise to drastically change your diet simply because you're trying to lose weight. When we try and cut out a lot of things from our normal routine that's when we are more likely to fail. I think people should continue to eat what ever they were eating before just less of it. And then make a couple of healthier choices along the way. When we try to do too much or go too extreme that is when we give up and go back to our old ways. I'm eating a whole foods diet because that's what I've always eaten. I have cut out sodas and i have limited my intake of popcorn but that's about it. I just simply eat less at each meal. So far I've lost 44 pounds and I have 81 to go.

    Well done! I agree. I am doing what makes sense to me. I'll tweak some things I'm sure along the way. The thing is, I prefer healthy foods, love salads and soups and love to cook. I have trouble finding quality ingredients where I now live.

    Just going to be mindful and stick around and find some like minded people who are going their own way as well!

    44 lbs is so inspirational..thanks for sharing!

    Cheers

  • breezedaze
    breezedaze Posts: 357 Member
    Luvzy wrote: »
    Quality calories are still calories. You'll no doubt be healthier, but if losing weight is your goal, calories matter.
    This site records the calories so I'm not going to give them much consideration, just stay under the limit.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    breezedaze wrote: »
    Hahaha, I drink water but drinking exercise would be so awesome. I am going to walk as my activity of choice right now. It fits with my needs and I find when I walk I eat better. It's a thing with me for some reason. I appreciate the support. I am approaching this from a health standpoint. I hope to lose weight but I can't see a fail in eating healthy, weight loss aside. I enjoy lifting weights but unfortunately a hand injury that is "almost" healed doesn't allow for that at the moment. I could give it a go but I'm so close to having all the feeling back I don't want to risk a re-injure.

    Cheers!

    Kalikel wrote: »
    Good for you! I cleaned up my diet to get more healthy - not to lose weight - and dropped forty pounds before I started thinking, "Hey! Maybe I could get into my size 18 shorts again!"

    Most of it was just eating healthy foods. I don't go hungry. I wasn't even trying to lose weight, but to get healthier.

    Eat right, exercise and get enough sleep! It's what I tell people in real life when they ask how I did it. Aside from the "sleep" part, it's what experts always recommend (and I'm confident that they'll figure out the sleep part one day)...and it works! You lose weight and healthy food makes healthy bodies!

    Don't give up! :)

    (You have a typo that says you "drink exercise." I think you meant water, lol, but I was like, "I wish! I wish it were that easy!" Exercise is my Thing I Don't Always Love, so it cracked me up a little.) :)
    I've seen a lot (not all, but a lot) of people agree that focusing on health is much more motivating than focusing on being hot. I know it was (and remains) key for me.

    I'm the Queen of pushing when I'm close to healed, setting myself back and having to wait longer. You're very smart to let yourself heal.

    I walk, too. I also swim and that's where I burn the most calories, for sure, but I walk.

    For me, exercise as a habit is very important. I'm not worried that my good eating habits will revert to bad ones, but I'm worried that I'll stop exercising. So making those things habits is so important to me.

    But I went from a diet of mostly restaurant and boxed foods to a healthy diet. I did that! I'm very proud of it. And I've lost 88 pounds.

    You can do it, too. Sensibly. Simply. The way that works for you. Sometimes the way that works changes as we go, but we can all do this!!! :)
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    breezedaze wrote: »
    I need to lose a lot of weight, at least 50 lbs.

    My health is impacted by the weight and it's time.

    And I'm tired of the gimmicks. I've decided to eat healthier, eat less, drink exercise and walk.

    Perhaps in the winter I'll join a gym for some weight training because I like that and winter is boring.

    I'm not going to spend a single penny on anything but healthy food. I've got a fit bit and I love it.

    I've set reasonable goals. 10,000 steps a day and a reasonable calorie intake with the most nutritious food I can find but with no limits on the food I am allowed.

    Does anyone want to start with me?

    I think support is very important. So if you are on the same page and serious about this, let's do it.

    Cheers

    Welcome!

    If you are trying to lose weight, you're going to have to some control over your calorie intake no matter what type of food you choose to eat.

    Weight loss = calories in/calories out.

    Everything else is preference only. :)

  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    Maybe I'm misreading it but you seem to be contradicting your self.

    On one hand you seem to be saying no limits, clean eating, not excluding anything cause that didn't work in the past.

    Then on the other hand your talking about excluding things you deem to be not healthy, eating under limits etc

    Am I the only one seeing this?


    But either way, good luck and welcome.

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Merkavar wrote: »
    Maybe I'm misreading it but you seem to be contradicting your self.

    On one hand you seem to be saying no limits, clean eating, not excluding anything cause that didn't work in the past.

    Then on the other hand your talking about excluding things you deem to be not healthy, eating under limits etc

    Am I the only one seeing this?


    But either way, good luck and welcome.
    She's focusing on a healthy diet without being restrictive.

    I lost forty pounds doing absolutely nothing but changing my diet. I didn't count calories. I didn't restrict my intake. I just ate healthy food and forty pounds came off. And I ate so much food! Fruits and veggies without oil and butter - you can eat piles and piles of them.

    If she finds it doesn't work for her, she can always start doing it differently.

    Sounds like a reasonable plan to me.
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »
    Merkavar wrote: »
    Maybe I'm misreading it but you seem to be contradicting your self.

    On one hand you seem to be saying no limits, clean eating, not excluding anything cause that didn't work in the past.

    Then on the other hand your talking about excluding things you deem to be not healthy, eating under limits etc

    Am I the only one seeing this?


    But either way, good luck and welcome.
    She's focusing on a healthy diet without being restrictive.

    I lost forty pounds doing absolutely nothing but changing my diet. I didn't count calories. I didn't restrict my intake. I just ate healthy food and forty pounds came off. And I ate so much food! Fruits and veggies without oil and butter - you can eat piles and piles of them.

    If she finds it doesn't work for her, she can always start doing it differently.

    Sounds like a reasonable plan to me.

    Yeah that makes sense and I hope it works.

    It's just when I was reading the thread it's seemed every post contradicted the previous in some way.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
    breezedaze wrote: »
    I had fries today, recorded them, moved on because I had pretty much zero choice due to a very traumatic day at the vet with my cat.

    Your cat forced fries down your throat?

    cat+with+opposable+thumbs.jpg
  • Blueseraphchaos
    Blueseraphchaos Posts: 843 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »
    Good for you! I cleaned up my diet to get more healthy - not to lose weight - and dropped forty pounds before I started thinking, "Hey! Maybe I could get into my size 18 shorts again!"

    Most of it was just eating healthy foods. I don't go hungry. I wasn't even trying to lose weight, but to get healthier.

    Eat right, exercise and get enough sleep! It's what I tell people in real life when they ask how I did it. Aside from the "sleep" part, it's what experts always recommend (and I'm confident that they'll figure out the sleep part one day)...and it works! You lose weight and healthy food makes healthy bodies!

    Don't give up! :)

    (You have a typo that says you "drink exercise." I think you meant water, lol, but I was like, "I wish! I wish it were that easy!" Exercise is my Thing I Don't Always Love, so it cracked me up a little.) :)

    I giggled at the drink exercise thing, but i didn't get enough sleep...

    Also, i think studies have actually already shown that sleep definitely matters. My registered dietician (dr) told me it does, then i looked up a few things.
  • Blueseraphchaos
    Blueseraphchaos Posts: 843 Member
    breezedaze wrote: »
    I had fries today, recorded them, moved on because I had pretty much zero choice due to a very traumatic day at the vet with my cat.

    Your cat forced fries down your throat?

    cat+with+opposable+thumbs.jpg

    Huh. Mine eat my fries. But the youngest one was abandoned at birth, so i see why he thinks he's "a hooman, don't touch my food, dur dur dur" lol
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    why wait till winter to start exercising?
  • Monklady123
    Monklady123 Posts: 512 Member
    why wait till winter to start exercising?

    I don't think she said she was waiting to *start* till winter, just waiting to join a gym. I assumed that was because walking outside in winter can be a pita, at least where I live... wind, freezing rain (the WORST), slush, ice, snow, ick, ick, ick. :open_mouth: I'm waiting for the summer to be over for the same reason (and my gym is closed until Aug. 24th so I'm really stuck) because walking outside in 100 degrees and humidity is worse (maybe) than walking in freezing rain. ugh

    Anyway, OP your plan sounds like a good one to me. I think the only way weight loss can be sustainable is if we figure out how to eat and live in a way that we'll want to continue. Simply "going on a diet" is bound to fail for a lot of us because as soon as we get down to the goal weight we go off the diet and gain the weight right back. That's what happened to me, so I'm going about it differently this time. :)
  • breezedaze
    breezedaze Posts: 357 Member
    What I'm focusing on is ignoring anybody who feels I MUST explain myself to them or do things a certain way. I'm doing this my way for my own reasons.

    Thank you to the kind and understanding people here. You're such valuable people. I appreciate you so much.

    My life has been very hectic lately. I'm busy at the best of times but more so lately. My cat disappeared over two months ago. We searched high and low, offered a reward and had a very active Facebook page that I paid to boost to try to find her. Then, like a miracle she reappeared on Saturday and a neighbour cared for her the first night because she came back while I was on a short vacation! I returned as quickly as I could and have been caring for her night and day. She is extremely emaciated and yesterday was spent getting her tests at the vet. I live in a very rural area and had to drive her in and then the vet was backed up with other emergencies so it took all day. Meanwhile I have been up every four hours to feed her the tablespoon of food and water recommended to save her life.

    The tests revealed very severe anemia which may cause her not to make it. The vet has now recommended feeding her every two hours so I'm doing that for the next few days. She has improved but it's still a long shot that she'll be ok.I'm only bleeding a little from getting her pills in her!g

    As to the gym, I simply don't want to go until the winter. I have farm work to attend to, I just purchased two ponies who will arrive soon, have a cat I'm nursing day and night and it's summer and I like to be outside in summer if I have time. In the winter I'll go to the gym because it's winter. I am not sure I like the gym well enough to waste summer hours there particularly since summer is so short here.

    I had a very successful day yesterday. My cat seems to be improving and I feel fairly energetic today in spite of my sleep being interrupted so much. Just a few more days and I can feed her during daylight hours and get back to sleeping in my own bed instead of on the couch where I can reach her and hear her.

    Time to clean my house a bit It's been neglected lately. Then off to do some farm work.

    Cheers!




  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    I hope kitty is doing ok! *paw waves from Abby and Zephyr*
This discussion has been closed.