Need help with eating habits

xxHaley2013xx wrote: »

Yeah I probably could do one pound a week it just sucks because I'm one of those people that's really impatient with it and wants to lose it faster-I know that's a bad and losing weight isn't something you should try and rush. Just kind of a hard habit to break

I'm 5'2" and found that when I changed from 2 to 1 to 0.5 pounds weight loss a month in the MFP calculator it didn't change my calories, they stayed at 1200. I think since they wouldn't let me go below 1200, that was the lowest number I got. My weight loss has been 3 pounds a month for 4 months and I started at 142. Just be patient, as this is a life style change you're trying to implement. If its "just" a diet, you'll probably gain it back, and then some (like many of us on here have already done).

Consistently losing 1 lb/week ends up being faster than aiming for 2 lbs and then getting frustrated or binging.

Nothing wrong with a 2 lb goal for many, but at 5'1 and 149, 1 lb is probably more realistic.

For food, home cooking is often the way to get more food for less calories, especially if you like stuff like pasta (which usually has tons of extra fat and calories in a restaurant -- nothing wrong with fat, but the calories add up and you can get the flavor and other benefits without as much usually).

Pasta is one of the easiest foods to make at home, and one of the first meals I started making regularly. Especially if you like the toppings/sauce as much as the pasta or more (I do), then it can be super healthy, too, and reasonably low cal. I measure out a serving size of pasta, and then make my own sauce. You can do the traditional tomato-based meat sauce quite easily using lean ground beef and add in lots of vegetables too almost without noticing them. Or do something simple like sauteeing some vegetables in olive oil, add some meat (shrimp works really well or chicken or whatever), mix it in with the pasta. Add a bit of cheese but not a whole lot. Basically, play around with foods and flavors you like and maybe try to mix in some vegetables along with them.

wonko221 wrote: »

The hard truth is "doing what you want" isn't what's called for, to lose weight. Most of the folks here, me included, became overweight by mindlessly following our appetites.

If you want to be successful in the long run, don't simply set a calorie goal and force yourself to stick to it. Instead, cultivate your tastes. Learn about ways to enjoy preparing foods, or finding foods, that are filling and satisfying but are not calorie rich.

This.

You're very young and in that stage of life when people do tend to eat a lot of junk food and put on weight. The fact is, you can't feed your body properly without building a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats. There's no substitute for this. You can lose weight by cutting calories, of course, but if all you eat is snack foods and pasta, your body is not going to get what it needs.

Remember that food is meant to nourish you. Every single thing you eat is not going to be your favorite thing, but if you work at it and keep an open mind, you CAN learn to love the foods that are good for you. And that's at least as important to your long-term health as maintaining a healthy weight.

I'd start with healthy pasta sauces, like butternut squash sauce or puttanesca. You might also try soups and stews, which are easy to prepare and customize. Try, try, try to find ways to love your veggies!

xxHaley2013xx wrote: »

I'm 5'1 and I'm 149 pounds.
I wanna lose the 20 by like February-March

That's 4 months away. You want to lose 5 lbs per month. That might be a *tad* fast, but doable. The math is simple: on average consume about 600 calories less per day than you expend via your lifestyle and exercise. No need to cut carbs, no need to go to the gym in particular. If you burn 2200 calories via your lifestyle, sleeping, walking to class, going to the gym (just as an example)... and you consume an ACCURATE 600 calories less every day on average (accurate meaning measure the things you eat on a digital scale), you will likely be quite close to your goal by March.

The tricky part is as you lose weight, you burn fewer calories each day doing the same thing. You don't have to kill yourself at the gym. Even walking burns calories.

I like this calculator to estimate things. Once you put in the basic info, you can tweak it all in the advanced mode. https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/bwp/index.html

Click on expert mode, then go to the "lifestyle" tab, click change 2 "off", change the start day for change 1 to day "1" and then experiment with different calories.

AlisonH729 wrote: »

...[snip] OP I know you came here to ask about food, but if you have your calories set to 1200

She has cheat days. She's averaging more than 1200 per day.

DisneyDude85 wrote: »

I would set your goal for 1 lb a week, maybe even .5 lb. If your goal date is Feb/March, no reason to try and do it in half the time! You should still be able to hit your goal by March at 1lb/week, and you will be able to eat more and not starve! Make sure to eat back some of your exercise calories!

As far as pasta goes, make up a batch, weigh it into individual portions, and box it up! I have a weeks worth of penne pasta with Bolognese up in my freezer, just pop it in the microwave and I'm good to go And you will save some money by not eating out! Like ElleMarieRose said, learn to like your veggies! Are there ones you have never tried? I admit, there are some that I cannot stand (ahem, Brussels sprouts, ahem), but there are many that I LOOOOOVE. And the freezer section is a great place to load up on veggies. The steamer bags are great. Just microwave, season, and eat

More Brussels sprouts for me then!! But seriously, have you tried roasting them? With a generous pinch of salt and pepper, they're so delicious!

krithsai wrote: »

DisneyDude85 wrote: »

I would set your goal for 1 lb a week, maybe even .5 lb. If your goal date is Feb/March, no reason to try and do it in half the time! You should still be able to hit your goal by March at 1lb/week, and you will be able to eat more and not starve! Make sure to eat back some of your exercise calories!

As far as pasta goes, make up a batch, weigh it into individual portions, and box it up! I have a weeks worth of penne pasta with Bolognese up in my freezer, just pop it in the microwave and I'm good to go And you will save some money by not eating out! Like ElleMarieRose said, learn to like your veggies! Are there ones you have never tried? I admit, there are some that I cannot stand (ahem, Brussels sprouts, ahem), but there are many that I LOOOOOVE. And the freezer section is a great place to load up on veggies. The steamer bags are great. Just microwave, season, and eat

More Brussels sprouts for me then!! But seriously, have you tried roasting them? With a generous pinch of salt and pepper, they're so delicious!

Yes, tried that. A friend told me to grill them. I am going to try that next I don't want to give up on them, because they can be pretty inexpensive! Haha. And I'm always so intrigued when I see them at a farmer's market still on the branch/stem/stalk.

DisneyDude85 wrote: »

I cannot stand (ahem, Brussels sprouts, ahem)...

Don't like miniature boiled cabbages? Try cutting them in half, then saute cut edge down in olive oil 'til brown, then finish in a hot oven. Season with basil and sea salt and a splash or 2 of red wine vinegar (or balsamic if you like it. I don't) . Serve with garlic bread and maybe something like chicken parmesan for your protein.

Or you could just roast them. I have issues with some veggies prepared by certain methods. I don't like soft and bland, but I love some good savory texture.

Slightly off topic, sorry.
Brussel sprouts: cut in half unless tiny, par boil, then sauté with bacon and orange segments and zest. Make sure the edges are nice and brown and crispy.
Delicious, but then I love Brussel Sprouts.

Cheers, h.