Hello. New here and feel like I'm not getting anywhere.

gemmajenkins90
gemmajenkins90 Posts: 18 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hi, I'm new here.
Well, not exactly. I had tried using MFP before just to log calories/food and weight, but failed miserably after not seeing any results, which is partly not all my fault either.
You see, I still live at home with my parents(at nearly 26), so my mum buys all the food, and she almost always never makes the right choices. I keep trying to talk with her to get her to buy healthier foods, and sometimes it lasts about 2 days before she goes back to buying rubbish, but more often than not it just goes in one ear and out the other. I do have a job and earn money but I'm on very little hours right now so I can't ever hardly buy good food for myself(if I do I just end up causing a shouting match in the house about how I could have gone and done a proper shop and got stuff for everyone...) as most of my money goes to my financial commitments, this also means no money to get to a gym either.
The only exercise I can really do right now is a brisk/power walk or jog round the block and as for weight training etc. that's practically impossible... and a 10 minute jog/walk a day, well, to me I don't feel that will do very much. I move for longer than that at work and getting to/from work...
My problem is, even with the moving at work 3 times a week, and eating whatever mum buys, my weight sits at just under 12 stone. I have tried everything within my power to be healthier and my weight just sits there like it pays rent! Yeah it fluctuates up or down a couple of pounds throughout the day but every morning when I step on the scales - just under 12 stone. I don't know what to do, obviously I'm here as I want to change that but I honestly don't know what to do to change that. I read somewhere about removing temptation from the kitchen(bad foods) but it would be a shame to just throw it all in the bin, so I'm demolishing it all to use it up/because I feel crappy/before mum goes shopping on the weekend to hopefully buy better food if I can get through to her by then.
I'm going to download an app that gives ideas for easy healthy meals so hopefully if mum buys the right foods, I can rustle up dishes for all of us and put us on the right track to a healthier life.

Replies

  • jaymesaunders
    jaymesaunders Posts: 1 Member
    Track EVERYTHING you eat and don't go over your calorie target (or stay as close to as you can) set it to something simple like .5lbs a week because it needs to be realistic. It shouldn't matter what you eat but how much you eat.. You'll really start getting what's good and bad based on what you type in (1cup rice is like 224calories or you could have a bagel with no cream cheese for example) nutritious calories is what you need to aim for. You won't see progress right away. TAKE AWAY THE SCALE! You should NEVER weigh yourself in daily bases. Do it once a month or once every two weeks until you really get going. It's taken me 100 days to lose 23 pounds and I go to the gym and bodybuild 4-5 days a week. It won't be easy but get out as much as you can, watch the QUANITIY of what you eat and just keep entering absolutely EVERYTHING you're eating into MFP. Good luck!
  • gemmajenkins90
    gemmajenkins90 Posts: 18 Member
    Thank you for your help. I have been drinking hot chocolate all morning to use up a half empty bag that's been sat in the kitchen for a couple months now, and I've logged each and every cup on here haha :)
  • Panda3270
    Panda3270 Posts: 25 Member
    It can be extremely hard to be stuck in a situation like that. If I were you I would just be really good about your logging and stick to the recommended calories fitness pal tells you to eat and measure everything. It sounds like your family might be a little controlling, so maybe keep it to yourself that you are trying to lose weight. When I was in my early twenties I lost weight by cutting my portions in half and taking three 20 minute walks a day. I would always make sure I would hit any hills while walking. Also there are tons of work out videos on youtube for motivation. Good luck
  • gemmajenkins90
    gemmajenkins90 Posts: 18 Member
    Yes it is very hard. I wouldn't like to think my family are being controlling, I think it's more a case because my mum works so much she buys things that are easy to make such as ready meals, so if I can show her the app I said I'm going to download, it might show her that a lot of things aren't too hard to make.
  • HStheBusyBee
    HStheBusyBee Posts: 1,366 Member
    Can you take over cooking for everyone? My mum used to be the same when I lived with her so I offered to take over the cooking so that I could make healthier meals.
  • gemmajenkins90
    gemmajenkins90 Posts: 18 Member
    Yeah I think that's what I'm going to have to do. Breakfast will be ok as everyone can just go about having their usual cereal or toast and such, lunch can be a cold meal that people make themselves again(sandwiches etc) then dinner I can prepare using the app I mentioned :)
  • punkrockgoth
    punkrockgoth Posts: 534 Member
    jaymesaunders wrote: »
    Track EVERYTHING you eat and don't go over your calorie target (or stay as close to as you can) set it to something simple like .5lbs a week because it needs to be realistic. It shouldn't matter what you eat but how much you eat.. You'll really start getting what's good and bad based on what you type in (1cup rice is like 224calories or you could have a bagel with no cream cheese for example) nutritious calories is what you need to aim for. You won't see progress right away. TAKE AWAY THE SCALE! You should NEVER weigh yourself in daily bases. Do it once a month or once every two weeks until you really get going. It's taken me 100 days to lose 23 pounds and I go to the gym and bodybuild 4-5 days a week. It won't be easy but get out as much as you can, watch the QUANITIY of what you eat and just keep entering absolutely EVERYTHING you're eating into MFP. Good luck!

    How often to weigh is a personal choice. It really doesn't matter. If you're fixated on the number on the scale and that's all that matters, then maybe some distance is a good thing. If you want to weigh yourself daily, as long as you can understand the fluctuations and detach emotionally from the number, then there's really no harm. In fact, I would go as far as to say that weighing daily can provide insight into your fluctuations and patterns. There's no one right answer.

  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    OP--I'm trying to understand this. You, yourself, have no time or money to buy some food? You work over 40 hrs a week? If you have the time, but not the funds, ask your parents if you could have part of the buget to buy fruits and veggies (even frozen are good). It's not your parents responsibility to buy and cook what you want. Therefore, you need to talk to them and compromise a bit. Ask them if you could just do this for a month, and if it works out continue. Adult children living with their parents have to negotiate, I am speaking from experience since I have 3 adult sons living at home. As for your exercise problem, there are exercise DVDs and YouTube videos to get you started. A last thought. A bodybuilder just ran a thread on here, where he experimented eating just junk food for 10 months. He lost weight.

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