Always been big--but now it's out of control

Samigrl9115
Samigrl9115 Posts: 11 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have always been a big girl. About 3 years ago after my first child I went from weighing 278 to 180 the smallest I have ever been. Long story short second child and a 3 year relationship later i'm not back at 270 and I hate it. I'm on my third day of dieting and i'm trying to stay on track but my budget is pretty small so all those expansive low carb or diet foods are out and to be honest even though I try to get in at least one hour of exercise a day i'm exhausted after working all day and then going home to take care of two kids and sometimes just not motivated. Help me!! I am allowed 1400 calories a day which I stick to but the food isn't always the healthiest and I feel like im always hungry. I'm always not much of a water drinker. I'm trying to increase that but still struggling. Any advice from mommies out there also trying to shed pounds. FYI I am also trying to slim down for my wedding which will be in at the end of May next year.

Replies

  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
    If fresh veggies are too expensive where you are, buy frozen. Not as versatile but still good for you. You don't need fancy restrictive diets (low carb and such), all you need is a calorie deficit. Don't eat fast food all the time, but fit it into your calories if you want to here and there.
  • alyssagb1
    alyssagb1 Posts: 353 Member
    Congrats on your upcoming nuptials!

    If you're meeting your 1,400 calorie goal, and are still hungry you could possibly be lacking in other nutrients like protein, carbs, fiber etc. or perhaps you're not actually getting 1,400 calories. Without more info, it's hard to tell. I too am on a budget, and am able to buy healthy filling foods such as, sweet potatoes, broccoli, canned and frozen veggies, lots of fruit etc. I don't eat meat/dairy, but there are usually decent sales on frozen chicken and lean beef at the store.
    If you're not already, weigh your food before eating to ensure calorie count etc. if you don't have a food scale, you can buy one online or at Walmart (mine was $14.99 at Walmart).

    After a long day at work, exercise and the like can seem like more of a chore..so if you truly don't have the energy to do so, don't. Exercise is great for fitness, but it's not 100% necessary for weight loss. If you're eating less calories than you burn throughout the day, you'll lose weight.

    For me, I had to constantly remind myself to drink water throughout the day when I began a healthier lifestyle. If you can, just drink it. Make a conscious decision to do so. If you just can't do that- try Mio or something similar to alter the taste. I also like to drink flavored soda water, Kroger (if you have one near you) has a great selection of flavors.

    Finally: don't waste your money (unless you really like the taste) on diet or low carb foods. They're overpriced, at least in my area. Id rather buy the ingredients to make something similar, and I always get a heck of a lot more.

    Good luck!! :smile:
  • wearmi1
    wearmi1 Posts: 291 Member
    Well eggs are cheap and easy and can be prepared all kinds of ways you just have to google recipes. For water, I drink mine with lemon. I find myself craving it. Try different things until you find something you like. Calories in/Calories out will be what you need to hang your hat on. You don't need any expensive crazy diet foods for weight loss. You also need to know that you are beautiful and embrace that. Love yourself and know that being healthier is not just for your body but for your mind as well. Approach it as just doing what you can to feel better about yourself and know that you can still have a cheeseburger or whatever you love, you just have to plan for it calories wise and get some exercise when you do. If weight loss was easy and linear websites like this one wouldn't exist for support!
  • Samigrl9115
    Samigrl9115 Posts: 11 Member
    Thank you so much those are great tips. I don't currently have a food scale but it sounds like something I should get. As for the veggies I didn't know that broccoli or sweet potato were fillers.

    On s second note. I usually go over my calorie intake but I make up the difference with exercising. Is this the correct way or should I be strictly staying at the 1400?
  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
    Samigrl9115 wrote: »
    Thank you so much those are great tips. I don't currently have a food scale but it sounds like something I should get. As for the veggies I didn't know that broccoli or sweet potato were fillers.

    On s second note. I usually go over my calorie intake but I make up the difference with exercising. Is this the correct way or should I be strictly staying at the 1400?

    MFP is designed for you eat back your exercise calories. But as a lot of people will tell you, sometimes those calculations aren't that accurate. Good rule is to eat back 25-50 % back and adjust based on your loss rate.
  • Samigrl9115
    Samigrl9115 Posts: 11 Member
    capaul42 wrote: »
    Samigrl9115 wrote: »
    Thank you so much those are great tips. I don't currently have a food scale but it sounds like something I should get. As for the veggies I didn't know that broccoli or sweet potato were fillers.

    On s second note. I usually go over my calorie intake but I make up the difference with exercising. Is this the correct way or should I be strictly staying at the 1400?

    MFP is designed for you eat back your exercise calories. But as a lot of people will tell you, sometimes those calculations aren't that accurate. Good rule is to eat back 25-50 % back and adjust based on your loss rate.

    Thank you I really had no idea and I felt like I was going about this all wrong.

  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
    Very important when you're at low calories. Say you have a 500 calorie burn workout. That would mean you're only netting 900 calories if you don't eat back some of those calories. Eating under 1200 (lowest recommended for women) too often will lead to malnutrition as your body won't be getting all the nutrients it needs.
  • thiosulfate
    thiosulfate Posts: 262 Member
    1400 seems quite restrictive, considering your starting weight. But I have no idea what your height is
  • Samigrl9115
    Samigrl9115 Posts: 11 Member
    capaul42 wrote: »
    Very important when you're at low calories. Say you have a 500 calorie burn workout. That would mean you're only netting 900 calories if you don't eat back some of those calories. Eating under 1200 (lowest recommended for women) too often will lead to malnutrition as your body won't be getting all the nutrients it needs.
    capaul42 wrote: »
    Very important when you're at low calories. Say you have a 500 calorie burn workout. That would mean you're only netting 900 calories if you don't eat back some of those calories. Eating under 1200 (lowest recommended for women) too often will lead to malnutrition as your body won't be getting all the nutrients it needs.

    Thank you so much. As I said this is my first time really dieting and I felt like going over my calories and than working out was cheating for some reason. I mean I don't want to do all this just to end up messing up and cheating myself.
  • amyepdx
    amyepdx Posts: 750 Member
    edited June 2016
    Your calories seem too low - did you set your goal for 2 lbs a week? I started at your weight at 1760 (1 lb a week) and I'm much older. You are setting yourself up to burn out if you start too low. You absolutely don't need to kill yourself in the gym. Weigh and log all of your food (it doesn't matter what you eat) and ease into working out so that you establish a good routine.
  • scoii
    scoii Posts: 160 Member
    Broccoli is a great filler. If I look at a meal and it doesn't seem like it'll fill me I just add a few florets, fortunately you can use a microwave to steam it without it turning to mush so no waiting or effort as a last minute addition.

    I have it around for our bunnies treats so it's always available.

    If you have the calories, a spray of olive oil and some garlic and roast and it's amazing.
  • scoii
    scoii Posts: 160 Member
    Samigrl9115 wrote: »
    capaul42 wrote: »
    Very important when you're at low calories. Say you have a 500 calorie burn workout. That would mean you're only netting 900 calories if you don't eat back some of those calories. Eating under 1200 (lowest recommended for women) too often will lead to malnutrition as your body won't be getting all the nutrients it needs.
    capaul42 wrote: »
    Very important when you're at low calories. Say you have a 500 calorie burn workout. That would mean you're only netting 900 calories if you don't eat back some of those calories. Eating under 1200 (lowest recommended for women) too often will lead to malnutrition as your body won't be getting all the nutrients it needs.

    Thank you so much. As I said this is my first time really dieting and I felt like going over my calories and than working out was cheating for some reason. I mean I don't want to do all this just to end up messing up and cheating myself.

    Nothing tastes quite like a pizza and ice cream after a monster bike ride whilst still hitting your goals.

    Substitute your favourite food and exercise. You earnt it with the hard work
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    Get a scale asap :)
  • Pie319
    Pie319 Posts: 129 Member
    You don't need a food scale yet. Many people are plenty successful without a food scale until they get very close to their goal. Just eat lots of veggies (which are cheap, low calorie, and filling) in addition to the other foods you need to make sure you're getting all your protein, fat, carbs, etc. And definitely eat back your exercise calories, just make sure you are being accurate with how many calories you are burning, as mfp sometimes overestimates that.
  • Samigrl9115
    Samigrl9115 Posts: 11 Member
    Thank you all for such great tips. I really had no idea and felt like I was going about this completely wrong so all this info really helped
  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
    You've gotten a lot of great info!

    Don't worry about buying things marketed as super-healthy, diet-friendly, superfoods or whatever other buzzwords are out there.

    You can lose weight eating the exact same things you've been eating, you just need to eat smaller portions.

    If you want to change your eating habits, too, it may be easier to do small changes. If you drink things with calories (juice, soda, milk), you could start with cutting back on those. Have water with 1 meal each day instead. You could try to only have dessert with dinner if you typically have something sweet after both lunch and dinner. If you drink coffee or tea with sugar or creamer, you could work on gradually reducing the amount and/or trying artificial sweeteners instead.

    Experiment with veggies - they're low in calories and you can eat a LOT of them in most cases. Raw veggies are great snacks, and there's lots of ways to cook them, too.

    Also - buy things when they're on sale to help stick to your budget. Most stores will have at least 1 fruit and 1 vegetable at a really low cost each week. Things like eggs or bags of rice, lentils & beans are cheap. Lentils and/or beans work well as substitutes for meats in dishes like soup or for tacos!

    If you need recipe ideas, check out skinnytaste.com or budgetbytes.com. Tons of deliciousness at your fingertips there :)

    Good luck!!

    ~Lyssa
  • ponycyndi
    ponycyndi Posts: 858 Member
    For me, ma asking small changes has the biggest impact. Drink as much water as you can, as often as you can remember. Cook if you're able, workout as much as you're able. The more you do something, the easier it will get. And if you lose 5 lbs instead of 6, at least you're not worse off!
  • Samigrl9115
    Samigrl9115 Posts: 11 Member
    macgurlnet wrote: »
    You've gotten a lot of great info!

    Don't worry about buying things marketed as super-healthy, diet-friendly, superfoods or whatever other buzzwords are out there.

    You can lose weight eating the exact same things you've been eating, you just need to eat smaller portions.

    If you want to change your eating habits, too, it may be easier to do small changes. If you drink things with calories (juice, soda, milk), you could start with cutting back on those. Have water with 1 meal each day instead. You could try to only have dessert with dinner if you typically have something sweet after both lunch and dinner. If you drink coffee or tea with sugar or creamer, you could work on gradually reducing the amount and/or trying artificial sweeteners instead.

    Experiment with veggies - they're low in calories and you can eat a LOT of them in most cases. Raw veggies are great snacks, and there's lots of ways to cook them, too.

    Also - buy things when they're on sale to help stick to your budget. Most stores will have at least 1 fruit and 1 vegetable at a really low cost each week. Things like eggs or bags of rice, lentils & beans are cheap. Lentils and/or beans work well as substitutes for meats in dishes like soup or for tacos!

    If you need recipe ideas, check out skinnytaste.com or budgetbytes.com. Tons of deliciousness at your fingertips there :)

    Good luck!!

    ~Lyssa

    Great suggestions thank you so much:)
  • 12Sarah2015
    12Sarah2015 Posts: 1,117 Member
    Google low Gi foods to see what's filling. For a typical day I eat oats with apple in the morning or scrambled eggs. Lunch varies-sometimes a salad with avocado/egg/tuna, sometimes a cheese salad sandwich. Dinner is meat dish (eg stew, curry) and half to one cup of cooked rice with half my plate being salad or veggies (no salad dressing, sometimes lemon juice). Snacks are fresh fruit-orange and apples are filling, sometimes with a dollop of Greek yoghurt. I do full fat dairy to keep me full longer. Water only for drink. V special foods are expensive like dates, nuts, dark chocolate, prunes which I have in v small portions. I stop eating at 6pm. Eating less means you save money.

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