HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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i am NOT a goal setting person by nature, but i suggest listing the reasons you want to lose weight- remember it isn't ALL about weight, it's also about getting healthier... get those reasons in your mind, post them on your fridge, on your bathroom mirror, in front of your toilet, whatever it takes to keep them fresh in your mind. set weekly, monthly, and maybe even a yearly goal. where do you want to be in the next year? i like the quote several people have on their pages, "i'm not where i want to be, but i'm not where i once was either!" it may not seem like much at first, but if you're determined to stay the course, you'll keep making forward progresss.
look at success stories on this site. sometimes i'm encouraged enough by these to do the right thing when i'm feeling a weak moment coming on. make a commitment to yourself and the people you love. believe in yourself, you can do this!
STOP buying junk! you can't eat it if it isn't in the house. maybe start out by dipping your veggies in ranch dressing? i know that's not the healthiest way to go, but maybe you can acclimate over time and slowly wean yourself away from the dressing? if you stop eating the junk food, eventually it won't even taste good to you, but you HAVE to give up the binge eating. (i'm saying this from experience...) i'd eat half a pan of brownies just because i liked the way they tasted! i'm learning not to deprive myself completely, just watch your portions... weigh out your food. when you realize how difficult it is to exercise enough to burn off a big mac and maybe you'll think twice about what you put in your mouth?
when you want to snack, chew gum or drink water. if you must snack, you're going to have to find something low in calories to munch on. i was amazed at how much food i HAD to eat once i started tracking my calories and exercise on this site. i am eating far less and i don't feel at all deprived. snacking, like smoking is a habit you'll have to break. be determined, stop making excuses, and you CAN do this! TODAY IS THE DAY!0 -
How do you make a green smoothie?
Louisa0 -
If you can just begin introducing fruits and vegetables and continue to make yourself have a little here and there you will find that your tastes will change. My husband had never had any vegetables besides canned corn, peas and green beans when we met and he was a very picky eater. Last night he commented to me how he never thought he'd like peppers and onions and yet the grilled fajitas I made for dinner were filled with them (and he loved it!) He married a woman who adores vegetables and I serve them all the time so he really had very little choice.
Pick one thing to change about your diet at a time and then just focus on that. I'd recommend choosing to add more vegetables or fruit and not the cutting out of something you love yet. If you focus on making yourself eat some vegetables before you allow yourself the fried meat or potatoes those things will naturally be cut down because you'll have eaten veggies first. If you go from fried meat and potatoes to thinking you have to eat super clean over night you'll never stick to it. Give yourself time to make your changes in a way that will stick for life.
And for the boredom, find something to do besides eat! Take up the guitar or knitting or play a sport. Play an active video game or go garden. Plant some vegetables that you'll eat! (You can container garden so you don't even need a big plot of land. Just a pot, some soil and seeds or starts. Google "Square Foot Gardener".) Try to make sure you're eating good food that satisfies you and then retrain yourself to do something other than eat mindlessly!0 -
konjac root is a great aid. it really helps level out blood sugar levels and cuts cravings.0
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Get the junk food out of your house. When you want a junk-food treat, make it something you have to go to the store for special, and make it a single serving so there's no way to go crazy with it.
I love meat, so the changes I made? I cut my portion size and switched from frying to baking, broiling, and grilling. I still get my wonderful meats without all the fat and crap that goes with them. If you love fries, buy a bag of red potatoes, slice them into fries or wedges, sprinkle them with a nice, salt-free spice blend (we use Paul Prudhomme's salt-free Magic), and bake 'em up. To make up for the smaller portion sizes? I added a large side of veggies--steamed broccoli, steamed sugar snap peas, cooked carrots, steamed green beans with almond slivers, spinach, a salad with light dressing and sunflower seeds, etc. You won't feel hungry when dinner is done.
You don't have to swear off everythiing. In fact, you don't necessarily have to swear off anything, you just have to watch your portions and pay attention to the numbers. My best advice? Use the food diary here, measure/weigh foods religiously, make sure the numbers/values you choose are accurate, and be absolutely honest in your logging of foods. Do this for a couple of weeks, then take a hard look at what you're eating. Then start asking folks to take a look and make replacement/improvement suggestions. Some folks have 500 calorie grilled cheese sandwiches. Mine come in at 200 calories. Some folks have 1,000 calorie fried chicken tender with tater dinners--mine comes in at under 600. Baking instead of frying, making use of lower calorie, healthier foods, and adding veggies makes such a difference for me.
You can do this. It's not easy at first, but learning new things is always hard. I promise it's worth it. And the foods you'll eat aren't "rabbit food." I never walk away from dinner feeling like I've been cheated. You can do this; be open to help and be willing to take the plunge.
Good luck!
Edited to say: my son wasn't a veggie person, either, until he figured out that steamed broccoli tastes really good dipped in his arrabiata/spaghetti sauce, and that frying up just a HALF a slice of bacon, rinsing it, then breaking it into tiny pieces to be served with the green beans makes the green beans "delish."
Kris0 -
I was not a big veggi or fruit eater too and I still force myself so I buy fruit yogurt fat free light as a filler food. I also use more spices and add in basil into my meals to give flavor to the foods that I don't crave. I think the most helpful thing to me to suppliment has been drinking the Naked Juice Protein Zone double berry and the green machine. I didn't like the vitamine c boost at all!! I still have to dilute these drinks with water and it's helps me get my water in too. Friend me and you can see my meal plans. Also you want to incorporate music that you like into your work out because it makes it all that more fun to do.0
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My main advice is a total change in values/expectations. You gotta want it to happen, and you have to take the steps to change your life. If you begin this quest by asking how you can lose weight and still eat bad foods and be a couch potato in the evenings, it doesnt seem like you really have a desire.0
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when I feel like eating and know that I shouldn't, I brush my teeth...when they are clean it makes me not want to eat.0
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popcorn can be a good snack - the calories are pretty low for the amount of times you get to put food in your mouth. Plus it's full of fiber.
I love grilled meats - and like to use the sandwhich thins for buns.
I also quit drinking calories, no sodas no milkshakes etc. If I am going to eat 1000 calories I want to feel like I ate 1000 calories
Almost anything you make at home will be better for you than the same type item at a restaurant. There are a lot of cheats that you can do to make a quick home meal - like tyson grilled and ready meats.etc0 -
Filler foods? Have you tried eating 5 small meals a day. It keeps the tummy full and balances the body's insulin. This will keep the cravings away. So I'm going to get slammed on here for saying this probably.....but a couple of months ago I was craving sugar and junk which is dangerous for me. So i did the atkins style extreme low carb for two weeks. It was just enough to knock those carbs craving bugs out. Now I stay away from the bad carbs and stick with low GI Carbs. Feel better and no more cravings.
This reminds me of the Oprah moment....its not what your eating but what's eating you? If you are sitting around all day and eating stuff you brought into your house maybe its time for a personal inventory. Spoke with love and not criticism. I had this talk with myself. It helped.0 -
Try having a fruit with each meal that you want to try and for when you are out of your mind bored... go do something like working out, read, or get out puzzle so you keep your mind buzy and out of the kitchen.
Hope this helps
~A0 -
I would vouch for the advice about getting used to fruits and veggies - add them slowly but surely. Also, with the fries, find another way to incorporate potatoes (mashed with skins on and skim milk, skins on oven roasted w/a touch of olive oil, etc) - starches can be had, just in other forms than fried.
For fruit, I've been making smoothies every morning for breakfast - 2 1/2 cups of fruit (any kind, fresh and/or frozen) and 1/2 c. of light vanilla yogurt (fat free and w/artificial sweetner). Stick 'em in the blender and serve. I actually make them the night before, put in freezer, and then take the next am to work!
Also, water always helps me when I need to hold off eating for another hour or two.
It takes some effort to change old habits, but it can be done!!!0 -
***DISCLAIMER: please don't take any offense to anything i say. i have a pretty direct personality and it comes across in my written responses. i'm really trying to be helpful and there is NO condescending/insulting/demeaning intent behind what i say****
the first thing is to change your mentality about food. you don't have to be a slave to bland, flavorless food, but you also can't expect to succeed with you goal if you limit yourself unhealthy food that won't help you reach your goal. if you tell yourself you dont like ANY fruits or veggies you've already set yourself back. why not start small? each week buy 3 fruits/veggies you're willing to try and look up interesting (and healthy) recipes for those foods. that way you'll figure out what you like and what you don't like. also if you don't have a spice rack, get one. it's amazing how much better food tastes with good seasoning. as a lover of fried foods, i can honestly say that after fasting them for a while, once i started eating them again i cld only handle a small dose before starting to feel sick. you may need to hardcore cut some foods for a while to give your tastebuds a chance to learn other foods.
and while weightloss is totally tied to calorie consumption, don't believe the hype that it doesn't matter what kind of calories you eat. junk in = junk out. if you want to add exercise to your weightloss plan you probably won't get as much out of it if the only fuel your body has is crap food.
as far as mindless snacking i have one rule i follow all the time: if it's a weakness don't keep it in the house. basically i have no ice cream, cookies, cakes, sugary cereals or stuff like that bc it's my weakness. if its available i'll eat it. and since most cravings hit when i'm at my laziest, i'm just too lazy to drive to the store for whatever food i THINK i want, lol! getting up and doing ANYTHING is a good idea when your mind wants a snack but you really don't need food. most food cravings will pass when you find something else to occupy your mental space. so go for a walk, clean the bathroom, go for a drive, shoot just about anything that doesn't result in food going in your face would be good :-)
you didn't get to your current weight overnight, and changing the habits that got you here will take some time to change.0 -
Hey, I have these same problems. So I'll tell you what I'd do. For fruits and veggies, you just sort of have to sift through what's there. I found that I like clementines (only 35 cal and so sweet) and carrots. As for snacking when bored, which is my biggest problem, I decided that I must eat everything at the kitchen table and nothing mindlessly in my room. And try to only eat at certain times. I try small meals every four hours and it helps. I wish you the best of luck! 0
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--- Oh another question, What foods are good filler foods? ---
My favorites:
Popcorn - Any brand that is 25 Calories/cup popped, sprinkled with ranch/sour cream/cheese/cajun popcorn flavor powder
Rice Crispies - Sprinkled with splenda served with 1/2 cup skim or 1% milk
Fruit Cup - Dole 100% juice type
Raw Fruit - Nearly any raw fruit will do, I like seedless grapes for ease of snacking
These get me through my Movie watching snack cravings, just watch your serving sizes.0 -
If you are trying to lose weight, the less processed and more real the food is, the better. This time of year, you might want to try shopping at local farmers markets to find fruits and vegetables you do already like. That also gives you the added bonus of getting out of the house and walking around. You can also try to "disguise vegetables by mixing them into other foods you are eating. Veggies like carrots and zucchini can be diced up very fine and cooked in tomato sauce. Carrots, onions, peppers, mushrooms can be chopped up and hidden in meatloaf or hamburgers. You can start slow - no need to go into full on salad mode immediately.
Getting out of the house, and/or away from computers is a good idea if you are tempted in the afternoons. There are lots of activities you can do that are pretty inexpensive or free, interactive, and may help you meet people of like mind. Take a walk in the park. Get a group of friends together to plan a hiking or camping trip one weekend. Go swimming. Volunteer to be a big brother to a kid and teach them something. Sign up for a community class in a hobby you've always wanted to learn. Go to an actual library to research the lifestyle changes you are interested in making instead of first searching on the Internet. Take a bike ride. Even go bowling or mini-golfing on a date or with a group of friends.
As for filling foods, a good filler food will have decent nutritional value along with fiber to fill you up. Protein and GOOD fats are also good, because they will help you feel satisfied. Do you like strawberries or blueberries? Peanut butter? Roasted almonds? Avacado (or guacamole)? Whole grain tortilla chips and salsa?
Hope this helps!0 -
i am living proof that the more you eat vegetables and fruits, and the more you drink water instead of high calorie drinks, the more you will crave the healthy stuff. just start working the good stuff into your diet. put berries on your cereal, mix peas into your mashed potatoes, add an extra slice of tomato to your sandwiches. if you like potato chips and dip, replace the chips with raw carrot chips. also, teach yourself how to cook healthy dinners for yourself. go to food.com, search for healthy meals, walk to the store if you can, buy the ingredients, and then come home and follow the instructions and cook. eat leftovers the next day. this not only helps you create and maintain your own diet, but it is an activity that keep you on your feet for about an hour each day.
as far as the sitting around with nothing to do. it's all on you to get up and go do something, you are the only one who can make these changes, and you have to be willing to be a little creative about moving your body. do whatever it takes to keep moving and stay off the couch! even if you just walk around the block ten times. if you do it every day, it will become something you crave. don't stop there... weed your yard/garden, paint a fence, go volunteer somewhere, clean your house from top to bottom, wash your car, reorganize your closet, do things that keep you moving so that you don't end up on the couch all day. there are plenty of things for ANYONE to do to keep busy if they are willing to look around themselves with a creative and critical eye.0 -
The thing with veggies is that you may have just not liked the way they've been prepared in the past. Say you've only eaten canned and find them too soggy and tasteless. Instead of buying canned, try fresh or even frozen instead and then try just cooking them until they're barely softened or saute or steam. Or if they're fresh, try eating them all raw. When I grew up, Mom always had a garden going in the summer so we'd get fresh, barely cooked or raw veggies all summer. Then in the winter we'd switch to home canned or store bought canned and I was not impressed. It's kind of like the difference between al dente pasta and over cooked limp pasta.
So, along with the suggestion to start trying different veggies and fruits to see what you might like, try cooking the veggies in different ways as well. This is the best time of year to try fresh veggies too! See if there are any farmer's markets or roadside stands in your area and check them out every week for something new and fresh.
As for the boredom eating - I totally get that, it's one of my triggers too, especially in combination with TV. The first thing is to be very conscious of the behavior, then you can start trying different avoidance techniques. Turn off the tv and go for a walk, read a book, clean something, etc. Or if there's something on you really want to watch, just stay busy during the commercials - either get up and just walk in place or even play a game on your cell phone. The 2nd part of this is to get the crap out of the house! If you want munchies, make them healthier like 100 calorie bags of popcorn (still get that mindless eating but guilt free) or have that fruit you bought to try.
Good luck and feel free to friend me0 -
Try lower-cal versions of what you love to start out with. It's not ideal for long term consumption, but it's a really good transition.
Hungry-girl.com has a lot of revamped recipes. Weight Watchers has some cookbooks for "comfort food" and "guilty pleasures" of sorts.
Find new ways of preparing a vegetable before saying you don't like it. I know that I love cooked broccoli, but I hate it raw. Same with onions. I love brussels sprouts, but only roasted, not steamed. Try new vegetables and fruits you haven't tried before, again in varying preparations.
One good thing to try is oven-roasted potato fries! Even try some oven-roasted sweet potato fries!!
OH! And go for fresh when you can. Canned vegetables are nasty!0 -
Ok so I'm here to get a little help, I need to loose a lot of weight and I really want to but I have been having a few problems so I need some advice from people who may have had the same issues, 1st I don't like many vegitable or fruits, I'd rather be eating fried meat, fries and chips! Is there a way of getting use to changing your life style from eating junk to eating healthy fruits and vegitables? 2nd in the afternoons when I'm setting around the house with nothing to do I'll snack on junk foods just because I have nothing to do......what should I do about that?
Dude, one word: Sacrifice. If you truly wanna drop some lbs, you gotta be willing to sacrifice, that's it man. Point blank.0 -
I understand. I don't like most fruits and veggies either. What I do like, I make sure I eat to get my nutritional content. For fruits, it's mainly oranges, strawberries, raspberries and apples. Veggies are even harder for me, but I can manage some of them Broccoli & Cauliflower <steamed>, beans, peppers, carrots and celery. I try to fit in a salad once a week - it's definately not a staple in my diet as I want to enjoy what I'm eating, but it is mainly lettuce, one slice tomato, green peppers and some shredded carrots. I actually found I love sweet potatoes.
I love salty foods and eat lots of popcorn (Full Circle makes a good microwave popcorn or I air pop any brand) and Special K cracker/chips to quench my cravings for them. To make it easier on yourself don't keep junk food in the house. My kids learned real fast that we won't have that stuff in the house anymore. Whenever I want to snack when I am home, I make myself drink a full glass of water and take a 15 minute walk first. If I still cave, I only allow myself 10 chips. That way the 15 min walk helps a little in the counter effect and even 10 chips are high in fat and calories. It's just empty calories (high calories, low nutrients).
Good Luck! Don't give up. You will be so happy with yourself when you see the new you in a short while!0 -
I adore fruits/veggies. I had to QUIT eating them to heal my body, shed excess lbs and get out of pain. If your waist is larger than your hips or chest measurement, then you too, have likely destroyed your body's ability to receive nourishment from your food. Forget everything you think you know about healthy eating. If the common wisdom was right MFP wouldn't be chock full of people following that paradigm and failing. Turns out for many of us, the road to weightloss starts with *well sourced* saturated fats/meats. I have lost belly fat, healed my life by eating more (healthy) bacon and eggs. A steak from a grass fed cow is my best friend and coconut oil does more for my developing six pack than situps.
Want to know more? Read The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson or friend me.
Hugs,
Starving people eating diet foods become less well nourished, not more. Feed your brain, feed your heart, feed your life!0 -
eat whatever you want, just keep the calories down
This is only valid if you only want to lose the numbers on the scale and don't want to be healtheier. This is what causes people to become what they call a "skinny fat person". The body of a slim person, the poor health of an overweight one ...0 -
Protein always fills me up! And Fiber, I can eat a bowl of beans and will feel full. I know you said you don't like veggies and fruits but I make an amazing salad that ALWAYS makes me happy. Baby spinach with strawberries, mandarin oranges, craisins a few pecans pieces and a rasberry vinagrette (doesn't take much dressing because the fruit is so sweet.) Good Luck!0
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I hae to agree with Evilbanks here. I struggled with my weight for years and had EVERY excuse in the book not to eat right or exercise. (My family owns a restaurant and I always had to "taste" things) A lot has to do with mentally where you are. If you don't really WANT it, you won't ACHIEVE it, if you don't believe in yourself, forget it. It isn't anyones job to make you do it. It's up to you. Something finally hit me and made me realize that I wanted to be that "skinny" girl I was 15 years ago, I was 125 and a size 8, in May this year I was 204 and size 16/18. (started my journey May 25, 2011) I am down lots of inches (can't remember the number) and at least 11 pounds. (I don't weigh but about once a month) My pants are now falling off, just with the little I have lost, I am down one, almost 2 pants sizes, down 1 shirt size, people tell me how good I am looking and best of all, I am proud of myself for putting in all the hard work that I never thought I could! You either really want it or you don't. It is a big decision and you have to change your mind, eating, exercising, everything! Good Luck!0
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I wanted to comment on your post concerning what to do when you are hanging out at home with nothing to do.
First - why are you at home with nothing to do???? This may be part of the problem! You need to occupy yourself.
The suggestions on cleaning, taking a walk are great. I do that as well as sometimes play Wii.
But the best get-up-out-of-temptation advice I can give you? Get out of the house. Go volunteer!
Most places love anyone who can donate 1 or more hours a week, even if its given in 30 minute time frames. What do you like to do? or what do you WANT to do?
For me - I have always wanted to learn to paint. So I volunteer about 4 hours a month (usually given once a month in one huge chunk) at my local nonprofit art center. Guess what? Here are my benefits:
1 - I am not at home (so no cookies calling hello to me!)
2 - I am not bored
3 - I may not be physically challenging myself, but I feel good about myself (and I'm still out of temptation's way)
4 - I get free painting classes once a week
5 - I have met so many great people that I can call and do other things with meaning I get to repeat #1-3 each and every time I go out - and I enjoy myself.
Find something that will get you out of your place for a bit. And something you like.
* Want to work with kids? maybe volunteer to read at a shelter a couple times a week.
* Interested in feeding the hungry? volunteer to sort canned goods at a local food bank an hour a week.
* Like animals? volunteer to walk some dogs at your local humane society or ASPCA.
* Interested in sports? volunteer to assist at local events (hand out waters at a 5k, do clean up crew at a PGA tournament -yes, they need you!, volunteer with a club such as the Lions and sell concessions at your local NFL, NHL or NBA stadium - yes, these exist!).
Pretty much anything to get you out of the house because I believe boredom = eating or at least more of a chance to sit on your duff and watch tv = no exercise!
Who says it has to be a physical exercise??? I work that into my day. I get up and have coffee and do a Denise Austin 20-minute video. Yes, just 20 minutes. And then I walk with a coworker at lunch for 30 minutes. Some days, that's it. Sometimes I do a bit more, like ride my bike after dinner for a relaxing ride (but it's movement!).
But I feel happier because I am being a "well-rounded individual" - now that is something I thought only applied to my teenager as I encouraged him to be "well-rounded" to appeal to college recruiters. Who'd have thought???
Good Luck!0
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