Help w/ long term diet.

Sexedee10 · August 2016

Hi all I've been dieting since January 1st like most people start their resolution. I have lost about 55 pounds so far and I need to lose another 30. Unfortunately I fell off the diet bandwagon for about 2 months I didn't gain very much but now I'm trying to lose again and it seems impossible. I'll eat healthy for like 2 days and then all of a sudden I benched I can't get myself back on track and I haven't been to the gym in quite a while. I just got back on my gym membership but the food thing is hard for me. Does anyone have any quick fixes or detoxes or anything that will help me? I've been trying to do low-carb high-protein. I eat eggs and protein shakes and cheese and tuna chicken meat. I only eat complex carbs like wheat bread something like nuts. I really want to lose this last 30 pounds and it's hard now that I've lost so much. It just seems to be falling off so slow. Very devastating to my self-esteem please help. Also please feel free to add me as a friend I can use the support. I live in Myrtle Beach if anyone's interested.

OhMsDiva · August 2016

What I would suggest to you and what is working for me is to not diet. I have been steadily losing since March of last year. For me, this is not a diet. It is the way I choose to live my life, in order to be healthier. I do not feel the need to binge because I eat well and I eat regular food. I don't eat fast food much, but I do allow myself to have foods that may be considered off limits on a diet. No, I did not lose 100 lbs in 6 months, but I have lost 150 lbs by modifying how much and what I eat and by incorporating exercise into my daily routine. For me, the most important thing is to change my mindset.
It takes work, commitment and dedication, but it can be done.

queenliz99 · August 2016

You could set your calories to maintenance and eat this amount for awhile. Sounds like you need a mental break.

TeaBea · August 2016

Baby steps. Find one or two goals you can meet consistently and then build on that.

I was sick of New Year's resolutions that never worked out. So one year I made it a point to eat 2 servings of veggies everyday. That made me swap out chips & fries quite often.

Bonny132 · August 2016

To the OP, it seems you are eating low carbs high protein but not high fat? If you are reducing your carbs you need to up your proteins and the good fats, or it will leave you starving. Fat and protein will keep you full. A quick fix is never a good thing, this is not a sprint but a marathon. You need to find a way to eat you can stick with for the rest of your life. For many this is LCHF for others it is pure CICO. If you want to continue doing LCHF I recommend you to join one of the forums on MFP for advice and support.

RelevantGains · August 2016

Eating complex carbs, keeping fiber high, whole wheats, and other stuff that people consider "healthy" (I hate the word "healthy" because it doesn't really mean anything) is all well and good, but the focus needs to be calorie intake. I can eat all the whole wheat buns I want, but if I go over my calories, I'm going to gain weight.

That's not to say you don't need to eat those kinds of foods. They're great for general, overall health, and also helps to keep you feeling full. But if you eat 5000 calories of lard or 5000 calories of fruit and veggies, you're going to gain the same amount of weight either way.

P.S. Please don't eat 5000 calories worth of lard

auddii · August 2016

Some tips that help me keep on track (YMMV):

I cook large quantities of meals that freeze well, portion them out, then freeze so that I always have a quick go to when I don't feel like cooking.
I try to limit my meals out so that I have more control over what I'm eating.
When I do go out, I plan ahead and look at the menu.
I set a reasonable calorie deficit and do a fair amount of cardio. This gives me a daily calorie goal that is more manageable.
I prelog my days so that if someone at work brings in a snack, I know if it will fit or if I can swap out a different snack to allow it into my day.
I know I eat more on the weekends, so I eat a little lower during to week to compensate for the higher days on the weekends.
I found eating habits that work to keep me feeling full throughout the day (I prefer skipping breakfast and then several smaller meals and snacks, saving most of my calories for the evening).
I don't consider foods off limits and instead try to incorporate smaller/single portions into my day or week.
I don't keep foods I have problems regulating myself around in the house; the temptation is too great.
I treat every day as a new day. A binge last night is no excuse to eat poorly today.

upoffthemat · August 2016

It is going to come off more slowly the closer you get to goal. Try not to let it bother you and just keep working on making changes that are things you can do for the rest of your life. Losing a half a pound to a pound a week should be a great goal for you right now. Then you can actually focus on creating a lifestyle you can live with once you hit your goal weight.
I may be wrong, but your post kind of sounds like you just want to get to goal so you can be done with watching what you eat... and that won't work, you will gain the weight back. Quick fixes and detoxes are fool's gold.

kshama2001 · August 2016

Sexedee10 wrote: »

Hi all I've been dieting since January 1st like most people start their resolution. I have lost about 55 pounds so far and I need to lose another 30. Unfortunately I fell off the diet bandwagon for about 2 months I didn't gain very much but now I'm trying to lose again and it seems impossible. I'll eat healthy for like 2 days and then all of a sudden I benched I can't get myself back on track and I haven't been to the gym in quite a while. I just got back on my gym membership but the food thing is hard for me. Does anyone have any quick fixes or detoxes or anything that will help me? I've been trying to do low-carb high-protein. I eat eggs and protein shakes and cheese and tuna chicken meat. I only eat complex carbs like wheat bread something like nuts. I really want to lose this last 30 pounds and it's hard now that I've lost so much. It just seems to be falling off so slow. Very devastating to my self-esteem please help. Also please feel free to add me as a friend I can use the support. I live in Myrtle Beach if anyone's interested.

While low carb is helpful for some, it's not necessary to lose weight. You could try increasing your fats - I almost always see LCHF (low carb high fat). Or perhaps low carb is just not a good plan for you.

What are your current macros? (% carbs, fat, protein.)

45% carbs, 30% fat, and 25% protein is my sweet spot.

carriels7 · August 2016

I'm in Little River, just north of Myrtle Beach. I get your frustration, however, 55 pounds since January is amazing. A pat on the back for you!!! Try not to stress about it, and eat as healthy as possible, which means lots of wonderful vegetables and fruits along with your protein. I tried a high protein and very low carb way and it does not work for me at all. I tend to lose very slowly anyway - it's taken me about 4 months to lose just 15, but I know these 15 will be gone forever as I am not dieting - I am choosing to eat healthy most of the time and this is a way of life, not a diet. I am actually quitting the gym and am walking more - working to 10000 steps a day and doing body weight training at home. We are fortunate in coastal SC to have good weather most of the time, so just walking is great. Combine with some strength training and you should be good to go.

kommodevaran · August 2016

The less you have to lose, the slower it will come off. There are no quick fixes or detoxes that work, only dedication, patience and consistency. If I could suggest something, it would be to ditch the diet bandwagon mentality. Instead of trying to adhere to (quite frankly) arbitrary, difficult, unnecessary, useless eating rules - just hit your calorie goal and eat whatever you want. If satiety or boredom is an issue, aim to get in a variety of nutrient dense foods. If binging is an issue, don't buy the foods you binge on, and instead plan your meals to include your favorite foods. If portion control is an issue, prelog in your diary, serve yourself what you have logged, and don't go back for seconds. You don't have to exercise if you don't want to. Maybe walking or biking is more your thing?

Sexedee10 · August 2016

Guys I want to thank all of us for your input. And please feel free to friend me if u like. It's hard not to have the "diet" mentality and I know it's bad but I weigh myself every morning... it's not about the scale or what I eat but how much I eat.... I did good with counting calories in the beginning and I just stopped one day.... not sure y?!?!? I'm going to start counting again and I'm going to try to weigh in only once a week starting tomorrow! Anyone know how to calculate what's good macros for me... I tried to Google it but it'd too confusing any help would be appreciated!

cmriverside · August 2016

Just use the MFP default macros. They are good general guidelines. I just make sure to always #1. Get enough protein and fat. Protein and fat is a minimum you want to reach or exceed. That makes carbs fall into line naturally.

The defaults are set based on what works. If you are not going to be a marathon runner or a competitive athlete, they will work for you. Heck they work even for those people, because more exercise leads to larger amounts of food and the macros adjust accordingly.

Keep it simple.

cmriverside · August 2016

I mean, if you are going to use this tool, use it the way it is designed to be used. I usually go over in fats, and that results in being under on carbs. It works fine. I stopped trying to be a perfect eater a long time ago. I do tend to naturally eat more fat and less carbs, though. That hasn't always been the case for me. I started weight loss as a carb junky. It took me a while to learn to eat enough protein and to relax about the fat.

I used to fiddle with the settings, but I've been maintaining my 70ish pound weight loss for nine years - so I don't sweat the small stuff any more. Protein and vegetables are my main focus.

kommodevaran · August 2016

It's confusing because lots of people make money from that confusion. Just stick to the basics (but I admit it can be difficult to discern what the basics are, in the confusion): Count calories, consistently, and hit your calorie goal, consistently. That is what creates weight loss. Certain macro splits may make it easier for you to stick to your calorie goal, so macro split can make a difference, but that's only because sticking to calorie goal is what matters for weight loss.

No method is bad if it works for you. You can weigh yourself every day if you want to.

gothchiq · August 2016

Make sure you have a decent food scale (15 bucks on Amazon) and weigh all solid foods that you eat to make sure that you truly do know how many calories you are getting. Liquids can be measured with cups and spoons... olive oil and such. If you do need more healthy fats in your diet, try adding small amounts of olive oil on your veggies. Homemade vinaigrette on salads, a tsp of olive oil plus salt, pepper, and herbs on cooked veggies, and so forth.

daniip_la · August 2016

If you can't stick to low carb, why not try eating all food groups while counting calories?

I lost weight quickly while I did keto, but couldn't stick with it after 6 months. So now I eat all food groups while counting calories, and am losing weight again.

Help w/ long term diet.

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