returning after a long time away

nytetears · February 2017

I tried this site/app a long while ago 2011 I think it was and am now back again. I just joined a weight loss program at the YMCA and they suggested the app. I find it frustrating, like nothing is ever going to work. I do not tend to eat a lot, though I am sure I am not eating the healthiest meals. I will give a rundown of some of my problems and see if anyone else has dealt with them.

Here is my sob story LOL. I am sorry if I sound depressed. It is because I truly am I want things to work and they just don't

so to start with I have Fibromyalgia and am in pain 90% of the time normally. My doctor has me on Amphetamine Salts (Adderal) to help me stay awake during the day. (my body wants to stay up all night and sleep all day. The sleep doctor said that there was little he could do to help me turn this around and it would take many months if he could at all.)

July 31, 2016, I hurt my back to the point for months it was an effort to get out of bed. simple things like showering or even going to the restroom were damn near impossible, I needed help with everything. This pain is still here after over 30 physical therapist sessions, acupuncture, and chiropractor. I can not do grocery shopping, for the last 6 months I have either eaten out (when I could actually get out of the house), lived on Schwan's delivery or home delivery fast foods. Now with click list at Kroger, I can actually get some real food without having to walk the isles. The MRI showed arthritis, stenosis, and growths on my spine among other things nothing terribly serious other than arthritis which is bad.

Last April I think it was, I had 1/2 my thyroid removed due to a huge growth and put on thyroid medication. I had hoped that would help with the weight, it did not.

I have signed up with a wonderful lady at the local YMCA who is helping me do some Personal Training for 30 minutes once a week and I am trying when I can do another hour of easy water class once a week (it's for arthritis people). I tend to get only 3000 steps a day, 4000 is my goal and I rarely make it.

So I go to sleep at about 3 am or 4 am and wake 11-12 am. I get up and rarely eat. I might grab a 150 calory bag of chips or make some toast with just butter. Normally I only do this if my stomach is queasy which is often is. For dinner, it varies on if I can stand to cook or not. It might involve something like Jet pizza (about 700 calories) or something from Schwan's which is around the same calory count. in the evening I will have a bag of chips or some cookies about 160 calories.
Oh yes, I drink 30-60 oz of water a day and 1/2 to 1 diet sprite a day, maybe 1 or 2 coffee.

I am well under my 1310 calorie goal yet my weight does not move. I am just so frustrated with the whole thing. I can't go out and run a marathon but something has to work.

I have a trip planned for May to go to Germany for 6 days. I am so stressed out about it, I have to worry about my pain levels which there is little I can do about other than medication I don't want to have to worry about my weight too. I would be happy to be down even 10-15 pounds by then. Any help at all that anyone can suggest or if you just want to be friends and offer support lord knows I could use that too. I am not normally so depressed sounding so don't worry about that. I think typing this all out at once made me realize how pitiful my life has become.

callsitlikeiseeit · February 2017

if you are not weighing, on a food scale, everything you eat, there is no way to know how much you are eating.

weight loss happens in the kitchen. health and fitness in the gym.

open your diary and we can better help.

nytetears · February 2017

Not sure what 'open your diary' means but it would not help just now because as I said I am returning after a long time away there is nothing in it.

Edit:
Also, I was just thinking, weighing on a scale I believe pertains more to stuff you can make at home. pre-prepared food that has all the calories listed really should not need to be weighed since it is weighed at the factory

whiplashy · February 2017

I totally get where you coming from. I have ME, arthritis and neurological issues. I get that it sucks being in pain all the time. I get not being able to exercise. My step goal is 5000. It's about 7pm here and I have less than 500 today. The good news is that it's all about cico (calories in calories out). You can lose weight without exercise. I've lost over 20lbs. What really matters is sticking to your calorie goal as we don't have much room for error. Log everything that goes into your mouth. Weigh everything. The weight will shift if you keep at it. The thing that leaps out at me in your post is "about x amount of calories". About just isn't good enough. You've got to log accurately if you want results.

SolotoCEO · February 2017

While I don't have the list of ailments you do, I do know that if you eat within your calories that MFP gives you - you WILL lose weight. It's not a quick fix - it's a healthy lifestyle. My best advice - get rid of the junk food! I have used Schwan's and they have some healthy stuff that requires little prep effort. Can you lose 10-15 lbs by May? Absolutely! As long as you are honest with yourself. Step one - decide you want to be healthy and a healthy lifestyle is your focus. This doesn't mean you can't have chips or cookies - just not every day and when you do do so in moderation so it fits within your calorie limits. Step two - log everything you put in your mouth. Measure it, weigh it and record it accurately. Make sure you are recording appropriate serving sizes. Step three - gradually increase your steps - try and take 10 steps more today than you did yesterday, then take 10 steps more tomorrow than you did today.

I know this is not an easy journey. But using MFP I've lost over 150 pounds. I still have some to go, but I know this lifestyle will get me there! Best of luck to you!

nytetears · February 2017

Thanks, Whiplashy and SolotoCEO I am giving it a good try. The weight loss class I am taking is 30 minutes class and 30 minutes exercise once a week and then I have the water stuff I am doing. I am hoping this raises my calories out to be able to help with the weight loss. I have never been good with tracking food but again I am giving it my best effort to become better at it. It's not like I eat a lot so it should not be so hard to track lol

Nanook8 · February 2017

I am sorry that your life is complicated with the various physical issues, and I wish you well as you try to address them. I do think you could make better choices in your food though. The quality of the calories you are eating are starchy and salty. Fresh foods are easy and good for you too. Think fruits and salads. Apples, bananas, grapes and berries just require a gentle washing. Salads come prepared for you now in the deli isle. Sitting on the sofa or lying in bed trying doing simple leg lifts or arm rotations....anything to move burns calories. I know from experience that doing away with flour and sugar erased my joint pain from inflammation. Mixing apple cider vinegar (2 tblsp) with 8-10 water and drinking daily can help do the same. I wish you small successes along your journey!

PAV8888 · February 2017

My friend, how many chips or cookies are in 160 Cal?

Cause that would be a very small bag of baked chips (regular chips would be more than 160) or a single cookie. Not cookies.

ETA: I reread your post and see you use the tiny tiny bags of chips that are ~150Cal. So Cal count is probably correct; but amount of food remains very little.

No, the package is not a good enough guide.

The 253g weight watchers frozen dinner i had a couple of nights ago was 313g

Yes, you can eat butter and cookies and chips.

If you don't want to be hungry and want to keep to your caloric allowance.... You cannot do so very often.

Most meals I eat out are at or above 1000 Cal. For each meal. Very hard to do on a 1300 Cal allowance.

3000 steps a day IS the definition of MFPs sedentary setting so you have no leaway there.

Weigh your food. Particularly things like butter, oil, Mayo, peanut butter.

Being 200g off on tomatoes is not a big deal. Being 200g off on avocados... IS.

What strikes me is that none of the foods you chose to mention in your post are on my mental list of "foods that are satiating for the calories".

None.

Look for more filling / better bargains! Try to get at least the recommended daily allowance of protein a day.

nytetears · February 2017

Thanks

Nanook8 wrote: »

I am sorry that your life is complicated with the various physical issues, and I wish you well as you try to address them. I do think you could make better choices in your food though. The quality of the calories you are eating are starchy and salty. Fresh foods are easy and good for you too. Think fruits and salads. Apples, bananas, grapes and berries just require a gentle washing. Salads come prepared for you now in the deli isle. Sitting on the sofa or lying in bed trying doing simple leg lifts or arm rotations....anything to move burns calories. I know from experience that doing away with flour and sugar erased my joint pain from inflammation. Mixing apple cider vinegar (2 tblsp) with 8-10 water and drinking daily can help do the same. I wish you small successes along your journey!

Thanks for your suggestions, I did get some fruits and veggies yesterday so I will be using them for snacking over the chips, though I don't really like it without a dip of some kind (I am a meat and potatoes girl). I got a salad for lunch today. so guess its just going to a long slow road for me.

I appreciate the helpful suggestion, Some of the responses seem not to understand the question/problems I am asking help with.

ActionAnnieJXN · February 2017

I understand how it feels to have limited mobility and energy - I have both a form of leukemia and severe arthritic attacks, both of which are debilitating at times. But I have slowly lost 90 lbs over the course of several years, just by tracking calories and doing moderate exercise as best I can. When I am unable to get up and ride my exercise bike or walk, I do seated exercises such as the routine I've linked below. There are many of these on YouTube and they actually give you a pretty decent workout. Wishing you all the best!

https://youtu.be/azv8eJgoGLk

nytetears · February 2017

@Actionanniejxn that is an awesome idea. I actually never thought of something like this. I will have to look into it. thank you.

ActionAnnieJXN · February 2017

nytetears wrote: »

@Actionanniejxn that is an awesome idea. I actually never thought of something like this. I will have to look into it. thank you.

You are very welcome! And feel free to send me a friend request if you'd like. Germany sounds awesome - you can do it! Even if you have to take it slow, it will be worth it. We gotta make the best of the one life we have, even if it means we do nothing but sit on the veranda and smile under clear German skies. :-)

vespiquenn · February 2017

nytetears wrote: »

Not sure what 'open your diary' means but it would not help just now because as I said I am returning after a long time away there is nothing in it.

Edit:
Also, I was just thinking, weighing on a scale I believe pertains more to stuff you can make at home. pre-prepared food that has all the calories listed really should not need to be weighed since it is weighed at the factory

This is actually false. Any prepackaged food needs to be weighed. Food is allowed to be within 20% of the posted calories, often as long as it benefits the consumer. That means a meal of 700 calories can become 840 calories. Doing this throughout the day can add a few hundred calories.

For example, I always eat granola bars. Supposedly it's 42g for 190cals. Rarely do they come out of the package at 42g. Typically they're closer to 50g. So yes, you need to weigh every thing.

PAV8888 · February 2017

nytetears wrote: »

Thanks

Nanook8 wrote: »

I am sorry that your life is complicated with the various physical issues, and I wish you well as you try to address them. I do think you could make better choices in your food though. The quality of the calories you are eating are starchy and salty. Fresh foods are easy and good for you too. Think fruits and salads. Apples, bananas, grapes and berries just require a gentle washing. Salads come prepared for you now in the deli isle. Sitting on the sofa or lying in bed trying doing simple leg lifts or arm rotations....anything to move burns calories. I know from experience that doing away with flour and sugar erased my joint pain from inflammation. Mixing apple cider vinegar (2 tblsp) with 8-10 water and drinking daily can help do the same. I wish you small successes along your journey!

Thanks for your suggestions, I did get some fruits and veggies yesterday so I will be using them for snacking over the chips, though I don't really like it without a dip of some kind (I am a meat and potatoes girl). I got a salad for lunch today. so guess its just going to a long slow road for me.

I appreciate the helpful suggestion, Some of the responses seem not to understand the question/problems I am asking help with.

Lately I have been using 0% plain Greek yogurt as a substitute for a lot of things.

Salad dressing based on yogurt (with a bit of balsamic vinegar and a few spices)? Check.
Substitute for sour cream on a potato? Check.
Substitute for cream cheese on toast? Check.
Used instead of fat when making a brownie like concoction? Check.
Adds protein?
Yup.
About 100-120 Cal per 175gram?
Yup.

One large egg 50g about 72 Cal.
150g of egg whites about 72 Cal.
Add 200g of green pepper (that's about 1 whole pepper for 40 Cal) and
100g of onions (that's a lot of onion for 42 Cal and will make the dish taste "heavy", as in you're feeling full... and your totals come to:
226 Calories
21 Carb 5 fat from the yolk 24 protein (making a good dent on your daily needs) 333g sodium 4g of fiber (out of the 28 or so for the day you should be eating).

You can even make this as a frittata, or make it in muffin trays and prepare ahead on a day you're feeling good so that it is sitting there ready to eat or reheat

And nothing stops you from adding other veggies (watch the water content) or ham or other meat product or...

Just saying.

nytetears · February 2017

@PAV8888 awesome thanks I will try that

everher · February 2017

I think with such a low calorie goal you just have to be careful that you are logging everything because it's easy to go over.

For example, if you drink coffee be sure to log the creamer and sugar if you add them to it.

returning after a long time away

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