Struggling...

LeeBean13
LeeBean13 Posts: 2 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I've been unhappy with my weight and appearance almost my entire life. I took some time off of calorie counting and obsessing about every single thing that I put in my body because it was starting to make me crazy.
I recently got on the scale and I am weighing in at around 165 (I am 5'7", 26 years old, F). I'd like to drop ten pounds and have been thinking about that for about a week now. I know that using MFP is the best way to do it but, to be honest, I don't want to calorie count and cut my intake down to 1200 - which is MFP's recommendation for me when I put my stats in.

I guess I'm looking for anyone who has maybe faced this. I don't count calories in a healthy way - but when I'm not being honest and counting calories I eat like a crazy person. I know that I have to find the happy balance between the two but I struggle with it every day.

As anyone found other ways that help them not obsess so much about food and calories? I am unhappy weighing 165 (my clothes are a little too tight) but I don't want to fall into that toxic mindset of "oh well you can't eat that" / "oh you have to run longer and harder to eat this".

And in case you will ask - I am a fairly active person. I run 2.5 miles 4 mornings a week with my dog and the other weekday morning we do a 30 minute walk. I lift 4-5 days a week, different muscle groups, and sometimes will add an afternoon workout of cardio circuits.
But again, I do not make smart food decisions. I am a late-night binge eater to the max. I have to find ways to cope and replace my bad habits without becoming a crazy calorie counting lady.

Replies

  • kerimd2017
    kerimd2017 Posts: 8 Member
    Have you tried journaling?
    Your why you are eating at night, is it a sleep issue, not enough during the day.

    My issue was I restricted too much during the day and would eat everything, doubling my daily intake.
  • KM0692
    KM0692 Posts: 178 Member
    edited May 2017
    I would think that as active as you are, you can certainly afford to eat more than 1200 calories and still lose weight. I am a 5'6 female, 156 lbs (wanting to drop 10 like you). I know from past experience that I can lose a pound a week on 1,650 calories - and that is net calories. I walk 4-5 days a week for 40 minutes or so each time, and I eat back the burned calories. :)
  • French_Peasant
    French_Peasant Posts: 1,639 Member
    I am 5'6" and used MFP to drop from 168 to 140. I am as active as you and eat back my exercise calories, so I am generally well above 1200 calories to fuel that exercise. Have you used MFP before? Maybe you should set to just lose one lb a week, and the try tracking and adding in your exercise and see how it goes. I remember going a little nut balls at first but stuck with it, developed and entrenched good eating and exercise habits, didn't self flagellate if I messed up, and figured out what worked for satiety.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    Did you choose 2 lbs a week? With only 10 lbs to go, set your goal to half-a-pound per week. MFP also expects you to eat back your exercise cals, so do that too. I'll bet you get more than 1200 then.

    Is it possible that your unhealthy mindset in the past was centered on losing weight fast and over restricting? Focus on eating a nutritious and well balanced diet, but fit in treats and foods you love too. Sometimes the reason you eat the whole bag of chips is because you feel guilty and think you should never eat them again. But there's nothing wrong with having treats. Once I told myself I could have some chips or ice cream or cookies every day, as long as they fit my calories, I stopped needing to overeat them. It might not work for everyone, but maybe something to consider.
  • anichole2679
    anichole2679 Posts: 4 Member
    Have you ever heard of nutritional cleansing?
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    anichole2679 wrote: »
    Have you ever heard of nutritional cleansing?

    Woo
  • xelsoo
    xelsoo Posts: 194 Member
    You could try calculating your calories on https://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/, it's pretty accurate. Then manually tweak your macros on here so that they are the same. :smile:
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    Did you choose 2 lbs a week? With only 10 lbs to go, set your goal to half-a-pound per week. MFP also expects you to eat back your exercise cals, so do that too. I'll bet you get more than 1200 then.

    This all the way. Im 5'7" and at lightly active, losing 1/2 pound a week Mfp gives me 1700. And I actually find I can eat more than that and still lose. You're tall! Take advantage of that.

    Also, I typically do not add my exercise calories back. I either just eat a couple hundred extra on average if I'm generally active, or go find my TDEE (which includes exercise). This should help prevent the "earn more calories" mindset that seems to be unhealthy for you. I've also done this for years, so have a pretty good grasp on my maintenance. You're priority should be to stop the bingeing (that's mine, I don't always win-but eating enough does help.) Better to maintain at 165, and learn to slowly lose-then over restrict and binge your way to 175.
  • LeeBean13
    LeeBean13 Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks for everyone's responses. I originally did 1.5 lbs a week but changed to 1 lb and it increased my calorie count to about 1400. I used sedentary because I work a desk job and while I get a good amount of exercise in I do spend a lot of my day sitting down.
    I have actually been calorie counting off and on in some way since probably 14. I was always the chubbier sister and did not have the very best support system (ie - my family was pretty open about me being the biggest of all the girls). The lowest I've been gotten down to was 145 about 3 years ago. It felt good to get there but I did it by doing p90x and eating 1200-1300 calories a day. It was not sustainable so once I stopped p90x I put all the weight back on.
    My challenge is not so much how or what to eat but how to put myself in the proper mindset that counting calories is OK (when done in a healthy way) but also that once I get down to the weight I want learning to maintain it. I guess I've been a yo-yo dieter all my life. Weight goes up and down and up and down.
    Last summer I maintained 155 for about 3 months and was happy. Of course I still had some belly fat but my clothes fit nicer and I didn't stress out so much about my body. That's why I'd like to drop these 10 lbs and get back to 155.

    Again, thank you for all your responses.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories