New to weight loss, looking for tips

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djeanettep
djeanettep Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I really am fed up with being over weight. I have hypothyroidism and like food. I have tried counting calories before but have quickly given up. Why have I given up? Because I get hungry and end up eating more calories then I burn. What are the best foods to keep you full with out being high in calories? Do you have any recipes that you love? Any encouragement/suggestions would be welcome.

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  • aettinger448
    aettinger448 Posts: 44 Member
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    Learn to cook. I thought I hated white meat of any kind and veggies. Turns out I actually really like them! Invest in an iron skillet and learn how to use it.
  • vnb_208
    vnb_208 Posts: 1,359 Member
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    Maybe this time try for a less aggressive approach set mfp to .5-1lb loss which will you allow you to eat more. If you dont have one already invest in a food scale. First few weeks of eating at deficit are usually the hardest stick to it be patient & good luck ;) feel free to add me.
  • Poisonedpawn78
    Poisonedpawn78 Posts: 1,145 Member
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    Find not just the motivation within you, but the DETERMINATION to stick with it until your goals.
    Celebrate every small victory, no matter how silly you think it is.
    Find some recipes that you think you might like and modify them not only to your taste but to your goals. (switch the type of pasta, make the sauces yourself ect)

    One of the things I would do was overeat on Chinese/Japanese take out food when i was around it. So i learned how to make the dishes I liked and modified them to be calorie friendly. (sesame chicken, orange chicken, Sweet and sour Pork, teriyaki beef)

    DO NOT cut out the foods you love, learn to have them in moderation as painful as it might be. That way you can still enjoy food while maintaining to your goals.

    PRE Log your food, this not only helps you figure out what to make within your goals but to also portion it and stick with that amount.

    Its not about being perfect, its about being consistent.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    djeanettep wrote: »
    I really am fed up with being over weight. I have hypothyroidism and like food. I have tried counting calories before but have quickly given up. Why have I given up? Because I get hungry and end up eating more calories then I burn. What are the best foods to keep you full with out being high in calories? Do you have any recipes that you love? Any encouragement/suggestions would be welcome.

    Protein, fiber and/or fat are satiating. BUT, it's different combinations for everyone. You will need to experiment a bit. Make sure your calories aren't too low, that will also help.

    Don't give up. You will have good days and bad. As long as the good days outnumber the bad, you will make progress.

    Baby steps. You don't need radical changes. Wear a pedometer, walk more. Eat more veggies, they are low calorie high fiber. Allow for treats, but manage portions. Look for things you can change for a life time so you will keep the weight off.
  • dmkoenig
    dmkoenig Posts: 299 Member
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    The infamous Definition of Insanity (continuing to do the same thing and expecting different results) is something to consider. I got the sense from your choice of words ("fed up") you are at that point where considering a radical departure from your current eating habits (i.e. not baby steps) is exactly the thing to consider.

    These are the things that I would recommend:

    1. Get informed. Nutritional Science has made a lot of advances in recent times. Make sure these are reliable information sources. My fave is Nutritionfacts.org. Dr. Michael Greger regularly posts 3-5 minute videos on nearly every nutritional subject out there. He has a strong bias towards vegan-oriented diets but regardless a lot of insightful data to consider. Since you have hypothyroidism that's another dynamic you have to learn about.
    2. Beware of diets or supplements that say they give you fast results. Chances are it's either bogus or unhealthy.
    3. Approach this as a lifestyle change, not simply a weight loss quest. A lot of people on this site will tell you just to count calories because a calorie is a calorie. The body is far more complex than that and will respond to good nutrition in a way that will leave you satisfied and will move the scale in the right direction.
    4. Learn to cook. Stay away from fast food, including prepared food as much as possible. Even restaurant food is made to taste good, but often at the expense of high calories or sodium.
    5. Practice patience. Look at this as a journey, not as a short term fix. I'm a firm believer in setting short term goals to keep focus but don't beat yourself up. Learn from what works, what "rewards" you need and tap into that "fed up" mindset to keep you on the straight and narrow as much as possible.

    Best of luck!
  • Beebee353
    Beebee353 Posts: 1 Member
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    Cauliflower is really low calorie, filling, and basically tasteless, so roast it and season it however you want and pretend it's something else. Like, craving French Fries? Roast and salt cauliflower. Orange chicken? Dip steamed cauliflower in orange sauce.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    I would suggest a radical change in approach and attitude.

    Being fed up with being overweight can help you start, but it won't help you continue. Losing weight is a slow process, and keeping it off takes the rest of your life. You have to be fed up with what's causing the overweight - overeating.

    Liking food is not the same as overeating. Food is just as good, if not better, in appropriate amounts.

    If you truly get hungry while trying to lose weight, chances are that you are eating too little. You have to eat less, but not too little. Set up your account to lose the closest equivalent of 1% of your bodyweight per week. Then eat a balanced diet and hit your calorie goal every day. Any hunger you feel doing this, is normal, good, and to be expected.

    So don't look around for low calorie foods and foods to keep you full. Look for foods you can compose balanced and tasty meals with. Any recipe will probably do. I like so many different meals and I don't know what you like, so it's impossible to recommend any particular recipes. I think it's better if you browse through some cookbooks or recipe sites and find something you like/want to try. If you need help finding or using a particular recipe, go to the Recipe subforum.
  • VeggieBarbells
    VeggieBarbells Posts: 175 Member
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    aettinger448 wrote: »
    Learn to cook. I thought I hated white meat of any kind and veggies. Turns out I actually really like them! Invest in an iron skillet and learn how to use it.

    Cooking your own meals, is the best way to drop weight @aettinger448 is on point.
  • ziggy2006
    ziggy2006 Posts: 255 Member
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    Unfortunately, there is no easy answer. We are all different, with different needs and preferences.

    I am a volume eater who loves vegetables. I do best by limiting the caloric density of the foods I eat so that I can have large portions. I do best by making some meals automatic (cereal every day for breakfast, salad every day for lunch) and am happy to trade off the variety for the routine. And, yes, there is some variety in that I buy different types of cereal sometimes and add different ingredients to my salads, but the basic formula is there so that I don't have to think too much about those meals.

    My husband does better managing his weight by limiting his carbs. He doesn't mind having smaller portions and gets full focusing on protein and fat with some vegetables. He likes lots of variety and can't stand having routine meals.

    We've both experimented with the other's way of eating, but it just doesn't work for either of us. Living with someone who has found a way of eating to manage his weight that is so different to my own has opened my eyes to how individual this process is and there really isn't one true way that works for everyone. The only thing that matters is discovering what works for you.
  • newlark01
    newlark01 Posts: 474 Member
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    Like others it is very individual - I really struggle with being hungry so am aiming for a slower rate of loss and trying to eat lots of protein to fill me up. I'm eating mostly the sort of food I normally eat but am weighing and trying to make the portions slightly smaller (bulked out with veg/salad) and I'm planning in snacks including a small bag of weighed out dried fruit and dark chocolate covered dried fruit to last the day which I have a few bits of when I feel the need.

    I hope you find what works for you - try making a plan for a week and review at the end, thinking about what you enjoyed, what you found hard, how you might change/improve it?
  • nourhanehab7
    nourhanehab7 Posts: 125 Member
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    Love fitness and make it your lifestyle to get results .
    cook your fav foods in healthy way or just control portion.
    eat veggies and fruits
    drink water
    Find workout you really enjoy and stick with it ( zumba for example)
    Read aloooooooooot about fitness and healthy foods
    It is all MENTAL .
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    K.I.S.S.
    Keep It Simple Stupid. (No personal insult intended)
    Not more aggressive than 1 pound per week.
    Properly set Macro with a priority being a) adequate protein b) adequate fats c)the rest carbs.
    Eat whole nutritionally dense foods and weight measure and log accurately.
    Take a break about every 10 to 12 weeks for about 10 days. Mental health and hormone reset and all.
    Every day doesn't have to be perfect. Just make the week come out OK.
    Don't expect linear results. Some weeks will be seem better than others. But if you are sticking to game plan, it all works out in the end.

    PS: Eat for weight. Workout for fitness. Don't mix the 2 up in your mind. You don't exercise to lose weight, although it does help with the calorie burns.

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