Things that are holding me back from loosing weight and what to do?
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[1] Don't buy the chips. Don't even walk down that aisle-There is nothing in that aisle that isn't high-calorie density. Eat before you go shopping - that will help prevent impulse snack purchases. If you are in charge of all the food that comes into the house, then it is a lot easier to keep to your calories (as in it gets a lot harder if your boyfriend brings home boxes of croissants). Or buy 1 small single-serve bag if your calories allow (this might require buying your junk food at a quickie mart/bodega instead of the supermarket). It is a lot easier to have self-control for a 30-minute grocery run then it will be in the hours you are home.
My grocery store is truly evil. They moved the chips to the same aisle as the greek yogurt. The puffy cheetos are directly across from my Fage. Evil, evil store.4 -
Make one small change and stick with it. Don't try and change everything at once. Stop buying chips but continue to bake. Or - go to the gym and walk on the treadmill for 15 minutes. Trust me - there are all types who go to the gym but everyone is focused on themselves and that is it. Nobody cares about anyone else at a gym. Don't sacrifice your own goals because a stranger might look at you.1
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Maybe save your baking for friends for holidays (Thanksgiving, for example), and find a new, non-food related hobby to express your artistic abilities. You could do some crafting, art... If you want to move more (if your foot lets you), take up an active hobby like tai chi or yoga, both of which don't tend to mess with PF much. Use your gym membership. It's likely no one is going to think anything about you at all, but if they do, good or bad, who cares?
As far as the potato-chip urge, you are completely in control of your shopping decisions if you choose to be. Don't even go down that aisle. Budget less money for food, if necessary (and spend it on some exercise classes). If you need to be really extreme, meal plan your week and get your food delivered to avoid impulse buys until the craving has dissipated some.
I think excuses are good to get out of your system before making a plan. You've done that now: time to make a plan and stick to it.2 -
Completely know how you feel as for years I'd make any excuse possible! Don't let it get you down though, the more you think about how you make excuses or 'fail' the harder it gets!
As some others have said, there are healthier things you can bake! And maybe you could cut the 'treats' baking down to once/twice a week? This way you will get your fix, still feel successful in your diet/weightloss AND have something to look forward to! ☺️
Regarding not going to the gym - don't bother! I would never have lost any weight if I relied on the gym as I'm super insecure about how my body looks in my workout gear.
I have found 'Fitness Blender' workouts on YouTube amazing, they're totally free, have water breaks built into many, have a range of workouts to suit different abilities and needs. Check them out and get on it at home!
This app has also become an integral part of my daily routine - log EVERYTHING. It gives you a real sense of achievement and motivation.
I will add you, always here for motivation and positive thinking (and recipe sharing1 -
KWlosingit wrote: »
[1] Don't buy the chips. Don't even walk down that aisle-There is nothing in that aisle that isn't high-calorie density. Eat before you go shopping - that will help prevent impulse snack purchases. If you are in charge of all the food that comes into the house, then it is a lot easier to keep to your calories (as in it gets a lot harder if your boyfriend brings home boxes of croissants). Or buy 1 small single-serve bag if your calories allow (this might require buying your junk food at a quickie mart/bodega instead of the supermarket). It is a lot easier to have self-control for a 30-minute grocery run then it will be in the hours you are home.
My grocery store is truly evil. They moved the chips to the same aisle as the greek yogurt. The puffy cheetos are directly across from my Fage. Evil, evil store.
Mine puts the cookie dough across from the yogurt. ;(1 -
my husband suffered from plantar fascitis. He still managed to lose 30 lbs this year. He did a lot of biking on the recumbent bike. He also did a couple PT sessions, learned lot of stretching and strengthening of his leg muscles which reduced the fascitis. And he made sure to wear really good shoes.
Stop baking treats. Its okay, people will still love you for you.
You dont need chips and once you stop eating them for a while, the desire will go away. In the meantime, can you do peapod or a grocery delivery if you have problems at the store?2 -
Sleep apnea is a possibility if you always feel tired. This is something that you should discuss with your doctor. Sleep apnea is very common in overweight individuals, and can cause death, since you stop breathing in your sleep.
And take a break from baking if you can't stop eating it.2 -
There was a woman in our old neighbourhood who used to love to bake and share her baking. Her husband was morbidly obese and running into serious health problems. As she dropped off her baked goods to her next door neighbours (who thanked and complimented her because it's the polite thing to do, but didn't want all the temptation in their house either, but were too nice to say so), she'd complain that her husband just had to learn to say no to treats more often.
Don't be that woman.8 -
All_Exits_Lead_Within wrote: »Thank you to everyone who has replied. This question isn't a unique question for me, I know many people on MFP are struggling and looking for motivation. I think seeing a doctor about the fatigue is a good idea. I have what my doctor calls "borderline hypothyroidism" so they won't do anything to treat me until/unless it gets there, but he said it can make people tired. I do think seeing a doctor and getting some of those other tests done might be a good idea. I will sleep 8.5 hours and still feel like I can't stand up or stay awake.
And no, I'm not new to fitness. I used to be in good shape (7 years ago) and I could squat 180 pounds, now I can't even squat the bar without feeling like I'll faint, I also used to be able to run for long periods of time without getting winded. Hopefully this might inspire someone who is smaller than me but is still out of shape to not allow themselves to get to this point. The more weight you gain, the harder it is to do something about it.
Mmm. I just noticed this and I'm sure most of you don't care, but I meant to write losing, not loosing. No idea how I let that happen.
You may want to find a new doctor. Or get a referral to an endocrinologist. Find out what your TSH is and if doc ran any other thyroid tests (Free T3 and Free T4). Many doctors (GPs, especially) are still using outdated numbers to determine hypothyroid. Which yours may be doing.
Bottom line: you have a doctor who knows you're feeling the side effects of a medical condition but he doesn't want to do anything about yet. How severe does it have to get? How bad do you need to feel before he thinks it's a problem? That's a lack of regard for your well-being and a lack of respect for you as a human being. It's like saying, well, you have stage 1 cancer, but let's wait until stage 2 before we start treatment. #smh2 -
Ugh! I just poured my heart into a response for you and lost it. To summarize, do something different. If you stay in your comfort zone, you STAY in your comfort zone.3
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Ugh! I just poured my heart into a response for you and lost it. To summarize, do something different. If you stay in your comfort zone, you STAY in your comfort zone.
Happens to me a lot. It truly is the thought that counts. Having people who care about me as a stranger is already given me some motivation that I need.
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All_Exits_Lead_Within wrote: »Thank you to everyone who has replied. This question isn't a unique question for me, I know many people on MFP are struggling and looking for motivation. I think seeing a doctor about the fatigue is a good idea. I have what my doctor calls "borderline hypothyroidism" so they won't do anything to treat me until/unless it gets there, but he said it can make people tired. I do think seeing a doctor and getting some of those other tests done might be a good idea. I will sleep 8.5 hours and still feel like I can't stand up or stay awake.
And no, I'm not new to fitness. I used to be in good shape (7 years ago) and I could squat 180 pounds, now I can't even squat the bar without feeling like I'll faint, I also used to be able to run for long periods of time without getting winded. Hopefully this might inspire someone who is smaller than me but is still out of shape to not allow themselves to get to this point. The more weight you gain, the harder it is to do something about it.
Mmm. I just noticed this and I'm sure most of you don't care, but I meant to write losing, not loosing. No idea how I let that happen.
You may want to find a new doctor. Or get a referral to an endocrinologist. Find out what your TSH is and if doc ran any other thyroid tests (Free T3 and Free T4). Many doctors (GPs, especially) are still using outdated numbers to determine hypothyroid. Which yours may be doing.
Bottom line: you have a doctor who knows you're feeling the side effects of a medical condition but he doesn't want to do anything about yet. How severe does it have to get? How bad do you need to feel before he thinks it's a problem? That's a lack of regard for your well-being and a lack of respect for you as a human being. It's like saying, well, you have stage 1 cancer, but let's wait until stage 2 before we start treatment. #smh
Ain't that the truth! I switched doctors this morning and getting my blood work done tomorrow. Crossing fingers that if there is something to find, they find it.
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alwaysbloated wrote: »Could you have sleep apnea? I think I have it, I got tested for it a few days ago. It can happen when you have a wide neck and breathing at night becomes a problem. I may be getting hooked up to a breathing machine to help my sleep, and give me more energy during the day.
If you like baking, maybe you could consider a new source for recipes? I have been making stuff from chocolatecoveredkatie.com and she has great suggestions for desserts, often using vegetables and coconut oil. I made fudge last week, tonight I made brownies made out of black beans and later in the week, I'm going to make icecream out of bananas. It's all vegan as well, if that interests you. You don't have to give up the treats, you just have to retrain your tastebuds, so the sources of your treats are healthier.
I stopped eating potato chips regularly about two years ago. I don't enjoy them as much anymore. I actually find them quite boring. Rice crackers are a different story... you crave what you eat often. I think they have about a 1/4 of the calories as potato chips. Rice cakes are probably even better. And pickles are good too. I also liked the suggestion about popcorn- I add coconut oil and salt to mine, and it's divine!
Fiance pointed this out recently - he said I have been snoring loudly in the past 3 months. After just looking into it, I think this might be highly probable.2 -
RavenLibra wrote: »Replace the time you are sitting in front of the tv eating chips with exercise... new to fitness? Start with low impact cardio... stationary bike will probably be best with the plantar fasciitis... start with 10 minutes... keep the rpms above 80... 3x/week... get a gym rep to give you an orientation on the lifting machines... after 6 weeks on the bike increase the time to 20 minutes and up the resistance. Fuel your workout... so you can complete it. Ie eat the calories you expect to burn before you begin your workout... increase your protein intake... it will help you from binging... drink plenty of water... remove "I can't " from your vocabulary. Your life is by your design. Own it... and learn to forgive yourself... become the person you want to love.
Walk one hour each day0 -
VintageFeline wrote: »alwaysbloated wrote: »Could you have sleep apnea? I think I have it, I got tested for it a few days ago. It can happen when you have a wide neck and breathing at night becomes a problem. I may be getting hooked up to a breathing machine to help my sleep, and give me more energy during the day.
If you like baking, maybe you could consider a new source for recipes? I have been making stuff from chocolatecoveredkatie.com and she has great suggestions for desserts, often using vegetables and coconut oil. I made fudge last week, tonight I made brownies made out of black beans and later in the week, I'm going to make icecream out of bananas. It's all vegan as well, if that interests you. You don't have to give up the treats, you just have to retrain your tastebuds, so the sources of your treats are healthier.
I stopped eating potato chips regularly about two years ago. I don't enjoy them as much anymore. I actually find them quite boring. Rice crackers are a different story... you crave what you eat often. I think they have about a 1/4 of the calories as potato chips. Rice cakes are probably even better. And pickles are good too. I also liked the suggestion about popcorn- I add coconut oil and salt to mine, and it's divine!
The switch to coconut oil is to make the recipe vegan, it contains the same calories, fat is fat in that respect. And often the banana ice cream can become calorie dense depending on what you add though it does have more micros. Depends what you want from your treat, a treat for a treats' sake or something to help you hit your macros too. I have been curious about black bean brownies though!
I've tried the banana ice cream thing...the banana flavor overwhelms me..turns me off.
Milk ice banana cinnamon
Maybe too ripe?
Any ideas to fix the flavor?1 -
kshama2001 wrote: »If you always feel tired then maybe worth going to your GP and having a blood test done? Check for ferritin, vitamin B12, folate and vitamin D, and a thyroid panel at least. There might be an underlying reason. Don't just take vitamins before you had any test done as those can hide real deficiencies but might be too low dosed to be of any help. Thus if you're taking anything with B12 in it a blood test might hide a deficiency for at least 4 months.
Also think of what you do with your free time. Maybe cooking and baking for other people is too much for you and you really need a bit more time to do nothing at all. Is your bedroom perfect for you? Noise levels, light, uncomfy pillows? Also look at those things.
OP, do get tested for these deficiencies. When my anemia is untreated I have crippling fatigue.
However, not eating enough protein while eating a lot of baked goods, and not getting enough exercise, makes me fatigued as well.
Same feelings..anemia...iron is making upset stomach1 -
I've never stepped foot inside a gym. I jog around my neighborhood, buy weights and do them while watching TV. You don't necessarily need to cut out the foods you enjoy eating, just control your portions. I eat everything and anything I want, but I fast for 23 hours. Check out OMAD Revolution group. It's great! Alot of people who have lost tremendous amount of weight thru OMAD.1
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goldengirl111 wrote: »VintageFeline wrote: »alwaysbloated wrote: »Could you have sleep apnea? I think I have it, I got tested for it a few days ago. It can happen when you have a wide neck and breathing at night becomes a problem. I may be getting hooked up to a breathing machine to help my sleep, and give me more energy during the day.
If you like baking, maybe you could consider a new source for recipes? I have been making stuff from chocolatecoveredkatie.com and she has great suggestions for desserts, often using vegetables and coconut oil. I made fudge last week, tonight I made brownies made out of black beans and later in the week, I'm going to make icecream out of bananas. It's all vegan as well, if that interests you. You don't have to give up the treats, you just have to retrain your tastebuds, so the sources of your treats are healthier.
I stopped eating potato chips regularly about two years ago. I don't enjoy them as much anymore. I actually find them quite boring. Rice crackers are a different story... you crave what you eat often. I think they have about a 1/4 of the calories as potato chips. Rice cakes are probably even better. And pickles are good too. I also liked the suggestion about popcorn- I add coconut oil and salt to mine, and it's divine!
The switch to coconut oil is to make the recipe vegan, it contains the same calories, fat is fat in that respect. And often the banana ice cream can become calorie dense depending on what you add though it does have more micros. Depends what you want from your treat, a treat for a treats' sake or something to help you hit your macros too. I have been curious about black bean brownies though!
I've tried the banana ice cream thing...the banana flavor overwhelms me..turns me off.
Milk ice banana cinnamon
Maybe too ripe?
Any ideas to fix the flavor?
If you can find it, try mamey fruit instead of banana - it tastes like pumpkin pie and makes delicious ice cream. Here it's available at the Mexican market. I blend 100g mamey fruit plus ice and 3 oz unsweetened almond milk, add cinnamon.1 -
This worked for me. Give yourself permission to be tired. It's OK. Give yourself permission to be uncomfortable. That's OK too! Say it out loud, "I'm tired today, and uncomfortable today, and that is how I am!"
Then give yourself permission to eat right, and exercise even when you are tired and uncomfortable. Realize that you will feel much better being thin, tired, and uncomfortable, than being fat, tired, and uncomfortable. You might then find that when you achieve your weight goal, you don't feel so tired and uncomfortable anymore!4 -
What do you do when you eat all the chips? Do you log it? Or do you only log when you feel you're eating well?
Logging everything, absolutely everything, whether I'm eating well or badly, sticking to my goals or blowing them up, even the most extreme binges, is what makes the difference for me. Eating a whole family sized bag of snacks is not a victimless crime. It has consequences. Some of us need to see and feel those consequences, by logging it honestly, before we start to want to change things.2 -
Gretchen Rubin is an author who has a great book about habits called "Better than Before". It's a great easy read with some simple ideas for forming new habits. She also discusses the difference between abstainers and moderators. Some people can't have just a little bit of treat foods, alcohol, etc. or they'll go off the rails (abstainer). Others need to have some to deter them from going off the rails. I found that info so helpful to determine what I need to do to be successful. I put some habits strategies in place and that has helped me a lot with success in losing and sticking with it.3
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The thing that gets me about the "abstainer" Vs "moderator" thing is that it's so black and white, like "you ARE one of these two kinds of people".
There are shades of grey. So many shades. Some people might just have one or two foods they find it useful to avoid but can have anything else. Others might start out abstaining from some things and find that they can moderate them later. Still others might only be able to progress in the beginning by saying "I can have anything" but later find there are some things that just aren't worth the fight.
The real point is, from a pure weight loss point of view, you can eat any food you like. It's a crucial message, because the ovewhelming message churned out by the woo mills is that abstinence from certain foods is obligatory to lose weight, and that message is just wrong and counterproductive.
Abstaining is just a tool that can be used selectively to help you stick to your goals. It's no kind of obligation. It's a choice.
Sorry, I just always get annoyed by anything that boils down to "there are two kinds of people in the world...".8 -
CattOfTheGarage wrote: »The thing that gets me about the "abstainer" Vs "moderator" thing is that it's so black and white, like "you ARE one of these two kinds of people".
There are shades of grey. So many shades. Some people might just have one or two foods they find it useful to avoid but can have anything else. Others might start out abstaining from some things and find that they can moderate them later. Still others might only be able to progress in the beginning by saying "I can have anything" but later find there are some things that just aren't worth the fight.
The real point is, from a pure weight loss point of view, you can eat any food you like. It's a crucial message, because the ovewhelming message churned out by the woo mills is that abstinence from certain foods is obligatory to lose weight, and that message is just wrong and counterproductive.
Abstaining is just a tool that can be used selectively to help you stick to your goals. It's no kind of obligation. It's a choice.
Sorry, I just always get annoyed by anything that boils down to "there are two kinds of people in the world...".
I completely agree. That's why I try to never classifying people into categories and instead advocate "whatever makes dieting easier" as a solution because it includes extreme abstainers, free for all kind of people, and anything in between.4 -
Tons of awesome replies and info here! I wanted to add that hot drinks like coffee or hot tea curb my hunger for a while. Just don't mix in loads of heavy calorie creams and sugars. I use a low calorie fat free creamer or skim milk and Splenda when I want to sweeten coffee or hot green tea. I did like many suggested and purchased a treadmill from Craigslist, found beginner's yoga on YouTube and ditched an unused gym membership. Every day is a learning process with foods, exercise, and most of all my own self image. You are making strides already towards the right direction, just keep taking the right steps and every day make new ones, add in more choices that are good for you.3
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CattOfTheGarage wrote: »The thing that gets me about the "abstainer" Vs "moderator" thing is that it's so black and white, like "you ARE one of these two kinds of people".
There are shades of grey. So many shades. Some people might just have one or two foods they find it useful to avoid but can have anything else. Others might start out abstaining from some things and find that they can moderate them later. Still others might only be able to progress in the beginning by saying "I can have anything" but later find there are some things that just aren't worth the fight.
The real point is, from a pure weight loss point of view, you can eat any food you like. It's a crucial message, because the ovewhelming message churned out by the woo mills is that abstinence from certain foods is obligatory to lose weight, and that message is just wrong and counterproductive.
Abstaining is just a tool that can be used selectively to help you stick to your goals. It's no kind of obligation. It's a choice.
Sorry, I just always get annoyed by anything that boils down to "there are two kinds of people in the world...".
I agree with you. I have to limit my alcohol to max. 2 drinks/week (better in just one night) or it becomes a free for all but I do better with a little bit of chocolate everyday vs. abstaining and then having the slippery slope of "I'll have one..." that leads to 2, 3, 10, haha! With CICO, I do think you can eat whatever you want, as long as there's a deficit but the parameters around that will look different for everyone. The OP sounds like she struggles with chips in the house. Abstaining or switching to a different crunchy/salty snack might be a great strategy to get her back on track with losing.
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I agree, keeping the crunchy bags of deliciousness out of reach for a while might be a good idea, OP. Don't tell yourself you can never have them. Just not right now while you're getting started!1
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Thank you for all of your wonderful and caring replies.
I'm getting blood work done in the morning for folate, iron and B12. I've done some internet searching and think that the excess carbs I eat could be causing me to feel extra sluggish AND creating a kind of brain fog that is preventing me from focusing on what I need to do. I've cut down my bread consumption to once a day, brown rice from 1/2 cup to a 1/4 of a cup, completely eliminating refined sugars from my diet and slowly reducing my intake in coffee so that I am eventually coffee free (I'm a coffee addict).
I suspect this is going to be really hard, but I'm committing myself to 14 days of this to see if I fee any better. I'll be sure to come back and let you all know how it goes.0 -
Hey Ali. I have found that I was extremely TIRED even a few months ago at the beginning of this journey. There are a few things that helped:
1. Find a physical therapist (my doc prescribed my n it's completely covered in most states) and find one that will do table work on you and also will teach you floor excercises. It's super easy and you mostly just lay there but the difference in how I feel in terms of jus dull pain and tiredness is significant.
2. F*uck yen gym. I have a love hate relationship with it. BUT I love walking outside for an hournloosing track listening to podcasts or music on my phone or even taking calls with my earbuds in just chatting w friends. Time FLIES when you're chatting with people.
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When you're REALLY SERIOUS about doing it, then it won't be as difficult. Right now it just sounds like you desire it, but won't commit to it.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Also. My mom is morbidly obsess n is an amazing cook. She lives to cook and she doesn't eat how you think an obese person would. But all that stuff sneaks in and before you know it she always has something in her mouth. I think it soothes her. and I get that. I used to be addicted to fried foods BAD and then I had to go cold turkey. Now if I get chips they taste weird or oily. Switching to quality corn chips was also a compromise. Best kind is xochtil white corn. Again- it's just to taper yourself off. And for me buying little packets of junk food treats only less to me binging down the road.1
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