Can't seem to keep healthy eating going

mariatwilighter23
mariatwilighter23 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm a 19 year old female and a university student. At the start of the year I weighed 60 kgs now I'm down to 56 kgs, I'm hoping to be at atleast 50 or 45 by december. I have a gym membership and I go sometimes howver since the start of winter I've only gone once each month and I'm hoping to go everyday this month, I've told myself that I'm going to start eating healthy and have bought the ingridients to cook the food but I can't seem to be bothered to cook it and because of this I end up eating what's put in front of me and in my case tonight it was korean fried chicken and yesterday it was pizza (I was planning to cook fish with salad but could not be bothered when I got home). One of my biggest problems is that after eating unhealthy I feel sick and feel the urge to vomit and I would really like some advice on how get the energy to cook and generally start a healthy eating lifestyle. Please help me

Replies

  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    How tall are you?
  • Christine_2017
    Christine_2017 Posts: 60 Member
    I would focus on making it easier. I have lots of quick easy meals like a pitta filled with salad and marinaded chicken or lamb. Homemade burgers seem to hit that 'takeout craving'.

    Also try some simple fast meals perhaps? Jacket potato with beans, scrambled egg on toast, or things you can make in bulk on a lazy Sunday. Chilli, bolognaise, shepherds pie, curry? X
  • karynclarke
    karynclarke Posts: 184 Member
    The best thing I did back when I was a student was invest in a slow cooker. Throw in a cheap cut of meat, some lentils/rice/grains, veg, a can of chopped tomatoes, seasonings and enough water to cover everything. Pop it on low when I left the house and when I get home I had a really filling healthy stew ready to eat. Plenty of left over for later in the week, too.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Make sure your weight goal is healthy. Have to repeat PP: How tall are you? 45-50 kilos is at the very low end of a healthy BMI for a very short person.

    If you've only lost four kilos in the last nine months, and you have been aiming for weightloss, it's highly unlikely that you will be able to lose 6-11 kilos in 6 to 10 weeks.

    Going to the gym isn't something that happens to you. You schedule it, and you go.

    You don't have to go to the gym to exercise, and you don't have to exercise to lose weight. But moderate exercise is good for you. Going to the gym every day is probably a bit excessive.

    If you don't want to eat the food you've planned, you are not going to do so when you have available an alternative you like better.

    You don't have to eat healthy to lose weight, you just have to eat less.

    Healthy food is not the same as boring and tasteless food.

    A healthy lifestyle is not just a healthy diet, it's also a healthy relationship with food. Deeming food you like, unhealthy, and wanting to vomit after eating it, are signs that your relationship with food is unhealthy.

    Eating healthily and planning meals you want to eat, will give you energy to cook.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    For people that arrive home late (and hungry), I agree that it's better to have something that's fast and easy to put together so you won't be tempted. I also agree that you should have a realistic weight goal, exercise enough (no need to go overboard, it's counterproductive), and vomiting after eating is a sign of an ED. Rethink your position since your health depends on it.
  • Shanel0916
    Shanel0916 Posts: 586 Member
    Meal Prep
  • nicolega2001
    nicolega2001 Posts: 48 Member
    I actually eat a fair amount of fast food. I research healthy options or lower calorie options at fast food restaurants because I enjoy the convenience. I guess what I'm saying is that if you feel too tired or overwhelmed to cook, you don't have to resort to a fat bomb of a meal.

    You have to find motivation from within to exercise. No one can find it for you. It may help you to think of some short and long term goals for your health and fitness and go from there.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Maybe you just need to ease into it. Go to the gym more often than once a month but not necessarily every day. Eat smaller portions of what is put in front of you and occasionally cook fish and salad. Maybe pick a day where you will prepare several meals that can been frozen for later so you aren't faced with cooking everyday.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,158 Member
    I think it is important to know how tall you are. Your goal weight is likely an unhealthy weight unless you are 5'0" or shorter. It also concerns me that after you eat "unhealthy" you feel sick and feel the need to vomit. "Healthy" is really a relative term. Some foods have more nutrients than others, but you can lose weight eating all sorts of food. I eat fast food pretty regularly and I lost ~75 pounds. I also hate to cook and I eat a lot of convenience food. You just have to eat less of it. You are already at a very healthy weight for most women, and unless you are extremely short you might need to re-think your goals. And maybe even talk to someone about it.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    My therapist recently twigged me on to a great set of resources from the Centre for Clinical Interventions (Australia). I'd say your issue is with all or nothing thinking. I suggest this set of resources to help restore some balance to your life, so you don't feel ill after eating.

    http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_ID=52
    • You don't have to go to the gym every day. Every other day is better.
    • You don't have to eat "healthy" every day. I suggest adjusting one meal at a time until you are mostly eating healthy home made (and cheaper) food.
    • If you are tired from a long day and nothing is ready, use take-out.
    • I think busy students benefit from food prepping. If the food is ready to go you are less tempted to call out for food. You are justifiably tired after a long day!
    • Slow cookers are also good for students. They are cheap, easy, and ready for you when you get home.

    I am going to post some beginner recipes too. Try one at a time and slowly you will build up your confidence and a great set of menus.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    https://www.buzzfeed.com/emofly/foods-everyone-should-learn-to-cook?utm_term=.mnDRo2pAG#.awJaZyE4q

    https://www.pinterest.ca/janetkarasz/ramsays-top-5/

    https://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/12/basic-chili/

    https://www.budgetbytes.com/2012/10/tuna-white-bean-salad/
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Is 45 or 50kg a reasonable weight for you? Are you very short?

    As far as not being bothered to cook - sounds like meal prep on the weekends might help you out so you have food ready to go during the week when you're tired and unmotivated.
  • dmombo01
    dmombo01 Posts: 3 Member
    I know that I am not a young student, as you probably are, but I am a very busy, full-time grandmother who has been struggling with keeping on track, too. I am working with a medical weight loss team, and because of a combination of emotional issues this year (my mother died and a few weeks later I found out I had breast cancer and had to have a mastectomy), my doctor has started me out slowly. He has me focusing just on getting enough protein into my breakfast, and working with a counselor for the emotional issues. As I improve, we will add REALISTIC goals so that nothing becomes overwhelming. Having someone who believes in my ability to lose the weight, without judging me with "should's" and "shouldn'ts" is a big help. I agree with those who say that portion control and preparing meals in a crock-pot or creating freezer meals that can be microwaved, can be a huge help. If you feel like you need to snack, there are portion-sized snacks available, or you can keep some celery and carrot sticks, etc., with you. I have a weakness for ice cream. I can't seem to buy a pint without eating the whole thing. So even if it costs more, sometimes, it's better to treat yourself out. And be sure you're drinking water. Sometimes, we really just need water when we think we are hungry.
  • dmombo01
    dmombo01 Posts: 3 Member
    Also, if you have a pedometer, you might be surprised with how many miles you walk in a day, especially if your on a large campus. Those steps do contribute as exercise.
  • monokochan
    monokochan Posts: 31 Member
    Meal prep! I'm a student too and come home as late as 8 PM some days. I definitely do not feel like making something to eat, so it's easy for me to pop a frozen meal prep into the oven or microwave something I've made ahead of time. For meal prep though, it gets boring eating the same thing 5 days a week, so I usually make enough for 3 or 4 days, and give myself the luxury of buying food once during the week. If you want to eat that fried chicken, then go ahead and eat it as long as it's in moderation! I also am very busy during the weekday with assignments and homework, so I would recommend against exercising everyday as that can get stressful. Maybe try to exercise 2 days during the week (I'd recommend the weekend unless you have other responsibilities during then) and up it from there.

    Like everyone else said, your weight goals are a little concerning, so just be mindful of a healthy BMI for your age, sex, and weight.
  • sksk1026
    sksk1026 Posts: 215 Member
    Don't try to do everything at once. So start small and easy. Healthy food can be food you love, it can be frozen food from supermarkets or it could be takeout! Your fish and salad meal was probably not appetizing or easy. So look at what you currently eat and love, and check the calories and think about how you could fit it into mfp. Maybe you could eat slightly less of the pizza and add an apple? I eat the same breakfast and lunch repeatedly to make life easy. If you're eating in a canteen figure out the calories for their regular offerings. I eat 1 slow cooker dinner over 3 days. I eat takeout - an egg muffin is less than 300 calories and a sushi meal is 400 calories! I eat an apple everyday to make myself feel virtuous! Don't let rigid thinking about what you think you have to do, make you miserable. Get mapmywalk and track a 15 minute walk and then eat those extra calories. It can be easy and when It'S easy you can do it for the rest of your life.

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