Goal Weight 220
Options
nickele_d
Posts: 18 Member
So Last year I set out to be 220 by this Christmas from 325. I am 324 lbs, so to say I epicly failed is a start. But I wasnèt putting an effort into it as much so as I could have. I let myself get excited about things but put no real effort into changing.
Something that is interesting is that it is easier for me to not eat than it is for me to eat only specific things. I have in the past gone without eat for up to 14 days but I canèt go as long eating only what I should. This is coupled with lack of motivation for getting and staying active.
I have a fitbit and have for a few years now. I used to walk 30,000 steps a day, I hurt my back last October and that significantly changed how much I could walk, but my back is getting steadily better and I am still so lazy. I know that what you eat has more of an effect on your body than exercise, but I feel like I am failing in all areas of my health recovery.
I look outside and it is snowing, my least favorite season is upon me and I have no defence against it. I am thinking about buying a bike machine, because this way I wont have to go outside and I have always enjoyed the bike machine in past attempts to go to the gym. I can buy one pretty cheap and I have this idea in my head that if I even go on it once a day for like a half hour Ièd be doing great. But part of me wonders if it will just take up space and collect dust.
Is anyone on here as big as me or has been as big as me and lost significant weight (plans to) who can share your experience?
No offense but if you have been skinny your whole life, I am not asking for your help. You may have a great fit program and healthy living experience, but you have no idea what it is like to be my size or how hard it is to change it around. I am only interested in those with serious healthy plans. Also I do not intend to get surgery done for gastric bypass or Liposuction so please do not share such stories as they are not helpful to me.
Thanks.
Something that is interesting is that it is easier for me to not eat than it is for me to eat only specific things. I have in the past gone without eat for up to 14 days but I canèt go as long eating only what I should. This is coupled with lack of motivation for getting and staying active.
I have a fitbit and have for a few years now. I used to walk 30,000 steps a day, I hurt my back last October and that significantly changed how much I could walk, but my back is getting steadily better and I am still so lazy. I know that what you eat has more of an effect on your body than exercise, but I feel like I am failing in all areas of my health recovery.
I look outside and it is snowing, my least favorite season is upon me and I have no defence against it. I am thinking about buying a bike machine, because this way I wont have to go outside and I have always enjoyed the bike machine in past attempts to go to the gym. I can buy one pretty cheap and I have this idea in my head that if I even go on it once a day for like a half hour Ièd be doing great. But part of me wonders if it will just take up space and collect dust.
Is anyone on here as big as me or has been as big as me and lost significant weight (plans to) who can share your experience?
No offense but if you have been skinny your whole life, I am not asking for your help. You may have a great fit program and healthy living experience, but you have no idea what it is like to be my size or how hard it is to change it around. I am only interested in those with serious healthy plans. Also I do not intend to get surgery done for gastric bypass or Liposuction so please do not share such stories as they are not helpful to me.
Thanks.
1
Replies
-
Well, it's time to ask the obvious question: How many calories are you eating a day, and how are you measuring and tracking that?
Judge me all you want, but unless you're putting the work into controlling your calorie intake, yes you *are* failing at this.3 -
I let myself get excited about things but put no real effort into changing.
And that's why most diets fail. People get pumped up and motivated, find a diet plan that promises rapid weight loss (paleo, keto, weight watchers, slimming world, detox drinks, etc). And as soon as their motivation fizzles and they start craving all the foods they gave up - usually a couple weeks later - they're back to square one.
1. You do not need a restrictive diet plan. You can continue eating the exact same foods you enjoy, just in smaller portions.
2. You do not need a gym membership or even ANY exercise to lose weight. You can sit on your butt all day and lose weight, it all comes down to calories.
3. Let me repeat, it all comes down to calories.
So my advice? Buy yourself a digital food scale. Start logging every bite and drink that goes into your mouth on MFP. Reduce your calories below your TDEE - but not so much that you're constantly ravenous and end up bingeing. Set a reasonable deficit that you can stick to - and stick to it.
You'll probably find that if you're used to eating lots of junk food, when you keep eating only junk food at a calorie deficit, you're gonna be hungry. That's where small diet changes come in. Find foods that actually keep you full. For some, that might be foods high in protein like chicken breast. For others, that might be high-volume, low-calorie foods like salads, air-popped popcorn, fresh fruit and veggies. It takes some experimenting. But start slow!
Good luck. Weight loss is simple - not easy, but simple. No need to overcomplicate.
8 -
I don't use the bike anymore, but both my husband and I used an indoor bike for years and liked it very much.
This is the kind we bought. You might use it. You might not. But it's fairly priced and you can sell it if you don't use it.
https://www.amazon.com/Exerpeutic-Folding-Magnetic-Upright-Pulse/dp/B007595TKU/ref=sr_1_4?s=exercise-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1513094216&sr=1-4&keywords=stationary+bike
There are many people who have started out as big as you - do a search in the success stories for some inspiration!
There may even be a group of people exactly your size in the 'groups' section - check there for great support.
To lose weight you need a calorie deficit. That's it. You don't need to eat only specific foods or eat at specific times. Plug your numbers into MFP. Log your food. Eat the number of clories a day MFP tells you to eat. Eat chips, eat salmon, eat whatever you want, but stay in the calories. You will, over time, probably end up eating food that is more nourishing and filling. Like how if you're on a budget, you find the deals - if you are on a food budget you will find the food deals and you will find yourself eating those foods that are more satiating. But you can, at any time, eat any type of food you want - as long as you are in your calories for the day.
Eat at a calorie deficit for three weeks. Log and weigh everything and log accurately. You will lose weight.
Not eating for 14 days?!? Dont' do that to yourself! It's punishing, not sustainable, and you don't need to do it (it's also a bad idea)
Just plug your numbers into MFP, log all of your food honestly, consistently and eat that number of calories.
At 324, you can safely lose up to 1% of your body weight a week, but most people lose about 1 lb a week.
You don't even have to exercise yet if you don't want to.
Just eat the amount MFP tells you to eat. Thaat's it.
good luck!
3 -
If you believe losing weight is about depriving yourself, I can see why you don't put in any effort. Don't fool yourself into thinking that just being excited about "finally losing weight", will make you lose weight. I'm very interested in what you mean by "eating only what I should"; but I'll cut to the chase and reveal that you can eat anything you like, but not too much. You also have to not try to eat too little - not eating would make you lose weight, but don't attempt long fasts as a dieting method. Eat what MFP tells you, every day. When you're overweight, it takes discipline both to not eat too much, and to eat enough. This is where you need to channel your mental energy, for the months and years to come.
Exercise is fine, but don't hurt yourself. If you don't really feel like exercising for the moment, focus on food intake first. Exercise can't contribute anywhere near what getting your eating in line, can, anyway.1 -
So Last year I set out to be 220 by this Christmas from 325. I am 324 lbs, so to say I epicly failed is a start. But I wasnèt putting an effort into it as much so as I could have. I let myself get excited about things but put no real effort into changing.
Something that is interesting is that it is easier for me to not eat than it is for me to eat only specific things. I have in the past gone without eat for up to 14 days but I canèt go as long eating only what I should. This is coupled with lack of motivation for getting and staying active.[/s]
I have a fitbit and have for a few years now. I used to walk 30,000 steps a day, I hurt my back last October and that significantly changed how much I could walk, but my back is getting steadily better and I am still so lazy. I know that what you eat has more of an effect on your body than exercise, but I feel like I am failing in all areas of my health recovery.
I look outside and it is snowing, my least favorite season is upon me and I have no defence against it. I am thinking about buying a bike machine, because this way I wont have to go outside and I have always enjoyed the bike machine in past attempts to go to the gym. I can buy one pretty cheap and I have this idea in my head that if I even go on it once a day for like a half hour Ièd be doing great. But part of me wonders if it will just take up space and collect dust.
Is anyone on here as big as me or has been as big as me and lost significant weight (plans to) who can share your experience?
No offense but if you have been skinny your whole life, I am not asking for your help. You may have a great fit program and healthy living experience, but you have no idea what it is like to be my size or how hard it is to change it around. I am only interested in those with serious healthy plans. Also I do not intend to get surgery done for gastric bypass or Liposuction so please do not share such stories as they are not helpful to me.
Thanks.
Wait, you let yourself go without food for 14 days and no one has called that out?2 -
-
JodehFoster wrote: »
whether its a habit or not. it should never be done
Nor even discussed.
We need food.3 -
I was not as big but at one time 300. I stared MFP at 277 and down to 230 now. All you have to do is set your goals and stick to them. The pounds will melt away.... You just have to keep focused on why you signed up and stay the course and eat whatever you want as long as you do not go over your set limit. It really is as simple as that!! You CAN DO IT...1
-
JodehFoster wrote: »
whether its a habit or not. it should never be done
Nor even discussed.
We need food.
I don't think it was being discussed until you brought it up. Humans are perfectly capable of going extended periods of time without food for any number of reasons. Clearly 14 days didn't kill the OP and his post didn't say he was thinking about losing weight that way, so it really seems off topic to call it out.
OP, I am 100% with @toxikon here - start by logging your current diet, then start reducing calories in whatever way makes sense to you. Remember that any change you make will need to be sustained long-term, both to lose weight and then to maintain your loss, so don't torture yourself. If cutting out most liquid calories is sustainable for you, go for it! But if you crave that sweet, sweet soda, maybe cut somewhere else first, or just cut down a little bit at a time. There are hundreds of ways to lose weight, but ultimately it just comes down to eating less than you use. You can do this!4 -
i understand..it can be draining making choices and planning meals. It takes the joy out of eating and turns it into homework and a chore. Especially when it is a drastic food plan totally alien to how you usually eat.
All i can do is share what i plan on doing. i've looked at how i normally eat.. and i"m deciding to switch the foods that are adding too many calories with acceptable swaps that i won't mind too much. I'm going to do that..then commit to exercising and moving more in a reasonable way.. like 15 or 20 minutes a day.
for example.. i use cream in my coffee every day.. i think i can live with switching to almond milk. i also drink kefir everyday for probiotics.. i'm going to start taking probiotic supplements instead. Those two swaps will save me 250 - 300 calories a day. Also.. i think i can give up cheeseburgers for grilled chicken sandwiches..and use a tasty mustard instead of mayo. so on and so forth..
but i'm done with food deprivation plans.. no more eliminating certain foods and only eating during a certain time window. it just feeds food issues.1 -
whether its a habit or not. it should never be done
Nor even discussed.
We need food.
No kidding.
He's a new guy here for help, providing full disclosure of the past. With that said, being here for help also means perhaps he didn't know the dangers of doing so. Explain the dangers if he is implying continuing rather than asking why it hasn't been "called out". You brought it up, you are discussing it.0 -
Honestly I see you making a few excuses as to why you've not done it.
You need to input your stats here and find out what your calorie goal is
Then spend a week or two weighing and accurately logging everything you eat so you can see how many calories you've been eating then identify tweaks you can make to get to the calorie goal mfp has set you
It doesn't need to be an all or nothing approach
You don't need to exercise for weight loss, exercise is for improving fitness levels.
I hate winter with a passion so I have a treadmill and rowing machine at home along with a few fitness programs on DVD
I started out at 387lb, I'm down over 150lb so far
Right I'm off to get eat my carefully weighed ice cream4 -
I have found the opposite to be true - planning my meals lets me be excited about them before, during and after. The predictability reassures me. I love to be able to choose whatever it is I want the most. I enjoy composing balanced and varied meals and spend way too much time just looking at my menu, daydreaming. I'm eating very differently to how I've eaten before, and very similar. I eat the same things, mostly, but in other amounts, contexts and frequencies. Letting myself eat what I like, has lead to a major improvement of my diet; trying to follow rigid rules only made me eat unbalanced - restricted, and too much, and my relationship with food is a lot better - food is a gift, not a struggle.elisa123gal wrote: »i understand..it can be draining making choices and planning meals. It takes the joy out of eating and turns it into homework and a chore. Especially when it is a drastic food plan totally alien to how you usually eat.
All i can do is share what i plan on doing. i've looked at how i normally eat.. and i"m deciding to switch the foods that are adding too many calories with acceptable swaps that i won't mind too much. I'm going to do that..then commit to exercising and moving more in a reasonable way.. like 15 or 20 minutes a day.
for example.. i use cream in my coffee every day.. i think i can live with switching to almond milk. i also drink kefir everyday for probiotics.. i'm going to start taking probiotic supplements instead. Those two swaps will save me 250 - 300 calories a day. Also.. i think i can give up cheeseburgers for grilled chicken sandwiches..and use a tasty mustard instead of mayo. so on and so forth..
but i'm done with food deprivation plans.. no more eliminating certain foods and only eating during a certain time window. it just feeds food issues.2 -
kommodevaran wrote: »
I have found the opposite to be true - planning my meals lets me be excited about them before, during and after. The predictability reassures me. I love to be able to choose whatever it is I want the most. I enjoy composing balanced and varied meals and spend way too much time just looking at my menu, daydreaming. I'm eating very differently to how I've eaten before, and very similar. I eat the same things, mostly, but in other amounts, contexts and frequencies. Letting myself eat what I like, has lead to a major improvement of my diet; trying to follow rigid rules only made me eat unbalanced - restricted, and too much, and my relationship with food is a lot better - food is a gift, not a struggle.elisa123gal wrote: »i understand..it can be draining making choices and planning meals. It takes the joy out of eating and turns it into homework and a chore. Especially when it is a drastic food plan totally alien to how you usually eat.
All i can do is share what i plan on doing. i've looked at how i normally eat.. and i"m deciding to switch the foods that are adding too many calories with acceptable swaps that i won't mind too much. I'm going to do that..then commit to exercising and moving more in a reasonable way.. like 15 or 20 minutes a day.
for example.. i use cream in my coffee every day.. i think i can live with switching to almond milk. i also drink kefir everyday for probiotics.. i'm going to start taking probiotic supplements instead. Those two swaps will save me 250 - 300 calories a day. Also.. i think i can give up cheeseburgers for grilled chicken sandwiches..and use a tasty mustard instead of mayo. so on and so forth..
but i'm done with food deprivation plans.. no more eliminating certain foods and only eating during a certain time window. it just feeds food issues.
Wow, you could be describing me here! Making my menu is one of my favorite parts of the week. I love planning the week of food and thinking about different combinations. I also find that knowing what I am planning to eat heightens my anticipation of upcoming meals.
I find that planning ahead allows me to make gentler corrections. Instead of suddenly realizing that I am eating something in a quantity that may be imbalanced or that I'm not getting enough of something that I need to have, I can see it coming in advance and adjust those days to rebalance.
I know it isn't for everyone, but I think it's something many people may find worth *trying* to see if it works for them.2 -
It's not easy but you have to do this the right way for you. Unfortunately that also means in a healthy fashion if you want it to stick. I started at 364.4 this time around. So far I'm on track to lose about 30 pounds this year. I wish is was more but I'm making changes slowly so I can sustain them long term. First I got a food scale, it was about $20.00 (USA) and the first 2 weeks I weighed and tracked everything I ate regardless of what it was and how much to get a baseline. I was eating 3000+ calories easy. Once I saw what I was eating regularly it was easier to make small changes. Especially less fried foods and high calorie sauces like alfredo. I drink coffee, I love coffee with sugar but I don't like no sugar sweetener so over the last few weeks I've been cutting down the sugar in my coffee by 1/2 teaspoon a week. I started at 6 teaspoons per 20 mug. I'm down to 4 teaspoons and it still taste just as sweet and it's saving me 32 calories a day. It's not much day to day but long term for a year it's over 11,000 calories. According to MFP I'm supposed to eat about 2080 to lose 1.5 pounds a week. I try to stay around this. I don't beat myself up over indulgences though. I have a terrible sweet tooth so each night I have a serving, not the whole container, of something I want; usually Ice Cream or Hershey Kisses.
Fitness is a big part of my life also, I work out on average 1.5 hours a day doing classes at my local gym as well as at home fitness on my treadmill or stationary bike.
You can do this if you put your mind to it. I takes work and sometimes a thousand practice attempts to find the right way for you. You know that you didn't put in effort last time so maybe this time you work on a small change every month. Do you drink Soda? How much? Can you give it up or cut down a cup/can/bottle a day/week? Or look at your diet and see if you can make a different small change that will work for you. The important thing is to not deprive your body of food or yourself of something you love just less of it.
Add me as a friend if you would like. I know what it's like to not have a lot of support at "home" my husband was a terrible supporter for a long time. He's getting better with time. If you have any questions about my journey let me know.
Starting Weight 364.4
Current Weight 336
Small Goal 330 (I take it 10 pounds at a time to not feel overwhelmed)
Large Goal Weight 182.2 (once I get there I'll reevaluate but I thought half my SW was a good large goal)3 -
janejellyroll wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »
I have found the opposite to be true - planning my meals lets me be excited about them before, during and after. The predictability reassures me. I love to be able to choose whatever it is I want the most. I enjoy composing balanced and varied meals and spend way too much time just looking at my menu, daydreaming. I'm eating very differently to how I've eaten before, and very similar. I eat the same things, mostly, but in other amounts, contexts and frequencies. Letting myself eat what I like, has lead to a major improvement of my diet; trying to follow rigid rules only made me eat unbalanced - restricted, and too much, and my relationship with food is a lot better - food is a gift, not a struggle.elisa123gal wrote: »i understand..it can be draining making choices and planning meals. It takes the joy out of eating and turns it into homework and a chore. Especially when it is a drastic food plan totally alien to how you usually eat.
All i can do is share what i plan on doing. i've looked at how i normally eat.. and i"m deciding to switch the foods that are adding too many calories with acceptable swaps that i won't mind too much. I'm going to do that..then commit to exercising and moving more in a reasonable way.. like 15 or 20 minutes a day.
for example.. i use cream in my coffee every day.. i think i can live with switching to almond milk. i also drink kefir everyday for probiotics.. i'm going to start taking probiotic supplements instead. Those two swaps will save me 250 - 300 calories a day. Also.. i think i can give up cheeseburgers for grilled chicken sandwiches..and use a tasty mustard instead of mayo. so on and so forth..
but i'm done with food deprivation plans.. no more eliminating certain foods and only eating during a certain time window. it just feeds food issues.
Wow, you could be describing me here! Making my menu is one of my favorite parts of the week. I love planning the week of food and thinking about different combinations. I also find that knowing what I am planning to eat heightens my anticipation of upcoming meals.
I find that planning ahead allows me to make gentler corrections. Instead of suddenly realizing that I am eating something in a quantity that may be imbalanced or that I'm not getting enough of something that I need to have, I can see it coming in advance and adjust those days to rebalance.
I know it isn't for everyone, but I think it's something many people may find worth *trying* to see if it works for them.
I agree that planning ahead doesn't have to be stressful. I don't meal plan in the sense that I decide on Sunday what I'm going to eat for the rest of the week, but I have given myself permission to reduce a lot of the diversity in my diet. That's not to say that I don't strive for a balanced diet overall, but that what I eat doesn't vary much from one day to the next. I keep a drawer full of pre-chopped cheese, meat, veggies, fruit, nuts, crackers, etc for lunches, I eat almost the same thing for breakfast and snacks every days, and although my husband makes dinner usually 3-4 times a week so there is some diversity there, when he doesn't cook I often just go back to the same couple of standbys, or the same thing I eat for lunch. To be honest, I find it fairly relaxing not to have to think about what I'm going to eat much of the time, and it makes me appreciate going out to eat as more of a special occasion.0 -
MegaMooseEsq wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »
I have found the opposite to be true - planning my meals lets me be excited about them before, during and after. The predictability reassures me. I love to be able to choose whatever it is I want the most. I enjoy composing balanced and varied meals and spend way too much time just looking at my menu, daydreaming. I'm eating very differently to how I've eaten before, and very similar. I eat the same things, mostly, but in other amounts, contexts and frequencies. Letting myself eat what I like, has lead to a major improvement of my diet; trying to follow rigid rules only made me eat unbalanced - restricted, and too much, and my relationship with food is a lot better - food is a gift, not a struggle.elisa123gal wrote: »i understand..it can be draining making choices and planning meals. It takes the joy out of eating and turns it into homework and a chore. Especially when it is a drastic food plan totally alien to how you usually eat.
All i can do is share what i plan on doing. i've looked at how i normally eat.. and i"m deciding to switch the foods that are adding too many calories with acceptable swaps that i won't mind too much. I'm going to do that..then commit to exercising and moving more in a reasonable way.. like 15 or 20 minutes a day.
for example.. i use cream in my coffee every day.. i think i can live with switching to almond milk. i also drink kefir everyday for probiotics.. i'm going to start taking probiotic supplements instead. Those two swaps will save me 250 - 300 calories a day. Also.. i think i can give up cheeseburgers for grilled chicken sandwiches..and use a tasty mustard instead of mayo. so on and so forth..
but i'm done with food deprivation plans.. no more eliminating certain foods and only eating during a certain time window. it just feeds food issues.
Wow, you could be describing me here! Making my menu is one of my favorite parts of the week. I love planning the week of food and thinking about different combinations. I also find that knowing what I am planning to eat heightens my anticipation of upcoming meals.
I find that planning ahead allows me to make gentler corrections. Instead of suddenly realizing that I am eating something in a quantity that may be imbalanced or that I'm not getting enough of something that I need to have, I can see it coming in advance and adjust those days to rebalance.
I know it isn't for everyone, but I think it's something many people may find worth *trying* to see if it works for them.
I agree that planning ahead doesn't have to be stressful. I don't meal plan in the sense that I decide on Sunday what I'm going to eat for the rest of the week, but I have given myself permission to reduce a lot of the diversity in my diet. That's not to say that I don't strive for a balanced diet overall, but that what I eat doesn't vary much from one day to the next. I keep a drawer full of pre-chopped cheese, meat, veggies, fruit, nuts, crackers, etc for lunches, I eat almost the same thing for breakfast and snacks every days, and although my husband makes dinner usually 3-4 times a week so there is some diversity there, when he doesn't cook I often just go back to the same couple of standbys, or the same thing I eat for lunch. To be honest, I find it fairly relaxing not to have to think about what I'm going to eat much of the time, and it makes me appreciate going out to eat as more of a special occasion.
One of the things I love about these forums is seeing what works for other people. While I personally wouldn't enjoy your approach, I know it works really well for some people and is actually easier and more relaxing than trying to incorporate variety.
Another great reason for newer members to try different approaches, keep track of how they feel and their results, and do what works for them!2 -
hi. I started at 272 pounds. I got to 170 but sadly gained some back so around 200 now. I am struggling with diet now. I enjoy working out. I do well with eating then screw up. So I keep trying. Important part is I am not giving up. Either should you. Hang in there.1
-
I started at 281 and am currently 175. In the beginning I didn't try to exercise at all. I got a food scale and started weighing everything that I ate and made some cuts from there.
Then I started taking my dogs on short walks every night. Then after losing 80 lbs my goals shifted and I decided I wanted to start exercising more so I did. But that was a long time after I had gotten my eating dialed in.
I LOVE meal planning. I plan my meals for the entire coming week on Saturday and cook them on Sunday and then I'm done. I love playing with my lunch and snacks to get the "most bang for my buck" so to speak. I like to find the foods I can eat a lot of and still be within my calorie goals. I'm definitely a volume eater so for me to be satisfied I have learned to pack my meals with tons and tons of veggies.
I haven't cut anything out of my diet. I still eat junk and cookies and cake and ice cream but I weigh and log it all before I eat it so I can be aware of what that does to my overall calorie budget.
The biggest thing for me was that I had to want it and I had to be dedicated to it. At first it was easy because I was motivated but no one is motivated to do something 100% of the time. But I made a Commitment to myself to become more healthy and I keep that commitment to myself even on days I don't feel like it.2 -
janejellyroll wrote: »MegaMooseEsq wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »
I have found the opposite to be true - planning my meals lets me be excited about them before, during and after. The predictability reassures me. I love to be able to choose whatever it is I want the most. I enjoy composing balanced and varied meals and spend way too much time just looking at my menu, daydreaming. I'm eating very differently to how I've eaten before, and very similar. I eat the same things, mostly, but in other amounts, contexts and frequencies. Letting myself eat what I like, has lead to a major improvement of my diet; trying to follow rigid rules only made me eat unbalanced - restricted, and too much, and my relationship with food is a lot better - food is a gift, not a struggle.elisa123gal wrote: »i understand..it can be draining making choices and planning meals. It takes the joy out of eating and turns it into homework and a chore. Especially when it is a drastic food plan totally alien to how you usually eat.
All i can do is share what i plan on doing. i've looked at how i normally eat.. and i"m deciding to switch the foods that are adding too many calories with acceptable swaps that i won't mind too much. I'm going to do that..then commit to exercising and moving more in a reasonable way.. like 15 or 20 minutes a day.
for example.. i use cream in my coffee every day.. i think i can live with switching to almond milk. i also drink kefir everyday for probiotics.. i'm going to start taking probiotic supplements instead. Those two swaps will save me 250 - 300 calories a day. Also.. i think i can give up cheeseburgers for grilled chicken sandwiches..and use a tasty mustard instead of mayo. so on and so forth..
but i'm done with food deprivation plans.. no more eliminating certain foods and only eating during a certain time window. it just feeds food issues.
Wow, you could be describing me here! Making my menu is one of my favorite parts of the week. I love planning the week of food and thinking about different combinations. I also find that knowing what I am planning to eat heightens my anticipation of upcoming meals.
I find that planning ahead allows me to make gentler corrections. Instead of suddenly realizing that I am eating something in a quantity that may be imbalanced or that I'm not getting enough of something that I need to have, I can see it coming in advance and adjust those days to rebalance.
I know it isn't for everyone, but I think it's something many people may find worth *trying* to see if it works for them.
I agree that planning ahead doesn't have to be stressful. I don't meal plan in the sense that I decide on Sunday what I'm going to eat for the rest of the week, but I have given myself permission to reduce a lot of the diversity in my diet. That's not to say that I don't strive for a balanced diet overall, but that what I eat doesn't vary much from one day to the next. I keep a drawer full of pre-chopped cheese, meat, veggies, fruit, nuts, crackers, etc for lunches, I eat almost the same thing for breakfast and snacks every days, and although my husband makes dinner usually 3-4 times a week so there is some diversity there, when he doesn't cook I often just go back to the same couple of standbys, or the same thing I eat for lunch. To be honest, I find it fairly relaxing not to have to think about what I'm going to eat much of the time, and it makes me appreciate going out to eat as more of a special occasion.
One of the things I love about these forums is seeing what works for other people. While I personally wouldn't enjoy your approach, I know it works really well for some people and is actually easier and more relaxing than trying to incorporate variety.
Another great reason for newer members to try different approaches, keep track of how they feel and their results, and do what works for them!
Yeah, figuring out what works for you is really key, and I've benefited a lot from hearing about different approaches. Ultimately, I think keeping changes gradual and minimal has helped me a lot. I've always been that person who gets the same thing (almost) every time they go to a particular restaurant, although believe me, that doesn't mean I don't love food! For some reason I thought I'd get sick of what I was eating if I took that approach further, but it turns out I really only care about variety in one meal a day (or less), which makes tracking so much easier. I don't know why I cared so much what other people thought about my eating habits (or why people feel the need to comment on other people's eating habits, for that matter).2
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.7K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 395 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.3K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 959 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions