Not wanting to eat until my stomach hurts/lost 10 lbs

Starting weight: 182 lbs
Current weight: 172

So I have unevenly lost ten pounds in the last three or four months. I was gradually taken off two psychiatric meds that I have been on for years that are both infamous for causing weight gain/increased hunger. I started coming off one in November, and just fully weened off the other. So it is natural that I would lose some weight. But here is the thing:

I lost like 3 pounds from November to maybe the beginning of January. From then until now, I have lost 7 pounds.

I used to have a problem with emotional eating and binging. Now, even when I feel hungry, I just don't feel like eating. Nothing seems appealing, including stuff I used to binge on. To get myself to eat, my stomach has to be hurting from lack of food. I am kicking myself for not tracking my calories, but I definitely have been eating over 1200 calories daily. Most of it isn't very nutritious. Like, pasta or peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Not horrible stuff, but I'm not eating much better than that.

Anyway, I have NEVER lost weight this quickly in my life. I have been walking a little more, like 45 minutes two or three days of the week.

Is this an unhealthy rate for weight loss? I feel like I am not losing it in a healthy way.

On the plus side, I have lost most of my cravings for sugary stuff, after having intentionally avoiding it like the plague, over the last three weeks or so. Which is awesome, because I was totally a sugar addict.

Perhaps the most important question: I want to continue to lose weight, but I really want to eat healthier, thus creating a healthy weight loss deficit. I want to eat clean but it sounds super restrictive and difficult.

How do I follow an easy, but healthy diet plan?

Thank you!

Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Eating clean does indeed sound super restrictive and difficult; there are so many definitions that it practically has no meaning. If you want to eat healthy and easy: Eat a variety of foods you like. Build your meals up with foods from several food groups. Eat something from each food group every day. Vary your intake through the day, and as much as practically possible from day to day. Portion your meals to hit your daily calorie goal. Cook more from scratch.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited February 2018
    A healthy weight loss deficit is the one you setup in MFP that is inline with how much you want to lose. You can certainly slow the rate of loss depending on hunger, how you feel, etc.

    75+ pounds = 2 pounds per week
    50-74 - 1.5 pounds per week
    25-49 - 1 pound per week
    1-24 - .5 pound per week

    You diet should be healthy but varied. Your diet should consist of the types of foods you enjoy and meets your daily nutritional needs for losing weight and support added exercise/training you may do.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    You've lost seven pounds in about seven weeks. Unless you don't have much to lose, that's a fine rate.

    Forget about eating clean, as there are dozens of definitions as to what "clean" means. Focus your diet primarily on nutrient dense foods, but if you want a treat and have room for it, don't deprive yourself.
  • rosestring
    rosestring Posts: 225 Member
    Thank you, everyone! Yeah, I started out wanting to lose 50-60 lbs, so I guess I am not losing too fast.

    And thank you for the advice on eating healthier. I tend to have an all-or-nothing perspective when it comes too food - eat whatever I want or living on carrots and water. Part of that though, is that I tend to have great difficult doing moderation.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    rosestring wrote: »
    Thank you, everyone! Yeah, I started out wanting to lose 50-60 lbs, so I guess I am not losing too fast.

    And thank you for the advice on eating healthier. I tend to have an all-or-nothing perspective when it comes too food - eat whatever I want or living on carrots and water. Part of that though, is that I tend to have great difficult doing moderation.
    This is great insight. It could also be the other way around - that your difficulty with moderation comes from your all-or-nothing thinking - "I've already blown it, might as well get this over with, and this is the last time! EAT ALL THE FOODS!!!"
  • rosestring
    rosestring Posts: 225 Member
    rosestring wrote: »
    Thank you, everyone! Yeah, I started out wanting to lose 50-60 lbs, so I guess I am not losing too fast.

    And thank you for the advice on eating healthier. I tend to have an all-or-nothing perspective when it comes too food - eat whatever I want or living on carrots and water. Part of that though, is that I tend to have great difficult doing moderation.
    This is great insight. It could also be the other way around - that your difficulty with moderation comes from your all-or-nothing thinking - "I've already blown it, might as well get this over with, and this is the last time! EAT ALL THE FOODS!!!"

    Bingo! Absolutely.