Starting by tracking food for a week...

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I'm 2 days in and am utterly astounded by how many calories I eat! No wonder I've gotten up to 230 pounds! Just today I ate almost 4000 calories without even trying, knowing I'd be tracking even! But I'm not gonna beat myself up about it. I'm glad I know now so I can change my path.

I've been watching some YouTube videos on cooking. I went shopping today and loaded up on veggies and fruit! I'm making some pickled cukes and carrots today for the first time. I baked some chicken for tomorrow. I've got plans! I enjoy cutting up veggies. And eating them. Baked cauliflower is my savior!

Anyways I'm really just looking to change my lifestyle. The one I've been following has left me depressed, obese, and isolated. I'm ready to start living again and feeling good in my own body. I'm from St. Louis so any fellow STL-ers out there who are also looking to shed pounds, maybe we can become walking or hiking buddies! I'm just looking for some suppprt. I don't have a lot of friends.

Replies

  • Momepro
    Momepro Posts: 1,509 Member
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    Good for you starting with tracking first! It makes it so much easier to find places to cut back in small steps. Remember to treat each meal as a separate opportunity, with it's own individual behaviors.

    Log EVERYTHING.
    Don't JUST weigh (with a scale is best) everything you eat, also write why you are eating it (i.e, lunchtime, hungry, kind of bored, out with friends, watching tv) and how you are feeling right before, right after and an hour after (hungry, comfortable, normal, full, very full bloated, drowsy, OMG I am so damn sick of this crap I want to throw the whole plate out a window, etc).
    This gives you a baseline pattern for your normal habits and routine. From there, it's just a matter of experimenting. Are you very full after dinner? Cut back on a few things. Does lunch leave you bloated and gassy after an hour, try less or no mayo, and see if there's something you don't mind dropping each meal (fries, or cheese, or maybe only 2 tacos instead of 3).Are you starving an hour after dinner?Maybe more fats during.
    It's amazing how quickly these small and easily sustainable changes will add up to big calorie cuts. Only cut one or two things at a time, until they become habit instead if trying to do everything at once. That way they become individual habits instead of one big "diet".

    Break things down into individual behaviors and habits. Instead of looking at this as an all at once, or all or nothing proposition, find ways to break things down into smaller and more sustainable habits. That makes it much easier to pinpoint where something is not working, and fix it, rather than staring at the whole jumbled mess of NOT WORKING. Plus, when you do backslide, you are less likely to drop everything, just one or two habits, that can then be fixed again. Otherwise, trying to everything at once, means that you are likely to leave out something important (like weighing food), and pay excessive attention to things that aren't. (Like fiber drinks and vinegar)
    Don't demonize foods that don't actually make you feel bad. Obviously if you have food sensitivities avoid those things, but don't cut out all your favorite goodies because they are not "healthy". Think of your calories as a type of currency. You should purchase the nutrient rich stuff first, budget for regular treats, and don't waste any calories on stuff you hate, even if it is theoretically good for you.
  • stacey_marie_08
    stacey_marie_08 Posts: 27 Member
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    I like the idea of tracking why you ate and how you feel after. Might help in pinpointing my emotional eating. No foods are demonized in my eyes! I haven't been restricting, albeit my intermittent fasting attempt (which ultimately lead to a month long binge) but I've just picked up some bad habits! Definitely taking small steps. It's a journey, not a race! I appreciate the suggestions, thank you!
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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    Sounds like you just need to half your servings.