Feel like diets won't ever work

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  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    What is your current BMI, and how much weight are you trying to lose?
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    xbowhunter wrote: »
    A good start is eliminating what I call garbage food. Processed foods are the work of mad scientist trying to fatten up North America... :)

    What was a huge help for me is eliminating bread & pasta. These 2 foods make me want more & I was eating them in excess & over my daily calorie limit. Since I can't control myself eating them I stopped cold Turkey. Best thing I ever did...........
    I'm curious, have you always had trouble limiting bread and pasta?
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
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    <shaking my head at some of these along with the others>

    +1 to weighing and logging your food ("healthy" and "unhealthy") for a while (whether you opt to stay under a calorie goal or not for the time being).. You may find that the excess calories are not coming from where you think they are, and like many people, will be schooled quite quickly about what is actually considered 1 portion (most people are ridiculously bad at eyeing what is listed as 1 portion). Some foods may be best to not keep around regularly (you may find the calories excessive compared to what you would consider a satisfying portion size, or it could be something you always crave more of), while others that you've banished in the past may not be bad in these respects. It'll help you figure out what you find satisfying for the calories.
  • jadamuriel76
    jadamuriel76 Posts: 58 Member
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    Eat less and move more. Maybe learning some new low or no impact chair exercises would help. Making better food choices will lead to better health overall even if you’re not seeing the scale move right away. Log everything you eat and all exercise each day. Most of all don’t give up on meeting your goals.
  • banana2girl
    banana2girl Posts: 15 Member
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    Or try seated cardio -- just don't move that knee in ways you're not supposed to.
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
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    As has been said, healthy eating doesn’t guarantee weight loss. Everybody has different definitions of healthy eating. I have friends who think going to Olive Garden and having the all you can eat salad is healthy. Hellloooooo - there’s NO PROTEIN in that salad at all. I asked them, “And how long after lunch are you STARVING....about 45 minutes. I wonder why that is....

    I remember after logging my foods for 8 months, my husband finally started logging too. He said, “OMG - here I thought I was eating relatively healthy, and I was SO NOT!” Even on different weight loss shows, they’d take the contestants to the store to help them learn how to read the labels - and nobody realized just how much fat is in regular salad dressing. One person said, “So - after putting on all that dressing and all the other stuff (cheese), I could have just gotten the cheeseburger I wanted in the first place and been better off...”. Yup.

    My bariatric nutritionist once told me to focus on the protein’s and the fats/carbs would take care of themselves. I’ve found that to be relatively true. Choose my protein - then decide if I want bread or bun or fries or baked potato, and something greenish. It usually works out pretty well.

    If I go to a buffet, I love it - my first plate, I go fill up with veggies. Then I go get something(s) protein. IF there’s room left, I can have something I want like maybe a roll or a few bites of something sweet.
  • VUA21
    VUA21 Posts: 2,072 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    xbowhunter wrote: »
    A good start is eliminating what I call garbage food. Processed foods are the work of mad scientist trying to fatten up North America... :)

    What was a huge help for me is eliminating bread & pasta. These 2 foods make me want more & I was eating them in excess & over my daily calorie limit. Since I can't control myself eating them I stopped cold Turkey. Best thing I ever did...........

    Bread was invented by mad scientists? That would be news to many ancient cultures.

    No, bread was invented by a monk that screwed up making beer. 😉
  • VUA21
    VUA21 Posts: 2,072 Member
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    1) Food:. Unless you are legitimately allergic to, have an intolerance for, or other medical reason to avoid certain things (high blood pressure, Celiac's etc), there are no "bad" foods. Just eat a diet that is well balanced, fresh fruit & veggies, complex carbs, lean protiens for the majority, enjoy treats in moderation (usually because they tend to be low nutrient/high calorie).
    2) It is as simple as CICO. Eat fewer calories than you use to lose weight. While a diet of nothing but Twinkies or Kale in a deficit cause you to lose weight, you'd end up severely malnourished. No special diet needed.
    3) There are no magic foods. There are no foods that magically make you gain or lose weight. There aren't. Neither are there magic pills, drinks, or supplements. The only pill that technically ever worked has been banned - tapeworm pills, yep, people would give themselves tapeworms to lose weight. I REALLY don't recommend that.
    4) Exercise is not required. Exercise helps with overall health. Cardio for your cardiovascular system, strength training for strength. Both are very good for you and I feel that everyone should do them (walking for cardio & body weight for strength is just fine).
    5) Patience. This!!! However long you think something is going to take - double it! Visible abs in 6 months, expect 12. Lose 50lbs in 6 months, expect 12 as well. Weight loss isn't quick or linear.
    6) Progress is progress. I've seen so many people quit because they are getting very little results without realizing that slow progress is still progress.

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