I am here! What now?

TheHappyLoser wrote: »

Do I log after eating or plan ahead?

When first starting out, I think deciding what you plan to eat that day and loosely logging it to see how the cals look is a good plan. You can adjust if the cals are higher than anticipated. But I also think it's fine to log after cooking or eating and then if a day is too high, you can look over it and see what you might want to change up. Think of this as a learning experience.

After I did it for a while, I found I could pretty much tell roughly the cals certain meals would have, so I'd log after eating (or cooking) and in the rare occasion I was low on cals adjust future meals that day accordingly. When I specifically make leftovers and divide something into portions or cook ahead for lunches, I do still log those in advance, however.

Should I try different diets or just eat less?

I'd start by just eating less (fewer cals, not necessarily less food). You can pay attention to how you feel -- energetic or not, hungry or not, etc., and adjust by looking at what you ate and how you might be able to improve.

I think focusing on eating a nutritious diet is, of course, good, but when you are first starting out calories might be the best thing to focus on. IMO, most people inherently adjust their diets to be more satiating and nutritious as they cut cals and pay attention to how they feel. Making gradual improvements over time is often the easiest and most sustainable approach, and you don't have to give up anything you love.

Can I ignore Keto and low carb and enjoy carbs in moderation.

Yes!

Palm-size portion meat, double size vegetables. Old school?

Yeah, but not a terrible starting point. I choose meat amounts by the amount of cals and protein, so don't limit it to palm size, but when I started I'd go with 3 oz or 100 g (not the same measure, just the two I'd use), and then adjusted over time (larger portions of lean meat often) to fit my goals. Double size veg if you are good with that is a good idea. I like to fill my plate with veg as both nutritious and filling for those of us who enjoy volume.

Small meals 5 x a day or 3 meals?

100% matter of personal preference. Think about your own feelings and reactions. Do you tend to overeat if you feel hungry when you eat a meal? Are there ways you could control this other than not getting hungry (i.e., limit what you make or eat only what you portion out and put the leftovers away immediately)? Do you enjoy snacking and like snacks that contribute a decent amount of the nutrients you would want in your day? Or does snacking seem less appealing to you? Would snacking make you satisfied with less at meals? Do you mind having more times you have to think about or obtain/prepare food in a day?

Some people love snacking or feel more satisfied when they do. Others (like me) find smaller meals plus snacks makes them less satisfied and they prefer saving their cals for bigger meals and not having to think about food other than 2-3 times per day. People just differ on these and neither is inherently better for weight loss.

Liquid meals?

If you are attracted by the idea, experiment. Many find them not as filling as eating the same cals, and if using shakes some aren't very balanced. I actually do enjoy smoothies, but mine are huge, and I think satisfying to me because they take time to consume, not just one glass. I also make sure to include protein, healthy fat, and vegetables.

Is diet coke still ok?

Absolutely. I lost 90 lbs without giving it up, and it was helpful if I felt snacky sometimes just having a diet soda (or coffee or tea) would be all I really wanted.

Is low fat still in? My arteries could use a break.

It's not in, but you will find what macro balance works for you by experimenting and looking to see your macros and food choices on days you find easier vs harder. I would say that I personally think limiting sat fat some (fat from meat and dairy, mostly) and focusing on adding in healthy fats (from fatty fish, avocado, nuts and seeds, and olives or olive oil) can be healthy. Fats (esp the healthy fats) are important for overall health. MFP's default (30%) is generally not considered high or low fat, and I think it's a reasonable starting place, to keep it simple. But don't worry too much about macros (other than for some protein can help if you are hungry).

I always wanted to try the Mediterranean diet.

It's a great way to eat, but worth noting it's broadly similar to any other common healthy eating pattern, and especially those in other blue zones: focus on cooking from whole ingredients, eat lots of veg and fruit and also include foods like nuts and seeds, beans and lentils, whole grains and tubers. Olive oil/avocado oil might be good substitutes for butter in many dishes, limit meat other than fish and include seafood in the diet.

Do I need a kitchen scale?

No, you probably don't need one unless you find you are not getting the results you expect. I love mine, however, as I prefer to use it when cooking than cups (except for liquids), and like trying to guess what things weigh and seeing how close I am. It's also just easier for me to log exact numbers than trying to guess whether something was a small whatever or a medium one or eyeballing or trying to shove broccoli in a cup. But lots of people do fine without them, and when I first started I would have told you I'd never be someone weighing my food. ;-)

I have eight friends. I am not alone.

I want this for me.

You can do it!

TheHappyLoser wrote: »

Poobah1972 wrote: »

TheHappyLoser wrote: »

I did, but late. Half of my favorite Subway sandwich. Still under my calories. High Five!

I got a kitchen scale. Makes my portions so much smaller.

Ah good job! You're actually my first bud here, and I never checked someone else's food journal before... So I thought I'd let you know someone was watching. lol

And seriously.... Good Job on getting a scale, a huge part of staring right is becoming intimately aware of food portions and macro content. There is quite a bit to learn, if your haven't done that sort of thing before.

You get a gold star!

Someone watching my food journal 👀 Great. I love it. [Accountability]

Macro content? I think that's the advanced class. I am a beginner. I have no idea what you are talking about. I will read up on Macro. Super I sound like a moron.

You're new! It takes time to learn all this, and even more time to really understand and apply it.

The basics:
-Calories are king. Eat less than you burn and you'll lose weight.
-Logging accurately and honestly is very important to make sure you're eating less than you burn.
-Macros are carbs, protein, and fat. You do want a minimum amount of protein and fat to support healthy body functions, and many people who eat higher levels of protein and fat say they're less hungry, which helps them adhere to their calorie goals. Calories are still the most important part of the equation, though. If you eat more carbs and less protein than you "should" but still meet your calorie goal, you will lose weight.

You can send me a message if you want help setting your macro targets, but as you said, that's the advanced class, and I don't think it's super important for you to focus on that right now. Spend a few weeks settling in with calories. Once you feel like you're in the groove and you can do this for the long haul, you can start tweaking those macros.

Here's a few stickied posts that might be helpful to read through, if you want to get your head around all the stuff we're talking about:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p1
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here/p1

I don’t know if this helps but I did a DNA test specifically for a health panel and it showed I had genes that might not respond well to fat intake from the perspective of how my body stores it, but also showed sugar might not be as big of a concern with regards to the way my body stored it. It was interesting to read.

That being said, I’ve undergone a body composition analysis and have used the data to direct my macro percentages to target fat loss instead of mere weight loss. The numbers do help. The process also let me know that my cholesterol levels could potentially greatly improve on a low fat diet so I would personally not do KETO. It’s going to be such a unique decision for everyone since all of our DNA is unique and how we should approach overall health. (My macro numbers allow for high protein, decent amount of carbs and lower fat).

I would be cautious about a cleanse or any extreme measures and just focus on a few small changes each week with a reduced calorie intake and some moderate movement

If you can afford it, I recommend getting numbers and data that can help you formulate a plan that works best for you. Also, Mediterranean is usually a great option!👍🏻❤️(And so good)

Best of luck and I hope both you and your husband find some freedom from unhealthy habits that unfortunately, so many of us struggle with. 😊

My suggestions would be find what's manageable for you now and don't try it all at once. I too struggled with sugar and alcohol but by making food swaps and slowly reducing my intake, I've now found that I can keep the cravings at bay. Personally in the early days I found substitutions were key for me - so sweetner rather than sugar, diet coke rather than full fat coke, dark chocolate rather than a whole bar of milk chocolate. Nothing off limits, but also gradually removing the 'binge' products from the house and trying my best not to replace them. I've learnt that I really can't have a jar of peanut butter or a packet of biscuts in the house, otherwise I eat the lot (but that said I've not totally banned them, I just have to be accountable for them). Oh and log log log - for my first week i logged everything and just didn't even think about the calorie total - it was just to give me a view on just how much I was eating (a real eye opener). Slow and steady, small baby steps - you got this

callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »

I know I would like to detox, get all the fast-food and sugar out of my system.
unless you are a drug addict, you do not need to detox. that is what our kidneys do.

Do I log after eating or plan ahead?
everyone does it a bit different. I log ahead, but then will adjust the numbers based on what i actually ate (quantity or item)

Should I try different diets or just eat less?
all diets are a way of reducing calories. I eat whatever I want, if i can fit in in my calories. including 6 oreos last night.

Can I ignore Keto and low carb and enjoy carbs in moderation.
you can take my carbs from my cold dead hands. Half my macros are carbs.

Palm-size portion meat, double size vegetables. Old school?
it works but a food scale works better

Small meals 5 x a day or 3 meals?
whatever you want

Liquid meals?
I like to EAT my food

Is diet coke still ok?
I've lost 130 pounds and live off diet coke

Is low fat still in? My arteries could use a break.
its just another way of reducing calories

I always wanted to try the Mediterranean diet.
go for it if you want to

Do I need a kitchen scale?
absolutely

^^^ All of this!

TheHappyLoser wrote: »

I settled on the Mediterranean diet. My new motto for the future: "Eat half, walk double".
(Even though it's just chair exercise at the moment, long way to go till walking)

Bought a kitchen scale. I don't like it, the portions look pitiful and very small. 😢

No sugar and I still live? 😂

11 pounds down! Can you believe it?👀💕😍

Woot Woot! Way to go!