Well....I'm 25 days in. This is what I've learned so far...
lkn42
Posts: 37 Member
1) I'm logging everything but I'm sure that I'm getting the portion sizes wrong at times. When I'm unsure I try to go over rather than under. Thinking about investing in a food scale.
2) I began wearing my Fitbit again and realized how horribly sedentary I'd become...many days as little as 2000 steps in an entire day. My secretary job doesn't help matters. I've set a 6000 step goal and most days I reach that now. When I reach it consistently I plan to increase it to 8000.
3) Taste buds begin to change. I normally drank my morning tea with at least 2 tablespoons of sugar. I've decreased that amount to 1 teaspooon. It was disgusting at first, now I'm totally used to it and when my husband accidentally poured too much sugar from habit, I had to pour it out and start over because it was too sweet.
4) I always thought that I don't like salad...not true, it's iceberg lettuce and creamy dressings that I despise. Give me some spinach or spring mix or romaine along with a bit of any sort of vinaigrette or even just a big squeeze of lemon and I'm happy with a salad.
5) I still incredibly miss cake and cookies...desserts of all forms. When will this part get easier???
My routine is to be sitting my chair to relax by 8:00pm'ish. This is where I chat with my husband, watch tv, read, polish my nails, color, etc. I then head up to bed at about 9:30 to 10:00'ish. This 1.5 to 2 hour timeframe is the DANGER zone for me. It's when all consumption of potato chips, cookies, cake, rice crispy treats, brownies, and cheesecake takes place. Going cold turkey is nearly impossible. I've taken to using the smallest mug in our cabinets and having a small cup of hot chocolate and sometimes maybe a couple graham crackers. Ugh, I know I shouldn't have anything at this time. Hoping to ween down from this soon. I welcome suggestions on this.
8 pounds down so far.
That is my update. I will share more soon.
2) I began wearing my Fitbit again and realized how horribly sedentary I'd become...many days as little as 2000 steps in an entire day. My secretary job doesn't help matters. I've set a 6000 step goal and most days I reach that now. When I reach it consistently I plan to increase it to 8000.
3) Taste buds begin to change. I normally drank my morning tea with at least 2 tablespoons of sugar. I've decreased that amount to 1 teaspooon. It was disgusting at first, now I'm totally used to it and when my husband accidentally poured too much sugar from habit, I had to pour it out and start over because it was too sweet.
4) I always thought that I don't like salad...not true, it's iceberg lettuce and creamy dressings that I despise. Give me some spinach or spring mix or romaine along with a bit of any sort of vinaigrette or even just a big squeeze of lemon and I'm happy with a salad.
5) I still incredibly miss cake and cookies...desserts of all forms. When will this part get easier???
My routine is to be sitting my chair to relax by 8:00pm'ish. This is where I chat with my husband, watch tv, read, polish my nails, color, etc. I then head up to bed at about 9:30 to 10:00'ish. This 1.5 to 2 hour timeframe is the DANGER zone for me. It's when all consumption of potato chips, cookies, cake, rice crispy treats, brownies, and cheesecake takes place. Going cold turkey is nearly impossible. I've taken to using the smallest mug in our cabinets and having a small cup of hot chocolate and sometimes maybe a couple graham crackers. Ugh, I know I shouldn't have anything at this time. Hoping to ween down from this soon. I welcome suggestions on this.
8 pounds down so far.
That is my update. I will share more soon.
13
Replies
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Great work. You need to start exercising and weight lifting so the weight you lose is fat tissue not just water, muscle and fat tissue.
Food scale is the most important thing you could get to track your portion sizes1 -
We are definitely very capable of adapting our "tastes", I agree. I used to drink my coffee light and sweet and then 10 yrs ago when I set out on my first big weight loss journey, I went cold turkey to black coffee. It took a little time to get used to it but that is the only way I like it now.
As far as the food scale goes, some will say you do not need one and that may be true but I absolutely LOVE my food scale! It gives me so much peace of mind knowing how to accurately determine what an actual serving size is and when maybe I want a little more or less than a serving, I can put the actual grams or ounces in MFP. For example, I found that 20g of almond butter is perfect for one slice of toast even though 30g is the serving size.
I don't have a great suggestion on missing the desserts/sweets. There are pretty much two schools of thought on this. Either pretty much avoid all added sugars and the cravings will go away or learn to eat them in moderation within the confines of your calorie deficit. For me personally, I have found it easier to just cut it all out. I am not someone who can stop at just 1 cookie lol
And finally... 8lbs that is fantastic!4 -
If having a small cup of hot chocolate and a couple of graham crackers fits within your goals, I don't think you do have to quit (unless you'd rather spend those calories on something else).
It sounds like you're doing great! Eight pounds in 25 days is fantastic.
As someone who really, really likes cake . . . . I still like cake just as much, but it got much easier to think of it as an occasional treat rather than something I was having more frequently.9 -
It's perfectly fine to have an 'unhealthy' snack in the evening. Provided you have the necessary calories left, and you are capable of keeping in control (sticking to the portion you give yourself within your calories).
I have a snack every evening, within my calories. Sometimes a salty snack, sometimes a sweet one. But always carefully measured out and putting away the bag/box/... to make sure I'm not tempted to overeat.
For me, denying myself my favorite snacks would not work, the best approach is to find a way to eat that you can keep up long-term.12 -
Evening snacks suggestions.
Allow some calories for snacks.
Crave crunchy? Carrots or celery. Pickles.
Creamy? Laughing cow light for 30 calories
Salty? Popcorn
Sweet? A hard mint.
Chocolate? Either the darkest chocolate you can stand—you’ll be satisfied with less, or (for me) tootsie rolls= chocolate that’s good enough to satisfy, but not so good you’ll just keep eating. Tootsie roll also lasts a long time if you don’t chew. One or two midgees does the trick for me.
Or—
Something healthy, like more of the broccoli you had for dinner,
I like string cheese or 1/4 a protein bar or protein cookie.
I’ve always loved salad. No dressing, but a squeeze of lemon is good sometimes. Romaine and butter lettuce are my favorites. Add cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, etc for extra crispy. Yum!
Glad you figured it out.
Hurray for the 8 pounds!5 -
8 lbs is awesome!! I also have a sweet tooth, and I build it into my diet because I am happier when I treat myself! That being said, I know from experience that eating sugar increases your cravings for sugar. You can definitely force yourself to give it up, and the cravings will eventually stop. It's a choice - are you ok with eating it and enjoying it sometimes or would you prefer to cut the sweets entirely?1
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I'm very glad to read your replies. Feels good to know there is support out there. It's especially good to know that I'm not broken, others have the sweet cravings too.
Heading out for a walk before the rain starts again. You all put a smile on my face.
Oh yes, and I do plan to add some weight-bearing exercises into my routine soon.
2 -
I love this post! I am going to react to each thing you mentioned:
(1) you need to invest in a food scale. Non-negotiable. And when I say invest, I think mine was $11 or something. You can get one for under $20 for sure. Back in the day I used to measure food with Tsp. and Tbsp. and cup measurements, and when I switched to weighing, I realized there is no substitute. Get a food scale and start weighing EVERYTHING. Plus you get that peace of mind knowing you are accurate.
(2) I know! When I started wearing a Fitbit it made me so aware of my daily activity. That is awesome - keep it up!
(3) Yes! Crazy, right? I added A LOT of salt to everything early on. While I don't mean to demonize salt, it was a lot. It was amazing to me how I got used to less salt and then other things started to taste salty. And now that I eat much more seasonally, I crave light salads in the summer, warm soups in the winter, and I can make all those things fit into my calorie range.
(4) Finding a salad you like is key. But also realizing other veggie options. Throughout the winter I would sauté Swiss chard or beet greens or spinach with garlic and white beans instead of a salad. When Brussels sprouts were in season I ate them all the time. Now that it's spring, I eat so much asparagus and this mixed green salad I make with beets and goat cheese. Think creatively about veggies! They have to carry the weight of a lot of bulk in my diet, so I really try to eat seasonally because now that is what I crave (see (3) above).
(5) You have to build the treats you crave into your lifestyle. I decided I would rather eat less during the week, and get to eat a REAL dessert on the weekends. It is still realistic - half a huge gourmet cookie (I budge 230 for half a good bakery chocolate chip cookie) but I need to be able to walk by a bakery and buy a treat, I just have to budget for the treat and adjust my week accordingly if it's a big treat. Do not deprive yourself! The way I see it, better to have the treat and count it, than deprive myself, binge, and eat waaaaaayyyy more than the cookie would have been.
You are doing great - keep thinking these things through and experimenting and posting. Cheering you on from the sidelines!3 -
Get the food scale. Yeah, it's more accurate, and a decent one is cheap, but also, once you learn the tricks, it's *easier* and *quicker*, with fewer dishes to wash. What's not to like about that? For some tips, see this thread (ignore the clickbait/joke title, it's really about scale use tips):
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10498882/weighing-food-takes-too-long-and-is-obsessive#latest
For the sweet cravings, have you tried increasing your fruit intake? That doesn't help everyone, but it did help me reduce cravings for less nutrient-dense, higher-calorie things like baked goods. (I've seen others say it helped them, too.) After a while, many candies & cookies & such started seeming too simple, just sweet and nothing more, not very satisfying. I still like the occasional rich dessert, but no longer *crave* that sort of sweet stuff like I once did.
If you haven't tried it, it might be worth the experiment. (I first heard it as a suggestion from a registered dietitian to make it a point to eat 3 fruit servings daily initially, which I did. After a while, I was able to reduce that flexibly, and still have the cravings stay at bay.)
That said, I agree that there's nothing wrong with candy or cookies or similar treats, within calorie goal, as long as overall nutrition isn't totally blown out of the water.3 -
Great progress so far!
I think allowing yourself a small treat at night and budgeting it in is the perfect thing to do. Trying to "white knuckle" it during that time might lead to eating too much of the stuff. I also think feeling guilty for having that small snack and telling yourself you "shouldn't" can derail you, too.
It's all about choices and priorities. If you feel like you can't quit cold turkey on an evening snack, then don't! Make the choice to have one, and feel good about your choice.
I have a sweet tooth and LOVE cake, but like others have said, the less added sugar I have overall in my diet, the less I start to crave it. I also love to bake, so enjoy finding healthier versions for recipes for cakes, cookies, etc. If I have a cake or cookie (especially cake), I will budget it in to my day or week. I have also learned (for the most part) to be okay with a smaller piece. I've also noticed that after I've had something for a few days, I don't really care to have it anymore.4 -
Just a note for sweets; although I'm not a cakes and cookies person per se, I find that when I'm really craving something sweet this is my go to, low cal treat:
Meringue nest (i get the PC ones and they are 50 cal each)
fresh or frozen berries - about 1/4 cup - like 20 cal
Cool Whip - 2 tbsp - 25 cal
Sometimes I'll even do two nests (broken up) and then the fruit and cool whip. It ends up being a pretty BIG bowl of yumminess for like 100-150 calories and its great for satisfying a sweet tooth.3 -
1. Do get a food scale. This eliminated so much uncertainty for me, like what exactly is a "medium" banana and how tightly to pack measuring cups. But oh, the horror, when I realized exactly how little 2 T of peanut butter is once I measured that in grams!
5. Another vote for upping fruit. I have it several times a day now, and that really helps with my desire for baked goods and ice cream. I do have small amounts of chocolate (like a Ghirardelli square) on the days my saturated fat budget allows.2 -
sandboxfitness wrote: »Great work. You need to start exercising and weight lifting so the weight you lose is fat tissue not just water, muscle and fat tissue.
Food scale is the most important thing you could get to track your portion sizes
Thanks! I would like to work with weights a little bit. As I lose weight I'd like to tone and gain strength (not muscle man type strength, but I think you know what I mean).
I know it's not much, but in the basement we have a set each of 5 and 10lb hand weights and an 8 pound and a 15 pound kettlebell and an elliptical machine. My son is planning to come over next week to show me some basic moves with the hand weights and kettlebells. Later I may consider an inexpensive gym membership depending on how things go.3 -
We are definitely very capable of adapting our "tastes", I agree. I used to drink my coffee light and sweet and then 10 yrs ago when I set out on my first big weight loss journey, I went cold turkey to black coffee. It took a little time to get used to it but that is the only way I like it now.
As far as the food scale goes, some will say you do not need one and that may be true but I absolutely LOVE my food scale! It gives me so much peace of mind knowing how to accurately determine what an actual serving size is and when maybe I want a little more or less than a serving, I can put the actual grams or ounces in MFP. For example, I found that 20g of almond butter is perfect for one slice of toast even though 30g is the serving size.
I don't have a great suggestion on missing the desserts/sweets. There are pretty much two schools of thought on this. Either pretty much avoid all added sugars and the cravings will go away or learn to eat them in moderation within the confines of your calorie deficit. For me personally, I have found it easier to just cut it all out. I am not someone who can stop at just 1 cookie lol
And finally... 8lbs that is fantastic!
Exactly! I'm afraid that I may be logging 2 tablespoons of peanut butter when in actuality it's 4 tablespoons! I found one on Amazon that has nearly all 5 star reviews that's only $11. Gonna buy it.1 -
8 lbs is awesome!! I also have a sweet tooth, and I build it into my diet because I am happier when I treat myself! That being said, I know from experience that eating sugar increases your cravings for sugar. You can definitely force yourself to give it up, and the cravings will eventually stop. It's a choice - are you ok with eating it and enjoying it sometimes or would you prefer to cut the sweets entirely?
I totally believe this to be fully true. I would love to give it up totally. I will continue to try.0 -
ChickenKillerPuppy wrote: »I love this post! I am going to react to each thing you mentioned:
(1) you need to invest in a food scale. Non-negotiable. And when I say invest, I think mine was $11 or something. You can get one for under $20 for sure. Back in the day I used to measure food with Tsp. and Tbsp. and cup measurements, and when I switched to weighing, I realized there is no substitute. Get a food scale and start weighing EVERYTHING. Plus you get that peace of mind knowing you are accurate.
(2) I know! When I started wearing a Fitbit it made me so aware of my daily activity. That is awesome - keep it up!
(3) Yes! Crazy, right? I added A LOT of salt to everything early on. While I don't mean to demonize salt, it was a lot. It was amazing to me how I got used to less salt and then other things started to taste salty. And now that I eat much more seasonally, I crave light salads in the summer, warm soups in the winter, and I can make all those things fit into my calorie range.
(4) Finding a salad you like is key. But also realizing other veggie options. Throughout the winter I would sauté Swiss chard or beet greens or spinach with garlic and white beans instead of a salad. When Brussels sprouts were in season I ate them all the time. Now that it's spring, I eat so much asparagus and this mixed green salad I make with beets and goat cheese. Think creatively about veggies! They have to carry the weight of a lot of bulk in my diet, so I really try to eat seasonally because now that is what I crave (see (3) above).
(5) You have to build the treats you crave into your lifestyle. I decided I would rather eat less during the week, and get to eat a REAL dessert on the weekends. It is still realistic - half a huge gourmet cookie (I budge 230 for half a good bakery chocolate chip cookie) but I need to be able to walk by a bakery and buy a treat, I just have to budget for the treat and adjust my week accordingly if it's a big treat. Do not deprive yourself! The way I see it, better to have the treat and count it, than deprive myself, binge, and eat waaaaaayyyy more than the cookie would have been.
You are doing great - keep thinking these things through and experimenting and posting. Cheering you on from the sidelines!
I found a scale on Amazon that I think will be very good, 5 star ratings, for only $11.
I hit 8000 steps on the Fitbit yesterday for the first time in a VERY long time.
What you said about vegetables...Yes, absolutely!
Thanks so much for your encouragement. It helps tremendously.2 -
Speakeasy76 wrote: »Great progress so far!
I think allowing yourself a small treat at night and budgeting it in is the perfect thing to do. Trying to "white knuckle" it during that time might lead to eating too much of the stuff. I also think feeling guilty for having that small snack and telling yourself you "shouldn't" can derail you, too.
It's all about choices and priorities. If you feel like you can't quit cold turkey on an evening snack, then don't! Make the choice to have one, and feel good about your choice.
I have a sweet tooth and LOVE cake, but like others have said, the less added sugar I have overall in my diet, the less I start to crave it. I also love to bake, so enjoy finding healthier versions for recipes for cakes, cookies, etc. If I have a cake or cookie (especially cake), I will budget it in to my day or week. I have also learned (for the most part) to be okay with a smaller piece. I've also noticed that after I've had something for a few days, I don't really care to have it anymore.
It feels really good to see several of you conveying that a reasonable snack within my calorie goal isn't so bad. I really did expect the opposite so it was a pleasant surprise.2 -
kshama2001 wrote: »1. Do get a food scale. This eliminated so much uncertainty for me, like what exactly is a "medium" banana and how tightly to pack measuring cups. But oh, the horror, when I realized exactly how little 2 T of peanut butter is once I measured that in grams!
5. Another vote for upping fruit. I have it several times a day now, and that really helps with my desire for baked goods and ice cream. I do have small amounts of chocolate (like a Ghirardelli square) on the days my saturated fat budget allows.
I'm sure I'll be in for a rude awakening as well when I begin weighing everything.
Fruit...yes for sure, and I love fruit so that won't be hard.1 -
I eat some sort of candy or sweet thing almost every day. It really just means saving 200ish calories for it. It's accounted for, it doesn't make me go off the rails, I like it and having that 'treat' to look forward to at the end of the day makes my day better.
I've dropped 42lbs and have gone from obese to a normal BMI, so I'm going to say it isn't the devil and I don't need to stop.3 -
kshama2001 wrote: »1. Do get a food scale. This eliminated so much uncertainty for me, like what exactly is a "medium" banana and how tightly to pack measuring cups. But oh, the horror, when I realized exactly how little 2 T of peanut butter is once I measured that in grams!
5. Another vote for upping fruit. I have it several times a day now, and that really helps with my desire for baked goods and ice cream. I do have small amounts of chocolate (like a Ghirardelli square) on the days my saturated fat budget allows.
I'm sure I'll be in for a rude awakening as well when I begin weighing everything.
Fruit...yes for sure, and I love fruit so that won't be hard.
You might be pleasantly surprised for some things with the scale! It might not be as exciting as peanut butter or cheese, but I was amazed at just how much volume so many vegetables have for so few calories. I love it for precise recipe building, too. It was a bit of an adjustment since I was very used to cooking with cups and spoons, but now that I have a better handle on it it's really nice to know that I can weigh portions of home cooked meals just as well as anything prepackaged.2 -
wunderkindking wrote: »I eat some sort of candy or sweet thing almost every day. It really just means saving 200ish calories for it. It's accounted for, it doesn't make me go off the rails, I like it and having that 'treat' to look forward to at the end of the day makes my day better.
I've dropped 42lbs and have gone from obese to a normal BMI, so I'm going to say it isn't the devil and I don't need to stop.
42 pounds...obese to normal bmi. That's great! and that's my goal too, to be within a normal BMI.1 -
The great thing about a food scale is that you can eat a lot more, or at least I can. All those videos showing how you're eating too much worked out the opposite for me. I've found a half cup of oatmeal in a measuring cup is about 20% less than the actual 40 gram serving size. Butter measured in a tablespoon is about 12 grams, but 14 is a tablespoon. And so forth. The scale consistently lets me eat more.1
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5) I still incredibly miss cake and cookies...desserts of all forms. When will this part get easier???
When I sit in the sofa in the evenings I keep thinking about snacks. And it's not that I don't eat chocolate now, it's just that I don't keep it in the house since I kept having one more bite until I'd eaten it all. My solution was to get expensive ice cream and portion it out so that I could only have a smallish portion each day, because when I was out I was out for the week.
2 -
1) I'm logging everything but I'm sure that I'm getting the portion sizes wrong at times. When I'm unsure I try to go over rather than under. Thinking about investing in a food scale.
Good post.
If I had to choose between a food scale or a bathroom scale, the food scale wins every time. Your bathroom scale will fluctuate for a number of (very valid) reasons. Your kitchen scale will never lie. If you get in the habit, it gets very easy.2
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