Where do I start

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aundy28570
aundy28570 Posts: 27 Member
in Getting Started
I have been on MFP before and want to get back with tracking again. This time I'm really struggling with what foods to eat. I was eating gluten free but not so much lately. I have heart disease, fibromyalgia and a history of health issues. Being over weight is not helping. I tried meal replacement shakes before and thought about trying again but no matter what I try I get hungry and end up snaking on sometimes fruit and other times junk food. I'm in my 50's and need to lose 40 pounds. Are you mainly counting calories or following a program that give more specifics on foods to eat? I need some place to start.

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  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,477 Member
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    Unless you have a legitimate medical reason to prohibit certain foods (eg, celiac disease, allergies, etc), there's no reason that any particular food has to be off-limits. There are no inherently good or bad foods; eat whatever foods you like but just be mindful of portion sizes.

    Personally, I currently have pretty specific physique & performance goals, so I eat at/below a certain calorie target each day, with a macro breakdown tailored to my individual needs. For the VAST majority of people though, just walking through the setup on MFP will land you with a decent place to start. Give it a try for a couple/few weeks, monitor progress, and adjust as needed.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,515 Member
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    May I suggest you drop replacement shakes and the likes and just eat what you like? Shakes leave many people hungry as we simply like to chew our food and have something solid in our stomachs. There's also no problem with eating fruit unless you have a disease that forbits it, and also nothing wrong with junk (what is it for you?) All you need to do to lose weight is to eat less than your body burns. What food doesn't matter much for weightloss. It does for satiety though. Thus here you need to experiment a bit.

    If you like the super double cheese pizza, and there's only space for a tiny piece in your calorie allowance that it so small it leaves you sad it might be worth looking for alternatives. Or eat it every now and then to keep you happy.

    If it's bread that keeps you happy? So what. Bread isn't bad. And so isn't fruit.

    Weigh everything you eat on a scale, log in grams, and trust the process. It might sound too easy, but this really is all there is to weightloss.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Why not just start by eating the foods you enjoy in the appropriate quantity to result in a sensible rate of weight loss?
    You can always modify your plan (emphasis on "your") later but I'd suggest modifying mainly from the viewpoint of what to include to achieve a healthy, enjoyable and sustainable diet rather than what to exclude.

    When I looked back on my failed dieting attempts three big factors jumped out at me:
    • I hated being restricted to certain foods mandated by someone else's plan.
    • I rebelled against large calorie restirction.
    • Everyday deficits sapped my determination.

    What have you learned from your previous attempts?
    • What did you find too hard to stick to?
    • What did you find easier to stick to?

    Meal replacement shakes seem to fit in the too hard category for you and identify that avoiding excessive hunger should be part of your plan.

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