Getting healthy again

morningdew10
morningdew10 Posts: 5 Member
in Getting Started
Hi! I am 5”5 and 172lbs. I want to get fit and healthy again. My weakness is snacking later in the day and just eating more later. Even right now I am fighting the urge to snack.. but I wrote a list of goals earlier on and taped it on my wall as a visual. I think it’s helping.. I really want to lose the weight!

Replies

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,598 Member
    That's about where I started: 5'5", 183lbs. Six-plus years later, I'm still at a healthy weight, currently around upper 120s. All my health markers are dramatically better, too.

    With patience and persistence, calories counting can work. I recommend thinking how to make the process relatively easy and sustainable, rather than fast.

    Best wishes!
  • morningdew10
    morningdew10 Posts: 5 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    That's about where I started: 5'5", 183lbs. Six-plus years later, I'm still at a healthy weight, currently around upper 120s. All my health markers are dramatically better, too.

    With patience and persistence, calories counting can work. I recommend thinking how to make the process relatively easy and sustainable, rather than fast.

    Best wishes!

    Thank you. That makes sense and a better way to think about how I plan to add nutrition throughout the day

  • asugar1390
    asugar1390 Posts: 46 Member
    The first few times of not giving in to cravings lead to more willpower and less desire to snack . It is hard but I am learning to eat celery with Pb or nuts when I want something salty rather than crap .
  • morningdew10
    morningdew10 Posts: 5 Member
    asugar1390 wrote: »
    The first few times of not giving in to cravings lead to more willpower and less desire to snack . It is hard but I am learning to eat celery with Pb or nuts when I want something salty rather than crap .

    Sounds good, thanks. I end up having a small apple.
  • epecjak
    epecjak Posts: 1 Member
    Ugh, I have the same problem! I can't say I've found the ideal solution but I usually try to turn to popcorn and eating it slowly. It gives me the satisfaction of munching on something and even if I go over my daily calories, it's not by that much. Also, it's the kind of thing you can make savory or sweet depending on the seasoning you use on it.
  • healingmysticmelody
    healingmysticmelody Posts: 58 Member
    The first 6 months I had sugar free jello (black cherry) and it was 5 calories so I could have a sweet candy taste if I needed it. Now I like the sugar free Crush powders you pour into water bottles. Most 5 calories and strawberry is ten calories. I get lower calorie bread, whole grain Pepperidge Farm or Sarah Lee whole grain white sliced. That leaves me some calories at night if I have a piece of toast at breakfast. I keep a bag of Hershey kisses for my chocolate must haves. Also add a vegetable to EVERY meal.
    This isn’t the do everything perfect and healthy route by far but it is much better than the path I was rolling down last year. :)
    Now smaller portions and whole grains are the norm. Baby steps working for me.
  • morningdew10
    morningdew10 Posts: 5 Member
    healingmysticmelody wrote: »
    The first 6 months I had sugar free jello (black cherry) and it was 5 calories so I could have a sweet candy taste if I needed it. Now I like the sugar free Crush powders you pour into water bottles. Most 5 calories and strawberry is ten calories. I get lower calorie bread, whole grain Pepperidge Farm or Sarah Lee whole grain white sliced. That leaves me some calories at night if I have a piece of toast at breakfast. I keep a bag of Hershey kisses for my chocolate must haves. Also add a vegetable to EVERY meal.
    This isn’t the do everything perfect and healthy route by far but it is much better than the path I was rolling down last year. :)
    Now smaller portions and whole grains are the norm. Baby steps working for me.

    I also like the Sara Lee wheat bread. I’ll look into the Crush powder stuff for days I crave sweets. Seems like I’ll have to look into alternatives for things I like to eat for now. Something I discovered the other day is the 2 ingredient bagel made with flour and greek yogurt. It’s still pretty good! I can see myself making it fairly often. And yep, baby steps!

  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,662 Member
    edited October 2022
    Lewis Bakeries makes a really good low calorie bread that is normal size for 35 (Keto version) and 45 (white or wheat). I liked the Sara Lee but they’re wee itty bitty slices. I find their bread too sweet now anyway.

    Also check out some of the low carb tortillas, found shelved with regular tortillas. You can make a fast and simple wrap with one, and that’s even half the calories of two slices of bread.

    If you’re using peanut butter on celery etc be sure to weigh it. PB calories can get away from you real quick. A serving is much smaller than you think (or want!) it to be.

    Sugar free products aren’t the devil I used to think they were when I was obese. “Oh, no I’ll get cancer!” I rationalized as I stuffed my face with stuff that was probably doing as bad as or worse. Nope, it was all the extra hundred pounds that was the problem. Surprise on me.

    There’s a lot of sugar free products that are tasty. Diet sodas. (Diet Barqs for the win!) sugar free hello and pudding mixes. Skinny syrups brand can be used in coffee, tea, chai, added to sparkling water, or used in puddings, ice creams, even baked goods.

    Cottage cheese is now a staple. Pour on some frozen blueberries and a spoonful of muesli or grapenuts and you’ve got food for the gods right there.

    Yogurt mixed with sugar free pudding g mix is another win.

    Think outside the box. The Little Debbie’s box, that is. 😇
  • Zinka61
    Zinka61 Posts: 563 Member
    That's where I started too. I lost the weight quickly but still struggled with evening eating. But a little over a year ago I decided to stop all between-meal eating to train my brain to just not consider food except at meal times. And it worked--It carried right over into evening eating. Of course, that means I have to make my meals larger and as satisfying/nutritious as possible, which allows me to skip snacks and focus my mind on other things.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    Meal timing is super individual. Like you, I am hungriest in the late afternoon. If I refrain from eating anything then, I am ravenous by the time I'm cooking dinner and it often does not end well (out of control eating while cooking). Things go much better when I align eating the most to when I'm most hungry. I eat pretty light until late afternoon (late breakfast or skip it, light high fiber lunch) and then have big afternoon snacks. My meals tend to be low fat so I balance that with high fat snacks (nuts, cheese, yogurt, that kind of thing). I have a reasonable dinner kind of on the early side (6-7pm) and after dinner, kitchen closed. No more snacking after dinner. Refraining after dinner has become habit and it isn't a big will power battle. I actually prefer it that way.

    I would encourage anyone to experiment with meal timing, particularly shifting the most calories to the times you tend to be most hungry. The easier you can make it for yourself (i.e. the less willpower you need), the higher your probability of staying on plan. Good luck to you, OP!

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