Eating all wrong...

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Replies

  • briocktj
    briocktj Posts: 128
    You guys are all awesome! I value every response that I have gotten and I dont get upset over criticism as I view it as anything that will help me, well that is all for the good... you all have given me some great tips and ideas so we will see what I can do with the info and make some wiser choices...
  • I completely understand needing to have a caffeine start to your day. One way to cut calories with your coffee is purchasing a sweetened creamer and measuring out a serving (typically 2 tablespoons for 70 calories). Regular black coffee is only like 7 calories for 24 oz. I've finally gotten to the point where I'm beginning to enjoy black coffee, which also helps the calories. Just want to encourage you to be creative in allowing yourself to have the things you enjoy, just maybe in a different way!

    Good Luck!
  • maryjay51
    maryjay51 Posts: 742
    start knowing that soda helped you get in this dilemma with your weight .. i gave it up and probably had five diet sodas last year all together .. soda never got me in a bathing suit ..water did
  • ejohndrow
    ejohndrow Posts: 1,399 Member
    You know I like my caffeinated drinks as well. When I have coffee I make it at home and personally I just like it with a bit of soymilk, no sugar added. But, beyond that most of my caffeinated drinks are simply unsweetened green tea or regular tea, or when I have it on hand, yerba mate is my favorite. So, perhaps you could look into trying tea instead of coffee as a replacement for these drinks-it would certainly save a lot of calories.
  • SeaSiren1
    SeaSiren1 Posts: 242 Member
    Congrats on realizing you need to eat healthy food, now the fun (and really yummy food) begins! :smile:

    It is one of those things, you can eat cookies and nothing else and lose weight ... however, you will feel like crud. Feeding your body nutritous yummy food will make it happy. Think "back to the source", the closer it is to the source (little to no processing) the better.
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
    I am a caffiene junkie myself. Unsweetened green tea is a good alternative to pop or coffee. It gives you some of the caffiene without the sugar. I don't mind pop or coffee now and then, but to drink it all day every day is not good for me. Tea is easier on my system.
  • TAC2413
    TAC2413 Posts: 27 Member
    I used to work in the healthcare field and I wore scrubs all day. The problem with this is that they're VERY forgiving and usually don't get very tight... just like PJ's. I know that you said that you don't want to buy any "fat" clothes, but just purchasing a few pieces that are fixed waist (jeans and things like that) will help you realize that you're gaining weight or retaining water just from their snugness.

    To me it's just getting out of the stretchy waist pants that has helped TREMENDOUSLY.
  • briocktj
    briocktj Posts: 128
    I so totally blew my calorie intake today..... but tomorrow is a new day and I have my water in the fridge getting cold and some great ideas for my food choices for tomorrow....
  • logicandlove
    logicandlove Posts: 191 Member
    I love caffeine, so I totally hear you on that one. However, coffee with a little cream won't be the thing that kills your calorie intake; it's the meals. everything seems to be high in fat and carbs, and I don't see much veggies or protein that aren't full of fat as well. Your body definitely needs good fats to run properly, but there are alterations you can make:

    Instead of eating an entire philly cheesesteak, prepare it without the bun, use less cheese and oil + mix more veggies in it, and keep the bread on the side, only eating a little bit along with the meat mixture. Also, do chicken philly if possible.

    If you're really craving a grilled cheese, eat half a sandwich, with less cheese than you'd normally use, and add a side of mixed veggies to it or a cup of soup to fill you up with less calories. There are plenty of ways to stay full and eat less, even if you don't eat perfectly all the time (my diary's open if you're interested or curious)
  • Mdin1029
    Mdin1029 Posts: 456 Member
    I did lose about 40 pounds in 2002/2003 just by walking on the treadmill 45 minutes a day and drinking water. I didnt watch what I ate... I think that is a huge part of my problem; I dont get enough (any really) exercise. I work from home as a medical transcriptionist and I hardly ever get out of my PJs unless I am going somewhere... LOL... Take a bath, throw on a new pair of PJs and sit at the computer for 10-18 hours a day.... I have thought about getting a job back out in "work force" but I love the transcribing, the flexibilty, the money, etc.... and I REFUSE to buy "fat" clothes. Over the years, I have been a shopaholic, buying all my clothes in smaller sizes because "I WILL LOSE WEIGHT AND GET IN THAT BY SUMMER/WINTER, whenever.." Hubby doesnt want me buying anything now unless I can wear it now and I just refuse to... I am DETERMINED to get this weight off, so why waste money on clothes to wear now.... I have started back doing the little thiings that I enjoy, like tanning and got a hot pink pedicure the other day.

    That is great that you are determine and want to make exercise a part of it. I work from home some days and was like you, wake up, shower, and put on some clean pjs :) What I suggest is wake up, eat breakfast, do an hour of work, put in an exercise dvd (I highly suggest Jillian Michael's, her 30 Day Shred or Ripped in 30 are a great place to start. The workouts are only 30 mins), then shower and get back in those PJ's to continue work :)

    Exercise DVD's made a huge difference for me
  • j4nash
    j4nash Posts: 1,719 Member
    Just by looking at your diary I would cut out the processed foods, add more fruits and veggies.. granted it's more expensive but it will fill you up more. I can't eat processed foods.. the portions are way too small and I'm starving all day.

    Take a look at the calorie content in veggies.. for the portion size it's almost crazy what you get out of it.
  • j4nash
    j4nash Posts: 1,719 Member
    Oh, and good luck :)
  • becoming_a_new_me
    becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
    I used to eat like this too and never could understand what I was doing wrong. You are right, being aware of what you eat is as important as how much. You can look at other people's diaries for ideas of healthy alternatives that are tasty too. My dinner was super filling tonight, extremely tasty, and healthy. I would actually eat what I had tonight over a fast food meal now that I am back to eating healthy again. Even as recent as last month, my diary might have looked similar to yours. Change your mindset, change your food choices, and it will fall off.
  • briocktj
    briocktj Posts: 128
    I am sitting here wondering why I chose to eat a Big Mac at 11 p.m.... talk about calories.... sheesh, I went over so much on my calories.... I am so disgusted.... and it wasnt even good.....
  • becoming_a_new_me
    becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
    I am sitting here wondering why I chose to eat a Big Mac at 11 p.m.... talk about calories.... sheesh, I went over so much on my calories.... I am so disgusted.... and it wasnt even good.....

    Stop right there...do not beat yourself up and do not second guess. Take a new day as a fresh start. You have some great ideas...so make a list and go to the store. Stay away from the freezer section unless it is for frozen fruits and veggies and stick to your list. You can do this, and don't set yourself up for failure by beating yourself up over one bad day.
  • Today is a new day! Don't fret just keep trying. The only way you'll fail is if you give up! Realize the goals that you have for yourself and start making them happen, even if it takes months or years. :)
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    Yes, eating 6 smaller meals will help with keeping your insulin levels stable and helps to increase your metabolism. It also means not feeling as hungry. If you ate everything all at once and skipped meals then it throws your system out of whack, and your body won't be in a state that you want it to be to see healthy weight loss results. It's like a fire...fueling it regularly keeps the fire burning, as opposed to fueling it all at the beginning and having nothing else to sustain it for a long time...

    If you have no medical issues, eating more frequently does not increase your metabolism at all. All it may do is stop you snacking or making bad choices. You could eat all your calories for the day right before bed and it makes no difference.

    The more things you change OP, the more you cut out, the harder you make it for yourself, and the more likely you will binge/fall off.
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
    Having read a few days of your diary I'd say learn to EITHER avoid McDonald's and Dunkin Donuts for a while OR learn to have the low cal options. It depends on your mind set. For a while, all I would eat at McD's was a side salad and small fries, because I was trying to lose. Now I can have a whole meal if I feel like it, now I'm maintaining, but that's about once a month, not a few times a week.

    Not thinking about why you eat is counterproductive, because if you don't know why you eat you can go straight back to over-eating again, even after reaching your goal. Reading just a little of the rather out-of-date Fat is a Feminist Issue really helped me see what might be making me resist weight loss. It's really cheap on Amazon and I would recommend it.

    Take care of yourself and don't be scared of a little hunger from time to time.
  • callikia
    callikia Posts: 226 Member
    I would need to find something I liked to drink as I just cant see drinking water with a meal. I dont like lemons at all, so I couldnt add a lemon to it. I can drink water all day, not saying I like to, but.... what I have been doing is like tonight I drank only half a pepsi with dinner and then drank the other half when I ate my "breakfast" around 1 a.m. LOL

    It may seem right now that you can't drink water with a meal. I used to think the same thing...and even after a while it took me breaking this mentality on a few "sacred" food/drink combos. BUT...I got used to it. Now my entire family orders water with every meal. Other than coffee and the very rare 2-liter of whatever soda is on sale, we all drink water almost 100% of the time. *shrug* It's become second nature and I use soda sometimes as a "treat" when I want something sweet. I used to drink a 2-liter of Pepsi A DAY. Now I can tell you that there's been one rather flat 2-liter of some sort of Lemon Lime pop and a 2-liter of Mt. Dew (also probably flat) in my house for MONTHS! (Plus, the added money I've saved on these crazy soda drinks is an added bonus!) Anyhow, starting out is the hardest. I used to force myself to "earn" my pop with 16 oz of water. After a while, I was too full of water to even want the soda. Now I keep a bottle of water with me everywhere I go and it's not uncommon for me to get 10-14 glasses in a regular day.
  • dlaplume2
    dlaplume2 Posts: 1,658 Member
    I used to be the same way with soda. I found it was the carbonation I was addicted to. I forced myself to get used to seltzer water. It was definitly and aquired taste, but it has helped me enormously. There are zero caories, zero sodium and no artificial sweeteners.

    I too was working from home and I can tell you it is easier to control your weight (with a bit of effort) at home, than at any other job. When you are around people you are subject to their lunch ideas and an endless supply of baked goods. Don't try for the different job, just work at making time to work out at home. I was lucky I had a treadmill to start with, but if you don't, you can start by taking a walk every day. I did everyday and did not take days off, becuase I had such a sedentary job.

    Start tweaking your food slowly. Making small sustainable changes. making grocery lists, planning recipes ahead of time. I became obsesive about logging and planning.

    Best wishes to you. If you want you can friend request me. I don't have a desk job now, but I was where you are at and I lost most of my wiehgt when I had my desk job. My weight loss has slowed down since working in a restaurant.
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