Southern chick here for the first time....
lealea_803
Posts: 15
Hey ya'll! I'm Erica and I'm from South Carolina! That's right, the land of delicious, comfort food. Mac n cheese, taters, bread, and don't forget Peach Cobbler. Well, as you can see, I'm no stranger to food and I LOVE it!! I don't eat many veggies....really only green beans, corn, and a few other beans, but thats it. It's so hard for me to shed weight for that simple fact. Are there any others out there like me?? If so, PLEASE talk to me about how you are dealing with loosing weight in a "southern" way. LOL! I need all the help I can get! Thanks! XOXO :flowerforyou:
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Replies
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Hi Erica, I'm here in Alabama... so I'm no stranger to southern comfort food. However, the weight comes off the same for us all! Through a calorie deficit. Plain & simple. Whether you do that with diet or exercise, or both... entirely up to you.
Welcome to MFP!0 -
I'm trying Weight Watchers Smart Ones and have decided to stick right around 1200 per day. I'm "planning" on walking/running daily on the treadmill with some strength training in between. I have GOT to stay focused and do this for ME!! Thanks for stopping in and saying Hi! We need all the support we can get.0
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Born and raised in South Carolina. Love fried chicken, sweet tea, butter rolls, and much more. BUT, I have come to a conclusion....Food loves me to much! lol. I have done great by stiring away from those bad foods, I do have one day a week where I have ONE item of my wanting...it could be a tall glass of sweet tea, a cheese biscuit, part of a snickers bar. But I have to have that one item to keep me going!! Good LUck!!0
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It's not a Southern thing for me. I'm from the North, but either way it added up and with the help of 3 pregnancies here I am. It's not as difficult as I thought it would be. I stay focused, force myself to workout every day for at least 1/2 hour (longer on a good day), and stay under 1200 calories a day. Support HELPS! Good Luck!0
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Born/raised in Alabama, now living in Tennessee, so I can definitely relate to the Southern comfort food challenge. I joined Weight Watchers last year and lost 40 lbs but hit a plateau. Decided to try MFP last month, so I'm a newbie, too. I haven't eliminated all those fabulous foods; I allow myself to give in from time to time. However, I severely limit my portions. It's amazing to me when I reflect back on the size portions I ate, at home and dining out.
Good luck!0 -
another southern girl here. i'm also new so i can't offer much guidance on the website, but i sure can wish you good luck in sticking with your plan and reaching your goals. good luck!0
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Texas Girl here and definitely a southern food junkie. But I have decided it is time to do something. I am a empty nester now and I am bound and determined to start living life again with my sweet husband and I want to do it in a healthy way. I started TaiSlim 10 days ago after visiting with some friends from church who have lost a ton of weight in less than a year. I have lost 7 lbs and I am feeling great. Never thought I could stay on a program that required you to drink two shakes a day and a sensible meal. The shakes are wonderful with a little frozen fruit added to them. I am very excited this is working for me and I am praying I continue to stay focused. Good luck with your WW meals, and 1200 calories a day is a good goal.0
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Thank you all for adding a little bit of yourself to my post. Its good to know I am not alone in this uphill battle. I know I'm capable, just not sure I'll have the motivation every day....but it looks like I came to the right place to get it! I'm excited about OUR jouney and look forward to getting to know you girls better!0
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I live in TN and I have to say that I would rethink your calorie limit being 1200 calories. The reason is you might see a difference in the beginning and then your resting metabolic rate will start slowing down thinking that you are in starvation mode. I did that and although I saw my weight drop screechingly slow, I had more fat% and I was tired more easily.0
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Hi! I'm from Sweet Home Alabama & I'd love to be friends with everyone on this thread! I'm having to say no to my mama's cornbread & fried okra & it's just not easy! I'm limiting myself to one fried food per week instead of a whole meal of them. I've not really found that "happy place" where I'm able to really eat foods I enjoy during this weight loss journey. Nothing compares to Mama's chicken & dumplins. I know I can eat them in moderation as that's the key but as of yet Weight Watchers doesn't have any dishes as good as hers. Lol0
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Hey Im in Tennessee I will add you and anyone else can add me too :happy:0
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Southwest Oklahoma girl here! Lived in Tennessee 20 years and now in Ohio but will always love southern cooking. I'm good 95% of the time but a girls gotta have her fried squash, taters, and okra sometimes or she'll go right crazy :laugh:0
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Girrrrllll, if it didn't have gravy on it, I didn't want it. Until I decided that my health was more important than the food. You can still have the "bad" things, but just not all at the same time. Moderation is key and calorie deficit is really important. Less calories in, more calories burned = losing weight. You will start to feel better and not want a lot of that stuff once you start to see how many calories are in the things you love. When you start equating how much time on the treadmill or in the gym it takes to burn the calories, you'll put that biscuit down. This coming from someone who could eat a whole plate of southern food with sweet tea, or 'Southern table wine' or 'diabetes in a cup' as we like to call it!! I haven't had a sweet tea in a month and I don't miss it at all. I have lost 10 pounds in less than a month by just paying attention to what I'm putting in my mouth and not killing myself with exercise. I'm walking on a treadmill for approx. 30 minutes a day 3x a week. I will do more as time goes on, but I am trying to teach myself how to eat better and that I'm worth it. Good luck to you - don't go for a fad diet or a quick fix - try to better yourself. YOU are worth it too!!0
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North Carolina girl here y'all. I have given up fried chicken for crock pot chicken. It is hard sometimes and I will allow myself the extra southern food if I can fit it into my caloric intake. Gotta have the good stuff every now and then. feel free to add me for support. That goes to anyone on this thread.0
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Hey Erica!! I'm Stephanie and I was born & raised in Charleston, SC myself.
I now live in Chicago, IL. I not only miss my southern food, I have all the good up here to worry about too!!
Working and raising three kids makes it REALLY difficult for me to cook a good dinner every night so we eat out a lot, unfortunately.
I've really had to reprogram my brain and start ordering better for me food. I actually starting working out (only about 4 days a week) mostly treadmill but I also do the Zumba DVDs. (They're actually kinda fun.)
I didn't think any of the above was going to work for me but I've lost 25 lbs, so far.
It's not much but it's a start.
I guess what I'm trying to say is just making the effort and making some small changes does actually make a difference.
(Not sure if any of this helps but I did at least want to say "hi") :happy:0 -
25 Pounds is HUGE! Congrats to you and keep up the good work0
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South Louisiana here~Cajun country. The only thing we love as much as our family is our food! I don't eat the 1200 calories each day and it's frustrating. I'm accustomed to eating smaller portions because we do eat so much comfort food. Now that I'm making healthier choices daily, I need to have a little more to meet my goal. It's all very new to me, but I'm determined to try and live a healthier life, so I'll just keep on trying. Good luck to all and feel free to add me, as I can use the support!0
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Hi Erica, I'm Jackie and I'm from South Carolina as well. So I know all about the good southern food, lots of family gatherings with lots of food. I have been on MFP since the last of Aug. 2011. I have lost 24 lbs. so I feel that my weight is coming off slow, but hopefully by it leaving slow I can keep it off. I have changed sizes in my pants and tops. I feel so much better already about myself and how I see myself looking in my clothes. I don't see myself on a diet but I am changing my life style with the way I eat. For me I don't believe it will work if I never eat foods that I have eaten all my life, but I am only eating some of those foods in a very limited amount for example fried foods, rice & gravy, I have cut way back on such foods, but if I really want rice & gravy and fried chicken I eat it. I measure it and maybe only eat 1/2 cup of rice small amout of gravy and one piece of chicken instead of like I used too. I still want to lose about 40 lbs. feel free to add me if you like. I wish you much sucess on this life change journey. You can do it!0
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Girl we are going to do this together!! Then we are going shopping together!! Once the kids get out of school and I'm not on such a tight schedule in the afternoons we can plan to walk together. We can pick a new place to meet up each week so it doesn't get boring. Whatcha think?!
P.S. Anyone on this thread can feel free to add me, as well. I am going to need all of the support I can get. My weakness? Biscuits with honey butter & grape jelly. Yes I am South Carolina born & raised, too!!
Have a great night, y'all!0 -
Absolutely girl!! I need to get out of the house!! I have a treadmill but it's so much of a pain trying to fight the kids off just to do a mile! LOL!!0
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From one SC girl to another I love me some good old southern comfort food! We can all do this together add me as a friend would love to see your progress!0
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Hey Erica!! I'm Alesha. Born in Louisiana, raised in Mississippi so I know exactly where you're coming from about southern comfort food. So what I've been learning to do is when I do want something like fried chicken or mac and cheese [which is my all time favorite food] is to find some recipes with modifications without losing taste. Also, like several others have said, eat at a calorie deficit. Whether it's by just watching what you eat, exercising, or both, it's all up to you. So enjoy this journey you've embarked on.
And feel more than free to add me as a friend. :flowerforyou:0
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