Afraid to eat?

Sounds like you're not eating enough, which will actually slow your metabolism and make it harder to lose weight. Make sure you are getting as close to your goal as you can. If you are too far under, you'll get the red print warning at the bottom of your diary about not eating enough. It sounds counterintuitive, but you may need to eat more to lose weight.

You have an unhealthy relationship with food because you dont understand how it works FOR you body.
Research it!
Understand how fat is gained.
Understand what carbs are and how different carbs can make you gain water weight and how other carbs help refill glycogen in the muscles!
Learn that fat is okay to eat!
Learn that protein is one of the most important macronutrients for fat loss.

I can help you!
First....
Whats your BMR and TDEE?

Always eat 1200 minimum! Looks also to me that you could up the protein. If you don't eat meat, then have eggs, nuts, beans, and cheese. My nutritionist advised me never to eat more than double or triple at most carb grams vs protein grams at each meal. For example if you eat 5grams of protein, don't go over 10 or 15 g of carbs. It has worked for me.

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. (Im saying this and I sometimes skip it too). It is the morning jump start on you metabolism, it will get you blood pumping. I also saw that you like to walk and do the stationary bike, the best time to do this is after breakfast this also helps jumpstart the metabolism. It is also best that you exersise at least everyother day for 30 minutes to get results from it. You calorie count is very low and that will slow your weight loss down quite a bit. You need and I mean need to eat you proper number of calories in order to keep your metabolism at the proper rate. Weight loss is a slow process, so keep working at it. Find foods you enjoy eatting a worry less about the calories, and plan a day or even a weeks worth of meals in advace so you dont have to worry about the calories you are eatting because it is already done.

:flowerforyou:

Most of this is false unfortunately.
Breakfast doesnt jumpstart anything.

OP just needs to know that food is essential.
And if shes smart she will do the research and figure out what she needs to diet down.
I can tell you that copious amounts of cardio will get her nowhere.
Eating below BMR will work for a little while.
My clients lose weight by eating below TDEE and above BMR daily with frequent cheat days.
Simple!

As for breakfast....its healthier to skip it, sleep in or go for a fasted walk, and eat after 12pm.


This will clear up quite a bit of confusion.
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I know exactly what you mean. I've been undereating and I know its bad. I felt like I ate a bunch yesterday and still had a bunch of calories left over. I need to find more protein sources but it is difficult. And you can be so tempted by "If I skip this meal its 600 calories coming off..." but really you just sabotage yourself because you are more prone to temptation for bad things and also yo get tired.

I agree -- I'm SUPPOSED to stick to 1200 calories a day, and I couldn't do it on what you're eating (although I, too, am a Lindt 70% chocolate bar frequent flier member).

I can only speak for what works for me, but if I restrict calories too much, I feel like crap, my body hangs on to fat like it's gong out of style, and I have no energy to exercise (or oomph for pretty much anything else, either). If I was eating your current diet, th first thing I would do is pump up the protein. A protein powder is a super-easy way to do that. Real food is always best, but that's just not realistic for me. So I get 32 g of protein every morning in my smoothie (well, M-F, sometimes I'll actually cook breakfast on the weekends), and that makes a HUGE difference in how I feel. I have more energy, and definitely a more positive outlook.

So here's my advice; take it for what it is -- I'm not a nutritionist or medical professional. The calorie goal MFP gives you is your plan for weight loss. Eat those calories. Don't strive to beat them. If the numbers are torturing you, make it a competition with yourself to get as close to your MFP goal as possible, so that the goal number becomes a success in itself. Get any "extra" calories through exercise; you don't have to eat them back if you don't want to (although I find I need to eat some back to stay feeling well).

You're already losing weight, and at a good rate, so good for you! Don't expect Biggest Loser-style numbers; those are rarely sustainable. I really think you're just not giving your body the fuel it needs to burn as effectively.

*edit* And what can you do about the stress? The only thing it's doing is making your life harder. How can you let go and relax?

As an LPN who has had multiple nutrition classes I know for a fact that the info is true, not just some kind of fad!

Do you have proof?

No, I just eat, so go and do likewise.
Just eat.
Think of how fat you'll be when you gain all the weight back due to crash dieting.
Buon Appetito :drinker:

I know what you mean! I try to plan ahead a couple of days in advance, but it's hard when everybody in the house seems to want different foods, more variety, more "fun", etc. I recall that when the kids were little, the doctor said that as long as they had a balanced diet over a week's time then we were doing O.K. I try to give myself a little more leeway in that sense. Maybe I didn't get all my vegetables or fruit in today or maybe it was more of a bread day. I try to keep that in mind and maybe balance out my diet more tomorrow.

The occasional "Healthy Choice" or boxed dinner is o.k., too, but I tend to get bored with processed foods. Have you tried the Baby Kales mix from Costco? I've been stir-frying them and putting them in soup. Yum! Makes me feel better about what I am eating.

Go for it! You can do this one day at a time.

I took a look at your diary and you are lacking in exercise...for me what really got me dropping pounds was exercise in addition to diet. I lost 11 pounds in June! I see when you do walk, it's very slow. 2mph is not really enough to get your heart rate up, is it? Surely you can walk faster than 1 mile in 30 minutes. I walk 4.5-5mph and I am pouring sweat when I'm done. I'm not saying you have to go that fast, but try to go 3mph to start. I would say stop counting cleaning as exercise, really. It's likely not getting your heart rate up for a sustained period of time nor causing you to break a continuous sweat.

I agree you need to eat more, but don't just eat anything to meet your calorie goal. Stick with lean meats, cheese, eggs, fresh/raw veggies and fruit, even nuts (though nuts are fatty, you have to watch that), there are all sorts of good food you can eat.

As for breakfast....its healthier to skip it, sleep in or go for a fasted walk, and eat after 12

OMG. I'm not professing to be a medical professional, but I know what makes my body perform better and feel better, and I know what makes it sluggish and feel like crap. A healthy (not huge, just healthy) meal to start the day (with protein) gives me energy and enthusiasm. Skipping, or even delaying a few hours, makes me feel like crap. You come across as "I know what's true and everyone else is wrong, so listen to me and I'll tell you everything you know to get everything you want!"

I dont know it all but I do know that if you and OP ate the same food ie: 2k calories a day, and she skipped breakfast instead deciding to eat at noon, she will burn more fat than you will eating breakfast and jumping on your treadmill/bike/jogging path etc....

You feel better after you eat because your body is used to its meal timing.
Its hormonal.
Ghrelin!

Its really all about convenience.
You cut calories but try to eat 6 meals....thats what 200 cals a meal maybe?
Mouse food.

I'm only pointing out the "Stoke the metabolic fire" comment isnt true.
TEF is relative and it doesnt matter if you have 6 meals, 3 meals or just 1 big meal.
The body is going to digest it the same way.
The nutrients go where they are needed.
Eat at a deficit you lose weight...kinda....
Eat at a surplus and you gain....kinda...

As an LPN who has had multiple nutrition classes I know for a fact that the info is true, not just some kind of fad!

You need to demand a refund for these worthless classes you guys wasted your time attending. :sick:

YOU HAVE TO EAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! if you dont your metabolism slows down then your body goes into a fat storing mode

As for breakfast....its healthier to skip it, sleep in or go for a fasted walk, and eat after 12

OMG. I'm not professing to be a medical professional, but I know what makes my body perform better and feel better, and I know what makes it sluggish and feel like crap. A healthy (not huge, just healthy) meal to start the day (with protein) gives me energy and enthusiasm. Skipping, or even delaying a few hours, makes me feel like crap. You come across as "I know what's true and everyone else is wrong, so listen to me and I'll tell you everything you know to get everything you want!"

But that is how you feel PERSONALLY. From a scientific point of view, the previous poster was stating what is a well know diet myth. There is no reason you HAVE to eat breakfast except for PERSONAL preference.

Nope--after 12 hours without food, my body needs fuel. Waiting another 6 hours doesn't magically make me healthier.

Youd be surprised!

Read this series and it may change your tune.
It changed mine!

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fasting-weight-loss/#axzz20MjAMwEn