What am I doing wrong?

MelAb8709 · July 2012

1) you're skipping meals all over the place
2) your meals aren't very well balanced (protein, carbs, etc.)
3) you've been doing this for less than 2 weeks.
4) you're eating too many processed foods

Some days you're way under, some days you skip 1 or more meals, some days you eat the same thing for multiple meals. Don't skip and try to have a little protein with each meal and snack. Like when you just had an apple for breakfast - have an apple with a little peanut butter, or a cup of nonfat milk. More balance.

And don't be surprised that you lost 9 lbs the first week and none yet this week. The first week you reduced calories so much that you dropped water weight. Now it will balance out. Don't expect to lose that much consistently. Especially if you don't really have that much to lose.

ladykate7 · July 2012

I just checked your diary. You need to eat more and not only fruit and bars. Eat some real stuff. Some rice, pasta, veggies. Also, never skip breakfast.
Good luck!

Thanks! I need to wake up earlier to have time to prepare breakfast. It's so easy to just keep the bars in my desk because I'm notorious for not having time for breakfast or forgetting my lunch. I've got to find veggies I like, but as far as pasta and rice... are we talking brown and wheat?

I'm the same way in the morning. Want to sleep in as late as possible so I eat breakfast on the way to work or once I get there. I keep Instant Quaker oatmeal packets at my desk, just add super hot water. I pre-tupperware a cup of yogurt and baggy 1/2 cup of Kashi grain puff cereal, (you could go with single serving yogurts if you like those). I also pre-tupperware half a cup of cottage cheese and baggy 6 triscutts (a serving size!) And take whatever peice of fruit I have around that's ready to eat. (or canned peaches). Then I just pick whatever I'm in the mood for and fly out the door to work.

With the brown/wheat rice/pasta, that's good, but not all of your choices have to be 100% clean if you won't stick to the eating plan you pick. Ideally pick the nutrious options but start where you are. I found it hard to switch from 1% milk to skim. but I did it and now I can't stand 1%. I don't like califlower, but I like steamed brocolli. Don't like cucumbers, but I like snap peas and baby carrots (with some Kraft ranch drassing). Find the clean stuff you genuinely like. Being picky isn't a bad thing. Turn it into picky for clean food. Eat smaller portions of the resturant food family brings home.

Manage calories and protein first, then get in the fruit and veggies, carbs are the x-factor. You'll get some carbs from the other food already, so you don't need a ton of rice or pasta or bread each day. I work my way around my plate. Protein, fruit/veggies, then carbs. Not easy with a hamburger though! The other thing is that I can't stay compliant with the meal plan unless I get a REAL treat everyday. Yes, everyday. The catch is I try to limit it to 150calories. And eat the real thing instead of all the diet treats. Less of the full fat bad-of-you version is way more satisfying than the light junk that will only increase my craving (since it didn't satisfy it)

If there's a fridge at work, try bringing several days of lunchs on Monday. I always keep a back-up Smart Ones in the freezer incase I forget. I keep a can of soup, a can of peaches, extra triscuts, jar of Skippy peanut butter (not into the natural stuff yet) and the oatmeal at work too. Its a mis-mash of food, but it's better than the vending machine.

Good luck!
Remember small sustainable changes are your best friends. If you're eating better than you used to then you're doing better than you were. Sustainable clean eating doesn't happen overnight.

beccarockslife · July 2012

You ate M&Ms for lunch one day but you aren't sure what you are doing wrong?

Be honest with yourself.

MissGeorgiaPeachy · July 2012

1) you're skipping meals all over the place
2) your meals aren't very well balanced (protein, carbs, etc.)
3) you've been doing this for less than 2 weeks.
4) you're eating too many processed foods

Some days you're way under, some days you skip 1 or more meals, some days you eat the same thing for multiple meals. Don't skip and try to have a little protein with each meal and snack. Like when you just had an apple for breakfast - have an apple with a little peanut butter, or a cup of nonfat milk. More balance.

And don't be surprised that you lost 9 lbs the first week and none yet this week. The first week you reduced calories so much that you dropped water weight. Now it will balance out. Don't expect to lose that much consistently. Especially if you don't really have that much to lose.

I never really thought about balance. I was just trying to stay within my allowances, but that makes sense. I do love peanut butter and apples! Also, I do have a lot to lose. I have 93 lbs left... but I'm more than happy with 1 lb a week.

Rikasue · July 2012

I think you need to eat more "real" food, including a balance of protein and some carbs at every meal. Try Greek yogurt with fruit, or egg whites with a slice of lower calorie bread or steel cut oatmeal with fruit for breakfast. I make 4 servings of oatmeal ahead of time, and reheat the portion with the fruit at work. Lunch - 4 oz lean protein and veges or salad (small amount of dressing) and dinner about the same. Try to stay away from bars, drinks like coffee drinks and smoothies. Are you counting the calories from any creamer you put in your coffee. I prepare my meals the night before so when I go to work, just put them in my lunch box. I know it sounds like a lot of work - but if it were easy wouldn't we all be slender?

Good luck.

emnk5308 · July 2012

Eat more!

You've got plenty of calories, you need to eat them..

ladykate7 · July 2012

I don't suggest forcing yourself to eat stuff you don't like, Its a lifestyle change. Certainly you may acquire a taste over time, but not by forcing yourself. I still hate cucumbers. but every month or so I buy one and give it a shot. I'm warming up to them. But I'm not about to make myself eat them everyday, or even every other week. There are so many other choices to try. I like the freezer bag veggie mixes. They have a dressing on them already, but are still under 100cals per serving. Add that to a Banquet chicken patty on an Arnolds's thin wheat bun with a tablespoon of orginal Miricale Whip mayo and you have yourself a decent dinner.

Not 100% clean, but heck, better than what you might have otherwise eaten and you'd probably enjoy this without having to choke down grilled chicken with rice and a noxious veggie.

Nothing wrong with Hidden Valley ranch. Just limit portion size. 1 or 2 tablespoons. That's how I got started eating baby carrots, snap peas and cherry tomatoes. I wouldn't have eaten those veggies without the ranch and eventually I started to like the veggies in their own right.

ladykate7 · July 2012

Nothing wrong with grilled chicken, rice and a veggie. I eat that a lot (well boiled/ pan fried chicken not grilled). The point is to ease into the things you aren't used to instead of diving in and changing everything all at once.
If she was 80% not clean eating, then any shift towards clean eating is a good direction. A massive swing ususally ends up as a "diet" not a lifestyle change.

DelilahCat0212 · July 2012

There is nothing wrong with reasonable portions of dip or butter. 1 pat of butter is 30something calories. 2 tablespoons of my favorite dip is 60 calories. You could even make your own with greek yogurt and powdered seasonings/dressing mixes.

Don't deprive yourself.

MandyJaneRose · July 2012

I'm not a morning person either, but then again it could be I'm not giving my body the fuel it needs to get up and get moving! I used to do two hard-boiled eggs, turkey sausage and wheat toast and that was my perfect breakfast. Actually I could probably eat that for every meal of the day if there wasn't so much sodium! I've got to force myself to get back into that routine. I'd boil eggs on Sunday night for the entire week so I could just microwave them and go.

Thanks for your advice.

Two hard boiled eggs, a turkey sausage, and wheat toast actually sounds like a very healthy balanced breakfast (or lunch/dinner). As long as the turkey sausage isn't super fattening, and you aren't overdoing it with oil or butter (moderation is fine), that sounds like a great breakfast that you could continue to have most days. With hardboiled eggs, I sometimes take out the yolk to cut calories. Also, I've seen turkey bacon in the supermarket for as low as 20 cals per slice, if you were willing to substitute that fur a sausage.

MandyJaneRose · July 2012

Well..I'll tell you what I tell my kids...get over your picky eating. If all you have is fresh food and veggies to eat and you get hungry, you'll eat it. You have to try new foods about 10 times before you'll develop a taste for them. So choke down those veggies and high protein foods until you learn to like them.

Is that true? Can you force yourself to like something?

This is definitely true, to an extent. I started forcing myself to eat plain oatmeal (cinnamon and healthy toppings allowed, no sugar though) for breakfast at least a couple times per week in January, and I had to gag it down. I realized pretty quickly that if I was not going to get out of eating it, I would have to just find the best way to get it down. My favourite way is to dump a cup of raspberries on top (or various other fresh fruits), and I now LOOK FORWARD TO IT. Believe it or not. I still think plain oatmeal is akin to mushy cardboard, but you find ways to learn to adapt if you just force yourself to do it. Try different spices on steamed veggies. I sometimes pour a bit of low-sodium soy sauce on veggies and steam them, either on the stove or in the microwave, and it makes it more interesting.

MissGeorgiaPeachy · July 2012

You ate M&Ms for lunch one day but you aren't sure what you are doing wrong?

Be honest with yourself.

I just started and I still have my weaknesses. I'm always going to have weaknesses and people say don't deny yourself, just don't over-do it. I'm trying to change the way I eat and I'm taking everything people are suggesting to heart. I realize it wasn't a good idea to eat 24 peanut M&Ms for lunch, but it's all I had on me and I tried to not eat anything else bad that day. That's a big step for me when I was eating pizza for breakfast, fried chicken and french fries for lunch, a couple of candy bars for snacks and more fattening, high-calorie food for dinner, but thanks for your input.

What am I doing wrong?

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