tbirk Member

No idea if it directly causes weight gain. However, personally, I try to replace soda with water or tea. I feel like drinking the diet soda leaves me more thirsty and with the munchies!! Water is much more satisfying. Tea gives me caffeine, if that's what I'm craving. I have herbal tea if I just want something to sip on; I…

Thanks everyone for the helpful replies! Trying to stay strong, and also treat myself to a little sweet every now and then. :smile:

More meals works for me! I have 3 meals and one or two snacks. I can't make it so many hours without eating. Snacks are things like bananas, granola bars, string cheese, peanut butter crackers. Just something 200 calories or less to help me make it to the next meal. I get headaches and stomach pains if I go too long…

How about a cheat day? Maybe Friday you can have ONE soda or ONE dessert. I have small Hershey nuggets of chocolate to help satisfy my sweet tooth for very few calories. If you have room in your budget, you can put in half a piece of cake or a single cup of ice cream. Best of luck to you!

Sparkling water, tea, bananas, apple (+ peanut butter), popcorn, hummus & veggies :smile:

Planning is a great idea. If my budget is 1500 calories, then I plan: 250 cal breakfast, 500 cal lunch, 500 cal dinner, and 250 cal for snacks. Something like that. I have to snack. When I've done stricter dieting, I also plan WHEN I eat to space it out. It takes some self control, but waiting to snack might help you make…

More satisfying foods will help you avoid cravings and major hunger pain! Try eating eggs and half a piece of toast for breakfast instead of poptarts -- you will see the difference! Fewer calories and more satisfying. Replaces cheetos with string cheese or peanut butter & apple or banana. Try sparkling water. We all slip…

^^ Agreed! Even better -- occupy your time with exercise! Play volleyball on Friday nights or go for an evening walk after dinner. Something to get you moving and take your mind off food. :smile: (Watching TV is ok too, just no snacks!)

Throw away all the snacks and junk food that you have and don't buy anymore. Temptation gone! :smile: You'll have to just experiment with new types of meals and snacks that make you feel satisfied for longer. Lean protein and lots of veggies are key! Nothing fills me up like roasted brussel sprouts or steamed broccoli…

I cut back on caffeine in general, replacing soda and coffee with water or herbal tea. I felt better! Less tired, and the cravings for sugar and caffeine were a lot less. I still get tempted, so I have to actively avoid caffeinated drinks.

Congrats on the weight loss! Getting momentum is one of the hardest parts, so good for you for sticking with it. I hope you grow to enjoy exercise; that makes it so much better. Plus you get to eat more when you exercise. How great is that!? There are a lot of options out there - you just have to find what works for you! I…

I also struggle getting to the gym after work, but it's worth it. Starting the habit is the hardest part. I often feel too tired to go, but I never regret going! I bet you'll feel the same. I like to go to classes like spin/cycling to motivate me to commit to a certain time. I find exercise helps accelerate weightloss. 3-5…

^^ It's not the one meal a day that's causing starvation mode, it's the too few calories. Starvation mode is a real thing; that's why other posters are recommending that you have a minimum goal of 1200 calories a day. It does sound like you have more going on health-wise, so keep talking to your doctor. The forums here can…

How badly it's effecting your goals is up to you! Can you stay within your goal and enjoy coffee with all the fixins? Log, log, log! Always add the coffee to your journal and be honest in your food diary. It's a tool to help you adjust your diet. Trial and error is the only way to find out. Personally, I have lowfat milk…

yum plain cottage cheese

^ interesting point Does the TDEE estimation include exercise? MFP calorie goals do NOT include exercise (but do incldue overall activity level). Exercise creates a deficit in MFP, so it's not assumed in the daily calorie goal. At least that's my understanding of it. I think of the MFP calories as a net calories goal.…

My sister and mom can eat 1200 calories a day, but I cannot! I do not have that kind of will power. I stick to about 1500 net calories per day. This obviously means the weight loss is a little slower, but I find it way more bearable. Start cutting back slowly, so start with 1600. If you can manage that, then try 1500. If…

Does she have a MyFitnessPal account? That could help educate her on what she's putting in her body. I started counting calories around 16, and I don't think it was a bad thing. My dad was actually the one who intervened when I started overeating and gaining weight in high school, and I'm so glad that he did. It helped me…

Well, now you know what the calorie impact is, so learn from your mistake! Nothing you can do about the binge now, except maybe workout (go for a walk!) and/or eat a light dinner (soup, veggies, hummus & veggies, etc.). You really just need to find the will power to limit yourself to one or two. I know cravings are tough,…

I love the charm bracelet idea! My biggest motivator for fitness is signing up for a race -- usually a 5K or a 10K. If I get someone else to sign up with me, then that's even more motivation for me! I like eating healthy, so it's the exercise that I need motivation for.

Personally, those empty calories make weight loss so much harder! I consume in moderation, not actually cutting everything out. Cutting back makes room for more satisfying and filling foods on a limited calorie budget.

^^ Haha I like that. Water really is amazing. "Detox" is such a loaded term, I think that's why the responses are so varied. I've seen some detox plans that are nothing but vegetable juice for days -- that can't be good for you! Plus you'll be starving your body, so you'll probably just gain it all back and be tempted to…

* Veggies! I love roasted Brussels sprouts or broccoli. I like fresh veggies too, like celery and carrots. I'll eat those plain or with hummus. * Fruits like bananas and apples. * Lean proteins like chicken, turkey, fish. * Tea and water. 0 calories. There is a large variety of tea, too! * Lowfat dairy like cottage cheese,…

I'm sure we've all heard hurtful words about our appearance at one time or another. It always hurts, no matter the context. I'm sorry you were hurt. I'm not a parent, and this isn't a parenting website, so I'll say no more on the subject. Now, onto weight loss. I have several suggestions. I think it's OK to indulge…