MommaGem2017 Member

I feel ya! Houston here and it's a hot one today!!

My parents and all my grandparents are from the South. They cooked Southern food like fried chicken, chicken fried steak, fried okra, black eyed peas, fried potatoes and onions, greens cooked with bacon, etc. But no one was over weight. They ate these foods, but not in excess. They worked hard for a living and didn't…

Neither, I weigh daily, but I record my weight whenever I hit a new low. That way I'm not stressed out a particular day.

Excellent, thank you very much! Time to hit the grocery store :)

Hi all! I've decided to dip my toe into this challenge :o Thanks @OliveGirl128 and @French_Peasant for the advice! 800g is alot of fruits and veg, so I'll have to work my way up. Question before I start... are there any foods that do not qualify? Corn, potatoes, olives... anything? Any qualifiers I should know about? Any…

When I was a vegetarian I stopped eating the fake meats because I felt they were just way too processed. Why do you want the vege chicken? To get more protein? Because the Dhaka will have plenty of protein. Maybe have a scoop of rice with the dhaal instead?

If it fits within my daily calorie goal - it's not a cheat B)

I am seriously impressed @OliveGirl128 and @French_Peasant - you've both given me some good food for thought!

^^This.^^ I am of the "don't make things unnecessarily complicated" camp. Eat the foods that you enjoy, but within your calorie goal, so you can set yourself up for long-term success. There is no eat to stuff yourself with kale if you hate it. There is no need to avoid the donut if you can fit it into your daily calories.

And she's taking the first step by coming here onto MFP and asking for support.

Not knocking veggies, because I seriously love my veggies, but I just don't think I could possibly eat 800g of veggies a day. I mean seriously. Right now I eat about 150g a meal, so about 300g a day, but 800g - wow. I think I would really get a good cleansing. I'll definitely have to check out your thread to see how…

And I just choked on my coffee reading it :D

Do you exercise at all? Do you track steps with a pedometer or fitness band? You may be able to eat some more based on exercise calories.

Is your goal to lose weight or just to eat healthier?

I think the 2 cantaloupe sized fibroids are complicating the issue. I really think you should put weight loss goals to the side until after your surgery. If those fibroids keep growing, it could be the reason it's so hard to lose (I've never had fibroids and don't know the growth rate), but I think that you'll be fighting…

I seemed to notice at around 12 lbs as well. I started having to constantly pull my pants up.

Yes, use the scale and please eat more than 1000 calories. I would recommend going into your MFP diet profile, entering in your statistics and goals, then following the calorie recommendation MFP gives you.

Absolutely. When I'm not tracking food I tend to mindlessly graze all day long. Tracking has been a blessing to more mindful eating.

Have you changed your activity level in MFP?

I don't have anything more to and except.... HUGS!!

Eating what I want, but weighing, logging, and keeping within my deficit.

I feel alot less pressure in social situations. I order what I want, or bring what I want, without any worry about others expectations. Now,this might be a different experience for others if their social situations are different. Like, friends are big foodies or partyers, but it works well for me.

My husband and mother know (because a change in how I cook or eat would be obvious), but other than that - I haven't told anyone. The only person I need to be accountable to is me. Best wishes! ETA: I'm not really keeping it a secret. It's just not a topic I bring up with others.

Ohhhhhh, the cuddle vortex is super strong!!

I am appreciating my husband more and more and more and this thread continues. I am such a lucky lady!!

A 3, 5, 10 day break from a diet is not going to do significant damage to a process that could take YEARS. Constantly cutting out enjoyable activities in life to keep on dieting every day without fail.... will lead to burnout and eventual failure.

Good plan!

OR, just enjoy the vacation, eat the food, and get right back on track when you get back. Vacations should be enjoyed. They don't happen every day. A poster recently said (I regret I forget which one). "Plan your weight loss around your life, not your life around your weight loss."

If you are using the calorie goal set by MFP, then Yes. MFP bases your calorie deficit before factoring in any exercise. So you should be logging your exercise, then eating back those calories. You will still have the proper calorie deficit to lose weight.

Sorry, it does suck to be looking forward to something and have it disappoint :( However, what a great learning experience and you will probably crave that food less. I hope your next treat meal will be more satisfying!