Diana3271, thanks for the great advice - coincidentally I was just looking up some calories and nearly fell off my chair when I saw that a grilled salmon fillet is like 397 calories! I have to weigh the portion I eat since I have salmon often (favorite fish ever!) to see how it compares, but oh my! I am not sure when to weigh food, am I supposed to weigh it cooked? or do they go by raw...
Maybe indeed overall I am taking in more calories than I imagine. I eat 5 meals a day and aim for portion control and eliminating the "bad" carbs but maybe that's not enough to get things moving a little faster...
I definitely can improve on things - more water, less absent minded eating of "healthy" food, watching calories, exercising etc...
I simply dont believe that I can't move the scale at 247 without any "help" like meds and such. At that weight I have to be able to shed a good amount!
facingfacts12 I think you can do it without the need for meds. I really do. Weighing your foods is probably the next step. Things can add up very quickly. I weigh prior to cooking. Also, keep in mind that this is a long term situation, not something that's going to be taken care of in a matter of weeks or months. Hopefully you will be eating healthier, moving more, etc for the rest of your life. You have plenty of time to tweak things as you go along. I have been doing this for many years as you can tell by my signature. If I did't weigh and measure my foods I would "allow" myself to eat larger servings. It's just the way I am. I love to eat and I have a very large appetite, so it's something I have to work on daily.
Diana3271, thank you for the encouragement and I cannot tell you what an inspiration you are to me! Reading your long history post initially added volumes to my resolve and belief that I can make this happen. you are right, I'm in it for the long haul... and I know I will learn a lot along the way. Yesterday I watched calories more - still not counting meticulously, but having a rough idea of what every meal was and not letting extra calories sneak in. The salmon thing floored me. I also ate dinner early and had enough sleep (another big problem I have unfortunately is I don't get much). Today the scale was down 1.5lbs FINALLY... I've busted out of that range I've been floating around in. My blood sugar looked much better too! I make notes so I know what to do going forward. I think about weight loss attempts I've had in my past. I never had THIS much weight to lose and I still wasn't successful long term. It's discouraging when I think that way about my history. But I tell myself... never did I truly have a mental attitude of changing for life, and never did I have more at stake. When I had to do it for my baby, I did it no question. Now I have to do it for me. Its not without challenges. I was trick-or-treating with my kids yesterday and lamenting how I can't just throw bits of my favorite candy into my mouth, or buy my favorite chocolate at the store. But I can't let anything take the focus off what I'm trying to do right now, which literally is save my own life. If what I'm doing will add a few extra healthy years onto my life, how can I not grab the opportunity!
facingfacts12 Great job being conscious of your meals and calories. Congrats on the 1.5 pounds and better sugar readings! That is awesome! It can seem overwhelming in the beginning, but you will get a handle on things. Eventually it will be just part of your routine. The salmon is higher in fat but it's good for you, so it's not bad. You might be able to find some lower calorie substitutes for the candy, sweets, etc. If you get chocolate, the darker the chocolate, higher % the better. I still have issues with all of that because I can easily eat a large bar of 80%+ chocolate. For me, eating a small piece only makes me want more. We all have our issues and need to address them in a way that works best for us. I would do better with a hard candy like a chocolate Nip. It's not sweet enough or chocolate enough to make me crazy like a chocolate bar would be.
Diana3271, I hear you.. a taste of something good often begs for another taste...
I was grocery shopping today and passed by the section of sweets/desserts and while I don't crave them, I suddenly had this thought of how am I going to survive thanksgiving! Surely I cannot give up on all my favorite foods and desserts that I often eat only once a year! I think I'm going to have to plan very early for this.
I thought suddenly about all the pies I love and was like.. how on earth will I avoid eating them
Its definitely a journey. And so glad to be here on these boards and be inspired by those further in their journeys and so on - I cant imagine how lonely it would have been otherwise.
facingfacts12 I do a lot better with planning, although, since originally getting to my goal weight I haven't handled my planning as well as I should have. I make plans but don't follow through. I'm not sure how you handle Thanksgiving, will it be at your house or another family member. It seems like it would be easier to make a plate up a bit ahead of time and eat what you have planned. Once you eat it and your piece of dessert, remove your plate and make sure you have plenty of water, unsweetened tea, etc. Stay busy serving people, cleaning up, etc.
Diana3271, that's a great idea. It will likely (hopefully) be at our house. Having a plan ahead will definitely help. I'm crossing my fingers that I will be able to navigate the tricky waters of the holiday season and still lose!
Diana3271, that's a great idea. It will likely (hopefully) be at our house. Having a plan ahead will definitely help. I'm crossing my fingers that I will be able to navigate the tricky waters of the holiday season and still lose!
You can do it! Even in you maintain during those weeks, that in itself will be even an accomplishment.
I have been reading this thread and just wanted to tell you how i handle parties.
I am not disciplined enough when eating with others and celebrating, so i plan ahead. If the party is on Saturday i do not eat anything unhealthy and mostly vegetables on Friday and Sunday. It works very well and i do not have to worry about other people insisting on me eating more cake. I also do not like thinking about what i can eat when i am enjoying myself so it takes a lot of stress away.
However, this is just an idea of how to solve this problem. Having yourself under control and preparing a plate in advance is of course a great solution as well and propably best for your body.
Hope you find something that works for you.
I have been reading this thread and just wanted to tell you how i handle parties.
I am not disciplined enough when eating with others and celebrating, so i plan ahead. If the party is on Saturday i do not eat anything unhealthy and mostly vegetables on Friday and Sunday. It works very well and i do not have to worry about other people insisting on me eating more cake. I also do not like thinking about what i can eat when i am enjoying myself so it takes a lot of stress away.
However, this is just an idea of how to solve this problem. Having yourself under control and preparing a plate in advance is of course a great solution as well and propably best for your body.
Hope you find something that works for you.
Thank you for posting. That's a good idea. I have also drank a lower calorie protein shake for breakfast each day the week of an event. That way, I will have lower calories going into the event. Also, like on Thanksgiving, we usually have our meal at lunch so I won't eat any dinner.
agreed, I will probably really minimize calories in other meals to offset. I LOVE the holidays and certainly want to enjoy them - and I'm sure its possible with planning like has been suggested. So far I've been good at avoiding being "bad" at events.. hope I can keep it up, preferrably the rest of my life
Diana3271 A protein shake sounds like a great idea, i have never tried one. How long does it take until you become hungry again? I am always searching for new ways to handle such days, do you maybe have an example of what to eat in a day?
Diana3271 A protein shake sounds like a great idea, i have never tried one. How long does it take until you become hungry again? I am always searching for new ways to handle such days, do you maybe have an example of what to eat in a day?
I do OK with the protein shakes I drink. It will carry me over until my next meal, 4-6 hours. I eat the same foods most days and don't vary them much. I usually have shakes for breakfast on the weekends. I post my foods here: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/weig...e-welcome.html
