And I don't know your personal situation but do you have health insurance? If so, it might cover nutritionist visits. If you know nothing about eating right, nutrition, etc, a nutritionist can be a great start.
If not, your library can be a great resource but where to start? I think a lot of people start with calorie counting because it is so simple. Myfitnesspal.com is a great site for calorie counting. Although it isn't a calorie counting diet, I thought the principles from the South Beach Diet were pretty solid, especially as an introductory to healthy eating.
no idea how to calorie count, do i really have to do that? the thought of it stresses me out to no end.
no idea how to calorie count, do i really have to do that? the thought of it stresses me out to no end.
No you don't have to do it. There is no one right way to go about being healthier. It's about making choices, keeping focused and not beating yourself up about mistakes. Move a little more, eat a little less.... come on now, you know which foods you need to eat a little less of. It's the ones you love the MOST unfortunately.
Counting calories CAN be stressful. However, for many of us it can be a life saver. It keeps things real and emotion-less. Lots of people choose to measure their food in cups, like a cup of rice or a cup of broccoli etc. But you'd be shocked at how many calories you can overeat if you fill your cup up a wee bit more on the top. Counting calories even for just a week can really open your eyes to how much you're eating. I counted calories for a while and now I simply don't have to. Because I know how many calories are in a serving, I know that bread and pasta are loaded with calories and so I just avoid those. I have an arsenal of knowledge about what each food is worth and it's better to know than to not know imo.
The easy way to go about it is to get a food scale, read labels on food, use a calorie counter such as http://www.calorieking.com/ count calories and keep a journal of everything you eat. It's a lot of work but it does help even if you don't do it forever.
You could start with just keeping a journal of what your eating and portion size, don't figure calories in at all at first. It isn't fun but it does make you face reality about what you are eating and how much. I don't look at it like a diet because that has negative connotations with me, it's a lifestyle change in all ways, active and food.
isnt there a way i can eat healthy and NOT measure everything? right now i eat a ton at a time. lets say for instance i goto burger king, i can put down 2 of their chicken sandwiches and 2 small fries. to me that is a ton of food, how can i macth that by eating better? what stresses me out is i have no idea what i am burning when i do exercise. well i should say, when i do, i have not started yet because i cant afford to buy anything at this time. i am broke until my disability comes in. so until then, its ramen noodles 3 times a day, isnt that great? i am so poor that is all i can afford to eat, makes me angry and depressed at the same time. maybe its not in the cards for me to ever be thin, maybe i am doomed to be nothing.
isnt there a way i can eat healthy and NOT measure everything? right now i eat a ton at a time. lets say for instance i goto burger king, i can put down 2 of their chicken sandwiches and 2 small fries. to me that is a ton of food, how can i macth that by eating better?
Yes, there is a way. It involves eating a lot of vegetables.
It shows you what 200 calories of a particular food looks like. You'll see that 200 calories of peanut butter is practically nothing, while 200 calories of lettuce is a huge amount...5 heads or so!
If you eat more vegetables, you can eat more volume without eating more calories.
As for knowing how many calories you burn, honestly, that information doesn't really mean anything. If you're moving, you're burning more calories than you did sitting down, and that's really all the matters. There's no need to track the amount, just move more than you are now.
Getting started is definitely the hard part! Followed by sticking to it. I'm starting over again, so I completely understand. I have found that when I'm successful, it's because I'm "exercising" by doing something I enjoy as opposed to a programmed exercise course. I do go to the gym, but it's as much a social event in my little town so I enjoy going. But I have definitely found that once I figured out what I enjoyed doing, then it didn't seem like exercise any more. One friend enjoys dancing, and has lost 30 pounds since taking up competitive ballroom dancing. Another enjoys hiking. Another enjoys cleaning (something I simply don't understand ) and has actually started cleaning people's houses.
In terms of foods, my experience has been that it's a very personal matter of what can you live with. For me, I eat whatever I want, but limit it to 1200 calories and between 50-70 grams of carbs to be in weight loss. I have to watch both carbs and calories. For me, I lost weight on low carb, but my cholesterol shot through the roof. I try to track everything on an app on my phone as it has calories, carbs, fat and protein. There are lots of them available.
Good luck! My advice after years of trying to lose weight is to find what works for you -- which may be strict adherence to a diet plan or developing your own. Just make it something you can actually enjoy. Hope that helps.
Getting started is definitely the hard part! Followed by sticking to it. I'm starting over again, so I completely understand. I have found that when I'm successful, it's because I'm "exercising" by doing something I enjoy as opposed to a programmed exercise course. I do go to the gym, but it's as much a social event in my little town so I enjoy going. But I have definitely found that once I figured out what I enjoyed doing, then it didn't seem like exercise any more. One friend enjoys dancing, and has lost 30 pounds since taking up competitive ballroom dancing. Another enjoys hiking. Another enjoys cleaning (something I simply don't understand ) and has actually started cleaning people's houses.
In terms of foods, my experience has been that it's a very personal matter of what can you live with. For me, I eat whatever I want, but limit it to 1200 calories and between 50-70 grams of carbs to be in weight loss. I have to watch both carbs and calories. For me, I lost weight on low carb, but my cholesterol shot through the roof. I try to track everything on an app on my phone as it has calories, carbs, fat and protein. There are lots of them available.
Good luck! My advice after years of trying to lose weight is to find what works for you -- which may be strict adherence to a diet plan or developing your own. Just make it something you can actually enjoy. Hope that helps.
i dont have a cell phone, i think i might be the only person in the world without one, so i cant use whatever your talking about. i dont know what carbs are, i dont know how to find a list of things that they are associated with. i am really stupid when it comes to dieting, and my own doctor wouldnt find me a nutritionist either so what does that say? so i appreciate what you all have said, but i am still at square one. dont know anything right now except eat the right stuff and exercise.
1. Food. To start with to get good food downrange try the plate method. For every meal divide your plate into half. Measure your plate make it a small plate not a serving platter. EVERY MEAL: Right half fill with veggies. Frozen veggies are totally cheap and last forever nothing wrong with frozen veggies. Left half, divide in two. Top half protein. As in eggs, canned tuna, chicken, fish. I lived on canned tuna and eggs for a long time totally cheap. Bottom half, grains or legumes or potatoes. As in rice, beans, lentils, potatoes. All cheap especially if bought at the bulk store and potatos are totally cheap too. A 1 lb bag of red lentils makes enough food for a full week meals and costs less than 2 bucks. Right now don't worry about anything else dont calorie count dont worry about carbs or figuring anything out. Just do the above.
This so much. Starting off calorie counting and weighing food can be overwhelming. Focus on swapping out what you currently eat for some healthy choices to ease yourself into this.
FWIW, I still don't weigh or measure 90% of the time. The only time I really measure my food is if I'm eating peanut butter (because it's so calorie-dense). It's possible to lose and maintain weight without weighing or measuring food.
isnt there a way i can eat healthy and NOT measure everything? right now i eat a ton at a time. lets say for instance i goto burger king, i can put down 2 of their chicken sandwiches and 2 small fries. to me that is a ton of food, how can i macth that by eating better? what stresses me out is i have no idea what i am burning when i do exercise. well i should say, when i do, i have not started yet because i cant afford to buy anything at this time. i am broke until my disability comes in. so until then, its ramen noodles 3 times a day, isnt that great? i am so poor that is all i can afford to eat, makes me angry and depressed at the same time. maybe its not in the cards for me to ever be thin, maybe i am doomed to be nothing.
I think you're receiving lots of advice and encouragement and even different methods of how to go about this. However, you are being combative and defensive. It sounds like you're wallowing in self pity and can only think of the things you can't do or don't want to do. The procedure for losing weight and becoming healthier, however varied the philosophy or method is, is identical for everyone: Eat less crap, eat more veggies, and move more.
A little negativity goes a long way in holding you back. Try focusing on what you CAN do rather than what you don't want to do. Nobody on this site or anyone who has managed to lose weight, or anyone that has more money is any better, smarter, prettier, or more capable than you are. Success is built on the will to try, not the will to cry.
I agree, in order to lose weight, you have to focus on what you can do vs what you can't. If you are dead set on not calorie counting, I'd look at something like South Beach Diet with focus on eating more vegetables. You can pick up a book at your local library.
Honestly, I lost over 100 lbs without counting calories but I had a general idea of the calories of what I was eating if that makes sense.
Carbie I totally feel your frustration levels and theyre sky high. This is getting waaaay more complicated than it needs to be. So lets break it down into 3 areas and make it easy. I did this when I started. 3 areas -- food, exercise, stress management.
1. Food. To start with to get good food downrange try the plate method. For every meal divide your plate into half. Measure your plate make it a small plate not a serving platter. EVERY MEAL: Right half fill with veggies. Frozen veggies are totally cheap and last forever nothing wrong with frozen veggies. Left half, divide in two. Top half protein. As in eggs, canned tuna, chicken, fish. I lived on canned tuna and eggs for a long time totally cheap. Bottom half, grains or legumes or potatoes. As in rice, beans, lentils, potatoes. All cheap especially if bought at the bulk store and potatos are totally cheap too. A 1 lb bag of red lentils makes enough food for a full week meals and costs less than 2 bucks. Right now don't worry about anything else dont calorie count dont worry about carbs or figuring anything out. Just do the above.
2. Exercise. Get on the bike, adjust tension a bit so that you have to make a bit of effort. Bike for 15 minutes. Do this first thing in the morning. Do this before dinner. Worry about the weights later.
3. Stress. Google breathing exercises. 15 minutes breathing exercises before bed.
Do this for a month. Weigh yourself once at the start. Then once in a month.
No soda, no chips, no chocolate, no crap we all know what that is. No cheating. Then in a month, we can talk about more details. You can do it.
ok just a question here, what can i use instead of butter for my vegetables? im not trying to complain i just cant eat them cooked without something, thats all i ask please.
thank you all for your support and advice i really do appreciate it, even tho i am extremely self loathing..
ok just a question here, what can i use instead of butter for my vegetables? im not trying to complain i just cant eat them cooked without something, thats all i ask please.
thank you all for your support and advice i really do appreciate it, even tho i am extremely self loathing..
You have to be careful about the words you use with yourself. There is a big difference between "can't" and "won't." When someone says "can't" when it's perfectly possible they just sound like whiners. At least be honest and say "won't" and own it. While I can totally sympathize with self-loathing from time to time, it's never a good idea to live in denial. You don't WANT to eat them without butter. You don't WANT to count calories. Be clear about your language. From the sound of it, you have a lot to learn about nutrition and good health, all of it can be learned with a little effort and and a willingness to try. There are a number of things you can eat with your veggies including: a little butter, a little olive oil, a little grating of parmesan cheese. And believe me, you CAN eat them lightly steamed with nothing on them. You just don't want to. I quite enjoy raw veggies dipped in hummus, I didn't always but I've learned to because I care about my health and I'm not willing to accept that I'm not capable of something when I know I am.
2. Exercise. Get on the bike, adjust tension a bit so that you have to make a bit of effort. Bike for 15 minutes. Do this first thing in the morning. Do this before dinner. Worry about the weights later.
do i have to do 15 in the morning and 15 before dinner? can i just do 30 minutes and be done with it?
