[losinitnow]

I have been yo-yo dieting since my 20's. I am in my early 40's now. I have gained 30 pounds since November 2014. Currently I am 260 lbs. (my highest weight ever) and 5'4". I am morbidly obese.

I bought the Fitbit HR and have started moving my body. I have been walking for about 4 weeks now. I usually get between 6-8K steps a day, but my goal is 10K. I hit that goal twice last week. I just joined a gym and started working on my arms and legs too.

I feel like I can commit to at least 60 minutes of moderate daily activity 5x week and stick to it easily. My biggest hurdle is nutrition. I have been logging my food daily since I started walking. I have not even lost a pound. However, I have only changed my eating habits a small amount.

I think my portions are usually 1.5 times the normal protein portion and 2x the normal starch portion. I crave and eat carbs. Some small changes I have made include skipping the normal fast food meal at lunch and now eating a salad with grilled chicken or a half a subway ham sub. I also am drinking a lot of water. I don't crave sweet and don't drink diet drinks. I do drink tea and use sweet n low though.

I feel like I eat to soothe. I crave macaroni and cheese, pizza, etc. I want to rewire my brain to eat because I have to or I will starve. Do you understand what I mean? My food problem seems to be a mental one. I have always used food for rewards and celebrations.

How do I change my eating habits? How do I start to enjoy vegetables that I really don't care for? I like salads, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots. I don't like broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, etc. I eat and love all fruits.

I need to get 20 pounds or so off so it won't hurt my body so much when exercising. I need to see the scale move.

Can anyone help me with suggestions?

[AngelOnHorseback]

Hi losinitnow

I'm new to this site but not new to the weight loss challenge. Some things that I have found helpful in the past is logging everything I put in my mouth. Keeping a diary will help you see your eating habits and adjust as necessary. Plus the journal helps with accountability. Cravings can sometimes be the body's way of telling you what it needs more of, ie sugary food cravings could be caused by deficiency in chromium, carbon, phosphorus, etc). Finding foods with those nutrients might help. Find healthy foods that work for you, and it will be easier to make the changes a habit and new lifestyle. The journey happens one day at a time. If you have an off day, forgive yourself and start over.

I have cut my carbs drastically since last Thursday. I felt dizzy and had headaches the first couple of days, but now feel wonderful. It was worth the headaches. Five days in I notice I already have a bit of an increase in stamina (I know more will come as weight comes off), and I don't feel bloated which I had been feeling for a long time. The cravings are almost gone.
Best of luck, you can do it

[AngelOnHorseback]

Sorry, I don't think I actually answered your questions. When you get a craving, finding a way to distract yourself will help until it passes. If you are busy you won't notice it as much and it will pass. Getting up and taking a walk is great. I do this when I'm hungry, I soon don't notice I'm hungry anymore.

It is ok not to like all vegetables. Start with the ones you like, and maybe try some new ones you have never tried before, if there are any. Incorporate veggies you don't like into meals that help mask the flavour. have you tried cauliflower crust pizza? Low carb, don't really taste the cauliflower - and you can enjoy pizza without the guilt.

[rachel2writer]

I agree with logging everything. Most online trackers and apps will give you a suggested calorie range.

A good place to start is to cut out all the 'white' foods - bread, pasta, white rice, flour, sugar - or even just limit those to 1 or 2 servings per day if you can't cut them out completely.

Another thing that's really helped me is measuring / weighing proteins, fats, and starches. It's so easy to overestimate serving sizes. I don't measure vegetables and fruits, and can eat as many of those I want during the day, but things like rice - I measure out 1/2 cup for my 1 portion, and meat - I weigh on my kitchen scale.

[Defining]

Hey, there are a hundred different approaches and tricks you could start with - but at the end of the day, you'll need to experiment a bit and find what works for you.

My suggestion, based on what you eat/do right now, may feel a little contrary: I think you should pay attention to eating more, not less. Just...a specific kind of more.

Keep your protein portions as is, and every meal eat at least 3c of vegetables (any kind, so long as it's an actual vege). Then, if you're still hungry after that, have 1/2 the starches of what you'd normally eat (or a piece of fruit). If you're still hungry after that, have a glass of water, wait 15minn, and then have more protein if you need. Stick with what you enjoy eating, for now.

The advantage of this approach is that you are not focusing on what you 'can't' have, you're focusing on nourishing food. If this works for you, there are more strategies you can add as you go along, creating a cumulative lifestyle change, as opposed to a 'diet'.

Best of luck, and welcome to the forums!

[losinitnow]

Thank you all so much. I am going to use your suggestions. I like the idea of eating and then stopping and drinking water. I find that I will eat even when I'm not hungry. I am hoping that making small changes overtime will become habit.