I'm just about ready to give up....

  • I was doing FINE ever since Monday eating better, I been taking Zumba, Hustle(zumba like), stair master, tread, etc and now UGHHH.

    I went to the gym, I made the wrong choice of taking a friend who unfortunately made me late and I couldn't get into Zumba. We ended up at the pool for about an hr not doing much because it was full and so we just left.

    When I dropped her off I felt so mad at myself and just like I didn't accomplish anything and my routine was done. I went to jack in the box I bought 2 tacos, 5 mini churros, and 1 egg roll. I feel even WORSE.

    What can I do? I don't have the funds to buy healthier food and my family they eat what they want because they don't have weight issues. I'm at 297, ALMOST 300, I'm just about ready to throw the towel. My doctor said if I don't show weight loss by my doc appt in Aug then he will suggest surgery. I just get so hungry after a workout and all that, but I don't want surgery.

    HELP!!! Workout tips? Eating tips?? HELP!!!

  • I'm sorry you've had such a rough day.

    Eating unplanned stuff pretty much always feels worse after the fact. The good news is that you now have that lesson learned. You also learned that you get really hungry after a workout--which, by the way, you deserve some congratulations for doing so regularly--and really need to save up some of your food budget for then.

    Did you eat because you were mad at yourself or because you were hungry--or was it both? You mention both things in your post, but I think you'll get a better handle on your next step if you figure out what made you go to Jack in the Box, what kept you in line there long enough to place your order, and what prompted you to make the choices that you did.

    Have you talked to your family about how important this is to you? Maybe they can help you out with your budget or pick up some healthier options for you. There is a HUGE amount of overlap between "stuff that tastes good" and "stuff that's good for you"; your folks should be happy to buy things like fresh vegetables, chicken, lean deli meats, hummus, fruit, salsa, and so forth. Even if they don't have weight issues, your family could also benefit from more nutritious choices, so maybe it's something you can all work on together.

    Hunger will definitely provoke unplanned eating--and it should. Hunger is important to our very survival, and if you're feeling hungry, chances are you need to address that in whichever meal plan you adopt. You shouldn't have to spend too much time feeling genuinely hungry, although on any plan, you're going to feel the occasional jones for pizza or cake or whatever your old favorites were.

    I forget where I read it, but I read somewhere that we have two hunger scales: one for physical fullness and one for satiety. It made a lot of sense to me, so I aimed for food that provided both a lot of volume to fill me up and enough flavor/texture/variety/umami/fattiness to satiate me. Your meal from Jack in the Box, for example--it sounds really satiating with a lot of texture and flavors, but fairly calorie-dense. We don't have J-i-t-Bs here in N.O., LA, but do they have some bulky, lower-calorie filler type foods that you could try next time?

    For example, on the rare occasions that I get a major fast food craving, I go to Wendy's and get a small thingie of chili and a baked potato. I eat those with a big bulky salad or some leftover greens or flash-cooked snow pea pods for fiber and volume. I still eat tasty stuff like cheese and chocolate, but I eat it in small amounts and always with something that takes up space.

    As for being hungry after a workout, plan your meals accordingly. Knowing when you get really hungry can help tremendously. If you don't already track what you eat on Livestrong or Fitday or Daily Plate or Sparkpeople or even just writing it all down in a notebook, give it a try; it'll reveal a lot about your eating habits and help you fine-tune your plan to make it more effective and more enjoyable.

    Please don't throw in the towel. You're doing so well with your exercise, and you know where your trouble spots lie with the other side of the equation. You don't have to have a perfect tomorrow, just a better one.

    I wish I had your exercise stamina. More power to you for having that kind of energy!
  • hi, MS. You posted this on the OA forum page. Are you looking for help or info re OA? If so, just ask -

    Dan
  • Quote: I'm sorry you've had such a rough day.

    Eating unplanned stuff pretty much always feels worse after the fact. The good news is that you now have that lesson learned. You also learned that you get really hungry after a workout--which, by the way, you deserve some congratulations for doing so regularly--and really need to save up some of your food budget for then.

    Did you eat because you were mad at yourself or because you were hungry--or was it both? You mention both things in your post, but I think you'll get a better handle on your next step if you figure out what made you go to Jack in the Box, what kept you in line there long enough to place your order, and what prompted you to make the choices that you did.

    Have you talked to your family about how important this is to you? Maybe they can help you out with your budget or pick up some healthier options for you. There is a HUGE amount of overlap between "stuff that tastes good" and "stuff that's good for you"; your folks should be happy to buy things like fresh vegetables, chicken, lean deli meats, hummus, fruit, salsa, and so forth. Even if they don't have weight issues, your family could also benefit from more nutritious choices, so maybe it's something you can all work on together.

    Hunger will definitely provoke unplanned eating--and it should. Hunger is important to our very survival, and if you're feeling hungry, chances are you need to address that in whichever meal plan you adopt. You shouldn't have to spend too much time feeling genuinely hungry, although on any plan, you're going to feel the occasional jones for pizza or cake or whatever your old favorites were.

    I forget where I read it, but I read somewhere that we have two hunger scales: one for physical fullness and one for satiety. It made a lot of sense to me, so I aimed for food that provided both a lot of volume to fill me up and enough flavor/texture/variety/umami/fattiness to satiate me. Your meal from Jack in the Box, for example--it sounds really satiating with a lot of texture and flavors, but fairly calorie-dense. We don't have J-i-t-Bs here in N.O., LA, but do they have some bulky, lower-calorie filler type foods that you could try next time?

    For example, on the rare occasions that I get a major fast food craving, I go to Wendy's and get a small thingie of chili and a baked potato. I eat those with a big bulky salad or some leftover greens or flash-cooked snow pea pods for fiber and volume. I still eat tasty stuff like cheese and chocolate, but I eat it in small amounts and always with something that takes up space.

    As for being hungry after a workout, plan your meals accordingly. Knowing when you get really hungry can help tremendously. If you don't already track what you eat on Livestrong or Fitday or Daily Plate or Sparkpeople or even just writing it all down in a notebook, give it a try; it'll reveal a lot about your eating habits and help you fine-tune your plan to make it more effective and more enjoyable.

    Please don't throw in the towel. You're doing so well with your exercise, and you know where your trouble spots lie with the other side of the equation. You don't have to have a perfect tomorrow, just a better one.

    I wish I had your exercise stamina. More power to you for having that kind of energy!


    ALLLLLL of that, times 1000!

    You CAN do this. We are all proof that it can be done. If you get discouraged, go check out the mini-goal or goal section. Its SO helpful!