I have no idea where to even begin!
 

The reason weight loss has been so frustrating for me is that I have no idea what to do in terms of food. Exercise is fine with me, because I know what I like, but I have no idea what to eat!

I know the whole fruits/veggies/whole grains stuff but I find it hard to find recipes where the ingredients are inexpensive. I am a student after all.

Help please?

Also, if anyone could recommend supportive sports bras for D cups, it would be great! :carrot:

for *me personally*, it was easier to start with just calorie counting. i still ate the things i normally ate but i started restricting portions. as time went on, i started seeing that i was getting ripped off in the calorie department. once you start learning how many calories are in things, which comes in time when you're paying attention, you start thinking, "man, 180 calories for a cookie? i could have this and this and that instead..."

it was really kind of a naturally evolving thing. also, i know what it's like to be on a budget and depending on how specific you want to be about your diet, there are things to eat that are cheap. i eat a lot of bananas, apples, eggs, and other cheap foods. a bag of apples runs about $2.99 at my store and has about 10 - 15 in it. not too bad when you break down the math. even if you end up with a very basic meaL because of calorie restraints, remember that spices ARE your friends. garlic, oregano, salt, pepper.. as well as adding things like onions (buy a big bag of storage onions and keep them in a dark space, theyll last like forever) or mushrooms can make ALL the difference for very few calories.

good luck!

Who needs a recipe? Fruit and most veggies can be eaten raw. And as the other person stated... reading labels and being aware of how many calories are in which products will start the process.

Im with the first replier, I calorie count, I can eat anything I want if I can fit it in my calorie counts. Often times when I look up the count (BEFORE EATING IT IS KEY) I decide that the count isn't worth the hit to my calorie budget for that day. Sometimes it is worth it for a super strong craving or for a special occasion. It also helps on special occasions when I go over because then I KNOW how badly I did. Sometimes thats bad but most of the time its nowhere near as bad as I may fear.

Well, getting to this site is already a start! Look around, there's a ton of information and support on this website. Find a diet that's best for you. Personally, I've started calorie counting a few months ago and have lost 12 pounds since then. I hit a plateau and decided to just maintain and 'chill' for a while. I'm about to go back and calorie count again. It really helps with portion control, I think.

Good luck!

This is great advice and well written too.

I'm a calorie counter, too. My additional two cents: one of the things that made me able to stick with my diet at the beginning was concentrating on eating foods I liked (rather than the things I thought of as stereotypical diet fare-- rice cakes and carrot sticks and so forth).

As for the sports bra, I really like the Moving Comfort line of bras. I wear the Fiona and the Juno. Good support for the large (but not enormous) chested; I was a DD during most of my weight loss (still basically am, but with a much smaller band size).

It doesnt have to be this complicated, have what youd regular have but remove some things and replace with others. Sandwhiches are good, try whole wheat not white. Instead of mayo use a bit of avocado. Instead pf salami try chicken breast or turkey. Easy substitutions in every day meals.. Instead of mac and cheese/KD try whole wheat spaghetti with a bit of tomato sauce and a good amount of veggies.

I was already a really healthy eater (I have allergies that mean that I can't eat a lot of the usual snack food, such a cookies, cake, etc...), and still at a weight I was unhappy with. So for me it was more about getting rid of all the little "empty" calories through the day. My breakfast is perfectly healthy and low cal, but if I eat little bits of cheese throughout the morning (mainly out of boredom), then I am just screwing with my count (and my head, because I will think: but I only had a banana and an apple for breakfast, why am I still fat?).
Same for lunch and dinner, I would eat lovely, healthy meals, but snack afterwards a lot. Snacks are fine if you feel hungry, but not out of boredom, or because I went past Tesco, or my friend had one, so i should too... I have lost 15 pounds just changing my snacks basically. Most of them were unnecessary and the rest were substituted with fruit or veg.

And while I am not actively counting, I do know the cals in most things I consume and look up the ones I am unsure about!

Bra-wise, I have yet to find one that is really good. I do gymnastics and trampoline every few weeks, and the breasts do suffer with all the high impact.
What kind of works for me is a sports bra (I have a really expensive nike one that is pretty crap and then 2 cheaper ones, from lonsdale, I think, that are slightly better) and then leotards that are just that little bit too tight. The breasts still ache, but they are at least contained (I am a C cup, used to be a D) and less jiggled!

My sister and I each have found danskin bras at Walmart that work great for us (we each have D or larger). You have to go there and find the right fit. For me, I get ones that are super tight to keep the girls in place. They are also not too bad on the wallet. I wouldn't go with the seamless kind - they stretch out and are better for with pjs than a workout.

As for diet & money, try to find a farmer's market or veggie store. Typically these places provide better fruits and veggies than your local grocer at a lower price.

It's hard to tell someone else "where to begin" - after all, we don't know you - we don't know you're likes & dislikes, your "drathers" and so forth.

But I think I can at least help you decide what NOT to do. For instance, if you HATE counting (calories or points or whatever) then you could safely assume that calorie counting is not for you. OR - if you just love love LOVE potatoes and macaroni & cheese and really don't like eggs or meat, then a heavy protein/low carb diet is probably not your best bet either. If you always enjoy a nice glass of wine each day & can't imagine giving it up, then you probably SHOULDN'T give it up (unless directed to do so by your doctor) & instead find some way to incorporate it into your dietary plan.

And so forth.

The point is, you need to find WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. And what works for you may be quite a journey - it will take time & effort, trial & error to figure it out. And what works for someone else may not work for you - that doesn't mean you're a failure! - it just means that you haven't found WHAT DOES work for you just yet.

So my advice is to take it easy on yourself... do some trial & error & figure out what you LIKE and how YOU want to approach weight loss.

Good luck! - and keep coming here! 3FC has some awesome members with tons of advice!! WE are the "experts". Not those people who had 10 pounds to lose & wrote a book & became kojillionaires. :D

why thank ya sir

Wow :D so many replies.

juliastl27 yeah calorie counting has worked for me in the past :) it's when I started going to college that I stopped being so vigilant about that. So I'll definitely start again :) thanks

sopfa22 and drixnot I love fruits and veggies so all's well there :) and I will look up more raw veggie recipes I think. thanks

pnkrckpixikat I am a binge eater so checking the calorie counts before I want to binge will definitely help put me off. thanks

bloopers yeah this site has been a lot of help. I will definitely look around

sumire thanks for the bra recommendations :) and yeah i am not a fan of stereotypical diet food

GyMila snacks are a killer! if i see people eating, I instantly want to too. something to definitely work on

gatorgirl6 thanks for the bra rec :)

Beach Patrol thanks so much :) I will definitely be active in this site as everyone here is so friendly

thanks again everyone ^_^