Losing weight. Help!

astaheli

astaheli

New member
Hi, my name's Alyssa, and I need help. I've gained a ton of weight this year. I'm kind of an emotional snacker; I eat when I'm sad or bored, and I have a bottomless pit for a stomach. I had a baby last year and gained 55 pounds during the pregnancy. I lost it all, and now I've gained it all back. I weigh as much as I did when I was 9 months pregnant! I know my biggest problem is fast food. I've tried all these diets, but I can't seem to stick to them for more than a week. I think my problem is trying to make too big of changes. I went from eating McDonalds for lunch everyday to doing the South Beach Diet, and then I gave up on it 3 days into it. It was too much change too fast. I know I need to whittle myself down into a healthy diet, but I don't know where to start. Any suggestions?
 
Food diary.


For 1-2 weeks write everything you eat down. Every little bit, then go back and start making changes. Focus on making better food choices. It isn't about cutting whole groups from your diet. Hell, you can have McDonalds every so often (I personally hate the place but then I'm a Wendy's guy). It is all about moderation. You can lose weight on a diet of nothing but fast food (sickening as it is) if you also learn about the products you are getting. Knowledge!


Check out the fast food place's websites and look up what you like to eat. Little changes adds up to huge changes.


Just breath, look around, and you will be fine.
 
Thanks for the help! That's a good idea. I'll definitely give it a shot and let you know how it goes!
 
Small Changes is all it takes, "life at an inch is a sinch, life at a yard is hard"


Here are some easy changes you can make that will help you notice a difference..


(1) Drink water

In order to process calories your body needs water, I aim to drink between 2 – 3 litres of water a day to keep me hydrated, even mild dehydration slows down your metabolism. In addition to this drinking ice cold beverages prompt the body to burn more calories during digestion. Just by drinking 5 glasses of water on the rocks can use up an extra 10 calories per day without any form of dieting or exercise. Every little helps.

(2) Get Enough ZZZZ's


In a 16-year study of sleep-deprived women published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, researchers found that those who slept seven to eight hours a night had the lowest risk for major weight gain, while women who got six hours a night were 12% more likely to pile on a significant number of pounds, and those who logged five hours or less were 32% more likely to gain weight. Sleep deprivation increases production of the chemical cortisol by approx 50% which in turn increases your body’s hunger levels and throws out the hunger hormones leptin and ghrelin which reduces your ability to tell when you are full. It also interferes with the body’s ability to metabolise carbohydrates and leads to more fat storage so try and get a few early nights if you want to keep the weight off.

(3) Start By Changing Breakfast And Nothing Else


You hear everyone say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, this is true! Eating breakfast will kick start your metabolism for the day and it will also stop you from snacking half way through the morning. The important thing here is the time of breakfast, your level of cortisol (the hormone that helps you use calories to build muscle) is sky high in the morning just after you wake up, it won’t be any higher than this at any point in the day so eating breakfast, especially eating breakfast early will turn those calories into muscle as fast as possible. I recommend having breakfast within 30 minutes of waking and the 2 breakfast I cycle between are a 30g protein shake when I have to be out the house early and eggs (scrambled or poached) organic sausages and turkey bacon. Also note to optimize fat loss for the day you need at 30g+ of protein for breakfast. (30g is the equivalent to 2 hard boiled eggs)

Hope these Small Tips Help and get you started :)
 
Try and subsitute your naughty foods for heathly options, eg chips, make your own, part boil some wedged potatoes and finish off in the oven with fry light, taste delicious and alot less calories. Make your own burgers eg chicken mince, onion, spices and egg to bind together. Chocolate substitute i love cadburys highlight sachets 40 cals, mixed into yogurt or into milk for milkshake. Drink 8 glasses water a day and always before your meal. Get some low fat recipes off the internet, always make your own meals no processed rubbish and always have that one treat per week,


I think a few small changes like that willl make alot of difference. Good luck, i am also on a heathly eating plan, (not a diet) diets don't work, but this time i am very focussed and remember you can have anything in moderation. That way just aim for 1lb weight loss per week, don't be to impatient and your see the results.
 
Definitely am an emotional eater. That is where I gain all my calories. But what I do is trade up all the sweets and heavily loaded sugary items for celery and peanut butter, fruits, carrots, etc.
 
Join an online social weight loss network. Fitness pal has an awesome online tracking record for what you eat and a community with like minded goals. Take it one day at a time...or one meal at a time. Before you consume something ask yourself if you are doing it because of an "emotion".


Good luck.
 
If you see someone posting their email address or breaking the forum rules, please report as even we mods can't see everything.
 
Hi if you want to lose weight u need motivation. I am at the moment doing a water fast meaning only drinking water for 2 weeks. It has good benefits to it you should look it up. After about 2/3 days u stop feeling hungry. U break the addiction to food and u start thinking more about good food to eat because you haven't had any food if you get what I mean. I'm on day 6 and have lost 13 pounds in that time :) hoping to lose altogether 28 pounds. So 15 to go!
 
Hi astaheli,


I think you already took the first step in losing weight by posting on this forum. I hope you're doing well and you're making progress. Craving unhealthy food is definitely a problem and it's one of those things that can potentially compromise your goals, but you can definitely find healthier alternatives to junk food. I have the same problem, have a terrible sweet tooth and can barely resist eating chocolate or anything containing chocolate.The key I believe is to gradually give up on your bad eating habits, if you try and cut it all off at once, you may feel frustrated. Take it one step at a time and don't feel discouraged if you don't immediately see results. You're going for a lifestyle change, not simply a diet to lose the extra pounds.


good luck!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top