Struggling losing weight-advice

JKLKendyl · March 2012

Im so stressed out about losing weight. I dont know what it is but my weight is bothering me now more than ever. It's practically all I think about and it's affecting so much nt physically but mentally if that makes sense. I'm sure I know what everyone will say but I'm hoping for some good advice. I can't afford to do any programs really so please don't suggest stuff like that. I'm trying to workout some it's just hard to find the time right now and I'm having knee problems and going back to physical therapy for that. As far as dieting I'm just not good at it

I wish I was and I wish I could have a better attitude but I just don't. But I need to figure out something before this drives me crazy! Any advice would be great and thanks for listening (reading). Have a great day!!

Arnegard · March 2012

Weight loss is something crazy like 70% diet. I can workout with the best of 'em, but if I do not control what I eat, how much I eat and when I eat, I will not lose a pound.

I work out a lot. I would recomeend trying to find something you can do - a walk around the block, swimming at the local pool - something and keep it consistant.

As much as I hate to do it, counting calories is what is really going to make a difference. A general guide is to take your goal weight and ad an extra zero to the end and strive to eat that number of calories in a day.

Best of luck!

Liz342 · March 2012

Some low inpact workout options that would be easy on your knee are swimming, biking or maybe a rowing machine.

If you want something inexpensive, I highly recommend all of the Jillian Michaels DVDs (especially 30 Day Shred) but you might want to wait until your knee is feeling better.

Make working out part of your routine and that will help you to stick with it. Work out at the same time every day and set a small goal- like working out 3 days a week for 20-30 minutes.

As far as the dieting- keep a food journal. Write down every single thing that you eat/drink and this will help you to see where your extra calories are coming from and will hold you accountable to everything you eat! Aim for 3 meals a day and 2-3 small snacks. Be careful with carbs and sugars and try to consume more lean proteins, and fruits/veggies of course. Drink lots of water and eat a good breakfast every day with some protein to get you going (peanut butter, eggs, yogurt).

Good luck!

naturelle25 · March 2012

Yeah, I am the same as pp. I can work out every single day but wont lose a single pound if Im not eating correctly. I know you said you dont want to do a program but WW is the one and only thing I have been able to stick with and it actually works. I pay $17 per month for the online one and it is the best money I could ever spend.

ToBeMrsT · March 2012

I eat low carb (mainly because I want to control my blood sugar) and I've lost about 15 pounds since August. You don't have to cut out carbs, but you if you cut them down a lot and get rid of sweets and heavy carb items the weight will come off easily. It's mainly about balancing protein and carbs plus eating a lot of veggies.

DevonPow · March 2012

I love exercise and think it is very important for anyone for overall health...but I will admit that if you are just looking at weight loss it isn't all that critical. Weight loss is about 80% diet IMO (there is no way to out exercise a bad diet), so diet is what you need to focus on.

I have to say you sound very defeatist, especially in terms of things like "I am just not good at dieting. I wish I was and I wish I could have a better attitude but I just don't". Don't look at it as a diet...look at it as making some healthier choices. Would you be comfortable posting a typical daily menu? I bet there are some simple things that you can change that could lead to some weight loss, and in my experience once the initial pounds start dropping it gets easier and easier to stick with it AND feel motivated to do even more. Are there imple things that you can cut out/cut down on like soda, using cream and sugar in coffee? Do you eat pretty well but have portion issues? Are you eating breakfast and are you eating enough protein to help keep you full? Are you having healthy snacks between meals so you don't eat too much at the meals? There are hundreds of small, easy changes that people can make to improve their diet - it is hard to know what to suggest without knowing how you are eating now.

Also, there are a lot of free websites to help with weightloss/tracking like sparkpeople.com. Taking accountability for what you are eating and either tracking it on a website or just keeping a food journal can be a huge help.

JKLKendyl · March 2012

Thank you for your response. I know I have too many dr peppers and I have cut down to two a day, I think I probably eat too many carbs and portions aren't great. Let me say first I'm allergic to milk and don't eat yogurt or peanut butter. I was eating a breakfast sandwhich most days like the Ekrich sausage links and an egg on toast but the calories for that were high and I haven't found something else yet. For lunch and dinner because lunch is usually left overs here are a few typically things. Chicken tortilla soup, grilled chicken and steamed veggies, taco potatoes which is baked potatoe with taco toppings, chicken with noodles and broccoli in garlic parmesean sauce with garlic toast. We eat a lot of chicken and I try to eat a salad, just lettuce and light Italian with every meal since its so few calories I'm hoping that will make me fuller feeling. Hopefully that gives you some insight to help me. I am using the lose it app on my iPhone to count calories and it's free so I have that as well.

JaysonandKristin · March 2012

It doesn't matter what you're eating. It really doesn't. What matters is achieving a caloric deficit of 3500 calories to lose a pound. It's that simple.

You can achieve that deficit through diet alone, or you can achieve it with a combination of diet and exercise. Start tracking your food on MyPlate on Livestrong.com.

You will be amazed at the excessive amount of calories you are consuming. It's all about personal accountability. You have to do this for yourself. Nobody's gonna do this for you.

MrsBalletStar05 · March 2012

Well, if it's really bugging you then you will HAVE to get a better attitude. A (free) site that is helpful is sparkpeople.com I've been on it forever. It will help you track calories. You don't even HAVE to spend a bunch of money on different foods (although that can be nice and more helpful), just work on eating less and that site will help. There are plenty of things you can do that are low cost or free as far as exercise goes. I know on demand has some exercise programs. Instant Netflix has tons too. Or check out dvds from the library and I believe Family Video (if you have one of those) lets you check out exercise dvds for free too. If you can't do everything because of your knee, then do the parts you can because it's better than nothing at all. And walking/jogging is always free too. It's almost spring so weather shouldn't be a huge factor pretty soon. You just have to make the time and make yourself do it. There are some exercise videos on sparkpeople.com as well.

trizzie · March 2012

Myfitness pal is another free program that counts calories.

spiritenergy · March 2012

JKLKendyl:
Thank you for your response. I know I have too many dr peppers and I have cut down to two a day, I think I probably eat too many carbs and portions aren't great. Let me say first I'm allergic to milk and don't eat yogurt or peanut butter. I was eating a breakfast sandwhich most days like the Ekrich sausage links and an egg on toast but the calories for that were high and I haven't found something else yet. For lunch and dinner because lunch is usually left overs here are a few typically things. Chicken tortilla soup, grilled chicken and steamed veggies, taco potatoes which is baked potatoe with taco toppings, chicken with noodles and broccoli in garlic parmesean sauce with garlic toast. We eat a lot of chicken and I try to eat a salad, just lettuce and light Italian with every meal since its so few calories I'm hoping that will make me fuller feeling. Hopefully that gives you some insight to help me. I am using the lose it app on my iPhone to count calories and it's free so I have that as well.

In your situation, I would start with some small goals to your momentum started. You need some positive momentum right now to get you started. I would cut out one Dr. Pepper today. Do it today. Do not think about doing it just do it. Then, I would slowly wean yourself off the rest of the Dr. Peppers. I would try substituting green tea or flavored water for your Dr. Peppers.

If you are eating ice burgh lettuce, then I would switch to something greener like spinach or mesculin mix that will give you more vitamins. I would not be afraid to add more vegetables to your salads to give your more vitamins. For portion control, I would eat off a smaller plate. This will give you the visual appearance that you are getting a lot of food.

For lunch, I would eat a large salad with some chicken or beans on top for protein. You can really load your salad up with carrots, peppers, sprouts, a few nuts, a little dried fruit, or broccoli. Try playing with different lettuce types and vegetables in your salads to see what you like best.

For snacks, eat fruit, nuts, carrots, or celery.

For breakfast, oatmeal is great. You can make it with soy or flax milk. Museli is another option (plus you make it ahead of time). I also like poached eggs on a bed of arugula and toast.

For exercise, I would try to increase your activity level during the day. Do some heavy cleaning, take a walk, or build a garden. Yoga and pilates will help you with your flexibility and help you build some strength. Some dumbells to do some resistance training is always great especially for women.

I have a healthy recipes tag in my blog. The broiled blood oranges is delicous and can help you with sugar cravings.

AlwaysUp22 · March 2012

I am on a mini diet. I don't diet hard core and I don't like plain protein and plain veggies so I just calorie count. I like regular coke and I drink one large one a day and factor those calories into my daily allowance. I lost about 9 pounds in a month. I'm average built not over weight but wanted to be a slimmer. I was eating a lot!! I eat a lot of smart ones and other low calorie meals for lunch, oatmeal for breakfast and a normal dinner. I try to eat between 1400 to 1700 hundred a day right now to lose a couple more pounds.

DevonPow · March 2012

Ditto Spritenergy. I am an admitted soda addict (Diet Coke is my vice) so I knwo it is hard, but if you are drinking regular Dr. Pepper that is a lot of calories right there. I don;t know about you, but I would always rather eat than drink my calories - juts seems like a waste to me

I am also someone who needs to eat a lot at at least one meal to feel full, so I do a HUGE salad...it makes me feel like I am eating a lot, but it is 85% things that re low calorie and/or good for me. I usually use a mix of baby spinach and romaine, a ton of chopped veggies (carrots, cabbage, peppers, jicama, etc) some chicken and avocado, and a few sunflower seeds for crunch. Really filling and not a calorie buster (obv. you need to watch the dressing - I just use olive oil or similar). Same thing at dinner, if I steam a bunch of veggies for the side of my meal I can eat a ton of them and feel like I am eatinga lot, but I am filling up on things that won't pack on the pounds.

I eat oatmeal and a banana for breakfast 99% of the time, but occassionally I wanta breakfast sandwich like you - I just use Morningstar vegetarian sausage, egg whites, a whole wheat english muffin, and some light cheese (I love laughing cow on it, but I know not everyone has my lauighing cow obsession). Tastes delicious and has good protein to keep me full, but is not excessive calorie wise.

Snacks I usually do carrots and hummus, Greek Yogurt, fruit, or occassionally PB on a slice of toast (although I knwo you said you don;t eat PB or eat yogurt..... you want to trya nd find high protein snacks, though, to get more bang for your buck and keep you full longer - some almonds, etc).

Also, you can be an active person without going to the gym or doing DVDs.....Make an effort to move whenever possible, Walks with your DS, always take the stairs instead of elevators/escalators, park far away from things, etc...There are a lot of small steps you can do to obtain a healthier lifestyle.

wifeandmama · March 2012

Well, if you aren't happy with your weight, you HAVE to change something, right? Be it diet or exercise - or both! It won't just change on it's own!

I run 4 days a week and do Zumba (at home, with YouTube videos) 3-4 days a week. I gave up sweets for Lent and I feel amazing. Getting up and active in the morning really gets me motivated to be healthy all day long. Take walks ,do squats as you are cleaning up toys, just get moving in some way! And cut out as much soda as you can! That really packs on pounds, they say. I drink sparkling water with lime.

JKLKendyl · March 2012

I won't give up my dr peppers completely I just won't but I can like someone else said count them into my calories. I will try some of your suggestions thanks. Oatmeal is ok but not all the time any other breakfast suggestions? I will try bigger salads with more veggies maybe that will help. As far as exercise I was running I recently finished couch to 5k but the dr said I can only run twice a week right now and need to do some core stength exercise for now to help with my knee. I already had surgery once and he is trying to get by without surgery this time I'm only 26 so he probably is trying to avoid 4 knee surgeries before I'm 40 cuz thats the way it looks like its headed. My LO and I take walks we need to do more tho an I take him running sometimes although I prefer to go when my husband is home so I can go alone. More snack ideas? It gets hard when you are allergic to milk and don't like cottage cheese, yogurt or peanut butter

JKLKendyl · March 2012

To the one who said she is on a mini diet thanks

that sounds like a good plan and what I had already started this week. Maybe since its not so drastic I can do it.

melissa0726 · March 2012

I also recommend the MyFitnessPal app/website for tracking what you eat as well as any exercise. This is a great free way to help manage your diet.

Being at home all day now, it's SOOO easy to grab snacks here and there. It wasn't until I started using this app and tracking what I'm eating that I realized that a handful of chips here and a cookie there were really adding up!! After just one week of reviewing my daily food intake, it was very clear and easy for me to see where to cut the "empty" calories that I don't really need throughout the day. I totally recommend you give it a try and hope it is helpful for you. Good luck!

JaysonandKristin · March 2012

If you have three snacks per day, make at least one of them JUST a fruit or vegetable. Any vegetable dipped in hummus is a great way to get a vegetable and protein without a ton of calories.

Seriously, the weather is starting to warm up and the produce is going to follow suit. Grab apples, pears, bananas, kiwi, any kind of citrus. Make tuna salad (light on the mayo) for the week and get some pitas. Shove some tuna in a half of a pita for an on the go snack. If you don't like tuna, make chicken salad or egg salad.

Just start counting your calories. You don't have to do it forever, but you clearly have some misconceptions about what you're putting in your mouth (I don't mean this to be snarky even though it kinda sounds mean).

If you don't want to cut out Dr. Pepper, make sure you're counting them in your calories for the day.

spiritenergy · March 2012

JKLKendyl:
I won't give up my dr peppers completely I just won't but I can like someone else said count them into my calories. I will try some of your suggestions thanks. Oatmeal is ok but not all the time any other breakfast suggestions? I will try bigger salads with more veggies maybe that will help. As far as exercise I was running I recently finished couch to 5k but the dr said I can only run twice a week right now and need to do some core stength exercise for now to help with my knee. I already had surgery once and he is trying to get by without surgery this time I'm only 26 so he probably is trying to avoid 4 knee surgeries before I'm 40 cuz thats the way it looks like its headed. My LO and I take walks we need to do more tho an I take him running sometimes although I prefer to go when my husband is home so I can go alone. More snack ideas? It gets hard when you are allergic to milk and don't like cottage cheese, yogurt or peanut butter

For breakfast, you could make a large batch of pancakes once a week and heat them up in the morning. I love these buttermilk oatmeal pancakes. You could also do a fritata with leftover vegetables. I usually do this during spring and summer when we have a lot of odds and end of produce from the garden. For snacks, you could try carrots and salsa (one of my favorite snacks because it is crunchy and flavorful), nuts, popsicles (puree some fruit and freeze it), sunflower seeds (DH eats this a lot), almond cheese with a few crackers, or a slice of meat.

regenab · March 2012

I agree with PP, losing weight is 70% about diet. Working out does help of course because you burn more calories, but you still have to monitor what you eat and eat make sure you are eating enough when you are working out. If your knee is giving you problems then I would just work on diet alone for the next month. First I suggest you sign up on a site like sparkpeople or myfitnesspal. I use sparkpeople. You can track your food and water intake as well as exercise. When I started using sparkpeople to track my food I thought I was doing fine in the nutrition department and I was way wrong. You can have it set up to break down things like how many carbs you consume as well as protein and fat. I also added to have it track how much fiber (I was way low on fiber, probably why I always felt hungry), calcium and sodium. Once I realized how I was truely eating I could make changes that really helped. I upped my fiber intake, lowered my sodium intake (so I would retain so much water) and also increased my water intake. I never drink less than 8 glasses a day. It helped me to control my snacking and I also stopped drinking so much diet soda because I was drinking water instead. I walk around all day long with a camelback water bottle.

I really think tracking even just for a month so you can see how you really eat and what you are missing or over doing would really help you jumpstart the weight loss.

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