Even though it's bad right now, I'm just putting it out there. My plan is to put it out there every single day regardless of how horrible it is. Hopefully this will make me feel accountable and I will find the motivation I need to lose weight. I will record my food, exercise, and weight whenever possible. I don't have access to a scale very often, but when I do I will weigh myself.
Starting weight: 198.5 lbs
Highest weight: 205.0 lbs
Goal weight: 120 lbs
Height: 5'5"
Wow, coming here and seeing so many people post was just what I needed to not have another horrible day! Yesterday... I have to admit... was :(. I had a bad breakfast, an okay lunch, an okay dinner (would have been better but they were out of what I was planning to get in the cafeteria so I did the best I could), and then my roommate came back from out of town and totally unexpectedly there was so much food and everyone was eating and I had more than I'm comfortable admitting, and then later people were going to this ice cream place and I didn't want to get anything but they literally bought me one and I was protesting and so I started making all these arguments and even tickling people... lol. So I got one (I did not pay for it, though, lol) and I probably only had three sips or so (ice cream milk shake)... and shared it with other people... but overall it was not a good eating day.
BUT today is better! Good breakfast, good lunch, not horrible snack (could be better but not bad), and good dinner planned. I also plan on going for a 30 minute walk. :)
Yeah, it's pretty scary posting everything here. I'm often afraid that people are going to rip me to shreds and say I'm not dedicated so I should just get off the site or something. But the thing is, I'm not perfect, and just taking the step to post everything so people can read it is huge for me. And I am getting better and I believe I can do it in time. All of your stories are so inspiring! :)
Original Post by bobo1:
I am 5, 6 and 120lbs, and I really struggled to get there, 120 is a pretty low goal weight, if you are just starting to loose, most people would even say 125 is a good low end for 5ft 5. just letting you know.
^^ My thoughts, too. I'm 5'5" with a goal weight of 135-140 lbs! That will put me around 17-20 % body fat though, so do take into account your lean body mass into calculations, but 120 seems really low regardless. Why not first aim for something around the top of the healthy BMI range, let yourself maintain for a bit, and then reassess where you want to go?
Congrats though on the honesty and accountability!
Howdy! I'm also a college student, and trust me, I know how hard it can be to balance school, friends, work (if you work) all while trying to stay active and eat healthy to reach a goal.
I'm no pro by any means, but I do have a couple of suggestions for you that I, myself have just recently started to adapt into my everyday schedule.
1. You said you are looking for more protein but don't eat meat. 1% or non-fat cottage cheese is a great source of protein and super filling. For a dessert or snack, I'll cut up a peach (both of which you could easily keep in your dorm room/mini fridge), put 1/2 cup of cottage cheese on it and sprinkle just a little bit of sugar and cinnamon on top. Depending on the size of the peach this snack shouldn't be more than 150 calories and will get you up to 11grams of protein.
2. I know logging your food is pain at first, but really do try to do it every day right after you eat breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks/whatever! It's easier to remember and then you can evaluate what you'll need to eat more of throughout the day (i.e. more carbs, more iron, less fats, ect).
3. The Rec Center/gym at a college can be a scary place. I was hesitant to go into the weight room after becoming so comfortable with my gym at home. But somedays you just have to march in there and not focus on what other people are doing, but YOURself, YOUR body, and YOUR goals. Most likely everyone in the gym has THEIR own goals and you can't let what they may/may not be thinking get to you. I suggest going early in the morning before class (depending on when your rec is opened). There are sooo many less people in the morning (lazy college kids :p) and this will get your metabolism going, will wake you up and as reversed as it seems, will give you more energy throughout the day. I wake up at 5:50 and am at the Rec by 6:05 and spend anywhere from 45 mins to an hour and 15 minutes doing cardio and lifting free weights. Look up a book or workout program to use and help you get started!
Just hang in there and keep your head up! :]
Original Post by libsterdc:
Dave 160, I was with you until "reduce carbs" and "food is for fuel, not pleasure." Giwolfrl, eat carbs, but complex ones. I eat fruits and veggies 'till they come out of my ears, and I'm losing weight. One cup of spinach has tons of stuff you need, including potassium and iron (the two things we miss the most).
Food is for fuel, not pleasure??? Ummm..no wonder everyone gains weight back. Food is one of the best, most pleasureable things about being alive, and you will lose weight when you start ENJOYING your food. You want that cookie? OK, have one. Chew every bite and savor it. Take 10 minutes to eat the cookie, and just concentrate on the cookie. Let the flavor roll over your tounge and decide whether you like this cookie or not. Think about how the cookie could be improved, and decide that you would rather eat the other cookie, not the one that's "just there." Pick out your favorite, and just eat that.
Then, take a bite of that fish. Wonder aloud about what seasonings are in it. Think about what would make it better - a little dab of lemon? Some Mrs. Dash seasoning? Talk about the fish with your seatmate and offer him / her a bite. Do the same thing with your spinach salad with garbanzo beans for extra protien. Take a serving of ranch dressing on the side along with a side of vineagrette. Taste both by dabbing just a drop on your tounge -- which one do you like better? Does either of them taste just a bit off or rancid? Then why the heck are you eating it?
If you eat and SAVOR your food, rather than just shoving it in on the run, or eating behind closed doors while cursing yourself and feeling guilty, you will find that you make better choices. For example, I really don't like doughnuts. They taste nasty, but I used to eat them because they were there. Now, I avoid them because I actually don't like them and I'd rather drink my beer at night. I love French fries, but only good ones, the ones with the best blend of crispiness and meatiness, so i don't eat them unless I'm somewhere that I know they're going to be good (even then, I usually just eat from my hubby's plate). Cafeteria French fries are soggy and yukky, but the broccoli there is perfectly spiced and tastes yummy with a little dab of real butter.
Treat yourself well, and think about your food. What do you REALLY like, and what are you just putting up with because it's there, even if it tastes rancid / greasy / overly sweet? Are you eating that toast even though it's tasteless and stale? What would the fresh fruit bar taste like instead?
Libster, you read my mind (and did all the typing.... lol ) Thx
(so tired of carb-bashing)
This isn't carb-bashing but some of us have to be careful with the carbs we eat. Especially if you have a sugar addiction problem. For example I cannot eat an apple unless it is with my meal because the sugar in apples will stimulate my appetite and within 20 minutes I want to eat everything in sight. If i have that apple with lunch or dinner and the sugar balances the protein out then I am fine and am not going crazy looking for more food. Carrots also send me into a carb craving frenzy. As for cookies, cakes, pies, ice cream, donuts etc. I am like an alcoholic when it comes to high sugar foods. If I have one bite I am off the food wagon for days on end and cannot stop eating the evil "white-carbs." I used to not understand how people with addictions just simply didn't stop abusng what ever it was they abused. I personally never had a drug or alcohol problem so I had no frame of reference to why they didn't just say 'no." I was however almost 300 # and ate like a banshee 24 hrs a day. I would alwaay say, "I'll stop tomorrow" or "I screwed up and aTE 1/2 c of ice cream...I might as wll finish the 1/2 GALLON off right now. When I finally STOPPED eating fruits and vegetables that were a high glycemic index food and I STOPPED eating refined carbs and balanced my protein intake with my carb intake I finally understood how certain foods affected me. And more importantly I understood what a true addiction I really had. I am not fortunate enough to be able to eat that one cookie and savor it, it have a liitle bit of dessert with the family. 100% on the wagon abstinence is all that works for me. Now, I of course don't wish that issue on anyone but it is something we all need to be aware of. You would never tell and alcoholic to drink just one beer...so be aware of telling a sugar-holic to eat just one cookie. It may not be possible. Good news is that you don't even miss that stuff once it is 100% out of your body. I'd rather have a big salad with tasty goodies (kidney beans, little egg, a TBS of feta cheese etc) than a piece of cheesecake.
Hang in there and figure out what your body wants and needs (not just what your tastebuds want!),
Hey giwolfrl,
You are doing awesome! It takes so much courage to 'put it out there' and I admire that! I've got to tell you about school gyms 'cuz I went to my school gym to work out while I was in school. The thing with those guys admiring themselves and thinking they're so sexy is...most of them are too busy with themselves to notice anyone else! and... lots of the people in the gym lost weight by working out and eating right so, they are really people who started out where you are now and got to where you want to be. Some are secretly cheering you on cuz I used to when I was in the gym-I knew how hard it was to get there and work out and lose weight.
Hang in and keep at it. and Yes, all those stair climbs count!
PROTEIN!
there are many replies here. doesn't matter if you're vegan, you still need and can easily get protein. that will help with satiety an keep you off the cakes and pies as often, because you won't be craving them as much (eventually) and you won't be starving (hungry, maybe, but not ravenous with low blood sugar).
good luck!
You would never tell and alcoholic to drink just one beer...so be aware of telling a sugar-holic to eat just one cookie. It may not be possible. Good news is that you don't even miss that stuff once it is 100% out of your body. I'd rather have a big salad with tasty goodies (kidney beans, little egg, a TBS of feta cheese etc) than a piece of cheesecake.Hang in there and figure out what your body wants and needs (not just what your tastebuds want!),
Linneac821, That is a good point. I abstained a lot at the beginning until my body got back in balance. I really think that we crave the things we crave because we aren't getting enough nutrition (must admit that Michael Pollin gave me the idea), and I find that on days where I get the A's from CC, I'm more satisfied and less likely to go all haywire. On days where I eat nothing but high fat low complexity carbs, I'm all over the kitchen in the evening inhaling halloween candy. That's why i think just counting the calories is a recepie for disaster - if you're just eating less of the same old garbage, your body will make you keep eating 'cause it's looking for vitamins. it's why I crave skittles when I haven't eaten enough veggies, 'cause skittles have citric acid and are fruity.
I too was gym-phobic for most of my life -- "where do the fat people go to work out?" I wanted to know. But actually no one in the gym pays any attention to me. They're too busy checking themselves out in the mirror and feeling self-concious about their own body's problem areas to care about mine.
But, what I found most helpful was to reach out to others in my neighborhood (in your case dorm). Try identifying someone else who might be a bit unfit and ask them if they want to get up 1/2 hour early twice a week to walk around campus with you. I asked a neighbor down the street, and now we're good friends and walk (and even run -- we're doing the couch to 5k program together and are finishing week 5!) together three times per week. It meant getting up 1/2 hour earlier, but boy do I feel better!
Hang in there. Thinking about what you eat is positive even if you eat more than you think you should. So much of weight gain is mindless, out of the bag, in front of the tv, not even enjoying what you eat. And you were wiith friends, always a good thing.
all good points......
Good luck and good on you! sharing you're food diary and activity with others is especially brave when you've had a bad day, but I agree that this will help keep you aware and accountable. You'll find loads of support here, which I have found invaluable. I don't post often, but your message gave me some encouragement so wanted to say well done and keep at it. You will get there!
Hi everyone! Thank you SO MUCH for your support. It is incredible to have a community online like this! The response is really overwhelming (in a good way). I think I agree with the general consensus on carbs-- not bad, just eat them mindfully and in moderation, but I'm really going to work on cutting them out (more, not all the way) until I get a better hold on my eating. This is SOOOOO hard for me though, because SUGAR IS MY WEAKNESS AND IT IS EVERYWHERE AROUND ME!!! (And how come the only free food is cookies? And I love cookies sooooo much? Well that and pizza, but I don't have a hard time passing up pizza, thankfully.)
Anyway, I know I am SO behind on posting. Work and school have been CRAZY! It's (almost) finals time! But I have been logging everything on my iphone app. :)
Sunday:
Breakfast: medium/small bran muffin and piece of lemon poppy seed bread (sad)
Lunch: 1 c. low-fat strawberry yogurt and 1 c. mixed fresh raspberries and strawberries (omg so good!)
Dinner: very small slice of cheese/tomato pizza, some carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, and spinach, and a glass of skim milk (good!)
Snack: about 5 small pieces of chocolate, a few sips of a milkshake, and a whole raisin bagel :(
Monday:
Breakfast: apple and two baby bell cheeses (6 calories, 6 grams of protein each)
Lunch: 1 c. cottage cheese and 1/2 c. mixed fruit
Snack: split an order of sweet potato fries with a friend (so good!!! i probably had 1/2 a cup? if you were to shove them into a measuring cup? lol)
Dinner: small piece of pizza, about 1/2 c. steamed peas in pods :) (does anyone know what these are called? they're not green beans but similar), 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, 1 glass of skim milk
Snack: piece of fudge homemade by a friend
Tuesday:
Breakfast: apple and 2 baby bell cheeses (60 calories, 6 grams of protein each)
Lunch: small slice of pizza, 1/2 c. cooked carrots, 1/2 c. cooked green beans, 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, 1 glass of skim milk, 2 small-ish chocolate chip cookies...
Snack: another piece of homemade fudge
Dinner: small piece of pizza, 1/2 c. carrots, 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, 1/2 c. peas, 1 glass of skim milk, eclair for dessert
Snack: 2 cookies and glass of skim milk
I SEE WHAT'S GOING ON! I eat sugar --> I eat more sugar --> I eat more sugar --> I eat more sugar. Geez. Okay, I'm going to use that to my advantage now. I think I can eat carbs, but not sugar. And you guys are right, I do need more sugar.
I have been taking the stairs more and I went swing dancing for half an hour yesterday. It was fun! I need to get better though, lol. I took the stairs twice today just for the heck of it even though I didn't need to go upstairs for anything... Just wanted to prove to myself that I could. (Okay that sounds stupid now that I write it, but whatever!) I am going to ask for the hours of the gym, I guess. If I can go really early like 5am or something when there's not many people... I will go. I have to do this. >.<
Sounds like you're doing really well, keep it up. I think the peas in pod things may be sugar snap peas or mange tout.
Original Post by giwolfrl: I SEE WHAT'S GOING ON! I eat sugar --> I eat more sugar --> I eat more sugar --> I eat more sugar. Geez. Okay, I'm going to use that to my advantage now. I think I can eat carbs, but not sugar. And you guys are right, I do need more sugar.
hahahaha oops! sorry, i meant i need more protein. i had just written "sugar" a million times so i wrote sugar instead of protein, lol. freudian slip? :)
Original Post by nataliekeen:
Sounds like you're doing really well, keep it up. I think the peas in pod things may be sugar snap peas or mange tout.
Of course! Sugar snap peas, lol. I haven't heard "sugar snap peas" since I was like 5 or something. Gotta reintroduce lots of veggies into my life. One step at a time. :)
Thank you!!
okay, to be honest i have lost my motivation. i'm just feeling kind of depressed about all of the work i have to do and family/friend problems. ugh. i have not exercised like... at all, really. and my eating is not at all what i hoped it would be (and don't get me wrong, i take full responsibility, and i know it is my responsibility and my choice to change it... not making excuses). blaaaaaaaaah.
wednesday:
breakfast:
1/2 c. oatmeal with a little bit of honey and raisins
1/2 c. fat free plain greek yogurt
lunch:
cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, sugar snap peas, pineapple
small piece of cheese pizza
1 glass of skim milk
1 cookie
snack:
2 baby bell light cheeses
1 apple
dinner:
cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, sugar snap peas, pineapple
small piece of cheese pizza
1 glass of skim milk
snack:
2 cookies
2 baby bell light cheeses
thursday:
breakfast:
1/2 c. fat free plain greek yogurt
lunch:
homemade flour tortilla piled with approximately 2 tbsp. beans, 2 tbsp. cheese, 1 tbsp. salsa, 2 tbsp. sour cream, 1/4 c. chopped lettuce, 1/4 c. chopped tomatoes
1 glass of skim milk
1 cookie
snack:
1 apple
dinner:
sandwich with cheese, pesto, cucumber, and tomato
snack:
2 cookies
1/2 c. fat free plain greek yogurt
friday:
breakfast:
1.5 c. fat free cottage cheese with about 1/4 c. blueberries add a tiny bit of honey
lunch:
carrots, cherry tomatoes, pineapple
1/2 c. tater tots
1 glass of 2% milk (out of skim)
snack:
3 cookies
dinner:
1.5 c. fat free cottage cheese with about 1/4 c. blueberries add a tiny bit of honey
snack:
1 apple
2 oz 2% cheddar cheese
small container of blueberry-flavored greek yogurt
i know i'm eating way too much. i know. at least it's healthier food (for the most part, damn cookies! haha.... ugh sigh). i wonder what i would have been putting in my body if i hadn't stocked up with healthy food before my emotional food binge. i'm just feeling horrible and sooooo tired (mentally, emotionally). writing this all out and still holding myself accountable helps a little bit maybe?
giwolfrl, welcome. You have the right idea. Keep up the good work. You can do this.
dave160, excellent advice. I'm going to make a note of that myself, because I need to get back on the wagon. I've gotten down about 60 pounds so far, gainedback about 10, and need to lose 40 more. April of next year will be four years on this journey for me.
still unmotivated and feeling pretty down, but i'm still posting... and that's something, at least for me. i know my eating is bad, but when i stop posting i don't feel the need to change it nearly as much, because it's my little secret. but so long as i post... i can't keep it a secret. you guys' advice and support and comments mean more than you know.
saturday
breakfast: 1/2 c. plain fat free greek yogurt, 1 c. unsweetened frozen blueberries
lunch: glass of skim mik, 2 cranberry muffins (sad face, but so good), tiny bit of scrambled eggs
snack: 1/2 c. strawberry flavored fat free greek yogurt
dinner: 1 slice of cheese pizza, 1/2 c. cooked carrots, 1/2 c. cooked green beans, 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, and uh.... 3 cookies.
i've realized that i eat so much more when i'm with my friends. my food doesn't seem nearly as much as theirs. for example, i had lunch with three other people. one of them had two large bowls of lucky charms, two glasses of cranberry juice, and a muffin. one of them had a giant make-your-own waffle with maple syrup, a little bit of fruit, scrambled eggs with cheese, a muffin, bacon, and cranberry juice. the other had bacon, eggs, potato wedges, and a biscuit with gravy. so two muffins and a glass of milk seems like nothing in comparison. but these friends are all super athletic (they jut got back from an hour at the gym and they're all on sports teams at the school) and from what i've observed, they don't snack in between meals much at all. i snack in between meals, and i don't want to stop because that's where most of my healthy food is (i think). i find it really hard to get healthy food when i'm in the cafeteria. we spend forever eating meals in the cafeteria. pretty much everyone goes back for seconds and even thirds. i also notice that my friends who appear to eat more move a lot. besides sports and gym, they pace when they talk on the phone, bounce their feet while sitting in class, dance around the room just for fun, and jump up and down in excitement. i don't do that, and when i do it just wears me out and i feel ridiculous. also, i've noticed that the people who eat giant lunches are not the same people who eat giant dinners or breakfasts. it seems like average-sized and thin people have a certain meal that is biggest. all their meals aren't that big, whereas all my meals are pretty big, and i feel justified because i can see people around me are eating big meals. oh the things you learn when you creep on thin people. if only my friends knew i was observing them... lol. ;)
and the three cookies thing. one of my friends had two cookies and an eclair, and one friend had six cookies. seriosly, six. granted they are small. so i felt pretty good only eating three, but now i'm typing it up and i'm like... "**** i just ate three cookies." meh.
at least i'm learning.
thanks again for your advice and support, eveyone. :)
i think you should invest in some scales, when i had bad days and felt like chomping on chocolate, i was encouraged by the numbers decreasing. every time i weighed myself and the numbers went down, it perked me up and made me carry on eating healthily. and if the numbers didn't go down, it still motivated me to get it right. it shouldn't always be about the numbers, but i think at the start it definitely helps.
and i completely agree with noticing other peoples eating habits, changing my own habits made me realise that how i was eating before wasn't as normal as i thought it was, my portions were huge!!!
well done, you're doing great! don't give up or feel discouraged xx
When you are out with your friends load your plate up. Breakfast - will your cafeteria make you a vegetable omelette? Have them add mushrooms, tomato, zucchini and cheese to your scrambled eggs - now you have half your plate filled! Have whole wheat toast with peanut butter to go with it. For dinner make sure half your plate is filled with veggies - broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, salad - each as much of these as you want. When I eat my dinners I look like I am eat way more than my hubby even though my calorie count is half!
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