"Diet" support, what do you do?

[croman7]

I dont know if this is exactly a Tea Room thread, but i didnt see a category that fit better....if there is one, MODS, please relocate and i appologize!

Hey everyone,
My bf and i started a new "diet" on Tuesday. We both have a chunk of weight to lose, and could stand to be more fit. I have never done a diet or lifestyle change or whatever you want to call it before. For those of you who have, how do you deal with it? I'm not hating any of the food so far, it's not anything totally foreign to me...it's just weird following someone else's food schedule. I plan on following it fairly strictly for the first month or two...after that, based on my progress, i'll start to change it to something that can be sustained on a more permanent basis. For now though, I'm finding that I'm getting frustrated with having to follow someone else's plan for me. I like to eat whatever I'm craving, not a pre-planned menu.

I don't want alternatives to this diet at this point...what i'm looking for is this - How do you keep yourself content with what you're supposed to be eating? How do you distract yourself from the foods you really WANT to be eating instead? I'm bored eating when i'm supposed to and what i'm supposed to. It helps having the bf doing it with me...when i'm home after work i can just tell him what i'm craving and he'll talk with me about why we're doing this instead, and we'll distract ourselves with a tv show or something... but during the day at work it's harder to distract myself (i'm not always very busy at work). What are your tips/tricks?

Also, as an attempt to avoid certain responses... YES, I know I'm beautiful at any weight. And yes, i know i should love myself whatever size. I don't need those kinds of words of advice... I agree with them. But I also know that my weight is in the "overweight" category which adds some health risks. On top of that, I liked better the way i looked and felt at a certain (smaller) weight, and i'm striving to get back to that feeling/look/possibly weight. It's not all about the numbers. I'm more tired lately, which could be because of some added weight, so thats one more reason to take some off. I'm not doing anything crazy-drastic or anything, so no worries about my physical health... i just want mental-health tips on how to get thru the next few months until i become used to the new way of living.

Thanks in advance! Have a great weekend everyone!
~C

[Lynn49]

I've recently lost about 36lbs....just by counting calories...or..more like cutting WAY back on eating. My best motivation? My clothes, and how they're so loose on my now...my jeans are hip-huggers...not exactly a good look for me...lol...I only weigh myself every couple of weeks, because I know by how my clothes are getting loose, that I'm losing weight, and I don't send myself into a frenzy with every fluctuation on a scale. I know very well how hateful they can be, so I stay away.

I also like to...not meditate...but "picture" myself at the weight I want to be, at an event that may be coming up...what you think, you become! And that's been proven over and over, and I don't know if it's working for me, but I don't exercise (can't do much in that regard), yet the weight keeps falling off.

I talk to myself...not out loud (okay, maybe when I'm alone in the house), but if I reach for something I shouldn't have, I say, "Really? That's worth being fat? Are you stronger, or is that chocolate stronger?" I usually admit that I'm stronger and phhhhhtttt it away from me. OTOH, if I DO take something (like I just did...a jelly bean), I don't beat myself up over it...it's done, overwith, carry on!

Oh...and btw...we have a few threads in the "Health" section on here...various diets...I just started Day 1 of "The PINK Method"...it's all there...

Hope some of that helps....Good luck on your adventure!

[yvon]

I don't like diet.
WATER! Drink lots of water. Add 1 cup of orange juice every day. Increase your metabolism. To do this eat often (6 or more times/day) but small portions with a glass of water as much as you can when you eat. When you feel hungry after a meal/snack drink water to fill you up. Cut back on the for C (cola, cookies, cake, candy) and salt. Please eat breakfast. Cut back of fast food (this is a must) cook at home instead. Doing this will not only save you money but you know what goes in your food and less preservation in your system. But the most important do not SKIP MEAL. Almost forgot, at least once a week treat yourself to something you really been craving for. I used to be 99lbs 3 years ago a smoker don't take care of health. 2 years ago I decided to quit smoking. I gained 50 lbs because always eating and eating and eating out. When I got pregnant I kept gaining weight none stop. Went all the way to 196lbs. That was 6 months ago. Now am 155lbs. Am not on any special diet (am breast feeding,) I eat all the time and once while i go to my favorite fast food and take a multi-vitamin everyday. Hope this helps and good luck.

[caroman]

this might sound weird but mouthwash is how I stay away from eating after supper. I brush and floss then rinse with Crest Prohealth. This mouthwash leaves me with no desire at all to put any food in my mouth. odd but it works for me

[gameprogirl]

Dont deny yourself foods you crave or you will fail. Portion control is where it's at. We all eat way more than a portion at meals but no one realizes it. Stay away from tons of sugary stuff and eat smaller quantities of stuff you like, instead of 4 pieces of pizza, have 2 with better topping choices. Drink lots of water and mouthwash does help like the above poster said. I changed certain things and lost 60lbs this way.

Also just wanted to add, put a very unflattering pic of yourself on the fridge, and stay busy. Boredom leads to eating too.
Several small meals is better during the day and try not eat at night. I used to munch at night a lot but have cut that down.

[francine1985]

I'm on a pretty strict diet right now. i have to eat every 2-3 hours even if i don't feel like it. I have to have so many servings of carbs and so many servings of protein with limited fat. the only good thing about it is that i get to pick the carbs and meats i like to eat but do have to avoid any carbs that are high on the glicemic index. unfortunately i also have to monitor my blood sugars which is the worst part of the whole diet. i'm sure you probably already guessed it is a diabetic diet.

what keeps me motivated is 2 things. right now i am diet controlled so i dont have to use any insulin yet. there is still a high chance i will begin to need insulin in the next couple of months. and an increased chance i will become diabetic full time sometime after i have the baby. the 2nd most important motivator is my kids. both my ds who relies on me to take care of him and my new baby that could end up with low blood sugars, heart problems, high birth weight or other possible issues if i don't control my sugars.

don't stress over your weight too much. keep in mind that as you eat healthier foods and increase/improve your exercise you will develop more muscles and muscle does weigh more than fat. some people begin a diet and become discouraged when they aren't losing or are even gaining weight even though quite often they are still losing the fat.
keep in mind that the point of a healthy diet is to improve your health not necessarily lose x pounds or to fit into a certain size.
also keep in mind that drinks have calories and sugars too so if you are monitoring your calories or sugar or anything like that you will want to add those up too. a lot of people don't even think of that.
make sure you are feeling good. if you start feeling tired or weak or anything like that make sure you get to the Dr. some diets can lead to vitamin deficiencies and other possible health problems in some people. even if it worked well for someone else without any problems.
good luck to you and your bf in this diet. stick together and be supportive. diets work best when you are working together with someone else especially if they are on a diet too.

[Shwa Girl]

I don't like diet.
WATER! Drink lots of water. Add 1 cup of orange juice every day. Increase your metabolism. To do this eat often (6 or more times/day) but small portions with a glass of water as much as you can when you eat. When you feel hungry after a meal/snack drink water to fill you up. Cut back on the for C (cola, cookies, cake, candy) and salt. Please eat breakfast. Cut back of fast food (this is a must) cook at home instead. Doing this will not only save you money but you know what goes in your food and less preservation in your system. But the most important do not SKIP MEAL. Almost forgot, at least once a week treat yourself to something you really been craving for. .

Great post.
Only thing I would add is eat lots of fruits and veggies. Whatever is cheap and in season.

[Jody22002]

When I first decided I wanted to lose weight, some recommended a free website to me callled www.sparkpeople.com. I originally used it just for the nutrition tracker but the forums, which are much like SC, ended up being a HUGE help to me. Plus there are tons of articles and the site is about a lifestyle change and not a diet. I lost 150lbs and am now maintaining but I still use it for inspiration!

[Lynn49]

I've stopped drinking orange juice!
Calories in 9oz juice: 121
Calories in 1 medium orange: 39

The 'concentrated' juice has loads of sugar! You'r better off just eating an orange.
Watch the calorie counts in other juices as well....

[Shwa Girl]

I've stopped drinking orange juice!
Calories in 9oz juice: 121
Calories in 1 medium orange: 39

The 'concentrated' juice has loads of sugar! You'r better off just eating an orange.
Watch the calorie counts in other juices as well....

I think the commericals show people drinking a big glass of juice, when a quarter cup of orange juice will do. Less sugar and less calories in a smaller portion too.

[glowworm2k]

I lost around 60 pounds around seven years ago now. My trick was tic tacs... Each tic tac has 2 calories, coming from real sugar not the processed stuff that can screw up your tastebuds. If I was feeling "snacky" instead of hungry - or, in danger of eating for eating's sake instead of to meet a real need - I would have a glass of water and then have a tic tac. The clean mouth feeling and the sense of fullness from the water together got me through many a 2:30 snack attack. I don't know if it'd work for you, but I found it really helpful - and still do!

Good luck!

[Brynhilde]

I used Calorie Count by About.com website to get back into shape after I had DS#1.. I learned so much from it.. how to eat 6 smaller meals a day rather than 3 huge ones. Breakfast being the largest, dinner being the smallest in caloric content. I started up-ing my protein intake and watching my carbs and by that I mean avoiding starchy products like Special K cereal. I drank more water, less juice and walked further too. Doing all of this, I started losing 1-2 lbs a week which is a safe amount to lose per week. Before my pregnancy now, I went from 175 lbs to 150 lbs, most of the loss consisted of fat loss I tried everything and until I used this tool, I had kept the baby weight for more than 3 years.

http://caloriecount.about.com/ if anyone is interested.

[icangarden]

When I first decided I wanted to lose weight, some recommended a free website to me callled www.sparkpeople.com. I originally used it just for the nutrition tracker but the forums, which are much like SC, ended up being a HUGE help to me. Plus there are tons of articles and the site is about a lifestyle change and not a diet. I lost 150lbs and am now maintaining but I still use it for inspiration!

I checked out the website you listed and joined. Lots of really good info....thanks for posting!

[taxsavey]

I dont know if this is exactly a Tea Room thread, but i didnt see a category that fit better....if there is one, MODS, please relocate and i appologize!

Hey everyone,
My bf and i started a new "diet" on Tuesday. We both have a chunk of weight to lose, and could stand to be more fit. I have never done a diet or lifestyle change or whatever you want to call it before. For those of you who have, how do you deal with it? I'm not hating any of the food so far, it's not anything totally foreign to me...it's just weird following someone else's food schedule. I plan on following it fairly strictly for the first month or two...after that, based on my progress, i'll start to change it to something that can be sustained on a more permanent basis. For now though, I'm finding that I'm getting frustrated with having to follow someone else's plan for me. I like to eat whatever I'm craving, not a pre-planned menu.

I don't want alternatives to this diet at this point...what i'm looking for is this - How do you keep yourself content with what you're supposed to be eating? How do you distract yourself from the foods you really WANT to be eating instead? I'm bored eating when i'm supposed to and what i'm supposed to. It helps having the bf doing it with me...when i'm home after work i can just tell him what i'm craving and he'll talk with me about why we're doing this instead, and we'll distract ourselves with a tv show or something... but during the day at work it's harder to distract myself (i'm not always very busy at work). What are your tips/tricks?

Also, as an attempt to avoid certain responses... YES, I know I'm beautiful at any weight. And yes, i know i should love myself whatever size. I don't need those kinds of words of advice... I agree with them. But I also know that my weight is in the "overweight" category which adds some health risks. On top of that, I liked better the way i looked and felt at a certain (smaller) weight, and i'm striving to get back to that feeling/look/possibly weight. It's not all about the numbers. I'm more tired lately, which could be because of some added weight, so thats one more reason to take some off. I'm not doing anything crazy-drastic or anything, so no worries about my physical health... i just want mental-health tips on how to get thru the next few months until i become used to the new way of living.

Thanks in advance! Have a great weekend everyone!
~C

Funny you should say this! I did a tips and tricks thread under food threads!

I have seen huge results in one month. I drink LOTS of Bengal spice tea. Its amazing and you really feel like your "getting a treat!". But its herbal and there is no sugar! Tastes like there is! I have coffee and tea, no sugar, but I have milk in it. I have carbonated water. Lots and lots of water with sometimes lemon in it. Cuts fat.

I try to eat a balanced diet. I'm a carb addict. So I have low carb, low fat and low calorie diet.

Dr. Oz says that if you have a can of sardines (packed in water). 2 x a week. The fat cuts the fat becuase its the fat your body uses and doesn't store. Plus it helps prevent cravings and its a belly burner. It works! I put hot sauce on it. I eat chicken and no red meat for now.
I have Skinny cow as a treat. Love it.
I have one piece of fruit a day low sugar like berries or an apple. Lots of vegies. Sometimes plain oats with fruit.
NEVER have "low fat" anything except milk. Skim or 1%. only for milk. The rest do not have low fat, they replace fat with sugar which turns to fat! It's a dangerous marketing tool. Skinny cow works becuase its skim milk! Pack food where you go so your not hungary. Fill yourself up with tea or water, it sends a signal to the brain that your full. Eat highest protein meal at dinner to prevent carb cravings in the evening and don't eat past 7:00pm. I have lost tons! My calories are 1200-1500. My next goal is get moving! I havn't been active. The other trick is the first month I had bad cravings. Now I don't. But then, when I did if I found it truly unbearable, I had a tiny tsp of chicken stock in a cup of boiling water and sipped on it. Felt like i was getting something and was satisfying. But drink lots of herbal tea and water. Eating Smaller amounts all day kicks up your metabolism!

[Ami1984]

It has been said before but it is important do not deprive yourself of the things you crave. Also in my personal experience is that exercising has made me not crave things as much, especially when I know how much work it takes to take those calories off.