Post Punk Kitchen Forum

So..

A few months ago, I joined a fitness program and I knew it'd happen, but my hunger increased. I also switched BC pills. I know I'm eating too much but I'm having difficulty. I am eating lots of good foods, no sweets, but my clothes are tighter. I of course get ideas like 'hey I haven't had peanut butter in a couple years, what about buying a jar?' Which ended up with me having a pb&j sandwich every night for a few days. I also thought that dried fruit would be a good snack which no wasn't good as it quickly disappeared.

I know part of my problem is I haven't been getting enough sleep and I've been feeling somewhat stressed. I am exercising consistently, which is good but I wish I'd start losing. I was losing when I was using dailyplate to count calories but I can't get the motivation to do that. Maybe I just need to do it.

And I guess this isn't going anywhere but I don't know, I know what to do it, I'm just struggling with doing it.

Fatigue releases the hunger hormones so if you could decrease your response to the stress (if the stress can't be elimated) and get some more sleep you might find it makes a difference.

I'm sorry you're struggling, but it sounds like you're doing really well! Even if your goal is to lose weight maybe you can just try to feel really good about the fact that you're eating healthy and exercising, both of which are super important for your health probably more so than actually losing the weight.

Something that helps me is to remember that it's never an all or nothing situation. Like, if I bought a jar of peanut butter and I ate one sandwich I'd feel like I'd lost control and I might as well just eat the rest of it to get it out of the house. In situations like that it really helps me to remember that it's ok if I ate something I didn't feel good about, I could just get back on track the next day. this happens more frequently for me with exercising. I miss one day that I had scheduled and I feel like I might as well totally give up, but if I remember that every time I do it, it's good for me, then it helps me to stay on track.
Anyway, it sounds like you're doing the right stuff. What about, instead of calorie counting, just keeping a food diary for a while. It might help you notice some patterns in your eating without stressing too much about exactly how many calories you're taking in everyday. It's still work, but less than calorie counting.

I'm feelin ya - I've been plateaued for FOREVER despite having started P90X for heaven's sake. We'll get there. :)

Thanks a bunch. I'm thinking that a food journal might help and I know I have to forgive myself sometimes.

I know for me, calorie counting sucks because it takes so long on a non prepackaged vegan diet, putting in ever recipe etc.

So I only ever had success with stuff like Eat To Live because its just rules and if you stick to them you are good.

You could try one of those plans and maybe use a diary but just what you ate, not measured or whatever.

Also, wasn't there a diet forum? Did that get ditched?

hey lady.
I think it is important to remember that losing weight is not much fun. It is a lot of work and you are in it for the long haul, to be healthier and feel better. Or at least, it was for me. When I lost weight I set very long term goals so I would have time to get there. I took a somewhat hardcore approach and banned all sweets for a few months. For me it is a lot easier to say no to any temptation than it is to treat myself once in a while. Once in while becomes every day. This might not work for you, but figure out what does. If you are hungry at night, plan to have something good to eat that is healthy and lower calorie. And drink a lot of water. I also kept mint candy about, so if I thought I needed to eat I'd have a candy instead that would last long enough for the urge to eat a pan of cookies to pass.
You can do it. Onward!

It sounds like you're doing a lot of really good things.
I realize how much it sucks when I type this, but I've spent most of my adult life (plus some) trying to loose weight to one extent or another. The healthiest, sanest thing I've ever done that ACTUALLY helped is journaling my food and exercise. It helps me see what I'm eating, what I need more or less of, what keeps me satisfied. But I think what really makes it work is it forces me to think before I put something in my mouth. I can't fool myself into thinking I haven't eaten anything that junky. I have to ask myself do I really need another cookie or beer, rather than jumping in and eating it.
Also, I drink a lot more tea. It keeps my mouth busy, I guess.
Good luck!

I'm right there with you, linanil. I'm struggling too. It's a constant battle, but just keep swimming. Keeping a food journal does help.

I sometimes will log what I eat on myfitnesspal and see what the heck I'm doing wrong. I also have to exercise or nothing happens. I sleep in 3-4 hour increments thanx to my sons medical issues so I know the I'm tired I'm going to stuff my face feeling. But in the long run eating clean and exercise gives me more energy.

Keeping a food and exercise log is the only thing that really works for me. I eat a lot more than I realize if I don't write everything down.

It sounds like you're doing a lot of good things! You'll get to where you want to be with your weight - it might just take longer than you'd like.


This.

Writing down everything you eat is a huge pain in the asparagus, but I find it's the only thing that keeps me on track. When I food journal, I eat less without really trying to. It's easier to forgo that mid-afternoon X-calorie snack when you know you've only got Y number of calories for the rest of the day.

I agree with this. I lost a lot of weight a few years ago following the Slimming World plan (not sure if this is just a UK thing). They have a huge list of food that you can eat as much of as you like, and a small list of "limited" food, so there is minimal weighing/counting. The food journal/diary thing really helped as well. Even now if I find myself getting a bit heavier I write down everything I eat for a few days and that's all I really need to do to get back on track.

Like others have said, it sounds like you are doing all the right things. Hang on in there!

I'm feeling good today. Yesterday wasn't totally great but it wasn't a disaster and I exercised every day this week. I am starting to write things down and also practice a bit of forgiveness. Not perfect? So what, move on.

awesome! good job!

Woohoo!! Nice work. Forgiving yourself for less than perfection is really, really important.

If it makes you feel better - I did marathon training for two years in a row, and (surprise!) as the mileage increased, I got more hungry. This year, though, I didn't gain as much weight. I focused on making sure I had lots of low-fat protein that was high in fiber (makes you feel full), making sure I had enough healthy fat in my diet (hello avocado) to feel full, always eat whole fruit instead of dried fruit or juice (more water/fiber to help you feel full), and drank at least 64 oz of water a day (two 1-liter Nalgene bottles.) You might also (if you haven't already) think about starting the day with something really high in fiber - like shredded wheat or oatmeal.

About the peanut butter - maybe you could get just a little bulk peanut butter at a health food store (like half or quarter cup), or get those nut butter packets you can get there too. Nice way of limiting portions while making you not feel deprived. I always tend to overindulge in things that I feel I deprive myself of other times.

Finally - remember how awesome it is that you're doing this. You're doing a great job! Nice work!

Great! I think that's the most important thing for everyone to realize, is that we can't eat perfectly or work out every day all the time. Acceptance is key :).