Is it even possible? I hate excercising but have lot of weight to lose. I walk a lot and with a toddler at home, I am up and about most of the time. But somehow my weight is going up rather than down.
So I was feeling really sad about myself (my weight gain and M. being incapable of sticking to a routine to excercise). I realized I am eating TOO MUCH. I am now trying to keep an eye on what I eat, how much I eat and eat healthy , but I feel very hungry even an hour after eating a good lunch. I now realize it might be because I have trained my body to expect food by eating too often. How do I change this? I don't want to try any artificial hunger suppressants etc , am too scared to do that as I don't know what the side effects are. I try to excercise but I somehow have never been able to keep up it up after 3-4 days or max a week.
I feel very lethargic/tired most of the time. I know I need some physical activity. I am always spending time with my very active toddler, and the house work takes a lot of my time as well. I don't know where to fit in exercise here because after all this I just want to sit n relax.
So I am asking you moms for any diet plans or anything else that worked for you that is easy to do for moms like M.. I have a lot of sweet craving after I had my son(hated sweet before) , so any idea what else I can eat that is healthy with less calories.
I do eat a lot of carbs and protein(meat), so I am really not hungry. I am trying to cut down on carbs as well , but I can't do without it as of now.
Any diet changes that you went through that helped you lose weight without feeling hungry and tired all the time. Any advise is appreciated moms. I wish I could bring myself to excercise everyday, but I HATE it, I absolutely hate it. :( I didn't like going to the gym , so I did some exercise videos at home. I find it so difficult(even the simplest level 1 exercises), I am all focused the first couple days but after that I cant wait for it to finish. Then I give up.
I am feeling very low today, I know I am not determined enough to bring on the changes I want to see in myself. And I feel bad about that.
Thanks for reading moms!!
I lost 18 lbs just from changing my diet. Mostly just cutting out wheat and dairy. I recommend reading the book "It Starts With Food" by Mellissa and Dallas Hartwig. GL, you can do it! :)
Weight is about 80% diet and 20% exercise. Exercise is more for muscle toning than anything (and increasing metabolism, which translates to more effective weight loss). I have lost 90 pounds, and haven't exercised much at all.
i'd suggest a couple things. first i would exercise first thing in the morning. your mind won't quite be awake (and stomach will be empty) and you can get 30 minutes in before you really even realize what's going on (at least i can lol).
also, i would cut back on carbs (i know you mentioned not wanting to do this)- and load UP on veggies and fruits. as many veggies as you can get your hands on. i try to eat a lot of carrots as snacks. carrots and ranch, carrots and peanut butter. (ideally it would be without a dip but EW.) cut out a lot of carbs (don't even have to get rid of them - just think of your normal portion and 1/2 it) and consider cutting meat out of one of your meals each day (or as many as you can) that will help. fill up on fruits and veggies.
as you know - the best results will be with better diet AND exercise. but doing neither will get you nothing. good luck!
You are smart not to use appetite suppressants - they are usually based on caffeine and are ineffective, and then there's a whole category of things that are poorly manufactured.
If you are hungry 1 hour after a good lunch, something is off with your body, your cravings, or your lunch. There could be a lot of factors involved - anemia, thyroid deficiencies, and depression cause lethargy and exhaustion. Exercise alone is very difficult. Maybe your local gyms have a supportive group of women who feel like you do? I have a class where we laugh, help each other, sing along to the music, and just act like fools - people look forward to coming. It also involves strength training (muscle burns more calories than fat does), and lots of stretching. Exercise produces endorphins which are helpful for your brain and emotions, and they cut the appetite. Many gyms, the Y, etc. have rates as low as $20 a month, with free classes. Sit with someone there and explain your frustrations and your inclination to give up - let them know you need a program you can sustain and which has a social aspect or accountability aspect. For you, it might not mean a trainer who ride herd on you because you will just stay home. For M., the social class and then a few rounds on the treadmill with a good book on the book rack make M. forget about what I'm doing! It's the only time I have without a phone or someone bugging M.. I like to go with my husband or a friend and then we do it together.
You can eat HEALTHY fats (olive or canola oil, almonds), healthy carbs that are slow to digest, and protein without eating white flour or processed foods. Not all carbs are bad - fruits, veggies, beans, and whole grains (complex carbs that are slow digesting and more satisfying) are all healthy options. You need a little of each in every meal. You can switch to healthy stevia for sweetness and get off chocolate and refined sugars. Do not use artificial sweeteners like Equal or Splenda - there are major questions about the chemicals involved.
Sounds to M. like you may have something physical going on and possibly something emotional. Post partum depression, anxiety, stress, etc. - and did you know that stress causes inflammation which shuts down your immune system? Stress also makes you build up fat - it's the old "fight or flight" instinct - your body senses stress (which in evolution means disaster or food shortages) and so your body retains fat to use as a food source later on. So you could be hurting yourself by not getting a comprehensive evaluation and a good plan. It's too much for us all to write here, but I think you are being very h*** o* yourself by trying to do it all alone.
When I found I wasn't losing weight when my kids were young I noticed that I was finishing their plates for them. Just something to look at. :)
I cut white carbs and processed food. Instantly better, less hungry, more energy, and weight loss.
The only way to lose weight is to consume less calories than you burn. Period.
People exercise because it means they can consume more calories.
You can go to any gym and they will be able to do a (here is where I talk technical) test thingie where you breathe into a machine and it tells you how many calories you burn each day just by being alive, which is called (I think) base metabolism. I know. I like the technical terms...lol.
So then - all you have to do is consume LESS calories than that. 1 calorie is 3500 pounds. So, each time you pass 3500 calories less than what you burned you should lose a pound.
If your base metabolism is 1800 per day. Then eat a diet of 1500 calories each day. Every 7 days you will lose 1 pound.
The only thing that every helped M. lose weight is to eat CONSTANTLY. I mean it. watch what you eat, but I stopped eating meals. Ever. I "grazed" throughout the day. On healthy stuff, but I was never stuffed and never hungry.
Good Luck.
ETA - I just re-read. The carbs are making you tired. Also my sister swears by the *one full glass of water 30 minutes before you eat* rule. She says it makes her feel less hungry.
I also teach my daughter the *wait 20 minutes* after the first helping. She can have more, but she has to wait 20 minutes to see if she is full.
You are also probably "multi-tasking" while you eat???? Which means your body isn't focusing on the fact that you are eating.... this is why you can eat an entire bag of chips while watching TV.... your brain doesn't know what your body is doing.
You seem sad and stuck. Try to take small steps towards a healthier lifestyle and you will feel much better. Can you push your toddler in a stroller around the block? Just getting outside and moving will make you feel better. As others have said, weight lose is mostly dependent on diet. Focus on what you CAN eat. Eat as much fruit and vegetables as you want. Drink lots of water - sometimes we think we are hungry when we are just thirsty. It will take time for your body to adjust to eating less so do it gradually. Don't let yourself get too hungry or you will lose self control. Cook from scratch using real, whole food. I like Michael Pollan's advice. Hang in there!
Sounds like you actually ARE getting exercise/activity! But are you getting enough SLEEP? That really makes a huge difference.
And yes, you can lose weight by food choices, considering you really are quite active. Get rid of all processed foods - get rid of refined sugars and refined carbs, white starches. You may go through a week or two of "withdrawal" but then you might feel much better. Example: for breakfast I eat leftovers from dinner - maybe salad with a piece of meat. I make things from scratch. I have food allergies and cannot eat gluten and dairy and eggs, and that is fine, but if I could eat dairy and eggs, that could open up another huge amount of foods like canteloupe with cottage cheese, or eggs made 20 different ways, such as omelets with different veggies in the mornings.
Portion control - use smaller plates and PLAN PLAN PLAN what you will be eating for the next day, and be sure you have enough for 4 small meals.
I used to be such a picky eater and I am amazed that I eat more variety NOW -- now that there are so many foods I cannot eat!!!
I have lost about 20 lbs without exercising, mainly by cutting out most of my pop and sweets.
My biggest thing that helped was that every time I opened the fridge looking for a snack, I would chug a big glass of water. Half the time, it would fill M. up so much that the thought of eating anything wasn't very nice... It also helped to take up space in my stomach, so that if I DID snack, I couldn't eat as much. Plus, it's good to drink lots of water. :)
I also recommend the book "It starts with food.". I am currently doing a Whole 30 which is a strict 30 day "diet" after which you slowly reintroduce things (dairy, grains, etc). The first week is rough but I'm on day 10 and I feel great! My sugar cravings are GONE. Here is the website if you are curious. There is tons of support. www.whole9life.com
Honestly, I have never exercised to lose weight, it is all about diet for M.. I know I should exercise just for health but I hate it. I do some toning things once in awhile but cardio? Nope. I am the lowest weight of my adult life and it is only how I eat... no white flour, limited sugar, limited breads, no or very limited processed food. I eat a lot of fruit, veggies, meat, fish, nuts etc. I have whole wheat bread and grains (such as oatmeal, barley etc) once in awhile but really they are what kills M. and will put weight on M. VERY quickly. If I exclude bread and grains I lose weight easily, even if I am still having butter on my veggies, eating cheese every day etc. I will admit that for the short time that I exercised regularly (like 3 months) I felt better but that wagon is really easy to fall off lol
Start out small. Do 5 minutes if exercise a few times a week. Your body will start damning more naturally.
Baby steps are all you need.
I had problems after my 3rd child on losing weight. I found out that my thyroid was underactive(meaning its hard to lose weight and being tired)
I got on medicine for my thyroid. I hate exercising. I'm toooo tired to exercise. I started watching what i ate and counting my calories everyday!!! It took a year and half and i lost about 37 pounds. Of course it took longer b/c i had to do it a safe pace and plus that all i could lose b/c of my thyroid disease.
yes its possible. I had a knee injury and lost weight with diet alone. Its just that you won't have any wiggle room, and you'll have to be really strict on calories. Exercise affords you a few mess ups and splurges without making you go backwards. It also tones and helps your posture so you look better even if you don't manage to loose weight.
It is absolutely possible. Your weight is 90% what you eat. I don't want to discourage you to exercise, because it is extremely important, but I know not everyone has time.
Yes, its possible, but then you just have flab. I just said this on the weightloss after baby question but if you are active on Facebook, search for the group: "Be My Diet Buddy". Its an online support group to help with these exact issues and be in contact with people going thru the same things. Good luck!
I did just that. I just ate less, and ate healthier. Lost 10 pounds, and my cholesterol was normal, again. However, triglycerides were higher. So, if you want to really be healthy, and not just lose weight you need to excersize. So, I go outside with my son an hour a day. We play basketball, and take a walk. I am back inside after and enjoying the rest of my day. I am also one of those who can't stand to excersize. I realize that even though I ate better, I still was unhealthy.
