STRESS/ANXIETY

motomwed

 I work partime, go to school partime, and I am planning a wedding.  I have been working out 3 times a week and watching what I eat. The scale doesn't move I need to lose 20lbs and me being so STRESSED with all that's on my plate is what I believe is keeping me at the weight I am. I have realized when I am stressed I gain or just stay the same even when I am trying to lose weight. I don't know how to de-stress while trying to conquer all these things. Working
out helps me de-stress but after my workout is when I go back to reality. Don't know what to do anymore.

Do any of you ladies have this problem? Or do you have any advice on how to lose weight while being stressed with all these 3 things?

Sarah5200

What do you mean by "watching" what you eat? If you're not calorie tracking yet, I really think you should start. Join MyFitnessPal (MFP) or SparkPeople or Livestrong or something of the sort. Lots of us are on MFP.

Mainly, stop making excuses for yourself. I agree that work + school + weddings is stressful, but you just have to do your best. Everyone's got their own special brand of stress take time for yourself here and there - I guarantee you can find 30 minutes here or there for a bubble bath or a glass of wine or quiet time - and it's so worth it.

Do your best and don't beat yourself up - and really start counting calories!

motomwed

In Response to Re: STRESS/ANXIETY:
[QUOTE]What do you mean by "watching" what you eat? If you're not calorie tracking yet, I really think you should start. Join MyFitnessPal (MFP) or SparkPeople or Livestrong or something of the sort. Lots of us are on MFP. Mainly, stop making excuses for yourself. I agree that work + school + weddings is stressful, but you just have to do your best. Everyone's got their own special brand of stress take time for yourself here and there - I guarantee you can find 30 minutes here or there for a bubble bath or a glass of wine or quiet time - and it's so worth it. Do your best and don't beat yourself up - and really start counting calories!
Posted by Sarah5200[/QUOTE]

I am eating vegtables, fruit, lean meat, etc...and portion control.  I'll have to check those websites out.

I can understand if I was making excuses and not working towards something, but I am working out and eating what I need to eat. I guess I just need to count calories instead of just eating the stuff that I know is healthy.

Thanks so much for the advice!

winelover123

Definitely start tracking. Even with eating healthy, you may be surprised at how much you eat. I know that weight doesn't come off of me when I'm stressed - my body holds onto it, so it is important that I de-stress myself. Take a few minutes each day and breathe! I meditate when I'm feeling stressed, but I realize that I'm a bit of hippy so not everyone does that. Or if I'm super stressed I'll do some nice, relaxing hatha yoga with a good half an hour of meditation at the end. Otherwise, find 20 minutes, a glass of wine, a dirty romance novel and take a bubble bath

bwils35

When you say healthy, are you referring to unprocessed/minimally processed food? or are we talking "healthy" because the box says organic?

I'm not trying to be sarcastic or anything - a few of my friends who started eating "healthy" bought all this processed GF/organic food, and thought that because they were GF choc chip cookies, they were "healthy" and would eat like 3-4 a day. I'm not saying thats what you do, just saying people do it.

Are you eating  A LOT of fruit? Even though the sugar is naturally occurring, a lot of fruit will have a lot of sugar. Try cutting back a little, and pairing what you do eat with some almond butter or PB (try getting natural PB instead of Jiffy or whatever), some avocado or a healthy fat to slow down digestion. Check your fiber levels in your food, if you have a little more fiber at meals it should help you feel fuller longer.

jaenella

I agree with what others have said above! Just another note about logging your food - I've found the most helpful aspect of a system like MFP is that it tracks portion sizes. I'd recommend accurate measuring, especially at first - before I started measuring, I thought I was eating a 4 oz chicken breast; turned out it was a 7oz chicken breast - I was taking in almost double the calories I thought I was. 

Also, a lot of foods that are healthy like avocados, nuts, some fruit, etc - those can be quite high in calories. Great for you, but you have to make sure you aren't taking in too much at one time - 1/4 cup of mixed nuts is about 200 cals, for example.

AJuliaNJ

In Response to Re: STRESS/ANXIETY:
[QUOTE]When you say healthy, are you referring to unprocessed/minimally processed food? or are we talking "healthy" because the box says organic? I'm not trying to be sarcastic or anything - a few of my friends who started eating "healthy" bought all this processed GF/organic food, and thought that because they were GF choc chip cookies, they were "healthy" and would eat like 3-4 a day. I'm not saying thats what you do, just saying people do it. Are you eating  A LOT of fruit? Even though the sugar is naturally occurring, a lot of fruit will have a lot of sugar. Try cutting back a little, and pairing what you do eat with some almond butter or PB (try getting natural PB instead of Jiffy or whatever), some avocado or a healthy fat to slow down digestion. Check your fiber levels in your food, if you have a little more fiber at meals it should help you feel fuller longer.
Posted by brittanywilson35[/QUOTE]

I agree completely. When I first started eating "healthy," I still was eating unhealthy things. My friends all thought I was the healthiest person they knew. It wasn't until I started working with a trainer and nutritionist that I realized a few things:

-I was not taking in enough protein. I was vegetarian and did not pay attention to my protein levels at all. I was not taking in enough protein, and protein gives you energy, helps you control your appetite, and repairs muscles after a workout. Sadly, I ended up going back to eating fish to get more protein, but it can be done without it.
-I was taking in a lot of sugar. Even though I stayed under calories, things like pre-made fruit smoothies, processed foods, and protein bars were putting my sugar levels through the roof.
-I was doing the wrong workouts for me. I was a Les Mills junkie. That's all I did at the gym. There is nothing wrong with Les Mills and I still do take some of the workouts. Body Pump is a high repetition class and does not necessarily get you as toned as heavier weight lifting, even with less reps. I also learned that I was doing many moves wrong.
-Basically, it is also about WHAT you eat, not just staying below on calories. I now track my protein, sugar, fat, and carbs on MyFitnessPal and watch them just as closely as my calorie intake.

What I'm saying is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, and if you feel that you are already doing everything you can, you might want to spring for some sort of training or nutrition counseling. Most gyms allow you to buy small trainer packages (like 3 at a time) and you can use that time to get evaluated and learn a few things you can try that are different. Many insurance companies now cover nutritionists, and if they don't, one appointment is not that much money. It is worth it. For me that is the only thing that worked when I thought I was doing everything I could.

motomwed

In Response to Re: STRESS/ANXIETY:
[QUOTE]When you say healthy, are you referring to unprocessed/minimally processed food? or are we talking "healthy" because the box says organic? I'm not trying to be sarcastic or anything - a few of my friends who started eating "healthy" bought all this processed GF/organic food, and thought that because they were GF choc chip cookies, they were "healthy" and would eat like 3-4 a day. I'm not saying thats what you do, just saying people do it. Are you eating  A LOT of fruit? Even though the sugar is naturally occurring, a lot of fruit will have a lot of sugar. Try cutting back a little, and pairing what you do eat with some almond butter or PB (try getting natural PB instead of Jiffy or whatever), some avocado or a healthy fat to slow down digestion. Check your fiber levels in your food, if you have a little more fiber at meals it should help you feel fuller longer.
Posted by brittanywilson35[/QUOTE]

I don't eat everything organic, some food I do go organic other stuff I don't. I am buying food from the produce aisle and getting frozen vegtables/fruit from time to time depending. I'm still learining about healthy eating. Some articles I read say don't eat dairy, wheat, processed foods, fried foods, etc. I have been staying away from a lot of processed foods I make my own beans instead of buying them in a can I make my own quiona not the boxed kind. I have done changes like that. Off of the top of my head the processed foods I have consumed is almond milk, whole wheat bread, and canned tuna.

Yes your right I do need to consume more fiber, I was thinking I should incorporate flaxseed, or chia seeds into my diet somehow. I also should what how much fruit I consume as well!  Thank you for all the advice!

motomwed

In Response to Re: STRESS/ANXIETY:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: STRESS/ANXIETY : I agree completely. When I first started eating "healthy," I still was eating unhealthy things. My friends all thought I was the healthiest person they knew. It wasn't until I started working with a trainer and nutritionist that I realized a few things: -I was not taking in enough protein. I was vegetarian and did not pay attention to my protein levels at all. I was not taking in enough protein, and protein gives you energy, helps you control your appetite, and repairs muscles after a workout. Sadly, I ended up going back to eating fish to get more protein, but it can be done without it. -I was taking in a lot of sugar. Even though I stayed under calories, things like pre-made fruit smoothies, processed foods, and protein bars were putting my sugar levels through the roof. -I was doing the wrong workouts for me. I was a Les Mills junkie. That's all I did at the gym. There is nothing wrong with Les Mills and I still do take some of the workouts. Body Pump is a high repetition class and does not necessarily get you as toned as heavier weight lifting, even with less reps. I also learned that I was doing many moves wrong. -Basically, it is also about WHAT you eat, not just staying below on calories. I now track my protein, sugar, fat, and carbs on MyFitnessPal and watch them just as closely as my calorie intake. What I'm saying is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, and if you feel that you are already doing everything you can, you might want to spring for some sort of training or nutrition counseling. Most gyms allow you to buy small trainer packages (like 3 at a time) and you can use that time to get evaluated and learn a few things you can try that are different. Many insurance companies now cover nutritionists, and if they don't, one appointment is not that much money. It is worth it. For me that is the only thing that worked when I thought I was doing everything I could.
Posted by AndreaJulia[/QUOTE]

Yes I have been confused on protein levels. I bought the protein powder to make smoothies with so that it will repair my muscles. But not sure how much protein I am consuming or how much I need through out the day.  Yeah I am doing Night club cardio and strength training twice a week and a circuit training class once a week, plus I go walking with my dog on the weekends. But I'm not sure if I should be doing more.


That's a great idea, I will defianetly look into that maybe they can pinpoint where I am going wrong. Thanks for all the info

motomwed

In Response to Re: STRESS/ANXIETY:
[QUOTE]I'll cosign the MFP and portion control. It is possible to overeat healthy foods. Second, drop the wedding planning stress. You are planning a party. It is supposed to be fun. I spent a lot of time fretting over insignificant details. Then it occured to me that all that fretting wasn't worth having a style me pretty worthy wedding. As long as you end up married and your guests end up fed and watered, it will be fine. No one will notice if you scrap the monogrammed cocktail napkins, DIY centerpieces, or whatever else. Pick the things that matter and are doable, and ditch the rest, you will be happier for it.
Posted by Liatris2010[/QUOTE]

That's exactly what i think it's supposed to be fun not stressful, but I have tried to deligate certain assignments to people and they procrastinate even though I have told them that I need things done soon.  So I end up doing it myself, I know I should let them do it instead. But I freak out cause I think they won't do it on time. I probably shouldn't be doing that lol.

It's not just the planning it's my DIVORCED parents that are making it difficult as well, one wants me to Elope the other thinks I will be spending most of my day with one versus the other. My mom thinks because they are divorced they can both walk me down the aisle but not sure I want that. I am doing my best to do things that don't offend them because I'll never hear the end of it. So divorced parents coming together that don't want to speak to each other is not the best situation and doesn't make it any better for me.

motomwed

Thank you ALL for the awesome advice! You ladies have made be see that I need to make certain changes for the better.