Changing Unhealthy Habits

Knottie1008dcf7fbf3e393 · March 2018

I'm in the process of trying to lose weight. I do not drink anything but water and herbal tea. I rarely consume desserts. My fiance and I currently live with his parents until we purchase a home in the coming months. They are really good cooks but I'm finding that their cooking makes losing weight difficult. They deep fry a lot of foods, bread everything and fix a lot of unhealthy food. They aren't very supportive and sometimes it feels like the food they fix is meant to tempt me which I know is just a silly thought. There is always chips, little Debbie cakes, ice cream etc.. in the house. I enjoy eating veggies, fruits, and whole grains but they cook dinner every night and there's always a fridge full of leftovers.

I don't like to see food go to waste so I tend to eat what they cook instead of making my own. We rarely eat out and when we do it is grilled meats, veggies, fruit etc. We may eat fast food twice a year but only if something comes up and it's the only place open. I don't eat fast food as I worked in it and can't stomach it anymore. When we buy grocery we buy healthy foods and tend to buy natural/organic food.

I'm having a hard time getting back into exercise. I'm not able to do exercises such as push-ups due to an injury to one of my arms as a child as I could reinjure it if I use a lot of force or life a lot.I need to lose around 70 pounds. I have lost 100 pounds before when I was in high school 8 years ago and I'm 23 now. I have enough time to lose the weight as my wedding is over a year away but I can't put it off any longer.

When I graduated high school six years ago I developed depression and anxiety that caused me to abandon exercise and eat to cope. I live in an area that is very rural and walking to places isn't possible as the only way to get anywhere is by car. There are not any clinics I can go to for weight loss help etc....

I have used weight watchers and I did not lose much weight on it. I have also tried Atkins. I lost 13 on the Keto diet before Christmas only for the holidays to derail my efforts. I have used My Fitness Pal and it helps. I also have a Fitbit. I had no problem losing weight in high school but have found that the older I get the harder it is.

Are any other brides in a similar situation and what are you doing to cope? Is there any exercises you would recommend or sites you use? Have any of you been successful in your weight loss efforts? Any encouragement or advice is greatly appreciated.

missJeanLouise · March 2018

Knottie1008dcf7fbf3e393 said:

I'm in the process of trying to lose weight. I do not drink anything but water and herbal tea. I rarely consume desserts. My fiance and I currently live with his parents until we purchase a home in the coming months. They are really good cooks but I'm finding that their cooking makes losing weight difficult. They deep fry a lot of foods, bread everything and fix a lot of unhealthy food. They aren't very supportive and sometimes it feels like the food they fix is meant to tempt me which I know is just a silly thought. There is always chips, little Debbie cakes, ice cream etc.. in the house. I enjoy eating veggies, fruits, and whole grains but they cook dinner every night and there's always a fridge full of leftovers.
I don't like to see food go to waste so I tend to eat what they cook instead of making my own. We rarely eat out and when we do it is grilled meats, veggies, fruit etc. We may eat fast food twice a year but only if something comes up and it's the only place open. I don't eat fast food as I worked in it and can't stomach it anymore. When we buy grocery we buy healthy foods and tend to buy natural/organic food.
I'm having a hard time getting back into exercise. I'm not able to do exercises such as push-ups due to an injury to one of my arms as a child as I could reinjure it if I use a lot of force or life a lot.I need to lose around 70 pounds. I have lost 100 pounds before when I was in high school 8 years ago and I'm 23 now. I have enough time to lose the weight as my wedding is over a year away but I can't put it off any longer.
When I graduated high school six years ago I developed depression and anxiety that caused me to abandon exercise and eat to cope. I live in an area that is very rural and walking to places isn't possible as the only way to get anywhere is by car. There are not any clinics I can go to for weight loss help etc....
I have used weight watchers and I did not lose much weight on it. I have also tried Atkins. I lost 13 on the Keto diet before Christmas only for the holidays to derail my efforts. I have used My Fitness Pal and it helps. I also have a Fitbit. I had no problem losing weight in high school but have found that the older I get the harder it is.
Are any other brides in a similar situation and what are you doing to cope? Is there any exercises you would recommend or sites you use? Have any of you been successful in your weight loss efforts? Any encouragement or advice is greatly appreciated.

There are many great online coaching programs these days and you can even just use YouTube to find workouts. Since you live rurally, can you start walking in the evenings? Just down the road and back, using your Fitbit to measure the distance, would at least help you start making a positive routine. Additionally, maybe you can start meal prepping. This will help send the message that you are serious about the weight loss and may influence your fILs to cook less, since they know less people are eating. Good Luck!!

charlotte989875 · March 2018

Maybe ask your in-laws if you can take over cooking duties one or two nights a week? That way you can start to work some healthier meals into your regular routine. And make enough for leftovers for lunch so you get another healthy meal. Do you work or go to school; can you get some walking in before or after work/classes?

I also agree with the online coaching programs and youtube videos. I do Beachbody and I love it, but there are also a ton of free yoga videos or workout programs online. If you can't do all the moves there are always tons of ways to modify them.

ShesSoCold · March 2018

Can I ask what issues you had with weight watchers?

I ask because I successfully lost weight with WW and have been able to change my habits and lifestyle because of it. I was a member of WW and paid for it for years before I actually made huge changes, but now it comes easy to me.

For example, if I want to eat something, I look it up on WW to see how many points it is. Then I either decide it's worth it or not. It's given me a lot of perspective and helped balance my wanting to eat crappy food with my wanting to be thin.

There's also a WW social media feature that is really helpful for a lot of people.

But the biggest thing, for me, was finally deciding that enough was enough. Enough excuses. I had to decide that my desire to be thin was more important than the numerous excuses I came up with all the time not to work out. My wanting to be thin was more important than eating ice cream every night before I went to bed. Things like that. If I were you, I'd start with the IL's food. I'd tell myself that I want to lose the weight more than I don't want to see their unhealthy food be wasted, ya know?

I'm not trying to push WW back on you, not even a little bit. But it seems like if you use the program, it works. Sure it's not going to work if you (general you) half-ass it, but nothing does.

Also, I think that setting smaller goals along the way is helpful. Like, I told myself that if I work out 5 days a week for a month straight, I can buy a fitbit. If you look at the big picture, it might feel like a lot. But if you look at it in 5-10 pound increments, it's not so overwhelming.

I use Daily Burn online workout videos. They let you have a free 30 day trial and I occasionally find Groupons for 3 months free.

southernbelle0915 · March 2018

I used to worry about seeing food go to waste too. But here's how I look at it for myself....it's going to get wasted in the trash can, or it's going to get wasted by padding my ass. Where would I rather see it get wasted....? At the end of the day, it's an excuse...no one is going hungry by throwing those leftovers away.

It sounds like portion control and exercise are basically what's holding you back. I had good luck with 21 day fix. Just doing it over and over (not only 21 days). You can buy it on amazon and it comes with portion control containers and daily work outs that you can do with 30 minutes, 10 feet of floor space and some hand weights.

I would also say that trying to lose 70lbs is really significant. I would highly recommend running your program by your regular doctor (doesn't have to be a weight loss doc).

reneelovesdanger · May 2021

I also struggle with changing habits, and regularly sabotage myself. (I've also been an emotional eater since high school - I totally get it.) Might I suggest something that might be seen as a little unorthodox? Have you considered seeing a therapist? I recently starting taking advantage of a mental health coaching benefit made available through my work (I'm a Starbucks barista.) While I initially began to work on my social anxiety and control issues at work and at home, I'm finding that the peace I'm gaining through my sessions addressing those issues has begun to help me see a difference in my emotional eating habits. Not a huge change, mind you, as I've only been working with her for about a month, but I find it easier for me to notice when I'm full and realize that it's ok not to finish what's on my plate, or eat the entire pizza, or scarf down that pint of B&J's after dinner just because it's there. They'll all still be there next time I'm hungry, you know? But it's also helped me in that I care more about myself, and taking care of this physical body by eating more healthful foods and drinking more water are both important steps in overcoming these bad habits, honoring and respecting myself, and (PERK!) eventually slimming down. I hope this helps, and I hope you have been able to make these changes these other folks have suggested. Mostly, though, I hope you are healing and happy.

maine7mob · May 2021

Aaaagh! ETA: JUST REALIZED THIS IS AN ANCIENT THREAD.
deleting

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