Advice for helping my GF be comfortable with my goals

A few months ago, I had lost about 10 lbs just by cutting out snacks. Then I started dating for the first time in almost a decade. Cut forward to today, and I've gained almost all that weight back as a result of dinners out, snacks at home, and just being comfortable in a relationship. Now I'm getting serious again. I've started tracking for CICO, I'm being more conscious about what I eat, and how much walking I do every day.

Meanwhile, over the past year, my GF's mother started losing weight, but has adopted an incredibly restrictive no-carb diet based on forums she's found online. She's constantly finding new foods that she decides she can't eat, and has blown waaaaay past her target weight. She doesn't want to adjust to a maintenance diet as long as she feels she can keep losing more weight. She is moving into an unhealthy low weight and we're concerned that she has developed an eating disorder. We're talking sunken eyes, boney limbs, and a complete unwillingness to discuss it. She's also started criticizing others about their weight and encouraging everyone to cut out carbs.

Because of her mom, my GF is hesitant about me starting my own weight loss journey. She has told me that she doesn't like the idea of me counting calories because that's where her mom started. She has also said that if I start to become "buff" or "fit" that she's going to feel insecure about her own body in comparison. I've explained that I have no interest in being buff. I'm 40-50 pounds overweight and I just want to be healthy again. I've offered to give her access to my "Lose It!" app so she can see what I'm eating. And I've tried to reassure her that my goals are 100% "for me" and that I have no expectations for her to diet along with me or change the way she sees me.

Because she's amazing, she's trying her best to be supportive even though I can tell she's still uncomfortable with me doing CICO and my overall weight loss goals. I'm struggling to help her find a level of comfort with the changes I'm making in my life. I'm hoping that some of you will have gone through similar scenarios and might be able to offer some advice about how to have discussions about my progress and make sure she's comfortable that I'm not developing an ED too. I want to be able to support her the same way she is trying to support me, but this is all new ground for me.

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How Your Eating Habits Affect Your Mood

Food is more than just nourishment for our bodies. What we eat has a direct impact on how our minds work, our mood and our deepest feelings. The tastes and aromas of the food we grew up with, for example, can trigger happy memories of home and childhood.

The food-mood connection goes even further. Research shows that eating the right foods can promote a positive mental outlook, help relieve anxiety and encourage healthy choices, while reducing your risk of depression and impulsive behavior.

How to Banish a Bad Mood

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Here’s what you need to know about how your eating habits impact your mood:

You are What You Eat

Studies have found that different types of foods affect our mental state in different ways. It turns out that the very same foods that are unhealthy for our waistlines are just as troublesome for our minds. A diet high in refined sugar and other highly processed foods is associated with a higher risk of depression, according to a report in the journal Psychiatry Research. On the other hand, consuming a well-balanced diet that’s high in vegetables, fruits and complex carbohydrates such as whole grains is associated with a lower incidence of depression.

Even if you are not prone to depression, everyday stress and anxiety can dampen your mood. When we are stressed out or anxious, many of us go for what are commonly known as “comfort foods.” We tend to associate comfort foods with times when we are calm and happy. Many of the most popular choices are high in calories, saturated fat and sugar like cakes, pies, ice cream, mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. These foods may help us feel better in the short term. However, they are the kind of fare that is linked both to depression and excess weight gain.

Good Fats for a Good Mood

One nutrient that seems to play a unique role in our moods is omega-3 fatty acids, a healthy fat. Low blood levels of polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids are linked not only to depression, but also to pessimism and impulsive behavior, according to another study published in Psychiatry Research. The best sources of this nutrient are fish such as salmon and mackerel, walnuts, flax seeds and chia seeds, says the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. You may also find bread, yogurt, orange juice and milk that have been fortified with omega-3 fatty acids.

No surprise, your Nutrisystem weight loss plan is the ideal diet for maintaining a positive mood. And not just because it speeds you along the path to your ideal weight. The Nutrisystem menu loads you up with nutrient-dense foods like fresh produce, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats. This will give you the energy you need to stay active and deal with any stressful situations that come up during your day. Your Nutrisystem plan also allows you to enjoy treats that make you happy when you need them.

Fats: The Good, the Bad & the Gray Area

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For the Love of Chocolate

What can you eat when you need a quick mood lift? The research shows that for many people, the taste of chocolate does the trick. In the journal Nutrition Review, researchers conducted a review of eight different studies that examined chocolate and its impact on mood. Five of the studies demonstrated “either an improvement in mood state or an attenuation of negative mood.”

Ready for the best news of all? Your Nutrisystem menu has delicious, chocolatey treats that will keep you on track towards your weight loss goals. Our Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Nut Bar, for example, gives you not only sweet, rich flavor and satisfying crunch, you also get the mood-lifting power of omega-3 fatty acids from the nuts. If you’re craving just a few bites of plain milk chocolate, our NutriChocolates will hit the spot. In fact, we have many other chocolate treats that are sure to bring a smile to your face.

Losing Weight the Sweet Way: Success Stories’ Top 7 Chocolate Picks

Read More

The post How Your Eating Habits Affect Your Mood appeared first on The Leaf.

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Day 1? Starting your weight loss journey on Friday, 15 November 2019? Start here!

Today is your Day 1?

Welcome to r/Loseit!

So you aren’t sure of how to start? Don’t worry! “How do I get started?” is our most asked question. r/Loseit has helped our users lose over 1,000,000 recorded pounds and these are the steps that we’ve found most useful for getting started.

Why you’re overweight

Our bodies are amazing (yes, yours too!). In order to survive before supermarkets, we had to be able to store energy to get us through lean times, we store this energy as adipose fat tissue. If you put more energy into your body than it needs, it stores it, for (potential) later use. When you put in less than it needs, it uses the stored energy. The more energy you have stored, the more overweight you are. The trick is to get your body to use the stored energy, which can only be done if you give it less energy than it needs, consistently.

Before You Start

The very first step is calculating your calorie needs. You can do that HERE. This will give you an approximation of your calorie needs for the day. The next step is to figure how quickly you want to lose the fat. One pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories. So to lose 1 pound of fat per week you will need to consume 500 calories less than your TDEE (daily calorie needs from the link above). 750 calories less will result in 1.5 pounds and 1000 calories is an aggressive 2 pounds per week.

Tracking

Here is where it begins to resemble work. The most efficient way to lose the weight you desire is to track your calorie intake. This has gotten much simpler over the years and today it can be done right from your smartphone or computer. r/loseit recommends an app like MyFitnessPal, Loseit! (unaffiliated), or Cronometer. Create an account and be honest with it about your current stats, activities, and goals. This is your tracker and no one else needs to see it so don’t cheat the numbers. You’ll find large user created databases that make logging and tracking your food and drinks easy with just the tap of the screen or the push of a button. We also highly recommend the use of a digital kitchen scale for accuracy. Knowing how much of what you're eating is more important than what you're eating. Why? This may explain it.

Creating Your Deficit

How do you create a deficit? This is up to you. r/loseit has a few recommendations but ultimately that decision is yours. There is no perfect diet for everyone. There is a perfect diet for you and you can create it. You can eat less of exactly what you eat now. If you like pizza you can have pizza. Have 2 slices instead of 4. You can try lower calorie replacements for calorie dense foods. Some of the communities favorites are cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash in place of their more calorie rich cousins. If it appeals to you an entire dietary change like Keto, Paleo, Vegetarian.

The most important thing to remember is that this selection of foods works for you. Sustainability is the key to long term weight management success. If you hate what you’re eating you won’t stick to it.

Exercise

Is NOT mandatory. You can lose fat and create a deficit through diet alone. There is no requirement of exercise to lose weight.

It has it’s own benefits though. You will burn extra calories. Exercise is shown to be beneficial to mental health and creates an endorphin rush as well. It makes people feel awesome and has been linked to higher rates of long term success when physical activity is included in lifestyle changes.

Crawl, Walk, Run

It can seem like one needs to make a 180 degree course correction to find success. That isn’t necessarily true. Many of our users find that creating small initial changes that build a foundation allows them to progress forward in even, sustained, increments.

Acceptance

You will struggle. We have all struggled. This is natural. There is no tip or trick to get through this though. We encourage you to recognize why you are struggling and forgive yourself for whatever reason that may be. If you overindulged at your last meal that is ok. You can resolve to make the next meal better.

Do not let the pursuit of perfect get in the way of progress. We don’t need perfect. We just want better.

Additional resources

Now you’re ready to do this. Here are more details, that may help you refine your plan.

• Quick Start Guide - Build your foundation!
• Loseit Compendium - Frame it out!
• FAQ - Answers to our most Frequently Asked Questions!

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Trying a new approach to weight loss. Daily goal focused!

I want to lose 100 pounds. I have tried a lot of fad diets over the years (with binge and purge cycles leading to increased weight gain) and have come to identify as having a food addiction.

My approach this time has been to focus on one thing only: daily goals. I’m really focusing on overcoming my overrating addiction with calorie counting.

I saw a post on this sub about the importance of looking at the silver lining when restarting your weight loss journey, mainly what spoke to me in that post was leveraging all your past experience to approach things even more prepared. I’m choosing to see this change as a long term transition towards a new lifestyle of balanced eating. I’m also really trying to honor my past experiences to create an approach that feels possible to sustain long term. So thanks to everyone that engaged on that post recently!

I’m also feeling very intrinsically motivated about this goal this time. I haven’t felt exclusively motivated by setting long term “incentives” beyond getting to feel better and less concerned about my health risks. I am really curious to see how my body feels if I stop over eating to the point of discomfort... all the time. I know it is so important for my body, future, and family.

I’m using MFP and already am learning so much about food by taking this approach. I’m aiming for just 1 pound lost a week right now in my MFP calculations and am holding myself accountable to staying in my calorie range. *Edited to add: Whereas in the past I had focused on losing as much as I can as fast as I can through really unhealthy approaches that were absolutely unrealistic for me to sustain.

Little takeaways: - eating more vegetables makes you feel like you’re eating a lot more food (which you can because they’re so low in calories!!) - walking just 20-30 minutes can add a lot of calories to your day! - some of my favorite meals are totally “allowed” because I am eating more reasonable portions (aka restricting food groups sucks and isn’t sustainable, but smaller portions is!) - cooking 2-3 days worth of meat and vegetables at a time makes it a lot easier to incorporate those foods into meals - whole wheat bread and pasta is doooppeee - I feel so much more comfortable after eating because I’m intentionally budgeting my calories across the day and not overeating in any one meal - vegetables > chips for snacks = just as convenient, for way less calories, and very tasty snacks! - YouTube videos from women who have lost 100+ pounds is super inspiring - leaving my food scale on the counter makes it super easy to remember to just weigh it out to get it accurate

Anyway... wanted to share to see if others have taken this day-to-day calorie counting goal to overcome their overeating habit/food addiction? And tbh for accountability and community! :)

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25 lbs down so far!

21F 5’10” SW:200 CW:175 GW:160

Yay!! I’m finally down 25 lbs and hopefully on my way to losing 15 more. I have always been slightly “overweight” (according to BMI not BF%) and really muscular. I played rugby for 7 years: collegiate and internationally. I worked out a lot and ate a lot. I had a 25% body fat percentage which wasn’t unhealthy (before I stopped playing). I accepted that I couldn’t change my body. I thought it was the way I would always be. I felt unhealthy (because of what I ate) and I was unhappy with how my body looked for a long time. But I had never really been “skinny” or “fit” in my life, I didn’t think it was possible.

My life blew up this year and I turned to improving all aspects of my health. I’m a graduate student in a medical field, it helped me run out of excuses to not become my healthiest self! What has worked for me is CICO and cardio. Running has always been a mental therapy for me, I just used to not be able to do it as long as I can now! For the past 4 months I’ve been running 3x/wk and trying to eat anywhere from 1200-1500 calories a day. I buy a lot of produce and make a bunch of tasty low calorie meals. Im now incorporating strength training at least 2x a week. I felt like in the beginning the pounds were melting off, now it’s getting harder and harder. But I understand that slowly I’ll get there!

It’s been so rewarding really taking care of all aspects of my health. A lot of people have commented on how happy and healthy I look. I’m excited to continue this journey. I know it’s not the most drastic weight loss, but this has been so beneficial in my life! I am passionate about how important your physical health is in every aspect of life. I love reading this subreddit and seeing all of the other people actively taking care of their physical health, and trying to change their lives!

SW v.s. CW

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Stress/Depression Weight Loss

Attempted to post on r/fitness but I guess it broke Rule #0? Here's attempt #2.

So, I'm posting this because I am at a loss for I can do to get to a healthier weight and lifestyle. If anyone has any advice/recommendations/tips on how I can find a plan/regimen that I can try, I would great appreciate it.

My story is by no means unique. My weight gain corresponds directly to my stress level and depression. And as much as I would like to lower the amount of stress in my life, I honestly don't see that happening because I'm a law student. To make matters worse, I was recently diagnosed with depression which makes sense because in the last 18 months, I have lost my father, uncle, and grandmother in three completely unrelated deaths. So in order words, there's no way to get out the stress/depression mode I am in (though I am open to any recommendations).

I feel like I have tried everything: keto, IF, calorie counting, low-fat, vegan, raw, etc. And my weight continues to slowly go up. I just found out that I am now officially "overweight" for my height and weight (I'm 5'2 and weight 150lbs). While I don't enjoy how I look, the worst part is honestly all the medical issues are a direct result of this weight gain. My migraines have gotten significantly worse. I'm pretty sure I've got an ulcer. And the list goes on...

To make matters worse, I use food as a source of comfort. Always have. Im also terrible at any sort of sport and thus am hesitant to do anything physical in public because as I kid I was teased for lack of kinesthetic ability. These issues coupled with the fact that I am buried in books and papers all day has resulted in a fairly sedentary lifestyle.

And so I'm writing as a last ditch attempt to get any sort of advice. Or maybe even as a cathartic attempt to express everything that's been built up for the last year and a half. Anything is greatly appreciated.

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Is it possible to lose weight as a vegetarian

Every diet plan I've read about recommends incorporating chicken breast as a main source of protein during weight loss. But there's other foods that are also high in protein like lentils, chickpeas and beans. Would it be crazy to fill in that protein intake I'd typically get from chicken breast, with those healthier foods instead? (as long as I keep the total calorie intake at limit). Just looking at nutrition values, only difference between these looks like chicken breast has 0 carbohydrates while the rest amount to maybe 150g. Have no idea what this means though. Is it bad? Can someone eli5? :)

In short, I'd prefer to keep that calorie deficit while getting my protein through 'higher carbohydrate' foods like lentils, beans, chickpeas, etc., instead of using any meat. I will also be exercising. But I have no idea if it will work or not. I am very new to this thing and really appreciate all the helps :)

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