Gained 50lbs after breakup. Best way to get it off?

[coffeeloverx]

This question is embarassing and I feel dumb asking it because I am not very happy with myself about this weight gain but I'm putting it aside for now.

 

I broke up with my ex boyfriend almost a year ago. I deal with things by eating and when I emotionally eat, I want junk. Chips, candy, french fries, hamburgers, etc, etc. That bad diet combined with a lack of physical exercise has caused the weight gain. It doesn't look like I've gained a lot of weight because I carry it well, but I know I have and I don't like it.

 

So, my question, what is the best way to maybe start losing this weight? I know it won't come off overnight and I have to work at it, so far I've been cutting out a lot of the junk food and eating more healthy foods (chicken with vegetables and brown rice. Oatmeal with berries for breakfast. Turkey, avocado and tomato sandwiches for lunch, etc.) I think from that I've lost 2-3 pounds already.

 

Any other tips? Exercising? Should I start out just walking? Jogging? What's best?

 

Thanks so much!

[Toddbt12y1]

Determine your calorie needs. I do not remember the formula. Maybe another poster has it.

 

Essentially take -500 off your daily calorie intake. Eat a healthy balanced meal. You can eat healthy fats. You can cut carbs to lose weight...but you'll feel weaker. You can easily get healthy carbs and not overboard or worry much about it.

 

Depending on how heavy you are...your actual weight...if extremely obese, walking will help. If just overweight, a jog doesn't hurt. Jogging Burns more calories then walking or running.

 

There are other cardio means to losing weight. I am sure fitchick or another more experted poster can help you better. As I have sorrowfully forgotten many formulas and alas...

[TigerCub]

At this point any kind of exercise should help- just do something (anything is better than nothing).

 

- biking

- walking

- hoola hooping

 

limit / cut out carbs

limit/cut out alcohol

drink lots of water

eat lots of veggies and lean protein

 

- get into weight training.

 

There is so much you can do.

 

Don't beat yourself up about this (I know it's hard), and be proud of yourself that you are catching the problem and making an effort to fix it.

 

Also, since you recognize that you are an emotional eater, it wouldn't hurt to see a counselor about that.

 

Good luck

[coffeeloverx]

At this point any kind of exercise should help- just do something (anything is better than nothing).

 

- biking

- walking

- hoola hooping

 

limit / cut out carbs

limit/cut out alcohol

drink lots of water

eat lots of veggies and lean protein

 

- get into weight training.

 

There is so much you can do.

 

Don't beat yourself up about this (I know it's hard), and be proud of yourself that you are catching the problem and making an effort to fix it.

 

Also, since you recognize that you are an emotional eater, it wouldn't hurt to see a counselor about that.

 

Good luck

 

Thanks. (: I've just started seeing a therapist a few months ago to help with things, that's been helping too.

[FitChick]

There are a lot of helpful tools, like a calorie checker, carb counter, recipes and a forum at sparkpeople. It's free. Buy yourself a set of measuring spoons, measuring cups and a food scale if you are really serious.

[Mr Scorpio]

Don't consume soda, or anything that comes in a box other than whole wheat pasta or a high fiber cereal.

[Ninjainpajamas]

The best way to stay in shape is to do a combination of things, especially with activities as they will become boring and tedious very quickly.

 

Summer is coming so a good thing to do is swim, but remember you get very hungry after eating so have a good meal planned afterwards.

 

Make the little efforts...park farther from the store, take a walk around the block or two, do some lunges or leg workouts, nothing too intense to start out as your body needs to get back into shape and also it's a lot harder when you just start from scratch.

 

Then move up to jogging and doing cardio, getting to the gym on a treadmill or maybe even hiring a personal trainer there.

 

Moving up into very strenuous activity early on will likely make you feel deflated and overwhelmed because your body isn't ready for it if your activity has been low for some time, then you'll feel demotivated.

 

At the same time, simply cut back. But don't go cold turkey, you'll set yourself up for a binge and then have too many cravings, it doesn't work for most people and is not sustainable for a long period of time. Since you deal with a lot of issues through food and sound like you may be a "foodie", try to deal with your emotions in other ways, try to talk to someone about your issues/problems, try to write or read when you are feeling the way you are, try to find different coping mechanisms, something that gives you some satisfaction and release...just try to win the little battles.

 

Try to cut out the soda, french fries and chips, but do this by again cutting back. You goal is to progressively eat these things less and less, try to eat right your first two meals for the day then eat whatever you want for dinner. And portion size is another big factor, most people eat way more than they need to and end up overstuffed and feeling inebriated, try to minimize the portions you actually eat.

 

If you combine these things then put in the effort with what you're eating and exercise, you'll start to gradually lose weight little by little, but if you're one of those people who really just tries to go cold turkey because you're motivated in the moment, you're going to likely find yourself in a binge fest.

 

Use online calorie counters, as you'll need to to understand what's wrong in your diet as this is where most people get confused when trying to lose weight. There are a lot of things you eat that are likely quite a bit more calories than you may realize, eating fast-food and out of course is going to be bad for the belly...If you want to be healthy and eat right though, then you pretty much have to regulate or be aware of what you're putting in your body down to the detail, but don't overstress about it, just take it one day at a time, don't think about the long-term picture yet and don't step on the scale, start just by doing better than what you're doing today.

 

At the end of the day, it comes down to calories....eat less you lose, eat more you gain.

Edited May 4, 2013 by Ninjainpajamas

[austyre]

Eat more fruit and vegetables less fat if you can eat clean most times then that would be your best bet( try simple foods(Greens/spinach bananas apples nuts and seeds) less processed the better . I believe if a person concentrate a lot on what they eat and make their Health a major priority then long term see what happens but it goes back to putting your health before everything else , Just keep it simple nothing fancy remember fitness is for tone and Good food is for health

 

good luck:)

[TheFinalWord]

Your body weight is based on:

•Thermic effect of food: energy required to process food, i.e. chewing, digesting, metabolizing

 

•Basal metabolic rate (BMR): rate of energy expenditure to maintain basic life functions, i.e. digestion, respiration, temperature regulation (if you could lie down and not move all day, this is the amount of calories you would burn); approx. 60-70% of energy intake

 

•Physical activity: Varies by quantity and intensity

 

•The relationship between caloric intake (in the form of food) and the caloric output (in the form of metabolism and activity)

•If you take in more calories than you use through metabolism and movement (positive energy balance), you store theses extra calories as body fat.

•If you take in fewer calories than you need (negative energy balance), you draw on body fat stores to provide energy.

 

To maintain, lose, or gain weight you must first determine you maintenance weight

 

•Simplest way to do this:

•Write down all the foods you typically eat (most of us eat the same dozen or so foods every day)

•Find out how many calories are in each serving of those foods

•Each day write down:

 

1. Food you ate and how many servings
   
2. Determine total calories eaten per day
   

•Do this each day for 7 days and then find your average daily caloric intake (add daily totals and divide by 7)

•Given you have not gained weight over the week you record this, you will have your maintenance calories

•If you use this approach, weight yourself on a properly calibrated scale, first thing in the morning

•Variety of calculators can provide resting/basal metabolic rate:

Resting Metabolic Rate

 

•Individualized goals of weight loss therapy should be to reduce body weight at an optimal rate of 1 – 2 lbs per week

•One pound of fat = 3,500 calories

•Weight loss formula = 500 negative energy balance per day * 7 days = 3,500 calorie deficit = 1 pound of fat

•Reducing dietary fat and/or carbohydrates is a practical way to create a daily 500 (max 1000) calorie deficit of below estimated energy needs

 

Improving your overall health through moderate lifestyle changes

•Set Realistic Goals: Drastic diet changes are not sustainable

•Get Active: Make it enjoyable (intermittent and lifestyle)

•Manage Behavior

1. Stimulus control: avoid environmental cues associated with unhealthy eating habits
   
2. Self-supervision: keep a food diary
   
3. Social support and positive reinforcement: recruit others to join you in your healthier eating and exercising habits
   
4. Stress management: relaxation and coping techniques
   
5. Cognitive restructuring: be realistic about weight loss or gains (speed of change), don’t compare yourself to others, moderate emotions and self-defeating thoughts
   

The Key to Weight Control: Energy Balance

[Star Gazer]

Eat clean (nothing processed (in a box or bag), no junk, no fast food, no soda) and run. Voila!