shrink your stomach??

[l23]

Over the past few months, I've been eating a lot. Whatever I want, whenever. Needless to say, I've gained 5 lbs (I also have slacked on workouts). I tried to eat somewhat better today (I'll never be a super-healthy eater) but I kept getting hungry. How can I lose weight if I'm always hungry?? Will my stomach eventually shrink down? I have friends who eat 1 meal a day and I can't go 2 hours without eating! I'm 25, 4'11"

What I ate today:
noon: 4 large raviolis (leftover from the Olive Garden)- I slept in
3:00: tuna salad on 1/2 a whole wheat bun with lettuce
5:00: peanuts
(5:30-6:15- weight class)
7:00: another tuna sandwich
9:00: Twix candy bar
10:00: small apple, peanuts
11:30: saltines with butter (terrible, I know!)

I usually eat lots of fast food and takeout so I'm just trying to get away from that stuff.
ANY advice would be appreciated!

 

[icklemoley]

What about Breakfast? Break the fast???

How about starting with one meal aday that you make "healthy" and then start from there. So, make it breakfast. And then, after a while when you're comfortable, start with a healthy snack and then lunch, and so on... this has worked well for other people.

 

[erinjames]

Try cutting out the carbs in your diet, i.e. ravioli, Twix candy bar, and especially the saltines with butter, and opt for more protein in your diet. The tuna and peanuts is a good choice, but maybe a protein shake for a snack or protein bar is better. Also try to put some more fiber rich foods in your diet along with the whole wheat bun.

 

[Carol_is_fit]

I can also tell you you may not be eating enough. Total calories are important. If you don't get enough, your body goes into "starvation" mode and hangs onto fat, in order to conserve energy. Your body doesn't know you're trying to lose weight. All it knows is it's not getting enough calories. It sounds nuts but you have to feed it enough fuel to help it burn fat. Obviously cut out the Twix. Try to cut back on those "empty" carbs like pasta and saltines, and opt instead for fruits, veggies, and whole grains whenever possible. Make your sandwiches on whole grain, low fat/low cal bread. It tastes the same and will save you about half the calories and fat as in regular bread. Protein is very important! It will also help you feel full longer, and you won't be as hungry all the time. There are lots of people on here who can give you specific information about carb/protein/fat ratios, but I'm not one of them. I was on Weight Watchers for six months and lost 40 pounds, and SIX SIZES. As for exercise, I never would have achieved results like that without it. Strength training builds muscle, which burns calories every day just to stay alive, even while you're at rest. The more you have, the higher your metabolism will eventually be. Then you will burn fat more easily and more efficiently. What you eat and exercise work hand in hand. Think of your body as a finely-tuned machine, which it is. It needs the right fuel in order to function at peak capacity. That's all food is. It's fuel. The hunger pains will abate once you get used to eating better. I don't know how much medical evidence is out there regarding your stomach actually "shrinking", but I'm sure if it's out there, someone on here will tell you all about it. As an RN, I believe it has more to do with insulin production myself. Carbs will cause your body to secrete insulin, and you can actually make yourself super-sensitive to this secretion by loading up on them, especially the simple ones. You need carbs, as they are your body's first source of fuel, but you should opt instead for complex ones like fruits, veggies and grains, instead of candy bars. Saltines aren't necessarily "bad", but opt instead for the fat free ones if you must have them, and be careful of how many you eat. Sodium will cause you to retain water. Speaking of water, it's VERY important. Drink about three quarts a day. It's not that much once you get used to it. It will keep you hydrated, which is crucial for losing weight, it will help keep you feeling full - a lot of what we perceive as "hunger" is actually thirst - and it will help flush out all the waste products from your cells.

These are all things I've learned on WW, and on here, and from other sources I've read on my own, and I hope they help you!! Whatever you do, I wish you the best of luck!! You've come to the right place for help. There is a wealth of information on here, and many schools of thought, so try not to get too overwhelmed. It's easy to do - LOL!! Sift through everything with a discerning eye, and do some research on your own. Once you find a program you can live with, think of it as something you need to stick with for LIFE, because that's what you're aiming for. A lifelong program of healthy eating and working out!! Best of luck to you!!

Carol


P.S. this was edited for clarity only ... just so everyone knows why it was edited ...

 

[kelley111]

This is a really good thread. I need to lose about 10-15 pounds. I've been doing Weight Watchers for the last 5-6 weeks. Not only have I NOT lost any weight at all, but I'm flabbier in the mid section and look terrible. I also feel terrible. I workout consistently 6 days a week, so that is no problem for me. In the past I have found that low carb diets for me, but they are so hard for me to stick to. I'm thinking of giving it another try, but I think I need to break down and spend the extra money for the low carb bread, bagels, etc. I didn't do Atkins in the past, but something more along the lines of The Carbohydrate Addicts Diet. I ate no carbs for 2 meals and then literally ate anything I wanted for the third meal. I lost 12 pounds eating that way. I, of course, gained it back once I stopped the diet. I don't blame the diet for my weight gain, but myself as I pigged out on fudge covered Oreos.

 

[LoriSax]

I also need to lose about 10 lbs. What I started yesterday was cutting out all starchy carbs. I have 1/2 c. of oatmeal in the morning, and the rest of the day are all fruits and veggies. I am not an Atkins follower, I am just experimenting on how well this works for my body. I am having more nuts, olive oil, I have 1 T. of flax seed in my oatmeal. We will see how I will do. I will never not have popcorn again, or pasta, I am just trying to eat more whole foods.
Lori

 

[Bobbi]

Yep, yep, yep, small frequent meals is the way to go! I eat all the time! But it all adds up to just enough calories! You do not have to be hungry to lose weight and you get to eat plenty of calories to put on muscle! Isn't this wonderful! We can work out, feel satisfied and eat what we want as long as it's balanced and easy on the truly decadent stuff! I have been eating cookies, caramels and chocolate quite a bit lately but I shaved off a little of the more nutritious food I eat in my regular diet. My calorie count is stable and I am pretty certain I can afford to miss a few nutrients because this is short term and I do have mulit-vitamins in my cupboard just in case.
http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/person/schnauz.gif Bobbi

 

[nancy324]

According to my nutritionist, you need to have a REAL breakfast, with plenty of complex carbs, like oatmeal or Kashi cereal, with a cup of skim milk and some cheese. By lunch time, you have to have more complex carbs to keep going. 1/2 cup of beans in a salad is best, with 1-3 tsps. of oil in your dressing, lots of veggies and 3-5 ozs. of fish, chicken or tofu. Your diet has too many simple sugars, like ravioli and the buns and bread (I'm not even addressing the Twix bar). Those foods make you feel hungry and tired and generally are not sustaining. If you make better choices, you won't get as hungry.

Hope this helps!

 

[kathryn]

Where are the veggies? They're one of the most important foods: good antioxidants and vitamiins and minerals, and fiber to help you feel full so you might not crave the candy bar or the saltines. Make sure to eat enough fiber during the day: a bare minimum of 25 gm., but better to go for 35-40. I'd say the above probably lacks that (no fiber in the tuna, though maybe a bit in the celery/onions/etc. and better if it is on whole grain bread with at least 5 gm/slice). Saltines have 0 fiber (a whole grain alternative could have more, but always check).

Make sure you drink enough water throughout the day.

 

[rmrmr]

Sorry to hear you haven't lost any weight with the ww plan. I lost 30lbs and have kept them off with the ww plan. Are you drinking your water? I drink 80oz or more each day of water. The first 32oz in the morning during my workout, and another 32oz before bed-the rest during the day. Also, are you getting your fruits and veggies in each day? Salad, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, apples, pears, clementines, oranges etc. are all good choices. What about journaling? If you are really serious, (and you must be if you are paying for ww) is too be true to your food journal. This is the hardest part, if you go over on your points, write it down so you now where you stand. You will need to make up for those additional points used either on another day, or by exercising. Although I exercised each day, I did not count my activity points in order to increase my weight loss.
Stay on track and keep up the good work.

 

[IrishEyes]

Well, since you slept in and didn't eat to noon, I wonder what a typical day looks like for you? Also, how much weight do you need to lose? Because it seems to me that the closer you get to your goal, the "cleaner" it has to be to see an improvement. I can only speak from my personal experience, though as I have no qualifications! I need to make that clear!

You're eating frequently, like you should be. Your tuna salad stands out to me! What kind of mayonaise are you using? Use the reduced fat kind by all means! I bet the mayonaisse alone could be giving you 40 g of fat. Then the butter on top of it and the twix. Tuna, nuts, are all good choices from what I've read. I bet you know that nuts are the good kind of fat. I have a problem with nuts, though! It is soooo easy to overeat on them. How many are you having?


So, first I'd say try to cut down on bad fats. Next, I'd work on the enriched flour products.
You especially don't want to have the enriched flour products (saltines) before bed and then have it again first thing in the morning with no other nutrients! Try to really cut down on the white flour products for now, perhaps to once a day? For example, instead of salitnes with butter, how about salitines with natural peanut butter? If you like pasta, can you try the whole grain stuff?
And, yea....veggies, veggies, veggies. It's really very easy to buy a bag of premixed greens and munch on a bit with almost every meal. Believe me, I am LAZY!(which brings me to the fast food part)

I ate a lot of fast food, too and managed to lose weight. Pretty much the only white bread I had was from fast food. However, I always opted for the grilled chicken, had no fries or onion rings. I ate a TON of subway. I"m not sure why I'm not in a commercial with Jared to be quite honest!

Work on one thing at a time, and let it become habit. Choose between what you can live with and what you can't give up. For me, it's chocolate. But it's not much, and I choose lower fat varieties. Expirement with the diet when things aren't going well to learn how your body responds.

Good luck! I hope this helps a bit.
Mary