so if you were eating like THIS, how would you fix it?

[Pamela H in Texas]

Okay, I'm hoping for ideas....

 

Okay, lets say you had a hate hate relationship with food. Let's say you tended to starve and binge and wallow in that hatred a bit more every second.

 

Let's say you got on a diet like this:

 

very low calorie

low fat/healthy fats

low carbs/healthy carbs

high-ish (or so) protein

 

But the diet requires you to eat more often than you can realistically do. And you aren't hungry.

 

But you KNOW you need more calories. And you'd like to exercise (think BeachBody level of working out, not wimpy!). You HAVE to eat more to exercise like that.

 

You like veggies and fruits.

You're not big on meat and skip most dairy (some cheese, love ice cream).

You hate even thinking about food, much less planning or fixing it though.

You aren't rich and healthy foods seem expensive

You do have a stockpile of various kinds of protein powder.

 

Any ideas?

[allymom]

More smoothies?

 

Add in some healthy fats like 1 T. of coconut oil or avocado to make it creamy.

 

Healthy whole grain crackers and nut butters for protein.

 

Apples sliced with nut butter.

 

Just eat more small and healthy snacks instead of full meals. Perhaps that would help? I don't know, I know it's much more difficult when eating issues are involved, mentally.

[phathui5]

Given what you described, I would schedule in meals and eat them regardless of whether I was hungry or not.

[justLisa]

Just start working out hard. You WILL want to eat more....or at least be hungry more. Don't think about the food so much.

[idnib]

Let's see...

 

If you don't want to eat more often or larger quantities, I would say you need to approach your meals with the idea of making each bite more calorie- and nutrient-dense.

 

Easy ways to do this include:

 

--More fat in the meal. If you don't want dairy try adding coconut oil, or drizzling olive oil on everything savory.

 

--Try adding small amounts of organ meats to things where you won't taste them. Bonus: organ meats sre usually cheaper.

 

--Eat more eggs. They are quick to prepare.

 

--Smoothies. When I lost my appetite during pregnancy I made a smoothie with raw milk (maybe use almond milk?), raw eggs, bananas, and honey. I just kept the blender jar in the fridge and drank it all day, putting it back onto the blender and giving it a whirl if it separated. Add the protein powders you've stockpiled.

 

--Nuts are easy and nutritious, although they can be expensive.

 

--If you eat grains add fat to them. Ghee, coconut oil, butter.

[Geo]

The principle of healthy eating remain the same, whether you are on a diet for weightloss , weight gain, or maintenance...self- discipline. You do what you need to do in order to be healthy. The combination of very low calorie and extreme exercise are not truly healthy. Try juicing (with greens) in the morning, for energy. Protein snack/drink mid-morning, etc. In other words, eat what you need to to do and be what you need to be.

Edited June 27, 2012 by Geo

[Desert Strawberry]

Smoothies with coconut milk, spinach, oats, flax, and nuts. Throw in some fruit or cocoa powder for flavor. Schedule feeding times every 2 hours, whether you are hungry or not. Cut out coffee. It kills the appetite and messes up metabolism. Drink green tea for energy. Stock the house with a variety or easy fresh fruits and veg. At feeding times, grab a piece of fruit and a handful of nuts and call it good.

[Pamela H in Texas]

It is really hard for me to think of eating all those fats. It is HARD for me to think about eating the meat even (though I *can*).

 

I don't drink coffee. I've tried some Tension Tamer tea just to help keep me a little calmer.We have tons of fruits and veggies, but I'm much more likely to grab junk or just say, "forget it."

[Pamela H in Texas]

I ran into a beachbody coach at the post office today. She is going to come by tomorrow and help me out a bit. I *have* a BB coach, but I think I need MORE. I hope this works. I'm so sick of being fat! And yet, I don't think I really believe I can *really* lose (though I have in the past) and I *really* don't think I can keep it off.

 

But I got some kiddos who need me to make it past 40, so I gotta do SOMETHING.

[idnib]

It is really hard for me to think of eating all those fats. It is HARD for me to think about eating the meat even (though I *can*).

 

Do you think you would do better with fish/shellfish than land animals? Does something like a tuna fish sandwich sound easier than a slab of steak?

 

Do you actually feel physical revulsion to fats/meats or id it a mental thing where you've trained yourself that fats are bad?

[laughing lioness]

Protein shakes. New book of lifting for women says hard work out and low cals are a bad, bad combo.

Also, given the binge/starve/wallow in hatred, I would suggest Overeater's Anon.

[Pamela H in Texas]

Tuna fish sounds WAY better than steak in about twelve ways.

 

I do have some negative feelings about meat.

 

It is kinda hard to think "eat fats" and "lose fat" in the same sentence.

At the same time, I know the fat fasts/flush and Atkins and such works so.....

So I guess I'm just a bit more confused about it.

 

I *really* have an aversion to food. I kept trying to think "food is fuel" and such,

but in the end? It is food. And I don't think too highly of food.

We have a history together that isn't too positive.

 

But I want to get healthy so I can raise my little people.

Edited June 28, 2012 by 2J5M9K

[Pamela H in Texas]

I *do* know not to do ChaLEAN Extreme or P90X or whatever while eating as little as I am. That is why I started the thread. I'd like to exercise but know I must eat to do it. But doing it while starving most of the day to binge on eating out then "dessert" later wouldn't work either. I have to get my eating under control. Obviously, I need to get my brain under control too.

 

The current diet...I thought:

 

1) it is a spin-off of a highly effective diet program some on this board have had great success with.

2) I thought small meals several times per day may work better because it isn't about eating MUCH each meal

3) I liked that there was a list of stuff to eat, not a wide open variety. Most things are pretty easy to fix.

 

But it isn't working like that. First, I simply am not even hungry every two-three hours. Second, I actually feel full really high up still after that long. Third, I have trouble picking food even thought it is a limited list and most are pretty easy to fix. So now I'm having a hard time eating a limited amount of food so lean towards, "just forget it."

 

I thought someone said something about feeling full several hours after eating being a sign of dehydration so I'm working on that. But....

 

But if I can't eat half as many calories as I need, then how am I going to step it up?

 

It's been three days....

Edited June 28, 2012 by 2J5M9K

[Rosie_0801]

It is kinda hard to think "eat fats" and "lose fat" in the same sentence.

 

Try thinking no fat= fat soluble vitamin deficiency=why would I want a vitamin deficiency? :p

 

Perhaps you could make yourself a pot of dal in the morning and have a small bowlful, then a shake for breakfast. Then a small bowl and a salad with avocado, pepitas, sunflower seeds and an olive oil dressing for lunch. You can do the same for dinner if you can't feel inspired to make anything else. At some time between each meal, eat a few dates or a smoothie. If you are tempted to eat junk, have a few dates. Dates satisfy your desire for sweets while providing some of the nutrients your body is really wanting.

 

Dal is easy to make up and you may find the spices stimulate your tastebuds and appetite. You can fit a huge variety of foods and nutrients into a shake and salads are easy to make and eat. Buy some packets of seeds and pour them into a jar. That way, when you make up a meal, you can easily tip some over it. Also, try reading while you eat. If you are distracted, you will be able to eat more. You might even find it helps you chew more because you will want an excuse to sit and read a bit longer. :p

 

Rosie

Edited June 28, 2012 by Rosie_0801

[Bang!Zoom!]

Would you be open to looking into simple probiotics? I wondered, reading..if you have a slow metabolism therefore, no sensation of hunger.

 

It's true though, you can't drop any weight/fat if your body believes it's in a preserve or perish state. Might take some time to kick start it up to move faster.

[Katy]

Uh, first a couple of disclaimers:

 

1. I have totally fallen off the wagon and gained most of the weight I'd lost back (40 pounds), but this is what I did, and I believe it's the most effective thing.
   
2. I would absolutely in no way recommend you go to these sites if you are offended by modesty issues or if you have children looking over your shoulder. The fitness guru I'm referring to has a background in porn, and though she got out of it and feels bad about it, there can be a lot of emphasis on the most salacious way to film something. I'm not sensitive, but at times it even bugs me, and there is no way I'd want kids thinking salacious is normal.
   

 

That said, short high intensity interval workouts burn the most fat.

 

As for diet, eat real food. Eat tiny amounts every three hours or so and include protein in every meal. By tiny, I mean like 5-8 bites of real food. Include at least one serving of complex carbs (half a baked potato or half a cup of brown rice) a day so you have enough energy to work out hard. Only eat carbs after your workout. Avoid sugar and junk food most of the time. If it helps, have one day a week where you eat whatever you want, and I mean a whole day, twice your normal calorie count spread over more than 12 hours. This will reset your hormones and knock you out of starvation more. Then fast the next day to undo the extra calories but keep the positive hormonal changes.

 

Here are some links:

 

Zuzana Light's current youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ZuzkaLight

 

Bodyrock, where she started, and where I got a lot of this information. Her ex runs this site now, though I think she's still a little bit involved she no longer hosts. http://www.bodyrock.tv/

 

Specific, recent video on simple dieting:

Edited June 28, 2012 by Katy
Edited to add link on diet.

[idnib]

Tuna fish sounds WAY better than steak in about twelve ways.

 

I do have some negative feelings about meat.

 

It is kinda hard to think "eat fats" and "lose fat" in the same sentence.

At the same time, I know the fat fasts/flush and Atkins and such works so.....

So I guess I'm just a bit more confused about it.

 

I *really* have an aversion to food. I kept trying to think "food is fuel" and such,

but in the end? It is food. And I don't think too highly of food.

We have a history together that isn't too positive.

 

But I want to get healthy so I can raise my little people.

 

I also have an aversion to food. I've mitigated most of it using homeopathy and tapping (http://www.tapping.com/).

 

I do better with cold foods and what I call "delicacies." So small amounts of something pleasing (aesthetically and in flavor) rather than large amounts of overwhelming food. If you're the same, maybe chicken salad or tuna salad, smoked salmon, etc?

 

I eat more when I am outside, like at a park or after a hike or at the beach. I also eat more if I exercise, especially outside. I eat more the next day if I don't eat after dark.

 

This books also helped: http://www.eatfatlosefat.com/