I'm gaining weight

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blue_skies_1

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I’m really annoyed with myself… I seem to be putting on weight. Lately I’ve been eating too much - especially in the evenings, when I get cravings for unhealthy snacks etc, and usually give into them :o . I think it’s partly that I’m away from home and the food here isn’t that great (I’m in catered halls); in fact the general lifestyle isn’t that healthy. I’m not the sportiest person either, although recently I’ve been making an effort to go swimming two or three times a week. I’m on the short side, and I used to be slim but now I would describe myself as slightly chubby and it looks bad. I’m feeling rather unconfident at the moment in the way I look. When I see a photo of myself, it just makes me feel low. I have a round face and it really emphasises any weight gain. I don’t want to be like this!! Does anyone else have the same problem - or better yet, did have that problem and overcame it? Any tips on getting a healthy lifestyle?
 
Hi blueskies–yes, it happens to many of us. I gained weight with my kids, but found that over the years, the best thing to do is just eat a balanced ‘diet,’ and exercise. Always find something you like to do, that makes you sweat–combining strength training/resistance with cardio on most days of the week, and you will find that you’ll melt away the pounds (if you are eating less) in no time.

When thinking of food choices, a good rule of thumb, is to eat more protein and veggies/fruits, than carbs/starches. When putting your plate together, have an equal portion of veggies to protein, whether it be chicken, tofu, steak, etc…and go low on the starches. Like, a fist size piece of chicken, with most of your plate being taken up with salad, or spinach, etc…and then a small potato or piece of bread. Once you get into exercising regularly, and swimming is GREAT, by the way–you will be on your way. It takes time for our metabolism to jump back into the game, after we have fallen away from good eating habits for a while.

I used to be a night snacker…now I just drink a small glass of low fat soy milk, and it’s filling, good tasting, and helps me to stay away from the junk. (plus I stopped buying the junk!) If it’s not there, you can’t eat it!😃

Whatever you choose, don’t restrict your calories to the point where you are starving…because our bodies take that to mean we are literally starving, and your body will hold onto the ‘fat’ it has stored, before releasing it. Now, eventually, if you starved yourself for days on end let’s say, your body will let go of your fat reserves, and you’ll lose weight…but you’ll lose muscle mass and water in the process.

You know, there is an awesome book out I plan to buy too…called The Lord’s Table, and it talks about God’s plan for our eating habits…might want to check that out, too.

I hope this helps a bit. :o Good luck to you–hey, and visit us in the exercise support thread…we start a new one every week…and it helps us all to motivate one another.👍
 
Hi Blue Skies, I know exactly how you’re feeling! I just gained a whole lot of baby weight, and I’m appalled at how much I have to lose and how slowly it’s going.

Are you a student? When I was in college, I gained weight steadily for two years. The all-you-can eat cafeteria really didn’t help. I reached the breaking point when I tried on my favorite pair of jeans and they wouldn’t fit anymore. I realized that I was officially in the “plus” sizes, and that was enough for me. I had a bad habit of stuffing myself every day, so I decided just to stop eating when I wasn’t full. Pretty soon, I even began to walk away from the table a tiny bit hungry. I was really just trying to maintain my weight at that point, so I was shocked when I started losing.

I won’t be a poster child for any weight loss program. I lost 30 pounds in two years, not exactly something they promise at Weight Watchers. But it was the difference for me between feeling large and feeling beautiful, and I was able to keep it off for 7 years. I would go into the cafeteria each day and try to decide on the most responsible foods. I would ask myself each time how this meal would affect my relationship with Jesus, since we’re all called to temperance. Of course, walking up a hill every day with a ton of books on my back didn’t hurt, and I did live on the 5th floor in my dorm. . . 😃

So, anyway, everything was going great until I went on this pregnancy binge thing and gained 60 pounds. I’ve lost 25, although I’ve only lost 5 of that since Christmas. Yucky. Anyway, my advice is to diet prayerfully and to not expect immediate results. Here’s a quote I like from Scott Hahn: “My belief in Jesus affects the way that I brush my teeth.” Since gluttony is wrong, we should defintely apply that logic to mealtimes. My weight loss was (and is) very slow, but it did last until the hormones took over!
 
Thanks so much both of you for the advice! I feel extra motivated to get back on track. 👍 Where is the exercise support thread btw?
 
I just lost 30 lbs and due to some major stress in my life right now I am eating like crazy. I can’t seem to stop. I know I am looking for comfort and food seems to be the only thing that satisfies me right now. I am on WW and 19 points a day just isn’t enough for me. I am tired of carrots and celery and cabbage soup. But I will get back on track. It is a momentary setback. Once lent is here that wil be a big help and motivation, not that I am using Lent to lose weight but usually during Lent I don’t eat between meals and limit myself to small meals every day.
Good luck. If you are in school, that makes it hard. Are you a freshman…there is that “freshman 15” that they all talk about. I neve r had that problem since I stayed home for school.
 
Hey there,
A few years ago, I lost 40 lbs with WW. The most helpful thing for me was food journalling. Write down EVERYTHING you eat. For me it is so easy to forget what I have eaten during the day. Especially snacks(a few crackers, a cookie, etc. really add up)When you write it down, you have to think about it before you eat it & you see what you have already put in your mouth that day.
 
I have the same problem. It is so frustrating!

I’ve never had a problem with putting on lbs. before unless I was pregnant. But I’d always steadily lose the weight after the pregnancy…not this time though. I gained over 50 lbs and have not lose any of it in over 2 years. I did Atkins for awhile and lost maybe 15 lbs, but I put that all back on and now I’m gaining weight on top of that. This is the first time in my life I’m gaining weight without being pregnant! :mad:
 
blue_skies said:
Thanks so much both of you for the advice! I feel extra motivated to get back on track. 👍 Where is the exercise support thread btw?
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Is there a gym at your school? Take advantage of it! Often times there are student trainers that can help you out… they need the experience and you need free training - cool deal! 👍
 
:eek: Ok, allow me to raise the subject of menopause weight gain. :rolleyes:

It happened to me, almost over night (not kidding); I’ve always been petite, trim and slender… and I still am, for the most part. But my “middle” has gotten… well… thicker! lol. For lack of a better term.

Does anyone know if those “ab rocker” things work? 🤷
 
Definitely, if you’re in college, DO NOT eat in the cafeteria…not only are you more likely to overindulge, but most of those slopmills are incredibly unhealthy and not nourishing, so you’ll STILL crave food even after stuffing. When I went to UCB (famous for the horrible dorm-fodder) yeah, I gained weight and wasn’t even really eating much - and let’s not even talk about the approximately-monthly incidents when they’d give about 10,000 students at a time food poisoning. :eek: Extra fun since the bathrooms were co-ed. :bigyikes:

After 3 months of the suffering,I took matters into my own hands and started buying instant hummus, blue cornchips, salsa, and occasionally a good filling salad with avocado and sliced eggs at a local cafe…and chicken-coconut soup at my favorite thai place when I caught my all-too-frequent colds. All of this was well within my (tiny, scholarship kid) budget, and I looked and felt great, especially compared to those who remained at the mass trough!

Now I’m older, and while I was slim all my life, a few years ago,my thyroid decided to pop its clogs - I wasn’t eating AT ALL, yet I gained weight unbelievably…good thing I got tested and treated, something to consider. I had been eating so little, wondering at the sudden ballooning waistline (yet had the cardio stats of an athletic teen), that I actually had all sorts of other pretty scary nutritional deficiencies - so be careful, get lots of exercise whenever you can (walking’s always good!), and remember to check anything really anomalous out, okay?

Mostly just lay off the cheetos. 😉
 
Lent’s coming. Maybe you could give up eating after dinner. That’s what I’m going to try doing.

Betsy
 
baltobetsy said:
Lent’s coming. Maybe you could give up eating after dinner. That’s what I’m going to try doing.

Betsy
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As I was going to say, “Lent’s coming! :D”.

During the days of Lent, I suppose you could try the more traditional practice (since it would also be giving up something) and eat 1/2 of a meal for breakfast and lunch, and a normal meal for dinner (meatless if preferable besides Ash Wednesday and Fridays).
 
Joannm said:
I just lost 30 lbs and due to some major stress in my life right now I am eating like crazy. I can’t seem to stop. I know I am looking for comfort and food seems to be the only thing that satisfies me right now. I am on WW and 19 points a day just isn’t enough for me. I am tired of carrots and celery and cabbage soup. But I will get back on track. It is a momentary setback.
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You may not be getting enough protein. Lots of veggies, some protein and go easy on starches. Snacks like beef jerky, hard boiled eggs, low fat string cheese, and a small amount of nuts are good for reining in hunger.
The more carbs (read comfort food) we eat, the more we want, If we eat less, the craving decreases.
Good luck.
 
I know how you feel. My weight at the end of high school: 175 pounds. My weight today, almost seven years after high school: 250 pounds. Believe me when I tell you, I’m a not a pretty sight at the beach! 😃

Anyways, I can’t really tell you what will work because I am only getting started at weight loss, too. My doctor recommended trying a diet that actually teaches one eating for a lifetime, like South Beach or Weight Watchers, plus exercise.

My mother lost around 40 pounds a few years ago by walking and reducing her portion sizes, eating healthy stuff, etc. I think most of it is will power. You have to find what works for you and stick with it. I have trouble with that when the local pizza joint sends me weekly fliers with coupons.

I highly recommend discussing this with your doctor.

Good luck!
 
MarieVeronica said:
:eek: Ok, allow me to raise the subject of menopause weight gain. :rolleyes:

It happened to me, almost over night (not kidding); I’ve always been petite, trim and slender… and I still am, for the most part. But my “middle” has gotten… well… thicker! lol. For lack of a better term.

Does anyone know if those “ab rocker” things work? 🤷
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You know that might be my problem. My last period was in December and I that is when I started having problems losing the last 5 lbs to reach my goal weight. These past two weeks I have been hungry all the time and it is about the time that I should have got my period. So maybe it is menopause (hopefully since I will be 55 soon and I 've had enough of this). I do know that gaining in the middle is a problem for post-menopausal women. I had gone to a trainer and she suggested doing crunches on a ball, you know those big ones, also weight training is important for your bones.
 
Joannm said:
You know that might be my problem. My last period was in December and I that is when I started having problems losing the last 5 lbs to reach my goal weight. These past two weeks I have been hungry all the time and it is about the time that I should have got my period. So maybe it is menopause (hopefully since I will be 55 soon and I 've had enough of this). I do know that gaining in the middle is a problem for post-menopausal women. I had gone to a trainer and she suggested doing crunches on a ball, you know those big ones, also weight training is important for your bones.
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Hi Joannm… 👋 Yep, sounds like it. :o At least you made it to 55 before “it” hit. :rotfl: I only just turned 50. I started getting that mid-tummy thickness at 49. 😊

I guess when you hit menopause… it’s time to get “over” the model-thin attitude. And in all honesty, it wasn’t a healthy attitude to start with. 🤷 lol.

God bless.
 
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