Newbie struggling with food changes

[Kay_Nein]

I just need to vent and looking for encouragement and suggestions. 

I got my fitbit a week ago.  I'm hooked!  I've been tracking my food, entered weight loss goals, etc.  I really enjoy it keeping track of how many more calories I can have to stay on track and how that adjusts to my level of activity.  It's making me rethink my food choices.  

I work from home and tend to graze all day, so this has been eye opening.  The last few days I've been almost out of calories by dinner time.  And I'm finding that I'm hungry during the day.  I know if I eat the right stuff and snack on schedule I won't be hungry, but I'm still trying to figure it all out.  Luckily, tracking my food has caused me to shut my fridge door many times without taking anything out.   I also have hypoglycemia, so I'm struggling to keep my sugar up and my calories down.  

I was hungry an hour ago and got a stick of string cheese (the lesser of all evils I had to choose from) and was like, "Geez, this is 90 calories. There goes my numbers!". 

What food changes had the most impact when you started your weight loss journey?  

What tips can you give me for keeping blood sugar up and calories down?

What are the best things to keep on hand to quickly bring up your blood sugar?

Thank you!!! 

[Kay_Nein]

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@WendyB wrote:

Lots of fruits and veggies.

Have Protein with all meals. Make sure to get some healthly fats in as well. THese are what keep you full

I eat 3 meals and have 2 snacks a day.

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I was having a great calories day on Saturday, even hit my first 10,000 step day (YEAH!).  We were with family having a BBQ - baked beans, corn on the grill, the usually stuff.  But, I was good and only ate the meats.  A few ribs and a chicken kabob.  I was satisfied, didn't miss the other stuff and wasn't hungry later in the evening.  I was pretty proud of myself.  One win at a time!  

[Kay_Nein]

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@LerxstOhio wrote:

Something that seems like it helps me is to drink water during the day.  I'm a water-holic anyway, LOL...  I have a Brita bottle I keep at work and I drink like 2 or 3 of those a day.  But, it seems like when I feel like I might be getting hungry, I can drink some water and it tends to help me.

Also, you can get almonds or other types of nuts or seeds for a quick snack.  And veggies are good, too.  I love carrots, myself.  🙂 

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I'm trying very hard to get my water intake up.  I'm so tired of peeing though HAHA  I hurt my back a few months ago and the chiropractor kept preaching to me about drinking more water, so that's been a big focus of mine.  

I bought a big bag of raw almonds this weekend and put a serving size in a small container.  I carried it with me all weekend so I'd have something to munch if I needed/wanted it.  Came in handy a few times.  Good thing I really like almonds!  

[Kay_Nein]

Everyone, thank you very much for the suggestions and encouragement!  You've given me some great tips that are practical and I'm working on incorporating them into my new normal.  I'm really enjoying this Fitbit and the instant gratification and feedback that it gives me.  After seveal months of really being down on myself for my slow, but steady, weight gain, I now feel like losing weight might actually be possible.  My boss bought everyone at the company a Fitbit and we are all linked online challenging and encouraging each other.  It couldn't have happened at a better time for me!

[wagsalot]

Try the laughing cow lit cheeses. Very flavorful, fewer calories



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[DominicJ]

I frequently have to go for a run to earn some calories for dinner so you arent the only one

[Kay_Nein]

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@DominicJ wrote:

I frequently have to go for a run to earn some calories for dinner so you arent the only one

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It's funny that you say that because I love how the system allows you to increase your calories based on activity levels.  Instead of just saying you get 1,200 today and that's all.  When I figured that out, I actually ran up & down the stairs a few times just to see how it affected my numbers.  It's a dynamic number and I think that really helps keep it all in perspective.  Thanks!

[Kay_Nein]

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@wagsalot wrote:
Try the laughing cow lit cheeses. Very flavorful, fewer calories
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I enjoy those cheeses, but they seem a little pricey.  My typical breakfast was a bagel with cream cheese.  I've often heard that laughing cow cheese is a great spread to replace the cream cheese.  It might be worth the extra $$ for the lesser calories.  Thanks!

[Trooper]

Sometimes I get caught off guard when my family decides on the spur of the moment to stop and eat fast food and I don't have my equipment with me like my digital scale, or my tablespoon, or my Kettle Seaonings. We went to eat at Fuddruckers. I ate a Grilled Chicken Sandwiche, no Cheese with Jalapenos and lots of Pico De Gallo. ( I like HOT FOOD!!!) I ate one Onion Rings and Five Steak Fries, and 1/2 of the Bun. I came back home and went on line to see how much the Grilled Chicken Breast weighed and added it to my calorie count. I also took the bun that I brought home, weighed it, and also added it in. The Five Steak Fries and Onion Ring were also added. My daughter brought home her Onion Rings and so I took one and weighed it. I did pretty good for the day. It might be a little too extreme for some folks, but this is something that I have to do. Improvising to the enviroment, especially when the other members of the family are not doing what you do is a big part of this on going struggle with weight loss. 

[rgbgeorgia]

Hummus is good on "toast".  For less calories make your own and leave out the oil and instead put in garlic and spices.  I like the Ezekiel Tortillias. Also plain old air popcorn can be your friend when craving volume.  Yes I know it is boring with no oil or butter but you can sprinkle spices on it and if sodium is not an issue you can lightly sprinkle dry  popcorn seasoning.  I have mixed some Stevia and sea salt and sprinkled on it for "kettle corn" taste.  Almonds are supposed to be good for blood sugar drops too and might want to carry some of them with baby carrots with you.  You can buy the 100 calories packs to keep you from over eating them.  It is amazing how few nuts you get for 100 calories.. 

[HelenaFitbit]

Great tips guys! I would like to add water infussions, add all the fruits of your choice and you can spice up your water without the calories. 

[susiebee44]

I'm a real fan of peanut butter, and I have not cut it out of my daily food
plan; it's part of my regular lunch. And because I've given up
bread/crackers, I weigh my peanut butter and put it into a small ramekin.
Then I slice up a large apple and julienne 3-4 celery stalks. Then, my
dessert is a 6-oz nonfat sugar-free vanilla yogurt mixed with unsweetened
cocoa powder. Always satisfies...

[raihawk]

I've always thought that lots of fruit and veg is good but I see all the carbs in them and I'm not losing weight. Is there a limit to the carbs from fruits and veg I should set?

[Trooper]

Fresh Veggies are low in calories. You can eat a lot of fresh carrots and lettuce and have eaten little calories. But drink 8 ounces of Orange Juice twice a day- about 150 calories or a Large Apple- 150 calories, and the calories can add up at the end of the day. Fruits are good for any diet, but you have to control the portions and check the weight of the fruit. You also might want to check on the Internet on what the body does to carb when it digests them. Carbs become quick energy for the body. Too many carbs not used, and the body stores them up as glycogen or glucagon for later use. I am sure there are medical professionals on this site that will clear up what I just said about carbs. In my diet, I eat carbs, but I control my portions. If you can't get away from carbs, switch to the Low Carb Breads and Tortillas. 

[raihawk]

Thanks. I'm just shocked at the carbs in fruits and veg. I have my calories down where they need to be but my carb intake from these is high. I only eat oats in the morning and have wheat products 1-2X a week. Still not losing weight, although I look thinner and feel better.

[karen8329]

What I've been doing to try not to get that hunger twinge, is I space out my meals. For instance, for breakfast I have egg whites with some veggies, a piece of fruit and a yogurt.  I eat the egg whites then wait an hour or so before I eat the fruit then another hour or so before the yogurt.  This way I'm not totally full,but I'm not starving the next time I'm eating either.  I also make sure I plan my meals.  This really has been key for me.  Especially since I'm a picker (as my mom calls me).  I never realized how much I picked until she said something and I started tracking my food.  The spreading out of the meal really keeps my "picking" at bay.  I also keep chopped fruit and veggies in the fridge for those "picking" moments.  

[Kay_Nein]

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@raihawk wrote:
 Still not losing weight, although I look thinner and feel better.

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Well, if you feel better & look thinner then I'd chalk that up as a win!  Remember, muscle is heavier than fat, so if you are walking/exercising/etc you will be building up muscle and burning fat.  The scale might not be moving.  Keep up the good work!

[Raviv]

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@Kay_Nein wrote:

I'm trying very hard to get my water intake up.  I'm so tired of peeing though HAHA  I hurt my back a few months ago and the chiropractor kept preaching to me about drinking more water, so that's been a big focus of mine.

What I do is keep a bag of frozen raspberries in the freezer.  When I want something to drink but really can't stand another glass of boring water, I pop a few frozen berries into my glass.  Hardly any calories, they eventually flavor the water, and the fact that they're frozen helps keep the water cold longer.

[AndiCox78]

Frozen berries are a great addition to water! 🙂

[susiebee44]

Love this idea!  Especially in this heat...

[dancefoxtrot]

rai

veggies the non starchy kind have complex carbs that burn slowly and beans have resistent starch some of which passes through you. Fruits are complex too but pineapple, mangos and bananas are higher in sugars than other fruits. Berries are lower. In terms of carrots they are higher in sugar than broccoli if I remember right.

Eat slowly, get a balanced intake of veggies of various colors, lean protein and water. You can burn 500 more cals than intake with exercise and you will lose weight 1 lb a week soon. Sometimes fat is burned but you are building muscle so the scale isn't showing results but you are.

Barb