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It's hard to give ideas on food because you say you essentially can't cook, but can make mac n cheese. Can you do salads? Eat an apple or banana for breakfast, easy to eat in the car? What about adding wrist and ankle weights for a day (not the wrist at work), under your clothes? Are you saying you cannot stop drinking the soda?
What kind of advice were you looking for then? I can all but guarantee you a pill is not going to help you, there are no quick fixes.
An unhealthy brain is bad for the body, and an unhealthy body is bad for the brain.
So what is your plan?
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Not to try to blame all of my fat stomach on Cortisol (as I'm admittedly relatively lazy and I eat an extremely poor diet), but I absolutely believe that this has contributed to the embarrassingly-fat gut that I've accumulated over the past 10 years or so.
Stress (and anxiety/intense worry) is something that I deal with on a daily basis. Sometimes, on an hourly basis. And I have no doubt that my body, along with my mind, has been tremendously affected by the effects of dealing with intense stress so often over the past several years.
Obviously, I can, and will, start researching Cortisol and its affect on belly fat and what can be done to change it, but I would like to ask if anyone who's reading this thread is knowledgeable on this matter and if they could offer up any helpful information/suggestions/meals/exercises that might help to combat Cortisol-caused fat-buildup? If so, a helpful response would be greatly appreciated!
Also, Mightyqueen801, thank you very much for posting this information and the link about Cortisol. Please know that I genuinely appreciate it!
P.S. I can not help but want to ask, why is the "q" in your username not capitalized?
I don't know, but good question. It was my first sn on AOL or Yahoo many years ago, and maybe that's how it got set up. Or maybe I just didn't want to hit the shift key twice. I don't remember.
When my daughter was little, I told her she had to say "Thank you, Mommy, who I love and adore and who is the Mighty Queen" just to watch her get mad. She would shout, "You are NOT a queen! You are just a regular mother!" Then when she got older and wanted something, she would address me as Mighty Queen.
And I wonder why she ended up in the nuthouse.
I am working on losing weight. It's only coming off a pound a week, but I'm OK with that. I am older than you, and it only gets harder to take off, but I am doing it.
I am mostly vegetarian, though I do eat fish occasionally. Do you eat eggs? They are lean protein. Some cheese, like feta, is good to keep on hand to sprinkle on salads, but too much is not good.
I buy prepared food way too often. Oh, if they sell Amy's Kitchen frozen foods where you are, they are a pretty good frozen vegetarian line, and the calorie counts are on the box. I love the vegetarian pot pies. You can also order online in quantity.
If you have a place like a natural food market in your area, they usually have ready-made stuff.
Peanut butter is a go-to protein source for vegetarians. Buy a good brand with no sugar. Eat it on apples or at least a low-calorie bread.
Hummus--keep that on hand and eat it with raw vegetables like cucumber, carrots, or bell peppers. Quick way to stop hunger pangs, and it's protein.
Rice and beans--that's opening a can and you can buy rice in bags that you microwave. Just watch out for the kind swimming in sauces. Throw in some frozen vegetables.
Sorry to go off on my rant there and write such a long response, but it seemed like you were being snarky or condescending when asking why I hadn't done the things that I know I need to do. Life is not easy for many people. And, for some of us, it's really ******* hard.
Losing weight is hard for everyone, not just for you. You seem to be very overwhelmed with your life right now. Is there anything you can do to simplify it?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arizona Renegade
I would also like to point out that I am not trying to give weak/made-up excuses as to why I haven't changed and why it's harder for me to change than it is for most people.
You are giving very weak excuses. I don't think they are made up but they are weak. I think this is probably driven by the fact that your life seems overwhelming right now. OCD is also an issue. You need some help with the OCD. Is there a free/low cost mental health center near you? Do you have friends/family members who would listen to your concerns and help you figure out solutions? I think you need someone to help you manage the day to day logistics of your life.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arizona Renegade
IFor most of you, you can simply go buy some food at the grocery store and bring it home, read the directions or look at a recipe book, and prepare/cook up a nice meal. For me, just the thought of that is a stressful experience.
Well you can't lose weight without changing the way you eat. You cannot lose weight on a diet of mac & cheese, cheese crisps, Pop Tarts, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, french fries, grilled cheese sandwiches, rice, potatoes, and gallons of diet coke.
There are plenty of recipes that are easy to make. Not every dinner has to be complicated. You can grill a portabellow mushroom, microwave some broccoli and heat up some beans/peas. Not complicated. Scrambled eggs are easy. Add some veggies/cheese and make it an omlet. Easy peasy.
I do think that removing complication from your life will benefit you. Buy veggies already cut up at the grocery store. Buy bags of nuts to keep in the car with you. Amy's Naturals is a good vegeterian line. Yogurt comes already made. Get small bags of those little cucumbers for snacks. Keep it simple.
Last edited by Momma_bear; 08-11-2017 at 04:43 PM..
Reason: Edited to deal with OCD-didn't realize this was an issue
Losing weight is hard for everyone, not just for you. You seem to be very overwhelmed with your life right now. Is there anything you can do to simplify it?
You are giving very weak excuses. I don't think they are made up but they are weak. I think this is probably driven by the fact that your life seems overwhelming right now. OCD is also an issue. You need some help with the OCD. Is there a free/low cost mental health center near you? Do you have friends/family members who would listen to your concerns and help you figure out solutions? I think you need someone to help you manage the day to day logistics of your life.
Well you can't lose weight without changing the way you eat. You cannot lose weight on a diet of mac & cheese, cheese crisps, Pop Tarts, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, french fries, grilled cheese sandwiches, rice, potatoes, and gallons of diet coke.
There are plenty of recipes that are easy to make. Not every dinner has to be complicated. You can grill a portabellow mushroom, microwave some broccoli and heat up some beans/peas. Not complicated. Scrambled eggs are easy. Add some veggies/cheese and make it an omlet. Easy peasy.
I do think that removing complication from your life will benefit you. Buy veggies already cut up at the grocery store. Buy bags of nuts to keep in the car with you. Amy's Naturals is a good vegeterian line. Yogurt comes already made. Get small bags of those little cucumbers for snacks. Keep it simple.
One thing I want to comment on regarding this post (which is all great advice) is that if you've had a steady diet of junk, soda, and high processed foods, the foods listed above are gonna taste BAD to you when you first start eating them. That makes it even harder. I don't mean to discourage you but I always like people to have realistic expectations.
Eating processed junk food changes your tastebuds ability. They become accustomed to highly seasoned food. When you try to eat real food, you probably spit it out and think it's gross. Or flavorless. That's because you've messed your tastebuds up. If you get that crap out of your life, after about three weeks, you'll noticed that it starts to taste better. It's not because you're deperately hungry either!! Your body is changing! Give it a try, but realize that you may be miserable for a few weeks eating broccoli!
Start learning to cook. A big pot of well-seasoned beans is a good place to start. You can get some protein and fiber with beans, and they freeze well too. Add tofu or something for more protein. Buy some freezer containers in a single serving size and freeze for quick future meals. Easy to reheat quickly in the microwave either defrosted or even right out of the freezer. Substitute a bowl of this for lunch or dinner a few times a week for a minor change.
With your time and cooking ability restraints, maybe you need to start off with prepared meals. If you want to jump right in, Nutrisystem has a vegetarian plan. This might be what you need to get started, but honestly, sooner or later you need to learn to cook.
BTW, this plan would not work for me. Too many refined carbs which fuel my cravings, and I'd always be hungry. But I do know people who thrive on it. Only you can figure out which foods you can eat without binging and which you need to stay away from.
Last edited by LillyLillyLilly; 08-12-2017 at 08:43 AM..
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