I have a weight problem

[becca______]

Hi there I'm 21 and I have put allot of weight on I have a enlarged stomach and its gone to my thighs .i do eat mirowave meals and I also eat pasta and fish like tuna I am on the depo injection I feel very bad in my self with this weight I feel very embarrassed I was very skinny when I was twenty I'm so fed up with this weight can any body help

[LandyBird]

Hiya, firstly well done for seeking support, you'll find some lovely people and great advice here firstly I'd suggest maybe looking out for lower fat microwave meals and low fat pasta sauces if using them, like swap Mayo from regular to light etc and maybe swap white pasta for Wholemeal? And maybe up your water intake? Good luck! X

[becca______ in reply to LandyBird]

Thankyou I do have low fat miro meals and I've heard that wholemeal pasta is very nice I do drink alot of water could i also have some advice on what I should eat and not I know fatty foods like e.g. Pizza is not good for u .i have cut out things like crisps ,sweets and other things I eat when I'm bord I eat things like bananas and apples I've heard That eating a bowl of porridge on a moring can help.i don't do allot of exercise as well and cant afford the gym . Thankyou for the reply

[LandyBird in reply to becca______]

I don't do a lot of exercise either it sounds like you've got a good idea of what you should be eating, so maybe try smaller portions? Or try calorie counting and see how you get on? The recommended daily amount for a woman is 2000 calories so maybe start with that amount for a week and see if it makes a difference, weight loss won't happen overnight and I know how frustrating it is wanting immediate results but the healthier way of losing weight means that it stays off! You can still enjoy pizza but maybe try to have a slice with salad instead of Chips/garlic bread? I've learned that nothing is off the menu as long as you have it in moderation x

[becca______ in reply to LandyBird]

I've never understood calories

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Porridge in the morning is one of the best things you can have. I have soup for lunch most days that leaves you with a lot of calories to choose a main meal.

[kantara71]

Hi Becca,

Have you tried starting the 12 week plan yet? If not give it a go it is easy to follow and pretty soon you will start to feel the benefits.

Otherwise, as others have suggested, try sticking to porridge for breakfast. make sure you measure and weigh the milk and porridge and not too much sugar or honey on the top, soup- preferably home made for lunch or a sandwich and then you can look forward to a dinner of pretty much what you like as long as you do not exceed your daily calorie allowance. I would advise against pizzas as it seems one slice may not be enough! If you prefer the ready meals to microwave then please look at the labels, some are very high in calories!!

Write everything down that you eat and drink too. Good luck

[becca______]

Thankyou

[Venusflytrap]

Hi Becca,

A kcal or kilocalorie (usually called just calories) is just a way of measuring the energy food and drink give us to run our bodies on. So it is like the petrol in a car being measured by litres. The depo injection does make some people inclined to put on weight but so to other changes in life. You are at an age where life can change a lot, so you might eat differently or get less exercise. Both of which can put on weight.

The suggestion that you look at the NHS healthy eating website is a great idea. Learning to eat healthily is a great lesson for every human and especially for women as we are often in charge of the kitchen and food in the household. When I was younger I always found that being in a new relationship made me put on weight because eating out and show off home cooking came into my life. And I am not a fan of the gym either.

I suggest you spend the time till your next depo is due eating healthily. That will give you the chance to see if it is the depo or eating/exercise changes that have made you put on the weight. If you can learn to cook some of your own meals, you would save yourself £s as well as lbs. Some frozen, chilled and canned foods are really helpful. Others are a very expensive way of buying small amounts of low quality food. I suggest that for your first week, you simply add a couple more veg portions to your ready meals. Frozen mixed veg will give you a good variety and can be microwaved in minutes. The next step is to look at your breakfast and find, perhaps 3 healthy ones that you would have time to make and enjoy. Then you can start tweaking your lunches. It doesn't have to be a total revolution in one day, you can make your changes gradually, if that is easier. When choosing ready meals, it is a good idea to go for the ones that are lowest in sugar and saturated fat as well as looking at the kcal. Don't forget that drinks like cola, energy drinks, smoothies, juices and even some flavoured waters are loaded with sugar. We don't need sugar in our foods at all. So if you can switch to diet or sugarfree versions, you can save loads of your daily kcal for foods you like.

Good luck with your planned changes, it can be real fun making these changes and learning how our bodies work.

Venus

[becca______ in reply to Venusflytrap]

So if I count how many cal I eat I could see how many I get in the day I am going to my doctor Dr help as well I have started to eat more fruit and I drink allot of water yer I agree that the depo does put on weight how many calories are women allowed

[Venusflytrap]

Go to the NHS healthy eating info. If you google NHS and weight, it will let you put your personal details in and tell you how many kcal to aim for. There are some great meals that would fit into losing weight on the site too.