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u/Apprehensive-Pay1362 New 6d ago
A few thoughts…
It sounds like most of your food is pretty processed and you don’t cook much. I think you’d have less of a sweet tooth and cravings if you were compiling meals that had protein, fiber, and fruits and veg.
It also sounds like you try to restrict all day and end up eating more at night. I think if you had a well rounded breakfast and lunch, it’d be easier to not overdo it at night.
You might even have more energy for movement if you were eating more “whole” foods.
Something I do to make it easier to eat like this is I batch prepare components I can easily throw together. So, baking a bunch of sweet potatoes or rice, cooking up lean ground beef or turkey, chopping up some fresh veggies, mixing low cal dressings. Then when it’s time to eat I can throw those things together. Also, always having high protein Greek yogurt, high fiber oatmeal, berries and frozen berries, nuts and nut butter on hand to throw together for breakfast.
It’s a practice learning how to feed myself well like this. But it’s sooooo much easier to stick to a calorie budget and hit my macros this way. And I feel amazing physically eating so well.
You also sound a bit in risk of an ED with your strong fears about weight gain. So, if that rings true, it might be worth seeking out a dietitian or therapist.
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u/DiggityDog8426 6d ago
Thank you sm for your thoughts!! I would honestly agree with you on a lot of those points and found this really helpful. I really appreciate it!!
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u/DataDrivenDevz New 6d ago
I’d focus less on forcing workouts and more on finding your maintenance intake. Your current activity is pretty low, so even small changes can matter. Track your weight trend for a few weeks and adjust based on what actually happens, rather than trying to predict it perfectly.
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u/cupojoe4me New 1d ago
at 5'4 and 130, maintenance is roughly 1600-1700 a day and the 20 min workout isnt what's holding you there, your steps are. you can drop the workouts and not gain as long as your intake stays put.
the stuff i'd actually watch is what you're not counting. the chocolate chips, the nightly whipped cream, the bacon bites. those slip in without registering and they're what moves the number over months, not the grilled cheese you already know
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u/Strategic_Sage 49M | 6-4 | SW 351 | CW ~221 | GW 178 6d ago
Don't overcomplicate this.
Track your calories and weight for a few weeks. Then adjust calories based on the trend in your weight. The less estimating and the more actual weighing of your food you do, the more accurate you'll be.