Weight fulcuation and doubts

wrathofchaz

The past year and a half I've been going up then down and going no where . I'm so discouraged . I know it's due to my eating habits . I was down to 65 pounds and now I keep gaining weight then losing it . I can't stay focused. I've been obese since I was a child.

kyta32

I can't comment on your eating as your journal is closed.

You are right, focus helps with weight loss. I've gained weight and failed at diets due to some bad habits. I need better habits. It's hard to do everything at once, though, so I found developping one habit at a time helped everything to stick. It is good to give yourself 3 weeks to a month for each habit that you find works for you.

• If you are logging everything you eat, that is a good start. If not, make that your first habit.
• The second habit would be eating at a deficit. How big the deficit is affects how fast you lose weight, but the most important part is to stay in a deficit, no matter how small. Even 100 calories a day is 10 pounds lost a year. Figure what you are eating, and the portion sizes you need to stay in a deficit.
• The third habit would be making sure you get enough protein, fiber, and water. Protein should be at least .8 g per kg of body weight. This may be more than MFP recommends
• This will help you stay full and help manage cravings.
• Get active. If you can walk for at least 20 minutes at a time, try a workout video (i.e. 30 day shred, 1st 2 workouts free on youtube. There are a lot of free workout videos out there). Try to get in at least 30 minutes exercise everyday, even if it is just a walk or dancing in your living room. This will help with hunger and will increase your deficit. Feeling your body get stronger, more energetic, more flexible, more balanced, and more agile is very motivating.
• Keep an eye on your goals. Have a clear idea of what you are gaining as you lose weight, whether it's fitting into nice clothes or managing a health condition. Think about the people/animals that love you or depend on you. Make a commitment to being healthier for them as well. Take time to recognize the progress you are making.
• After this, try to pay attention to how different foods make you feel. You may want to make sure to get protein througout the day, to help manage hunger/cravings. If something makes you hungrier (ie. something with a lot of sugar), find a way to eat it with more fiber and water (i.e. fruit instead of soda), or with protein (peanut butter with an apple).
• Be aware of what causes your water weight to fluctuate i.e. time of the month, sodium from restaurant food, holding onto water because of changes in exercise. Don't get discouraged by water weight fluctuations.

Start with logging, make small changes, and give the ones that work for you some time to stick before tackling something new. You can do this. Good luck