Struggling to do this everyday. Tips anyone?

melanieknight

tried on and off to do this. Only worked when I was unemployed. Now back in a busy job, I don't seem to find time. How do you all manage?

clairele84

I am having the same problem. I am drawing up a food diary and exercise rota for myself. I have also got a weighted hula hoop for when I can't get to the gym or go for a run.

livingleanlivingclean

Make it as easy as possible.... Make a meal plan for during the week, prep all your food and save time on cooking and thinking about food

kommodevaran

Make it easy as possible and only eat food you like!

Machka9

melanieknight wrote: »

tried on and off to do this. Only worked when I was unemployed. Now back in a busy job, I don't seem to find time. How do you all manage?

What's taking the time?

magneticreikipaul

fail to organise organise to fail!
get your priorities sorted make the time
if you have time to post you have time to exercise

999tigger

You have a fully though out plan and realistic expectations. The plan needs to organise you but also fit in with your lifestyle. That means being realistic and patient.

jacklynlevi

if you register all you eat, after two weeks allmost all your Food is registed, finaly you just have to copy and paste

jellybeanhed313

Use the app on your phone or just write down what you eat throughout the day on paper and log it when you get home. Or you can pre-log your food for the day and stick with your choices. I find that I do well if I plan my meals and log them before eating. Then I can see how it looks and make changes as needed. Good luck! You can do this!

juleszephyr

Time Management, organisation, planning, planning, planning oh and if you want it enough you WILL do it... Get up earlier to work out, batch cook healthy meals for the week at the weekends and enlist help from the family to meet you goals. JUST DO IT!

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I don't really find that the actual food logging takes much time at all now that I'm practiced at it. I spend about 10 minutes each evening pre-logging the next day, less if I already have the meals I'm planning to have saved. I meal-prep lunches for the week on Sunday but I haven't always done so.

At the end of the day, if it's important to you you'll make time. If it isn't a priority right now that's okay too.

azza213

I like to watch youtube clips of known bodybuilders/fitness athletes that makes me want to get to the gym try looking up team gymshark they have a bunch of good great positive athletes male and female with good advice

toofatnomore

The longer you do it the easier it gets...managing your diet is a commitment. If its a priority in your life, you will do it.

toofatnomore

melanieknight wrote: »

tried on and off to do this. Only worked when I was unemployed. Now back in a busy job, I don't seem to find time. How do you all manage?

Are struggling to just log your food, OR struggling to excercise? Or struggling to eat the correct allotted food calories to maintain a deficit? Your question doesn't imply what part of MFP is giving you fits,

CockneyLady2014

Have to agree with most of the comments. Planning is the key and it can be time consuming in the beginning. You will soon get to know portion sizes. Build up a few meals that you don't have to think about. Batch cook and freeze and on busier days you will already have a meal prepared. Oh and PLANNING! Good luck.

evivahealth

Finding the little bits of time in my day that might otherwise slip by and giving yourself a week or two to get into a routine with it.

Like the others say, prioritising it plus prep and planning are most important. Sunday afternoons for grocery shopping and food prep for my breakfast, lunch and snacks (takes about an hour and a half). I then save all my recipes and then copy all the meals for the week in advance. When I do my prep I know for sure that I have about 500 cals for dinner and then if I manage to get exercise in I know I have about 200 cals to spare for something else. I try to get outside in my lunch hour for a brisk 5km walk. That pretty much does it for me

reske

I love this web site it's helped me to loose over 55 lbs. I started with baby steps. I lost most by just substituting one bad eating habit at a time; example, full fat ice cream to weight watchers; reg. cheese to parmesan, spaghetti squash instead of pasta. Plus I realized I was a carb addict. I made a simple kind of rule "If God made it I can probably eat it, if Man made it & put in a box etc. probably not". I don't diet. I eat healthier now. I don't go to the gym, but my job keeps me moving so I used the "exercise' section & gauged how many calories I use a day. Little changes do add up in changing bad habits to good. I'm 64 I gained my weight during menopause so slowly before I knew it I was almost 200 lbs. It took me a year to loose it but This web site was the information I needed, seeing where the calories came from, which foods were loaded & which were better choices worked for me. Best of all at the end of the food log day when you get that little "If every day was like today you'd weigh --- in 5 weeks" that encouraged me to keep going. I now weigh 144 and look like a rev person. Better yet I'm healthier, & I don't crave the bad stuff, I'm not addicted to the wrong crabs any more. Figure out what are your "trigger" foods that set you off & substitute it with something better for you.

reske

Never bring any food into the house that you can't resist. If my husband wants desert I buy what I don't care for. He eats cheesecake I don't care for it, he eats chips I eat pistachios.

lbedilion

Nobody is finding time, you have to MAKE time. If you're serious about getting in shape, then you will MAKE time to eat better, exercise, and log into MFP if that helps. It's not easy, but you have to stick with it and be dedicated in order to see results. Sounds cliche, but it's true. Good luck!

JenforHealth

I don't like to cook so dont even try except for simple things. I buy lots of my food at trader joes like salads, sandwiches, frozen meals, nuts etc. they have reasonable prices otherwise I would just throw away ingredients and not use.
That's my way of keeping it simple and manageable.

gpstreet

I make sure all the exercise I do is part of my day. For example I cycle to work and back (800 calories burnt) and I pop down the allotment whenever I can (200 calories). The exercise I do has a purpose. I am convinced the way to lose weight is to control your calorie intake. MFP has helped me by monitoring everything I eat.

Of_Monsters_and_Meat

I prep most of my food over the weekend. I don't really track anymore because weight loss is not my goal.

When I do track. I make everything up in one batch as a recipe or meal, then divide.
Something like a huge crock pot meal, I can get 6 meals out of it.
Meal prep Sunday for the win.

Also, you can prep some food at work. Take a lesson from Cyril Figgis.

phillipdean299

Getting started again is the hardest part. Once you find your routine again things will get easier.

oneloopygirl

lbedilion wrote: »

Nobody is finding time, you have to MAKE time. If you're serious about getting in shape, then you will MAKE time to eat better, exercise, and log into MFP if that helps. It's not easy, but you have to stick with it and be dedicated in order to see results. Sounds cliche, but it's true. Good luck!

This!! It's a choice, like all others... You choose to do this.

I pre-log in the mornings while enjoying my cup of coffee. Then I can see how my day looks and how to react to changes if necessary. My husband and I try to cook for the family a few times a week and we use the extra for lunches, dinner another night, etc. We deliberately cook more so we can do that and save time and still make good choices throughout the week. I'm not a huge proponent of any particular "lean" frozen meal, but I try to keep a couple I do like on hand just in case I need something and it's a crazy night with work schedules, sports, kid stuff, etc.

I plan my workouts and I don't plan to workout every day because that isn't realistic for me. I know better. That gives me leeway if I have to skip a night. I can easily pick it up another night and not get off track.

Look for ways to make your work life easier... Can you get to work a little early to jumpstart your day? Can you work through lunch (eat at your desk) to save some time so you don't work late?

oneloopygirl

reske wrote: »

Never bring any food into the house that you can't resist. If my husband wants desert I buy what I don't care for. He eats cheesecake I don't care for it, he eats chips I eat pistachios.

I do this too.

radiosilents

I honestly don't do a lot of planning, though I have come to understand that fitting certain things in is important, so I make it a priority and write it in my datebook. Exercise has become really important to me, and in order to fit it in regularly I do wake up earlier than I normally would, for example. It took some adjustment but it's hardly an issue now.

Using MFP really couldn't be easier. If you're not planning your meals, at least get into the habit of logging your food honestly every single day. The app on your phone helps in that regard too. You can at least see how much you're eating and try to fit things within your calorie goals. You won't be perfect, but that is OK – you're doing something to build positive habits.

Be patient. To los weight in a sustainable way (that is, doing it in a way that you can live with happily and comfortably hopefully for a lifetime) will take longer, but taking the time and not making it a race is easier in some ways – as long as you are patient and diligent. Eat the foods you like but make adjustments as needed, and do activities that you enjoy to keep your body healthy and happy.

jmiller1028

you have to have a plan. adults are not that different than children in this respect. Structure and routine makes it easier for us. Getting into the habit of having multiple go to meals and snacks is essential. Mfp's food diary makes it easy to keep with the habit for me.

Tedebearduff

melanieknight wrote: »

tried on and off to do this. Only worked when I was unemployed. Now back in a busy job, I don't seem to find time. How do you all manage?

Best post ever.

Dear boss,

I'm overwhelmed at work so I'm just going to quit!! I can't find the time to do my job.

Regards,
Lazy

YouMadeMeDoThis

I have a handful of breakfasts that I've got down to a science (granola, greek yogurt, cereal, milk, protein, eggs, etc) that I know exactly any combination to end up at 300 calories or less. I don't log this immediately, and I don' always use a scale when I'm in a rush, but if I don't use the scale I stick to things like eggs or protein power (reliable and repeatable to measure). I've got the same system for lunch, but with small sandwiches, fruit, or leftover dinners portioned out to also be about 300 calories.

That gives me almost exactly 600 or less by lunch pretty much every single day without any real logging, counting, or thinking and leaves plenty of room for a big dinner or the occasional snack when they end up in the lunch room. Now I only really have to count the one meal at home.

acorsaut89

lbedilion wrote: »

Nobody is finding time, you have to MAKE time. If you're serious about getting in shape, then you will MAKE time to eat better, exercise, and log into MFP if that helps. It's not easy, but you have to stick with it and be dedicated in order to see results. Sounds cliche, but it's true. Good luck!

Completely agree with this. If you want it, you will find the time. If not, you will find excuses.

I don't want to be one of those people who always has it worse, but here's some food for thought: I work about 50 or 60 hours/week, I am in school part time (online courses), I am part of 2 book clubs and I volunteer with the MS Society in my city. I still work out 5-6 days/week and meal prep on Sunday. I do it all because for so many years I was lazy and didn't do anything. I want it all now, and so I make time. I rarely watch tv and the only time I have time to check on here is when I'm at work ha ha. If you want it, you will figure it out. If it's not your time to want it and make the change, then it isn't. I didn't make changes that stick for a long time, you have to want it for yourself.

JuliaHaleFitness

Plan your meals ahead of time. That way you can a) not have to think about it b) know that you are on track and c) not have to log every meal when you eat the meal.