Keeping within your calorie limits

DrWhoIsYerDad

When you are trying to stay diligent at staying within your daily calorie allowance and you are at the moment of blowing it, what do you think about that gives you the motivation to not cheat.

sneaky_teaky

My family is my biggest motivation. well, my future family that is. My husband and I want to have a child but are worried my weight will be a problem. So I am losing for a the goal of a healthy pregnancy. After that my motivation will be to be a healthy role model for my family. The long term goal is to be able to be active and participate in my families life as long as possible. My grandpa only lived to by 47, dieing when my mother was really young. She is also working on her health due to heart problems. I want to avoid those same health problems by getting healthy now and staying healthy. So my mantra is always, "What do I want more? That doughnut now or to be healthy later?"

greaseswabber

I try to set up my day so that I can stay comfortably within my calorie limit without feeling the need to go over. If I am hungry but I've used up all my calories, then I will choose to go over by one or two hundred in order to stay at a small deficit. I also try to figure out what food, activity, or lack of activity caused me to go over, so that I can plan around it.

For example, a couple of weeks ago, after eating breakfast at 530 like normal, I was hungry at 830 am. I know from experience that if I start eating my lunch that early, I will almost certainly go over my limit by the end of the day. Which I did, by 150 calories. I looked at my food and found that my breakfast fat gram total was only 9. I looked at other days when I wasn't hungry and saw that the total was 13 - 15. I have been making sure to hit that fat target for breakfast and have been much more satiated in the morning.

DrWhoIsYerDad

If I can wait til 1:00 pm for lunch, that definitely helps me.

DrWhoIsYerDad

I found a good post in this same vein earlier

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10169439/the-voice

999tigger

DrWhoIsYerDad wrote: »

When you are trying to stay diligent at staying within your daily calorie allowance and you are at the moment of blowing it, what do you think about that gives you the motivation to not cheat.

Its a very importnat moment you identify. I try and avoid skirting on my calorie limits, but im a bit philosophical about when I get there I try and stay within , but its not a big deal if I dont as I will probably have done enough exercise to save me, even then if you go over ill make it up the next day. Noy importnat enough for me to get worked up about. I dont hide and I know what the consequences are so I just log it and get on with it.

Phoenix_Down

My motivation came from losing my mother in law two years ago (a week before my son's birth and the week of mothers day ). She lived life so free and happily. She was a beautiful spirit. There were many commitments to her I broke or never made because I was too afraid to fail.

The fear of failure kills more dreams than trying ever will.

When I was 6 weeks post partum, 190 lbs. I decided enough was enough. My life mattered and I'd make the best of it. The best thing I ever did was to keep in mind one day didn't shape or break my mold. It is my outlook and mindset for life that shapes me. So, I fell in love with the exercises I chose to do and didn't let my mind conquer my will to live. I also learned to moderate my intake. Make the best of days,learning that fast food and ice cream didn't make me fat, it was simply overconsumption. I've happily fit those things into my diet when they come up and its made maintaining so much easier.

try2again

I agree that timing may be everything. I've been having a relatively easy time staying within my limit, and it occurred to me that's likely because I'm eating breakfast & lunch later than I used to. For some reason, hunger doesn't always bother me enough to eat first thing in the morning, but later in the day I can't tolerate it (more tired, I guess.) Unfortunately, not everyone has a say in when they schedule their meals.
At the moment of temptation, I can't typically have a philosophical conversation with myself about the merits of weight loss. But sometimes I can trick myself with, "I'll have that later" (maybe, maybe not), or if the threat comes later at night I might just go to bed.

DrWhoIsYerDad

Phoenix Down - Thanks for the inspirational posts, I've had extra time to dwell on my fitness "journey" , I torn an ankle ligament 2 weeks ago and I have at least 3 weeks to go!

I just started logging everything I eat, good, bad & ugly, 2 days ago, I want to see what my bad days look like on the screen. I have been working out since last September, slowly progressing. I've worked up to 2 miles on the treadmill 5 days a week and I do weight training 4 days a week. I'm most excited about the weight training.

arditarose

I'm rarely in a situation when I'm faced with blowing my deficit/goal for the day. I pre-log my work days, weigh my lunches out. Dinner and dessert are pre-logged. There's usually about 100 calories left over and if someone at work offers me some chocolate, I can have it.

Weekends are planned for. I shave off 100 calories here or there during the week so I can eat a burger, have a drink, go for gelato, etc.

Phoenix_Down

DrWhoIsYerDad wrote: »

Phoenix Down - Thanks for the inspirational posts, I've had extra time to dwell on my fitness "journey" , I torn an ankle ligament 2 weeks ago and I have at least 3 weeks to go!

I just started logging everything I eat, good, bad & ugly, 2 days ago, I want to see what my bad days look like on the screen. I have been working out since last September, slowly progressing. I've worked up to 2 miles on the treadmill 5 days a week and I do weight training 4 days a week. I'm most excited about the weight training.

I know the pain. I'm recovering from a pinched nerve in my neck and hip that caused me to not be able to lift for nearly 6 months. Absolutely everyone has bad days, it's staying accountable that matters.

And I agree with arditarose, prelogging when I was in weight loss was a huge help. There wasn't as much temptation if things are preplanned.

DrWhoIsYerDad

I used to use a food scale, haven't in awhile I think I'm gonna get another one.