It's HARD@

Zarinavd87

Hello!!
I have done plenty of diets and been successful...meaning stay on course while on diet but once I was done the real struggle begin.
I will loose 20 pounds no problem each time but trying to sustain the weight was nearly impossible.
7 Years ago prior to having my son I was a gym fanatic , literally. I will work out 2 hours a day, run long K whenever I felt like blowing steam and drunk a bottle of wine and after having my baby and working full time I have not been able to get back to the way I was. Working out is not on my schedule any more.
I am not looking to go back to the same life style prior to baby but just trying to find a balance without going over board.
For me is a real struggle....portion sizes...no exercise and having to cook dinner most nights after work. Take-out numbers are an easy meal. I hate it.
And once again I will try to jump on the diet wagon on my own as the last diet I did was the HCG diet and hopefully this time I will be able to lose the weight and sustain the weight .
Amen!

kommodevaran

Welcome to MFP. Losing and maintaining weight is simple, but not necessarily easy. But it's also just as hard as you make it. Don't jump on wagons. Do what you have to do, forget the things you think you "should" do. Make small adjustments to your current habits. You can plan your meals and prepare parts of them in advance. Cook meals you like, add new dishes you want to try, eat in a relaxed (as possible, lol) atmosphere with your family, and maybe "having to cook" won't be an issue anymore. You don't have to exercise, but moving more during the day is good. Play with your child, take him for walks, in stroller or on foot, depending on age. Get in a structure you enjoy, not just something you can endure. Anyone can do anything for a short while, but it's the long run that counts.

sijomial

So don't repeat the mistakes of the past.
Jumping on a diet wagon seems to be the prelude to falling off the wagon.

One unusual way to tackle weight loss is to set your calorie goal at your maintenance level for your goal weight - so you get to practice maintenance right now with no transition from weight loss to maintenance apart from a gradual slow down in weight loss. Building long term habits in terms of food choices, portions and activity/exercise rather than looking at short term results.

andresdbarros

I think that the main thing you need to do now is routine. Try waking up a little earlier and think about what you can do today to get yourself into the gym. Squeeze in a couple of hours after breakfast, once the kids are ready to go about their day, and get yourself into the gym. To some people, it takes a while to get into better habits while others do the transition a lot faster.

Working out and dieting is not a thing to do here and there every once in a while; it's a lifestyle. If anything, although I don't recommend it, having cheat meals should be the thing you do every once in a while. Not only it will make you feel better, but your kids will see how active you are and see that it is possible to live a hectic life and be fit.

Another thing that can help you is meal prepping. Some people do it for 5-7 days. I honestly like to do it up to 3 days. Not only you're watching what you eat, but you will eat in portions as well. It's a win win in my book.

I know how hard it is not going to the gym in a while because of kids, injuries or just the fact that life happens. Then, going back trying to do the same weight you did before just to disappoint yourself and realize you're really out of shape. That bums anyone out, but you need to realize that you need to start from scratch. Tell yourself that your weak or just that they got new, heavier weights that look the same. Lol. It's a new you - after all. Have a log (even if it's a mental one) that shows you progress. I guarantee you that it'll motivate you; set goals, improve posture, lose weight. Maybe, even at one point, you'll think going to the gym as a game you play on your phone, but with better results.

I hope you can achieve your goals and get quick results in the near future.

Sued0nim

The phrase that helped me after a couple of decades years of bemoaning the fact that it was hard, I like food, I have kids, I work, I'm exhausted was "suck it up, buttercup"

Yeah it's not easy

But it feels so much better when you beat it into submission

Excess food is easy
Starting to Exercise is hard
Appropriate portions of Food, over time, becomes easier to manage appropriately, if you log and develop new go to foods it feels less and less like a diet and more
Exercise becomes addictive but remains hard