Cannot stick to it!

Rocknut53

timeforwork wrote: »

It's easier to lose 30 lb than it is to lose 50 lb than it is to lose 100 lb. It's your choice whether to start now or wait until your bigger and health causes you to become more serious about losing. Good luck hope you find your motivation x

Well said!

neugebauer52

I never managed to "stick to a diet" - there always was something out there which I enjoyed eating but never knew when to stop. This time round (70 kg / 150 pounds to lose) I started to look from a different angle. I wrote down the 20 or 30 food items I really enjoy and love eating every day or so. Then I looked at my "trigger food item" - that's the one which I can eat endless, but in combination is not very healthy. In my case it is bread; I used to be able to create a 3.000 calories sandwich - one for lunch, one for dinner. This time around I have stopped eating bread, most carbs come from vegetables and a little fruit - and I am as happy as a lark! I never feel hungry and eat all the food I enjoy - and I am learning portion control I am now in my 9th month, so far I have lost 15 kg - about 35 pounds.

ninerbuff

kjoh12 wrote: »

Hi!
I'm in a rut and never imagined that battling my weight would ever be an issue for me. I have always been very petite. The past few years I have had major life stressors and in the past year have put on 30 lbs. I start and stop MFP within a week, two at the most. I cannot get myself motivated when the progress is so slow that I start to tell myself that I would rather gain a pound slowly then lose a pound slowly (crazy I know!), or tell myself that counting calories is no way to live. How do I keep at this, when I truly do need to lose weight?

If you don't WANT to do it, you very likely won't. If you need to lose weight, then you HAVE to do that things related to doing it or you won't. So what's more important to you......................wanting to lose weight or telling yourself you don't really want to?


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

drbeanie2000

I went on the Scarsdale diet for 2 weeks just to get me jumpstarted. Losing some weight quickly on a prescribed diet and learning the habit of recording everything got me going. It did take nearly a year to lose the other 35 pounds.

kjoh12 wrote: »

Hi!
I'm in a rut and never imagined that battling my weight would ever be an issue for me. I have always been very petite. The past few years I have had major life stressors and in the past year have put on 30 lbs. I start and stop MFP within a week, two at the most. I cannot get myself motivated when the progress is so slow that I start to tell myself that I would rather gain a pound slowly then lose a pound slowly (crazy I know!), or tell myself that counting calories is no way to live. How do I keep at this, when I truly do need to lose weight?

Evamutt

everyone here gave great advice, what I would add too is to find what works for you. Example is I've tried to eat many different ways before I found what works for me. I would eat several snacks & small meals throughout the day but it just wasn't "me". Before mfp, I would eat 2 large meals a day so I found doing that works for me. The difference is the 2 largest meals I eat fit into my calories plus I have a few snacks too. There's also a volume eaters thread on here. I got good ideas from there, like sometimes I'll make a huge salad (lettuce hardly has any calories but is filling)& put my dinner in there, like chicken, cheese, hard boiled egg etc & use low cal dressing. or just have lots of veggies with my meals. One thing that really fills me us is to make a smoothie with my meal. After I lost 47 lbs, mfp lowered my cals to 1200, so I reset to lose at 1/2 lbs instead of 1. I can't live on 1200

LiftHeavyThings27105

angelb1983 wrote: »

someone may have said this before. You may have to up your calories, at least that is what helped me. I started researching BMR and TDEE and I learned that I could eat more and still lose. I then bought a fitbit which amazes me how much I can eat and still lose. I have had that same mental battle though and I agree with the person that said nip it now. It is so much harder to lose when it piles on. I would like to lose at least 40 and I fight for every pound then I have a week where I mentally think the way you did and I have gained about 6 pounds back because I fought that 'whats the point, food is comfort' thing and its really even more than that because I feel Ive lost a lot of the muscle I gained so it switched back to fat ugh. Exercise is what helps me because it is a stress reliever and it helps me to eat more calories if I want

Good for you! I much prefer the TDEE approach. MFP does use the NEAT + Exercise approach. A little bit different. TDEE works better for me (my nugget is indeed a tad bit thick!).

Mindset is indeed everything. In life...not just in weight loss. You get that (mindset) right and things are so much easier. The human brain is a magical thing.....it can also be our worst enemy. I know that there is nothing anyone can say to me that I have not already said to myself in the process of beating myself up! That does not do anyone any good.

Anyway, I wish you the best of fortune in this journey!

LiftHeavyThings27105

kjoh12 wrote: »

Thank you everyone. I wasn’t sure what I was asking for but I have received some good tough stuff here to think about.

Calories in vs. Calories out are the thing here. It is all about what you put in your mouth! Portion control was huge for me back in the day when I was 251lbs. That was the issue. I was also an emotional eater (I was going through a very horrible marriage and ultimately a divorce). Got past that.

Mind set is going to be everything. If you are strong in mind (not suggesting that you are weak-minded...) then you stand a HUGE probability of being successful. I can not tell you the number of times that I would be driving home after work, making excuses (and they were nothing but BS excuses) about why I was not going to the gym tonight and I would catch myself and turn around and then kill it in the gym.

However, it is really what happens on the plate that most matters. If you can find a way to master the portions on your plate then you will succeed! I was eating three burritos from Taco Bell for lunch when I was 251lbs. There might be a big part of the reason I was 251lbs! I mean, Captain Obvious here.....but you know what? You don't always see the trees or the forest - at times!

Find your numbers. And, by that I mean the caloric intake that you need to achieve your goals. Then map out your meals. I would suggest that it is going to be a total PITA at first. I mean, I love that sort of thing so for me it was no problem at all. If you do this then half the battle is won. That is a big struggle at first....

Also, a huge part of the issue - as I mentioned - is portion control. What in the world does that mean? I am so glad that you asked. It means that of one serving of <insert food item here> is 1/4 lb (talking 96/4 ground beef) and that serving has 170 calories and you are really eating 1/3 lbs then you are not eating the 170 calories that you thought. Your caloric intake will actually - over time - be much more than you think. That is a problem...and it is very frustrating and discouraging. So, get your measuring correct. It is a skill and it will take some time. You are going to mess it up....sometimes big time. That is okay. We all do when we are starting. After doing this for one or two weeks, take a step back and go over what you are doing. There will be things - I promise you - that you are doing wrong and you will see it clear as day! Don't beat yourself up. Like I said, we have all done it! You are not special in that regard! :-)

Have patience. This is super simple (Calories in vs. Calories out) but it is not easy! Keep that in mind.

Also, you are worth it. You have a family and kids and they need a healthy mom! They are worth it, too, right? But, you have to do this for you....not anyone else. You have to be really selfish in this. That might sound funny....but it is so true.

cheryldumais

You've already made the first step by posting in the forum. There's an old saying - "If you can't be a shining example you may end up being a terrible warning". That was me 2 years ago before I lost 104 pounds. When I was in my teens I was about 30 pounds overweight. As the years went by my weight continued to climb. By the time I was in my late 40's I was over 250 pounds. I'm 5'5" tall. I became diabetic, had high blood pressure and stomach problems. At the age of 59 I finally started dieting and lost the weight. I wish I hadn't wasted my youth overweight and feeling like less of a person because of it.

If you find it difficult to lose 1 pound a week definately I would say go to 1/2 pound. You will be amazed at how motivated you become as the pounds start dropping.

Don't wait like I did. Even though my health has improved dramatically and I am normal weight now I do regret the time lost and the damage I did to my health. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.

lgrix

There is a lot of good advice on this thread. I also need to bookmark this and start making the changes required to finally lose the extra weight.

stanmann571

kettiecat wrote: »

Instead of weight loss goals would it help you to set fitness goals?

How often and how long are your breaks from MFP? Would allowing yourself to not track every day but as much as you can or just your weight or just your exercise help keep you mentally in the game? Or maybe no tracking but just a goal to check in everyday? So you stop viewing it as starting over but a slow continuous process.

Is there a racing/biking/orienteering/whatever activity event 3-6 months down the road you could sign up for to motivate you?

Are you willing to make your journey public to friends and family? Posting daily updates and asking others to help you stay on track?

This was exactly what I was going to say.

IF you're not ready to put the commitment and discipline to get to the weight that you imagine you want to be, You can at least put the effort in to be a healthier and fitter person at whatever weight you're at. That way, when you decide you've had enough, you're a healthy, fit heavy person losing a little bit of weight. Instead of being an unhealthy unfit person.

OR,

your activity may jumpstart(yeah I know) your motivation to drop a few more pounds so that you can be more effective in your chosen sport or activity.