5 days in and failing
Teamleslie
Posts: 112 Member
I cant seem to start eating better or exercising. I log in and log breakfast and thats it. 😭
2
Replies
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What seems to be the main issue? Do you get too busy and forget to log after breakfast? Or is it more of a motivational issue?0
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Eating healthy and exercising should be an integral part of your daily life, not something you stop and start and makes you cry. So what is your plan?0
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Maybe you could do meal preps? That usually makes it easier for me when the motivation isn't really there
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Don't look at it as failing, look at it as learning.
Why do you stop?
Is the exercise program too challenging? Start with something easier, like walking.
Does the food not taste good? Find ways to make it taste good or eat other foods that are tastier.
Do you feel like it's taking too much time to prepare food? Start with fast and easy to prepare meals.
Do you get busy and find yourself eating whatever? Plan your day ahead of time.
Are you feeling hungry? Increase your calories and/or eat more filling foods.
Are you tempted by foods you have available around you? Try to hide these foods in inconvenient places so you aren't constantly taunted by them.
Do you feel deprived because you want something but feel like you can't have it because you're dieting? Give yourself permission to eat whatever you want, at least in the beginning. Log everything you eat no matter what it is, and see where your calories end up. You don't need to restrict calories at this point, just log to observe how different foods affect your daily calories.
Basically, identify why you're having problems sticking with it and tackle those specific problems instead of giving yourself a general "I want to eat healthily and I will rigidly willpower my way through it to achieve that".8 -
Teamleslie wrote: »I cant seem to start eating better or exercising. I log in and log breakfast and thats it. 😭
You need to make it a habit or find another way to diet that fits your lifestyle better.
Best of luck.0 -
You need a strong ‘why’. Why do you need to follow this? For your health, to enjoy life to the fullest, do look great in a bikini........there are many reasons. You just need to identify yours and make it important enough to make this successful.0
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If it's the logging that is the issue, try pre-logging your day.
If it's that you're feeling too restricted - try a slower rate of loss and eating foods you enjoy.
Try a different kind of exercise or activity, one that you enjoy.1 -
Note: your ‘why’ does not have to be the one that other people consider important. If buying cute clothes is a stronger motivator for you than nebulous future health, then go forth and daydream about cute clothes every tme you consider breaking your calorie allowance.
I do 5 -
Meal prepping is essential! On Sundays I plan meals for the week, make my shopping list, and get the shopping done. There’s a great app called AnyList that allows you to store recipes, and make a variety of lists (grocery store list, Target list, SAMS Club list, etc), and also provides a calendar so you can input the meals for upcoming days. It’s extremely helpful. 1
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Try getting into the habit of logging your food BEFORE you eat it.2
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Teamleslie wrote: »I cant seem to start eating better or exercising. I log in and log breakfast and thats it. 😭
I'm having the same problem. I lost 30 pounds 4 years ago with MFP and kept it off for 1-2 years. Gained it back and now I'm going through the exact same thing as you. For me its a motivational thing I believe. Just cant seem to stick with it this time. I work a very physically demanding job ( hospital housekeeper) so it's very hard for me to get myself to work out. In my opinion, more people than we know go through this. If we just keep trying I think we'll eventually get into the right mindset.1 -
Do you have goals? - Where do you want to be in 2 months - 6 months? Try filling out "Why I want to get in Shape" & About Me" on your page - there is no wrong answer on that - Eastcoast Jim2
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Teamleslie wrote: »I cant seem to start eating better or exercising. I log in and log breakfast and thats it. 😭
I'm having the same problem. I lost 30 pounds 4 years ago with MFP and kept it off for 1-2 years. Gained it back and now I'm going through the exact same thing as you. For me its a motivational thing I believe. Just cant seem to stick with it this time. I work a very physically demanding job ( hospital housekeeper) so it's very hard for me to get myself to work out. In my opinion, more people than we know go through this. If we just keep trying I think we'll eventually get into the right mindset.
Same thing. Lost 20 lbs 4 years ago and gained it back. And im a nurse in a hospital so i completely understand your physical demands. Youre exhausted by the end of your shift. Maybe we can find a routine.0 -
Teamleslie wrote: »
The common thread through most of the above replies has to deal with habit-forming and structured discipline. Relying solely on motivation isn't sustainable when you allow yourself to decide regressing to your unproductive comfortable habits is ok. Pre-logging, meal planning/prepping, and changing your mindset about your "why" can all contribute; the way I think about it "how can I make the right choice, the easiest choice?"
Some suggestions:
- Never go to the store hungry or without a plan. Within this plan identify foods/meals that allow you to stay within your daily calorie/macro goals and only shop for them. At the very least, identify some trigger foods or foods you have difficulty with self control (I believe you mentioned Cinnamon Toast Crunch in a post last week? Are you still buying this?). Find substitutes for calorie dense indulgences you can opt for to satisfy a craving without torpedoing your day or pad your calories to allow for a sensible portion of a treat you like
- You shouldn't think about exercise in terms of "how many calories will I burn doing X?" or "I have to exercise for X minutes so I can eat Y." or as punishment for eating too much or something you feel you shouldn't have. I know this is easier said than done for a lot of people, but exercise should be a hobby; something you enjoy and has a purpose. Maybe that purpose is to existentially improve one's health, get better at doing a specific task or activity, to get stronger, or to try and shape your body a certain way (gain muscle). If you make exercise something that's intrinsically important to you, rather than just important for the sake of trying to lose weight, it becomes something you look forward to and don't need "motivation" to go do. Also, it's really hard to out-exercise a poor diet, despite what the fitness industry tries to sell, if you don't enjoy it, how much is it really worth doing?
- Like @amusedmonkey stated, when you fail (your word), which you will, really take a forensic approach in examining why you failed, learn from it, and take steps to fail better next time.
Over time you'll learn about yourself and how you need to approach certain things to develop the habits and system that works for you and puts you in the best position to succeed.2 -
The honest truth is it's not easy for some people.
You may fail along your journey. Many times in fact. You just have to keep pushing. Every time you fail, just get back to it the next day.
Eventually you get better. You get to the point where you can go weeks or months without failing.
That's always how it's been for me. I'm just hardheaded and won't quit.
Also, find ways to make it easier. Try different foods and recipes, don't eat things you really can't stand. Try different workouts - find a routine you can actually enjoy and stick to.
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Teamleslie wrote: »
That's good to know. I'm the kind of person who starts a project enthusiastically, but I lose steam quickly so I understand the struggles of motivation. I am luckily in the business of behavior change, which helps me a lot. I have to respectfully disagree with some comments above as my discipline teaches that motivation is key to any behavior change program. Why do something if it doesn't benefit you? Sometimes the long-term benefits (i.e. health) are not directly reinforcing enough because they are hypothetical and gradual. Even losing weight is a slow process and it could take months or even years before you reach your goal, which can be disheartening. I'd recommend setting specific short-term goals for yourself (you can do so each day or each week...I like setting weekly goals myself). This makes this journey seem much more approachable. I like to pick something that I get to earn at the end of each week if I meet my goal (it can be something as small as a trip to the beach or park; it does not have to be expensive!!! Just motivating for you!). You also need someone (like the MFP community, friend, or someone else close to you who knows your goals) to keep you accountable. This is important because we often like to make exceptions for ourselves (thinking things like, "Well...I had a tough week. I can still treat myself." Or "I was SO close, I might as well still do what I want.") and this leads to slipping back into bad habits. You'd need to find someone who's not afraid to call you out. I'm not going to lie. It might suck sometimes. But to see progress you need to be consistent (I recently learned this myself when I tried to disregard my calorie limit on weekends...ended up gaining a bunch of weight back). If you stick with this and reinforce yourself for good behaviors, eventually it becomes more of a routine (and you might even enjoy the lifestyle change!).
For example, this week my goal is to work out 5 days for at least 30 minutes each day. If I meet that goal, I get to go check out a new archery store that just opened up in my town (which I'm pretty stoked for!). You can start as small as you want and "raise the bar" after some success. I'd start with something you KNOW you can do for sure. Like maybe: this week, stay under calorie goal for one day (or whatever).
I hope this helps! Feel free to add me as a friend if you want some tough love. 
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I work out pretty much every day and have consistently for 30 years. I put on a bunch of weight this past year because of a torn MCL and hurt heel. Getting back into to it has been a little tough, but I use the trick that always works for me - though it might not work for everyone.
I put on my work-out clothes and walk out the door (or go to my attic gym). If I still don't feel like working out I just turn around. The only rule is you have to put on your work out clothes and go to where you work out. It is OK to turn around. It is OK not to work out, you can try again tomorrow. That's a big part of it - it's okay not to feel like working out, most of us don't feel like working out. But if you just put on your work-out clothes and go to where you work out, you inevitably end up doing something. Do it everyday, those "somethings" add up.
There's only been one or two times that I remember that I put on my work-out clothes, went to where I was going to work out and actually didn't work out. There were a few times I got on the bike for 5-10 minutes and called it quits, but most of the time, I completed a work-out. Just don't beat yourself up about it. The only rule -- put on your work-out clothes and go to where you work out. And I think telling myself that I didn't really have to work out if I didn't feel like it, got me started, and that's the hardest part
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I work out pretty much every day and have consistently for 30 years. I put on a bunch of weight this past year because of a torn MCL and hurt heel. Getting back into to it has been a little tough, but I use the trick that always works for me - though it might not work for everyone.
I put on my work-out clothes and walk out the door (or go to my attic gym). If I still don't feel like working out I just turn around. The only rule is you have to put on your work out clothes and go to where you work out. It is OK to turn around. It is OK not to work out, you can try again tomorrow. That's a big part of it - it's okay not to feel like working out, most of us don't feel like working out. But if you just put on your work-out clothes and go to where you work out, you inevitably end up doing something. Do it everyday, those "somethings" add up.
There's only been one or two times that I remember that I put on my work-out clothes, went to where I was going to work out and actually didn't work out. There were a few times I got on the bike for 5-10 minutes and called it quits, but most of the time, I completed a work-out. Just don't beat yourself up about it. The only rule -- put on your work-out clothes and go to where you work out. And I think telling myself that I didn't really have to work out if I didn't feel like it, got me started, and that's the hardest part
I use a variation of this trick on weekends sometimes. My wife works occasional weekends where I'm left to my own devices. I know my tendencies and that I'm fully capable of occupying my whole day doing nothing of consequence (video games, golf, etc.). If I want to get a workout in but don't feel like doing it when I first wake up I'll put my workout clothes first thing anyway, so there's one less obstacle between me sitting in my recliner and working out. Similarly, works like a charm.0 -
Baby steps. Write down your larger end goal and chop that into smaller achievable goals.
Weight is an output of behavior. You want to manage the weight you need to manage the behavior.
If you were managing a patient and only charted morning medicine would that make sense? Go slowly on this, but start by logging everything. It takes me ~5 mins doing this daily. Smartphones make this easy. Don't overthink this and focus on what matters - at this point it's just calories. Once you get that down then focus on macros, then move on from there....or don't. Do what works with your goals.
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I found I eased into changes in behavior that I hope lasts for longer than a few months. I started with exercising because that was easy for me. After a month that led me to want to fuel my body better. I then tried to eat more fruits and veggies without eliminating anything. Now I'm tracking my food and eating healthier but also enjoying all foods within my calorie goal. Keep trying and you'll find the formula that "clicks" for you. Good luck.1
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kommodevaran wrote: »Eating healthy and exercising should be an integral part of your daily life, not something you stop and start and makes you cry. So what is your plan?
My initial plan was just to log my food and activity, good or bad. But I just cant seem to do that.0 -
Teamleslie wrote: »
The common thread through most of the above replies has to deal with habit-forming and structured discipline. Relying solely on motivation isn't sustainable when you allow yourself to decide regressing to your unproductive comfortable habits is ok. Pre-logging, meal planning/prepping, and changing your mindset about your "why" can all contribute; the way I think about it "how can I make the right choice, the easiest choice?"
Some suggestions:
- Never go to the store hungry or without a plan. Within this plan identify foods/meals that allow you to stay within your daily calorie/macro goals and only shop for them. At the very least, identify some trigger foods or foods you have difficulty with self control (I believe you mentioned Cinnamon Toast Crunch in a post last week? Are you still buying this?). Find substitutes for calorie dense indulgences you can opt for to satisfy a craving without torpedoing your day or pad your calories to allow for a sensible portion of a treat you like
- You shouldn't think about exercise in terms of "how many calories will I burn doing X?" or "I have to exercise for X minutes so I can eat Y." or as punishment for eating too much or something you feel you shouldn't have. I know this is easier said than done for a lot of people, but exercise should be a hobby; something you enjoy and has a purpose. Maybe that purpose is to existentially improve one's health, get better at doing a specific task or activity, to get stronger, or to try and shape your body a certain way (gain muscle). If you make exercise something that's intrinsically important to you, rather than just important for the sake of trying to lose weight, it becomes something you look forward to and don't need "motivation" to go do. Also, it's really hard to out-exercise a poor diet, despite what the fitness industry tries to sell, if you don't enjoy it, how much is it really worth doing?
- Like @amusedmonkey stated, when you fail (your word), which you will, really take a forensic approach in examining why you failed, learn from it, and take steps to fail better next time.
Over time you'll learn about yourself and how you need to approach certain things to develop the habits and system that works for you and puts you in the best position to succeed.
Lol. Did you have to call out my cinnamon toast crunch?!1 -
What is the reason you have for logging food and activity? (If you don't have a good reason, why should you do it?) So you're right in that it's a motivational issue. (Do you see logging as something that helps you, or just as an additional, pointless task?)Teamleslie wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »Eating healthy and exercising should be an integral part of your daily life, not something you stop and start and makes you cry. So what is your plan?
My initial plan was just to log my food and activity, good or bad. But I just cant seem to do that.0
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