Challenges.

avskk

What's the biggest obstacle you face in meeting your goals?

For me, it's the *kitten*-It Monster. As in, "I've worked 92 hours this week; *kitten* it, I'm not going for a walk." Or, "I've been awake for almost two days; *kitten* it, I'm ordering pizza." Or, "The world is a crumbling funhouse of terror and dismay; *kitten* it, I'mma eat all the fries in the world." I know it's emotional eating, I know all my excuses are lame, I even know how to stop this *kitten*-it train -- but when *kitten* really hits the fan, I just cave in.


(Edited because for Christ's sake, MFP, a bunch of hungry people can't even say the eff-word?)

EthelBelle

My biggest obstacle is sweets. It's like my crack. I will say ever since I cut out artificial sweetener that my cravings aren't as bad. And I don't want to kill someone for a cupcake after 2 days of no sweets. But it's HARD to quit the habit.

bee_elle

I'm an emotional eater too - food just makes me feel BETTER.

eraweir

I have a crazy person belief that if I don't go balls-to-the-wall, it's all for naught. And going balls-to-the-wall is HARD.

Also, it is hard to eat less than 1500 cal when living in hotels and out of a suitcase... but that's just an excuse and I'll figure that out

chasingpavements24

1) Late night binging - I think due to a combination of insomnia and depression, I really just can't stop myself from staying awake ALL NIGHT LONG. And, if I'm up by myself at night thinking negative thoughts, I'm going to emotionally eat.

2) All or nothing mentality - If I say that I'm going to eat, say, 1500 calories and then eat 1650...I'm like, I'm over my calories already, I'm just going to **** it and start tomorrow. Which, logically, I know is ridiculous but I can't seem to stop!

threatsofpizza

My biggest challenges are my history of binges and compulsive eating, I have not binged or compulsively eaten in almost a month. I find it hard to say no to free food and I get into the mindset that if I have had this cookie..might as well have ten and then I just go off the rails and go nuts.

notthatNaomi

1) Late night binging - I think due to a combination of insomnia and depression, I really just can't stop myself from staying awake ALL NIGHT LONG. And, if I'm up by myself at night thinking negative thoughts, I'm going to emotionally eat.

2) All or nothing mentality - If I say that I'm going to eat, say, 1500 calories and then eat 1650...I'm like, I'm over my calories already, I'm just going to **** it and start tomorrow. Which, logically, I know is ridiculous but I can't seem to stop!

Basically what she said. The second one anyway. I do like to eat late at night though, but I can control it w/out too much effort.

Other than food issues, honestly, I'm just lazy. I don't like to work out. I want to get the results, but hate to actually have to do the work. I think this is because until I was about 25 I could eat/drink whatever (and I loved junk/fast food) and still weigh <120 with doing absolutely no exercise.
10 years later and I still want that to apply. But, the reality is that I got up to 160 lbs (down to 150 now) and am actually going to have to do the work now and forever if I want to lose any more weight and keep it off.

bhnguyen82

When I saw this thread title I thought someone wanted to do workout challenges-- like 30 day squat challenge and things like that. I was like, man these hamcats are HARDCORE LOL

My biggest challenge is not getting discouraged when the scale stalls or goes up. Plateaus suck.

eraweir

Speaking of challenges, I'm real bummed out right now because I ended up staying at working a little late and doing a 14 hr day. And when that was all said and done I just wanted to go to the hotel lounge and have a glass of wine and read a book. So I did.

And that's fine, because my actual food calories for the day weren't too bad - but I had meant to come back to the hotel and go to the gym instead.

SO -- I have a hard time balancing between doing the things I need to do to maintain (which is pretty restrict, due to staying in hotels, restaurant meals being crazy caloric... even salads... and 12 hr shifts) and the things I need to do to LOSE (which... seems like a lot). This won't be a challenge in a few weeks, but right now I butt up against it all the time.

chasingpavements24

When I saw this thread title I thought someone wanted to do workout challenges-- like 30 day squat challenge and things like that. I was like, man these hamcats are HARDCORE LOL

Haha, that's what I thought too.


Should we do weekly WIs? I know that other groups do spreadsheets and do friendly competitions of percent lost, if anybody would be interested in that.

rosered93

1) Late night binging - I think due to a combination of insomnia and depression, I really just can't stop myself from staying awake ALL NIGHT LONG. And, if I'm up by myself at night thinking negative thoughts, I'm going to emotionally eat.

2) All or nothing mentality - If I say that I'm going to eat, say, 1500 calories and then eat 1650...I'm like, I'm over my calories already, I'm just going to **** it and start tomorrow. Which, logically, I know is ridiculous but I can't seem to stop!

About sums it up for me. I've got a whole host of effed-up food history, but it basically boils down (right now) to all-or-nothing thinking.

feelgoodnic

My biggest challenge is alcohol and fun times and socialising, basically, anything that takes me away from routine. I'll be on point all week and then the weekend happens and it's all **** yeah I want the most calorie-filled dish on the menu, followed by dessert, washed down with 5 sweet cocktails and a half bottle of wine. Or there's craft beer and bar food and there's always something. Then, if I get a hangover my healthy eating goes out the window. It's the one area I struggle to find balance in.

I also struggle with binging and boredom eating, but even when I'm doing well with those social eating/drinking is still the one thing that will blow my calorie deficit every week. I just love food!

avskk

I really struggle with alcohol/socialising, too. I've gotten pretty good at crafting low-cal, high-nutrient, satiating meals that still leave me like 600 alcohol calories at the end of the day, but I suspect this is not sustainable forever.

AshleyKait

Portion control and comfort eating are my two biggest challenges. Even when I do a bunch of make ahead healthy meals, sometimes I'll just cave and order take out after a really rough day. My food scale has helped with portion control but it's still a struggle when I'm left to my own devices.

GettingMooreInShape

1) Late night binging - I think due to a combination of insomnia and depression, I really just can't stop myself from staying awake ALL NIGHT LONG. And, if I'm up by myself at night thinking negative thoughts, I'm going to emotionally eat.

2) All or nothing mentality - If I say that I'm going to eat, say, 1500 calories and then eat 1650...I'm like, I'm over my calories already, I'm just going to **** it and start tomorrow. Which, logically, I know is ridiculous but I can't seem to stop!

Me too, especially number 1. I swear problems are magnified at night, and food always seems like the answer.

spgebhart

For me definitely the all or nothing thinking. And the "ah *kitten* it" justifications, which happened to me today. I've got a cold and even though I could totally have gone to the gym, I feel like I deserve to sit at home and eat bugles instead. So I did.

Also I love me some booze. And in my head I'm still 23 and can eat and drink as much as I want without gaining too much weight. Sadly, this appears not to be the case.

HeadMoveGOMI

A big challenge for me is external influences. We eat with my in laws a lot, and my H likes to do take out on the weekends. Like for most meals. So if I am on point the whole week, it's destroyed by the weekend. The places they like to get food from, don't have healthy options ( most of the time).

When I was single, I lived alone and controlled every bit of food that came into my place. And I micromanaged it all. I would portion out snacks into small baggies, I only really had lean cusines or smart ones for dinner. I don't think I ever had a loaf of bread in the house.

Now, in addition to the eating out, I have to stock the house for 4 people. My kids are really good at self managing their hunger. If they get full they stop eating. I, on the other hand, see BREAD, SNACKS, CHEESE! and must eat all the things.

I hate feeling like I need 2 weeks away from my family to get my head on straight again.

pdxmeghan

my biggest challenge is that I'm a nanny and the family I work for has so much JUNK around their house. I tend not to buy junk because I know if it's in the house I'll eat it. I even have better self control with stuff in my house than in their house and I don't get it! The only thing I can think of is that my job can be stressful and I'll sneak a cookie when I'm frustrated with the kids.

I need to think of some things to tell myself so I won't eat them! It's definitely not because I'm hungry.

It will definitely get better as the girls go back to school and I'm not at their house that much. During the last school year I would chew gum while I was at their house alone so I wouldn't eat anything!

tramplingrose

I have a couple problem areas. Salty, crispy snacks are my downfall. I can blow through a bag of chips or a box of crackers like a competitive eater. I do avoid buying them, and even though my husband also likes said snacks, he buys things I don't like, which makes it easy to avoid them. I think most on GOMI know I have my own food blog, and if I bake cookies and don't take them to work, I will also devour them in about 24 hours (sometimes I just don't like to share, and I like to be that mom with cookies in the cookie jar, even though my son's only 5 and has made 1 friend since starting kindergarten 3 days ago! :laugh: ). If I bake something like cake or cupcakes or brownies, it's easier to resist temptation. I also have a big problem with the idea that if I work out at some point during the day, I can go out for wings or ice cream or insert-junk-food-of-choice-here. I need to get out of that mindset, or all I'm going to do is maintain my weight. :grumble: And I'm nowhere near my goal or even a healthy weight.

bhnguyen82

I have a couple problem areas. Salty, crispy snacks are my downfall. I can blow through a bag of chips or a box of crackers like a competitive eater. I do avoid buying them, and even though my husband also likes said snacks, he buys things I don't like, which makes it easy to avoid them. I think most on GOMI know I have my own food blog, and if I bake cookies and don't take them to work, I will also devour them in about 24 hours (sometimes I just don't like to share, and I like to be that mom with cookies in the cookie jar, even though my son's only 5 and has made 1 friend since starting kindergarten 3 days ago! :laugh: ). If I bake something like cake or cupcakes or brownies, it's easier to resist temptation. I also have a big problem with the idea that if I work out at some point during the day, I can go out for wings or ice cream or insert-junk-food-of-choice-here. I need to get out of that mindset, or all I'm going to do is maintain my weight. :grumble: And I'm nowhere near my goal or even a healthy weight.

I totally agree with that mind-set of "eating back" your calories once you've burnt them off with exercise, and I've noticed that I drop the pounds much faster when I DON'T eat those calories back, so that's my current struggle.

feelgoodnic

That's a mindset I'm trying to get out of at the moment too- I've used a TDEE calculator, upped my daily calories and I'm aiming to eat close to that every day as opposed to 'earning' extra calories through exercise. Just because it felt like I'd 'earned' those calories, therefore I should use them, and to be honest I have no idea how accurately I can determine how many calories I've burned.

boombalatty123

I quickly lose motivation once I plateau, therefore I've been gaining and losing the same 10-12 pounds for the past 12 years. I'm debating whether I should weigh myself at all or just use measurements and/or photos to let me know how I'm progressing, because the number on the scale always kicks my *kitten*.

I'm going to restart Jillian Michaels 90 Day Body Revolution next week, so I think I'll weigh myself one time at the beginning and not again until I finish.