Staying motivated... and at home? HOW?

junsyyy130

Hi! I’m new to writing on these discussions, but definitely not new to weight loss or MyFitnessPal. I’ve been wanting to lose weight for a while now but never seem to stick to a diet/fitness plan for more than a week (2 weeks if I’m really doing well). My weight hasn’t budged that much since being in quarentine, but the combination of my free time and crippling body dysmorphia are really tearing me apart - yet I STILL find it hard to avoid binge eating and excessive snacking. Any tips on being healthy when at home and not much to look forward to would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Geneveremfp

Start small if you're really struggling. Maybe take a week where you're not aiming for a deficit just for logging everything you eat. This is what I do when I'm not sure I can handle the lower calories right now. Then you'll have a better idea of what you're eating.
When you do go into a deficit don't go too extreme. Lots of people set themselves at sedentary with a 2lb a week deficit go mad on the exercise and don't eat back the calories. In my experience that's just screaming for binging and Snacking.
Make sure you eat back your exercise calories and don't starve yourself. If you struggle on a deficit then 1lb a week might be better - much easier to sustain . Count everything - make it a habit.

In terms of at home pick up some habits. Start doing a quick workout in the morning, before bed, after lunch... Whenever works but if its the same time it's part of the routine. Don't have snacks in the house - or make them harder to access so you have to think more before having them. Don't go shopping hungry - plan your food in advance.

swimmchick87

I agree that you should set a smaller goal. Set your goal to lose 1 pound or even half a pound per week so you get more calories. If you think in terms of weeks or a month it doesn't seem like much loss, but think how much it adds up to when you actually stick with it. I've been going strong since January 1st now after finally admitting after years of yo-yo dieting that 1200 calories per day will never work for me long term.

With mostly staying at home I've found focusing on meeting my calorie goal and getting my walking in has helped me. It helps my mental health to have goals every day and to feel like I'm accomplishing something. I have a fitbit and I march in front of my TV to get steps in. If I want to eat more, I walk more.

I can relate to feeling like you don't have much to look forward to. Personally, I find that when I'm eating according to my calorie goal, I actually look forward to and enjoy meals more. Whereas if I'm "off track" and just eating all day long, I feel guilty and unsettled and don't really enjoy the food as much. Two large meals or 3 medium sized meals per day works really well for me. I also eat a lot of things during those meals that I actually want to eat/enjoy eating. I make sure to get some fruits and veggies every day and I keep an eye on my protein (if I don't, I tend to eat very little of it) but I don't obsess over only eating "healthy" foods. I think a lot of people think they have to "diet" by eating something like plain chicken and vegetables every day and then of course they fall off the wagon, because who wants to stick to that?? I get a take out meal 1x per week and walk extra that day to make up for the extra calories. It's a nice thing to look forward to and since it's planned and I make up for the calories with exercise, I can enjoy it and not feel guilty.

roisis7312

Hi there, I don't think I have much practical advice for you but I just wanted to say that I'm right here with you. I honestly could have written your post. My weight hasn't changed much since lock down - but it's beginning to creep up there - I realised this morning that I'm now reaching for my baggier t-shirts as I just don't like the way my clothes feel at the moment. Also, I really feel in recent days/weeks that the whole situation is getting me down, and this feeling always leads to weight gain for me. Hence I decided to log in this morning and came straight to the community.

I agree with the others about having smaller goals - but maybe that means longer term and/or a different type of goal? Such as - logging in here every day for 2 months. I've always found that accountability for what I have eaten is the best way to put a stop to a binge. If you have sat on the couch and snacked for an hour - get online, log it in and it's over - so what if you've eaten and extra 900 cals?! It's logged and in the past and now you can start again. That's where I'm starting anyway - I'm going to be accountable for the next 2 months. As you say, there's nothing to look forward to - no holiday plans or events that we can get dressed up for. But we can still look and feel the best for ourselves.

Best of luck!

thelastnightingale

ajunitakkar wrote: »

Hi! I’m new to writing on these discussions, but definitely not new to weight loss or MyFitnessPal. I’ve been wanting to lose weight for a while now but never seem to stick to a diet/fitness plan for more than a week (2 weeks if I’m really doing well). My weight hasn’t budged that much since being in quarentine, but the combination of my free time and crippling body dysmorphia are really tearing me apart - yet I STILL find it hard to avoid binge eating and excessive snacking. Any tips on being healthy when at home and not much to look forward to would be greatly appreciated!!!!

You don't have to become healthy overnight.

If it's easier, spend a few days logging honestly and accurately everything you eat, so you have an idea of how much you're really eating on a typical day.

Weigh yourself (I know, it's horrible), then plug your details into the MFP calculators to figure out how many calories you need to to eat to stay the same weight and to lose weight.

Using all the data you've collected, decide what number you're happy to start with.

You don't have to cut your intake overnight so you're on track to lose 2lb a week. If you've been gaining weight, eating enough calories to maintain is a good start in itself. You can gradually reduce your calorie intake to better manage your appetite (your body gets used to eating too much food, so it takes time to re-train it to get used to a normal person's portion of food) and then find a number you can manage.

The formula for weight loss is calories in < calories out, but not all calories are equal. You know yourself, there are some foods you like that don't fill you up. At all. Cut down on those, because they're not helpful to you. But don't feel you need to bin everything in your freezer that you enjoy and replace it with a fridge full of salad - like I said, you don't have to change your whole life so radically overnight. If you lived off junk before and you live off junk now, if you're living off smaller portions, that's still an improvement to your health. You can take your time at learning which healthier swaps you're prepared to make.

I keep the treats high out of reach and do batch cooking whenever I have the energy. I'm also careful about what food I let into the house - if it's something I have no self-control over, I don't buy it. I'm also prepared to spend slightly more on food that comes pre-portioned as it helps me with my self-control. Multipacks of crisps = OK. Giant sharing bags of crisps? No. I know I'll just eat the whole bag.

If you have lots of free time, find something to fill it with, even if that's just binge watching movies. When you're bored, you often want to eat, but when you're busy, sometimes you forget to think about food.

Exercise is a good distraction if you're into it, but again, don't feel you need to start working out overnight. You can lose weight through food alone, it's just adding exercise into the mix has additional benefits.

If you typically stay on the wagon for two weeks, I would suggest you usually try to do do much too quickly, and that makes it difficult and overwhelming. Small, positive changes are all good. Don't be afraid to start small and work your way up.

scollis11

ajunitakkar wrote: »

Hi! I’m new to writing on these discussions, but definitely not new to weight loss or MyFitnessPal. I’ve been wanting to lose weight for a while now but never seem to stick to a diet/fitness plan for more than a week (2 weeks if I’m really doing well). My weight hasn’t budged that much since being in quarentine, but the combination of my free time and crippling body dysmorphia are really tearing me apart - yet I STILL find it hard to avoid binge eating and excessive snacking. Any tips on being healthy when at home and not much to look forward to would be greatly appreciated!!!!

We have all been there, which is why we are all here. I am also new to the discussions and have come here to motivate myself to get back on track. Everyone has had great ideas of starting small and of setting small goals, such as just logging in and entering everything you eat.
One thing that is necessary for me is to change my mindset with food. It does not happen overnight, and unfortunately it is something I need to work on every day. For me, I need to remind myself that the food is not going to disappear and it is not the only chance I will ever get to eat the food. I also need to remind myself that food is fuel. Yes, ice cream tastes amazing, but after I eat it, it just sits like a brick in my stomach and I feel gross. It sounds strange, but I try to think less in the moment and more about the future with food.
The other thing that is soo necessary for me is WATER. If I over eat, and I have had all of my water, I see much less of a difference the next day. Water is your ally in this.

odalys60

don’t focus on the negative! create mini short term goals which will motivate you and make you feel better each time you achieve them!!! YOU GOT THIS!!