Please help me to stay motivated

gitfitordietrying

I am 5’3’ weighing 183.5 lbs. My goal weight is 170 lbs. I wake up EVERY morning motivated with lots of promises to myself but by midday I am stuffing my face with everything I know is sabotaging any progress and I can’t seem to help myself.

deborahbaker120

Eliminate sugar excessive carbs and concentrate on eating protein and healthy. You might try intermittent fasting to help you gain control. If it's possible for you to do so you might try not buying junk food. You can do this. You are a strong woman.

gitfitordietrying

Thank you

Fuzzipeg

Try telling yourself if you don't get on top of this thing you could well be in a worse place in so many months.

I'm thinking, you are looking to loose 13.5 lbs. How are you setting up your calorific restriction. If you use the guided set up and go for half a lb a week loss, this should make it more doable. It might seem as if you are going to spend a long time getting to where you want to be but its only those who have a substantial amount to loose who can set to loose 2 lb a week. with a stone to loose its too drastic a reduction.

I totally agree with deborahbake eliminating sugar and reducing carbs concentrating on your protein levels. Protein is more satisfying than carbs in the long run. For instance once a slice of cake is gone its gone you are hungry again. Protein provides so much more you body requires to maintain muscle and tissue.

J72FIT

gitfitordietrying wrote: »

I am 5’3’ weighing 183.5 lbs. My goal weight is 170 lbs. I wake up EVERY morning motivated with lots of promises to myself but by midday I am stuffing my face with everything I know is sabotaging any progress and I can’t seem to help myself.

If I may ask, what flips that switch for you?

AnnPT77

I'm going to go the opposite route: The more rules and complications we add, the harder the process can get. After a while, especially if other parts of life get complicated, it's too hard to keep it up, and many people stop. With so little to lose, you don't have a health emergency from bodyweight alone. (You don't mention other diet-related health issues, either.)

I suggest keeping it simple: Get a calorie goal from MFP, using a sensibly moderate weight loss rate as your goal (half a pound a week, maybe a pound, *tops*). Log exercise when you do some. Log your eating, and try to hit pretty close to your calorie goal (like plus or minus 50-ish) most days, and way over your goal super rarely. Watch the scale for a month or two, and if you're not getting the results you expect, adjust intake.

Simple. All you *need* to do to lose weight is eat fewer calories than you burn. Anything beyond that is a useful rule if it helps you do that. (That's where rules-y things like low carb, intermittent fasting, high protein, "clean eating", etc., can come in: If they help you stick with a calorie goal, it's arguably worth adding rules.)

Here's a thread about gradually remodeling your eating, that works on kind of that idea:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-not-spam-or-mlm/p1

If you're ravenous by night, it can have many sources. Trying to lose weight too fast is the biggie. Cumulative fatigue can cause food cravings plus less ability to resist cravings (so getting good sleep, managing stress, not overdoing intense exercise, etc., can help). Sub-par nutrition can be a factor, for some. Foods you don't personally find filling, early in the day or through the day can have an effect. (Many people do find "whole foods" more filling, but what's filling is pretty individual.) Saving calories for later in the day can help. And more.

Think about why you're craving, and why it's hard to control. Look for the root causes (too-fast loss goal, fatigue, stress, boredom, timing of eating, undernutrition, habits, etc.) and address the root cause(s) directly.

gitfitordietrying

@J72FIT I think I get comfortable and rational thinking disappears.

J72FIT

gitfitordietrying wrote: »

@J72FIT I think I get comfortable and rational thinking disappears.

Comfortable in what way?

gitfitordietrying

I settle down to get work done and every time I take a break from my laptop I fill that time with food. I work late sometimes and I eat more. I have a spinning bike which I do 30 minutes per day but my eating habits is the big issue.

AnnPT77

gitfitordietrying wrote: »

I settle down to get work done and every time I take a break from my laptop I fill that time with food. I work late sometimes and I eat more. I have a spinning bike which I do 30 minutes per day but my eating habits is the big issue.

You sound like a candidate for the "replace an undesired habit with a productive habit" approach.

You have a habit of eating during breaks. Pick a new break habit. Non-consumption would be ideal, but there are also consumption options.

Some possibilities: Stretch. Step outside for a few deep breaths of fresh air (even if it's cold), bonus if there's sunshine. If you're WFH, do an easy 5 minutes on the bike. Place some good music and dance for a few minutes. If you don't have critical witnesses, do a round of yoga sun salutation. Meditate (not necessarily complicated or mystical; try http://www.relaxationresponse.org/steps/). Drink a glass of water (with a twist of citrus or something if you want to be fancy), or some hot herb tea. Etc.

It will be hard at first, the snack-habit pull will be strong. Resist it, do the new thing instead. After a while, the pull of the old habit will fade.

For the late eating: If you can predict it, save some calories and plan/prep a satisfying snack for those calories, so all you have to do is grab & eat it. Doing extra work, extra late, increases fatigue, and fatigue makes the body want energy (food), so it rings the appetite bell. This is a case, IMO, where food could make sense as a strategy . . . but the habit-replacement idea could work for this, too. (I'd go with a fatigue-buster like movement, personally.)

Lilutz

Want to partner up as motivation buddies? I need to lose about the same amount....

J72FIT

gitfitordietrying wrote: »

I settle down to get work done and every time I take a break from my laptop I fill that time with food. I work late sometimes and I eat more. I have a spinning bike which I do 30 minutes per day but my eating habits is the big issue.

That does not sound like a comfort issue. Sounds more like eating out of boredom. At this point, it probably has become a habit. The solution IMO, is to replace the habit for a more productive one that gets you closer to your goal...