Nailed Breakfast and Lunch BUT!🤣

LaniJae

This morning, like always, I told myself, "Yesterday's gone, today's a new start. I nailed breakfast and lunch, feeling confident, but when evening came, I slipped off track again. It's frustrating every day feels like a cycle of trying and failing, and I'm tired of yo-yo dieting.

I don't know why I keep losing motivation. I've succeeded before, getting down to a 165 lbs. So why is it so hard now? I'm starting to see it's not just about willpower; something deeper is triggering these evening slip-ups. It's time to stop beating myself up, and start figuring it out, one step at a time. Anybody else experience this?

jimjams14

I’m the same, it’s very frustrating. Evenings are my danger zone. I know exactly what I need to do but have trouble doing it.
That said, I am also trying to get out of the habit of using a bad day/week as a reason to give up. I suspect THAT is actually the reason nothing seems to change over time. Harder than it sounds though.
Pre-planning meals helps so it’s clear how many calories are left for snacks. Instead of completely going cold turkey on evening snacks, I try to pre-plan something I enjoy within my calories.
I agree though - it feels like a deeper problem for me too. I’m not hungry but feel compelled to eat. I’m probably bored but too tired to do anything interesting. I’m more tired because I’m overweight. It’s all part of the same problem.
You’re not alone!

jeri30

Try journaling it out--whatever you ate, what you were feeling while eating, before, and after. What you think your motivations were. Then ask yourself, Why? Journal that and repeat it for seven times to really drill down what might be the actual Why behind it all.

Did you get punished for not cleaning your plate? Does people paying attention to your body make you uncomfortable and/or remind you of something unpleasant? So you gain the weight to get the attention off of you.

You might also want to try some weight loss journal prompts (google is useful). Like from: https://nutritionbykristin.com/intuitive-and-mindful-eating-journal-prompts-from-an-intuitive-eating-dietitian/

I think she has some helpful ones.

AnnPT77

A few things to think about:

Over our lifespans, our eating (and satiety) needs vary. Things that can matter for feeling full and happy include nutritional issues, activity types and patterns, timing of eating, social triggers, emotional triggers, habit-based cues, sleep and recovery, hydration, and more. This is an area where the ancient Greeks' maxim, "Know Thyself", lives on.

Self-insight and experimentation can help, with patient persistence. I'm going to mention various things: If they don't apply to you, please don't think I'm picking on you unreasonably. It's just that I know nothing about you, so I need to be generic.

First point, if some days are better than others, ask yourself what made the difference. It could be any of the things in my paragraph 2 above, or even others. Look for patterns, and learn from them.

Beyond that:

Most people find so-called whole foods more filling. If your current eating style includes a fair fraction of more processed, refined foods, try eating more lean meats/fish, veggies, fruits, whole grains, and that sort of thing. It's fine to have some treat foods within calories, but focus on the main part (the foundation) of eating.

Some people find protein filling, others fats, others need volume (such as lots of low-cal, high fiber veggies) to feel full. Occasionally, people find they need very specific foods. (Oatmeal and whole potatoes are some common ones, but not universal.) Some find carbs filling (usually whole foods carbs), but others find carbs spike appetite. Have you tried variations of those things? Run some experiments (ideally at least 2-3 days or more, because habit matters).

Same deal with eating schedule: Some peoples happily skip breakfast, eat later meals. Others (I'm one) need a solid breakfast (in my case, with ample protein), or later cravings become a problem. Different people here do well on anything from one meal a day (OMAD) to continuous grazing on snack-sized meals during most waking hours, and various things between those extremes. Where do you fall? Again, run some experiments if you're not sure.

Sleep can be a biggie (plus stress and exercise recovery are related). Think about it: As evening comes, we are distant from our most recent sleep. Fatigue looms. The body seeks energy. Food is energy. Voila, cravings! If you can improve sleep quality/quantity, work on that, see if it helps. Stress can increase fatigue, too: If that's a factor, work on non-food stress management techniques.

Exercise, especially over-exercise compared to current fitness level, also increases fatigue. Punitively intense exercise is counter-productive for weight management. Increase exercise gradually, and allow recovery time (that's when the magic - rebuilding better - happens). Some people find particular types of exercise especially appetite-spiking. Notice how you respond, and consider moderating that exercise, or timing some nutrition around it.

I could go on about other possible triggers, but you get the idea: Pay attention to how you feel, form theories about why, and experiment to find better routines. A slip-up isn't a personal failure, it's a useful insight about strategies that don't work for you. Change your plan, and keep going.

You can figure it out. Just because one approach worked in the past, doesn't mean it will work now. We change over time. New strategies may work better.

Only giving up altogether is a fail. Experimenting and adjusting is likely to yield results, but it requires patient persistence. The long-term results, IME, are worth that effort.

I'm cheering for you to succeed, sincerely!

csplatt

we can’t be all in with all the things all the time. maybe eating at maintenance is more realistic at times if what we need to prioritize is rest or work. maybe we’ve got anxiety about family and we need to spend time with them more than we need to be toting around a food scale. i think seasons are ok.