Road to weight loss

candycaneps

Hey everyone. I have been a member on myfitnesspal since 2008 but haven't been logging or regularly reading for a couple years now. I get a spurt of motivation sign on and then become discouraged. When I first signed up it was really only to help me lose about 10 pounds and I was still healthy. Since then, I had a baby, a complicated birth and chronic back pain since pregnancy. I need to lose about 40 pounds to be back to a healthy weight and I have been struggling to lose it for the past 3 years. I actually got to about 20 pounds of my goal and then gained 20 back. I started reading all kinds of articles on healthy eating and now I have just become to set on being *perfect.* Ive read different articles contradicting each other so then I wind up confused. I also saw a trainer last year that told me no carbs after noon...so then I think...oh no carbs after noon, and this piece of info says no fruits after 3, make sure you eat xyz in the morning but avoid it in the afternoon etc etc etc that at this point I don't know what is what. I know you are supposed to eat small every 2-3 hours. Eat what? I don't eat meat anymore. That includes red meat and chicken...however I never really learned how to eat healthy meat free. I don't want to eat all these soy substitutes but green and healthy, but tasty too.

I notoriously try to make a meal plan, go shopping and ultimately fail at following it and then wind up wasting so much produce. I become so overwhelmed even though it should be simple. I have tried follow other peoples meal plans, Happy Herbivore, I have contemplated the Fresh 20 because it seems easy, but then I see certain food groups on the menu and it contradicts other info I have read and then I disregard it all.

I feel tired, fatigued, unhealthy, weak and it needs to change. I need to change.

Do you strictly calorie count and just eat reasonably or do you feel like what you eat and when matters
I started today out eating healthy and raw and become uncomfortably bloated and became discouraged once again.

Someone set me straight. Give me a slap upside the head.