Finding Discipline?

fitmek

Hi all
It's not a secret that weight loss is made up of diet and exercise and that if you are disciplined and consistent, you will see results.
I have such a problem with discipline.
What are some things that you guys have done to make yourselves more disciplined about weight loss and your end goals? What do you tell yourself, what really made a difference in how you looked at your situation?
Thanks!

TavistockToad

Hi all
It's not a secret that weight loss is made up of diet and exercise and that if you are disciplined and consistent, you will see results.
I have such a problem with discipline.
What are some things that you guys have done to make yourselves more disciplined about weight loss and your end goals? What do you tell yourself, what really made a difference in how you looked at your situation?
Thanks!

take pictures of yourself in just your underwear....

Arloma

Having once briefly been put on medication for high blood pressure (in my early 40's! yikes) I knew that I didn't want to be dependent on medication for the rest of my life. Through diet and exercise I was able to ditch the pills rather quickly. Diabetes runs in my family so my discipline comes from approaching this life style change as insurance later on against all kinds of disease like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, dementia etc. Whenever I don't feel like exercising, for example, I ask myself, would you rather be on medication or debilitated by illness or constantly having to go to the doctor and the answer is no and I lace up my sneakers and head out the door . . .

sevsmom

I used running goals and weight lifting goals to move me toward my ultimate fitness/weight loss goal. Now I use performance goals of many types (race distances, setting personal records, etc) to keep me motivated. But, I have to say, it's become so much a regular part of my life the last nearly 3 years that I feel weird if I"m not running/working out regularly!!

delicious_cocktail

Hmph. Thought thread was about something else.

Stop thinking of it as discipline. It's routine. It's habit. Make your habits work for you. Most of what you do throughout a day is not a decision, it involves no conscious thought. Create the habit and dispense with the discipline.

JessiBelleW

I find I eat much healthier when I PLAN for my day, ie have the healthy food in my fridge and cook enough to have at work the next day. The better I eat the less I want to eat junk.

I'm having my own personal battle at the moment with regards to sleep patterns and exercise, but I think you just have to do it till your body craves it

fitmek

As much of a severe planner as I am with everything else in my life, I'm terrible about planning and STICKING to meals and exercise. I have a newborn right now and a 5 yr old, so exercise has kinda gone by the wayside, but diet is important to me. It frustrates me so much that I can't keep myself motivated when I'm hungry. It should be so simple. Very irritating.

mclgo

I find numbers help me!
The charts on MFP are a great measurement of my success. Also the scale, clothing size, etc.

I use Runtastic app for walking and I love beating my average pace, or the # of calories I burn per walk.

Consistently logging all my food helps me too. I can't say "I didn't eat much" when it's right there in black and white.

But frankly, sometimes I just shove on my shoes and go do it, and I don't let myself argue out of it. I can have the BEST arguements about why I don't need to exercise!

Good luck.

delicious_cocktail

As much of a severe planner as I am with everything else in my life, I'm terrible about planning and STICKING to meals and exercise. I have a newborn right now and a 5 yr old, so exercise has kinda gone by the wayside, but diet is important to me. It frustrates me so much that I can't keep myself motivated when I'm hungry. It should be so simple. Very irritating.

Don't let yourself get that hungry then. Eat somewhat more frequently. Calibrate your intake. Perhaps eat more calories in the morning, and less in the evening, or vice versa. The "right" way is the way to which you can adhere. Just a stab in the dark, you might not be eating enough if you're having this much trouble.

Are you nursing your newborn? If so, eat an extra 500 calories on top of your TDEE-20% for lactation.

MyChocolateDiet

Just that the time is gonna pass whether you do something about it or not and it's your choice how you wanna be when the future inevitably comes. You may not be able tosnap your fingers and be thin but with as fast as time flies one day you will wake up and it will be a year and you will either be in shape or not. Your choice.

For me personally even though I won't be at goal as I set out when I started this year, my body is quite different and that's a major deal for me. Not having a belly is major for me and the rest can take longer as I took some breaks so no big deal but I'm sure gonna be glad at that anniversary when I don't have a big belly and if I"d done nothing I would have.

cwolfman13

As much of a severe planner as I am with everything else in my life, I'm terrible about planning and STICKING to meals and exercise. I have a newborn right now and a 5 yr old, so exercise has kinda gone by the wayside, but diet is important to me. It frustrates me so much that I can't keep myself motivated when I'm hungry. It should be so simple. Very irritating.

What kind of deficit do you have? Are you nursing? Sounds to me like you're deficit is too aggressive. Diet adherence increases substantially with realistic calorie goals...generally modest deficits from maintenance. When you have better adherence you actually lose faster than if you shoot for some huge per week drop in weight but can't sustain that over the long haul...I know a lot of people who would be at goal by now if they just went with a 1 Lb per week loss goal vs trying to lose more...they never stick it out...they binge and get off track and then have to start over. Me...1 Lb per week loss goal and I was easily able to adhere to that and lose my weight steadily over about 7 months or so. Now easily maintaining that weight and have been for about 6 months.

fitmek

I swear, I'm always hungry, and since my schedule has been completely out of whack for a few months now because of late night feedings and what not, I got used to eating a snack around 11pm every night. I KNOW how terrible that is. So now every night my stomach is growling and turning flips at 1030. Some nights I can drink water and get rid of the hunger, other nights I eat peanuts or light popcorn. Either way..no matter what I eat, unless its proportioned out, I eat too much.
No, I'm bottle feeding. Right now I have my calories set on 1500 a day, with no exercise. I want to start exercising again, but honestly right now I'm just spent. I know it sounds like an excuse, but I need to focus strictly on diet right now to lose the weight. I have 12 to lose to get back to pre pregnancy weight, and 18 to get to my ultimate goal.
I just can't get it through my head. I know it sounds silly, but once hunger sets in, even a little, my brain starts telling me "it will be ok, just eat less tonight" or "you ate healthy today" but I know even though i'm eating healthy things, i'm still OVER eating.
I just need to find a good rhythm---with time management, preparing foods ahead of time, getting used to sticking it out and not caving when I get hungry etc. :-/

As much of a severe planner as I am with everything else in my life, I'm terrible about planning and STICKING to meals and exercise. I have a newborn right now and a 5 yr old, so exercise has kinda gone by the wayside, but diet is important to me. It frustrates me so much that I can't keep myself motivated when I'm hungry. It should be so simple. Very irritating.

Don't let yourself get that hungry then. Eat somewhat more frequently. Calibrate your intake. Perhaps eat more calories in the morning, and less in the evening, or vice versa. The "right" way is the way to which you can adhere. Just a stab in the dark, you might not be eating enough if you're having this much trouble.

Are you nursing your newborn? If so, eat an extra 500 calories on top of your TDEE-20% for lactation.

fitmek

As much of a severe planner as I am with everything else in my life, I'm terrible about planning and STICKING to meals and exercise. I have a newborn right now and a 5 yr old, so exercise has kinda gone by the wayside, but diet is important to me. It frustrates me so much that I can't keep myself motivated when I'm hungry. It should be so simple. Very irritating.

What kind of deficit do you have? Are you nursing? Sounds to me like you're deficit is too aggressive. Diet adherence increases substantially with realistic calorie goals...generally modest deficits from maintenance. When you have better adherence you actually lose faster than if you shoot for some huge per week drop in weight but can't sustain that over the long haul...I know a lot of people who would be at goal by now if they just went with a 1 Lb per week loss goal vs trying to lose more...they never stick it out...they binge and get off track and then have to start over. Me...1 Lb per week loss goal and I was easily able to adhere to that and lose my weight steadily over about 7 months or so. Now easily maintaining that weight and have been for about 6 months.

Bottle feeding. I have my calories set at 1500 a day. Usually I still go over though, and I know deep down there's not really a good excuse for that. I eat healthy things, I just constantly over eat. I'm terrible in the kitchen putting meals together, planning, preparing and making meals and snacks ahead of time. I WANT to be good at it, but I am having problems sticking to it, just like I'm having issues sticking to trying to take my lunch everyday instead of getting 9.00 salads everyday. I have struggled with this for years! It's so hard for me, and it irritates me!

jackielou867

put a photo of someone fatter than you on the fridge, and a photo of someone thinner. ask yourself which one you want to look like in 10 years time.
You only get one body, time to start looking after it, not just to look better, but to feel better. I am 47 and proud of it. I feel 21, and the aches and pains I feel today are not because I am getting older, it is because I deadlifted 70kilos yesterday

deksgrl

First, don't worry about the exercise right now.

What works for me is having the same sorts of things for breakfast and lunch, then dinner can be more flexible. Also, you want to have a balance of protein/carbs/fat with each meal, it will keep you satisfied longer. If you have something that is mostly carbs, it probably makes you feel hungry soon.

So, for example, breakfast is usually greek yogurt, and a cheese stick, or a piece of fruit. Lunch is usually a chicken wrap with veggies. That leaves 700-800 calories for dinner. Typical meat/side dish/veggie it's all about your portion sizes. On weekends I usually have brunch about 11 a.m. so I can have a bit more calories since it is breakfast & lunch combined and then I don't eat again until dinner.

Don't drink your calories. Drink water or unsweetened iced tea. Don't eat "diet" foods, eat real food but within your calorie goal. The good kinds of fat isn't going to make you fat, and you need it and it will keep you full longer.

This isn't as much about discipline as it is about tweaking your food choices. You shouldn't have to deprive yourself, and still be able to lose weight.

fitmek

First, don't worry about the exercise right now.

What works for me is having the same sorts of things for breakfast and lunch, then dinner can be more flexible. Also, you want to have a balance of protein/carbs/fat with each meal, it will keep you satisfied longer. If you have something that is mostly carbs, it probably makes you feel hungry soon.

So, for example, breakfast is usually greek yogurt, and a cheese stick, or a piece of fruit. Lunch is usually a chicken wrap with veggies. That leaves 700-800 calories for dinner. Typical meat/side dish/veggie it's all about your portion sizes. On weekends I usually have brunch about 11 a.m. so I can have a bit more calories since it is breakfast & lunch combined and then I don't eat again until dinner.

Don't drink your calories. Drink water or unsweetened iced tea. Don't eat "diet" foods, eat real food but within your calorie goal. The good kinds of fat isn't going to make you fat, and you need it and it will keep you full longer.

This isn't as much about discipline as it is about tweaking your food choices. You shouldn't have to deprive yourself, and still be able to lose weight.

It IS about tweaking my food choices, but also about thinking and planning ahead and sticking to the plan. I find it necessary to eat out 24-7 (not for dinner, but for bfast and lunch). I make healthy choices while eating out, BUT its costing me a fortune on top of the hundreds I spend at the grocery store per week already. There's really no downside to bringing bfast and lunch everyday--it's healthier, and saves money, AND would probably help me lose the weight faster. However,(again, so irritating), I feel that I need the "treat" of going to eat out everyday. It has to be a mental thing. I wish someone could turn the knob in my head to get me past this.
What other staples do you always have around? Do you snack? Based on my food diary on here, I'm not getting near the protein I should get, though I feel like I snack on protein--like almonds, organic protein bars etc. Sometimes I bring hard boiled eggs too. I guess I need to stock up on a lot more protein.

deksgrl

Do I snack..... well I eat ice cream often, I just fit it into my calories. I used to eat fast food for lunch every single day. But I weaned myself off it and rarely have it any more. You eat out for both breakfast and lunch? Start looking at what things are high in calories and what you might substitute. It's a process. I generally keep yogurt, cheese sticks, almonds and fruit at work. Almonds are high in calories and I count them out by the piece before eating them. I will eat some combination of those for breakfast, and if I have a busy day and can't get out for lunch, I have that to fall back on instead of raiding the vending machine. Logging before you eat it helps to meet calorie goals.

Also, look at your weight loss goal. If you chose more than 1 pound per week, you may be at too much of a calorie deficit.

It helped me to stop looking at it as a "diet" or a "plan I must follow" and instead look at it as choices. Yes, I can eat the fast food, but I will feel better if I choose something else instead, and I will have more calories for a satisfying dinner. Some days I choose better than other days, the key is to start making the choices and changes that takes you to more days meeting goals. Just make sure your goals are reasonable and attainable. And realize this is long term, not just a diet.

MB_Positif

Honestly, I am totally a high strung spaz so the thing that kept me disciplined as I lost weight was just keeping this whole thing simple. No major restriction. Feasible calorie goals. Feasible amounts of exercise. It is science, but not rocket science. Simplicity speaks volumes.

fitmek

I'm working on making small changes....for example, two nights in a row now I havent eaten anything after 9. Also, if i feel the need to splurge on something, I have been trying to do it before dinner time. Here's to trying to wrap my head around all this....

Charlie416

I'm working on making small changes....for example, two nights in a row now I havent eaten anything after 9. Also, if i feel the need to splurge on something, I have been trying to do it before dinner time. Here's to trying to wrap my head around all this....

You are totally on the right track! Habits take TIME to change, and the biggest sabotage we do to ourselves is get down about a lack of progress and then we crash and burn. Keep your confidence HIGH throughout all of these changes by making small changes, and being consistent with them. Also, reflect every day about the positive achievements.

I grew up never having to set any real boundaries for myself because my single mother was borderline insanely strict, and didn't empower me to self-regulate. So now, I practice implementing new habits and trying to avoid instant gratification.

This quote has changed my thinking forever about my lack of discipline:

"Discipline is just choosing between what you want NOW, and what you want MOST. "

deksgrl

I'm working on making small changes....for example, two nights in a row now I havent eaten anything after 9. Also, if i feel the need to splurge on something, I have been trying to do it before dinner time. Here's to trying to wrap my head around all this....

It is a myth that meal timing has anything to do with weight loss, however, if it helps you to reduce snacking and to change bad habits then its a good thing. Splurging before dinner is just as bad as splurging after 9 pm if it puts you over your calories.

Understand this number: TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), this is all the calories you need in a day to fuel all of your activity and rest. Also known as "maintenance calories". Eating this much you would not gain or lose weight. Eat less and you lose weight. Eat more and you gain weight.

Of course, the number of calories MFP tells you to eat is less than TDEE, so that you lose weight. If you "splurge" every day and this causes you to be eating closer to TDEE then you will not lose quickly (or at all if you are actually eating at TDEE). Weighing your food and accurate logging is essential.

If you splurge a couple of times a week, but stay within your goals the rest of the week, you might be negating your calorie deficit and not lose. With only 15 pounds to go to your goal weight, you won't be able to drop weight quickly, it is going to be a slow process, and you will have to be consistent with your calories and be patient.