Help! I can't do this :(

Davelh1976

If its important to you....... You will find away if not you will find an excuse! it takes time it will take you about three years if you loose a pound a week. you can do that baby steps..

deladypilot

There is some really great advice and support right here. Each and everyone of the previous posters knows what you are going through and understands. So grab a hold of some of them (or all of them) and make them your MFP friends. They will keep you motivated and give you great ideas on how to proceed with food and exercise.

What I have learned over the years is that when I "diet" for a cause such as a wedding, a vacation etc, that as soon as that event is over, I put the weight back on. So get the idea that you need to lose because your parents are coming out of your head and just start thinking about how you will make your life better over all. Your parents love you or they would not be coming to see you.

I agree, start by logging everything you eat, drink and I mean every bite, nibble etc. Even if your daily calorie count is way over. You can then look at it and decide where you need to improve. Do not be ashamed of it, hold it and look at it and take one baby step toward the right direction.

I have not cut anything out of my diet but I do eat smaller portions of it. I have found was to add veggies that I did not like into my diet by adding them to something else.

It is a process and if you want it, you will succeed.

Best of luck to you

MinnieInMaine

Yes you can!!!

First off, you don't have to give up foods or eat like a bunny. I used to think that way too and all it led to was yo-yo dieting for years until I finally figured out that was part of my problem. Eat what you like, just keep the portions under control. Weigh and measure everything, use smaller plates, eat slowly and really enjoy the food.

Which leads to my next thought - learn to convince yourself that most of the time that "hunger" you feel is actually stress, sadness, lonliness, boredom, etc. There are other things you can do to soothe those emotions that don't involve eating. Talk to a friend, go for a walk, watch a funny movie or read a good book, play games on your computer, etc.

It's a slow difficult process to change your behaviors and thinking but it can be done! Just keep working at it every day, set small goals. Give yourself a pat on the back when you meet or exceed the goals, and give yourself a break and commit to working harder at it if you don't meet them.

And definitely stop trying to lose weight for your parents or anyone else - that never worked for me either.
Do it for yourself, your health, your longevity, your mobility, etc. Learn to love yourself and take care of yourself!

PolacaFL

Break it down to small goals. You still lost 30lb...That's great! Now focus on the next 30lb. If you feel overwhelmed don't worry, not all is lost. You won't gain 30lb on one day of eating "wrong". Make sure you continue on track right after. Don't let one meal ruin it for all meals to come. I like counting calories only and not worrying so much about what I eat. It works and it is not overwhelming. Probably down the road I'll try to incorporate healthier choices.

Lowestsalary

You can do it!!! I know those struggles and hard they can be. Do you remember how you felt when you decided for yourself that you wanted/needed to lose weight? Once that happens again right yourself a letter to remind your self how you feel at that present moment and why this change is important to you. Every time you feel like your getting ready to fall off the wagon or you need some type of inspiration read the letter. Id be happy to share mine with you all though just as a heads it is very private and personal. However if it will allow to refocus on your goal I would gladly do this.

Plan your meals. This was a challenge for me. Pick one day out of the week and cook for the rest of the week. On Sundays I know Im going to bake chicken. Instead of making one piece throw 8-10 pieces of baking sheet and let them cook. Buy storage containers and pack your meals ahead of time. That way once you start into the week you dont have that worry of "What am I going to eat" "Im so tired and I dont want to cook". All you have to do is go to the fridge and grab a meal.

LassoOfTruth

First off, you CAN do this. Just don't get discouraged. I have 130 pounds to lose, and I get down sometimes. But, we have to get back up... no sense in feeling sorry for ourselves, no one else does. Just take I slow, and don't expect a huge loss all at once. Even if you lose 1 pound a week... you LOST that pound. Never coming back, gone... at the end of the year... 52 pounds gone! I'm adding you, if that's OK.

madhatter2013

First of all, don't listen to Dr Oz ...

^^This. Dr. Oz only reports the latest trends in grocery shopping. He is constantly changing his mind on what's best for "you". "Oh, I know I told you a month ago that (insert product here) was best for you but now there's this new (insert supposed better product here) that you should try. We tested it for only (insert short period of time here) but I'm all for it NOW". I will admit, not all of his advise is bad, but if you watchi him every day for a month, he'll contradict himself at least twice.

jbella99

Baby steps my dear.. You are aware of your unhealthy habits... we all are. Just start by eliminating one thing at a time. It's hard... you will fail ALOT. but just pick yourself and start again. Trust me making a healthy lifestyle an actual lifestyle doesn't happen overnight. You can do it!!! We're all here to help

FreshKrisKreash

No, no girly. Don't say that. There are TONS of wonderful people on here who have done it. Don't ever think you can't do it. I suggest going through the success stories section on here and talking to some of those who have lost 150 pounds or more. The good news is you can still love food and loose weight. Read up about TDEE on this sight. You can eat plenty, get full on healthy foods and get fit. Don't give up. Like someone else said, do it for you. You clearly want this and so you shouldn't let anything stop you. Not even you. As Jillian Michaels says: "Tell your mind to shut up and get out of your body's way!"

cebreisch

I remember telling my dietician once that I was eating relatively well, but was still constantly hungry. She told me to increase my fiber intake. That has helped IMMENSELY.

I will have 1-2 Chocolite Protein bars/day. www.healthsmartfoods.com. My fav is the triple chocolate fudge. They make a great snack or a great dessert.

Cindy781

You will most likely get a lot of different suggestions. Here is the first one from an old lady who has done this many many times with the same result (gained it back + ).
First don't cut anything from your life except extra calories.
Second don't set yourself too low calories -- feeling hungry only leads to being hangry which can result in over eating (states the queen of over-eating while hangry).
Third - move just find a way to add (at first) an extra 20 or 30 minutes a day of extra moving, just walking is a good start
Fourth - LOG EVERYTHING - E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.
Fifth - get yourself a core group of MFP cheerleaders and be a good cheerleader too.

I want you to succeed, just make sure you figure out what is best for you. There I am done.
Joanne

Very wise advice.

trogalicious

here:

1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. If you ask a question on the forum, give as much information as you can ("yes, I have a food scale and weigh my food" is worlds better than "I eat a palm full of miscellaneous boiled chicken parts..sometimes.")
17. Be honest with yourself and honest with us.
18. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.

pretty much that.

...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:

the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.

Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.

I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.

Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.

Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

and make sure to read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

this could help.

Stop looking at it like a diet. Change your life gradually. Fell off the cart? You didn't make manageable changes.

GiveMeCoffee

Most importantly if you see it on Dr. Oz run.. other than that this is what's helped me

1. Log your food as accurately and honestly as possible - If it goes in your mouth it gets logged good, bad and the ugly. While you are starting just worry about the calorie number once you get good at logging then start looking at protein, carbs and fat. Keep it Simple. If you don't have a medical condition that you have to monitor your sugar intake don't even bother tracking it.

2. Get a digital food scale they are very inexpensive and probably my greatest investment. This will help you learn portion control, which helps with being able to eat in moderation.

3. Understand that this takes time, so being patient is good!

4. Understand that weight will fluctuate all the time, don't let your emotions get tied into the number on the scale, the scale is just one of many tools you will use to gauge your progress. My favorite ways to track progress: Fitness Goals, Progress Pics, Measurements, how my clothes fit, and most importantly how do I feel.

5. Strive for consistency over perfection, if you make 80% good choices the other 20% don't make too much of a difference.

6. Remember weight loss comes from a calorie deficit, don't make it a huge deficit, keep it reasonable and remember any change you are considering making.. Ask yourself "Am I willing to do this for the rest of my life?" If the answer is yes, then go for it, if the answer is no then start thinking about why you are considering this change.

7. Find an activity and/or exercise that you enjoy and Get up and MOVE!

Bonus Point - Eat Ice Cream nightly

seltzermint555

My best advice to you is to just stop thinking about losing 150 lb. Change your goal and mindset to "I want to lose 20 lb (or 40 lb or whatever reasonable goal) this year".

Then you can meet that goal, and push yourself even more.

Seriously worked for me. I am down to 194 from an all-time high weight of 307 back in 2008 and to be perfectly honest, if I thought to myself "wow I need to lose 150 lb" there is NO WAY that would have motivated me. Try baby steps...

qtgonewild

You
Have
To
Want
It
Bad
Enough.


then, and only then, will it happen for you.
and you can only lose 1 pound at a time so dont stress yourself out with your 150 number.
Day in and day out make better choices and move your body and hopefully if you are ready,
the results alone will be your motivation.

Once you see results, it usually becomes an addiction.

superspork2

You can totally do it! :flowerforyou:

Every single person here believes in you

BayMorganGirl

First of all, don't listen to Dr Oz and don't do such a strict diet. It is unlikely that you will be able to stick to it if you enjoy the things you're completely cutting out. Been there, done that. Secondly, you need to read up on BMR and TDEE. Find the group eat, train, progress. They can help you setup everything. Calories, protein, carbs, fat, etc. Long lasting changes are made over a long period of time and not over night. You are more than welcome to add me as a friend and I'll help you if you truly want help. I wish you the best of luck!!

YES YES YES!! What this poster said!!!!! I follow Amber Rogers of Taking Up Space. She has a Facebook page called Go Kaleo and Eating the Food (two separate pages) and they have been my spot of sanity in this world of restriction and "dieting" -

kiittenforever

You can do it and it will get easier. It is difficult in the beginning as we resist change but the cravings and everything do subside. Believe in yourself! I like to go on twitter and pintrest for motivation as well. Good luck.

ndj1979

I love food so much! I never feel full. I am trying to cut out dairy, wheat and sugar, I seen this on dr. oz's website and people lost between 15 - 20lbs a month. Don't know if this is healthy or anything but I was going to give it a go.
I just really need a strong support system because I am weak, very weak and easily lose motivation.
I have so much weight to lose, about 150lbs and it just seems impossible to do.....*sigh*

There is your problem right there, you are trying to restrict foods and it is leading yourself to either feeling hungry all the time or losing motivation.

You can lose weight AND et dairy, wheat, and sugar...I would suggest setting MFP to one pound per week loss and then following the 80/20 rule...80% healthy and 20% whatever you want = cookies, cake , ice cream, pizza etc...

This will help you get the weight off and keep the weight off ...

Remember, there are no "bad" foods just food that you use for energy .

Oh - and stop watching Dr. Oz that guy is a quack ....