Help! I can't do this :(

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  • _Calypso_
    _Calypso_ Posts: 1,074 Member
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    "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right."


    "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal."



    Don't throw in the towel before you've officially started. If it was easy - everyone would do it. Working out can be tough, losing weight is frustrating. But you have to want it and until you do you will not mentally, emotionally or physically put yourself on the path to get it done.
    You are capable of change. You CAN do this. We can be your biggest cheerleaders, but if you need to leave the starting line!!

    Make yourself a picture board and sticky notes to put around the house. Motivate and inspire yourself. Good luck!!
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    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 dangerous quack ....
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
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    SO, I have been on MFP plenty of times but I just can't seem to stick with it.
    I don't know what my deal is. First time I was on MFP I managed to lose 35lbs in about 3 months. My motivation was my parents coming to visit me after a long time. Now my parents are coming to see me again and I have gained 5lbs back but now I am wanting to lose weight and stick with it. I want this to be a lifestyle change but it is so hard.
    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*

    By starting off and saying that you CAN'T do this, you've already decided that you can't. You need to change your attitude about yourself and believe that you can do this. Stop using words like can't. They do more damage than one thinks.

    Stop restricting foods. There are no good/bad foods. Only bad eating habits. It's about moderation and not deprivation.

    Find out how much you should be eating. I use the TDEE-% method and I eat 1800 a day and am losing weight. I'll post links for you at the end of this.

    And for the love of god and all that is holy STOP watching Dr. Oz. That man is a snake oil salesman. Seriously, I dislike this guy with everything in me.

    I eat/drink what I want, I work hard, I know and believe I CAN do it. I'm losing weight.

    "There is no try, only do or do not." - Yoda

    So make a decision. Decide how bad you want this and don't let anything stop you. When your head tries to stop you b!tch smack it down and keep going.
  • cicisiam
    cicisiam Posts: 491 Member
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    bump
  • Adahbaby
    Adahbaby Posts: 14
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    I haven't been at this long and I totally understand how it's hard to make it a lifestyle change. That's what I'm hoping to do as well. What I've found that works best for me is not cutting out anything completely. I try to make good choices but I love my food so when I do have a burger or piece of cake, I eat it knowing I'm going to jump on my bike & work all those calories off. Limiting myself from certain foods doesn't work for me.
  • wordsandmusic51
    wordsandmusic51 Posts: 126 Member
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    You CAN do this. You have already made a great start losing what you have, and getting focused enough to come back and try again. I find the support here amazing, let people help you and hang in there!
  • wmstormvet
    wmstormvet Posts: 145
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    You can do it. You just have to believe in yourself. You are smart, beautiful and have what it takes to do whatever you want to do. Do it for you not your parents.

    YES!!! You will do it when you get it in your head to do it!
  • zerstreutesMaedchen
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    Don't lose weight for the sake of your parents, do it for YOU.
    I agree with removing wheat and sugar from your diet, it's not good for you. I don't see any reason to remove Dairy though. Cottage cheese and greek yogurt are excellent for you.. or at least I believe they are.
  • wmstormvet
    wmstormvet Posts: 145
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    Oh - and stop watching Dr. Oz that guy is a quack ....

    ^^^^^^ Yes, so true!!! He just supports whatever method, supplement, etc that is paying him the most!!
  • TexasDarling09
    TexasDarling09 Posts: 210 Member
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    You CAN do it. Anybody can. But you have to have the correct frame of mind. If you GENUINELY want it to be a lifestyle change, you have to accept that your body will lose weight at the rate it wants to. Two, if it's not as quickly as YOU want it to be, realize that slower is healthier and also helps with loose skin not being as big of an issue. Realize that EVERY loss is a victory. If you weigh in once a week, and that one week you've lost 3/10th's of a lb, that's progress, and THAT'S GOOD. Also, MEASURE yourself. Losing pounds on a scale won't always happen. But losing inches sometimes happens without that loss of actual weight. This will keep you motivated when you DON'T see the # going down. It really seriously honestly (any other word that will emphasize this point) helps me when I think that HUNGER IS JUST A FEELING, That's all it is, LITERALLY it's just something your body feels. And when you're not GENUINELY hungry it's an EMOTION, or an IMPULSE... that being said, the good news is YOU CAN CONTROL it and you can say no. It just takes a lot of practice at getting good at saying no. Believe me, I'm the QUEEN of binge eating. It's not easy, but once you make your lifestyle a habit, you will think nothing of it. I was 365lbs, I've lost 95 and I still have 120 ish to go before I'm happy with my weight. IT IS HARD, but it is worth it!! I promise! Add me if you want to!
  • Shuuma
    Shuuma Posts: 465 Member
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    So much good advice here that I hesitate to add my own, but I am also an emotional eater, so I wanted to throw in my two cents worth.

    I love food. I love how I feel while eating it and I love the wonderful association of comfort I gain from eating it. What I have come to realize, though, is that food is emotionless, cold, and indifferent to anything I feel. It doesn't care if I am sad, happy, bored, or stressed. It doesn't care for me.

    So, I decided to break up with food. I replaced my emotions about it with a desire to use it like it has used me. I turned food into fuel and use it only to replenish the energy I use doing things that I enjoy doing. When food just becomes fuel, it ceases to even be a trigger. It doesn't care about us. It took about three months for me to complete the break up process. It gets better.

    So, here are a few things that have worked for me.

    1. Take pictures often. You'd be surprised at how amazing and wonderful those pictures can make you feel when you see progress.
    2. Take measurements often. Days where the scale doesn't move are not unproductive or failure days. Sometimes, the inches fall off despite the scale. That means things are moving in the right direction.
    3. Measure everything with a food scale and log it before you put it into your mouth. Be accountable.
    4. Move more. It doesn't matter what this is. Walking, home DVD, lifting your laundry bottle up and down--just move and burn some of your fuel away so you can have some more!
    5. Blog about your journey. We have a free blog with this site and it has been enjoyable to write about my journey. "Day One: Puked after my workout. I think I may die." "Day 100: Looked at day one exercise and laughed at how easy that seems now. Did it in double-time." Massively motivating!
    6. Find what works for you. Not everyone can eat anything they want in moderation. Sometimes, you need to use tools to help you get to a place where you can. Some people do well on a more structured eating plan and others are more successful just eating smaller portions of anything. Some people do a combination of both. Whatever you find that works for you, commit to doing that.
    7. Take note of things that don't work. Just as important. For me, I am sensitive to sodium and turn into a human water balloon if I eat too much. Since I cut it down, I've been doing well and that water weight has long gone.
    8. Pick rewards that are not foodcentric. Manicure, movie night, a new purse, etc.
    9. Know you are worth it. Not all of us know how worthy we are, but we definitely deserve a long, happy, healthy life. Start today and never stop. No matter what.

    You can do this!
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
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    You've logged for 3 days, so that's a good start. Your choices are pretty good so that's another plus. The way to stick to it it so change the way you think and the things you do, one thing at a time. Do you exercise? if you do you need to eat more. Get a scale.. I resisted for the longest time and what a difference. I'm a huge OVER estimator. So when I started weighing things I was able to eat more! Which was AWESOME. Usually people under estimate though, which would result in slower losses or no losses. Getting healthy and fit is all mind over matter. It's about the choices you make and whether you control food or the food controls you. it's hardest in the beginning, the cravings go away, the desire to eat *junk* goes away or lessens the less you eat it. I can (and do currently) have cookies in teh house that I have no desire to eat. I wouldn't have been able to say that when I started (or periodically through this journey as falling off track is soooo easy! LOL)

    You will fall, you will have bad days, you will eat an entire cake or box of cookies on day, in one sitting, and you know what? That is ok. As long as you recognize that you ate what you ate, you accept it, you forgive yourself, you move on and get back on track.

    Also check out Scooby's calculator (just google it) It will tell you how much you should be eating for health and weight loss. It's spot on for me. :) Just be honest in your activity level. If you but your calories too drastically int he beginning you'll be starving and you won't stick with it.

    The only food you should cut out is those you are allergic to or "trigger" foods, until you can get a grip on them. For example.. if I eat pizza I crave ice cream. So if I decide i'm going to eat pizza, I eat it with a huge salad (so I eat less pizza lol) and i have cottage cheese or yogurt mixed with jam ready for afterwards or a smoothie. to combat the "I was dessert or something sweet craving" Listen to your body, learn how you eat and learn what you like. Then build your diet around that.

    1. Take pictures often. You'd be surprised at how amazing and wonderful those pictures can make you feel when you see progress.
    2. Take measurements often. Days where the scale doesn't move are not unproductive or failure days. Sometimes, the inches fall off despite the scale. That means things are moving in the right direction.
    3. Measure everything with a food scale and log it before you put it into your mouth. Be accountable.
    4. Move more. It doesn't matter what this is. Walking, home DVD, lifting your laundry bottle up and down--just move and burn some of your fuel away so you can have some more!
    5. Blog about your journey. We have a free blog with this site and it has been enjoyable to write about my journey. "Day One: Puked after my workout. I think I may die." "Day 100: Looked at day one exercise and laughed at how easy that seems now. Did it in double-time." Massively motivating!
    6. Find what works for you. Not everyone can eat anything they want in moderation. Sometimes, you need to use tools to help you get to a place where you can. Some people do well on a more structured eating plan and others are more successful just eating smaller portions of anything. Some people do a combination of both. Whatever you find that works for you, commit to doing that.
    7. Take note of things that don't work. Just as important. For me, I am sensitive to sodium and turn into a human water balloon if I eat too much. Since I cut it down, I've been doing well and that water weight has long gone.
    8. Pick rewards that are not foodcentric. Manicure, movie night, a new purse, etc.
    9. Know you are worth it. Not all of us know how worthy we are, but we definitely deserve a long, happy, healthy life. Start today and never stop. No matter what.
    and this!! I LOVE it!! Esp take pictures! I was taking a monthly picture and posting it to facebook under an album called "The incredible shrinking woman" and my friends were pointing out differences that I didn't see. It's an AWESOME motivation.
    I also wish i had done the journal thing. I think it would be great to look back at where I started and see my progress from my own words too. I think we all have that "I can't do this" moment.. I've had quite a few actually. LOL

    I also have the picture of myself, that I hate, that makes me want to puke, because I can't believe i allowed myself to get that over weight, saved on my phone and taped to my mirror in my bathroom. Motivation for those "I don't wanna work out today" days...
  • wrenegade64
    wrenegade64 Posts: 410 Member
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    I feel you pain young lady. I honestly do. I'm a big ole corn fed country boy from Kansas. I never pushed ANY food away from me and I have paid the price dearly. Here I am, turning 50 this October, and I have 140 lbs to lose. I started here on MFP with just over 150 to lose and I love love love my people here. There are so many folks here just like me, going through all the same stuff as me that I don't feel alone. I have an awesome group of friends here and we have each others backs when we stumble and fall AND we are quick to cheer when we have victories.
    You strike me as a young, vibrant gal with alot going for yourself. I'm telling you----YOU REALLY CAN DO THIS. Just take it day by day. Make short term and long term goals, and STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR BUDS! Don't think about how much you have to lose, rather think of all the thing you have to gain when you do lose. Remember how it felt when youy lost those 30 some odd pounds? Focus on that and think of the feeling when you lose 40, 50, 75, 100.... You have obviously lost weight before, so you can do it again. There is a beautiful, awesome world out there waiting for you. GO AFTER IT!!! :happy:
  • ale1516
    ale1516 Posts: 1 Member
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    Yes you can.
  • ElvenToad
    ElvenToad Posts: 644 Member
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    I started MFP one week ago today. I have 130lbs to lose so I completely relate to the I don't know if I can do it and it will take a long time aspect! I have been trying for two months on my own without any help. I've never counted calories in my life.. and then I found this website. I was overeating. I was eating things I thought were healthy...dumping a mound of granola onto my honey bunches of oats.. in fat free milk.. yeah I had no clue how much sugar and extra calories that I was adding. Having a "helping" of Sunchips with my dinner because hey those are healthy right? Not when your eating 4 servings at once lol. So now that I have this site as a tool, I actually can count out the chips to make 1 serving but I can still have them! So little things like that I was really just sabotaging myself and then getting soooo discouraged when I got on the scale. ONE week of tracking, staying within my calorie goals and I'm already down 4lbs. I am just taking it one day at a time. A weight loss goal of 5lbs is where I am starting because if I try to think about 130lbs that's just too overwhelming.

    Now do me a favor and google "what does 1lbs of fat look like?" It's quite a shocker. Really want to be grossed out? Google "what does 5lbs of fat look like?". It will reallllllly give you a perspective of yes I can lose that disgusting crap from my body! Honestly you won't want to eat another bite of anything that has no nutritional value after seeing that. So, I am here. I am working out 5 days a week. I am sticking to my calorie goals everyday. I know its hard, its got to be a lifestyle change. One thing I have learned here, if you never give up, then you can never fail.
  • gayray61
    gayray61 Posts: 2 Member
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    Eat veggies, fruits....If your eating healthy you can eat a lot of it to get full just don't have a little of it....Make it most of your meals...If I cheat with like chinese or pizza I make most of my plate a salad and then like one slice of pizza or some rice and a little chick stuff like that helps too :) Nuts, seeds.... beans are very filling...The canned ones in the store are good...I get cheap beans for a dollar rinse them off and eat lots of protein and fiber. Eat up! yummm
  • iverne55
    iverne55 Posts: 2
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    Sounds as if you might have a food addiction. This is a legitimate medical condition. Have you ever thought about doing counseling while on your diet?
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
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    Hello,

    I won't offer too much in the way of diet , others can and will do that but I can say this .......losing weight has to be a selfish act. I don't believe you can do it for anyone else....it has to be for you.....YOU.
    I didn't really understand that for years I wanted to lose weight for so many reasons and the reasons were always for someone else ...a boyfriend, my parents, my friends, my sisters but when it’s all said and done I finally realized I have to do this for ME.

    Losing weight is a very personal thing and each person will have many different feelings about it. Don’t allow yourself to feel guilty about boasting when you are successful…shout it out loudly and be proud.


    Draw the motivation you need from knowing that you are worth it. No one can say that you are not worth it even if they say things that make you lose your resolve. Stay strong and let that strength come from loving yourself and being proud each time you make the right choice.
    Weight loss is about one choice at a time. Sometimes we all miss step the important thing is to love yourself enough to realize that you can do it just get up and start all over again and keep going choice by choice. That's not even one day....just one choice.


    If you need a friend who has walked and is still walking the weight loss path then shoot me a note. My journey has not been easy but entirely worth it in the way I feel….and yes I made it all about me to everyone. My journey has been entirely personal for no one else just me.
    So stand tall and make it about YOU!

    Your advice is so perfect I want to cry (in a happy way).


    I lost weight about 8 years ago, and maintained it, until I had my daughter (the only way to deal with 24 hr nausea was to graze, and then life took over). I'm back again, doing what worked last time, eating less, moving more, writing everything down, but a few things I have learned.

    1. I'm doing it for me, and I'm doing it for my health. I won't look like Angelina Jolie when I'm done, and I'll still get spots, have really appalling dress sense and hate clothes shopping with a passion. My mom and sister nagged me endlessly for years, but it felt like a betrayal that they only saw me in terms of a number on a set of scales. I am so much more than that.
    2. I waited until I was ready. That meant I felt I was in a good place with my life and my emotions, wasn't too busy with work and hubby was away on a business trip, so I could plan what I was going to do and then practice it with no distractions, including practicing measuring out portions and just figuring stuff out.
    3. My weight is a number on a set of scales. To get that number down you can consume fewer calories, or burn more through exercise. It's just math, it's not an emotion.
    4. I still love food and I always will. It's one of life's greatest joys IMO. I bought myself a gorgeous recipe book with lovely pictures, reasonably healthy, simple recipes and have enjoyed the process of figuring out some new, healthy, lower calorie meals rather than denying myself
    5. Losing the pounds is not everything, but it's easy to become obsessive and think about food all the time. Go and find something else to do when you start thinking about food. I work or read trashy romances.

    Oh, and you can do it. There's a ton of people here who have succeeded.
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
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    Bump to return to this thread, 'cause I read, 'Dr Oz' in the OP.