I have no will power - Suggestions?

MyChocolateDiet

I'm interested in this thread because I'm not feeling very motivated right now either. I think in my case it's complacency having partially reached a state that other's like me to be at, but not myself. Also my schedules hectic.

So for me it's mustering up the wherewithal to make a major schedule shift whilst there is no outside pressure to change.

I am looking forward to my new fall schedule to free up some time and hopefully unlock some motivation once it's not moving mountains to find a time to get my workouts in. I find sticking to my eating to be easier when I'm working out regularly. Even though I know workouts are not necessary for weight loss.

Evidence that as you seem to understand OP knowing everything about what to eat or not to is not enough, we need to have our ducks in a row mentally to go forward. I can say, hopefully this will assure you that once you are started and on a roll it takes so much less effort "push" mentally wise to stay moving forward.:drinker:

jodi414

So it could very well be that you just don't care enough. That's certainly possible.

But it could also be that your overall plan, and your environment, are too challenging for your resources. And if that's the case, it's possible that the issue is not whether or not you want it, but whether or not you know how to get it.

You summed it up - Its not a matter of whether or not I want it. I am not certain the best way to achieve it.

likitisplit

Since you pride yourself on your reading skills, I will type one more time for you...if you disagree that is your opinion. You can quote that too...

Whoa. I think you need to step back and consider your audience here.

The main forums are a random group of adults all of whom have busy lives. People post questions and they get a random selection of responses depending on the individuals who see the post.

All of these individuals took time out of their day to read your post, formulate a thought and type it out.

ALL of these responses are meant to provide ideas and encouragement. Some people got started on a successful fitness lifestyle through a boot in the butt and others through being gentle with themselves. What worked for the posters is reflected in the answers you get. You need to pick out the things that work for you. It doesn't mean the other responses wouldn't be valuable for another person in different circumstances.

Snip8241

Somewhere I heard that there is really no such thing as willpower. There is determination and commitment to a goal. When I am feeling challenged I remember these things. It helps me.

MyChocolateDiet

So it could very well be that you just don't care enough. That's certainly possible.

But it could also be that your overall plan, and your environment, are too challenging for your resources. And if that's the case, it's possible that the issue is not whether or not you want it, but whether or not you know how to get it.

You summed it up - Its not a matter of whether or not I want it. I am not certain the best way to achieve it.

I guess I am in a similar circumstance for the summer. I thought I could go without workouts and just stick to a low cal goal and make progress but I'm finding not working out steadily to be a damper to my eating will power.

Sometimes we don't get "the best way" to achieve it, but have to settle for a "good enough" way to get started so that we are at least making progress and working toward our goals if not full steam ahead I guess. For me this would translate into accepting that while I have not made much progress this summer in muscle building or weight loss on the scale, at least I have achieved maintenance and made an enjoyable summer for my child and have earned up "frustration" points for use in the fall, LOL.

AglaeaC

There were wonderful points made in this thread - you are correct. Guess I should've quoted which comments I was referring too....

You singled me out with the soda example, so I'll reply to that. This is what I wrote:
"If you drink a tonne of soda daily, challenge yourself to decrease the amount by half or so."

I don't know you nor your eating/drinking habits and this is your first thread, so it was brainstorming for everyone who reads the thread, not just the opening poster. Many people come here with a habit of drinking lots of soda daily, so it was a friendly idea to consider.

I genuinely still have no idea what was so bad about the general tips I offered on being kind to oneself and practicing moderation in the beginning of the lifestyle change.

likitisplit

There were wonderful points made in this thread - you are correct. Guess I should've quoted which comments I was referring too....

You singled me out with the soda example, so I'll reply to that. This is what I wrote:
"If you drink a tonne of soda daily, challenge yourself to decrease the amount by half or so."

I don't know you nor your eating/drinking habits and this is your first thread, so it was brainstorming for everyone who reads the thread, not just the opening poster. Many people come here with a habit of drinking lots of soda daily, so it was a friendly idea to consider.

I genuinely still have no idea what was so bad about the general tips I offered on being kind to oneself and practicing moderation in the beginning of the lifestyle change.

This is a great suggestion. And even if you don't drink soda, this is advice that can be easily applied to other areas. The idea is to look for low hanging fruit and make small changes that can add up fast.

MyChocolateDiet

There were wonderful points made in this thread - you are correct. Guess I should've quoted which comments I was referring too....

You singled me out with the soda example, so I'll reply to that. This is what I wrote:
"If you drink a tonne of soda daily, challenge yourself to decrease the amount by half or so."

I don't know you nor your eating/drinking habits and this is your first thread, so it was brainstorming for everyone who reads the thread, not just the opening poster. Many people come here with a habit of drinking lots of soda daily, so it was a friendly idea to consider.

I genuinely still have no idea what was so bad about the general tips I offered on being kind to oneself and practicing moderation in the beginning of the lifestyle change.

I dont think there was anything unkind about your general ideas. The OP is new to this forum and I think the quoting might have been misunderstood and seemd like responding very directly and using her own words against her. I explained that in this site people use quoting a lot NOT to throwback our words in our face, but to clarify to whom we are responding. She seems to get that now.

I actually think the soda was a good example though, because it applies to many many people who realize months in how much soda coounts in calories and it's such an EASY fix that requires almost zero motivation and makes such a huge dent in the calorie bank. That in itself can be motivating. :drinker: Just switching to iced tea and water and coffee etc.. made a giant dent in my drink calories that were being hogged by juices.

jodi414

There were wonderful points made in this thread - you are correct. Guess I should've quoted which comments I was referring too....

You singled me out with the soda example, so I'll reply to that. This is what I wrote:
"If you drink a tonne of soda daily, challenge yourself to decrease the amount by half or so."

I don't know you nor your eating/drinking habits and this is your first thread, so it was brainstorming for everyone who reads the thread, not just the opening poster. Many people come here with a habit of drinking lots of soda daily, so it was a friendly idea to consider.

I genuinely still have no idea what was so bad about the general tips I offered on being kind to oneself and practicing moderation in the beginning of the lifestyle change.

I didn't single you out. The comment I made was not referring to you or your soda comment. I used that as my own example. I didnt really put much thought into the comment you made.....When I said "negative comments" it wasn't in reference to your comment. There was nothing bad about your comment. You took what I was saying and assumed it referred to you. It didn't, at all.

MyChocolateDiet

There were wonderful points made in this thread - you are correct. Guess I should've quoted which comments I was referring too....

You singled me out with the soda example, so I'll reply to that. This is what I wrote:
"If you drink a tonne of soda daily, challenge yourself to decrease the amount by half or so."

I don't know you nor your eating/drinking habits and this is your first thread, so it was brainstorming for everyone who reads the thread, not just the opening poster. Many people come here with a habit of drinking lots of soda daily, so it was a friendly idea to consider.

I genuinely still have no idea what was so bad about the general tips I offered on being kind to oneself and practicing moderation in the beginning of the lifestyle change.

I didn't single you out. The comment I made was not referring to you or your soda comment. I used that as my own example. I didnt really put much thought into the comment you made.....When I said "negative comments" it wasn't in reference to your comment. There was nothing bad about your comment. You took what I was saying and assumed it referred to you. It didn't, at all.

the ":flowerforyou: " is this forum's equivalent of "hugging it out"...just sayin'.

likitisplit

There were wonderful points made in this thread - you are correct. Guess I should've quoted which comments I was referring too....

You singled me out with the soda example, so I'll reply to that. This is what I wrote:
"If you drink a tonne of soda daily, challenge yourself to decrease the amount by half or so."

I don't know you nor your eating/drinking habits and this is your first thread, so it was brainstorming for everyone who reads the thread, not just the opening poster. Many people come here with a habit of drinking lots of soda daily, so it was a friendly idea to consider.

I genuinely still have no idea what was so bad about the general tips I offered on being kind to oneself and practicing moderation in the beginning of the lifestyle change.

I didn't single you out. The comment I made was not referring to you or your soda comment. I used that as my own example. I didnt really put much thought into the comment you made.....When I said "negative comments" it wasn't in reference to your comment. There was nothing bad about your comment. You took what I was saying and assumed it referred to you. It didn't, at all.

Ah. It was all the "you don't want it enough" comments. Yeah. I think wanting it enough is over-rated. Having some tools that can get you from here to there given your current constraints was the issue with me.

What are you currently doing in terms of a routine?

AglaeaC

There were wonderful points made in this thread - you are correct. Guess I should've quoted which comments I was referring too....

You singled me out with the soda example, so I'll reply to that. This is what I wrote:
"If you drink a tonne of soda daily, challenge yourself to decrease the amount by half or so."

I don't know you nor your eating/drinking habits and this is your first thread, so it was brainstorming for everyone who reads the thread, not just the opening poster. Many people come here with a habit of drinking lots of soda daily, so it was a friendly idea to consider.

I genuinely still have no idea what was so bad about the general tips I offered on being kind to oneself and practicing moderation in the beginning of the lifestyle change.

I didn't single you out. The comment I made was not referring to you or your soda comment. I used that as my own example. I didnt really put much thought into the comment you made.....When I said "negative comments" it wasn't in reference to your comment. There was nothing bad about your comment. You took what I was saying and assumed it referred to you. It didn't, at all.

This is from your second post:

First off I'd like to say those of you leaving negative comments can keep them to yourself.
I do not drink soda or many sweets at all.

We were only three who mentioned soda in our replies to you.

Best of luck on your journey.

ZaCkOX

Your lack of willpower could be... you don't see exactly what you want. You have to want something. Want a skinnier body? You have to WANT IT.

jodi414

While I agree with the others commenting that you aren't necessarily ready to make a lifestyle change, there are things you can do to help get started. The two things I'm the worst at are portion sizes and mindlessly eating.

1. Take your large plates/bowls and pack them away. Seriously wrap them up, put them in a box and stick it in the basement. Eat all of your meals off of small plates and you'll notice a difference.

2. Stop buying junk food. I did it slowly at first - I quit buying potato chips cold turkey. Then I stopped buying frozen pizza. Then I completely stopped buying frozen food & soda. Now when I go to the grocery store I buy raw foods, fruit, vegetables and try my best to only buy minimally processed foods. It's a lot better to snack on carrots and strawberries than to eat a half a bag of chips (because I'm bored).

3. If it's in front of me, I'm probably going to eat it. To combat this, I had to add some structure in to my meals. It helps immensely that I diligently track my food on MFP. If I understand that eating an extra _______ is going to put me over or close to my daily limit, I'll either opt for a healthier snack or just say no. You can only really do that when you're updated on your days intake. I used to only eat after doing SOMETHING (like do 20 pushups before a meal for instance).

I think portion control is a problem for me and using smaller plates does help. I tend to mindlessly snack, so i try not to keep junk food in the house. Good points! This was helpful....

jodi414

There were wonderful points made in this thread - you are correct. Guess I should've quoted which comments I was referring too....

You singled me out with the soda example, so I'll reply to that. This is what I wrote:
"If you drink a tonne of soda daily, challenge yourself to decrease the amount by half or so."

I don't know you nor your eating/drinking habits and this is your first thread, so it was brainstorming for everyone who reads the thread, not just the opening poster. Many people come here with a habit of drinking lots of soda daily, so it was a friendly idea to consider.

I genuinely still have no idea what was so bad about the general tips I offered on being kind to oneself and practicing moderation in the beginning of the lifestyle change.

I didn't single you out. The comment I made was not referring to you or your soda comment. I used that as my own example. I didnt really put much thought into the comment you made.....When I said "negative comments" it wasn't in reference to your comment. There was nothing bad about your comment. You took what I was saying and assumed it referred to you. It didn't, at all.

This is from your second post:

First off I'd like to say those of you leaving negative comments can keep them to yourself.
I do not drink soda or many sweets at all.

We were only three who mentioned soda in our replies to you.

Best of luck on your journey.

I was simply stating that I dont drink soda as an example to show that it isnt that I havent made changes and that I dont want it. You just happen to mention soda....you read to much into it.

AglaeaC

There were wonderful points made in this thread - you are correct. Guess I should've quoted which comments I was referring too....

You singled me out with the soda example, so I'll reply to that. This is what I wrote:
"If you drink a tonne of soda daily, challenge yourself to decrease the amount by half or so."

I don't know you nor your eating/drinking habits and this is your first thread, so it was brainstorming for everyone who reads the thread, not just the opening poster. Many people come here with a habit of drinking lots of soda daily, so it was a friendly idea to consider.

I genuinely still have no idea what was so bad about the general tips I offered on being kind to oneself and practicing moderation in the beginning of the lifestyle change.

I didn't single you out. The comment I made was not referring to you or your soda comment. I used that as my own example. I didnt really put much thought into the comment you made.....When I said "negative comments" it wasn't in reference to your comment. There was nothing bad about your comment. You took what I was saying and assumed it referred to you. It didn't, at all.

This is from your second post:

First off I'd like to say those of you leaving negative comments can keep them to yourself.
I do not drink soda or many sweets at all.

We were only three who mentioned soda in our replies to you.

Best of luck on your journey.

I was simply stating that I dont drink soda as an example to show that it isnt that I havent made changes and that I dont want it. You just happen to mention soda....you read to much into it.

Perhaps, but I also read your reply when you accused people of being haters in the thread, prior to your edit, so maybe you see what formed my original impression of you. Try reading it again in that context and you'll see a totally different development of the thread. I get your point and maybe you get mine, so let's not derail this further.

mulecanter

As many have said in various ways, I had to hit bottom so to speak before I had true will power. It was weird, but the day my wife got me size 42 pants was the last straw and there was some sort of mental click and my determination level went sky high.

That initial motivation carried me for a month or two, then a number of other factors help support me. Setting weekly goals (1-2 pounds a week), working both sides of the calorie equation (eating control and increased exercise), joining MFP challenges and reading MFP threads (social support is essential in my opinion), and finally--relieving the tension of "dieting" on occasion with a modest splurge every so often and then getting back on the wagon. All of these things helped me succeed after years of yo-yo diets.

likitisplit

There were wonderful points made in this thread - you are correct. Guess I should've quoted which comments I was referring too....

You singled me out with the soda example, so I'll reply to that. This is what I wrote:
"If you drink a tonne of soda daily, challenge yourself to decrease the amount by half or so."

I don't know you nor your eating/drinking habits and this is your first thread, so it was brainstorming for everyone who reads the thread, not just the opening poster. Many people come here with a habit of drinking lots of soda daily, so it was a friendly idea to consider.

I genuinely still have no idea what was so bad about the general tips I offered on being kind to oneself and practicing moderation in the beginning of the lifestyle change.

I didn't single you out. The comment I made was not referring to you or your soda comment. I used that as my own example. I didnt really put much thought into the comment you made.....When I said "negative comments" it wasn't in reference to your comment. There was nothing bad about your comment. You took what I was saying and assumed it referred to you. It didn't, at all.

This is from your second post:

First off I'd like to say those of you leaving negative comments can keep them to yourself.
I do not drink soda or many sweets at all.

We were only three who mentioned soda in our replies to you.

Best of luck on your journey.

I was simply stating that I dont drink soda as an example to show that it isnt that I havent made changes and that I dont want it. You just happen to mention soda....you read to much into it.

No soda or sweets. How much do you have to lose and what weight loss rate did you put into MFP? Are you struggling on that amount of calories.

amy8400

While I agree with the others commenting that you aren't necessarily ready to make a lifestyle change, there are things you can do to help get started. The two things I'm the worst at are portion sizes and mindlessly eating.

1. Take your large plates/bowls and pack them away. Seriously wrap them up, put them in a box and stick it in the basement. Eat all of your meals off of small plates and you'll notice a difference.

2. Stop buying junk food. I did it slowly at first - I quit buying potato chips cold turkey. Then I stopped buying frozen pizza. Then I completely stopped buying frozen food & soda. Now when I go to the grocery store I buy raw foods, fruit, vegetables and try my best to only buy minimally processed foods. It's a lot better to snack on carrots and strawberries than to eat a half a bag of chips (because I'm bored).

3. If it's in front of me, I'm probably going to eat it. To combat this, I had to add some structure in to my meals. It helps immensely that I diligently track my food on MFP. If I understand that eating an extra _______ is going to put me over or close to my daily limit, I'll either opt for a healthier snack or just say no. You can only really do that when you're updated on your days intake. I used to only eat after doing SOMETHING (like do 20 pushups before a meal for instance).

I think portion control is a problem for me and using smaller plates does help. I tend to mindlessly snack, so i try not to keep junk food in the house. Good points! This was helpful....

Aah, now this helps. Okay if you're having trouble with portions...best $20 you'll ever spend is a digital scale. I take mine with me when I travel; it's become that much of a valuable tool in my weight loss journey. Nothing goes in my mouth unless it's been weighed and logged. That way I have total accountability plus a road map of my nutrition. I know it sounds really nit-picky to weigh and log everything, every day, but it works and keeps you focused.

I totally get having kids, work, home, husband...that's why I suddenly weighed 200 pounds one day 5 years ago. I had convinced myself that I was busy, working hard, being a really good mom and eating decent and being pretty darned active. And that there was just nothing I could do to turn back the clock hands. Boy did I ever fool myself.

200 pounds was my first ah-ha moment. I got back to 190 for a couple of years after that. But then last summer I realized how out of breath I was doing my photography job...then I messed up my back for a couple of days with a slight twist. Couple those things with graduating to a size 14 pair of pants last year and I reached my "this is it" moment.

When you have that moment and you are ready for the journey, you won't see the comments written earlier on this post as negative. They're the cold, hard truth. When you're ready, you're ready.

And when you are, you will have the intensity and focus you need to get through anything--weight gain setbacks, plateaus, wedding banquets, exercise injuries, baggy clothes, "interesting" comments from others about your losing weight, etc.

Good luck and here's to your epiphany moment coming sooner than later :flowerforyou:

jodi414

There were wonderful points made in this thread - you are correct. Guess I should've quoted which comments I was referring too....

You singled me out with the soda example, so I'll reply to that. This is what I wrote:
"If you drink a tonne of soda daily, challenge yourself to decrease the amount by half or so."

I don't know you nor your eating/drinking habits and this is your first thread, so it was brainstorming for everyone who reads the thread, not just the opening poster. Many people come here with a habit of drinking lots of soda daily, so it was a friendly idea to consider.

I genuinely still have no idea what was so bad about the general tips I offered on being kind to oneself and practicing moderation in the beginning of the lifestyle change.

I didn't single you out. The comment I made was not referring to you or your soda comment. I used that as my own example. I didnt really put much thought into the comment you made.....When I said "negative comments" it wasn't in reference to your comment. There was nothing bad about your comment. You took what I was saying and assumed it referred to you. It didn't, at all.

This is from your second post:

First off I'd like to say those of you leaving negative comments can keep them to yourself.
I do not drink soda or many sweets at all.

We were only three who mentioned soda in our replies to you.

Best of luck on your journey.

I was simply stating that I dont drink soda as an example to show that it isnt that I havent made changes and that I dont want it. You just happen to mention soda....you read to much into it.

No soda or sweets. How much do you have to lose and what weight loss rate did you put into MFP? Are you struggling on that amount of calories.

About 30lbs, all weight I gained in the last 3 years with 2 pregancies. I've been steady, not gained, nor lost since I stopped breatfeeding. I onviously need to make some changes to start losing.

jodi414

There were wonderful points made in this thread - you are correct. Guess I should've quoted which comments I was referring too....

You singled me out with the soda example, so I'll reply to that. This is what I wrote:
"If you drink a tonne of soda daily, challenge yourself to decrease the amount by half or so."

I don't know you nor your eating/drinking habits and this is your first thread, so it was brainstorming for everyone who reads the thread, not just the opening poster. Many people come here with a habit of drinking lots of soda daily, so it was a friendly idea to consider.

I genuinely still have no idea what was so bad about the general tips I offered on being kind to oneself and practicing moderation in the beginning of the lifestyle change.

I didn't single you out. The comment I made was not referring to you or your soda comment. I used that as my own example. I didnt really put much thought into the comment you made.....When I said "negative comments" it wasn't in reference to your comment. There was nothing bad about your comment. You took what I was saying and assumed it referred to you. It didn't, at all.

This is from your second post:

First off I'd like to say those of you leaving negative comments can keep them to yourself.
I do not drink soda or many sweets at all.

We were only three who mentioned soda in our replies to you.

Best of luck on your journey.

I was simply stating that I dont drink soda as an example to show that it isnt that I havent made changes and that I dont want it. You just happen to mention soda....you read to much into it.

No soda or sweets. How much do you have to lose and what weight loss rate did you put into MFP? Are you struggling on that amount of calories.

About 30lbs, all weight I gained in the last 3 years with 2 pregancies. I've been steady, not gained, nor lost since I stopped breatfeeding. I onviously need to make some changes to start losing.

I cut out soda almost a year ago. I dont miss it at all. I am just not a big sweets eater, once in awhile, but very rarely. If I had to pick one thing I would say its probably more of a carb craving than anything.

jodi414

While I agree with the others commenting that you aren't necessarily ready to make a lifestyle change, there are things you can do to help get started. The two things I'm the worst at are portion sizes and mindlessly eating.

1. Take your large plates/bowls and pack them away. Seriously wrap them up, put them in a box and stick it in the basement. Eat all of your meals off of small plates and you'll notice a difference.

2. Stop buying junk food. I did it slowly at first - I quit buying potato chips cold turkey. Then I stopped buying frozen pizza. Then I completely stopped buying frozen food & soda. Now when I go to the grocery store I buy raw foods, fruit, vegetables and try my best to only buy minimally processed foods. It's a lot better to snack on carrots and strawberries than to eat a half a bag of chips (because I'm bored).

3. If it's in front of me, I'm probably going to eat it. To combat this, I had to add some structure in to my meals. It helps immensely that I diligently track my food on MFP. If I understand that eating an extra _______ is going to put me over or close to my daily limit, I'll either opt for a healthier snack or just say no. You can only really do that when you're updated on your days intake. I used to only eat after doing SOMETHING (like do 20 pushups before a meal for instance).

I think portion control is a problem for me and using smaller plates does help. I tend to mindlessly snack, so i try not to keep junk food in the house. Good points! This was helpful....

Aah, now this helps. Okay if you're having trouble with portions...best $20 you'll ever spend is a digital scale. I take mine with me when I travel; it's become that much of a valuable tool in my weight loss journey. Nothing goes in my mouth unless it's been weighed and logged. That way I have total accountability plus a road map of my nutrition. I know it sounds really nit-picky to weigh and log everything, every day, but it works and keeps you focused.

I totally get having kids, work, home, husband...that's why I suddenly weighed 200 pounds one day 5 years ago. I had convinced myself that I was busy, working hard, being a really good mom and eating decent and being pretty darned active. And that there was just nothing I could do to turn back the clock hands. Boy did I ever fool myself.

200 pounds was my first ah-ha moment. I got back to 190 for a couple of years after that. But then last summer I realized how out of breath I was doing my photography job...then I messed up my back for a couple of days with a slight twist. Couple those things with graduating to a size 14 pair of pants last year and I reached my "this is it" moment.

When you have that moment and you are ready for the journey, you won't see the comments written earlier on this post as negative. They're the cold, hard truth. When you're ready, you're ready.

And when you are, you will have the intensity and focus you need to get through anything--weight gain setbacks, plateaus, wedding banquets, exercise injuries, baggy clothes, "interesting" comments from others about your losing weight, etc.

Good luck and here's to your epiphany moment coming sooner than later :flowerforyou:

I have heard digital scale before...do you recommend any specific one? I am not real familiar with them, as I try to just "eye ball" everything and I wind up eating more than i should.
I feel like I am ready - here's my "will power" issue..If I screw up for the day, say eat a burger or something I know isnt so great for my body, I think to myself, well i already screwed today up so guess I'll try again tomorrow. I see it as a failure and not just a bump and my whole day is ruined. Then the next and the next.

jodi414

Question: If you "slip up" and forget to brush your teeth at night...or don't take your vitamin...or miss the mileage when you're supposed to rotate your tires, what do you do?

Answer: You get back on track as soon as possible. You don't wait until Monday. You don't give up. You catch up at the next opportunity.

Question: Do you punish yourself for slipping up? Do you brush your teeth extra hard? Do you take two vitamins? Do you rotate your tires twice?

Answer: No. You get back on track and put it behind you.

Question: How much will power does brushing your teeth, taking regular medication or car maintenance take?

Question: Why is your health so much less important to you?

Well put.....

enterdanger

First off I'd like to say those of you leaving negative comments can keep them to yourself.
I do not drink soda or many sweets at all. My problem is that I have I have 3 children (2 under 3) 2 step children full-time and a full time job with a husband who travels for work and is gone 60% of the time. I have a hard time finding the "will power" to take care of myself better. I go through stints where I work out regularly and eat well. I just dont seem to have the commitment to keep it going for a number of reasons.. My weight is consistent. I havent gained, but I havent lost since my last child. I dont expect to find some epiphany on this website.... looking for a little support and someone who had similiar issues.

I have 2 under 3 too, so I know what you mean. It would be even harder if my hubby was gone 60% of the time. Don't beat yourself up if you miss a day. Figure out what your TDEE is and on the days where life sucks just try to eat maintenance. To lose weight I need to eat about 1400, but when I'm sick or the kids are or if hubby has to travel I try just to stick to staying under maintenance which is about 1740 for me. Sure, I don't lose much those days, but I don't gain back weight I've lost. It took me about 6 months and I've just lost 10% of my weight. Slower, than I'd like but better than gaining.

AglaeaC

I have heard digital scale before...do you recommend any specific one? I am not real familiar with them, as I try to just "eye ball" everything and I wind up eating more than i should.
I feel like I am ready - here's my "will power" issue..If I screw up for the day, say eat a burger or something I know isnt so great for my body, I think to myself, well i already screwed today up so guess I'll try again tomorrow. I see it as a failure and not just a bump and my whole day is ruined. Then the next and the next.

Soehnle makes an affordable one. I think they sell it on Amazon, too. It is a rectangle and sits flat on the countertop.

Mine has the possibility to weigh in both gram and lbs (ounces?). Also it is good to have it show the smallest increments or whatever they are called; for instance 23 or 57 grams, not 20 or 60.

Make sure you buy one with tare function so you can weigh the plate, then zero the number, then add the first kind of food and note its weight, then zero, then add next food and so on.

Therealobi1

While I agree with the others commenting that you aren't necessarily ready to make a lifestyle change, there are things you can do to help get started. The two things I'm the worst at are portion sizes and mindlessly eating.

1. Take your large plates/bowls and pack them away. Seriously wrap them up, put them in a box and stick it in the basement. Eat all of your meals off of small plates and you'll notice a difference.

2. Stop buying junk food. I did it slowly at first - I quit buying potato chips cold turkey. Then I stopped buying frozen pizza. Then I completely stopped buying frozen food & soda. Now when I go to the grocery store I buy raw foods, fruit, vegetables and try my best to only buy minimally processed foods. It's a lot better to snack on carrots and strawberries than to eat a half a bag of chips (because I'm bored).

3. If it's in front of me, I'm probably going to eat it. To combat this, I had to add some structure in to my meals. It helps immensely that I diligently track my food on MFP. If I understand that eating an extra _______ is going to put me over or close to my daily limit, I'll either opt for a healthier snack or just say no. You can only really do that when you're updated on your days intake. I used to only eat after doing SOMETHING (like do 20 pushups before a meal for instance).

I think portion control is a problem for me and using smaller plates does help. I tend to mindlessly snack, so i try not to keep junk food in the house. Good points! This was helpful....

Aah, now this helps. Okay if you're having trouble with portions...best $20 you'll ever spend is a digital scale. I take mine with me when I travel; it's become that much of a valuable tool in my weight loss journey. Nothing goes in my mouth unless it's been weighed and logged. That way I have total accountability plus a road map of my nutrition. I know it sounds really nit-picky to weigh and log everything, every day, but it works and keeps you focused.

I totally get having kids, work, home, husband...that's why I suddenly weighed 200 pounds one day 5 years ago. I had convinced myself that I was busy, working hard, being a really good mom and eating decent and being pretty darned active. And that there was just nothing I could do to turn back the clock hands. Boy did I ever fool myself.

200 pounds was my first ah-ha moment. I got back to 190 for a couple of years after that. But then last summer I realized how out of breath I was doing my photography job...then I messed up my back for a couple of days with a slight twist. Couple those things with graduating to a size 14 pair of pants last year and I reached my "this is it" moment.

When you have that moment and you are ready for the journey, you won't see the comments written earlier on this post as negative. They're the cold, hard truth. When you're ready, you're ready.

And when you are, you will have the intensity and focus you need to get through anything--weight gain setbacks, plateaus, wedding banquets, exercise injuries, baggy clothes, "interesting" comments from others about your losing weight, etc.

Good luck and here's to your epiphany moment coming sooner than later :flowerforyou:

I have heard digital scale before...do you recommend any specific one? I am not real familiar with them, as I try to just "eye ball" everything and I wind up eating more than i should.
I feel like I am ready - here's my "will power" issue..If I screw up for the day, say eat a burger or something I know isnt so great for my body, I think to myself, well i already screwed today up so guess I'll try again tomorrow. I see it as a failure and not just a bump and my whole day is ruined. Then the next and the next.

I dont buy into this not you are not ready business. I think sometimes people dont know how to begin or they do drastic things and then cant sustain it.
Also I think the problem is here is the labelling of food as good or bad. I have eaten pizza, bread, burgers and still lost weight. I think the trick for me has been making it fit in my daily intake. Planning your day/pre logging helps. good luck