Seriously...HOW???
Replies
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I don't want to be fat any more. I am putting my health first for once. I am still doing everything I have to do for everyone else, but not at the expense of my health. That's it really. I have logged for 35 days and won't stop now. It holds me to my commitment. No-one else in my life is going to hold me to it.
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It takes 5 minutes a day to track and measure your food, and the more you do it the easier it becomes.
At work, I leave myfitness pal open in the background. When I eat something I just record it as soon as I can. I also have a kitchen scale on my desk ( I don't care that it's visable and that people can see it) and I use it to measure serving sizes for my snacks.
When cooking dinner at home I just set up my laptop in the kitchen and use my fitness pal's recipe creator to sum up the meal that I'm cooking. It's easy, as I weigh and measure each of the items I cook I enter it into my laptop and prepare the meal.
Calorie counting is easy, and aps like myfitness pal make it even easier. Also realize, we humans are creatures of habit. Odds are you will be eating the same things time and time again because you and your family have your favorite foods. I guarantee after a month or two of recording you won't have much deviation in what you eat. Even if you do, my fitness pal has a great database for finding new things.0 -
How do you do this every day?
Does it become the most important thing in your life? Do you put tracking your calories and finding healthy food and making time to exercise above everything else in your life?
I can do it for a week. Sometimes I can do it for a month. But I've never been able to continue for longer than that without putting the weight back on.
I cringe every time I look in the mirror. I say negative things to myself every time I try to put on a pair of jeans and find out they are too tight. I feel guilty when I eat anything I shouldn't. But no matter how bad I feel I can't make myself stay on track with this.
Do I have some kind of hormone problem that makes me incapable of dealing with stress? I don't think so, in fact I think I'm pretty normal. So how the heck do I make myself keep going when I'm having a bad day or I'm on my period or I just don't feel like it?
I'm fairly intelligent. I understand the mechanics of losing weight. Am I just lazy?
HOW????
How can I stay on track for more than a week at a time? How can I fit it into my life so I don't feel like I am taking away from my family?
I can see the responses now telling me "you're not a special snowflake, just do it"
From reading your post, it sounds like you really give yourself a hard time ... I'd take some breathing space to be a bit nicer to yourself, as if you're constantly giving yourself negative feedback, that's a very difficult place to work from. Being nicer to yourself means you'd be nicer to your body. If you're always criticising yourself and viewing yourself as a failure, you're never going to manage to sustain a new lifestyle that's about being good to yourself. I'd take a step back, let the negativity at yourself go, and instead focus your energy on enjoying tracking calories, learning new things, working out, sharing, and achieving steadily but surely, and instead praise yourself for doing those things and, when not exercising etc, enjoy the things you enjoy in life, while not worrying or giving yourself a hard time at all.
:flowerforyou: I am hard on myself. I hold myself and everyone around me to high standards. I don't know why really, I guess I just think people are capable of great things. That's why failing at this for so long is so hard on me.
I can really understand that. My theory is that we know deep down what we're capable of ... 100% success. And once you really register that, there's then adjusting to the fact that, yes, you'll 100% succeed, but in a certain way, and much more steadily than planned. Better to channel that success realistically and get there, than be so tough on yourself and block off that awesome energy you have within you to succeed. Sounds like that energy just needs clicking into the right track. I've been there, and know it feels awful to feel like you're really not functioning at the level you so know you could, but it's a journey that needs time, involving lessons and adapting, as a person as well as a body, and that takes steady realistic work ... let that frustration go, travel on the right track, relax and enjoy this day, this exercise, this healthier food, and enjoy living in a way that makes you feel good each day, for achieving those small daily goals. Each day is a step up the mountain, so there's no point beating yourself up as you walk up that mountain ... enjoy the fresh air, the day's little goals completed, the view, life itself, and you'll get there, I'm sure.
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Okay, I think I've gotten over being irritated by your OP enough to give you a response.
Is it the most important part of my life? Not by a long shot. But it really isn't a huge change from what I did before, either.
The half hour run I went on last night did not make me feel like I was "missing out" on anything. What, sitting in front of the TV watching reruns with my mom? Being outside was definitely better than that.
Don't let it stress you out. It's not a stressful thing; at least, it's not supposed to be. Make a plan and stick to it.0 -
I think making mistakes is part of it. I have stopped feeling like the weight needs to come off right now and focused on better habits and feeling better. When the scale drops great, but this is going to be a life of balance forever and making sure 20 pounds comes off in a certain amount of time isn't a long germ goal. However, running, packing a good lunch and cutting back to only having drinks on weekends are good long term goals. They help with weight loss and when I have those under control it easy to try something else like no processed food for a week at a time or something like that. This is a life change not a diet. Get back in it and promise yourself you will make a good habit this week.0
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You ask "How?" but I would put the main focus on "Why?" because if that is clear to you, burns brighter than anything else, then you won't say stuff like "There's not enough time, energy, and focus to (yadayadayada)". Answer honestly "Why?" and see if you have enough reasons to keep going, stay committed.You don't want it bad enough yet. Think about the olympics. They train like maniacs and have one goal, to get the gold medal. Nothing gets in their way by trying to achieve this. Strong mind is what it takes and where many people struggle with.
Yeah, I don't want to win the Olympics. I want to find a way to make this PART of my life but not make it my life if that makes sense. Finding balance is always a problem with me. Wanting to give 100% to my job, my family, and my health but there's not enough time, energy, and focus to give each the attention it deserves.0 -
For me? Therapy...lots and lots of therapy. My weight problem is part hormonal...but my lack of self-control and self-sabatoge are all in my brain. I've had to learn to understand WHY I eat the way I do, and why I don't feel I deserve to be healthy. Some folks can do that on their own. I had to pay someone to help me figure it out. :flowerforyou:0
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Also, and I cannot stress this enough: STOP with the negative self-talk. It's not going to help you. Don't cringe at yourself in the mirror, don't say terrible things about yourself, none of that. Stop it.
Look at yourself and think "this is me today and I am okay with that, but tomorrow I will be better."
There are many tomorrows and it will take time to sculpt yourself into who you want to be. Be happy with where you are each day, because each day is progress.
So important.0 -
How do you do this every day?
Does it become the most important thing in your life? Do you put tracking your calories and finding healthy food and making time to exercise above everything else in your life?
I can do it for a week. Sometimes I can do it for a month. But I've never been able to continue for longer than that without putting the weight back on.
I cringe every time I look in the mirror. I say negative things to myself every time I try to put on a pair of jeans and find out they are too tight. I feel guilty when I eat anything I shouldn't. But no matter how bad I feel I can't make myself stay on track with this.
Do I have some kind of hormone problem that makes me incapable of dealing with stress? I don't think so, in fact I think I'm pretty normal. So how the heck do I make myself keep going when I'm having a bad day or I'm on my period or I just don't feel like it?
I'm fairly intelligent. I understand the mechanics of losing weight. Am I just lazy?
HOW????
How can I stay on track for more than a week at a time? How can I fit it into my life so I don't feel like I am taking away from my family?
I can see the responses now telling me "you're not a special snowflake, just do it"
It may not be the -most- important thing but it does become a HUGE part of your life. I log everything I eat, with the exception of my ONE cheat MEAL per week. I log all of my workouts. I plan my meals ahead of time so that I can have what I want later. The way I see it, you have to want it bad enough. I've been through many, MANY times in my life to where I want to lose the weight (who doesn't!?) but just not bad enough to make the necessary sacrifices.
For me, it's like something in my brain just had to "click". I know it sounds weird, but that's how it worked for me. I got tired of being asked if I was "expecting" because of my gut. I got tired of looking in the mirror and HATING my body. I'm not on a high horse btw, I still hate what I see but I hate it a little less than before lol.
It's hard. It takes work, it takes dedication. My main motivation is PROGRESS. The scale telling me I've lost more weight. The jeans that I couldn't even button falling off of me now... I set my mind to it and worked my butt off for a month. When I steped on the scale and saw that I had lost 10lbs that gave me the drive to keep going. You need to find your motivation and think about it constantly.
Good Luck
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You just do it. If you want it bad enough you make it happen.
So this!! ^^^0 -
I took a look at my goals and then I took a look at my life and how I spent my time. Does what I do with my time accomplish my goals.I don't really watch tv anymore. I found I don't have time for it. I don't miss it. I still relax. I just do it in the tub with a book or on a nice long walk or other ways. Just not sucked into the tv.0
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I agree !! U just got to do it ~ make that step and it will go from there0
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This is my 4th attempt on MFP in 5 years. The first three times, I felt like you do. It was so freakin' hard to stick with. So I eventually gave up. This time has been wonderful though. I'm 8 months in, and there's no turning back. I'm not dieting, I learned how to eat well. It's almost second nature now. I log everything, because it works if you work it.
I think it's one of those things you just have to be ready for. You have to want it more than it inconveniences you. Just don't give up.
(dark-ish confession: I heard about the "pro-ana" movement and checked out a website out of pure morbid curiosity. It is ultimately what inspired me to become healthy. I thought, "If these crazy girls are starving themselves on literally one handful of food per day, drinking hot water to feel more full, keeping their homes freezing cold to burn extra calories, CERTAINLY I can manage 1500 calories/day and go for a walk a few times a week!"
I know, that's weird, but that's what happened.)0 -
You can hold yourself to high standards whilst yelling at yourself or whilst speaking nicely to yourself. High standards isn't the same as treating yourself like sh1t. Would you talk to your family members or colleagues the way you seem to address yourself?How do you do this every day?
Does it become the most important thing in your life? Do you put tracking your calories and finding healthy food and making time to exercise above everything else in your life?
I can do it for a week. Sometimes I can do it for a month. But I've never been able to continue for longer than that without putting the weight back on.
I cringe every time I look in the mirror. I say negative things to myself every time I try to put on a pair of jeans and find out they are too tight. I feel guilty when I eat anything I shouldn't. But no matter how bad I feel I can't make myself stay on track with this.
Do I have some kind of hormone problem that makes me incapable of dealing with stress? I don't think so, in fact I think I'm pretty normal. So how the heck do I make myself keep going when I'm having a bad day or I'm on my period or I just don't feel like it?
I'm fairly intelligent. I understand the mechanics of losing weight. Am I just lazy?
HOW????
How can I stay on track for more than a week at a time? How can I fit it into my life so I don't feel like I am taking away from my family?
I can see the responses now telling me "you're not a special snowflake, just do it"
From reading your post, it sounds like you really give yourself a hard time ... I'd take some breathing space to be a bit nicer to yourself, as if you're constantly giving yourself negative feedback, that's a very difficult place to work from. Being nicer to yourself means you'd be nicer to your body. If you're always criticising yourself and viewing yourself as a failure, you're never going to manage to sustain a new lifestyle that's about being good to yourself. I'd take a step back, let the negativity at yourself go, and instead focus your energy on enjoying tracking calories, learning new things, working out, sharing, and achieving steadily but surely, and instead praise yourself for doing those things and, when not exercising etc, enjoy the things you enjoy in life, while not worrying or giving yourself a hard time at all.
:flowerforyou: I am hard on myself. I hold myself and everyone around me to high standards. I don't know why really, I guess I just think people are capable of great things. That's why failing at this for so long is so hard on me.
I wrote this a while ago:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/AglaeaC/view/expecting-perfection-684614
Maybe some of it rings a bell?
Your brain will perform better when you speak nicely to it. Fact.0 -
Attitude is 150% of the battle. How can I put this gently? Your attitude? It's not so great. In fact, it sucks. Stop feeling badly about yourself and choose one small thing you can change today. Do that small thing every day for the next few weeks and then start adding in other small changes. Before you know it, BAM! Sustainable good habits are born. But the main change you should make is not hating on yourself so much. Plenty of other people will hate on you in your life, no need to do it to yourself.0
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I do it because it works it takes a few mins to log food, especially when you've been here a few weeks most of your foods will be there and are logged with a click/tap in seconds
and get yourself some supportive friends on here and you will WANT to sign in to see what they're up to
ITS SO WORTH IT!0 -
small steps is what I took...I have 129 day streak going. I've lost 50 lbs but have 75 to go...I wish I only had 21 to go like you. I'm on the computer a lot anyway so, yes, I do it before I do anything else on the computer. I exercise on my terms (no gym, in the morning, gotta be watching tv, 30 min. cool down, etc.) After a while I added strength training and more resistance...but when I was ready. My motivation is definitely internal because only 2 people in my life has noticed the weight loss probably because I have so much more to lose...no external motivation there. I've been dieting for 40 years and have failed. I'm eating normal food so I know it will be slower...I get impatient sometimes...but I didn't put it on fast....it took 40 years to be this overweight. I'm just trying to be realistic. Keep trying!0
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I'm able to do it every day because it works for me. It's a lifestyle change that I've incorporated into my life, and having seen the results, it's made it easier for me to stick with it. I'd been on other fad diets before (low carb, depriving myself of certain food, etc) and recall how they all worked... for a time, until I lost the weight and then went back to my normal habits. With MFP i'm able to still enjoy the things I love, ridding myself of feeling deprived, but do it in moderation.
The key is to find something that works for you, and don't think of it as a temporary thing (like a diet), but rather a lifestyle change. Different things work for different people.0 -
Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice.
-Wayne Dyer
It's simple. You make a decision. You make that same decision every.single.day. Time will pass either way. So you can choose to change or not.
When you really want it, you'll do what it takes to make it happen.0 -
How do you do this every day?
Does it become the most important thing in your life? Do you put tracking your calories and finding healthy food and making time to exercise above everything else in your life?
I do it because my health and well being is the most important thing in my life.
I do it because I've decided that I'm worth it.
I do it because I'm the only one to blame if I fail.
I do it because no one else is going to do it for me.
Sometimes, I have to wake up and make all of those decisions above again.
You just do it, or you don't... but if you do it, you have to do it every damn day.0 -
See, OP, here is a list of Why?s well answered.How do you do this every day?
Does it become the most important thing in your life? Do you put tracking your calories and finding healthy food and making time to exercise above everything else in your life?
I do it because my health and well being is the most important thing in my life.
I do it because I've decided that I'm worth it.
I do it because I'm the only one to blame if I fail.
I do it because no one else is going to do it for me.
Sometimes, I have to wake up and make all of those decisions above again.
You just do it, or you don't... but if you do it, you have to do it every damn day.0 -
I made a rule for myself that after eating a meal, before I do anything else on my phone (i.e. pinterest, games, facebook, internet searching, etc.) I must enter my meal. I also made it a rule that before I eat anything else I must have entered my previous meal. So if I get busy during/after breakfast, before I start eating my lunch I take the few minutes to put in my breakfast. And the last catch all is that before I go to sleep I must have entered all of my food for the day. These rules ensure that I never get too far behind that it becomes impossible to catch up. However, we all have those days, if you get behind one day, start fresh the next day, practice makes perfect after all.
I also found that I needed to set some ground rules for myself as to my accuracy. I always would quit tracking after getting bogged down with the details. How much pepper did I just sprinkle into that chicken (who the hell knows)? So this time, I'm not tracking seasonings and spices and loosely estimating oils. I'm aware that this is not giving completely accurate numbers, but it is close enough. This takes a lot of stress out of it for me. I'm not tracking my unsweet ice tea drinking as I know that is low calorie. No gain to be had from the stress of tracking that beverage. I track sodas, coffee (b/c I do put sugar in it) and anything that isn't water/tea.0 -
One step at a time, one meal at a time, one day at a time.
For me I didn't become successful until I started following a deficit that was less restricting. I plan out my meals ahead of time, about 80% of the time, usually during the work week. I always leave a little room for snacks or surprises throughout the day. If I happen to eat more than my allotted calories for the day, I don't beat myself up!
As for exercise, I don't spend hours at the gym. Heck, I don't even go to the gym, because I've found I don't really enjoy going to the gym. Instead, I engage in activities I enjoy, like biking, walking, hiking, running and strength training. On the weekends I include my family and friends in my "workouts" by inviting them to join me on a walk, bike, hike, swimming, etc.
So, I suppose, it's a slowly, but surely, you'll get there. Change little things every week and continue those changes from week to week. The next thing you know you will have new habits and a new lifestyle.0 -
How can I fit it into my life so I don't feel like I am taking away from my family?
This struck me. In order to be there for my family I have to be healthy. Taking time for myself to exercise and taking 30minutes in the morning to plan what I will eat during the day, felt like I was taking away from my family. In fact I was not. I was simply taking some time for myself. How can you be there for your family if you are unhealthy?
I read that somewhere. Its like in the plane when they tell you put your oxygen mask first before you try to help anyone. How can you help anyone, love anyone, provide for anyone if you fail to do so for yourself. That's what helped take some time away from my family, to take care of myself.0 -
Drop the guilt. It's food not church. Forgive yourself when you screw up. Hell, forget forgive and screw up altogether and just do what you need to do.
Stop thinking you need to be x-treme, or shred your body, etc. Focus on building habits, and find exercise you genuinely enjoy.
Don't cut out foods you like. Instead, eat them in moderation. That means weigh everything and make sure it all stays in your calorie goals. Keep it simple.0 -
I struggled with this myself. It came down readjusting my expectations and finding something that worked for me personally. I kept following certain eating plans, ideas, etc. and not listening to myself and my body. I would spend hours meal planning and working out. All I was doing was obsessing and missing out on life. It's a process. Do what feels right to you. What works for one person and their lifestyle and goals might not work for you. Don't give up. Me telling you what I did isn't going to help you because we are different. All I can say is that I went through the same thing, it's possible to make it work, but it's not easy.0
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I just do it.
Planning meals it's just a normal thing. Like palnning your work day or the cleaning of the house. Like planning a vacation or a cosmetic appoitment. Planning things in life it's normal.
Watching your health and making sure you take enough nutrients it's again normal. One should take care of his/hers health. Like brushing your teeth twice a day. It's necessary and you should do it.
This it's not the most important thing of my life. It's just a habbit, from the many one, I incorporated in my life. I don't make it my life, I just make time for cooking, making portions and exercising. Like I make time for washing myself. It's just everyday routine.
What it's been helping me is not going on a diet. I made myself a lifestyle I will try to follow for my life. When I finish losing, I will just eat a little more than now.
I don't always eat the right things, but I make sure that 90% of the time I'm doing the best thing for my body.0 -
You don't want it bad enough yet. Think about the olympics. They train like maniacs and have one goal, to get the gold medal. Nothing gets in their way by trying to achieve this. Strong mind is what it takes and where many people struggle with.
Yeah, I don't want to win the Olympics. I want to find a way to make this PART of my life but not make it my life if that makes sense. Finding balance is always a problem with me. Wanting to give 100% to my job, my family, and my health but there's not enough time, energy, and focus to give each the attention it deserves.
You need to give 100% to yourself, and the rest will fall into place. I work full time, and then some (as a high school teacher), I have two kids (think sports and activities) and a husband, and I belong to a plethora of committees. But what I have found is that in order for me to take care of everyone else, I MUST take care of myself first.
When I don't eat right or exercise, I become exhausted, irritable, impatient, and less-effective both at home and at my job. My own children suffer, my students suffer, and my husband hides.
When I exercise, eat right, get enough sleep, and yes, sometimes leave work on time (even though all those essays are ungraded), I am a better human being. My children comment on how much more relaxed I am, and my students comment on how I seem less stressed and "in a good mood".
I get up at 4:45 in the morning to get in a 3.5 mile walk. I make sure I'm in bed, and ready for sleep by 9:30 at the latest. I personally believe that when you make yourself a priority, you have more to give to other people. My health is important - why should I sacrifice that? What kind of a lesson am I teaching my children if I don't exercise and don't eat right?0 -
My favorite quote that helps me almost every time I'm faced with a decision that threatens to derail me... "Don't give up what you want most for what you want right now." Sure enough, if I ask myself that when faced with a candy bar or soft drink, I answer it and an hour later, the thing I thought I wanted so much is usually forgotten. If I'm still thinking about it later, I might allow myself a small sample... but keep it in moderation.
Another thing is the awesome cycle that happens... I exercise, so I want to eat healthier (can't take eating fatty or heavy foods after a good workout). When I eat healthier, I have the energy to exercise. I start to feel different, and look different, and it all creates a desire to keep going forward.
What also helped me a lot was just deciding, this is not a diet, not even a goal... it's a new way of living. This new way involves planning ahead, making good choices, and deciding in every weak moment what really matters most.
Good luck!!0 -
After many years of wishing, one day I woke up angry. Angry at myself. When I catch myself slipping, I try to remember how angry I was that day and how much it will suck if I go back to where I was. Today is my 1,000th day-in-a-row on MFP.How do you do this every day?0
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