Seriously...HOW???
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Wake up every morning and CHOOSE to do it. If it's wanted bad enough, you'll make it happen. Even on those bad days. I had an "off" day a few days ago. I woke up in a terrible mood and wanted badly to just say "F" it! Instead, I got up and had a glass of water and did an intense workout to get me going. Yes-I stayed in a bad mood all day and was pissy about the logging and tracking and counting but ya know what, I'll take that any day over being unhealthy the rest of my life. Health & fitness are a priority in my life now, everyday, no matter what.0
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Because you can't be bothered, you'd like an easy way to do it but there isn't one.
:flowerforyou: :drinker:
You might need one of these, you're grumpier than I am :-)
Least helpful reply, but most amusing.0 -
I didn't lose 153lbs, just like you don't have to lose 40 or 50lbs to lose.
I lost 1 lb. I just did it 153 times. Carve out the overwhelming numbers and realize that you only have 1lb to lose right now. Then focus on the next one.
I just read the whole post and I think this stood out the most to me. I have days and weeks when I struggle too. I am gonna start living by this philosophy. I have 1lb to get rid of this week! Then next week I'll try for another 1lb. I'll let the bigger number look after itself.
Thank you so much!! xx0 -
I try to plan ahead what I'm going to eat. It makes logging a bit easier. But I'm not going to lie... It takes time and a commitment to it. But it's worth the effort.
After a while the majority of the foods you eat are in your "frequent" foods list so all you have to do is scroll down, check them off and them add them. Takes about 2 seconds. Recipes take a little longer, but unless you are cooking a new gourmet meal every day, your favorites show up in the frequent foods list also.
It boils down to this... Are you going to sit around and complain that "It's too HARD" or "I don't have the time" or whatever other excuse you want to insert, or are you going to buckle down and do it?
Everything comes at a price, you just have to decide if you are going to pay the price or give up.0 -
I didn't lose 153lbs, just like you don't have to lose 40 or 50lbs to lose.
I lost 1 lb. I just did it 153 times. Carve out the overwhelming numbers and realize that you only have 1lb to lose right now. Then focus on the next one.
I just read the whole post and I think this stood out the most to me. I have days and weeks when I struggle too. I am gonna start living by this philosophy. I have 1lb to get rid of this week! Then next week I'll try for another 1lb. I'll let the bigger number look after itself.
Thank you so much!! xx
Agreed, that was one of my favorites!0 -
If you want it bad enough you make it happen, I get up at 1:30 am to do HIIT and eat breakfast before going to the gym at 4 am every day, not because I want to be up when everyone else is leaving the bar, because it is my lifestyle at this point.
1:30 in the morning?!
Mad respect to you my friend. That is TRUE dedication & passion right there
:drinker: :flowerforyou:0 -
I was like you - have been yo-yo dieting most of my adult life... lose 10 - gain 15...
Then last July I just couldn't fit in my skin anymore...
Feel free to add me and read my story...
In the meantime - I only joined MFP in May when things were stalling...
It is alot of work - I agree with you.
But you need to prioritize if you want to lose weight...
You don't have to log.
But you have to change your eating habits...
And look at something you can maintain long term because there is no more dieting...
And if I can do it - anyone can!
You will know when you've had it and decide it's your turn...0 -
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 don't know that I'd put it quite like that, but yes, for most people it HAS to be a very high priority, or it won't work.
MFP isn't a magic pill - you have to really really want it for it to work for you.I can see the responses now telling me "you're not a special snowflake, just do it" tongue
Unfortunately, that's pretty much the reality. It sucks, I know.
What matters is our response to that reality.0 -
If it feels like a constant struggle, you're not doing it right. No sane person is going to get up and do something they hate every day without snapping eventually. Maybe your calorie goal is too low, or you're trying to stick to an eating plan that doesn't fit your personality, or you're doing an exercise plan that you aren't ever going to enjoy. If you feel like you have to drag yourself, kicking and screaming, through your weight loss, it's not going to last so you shouldn't be making yourself do it now. Find a calorie goal that leaves you feeling satisfied, an eating plan that you can stick to over the long haul, and some kind of activity that you enjoy. That's how you keep going.0
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Oh, and exercise. I have been trying for a cpl years to become a runner. Because it's convenient, free, and I think I could enjoy it. At this point I'm still mostly a walker but I can jog for 1/2 mile or more sometimes now when I stick with it for a while :happy:
Have you tried the C25K program? It's wonderful for getting you running. There's an active and supportive group here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/30-couch-to-5k-running-program-c25k
The members are in all stages of the program so you're never alone.
I was also a non-runner and am now a runner thanks to the program and this group.0 -
I lost 1 lb. I just did it 153 times. Carve out the overwhelming numbers and realize that you only have 1lb to lose right now. Then focus on the next one.
Awesome advice!0 -
Great question! The first few responses look supportive and promising. Just throwing in a comment so I can find this later and spend some time reading what I hope will be helpful and motivational information!0
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They say it takes 12 weeks to develop a new habit.
Try for that long and see.
Personally I find the difference between tracking and not tracking to be minimal. It's really not time consuming, as long as you're not literally eating all day (which is a problem in itself :bigsmile:).
And if you look at exercising objectively, 1 hour (or at least 30 minutes) is really not a lot in a 24 hour day.
I've simply prioritised how I feel over effort. Running and weight lifting isn't necessarily easy - though I enjoy it quite a bit - but it's a lot easier than being ashamed of my appearance everyday.0 -
You have to want it more than you want to breathe! I get up at 5am for the gym before work/school. Meal preps always come first. Everyone slips up sometimes, you just have to really be dedicated to see results.0
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My goal is only set to 20 pounds but ultimately I'd like to lose somewhere between 40-50 for my ideal weight.
You know what? I think that setting your first goal at 20lbs is great~! You know, if you have a step by step goal plan, each time you get to 1 goal it is the motivation to keep going. Sometimes that may be all you need!!!
Set it for 10 or 20 lbs and go from there.. baby steps - slow and steady this could be what you need to stick with it!!0 -
You have to want it more than you want to breathe! I get up at 5am for the gym before work/school. Meal preps always come first. Everyone slips up sometimes, you just have to really be dedicated to see results.
I think that's a good honest answer.0 -
My story is similar to the OP's - I'd do well for a while, lose 10 lbs then...gain them back plus a few friends. wash, rinse, repeat with more "friends" pounding on.
You just have to make healthy choices be your habit. I can't always log everything but I can make a good judgement on whether something would be high calories / high fat vs. lower and can make decisions based on common sense...
For example - a Whiskey River BBQ burger from Red Robin is about 1300 calories "as is" on the menu. We went out the other night and I was DYING for a Red Robin burger, but my total daily allotment is 1350, lol. So I ordered the burger with: no bun (wrapped in lettuce), no mayo (hate mayo anyway), raw onion slices instead of "onion fries." I forgot to ask them to not put cheese on it because I had already had more than enough cheese for the day...but even with the cheese I took a 1300 calorie meal and turned it into about 450 calories and it was MORE delicious to me because I didn't have ANY guilt on "over indulging."
That kind of thing...
Since I eat a lot of the same things every day (i.e. breakfast is almost always yogurt and cereal and some fruit, or eggs & cheese and something else... etc.) I can just repeat past entries.0 -
I change one habit at a time...it is really slow, but it is happening. I know I would give up after a couple of weeks if I tried a total overhaul.
Logging daily
NOT drinking my calories
cutting down on eating meals out/fast food on the run
adding more vegies
move more
drink more water
one habit at a time, one step at a time.
really SLOW progress, though.0 -
Changed my way of working on this Dec 2010, worked out, ran a half marathon in Dec 2011, but the real change came when I started logging my food with MFP dropped to my lowest in years got off track in spring 2013 and gained about 20 back...
For me it helps to see where I am going and a tracker is a good thing, it becomes 2nd nature and at one point you just know what the calories are. that's when it gets easier outside of your kitchen. In the US portion size in restaurants is way out of hand...0 -
I agree with the comment about building habits. But I try to build them slowly. I began with just getting the shoes by the door the night before. That kinda motivated me to just put them on and go out for a 15 minute walk. Then I just keep building up.0
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Here's the thing, its not all or nothing. Get that out of your head. Just do your best. That's better than want you did when you gained the weight.
Start slow. At first, I didn't change anything in my diet, I just weighed everything and tracked it. I made sure that I only ate x number of calories a day and didn't give a hoot about macros. Guess what: I lost weight. And it didn't take much time out of my day. Just put my plate on a scale when serving my food to weigh it, then 2 minutes to enter it into MFP.
That was step one.
When that felt comfortable, I started paying attention to macros (the fat/carb/protein numbers at the bottom of the page). I started making changes in what I ate to fit them better. I realized that I felt better when I did this and so it stuck. I'm still not perfect, but I'm doing better. This takes no additional time in your life. It just changes what you purchase and cook. You were already purchasing and cooking food better (assuming you cook), so no extra time added.
This is all you need to do to lose weight. If you want to start exercising, do the same thing. Take baby steps and it will eventually become habit.
But I want to reiterate what others have said.
You won't do it unless you want it bad enough!
I know, I've tried doing this in the past for many reasons. My join date on here is 2011. I've tried a few times and failed. Eventually I just gave up for a while. One morning I woke up and said "today's the day" and started again. Something clicked in my head and I've had zero interest in stopping.0 -
For me it has just become something I do. I get out of bed, I shower, I brush my teeth, I take my medicine, I go to work, I eat my breakfast (and track it), I eat my lunch (and track it), and I eat my dinner (and track it). Most of the time I don't log my exercise, mostly because I don't want to see the added calories back into my food diary. Some days I realize I've forgotten. Most days I don't. It's routine. It's worth it to treat your body with respect. You're going to need it for a long time
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Ultimately you have to want it more than you want that next bunch of Oreos or that order of fries. For me, that's historically been a huge problem because I LOVE food. So, I've resigned myself to a lifestyle change - not just a diet that I'll be on for a little while. 16 lbs down - so far, so good.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"
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I didn't read all the posts, so perhaps this has already been said, but for me it was definitely a mental shift. I was fat since I was 5. I've yo-yo'd all my life, but never was thin (still am not). But here is why I previously failed and now am successful: I'm a perfectionist. So with dieting, I either had a perfect day, or not. And if it wasn't perfect, I was a failure. And to have a perfect day most often I felt deprived and then when I ate something that I thought I shouldn't, I felt guilty. All in all - negativity all the way around. I've heard for years it needs to be a lifestyle change but it finally clicked that if it's a lifestyle change 1) it doesn't matter how long it takes me to lose it, because I will never have to lose it again and 2) I'm blessed that I (bold and underline "I") get to make my own choices. So I can choose the burger and fries, but then I choose more exercise or less calories later. It's about a trend, not a single day. There is no "I screwed up today, so I'll just start tomorrow". It's more like "I chose to indulge now, so I'm going to choose the next bite/meal/snack to be healthier " or "I'll workout a little longer/go for an extra walk". You get the idea. One final thing I learned....this does take effort and committment, no doubt (I track, I measure, I workout), but that once you stop mentally obsessing about it (the deprivation/guilt), and you stop beating yourself up, life instantly becomes brighter, more happy. I'm a different person mentally, and am so happy, so I find food doesn't hold the appeal/control over me it used to, so now it just is easier to make good choices. And...I'm doing things in my life I NEVER would have before...a guy at the bar asked me to two-step dance with him and he taught me; we were the only ones on the dance floor, and then we danced throughout the night. SO much fun...twirling me around and around. Losing the weight and increasing your confidence is so much more freeing than the slice of pizza or piece of cake. It really is....0
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Here is some of what you wrote:
never negative guilty bad
problem incapable fairly intelligent lazy
Here is what you need to start believing about yourself, regardless of what you happen to weigh:
CAN POSITIVE PROUD GOOD
SOLUTION CAPABLE INTELLIGENT MOTIVATED
Every time you have the urge to be negative with yourself, remind yourself of your good qualities. The more positive you are about yourself, the more likely you will be to actually achieve what you want.
I know it sounds corny, but attitude is everything! I speak this as someone who spent years beating myself up for almost everything. Very recently I realized that I would never speak to anyone else the way I speak to myself. It has helped me tremendously!0 -
You probably have not found the correct motivation for you yet. Consider "where you don't want to go".
I knew where I didn't want to go and that was progression of my diabetes but when it happened last December I made a snap decision to change my situation. My motivation was found in being handed yet another prescription to manage my diabetes which angered me. Getting angry at the medicine merry-go-round and the symptom only give you a Rx treatment attitude (vs cure) of the medical community was what did it and I knew there had to be a better way-there most definitely was. I found it and therefore it is now quite easy. I now have normal glucose readings and am losing weight and feeling completely better.0 -
You just do it. If you want it bad enough you make it happen.
Couldn't say it any better than this.
How bad do you want it?0 -
Here is some of what you wrote:
never negative guilty bad
problem incapable fairly intelligent lazy
Here is what you need to start believing about yourself, regardless of what you happen to weigh:
CAN POSITIVE PROUD GOOD
SOLUTION CAPABLE INTELLIGENT MOTIVATED
Every time you have the urge to be negative with yourself, remind yourself of your good qualities. The more positive you are about yourself, the more likely you will be to actually achieve what you want.
I know it sounds corny, but attitude is everything! I speak this as someone who spent years beating myself up for almost everything. Very recently I realized that I would never speak to anyone else the way I speak to myself. It has helped me tremendously!
QFT. Self-talk matters. Attitude matters. Do you have a deterministic view of the world -- or do you have a greater sense of free will? Which of the following mindset more describes you? Read a dozen or so success stories. Which mindset more describes those people? It's your choice who you want to be.
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You just do it. If you want it bad enough you make it happen.
Yep. Because anything anyone says won't matter if you aren't ready and willing.
I'm 45, and have been overweight and moved into obese starting when I was 15. I'm trying...but who knows where I'll end up.
Anything anyone said or did never mattered.
Parts of it still haven't clicked into place in my head. But, I want it. I want it enough to be on here. I want it enough to log meals. I want it enough to log my exercise. I want it enough to read and educate myself. I want it enough to meet with a personal trainer. I want it enough to workout and do 'the time'. I want it enough to even eat more veggies lol.0 -
Since this is relatively new...
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here
just a few tips that might help out in the long run. It made a difference for me and I wanted to share it.
struggles are struggles, whether mental/emotional/physical. Doesn't matter what flavor, but the overall goal is to approach and overcome, or at least find ways to make them manageable, right?
I didn't lose 153lbs, just like you don't have to lose 40 or 50lbs to lose.
I lost 1 lb. I just did it 153 times. Carve out the overwhelming numbers and realize that you only have 1lb to lose right now. Then focus on the next one.
Soooo agree with this. That's actually how I got and stayed sober (over 3 years now!), and when it finally clicked that I could apply the same principles to weight loss, it worked! I avoid thinking about "forever" here: Instead of thinking, "wow am I going to really have to do this for the rest of my life - that seems impossible!" instead I think to myself, "can I do it TODAY?" and the answer is, unequivocally, yes. Every. Single. Day. (well I have my off days but imperfection/temporarily straying has been discussed in great detail already)
I also like to think of will power as being a limited resource like they state in this article: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/10/08/willpower/
Seriously love that article! And it pretty well explains how I changed from a self-indulgent couch potato to someone who makes a point of working out a lot, and has been eating (mostly) at a deficit for 6 months (and lost 56 lbs I'm happy to say): A little bit at a time.0
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