Seriously...HOW???
Replies
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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:
Yes that's awesome for you.
However I'm not sure it is that helpful for newbies who are struggling to get past stage 1 - it just makes it all seem overwhelming and unachievable.
OP you do not have to go to such lengths to lose weight - you just have to eat less than you burn.
Start with small steps - eg. if you are doing no exercise at all now, set a goal to walk 10 minutes round the block twice a day.
Find your correct calorie goal and aim to hit about that most days. Perhaps identify your biggest calorie hurdles and aim to reduce them eg limit desert to twice a week instead of every day, make coke be a treat instead of all the time etc.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:
Yes that's awesome for you.
However I'm not sure it is that helpful for newbies who are struggling to get past stage 1 - it just makes it all seem overwhelming and unachievable.
OP you do not have to go to such lengths to lose weight - you just have to eat less than you burn.
Start with small steps - eg. if you are doing no exercise at all now, set a goal to walk 10 minutes round the block twice a day.
Find your correct calorie goal and aim to hit about that most days. Perhaps identify your biggest calorie hurdles and aim to reduce them eg limit desert to twice a week instead of every day, make coke be a treat instead of all the time etc.
Yea. You could get up at 8:00 shower, go to work, drink 3 or 6 cups of coffee. Then go to the gym at lunch or after work. Drink a beer. And still lose weight. Or, you could get up at 1:30 in the frigg'n morning while I'm drinking my evening drink and watching TV.0 -
The way I look at it, is a lifestyle change.....I knew something had to be done....I haven't (yes, still haven't.....) been to a doctor in damn near 6-8+ years.....I was busting almost 300 lbs.....not quite 300, but damn close.....when my fiance's grandma showed me this cool "app" on her iPhone......at the time I only had a lowly HTC Wildfire S, which could not load the app (it was too big, too much memory, even with my 32gb card....the app would not use the card for some reason...) so I got started on the website......that was.......ehhh, okay.....but very time consuming, but I still did it, not "religiously" - but I did do it
Typically, logging only breakfast, and my first snack of the day.....(which were basically my 2 biggest meals anyways.....I typically don't eat anything after 8 pm....unless it's my protein shake.....)
Well, fast forward a year or so ago, I upraded to the Samsung Galaxy S3......and wow, was this phone a lot better....you bet, the first app I loaded onto the beast was MyFitnessPal! And I was rolling! I was (and still am.....) a UPC bar code scanning fool! I then noticed my weight wasn't falling off too my expectations......so I then looked into a SCALE, digital kitchen scale.....and wow, was this a new discovery......all these "pre measured scoops" that come in my protein jugs, I found were not at all very accurate for one! And well, now I could log everything down to the "grams" if it's available on the package......it's really about being accountable. it is a pain in the behind......BUT, the way I look at it.......?
If I can't take the time to scan it into the app, I better not eat it
Now, I do go a little lax for holidays......I don't typically log the half of that hen I gobbled down......that's what I like to call my "Cheat Meal".....lol. The gym closes on the holidays, so I gotta bust my a%% the day before, and the day after the holiday ontop of that though.
I will say, I still eat at fast food restaurants, once or twice a week......I do have the app set for 2 lbs/week, I'm not quite making that goal, but eh, I still feel good about my progress
The biggest thing, is look at it as a lifestyle change, NOT a diet......I still eat popcorn at the movies, that's the only time I eat pop corn, I can't remember the last time I ate a potato chip either! LOL.....but they give me evil looks EVERYTIME I walk past them at the grocery store - and my grocery store of choice (ALDI.....) has them RIGHT THERE at the entrance as I walk in......all I do is keep on walking!
To the OP, start with baby steps......my first step to you, would be to aim to drink HALF your body weight, in Fluid Ounces per day.......for example, I'm at 201.8 pounds.....so I typically shoot for 100.9 fl. oz. of water per day.....which is essentially a little less than a gallon......now ofc, if I'm in the gym, I have been known to go over that.....but it's all spread out during the whole day......I keep a water bottle with me (the Shaker Bottle works GREAT, it holds 24 fl. oz. when filled to the brim!) and sip on it throughout the day.0 -
I just want to add that the sense of pride and accomplishment I feel every time I get closer to reaching my goal, getting my protein macros closer ( yay ) and/or hitting my cals on the mark. It's like a personal challenge everyday. The posts are educational and funny. Watching my friends list glow and jump for joy with every pound lost is worth the time I spend logging in :happy:0
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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?
Well it's called a lifestyle change for a reason. :ohwell:
Just try to keep it up, after a while it should become a second nature.0 -
Thoughts become things. The way you feel and think will manifest in your life.0
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Once you get past the first few weeks the daily logging, healthy eating and exercise become good habits. For me, once I started I felt so much better and when I would slack off I would feel poorly. Wanting to feel good, happy, energetic became worth not stuffing my face with unhealthy food (I do have cheat days believe me I AM human!).
I NEVER thought I would be one of "those" people that change their lifestyle. Yet I have become exactly that. I have 2 kids at home, and I have worked in my gym time as part of my day. You just have to want it.0 -
Here's my how: I am 44 years old, two boys ages 13 and 15. I am 5'8" tall and never had a weight problem in my life until two years ago. Until two years ago I was around 140 and wore a size 6. Then two years ago my husband had a MAJOR health crisis that was three weeks in the hospital followed by 6 months not living in our home. I was a complete wreck and went down to 132 pounds but it was from not eating and throwing up--not on purpose, from fear and stress. Then he came home and I went up to 160. BOOM inside of 8 months. Why? Stress eating--two donuts on the way to work, chocolate during the day at school, cookies and tea at night. And with that came achy everything. Headaches. Twitchy tummy. Lazy. Flabby. Now, I am clear that 160 pounds on a 5'8" woman is far from obese, but I felt flabby and crappy and tired. So on June 30 I logged in here and just did it. No gigantic A-HA moment, more like the realization that what I WAS doing wasn't working so I should try something new. There is no magic anything--there is self control. Other posters are correct--eat whatever you want, within reason, and realize that 150 calories of non fat greek yogurt and fruit are a heck of a lot better for your body than 150 calories of a Snickers bar.
It is kind of a pain to log the food, but once you've done it for a while all your regular food choices are in your data base so it's not as hard to log them. Other posters mentioned that you make time to brush your teeth, shower, make meals--it's the same thing. If you were diagnosed with some illness that required something on a daily basis, I bet you would find the time to do it. One hour less of pretty much anything so you can find the time to exercise is possible. I almost don't care about the number on the scale as much as I care that I don't feel creaky and old when I get up in the mornings. I don't have headaches nearly as much. I put on a pair of shorts last week that I haven't been able to zip since two summers ago.
Everybody's ENOUGH is different--some people never get there, some people go at it pretty half-*kitten*, some are sacred into it by a medical crisis or diagnosis, it depends on how badly you want to be a different sort of person. Do you want to be the kind of person who always misses the mark, who only halfway tries and then "wonders" why the weight is not magically coming off? Do you want to be the kind of person who truly believes that they are the one exception to the "eat less move more" weight loss plan? (I promise you, you're not). Do you want to spend the next however long griping and whining that "nothing works, I have no self control"? Of course you have self control-everyone does. No one is forcing you to make the choices you are making. No one is forcing you to eat too much or choose to sit on the couch rather than exercise. Every single thing you do in under your control. You can make any choice you want, just be clear what the consequence will be: eat too much and poorly = gain weight (or at the very least, not lose any). Eat better and less, exercise = feel better and lose weight. It's actually very simple. Not easy, but simple.0 -
Honestly, take it one day at a time. That's what I do. I've been uncomfortable with my body all of my life and I just now, in June, have finally stuck to a lifestyle change for more than maybe a few weeks. What I've been doing for motivation is looking at before and after pics... for example motiveweight.tumblr.com is great and nothing motivates me more than seeing someone of similar height/ weight totally transform themselves. In regard to cheating, I like to think about it this way: if you look at someone's diet in the past month or so and they ate healthy foods (or adhered to their caloric restriction) for the majority of the month, would a few days of cheating really offset almost an entire month of eating well? No. Sometimes people go over, and that's ok. What's important is staying on track. On days when I feel REALLY unmotivated to eat well, I try to maybe just indulge in one or two cravings, or at least choose the healthiest of the unhealthy options. If I go over by a lot, I try to exercise more during the next few days. When I feel unmotivated to exercise, I envision my future, fitter self or just look at before/ after pictures- totally motivates me. I really hope some of these tips help you stay motivated!
ETA: After a while, it just became habit to long what I eat on mfp. If I eat and don't log, I feel uneasy for the rest of the day.0 -
You just do it. If you want it bad enough you make it happen.
^^^^this.0 -
You guys were right. No matter how much I tried to convince myself that I KNEW this was a long term commitment, I always kept in the back of my mind the idea that I could do it quickly, lose the weight, and then not have to worry about it anymore.
It took 150 post from strangers for me to admit to myself that I was still thinking about this wrong.
That's why I've tried this at 1200 cal, 1350 cal, 1500 cal at various times over the past 3 years and though I did well for a while each time I ultimately failed because I wanted a quick fix and tried for too much too fast.
My goal is set for 1700 calories a day now and I will try to start with 30 min of exercise 3 days a week. I doubt I'll see much of a loss at that rate. Maybe 1/2 pound per week. But if I'm not hungry and I'm not tired I don't see any reason why I can't sustain that long term.
Thanks for helping me see what was right in front of me :-)0 -
Good luck0
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Thanks! Those are sweet and positive answers. Honestly, I just feel like I'm whining. I know I'm the only one who can figure it out but I've tried so many times and never gotten it right. I am so frustrated and feel like a failure. I like to have control over things and this keeps getting away from me.
Maybe I need a psychiatrist or something.
My goal is only set to 20 pounds but ultimately I'd like to lose somewhere between 40-50 for my ideal weight.
It helps sometimes to think of the alternative, I've found. If you're overweight, then the way you are and have been living - if you continue the same way - will ensure that you continue to gain more weight, and more, and more .... At some point, you will have to do something about it, and the heavier you have become the harder that will be. I'm inspired by the success stories here of people who have focused over long periods of time to lose 100lbs or more, but I'm so glad I caught my weight gain before I had such an enormous task before me. It's taken me since Christmas to achieve a healthy weight, and I have learned to eat better and enjoy exercise and lifting along the way. You have a similar amount to lose, and could achieve your goal in six months without too much hardship ... Or you can continue to gain weight and make things more difficult for yourself at a later date. I don't mean to be unkind - that's just a way of thinking that's worked for me.
Good luck!0 -
It's new routines, new habits and for me it was "What do I want more?" I'm just starting out too (again) and the how drives me nuts but so doesn't calorie counting and looking in the mirror. I am a giant control freak so you would think counting calories would be high on the agenda, but it isn't. What I want more than to eat like I always do is to get smaller. So I guess you need to figure out what you want more. Then work on your own "how". Keep trying to figure out what works for you. Everyone is different.0
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Almost everyone feels like whining sometimes!Thanks! Those are sweet and positive answers. Honestly, I just feel like I'm whining. I know I'm the only one who can figure it out but I've tried so many times and never gotten it right. I am so frustrated and feel like a failure. I like to have control over things and this keeps getting away from me.
Maybe I need a psychiatrist or something.
My goal is only set to 20 pounds but ultimately I'd like to lose somewhere between 40-50 for my ideal weight.
Just start again and try to take it one day at a time. You know you can do it for one day. So just do that. That's all the rest of us are doing, really. The reason is feels endless to you is because it is! It's a decision to make every day at every meal. But those decisions because more automatic over time, and then it's easier.
Don't give up!0 -
I too have the same problem.....get fed up, start a new diet/program, stick to it for a week or 2 and then just "forget" about tracking, planning etc and fall back in to my old ways. I've never stuck with anything long enough to change my habits or lose any more than water weight.....until recently. What worked for me was to surround myself with quotes, sayings, pictures and plans. I have them on my desktop on my computer....on post it notes on my computer and cubicle walls, on my phone and on my fridge. Anywhere that I may need a reminder so that eventually it became a habit. I also surrounded myself with people who are in the same boat as I....I don't post on MFP usually however, I read posts and blogs religiously. I have MFP up on my computer all day long so tracking my food is right in front of me (or on my phone if I'm not at work).
I haven't reached my goals but I've noticed that "shift" in my thinking so exercise and eating healthy always seems to be on my radar.
Find what works for you to change your habits and then stick with it!!0 -
Stay the course! That's my motto. I have often called myself the Queen of too much to do and not enough time to do it. For the last several years, I've started more times than a care to even think about. I couldn't even keep on track for one day ... one single day! This time was different. I chose ONE thing to make a new habit - for me it was breakfast. I am a creature of routines - routines help keep me sane - routines (or habits) are what you fall back on when you're too tired, stressed, or overwhelmed to handle even the simplest of hiccups. But my routine blueberry bagel (or jalapeno if on vacation), cream cheese, and bacon just wasn't helping me. And as I progressed further into my 40s, even though I worked out 3x a week with a personal trainer, the weight just kept creeping on. I hit my highest weight of 177.8 - I had to do something, and it wasn't going to involve having to buy yet another batch of bigger clothes.
So I focused on breakfast - yes, I eat the same thing for breakfast almost every day, but again, routine - you don't have to think about it. Once I got breakfast down and was comfortable that I had my routine, I started a new routine - walking/running at lunch. My lunchtime walking/running, out of necessity at the end of May (I live in the South - exercising in humidity and business clothes just don't work well together) my lunchtime "wogging" turned in to the new early-morning routine. Getting up at 5:15 was difficult, but by then, I had one foot in the zone. I was on the course. Along the way, I started logging on MFP. And then you see that "streak" starting to rack up and you think, WOW, I'm actually doing this. There will be bumps in the road - that streak made it to 21 days, but then, I missed checking in while on vacation and I lost it. But hey, it's just a bump in the road, you Stay the Course and keep going.
You can do it. Stay the course and you will conquer that mountain - one step at a time!0 -
Maybe I need a psychiatrist or something.
I think you were joking, but I started seeing a psychiatrist/psychologist last year for anxiety-related issues, and he really helped push me into dieting and a healthy lifestyle. I lost 30 pounds while seeing him, and the dieting/exercise really helped with my anxiety issues.
Then I stopped seeing him because I felt like I had more control of my problems, and subsequently gained 15 pounds. So yeah, maybe there's something to it, hah.0 -
I've just barely skimmed through these posts because there's so many, but I was wondering if anyone has addressed obsessiveness/disordered eating here?
Of course everyone's different, but I read an article somewhere else that really hit home for me about counting calories...it can become your life and it SUCKS.
What am I going to eat for breakfast? Do I want to eat a lot and less later on? Hm, If I eat x amount of calories now, I can eat x amount for lunch and then x amount for dinner...but what if I want such and such for dinner...I better not eat that much for breakfast then...I can only eat 10 peanuts, damn...better not eat those nuts, too many calories...let me just look up how many grapes I can eat for x amount of calories...no, for the last time, I can't go to any local restaurants because they don't post their calories...tell your mom I can't eat her food unless she gives me a recipe so I can break it down and figure out the calorie count...I'm not sure, I wish I had my food scale with me...I'm hungry, but I can't take in any more calories...well, if I jog for x amount of time, then I can eat more...how many calories have I burned so far...it's almost midnight, I need to get that extra burn in quick if I want to eat anything else today...this is the millionth time I've calculated my TDEE, am I doing this right...I'm not hungry but I need to eat more in order to reach my calorie goal...
And then you say screw it and quit for the umpteenth time just so you can focus on something that's not a number.0 -
For me it's a routine now.
For exercise, I wake up an hour earlier in the morning, so it doesn't interfere with the rest of my day or family time.
For logging the food I eat, I log it same time as I eat it, takes nearly 2 seconds, especially if it's a frequent meal such as breakfast. Multitasking!
In beginning it might be hard until you figure out how you can fit cooking healthy food into your schedule (wasn't for me, but just sayin'), and what to cook, what to have for breakfast, what is healthy food and bad food, but once I figured out what I want and what my body needs to do the job, and saw the difference between one chocolate chip cookie and 5 apricots, it's all routine now.
Breakfast is as easy as waking up, lunch is always vegetables first as they will go bad in few days, legumes next 1-2 times a week, then lean meat once a week, and fish once a week. Found and learned the recipes that make even the most yucky vegetable delicious, included lots of fruits in my diet, don't say no to fast food and deserts once in a while as long as it's in moderation.
Grocery shopping is done online now, and they come home, I don't go the stores and don't even click on the snack categories on their website so I don't see all the junk, just buy whatever I need for the week. Costs less, and it's healthier.
Been doing this for 2 years, which have lost steadily 30 kg overall, and I'm 2 kg away from my goal. And will keep on doing this for maintenance, as it has become part of my life and doesn't take up much of my time. And I eat practically anything I want without starving myself or overeating either.0 -
Hey, so I'm like you. I don't have time to exercise consistently. I start, then I get busy with other things I care about more, like my kids, taking care of aging parents, my job, and stuff I actually enjoy. Or my childcare situation changes, and I can't get out of the house because there's no one to watch the kids. I'm very on and off with exercise, so it can't be the core of my weight loss program.
For me, the key was realizing that I can do this by logging everything I eat, putting myself on a budget, and trying to stick to it. It shuts up that voice in my head that says, you're a bad person if you eat that sandwich. Now I know exactly what I can and can't afford, and dumb advice like "just eat less" is actually do-able because you're not letting your lizard brain take control of your habits.
Don't commit to dieting or exercising. Just commit to tracking and logging every day. Once you do, you'll see easy choices you can make to get where you want.0 -
I've just barely skimmed through these posts because there's so many, but I was wondering if anyone has addressed obsessiveness/disordered eating here?
Of course everyone's different, but I read an article somewhere else that really hit home for me about counting calories...it can become your life and it SUCKS.
What am I going to eat for breakfast? Do I want to eat a lot and less later on? Hm, If I eat x amount of calories now, I can eat x amount for lunch and then x amount for dinner...but what if I want such and such for dinner...I better not eat that much for breakfast then...I can only eat 10 peanuts, damn...better not eat those nuts, too many calories...let me just look up how many grapes I can eat for x amount of calories...no, for the last time, I can't go to any local restaurants because they don't post their calories...tell your mom I can't eat her food unless she gives me a recipe so I can break it down and figure out the calorie count...I'm not sure, I wish I had my food scale with me...I'm hungry, but I can't take in any more calories...well, if I jog for x amount of time, then I can eat more...how many calories have I burned so far...it's almost midnight, I need to get that extra burn in quick if I want to eat anything else today...this is the millionth time I've calculated my TDEE, am I doing this right...I'm not hungry but I need to eat more in order to reach my calorie goal...
And then you say screw it and quit for the umpteenth time just so you can focus on something that's not a number.
I can definitely relate to everything you've said here. It definitely can become an obsession, and that is super difficult to maintain.0 -
Yeah I know it sounds like really complicated, but once you are determined enough to lose the weight, even you can do it. Honestly, anyone with an internet connection can do it, you just need to have the determination. We're all here to influence you & motivate you, but the determination is all on you. We're here to be your backbone & your support, whenever you need us, & sometimes when you don't need us. You just need to take the first step and start logging in daily.0
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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 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"
Yeah, "just do it" lol. I think it's a process. If you hang around you get to the point where it's the most important thing in your life, but you don't think about that all the time, you focus more on living a healthy life with this in the background.
I was a yo yo dieter for my whole life until I finally settled down and began to make changes I could live with on an ongoing way. Now I don't even need to log all the time and instead of watching what I eat, I watch what I eat. ;-) That is, now I can see the choices I make and they make me feel happy.
As others have said, it starts with logging daily and being honest.0 -
Basically, if you want it bad enough, you'll go get it. If you don't want it bad enough, then who cares? You only have one life, so live it however you want. You may not be healthy, or skinny, but those who are healthy sacrificed other things in their life to achieve what they wanted. Just because you weren't willing to sacrifice doesn't make you any less of a person. On a more literal note, to do this every day it needs to become a habit, not a 2-4 week burst of passion, but a life time of passion. You hear this everywhere, start slow. Because that's the best way. It needs to be part of YOUR daily life, not an intrusion or a drag on it. I don't even notice that I'm eating healthy anymore, I just do it because it was slowly integrated into my life.0
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I was/am in a similar situation.
For me, the easiest way to do it was to make little changes. I used to drink fizzy pop all day every day and no water. So I switched to fizzy flavoured water, then in a few weeks to still flavoured water, next week I'm going to swap to just water.
I used to eat loads of chocolate, so I stopped myself eating it in a morning, then stopped myself eating it at work, soon I'm just going to limit it to a weekend.
I also let myself have a weekend "off" - where I still make healthy choices but I can eat cake or have wine or whatever.
I think it's just lifestyle changes - now I always carry nuts in my bag so I can nibble on them rather than on chocolate - and make sure you're going for healthy stuff you enjoy rather than forcing yourself to eat something you don't like,.0 -
You just do it. If you want it bad enough you make it happen.
Very true!0 -
'Rome wasn't built in a day' as the saying goes. Try making gradual changes. If you make mini goals you will gradually make them habits.
I set myself a mini goal of eating no more than 300 cal at breakfast. I could go for a single muffin, or a bowl of oats topped with a large banana, skim milk, and yoghurt to finish off. It hasn't taken me long to want option 2, its more satisfying and I get the same score!
I found that I now look for more satisfying options at all meals and snacks - and those options are naturally better for me.
Take it easy on yourself, one step at a time and you will get there. A lifetime is a long time to think about keeping up a 'diet', so get through making better choices for today and then worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.0 -
How?
You need to succeed has to be greater than your excuses.
That's it, when you want it more than you want to stay the weight you are, you will move heaven and earth to stick to your goals, come rain or shine.0 -
5'4", 230 lbs -> 121.5 lbs.
I don't even try. This is my normal now. I looooove working out, running, swimming, biking, Spin, Zumba, TurboKick, BodyCombat, BodyPump, it's FUN, I can't WAIT to get to the gym or to a run group, etc.
And I love lean meats, vegetables, nuts, fruit, oatmeal, eggs, etc.0
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