Seriously...HOW???

SingRunTing

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.

sharonpink

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

abear007

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"

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.

Forever4me

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....

pplastics

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!

Naughty_ZOOT

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.

TheArchyBunker

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?

Artionis

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.

StrawberryJam40

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.

bazarn

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.

paperpudding

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.

SunofaBeach14

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.

ahoier

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.

JustFindingMe

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:

MissFlawed

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.

goneundone

Thoughts become things. The way you feel and think will manifest in your life.

WreckaRed

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.

drabbits3

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.

yassy124

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.

FitOldMomma

You just do it. If you want it bad enough you make it happen.

^^^^this.