Day 2 and I want to quit already

Myhaloslipped

Have patience. This is a marathon, not a race.

Lelah77

To add to what others have said, check your caloric intake, especially compared to your daily activity - - if you have an active job, make sure you account for that. I don't believe you should ever be hungry. You might need to switch out some of your foods. It's pretty hard to go over calories on green veggies and some fruit, which is tasty and filling. Add a bit of protein (yogurt, peanut butter, cheese) to your snack and you'll probably find you're more satisfied.

Take it all one step at a time. Don't try to change everything at once - -its too much. Start by replacing ONE meal or ONE snack this week with a better one, then work from there. Promise yourself you'll sub one dinner with a healthier version or a different recipe altogether next week. Add walking or other light workout during week 3 - - It took years of bad habits to get where you are and the long-term changes will take time, too. Make your new ways habits and you'll have more success.

I hated that it took me two years to lose 40 lbs. No one noticed my weight loss. My clothes took forever to get big. I was impatient and frustrated... but it also stayed off for almost a year. And now I am calorie watching through my pregnancy and I am finding it easy to eat right for myself and my baby because the healthy habits are there. I still have "off" days, but I am human and they don't mean I am not a success. My overall positive changes prove I have been a success.

Keep your chin up and take it all one bit at a time. You can do this.

shireeniebeanie

Don't set such an aggressive weight loss goal, or yes, you will want to quit! Drastic changes almost always send people off the rails.

The right way to do this is not to punish yourself, and not to go hungry. Just be accountable and stick with it.

Try for the half-pound a week loss goal. If you accurately weigh, measure, and log everything, and manage stay within that higher number of calories for a while, you'll establish good habits. Then, start cutting back your calories a little and moving a little more, and see what happens.

pplastics

i am 5'4" as well and was 255 pounds, currently 200.

you could eat at 1800 calories/day and lose weight in the beginning. i would start there until you;re acclimated with this new plan. and #1 thing. don't deprive yourself. don't stress yourself out with the nutritional details just yet. just get 1800 cal/day under you belt the next couple of weeks no matter the foods. THEN start incorporating WHAT you're eating and start looking at nutrition.
forget the exercise for now if its too much, that will come with time and weightloss.
its too overwhelming to do it all at once for some people. and if you are about to quit on day 2 i highly recommend to go with my suggestion.

good luck!

^^^Read this one again!!!^^^

ginz

protein helps keep you feeling full longer. try including more protein in your breakfast; bacon, eggs, greek yogurt, spinach omelet. i've learned over the years through trial and error that consuming more protein is key. while carbs provide you energy, protein gives you a full feeling much longer so you don't feel like you're starving yourself til the next meal.

try keeping protein snacks nearby: hardboiled eggs, 2% greek yogurt, tuna w/avocado. and have a snack to tide you over til your next meal. something that has worked for me is eating 6 small meals/snacks a day every 2-3 hours. i rarely feel hungry and most of my meals are high in protein... if a carb is included i make sure it's a complex carb and/or high in fiber.

if you really want something, you'll find a way to achieve it!! you can do it! g'luck!

AuroraD82

Are you eating nutrient dense foods? Whole grains, lots of veggies, slow releasing carbs? If you are gonna go over, do it with something healthy and log it first so you aren't disappointed in yourself. Try tomato's which are very filling. Make gradual changes to choosing healthier options if its not what you like. Keep at it! Add me as a friend if ya want!

trogalicious

also...

even though you've done MFP before, you haven't made sustainable changes... or you wouldn't be back here again.

while you aren't "new" to this, these might help.

1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. If you ask a question on the forum, give as much information as you can ("yes, I have a food scale and weigh my food" is worlds better than "I eat a palm full of miscellaneous boiled chicken parts..sometimes.")
17. Be honest with yourself and honest with us.
18. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.

pretty much that.

...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:

the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.

Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.

I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.

Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.

Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

and make sure to read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

...and here's another approach.

Block off 6 weeks. log EXACTLY what you eat for those six weeks, weigh at the beginning, weight at the end. If you've lost, you're eating under your TDEE. If you haven't lost, congrats.. you found your TDEE, if you've gained... then you're above TDEE.

From there, look at how much you lost or gained and you have a rough estimate of how to shift your intake to balance it out.

Online calculators are great, but they're just estimates. They give you decent ideas for starting points. From there, it's on you to fine tune it.

Shaquana2

I eat about every 3 hours breakfast, morning snack, lunch evening snack, dinner, late night snack. It controls the hunger. And if you makes healthy choices you can eat more food.

soopaang

Never be hungry! There are many low cal foods that are filling and you should incorporate these. For example, If you do cereal in the morning try a big bowl of puffed brown rice with berries or grapes and low cal skim milk. You can eat lots of low cal soups and fresh veggies and fruits in addition to whatever else you are eating. I have a good appetite myself and have found these foods not only make me fee good but I'm also never hungry.

Summerfit321

I seen a meme today on Pinterest under motivation. It said : Some quit due to slow progress. Never grasping the fact that slow progress..... is progress. Hang in there

Great quote!

The beginning is the hardest part, then it gets easier for a while, but there will always be tougher times. I'd say start with a small deficit, even if it's just 200 kcal, then work your way up week per week according to how much weight you're losing. Remember that losing even very little is better than nothing or gaining weight. If you can lose a pound in a week, I wouldn't bother lowering your intake. When you hit a plateau, then lower by 50 a week, etc...

Good luck!

Marilyn0924

Maybe drop your goal to 1 pound/week loss to start and up your calories!! It will be less of a shock to your system until you get used to the changes. Don't worry so much about the exercise, maybe just try to get a walk in when your knees are up to it and then move forward from there.

alska

try to eat stuff that is filling, but less calories. Like a slice of pizza is 300-400 calories ... n i know i don't get full off of one lol Instead try a turkey sandwich (trukey, romaine n mayo) on 35 calorie bread with a cup of fruit salad ... which is around 358 calories.

Feel free to add me ... I have an open dairy

bairborne

Marilyn,

Hang in there, no it's not easy, but you can do it! I lost 40, and I starting running a little bit at a time. Lost of fruit, apples, peaches, pears help with the hunger. Stay with it, you can do it!!!

mrron2u

also...

even though you've done MFP before, you haven't made sustainable changes... or you wouldn't be back here again.

while you aren't "new" to this, these might help.

1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. If you ask a question on the forum, give as much information as you can ("yes, I have a food scale and weigh my food" is worlds better than "I eat a palm full of miscellaneous boiled chicken parts..sometimes.")
17. Be honest with yourself and honest with us.
18. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.

pretty much that.

...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:

the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.

Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.

I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.

Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.

Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

and make sure to read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

...and here's another approach.

Block off 6 weeks. log EXACTLY what you eat for those six weeks, weigh at the beginning, weight at the end. If you've lost, you're eating under your TDEE. If you haven't lost, congrats.. you found your TDEE, if you've gained... then you're above TDEE.

From there, look at how much you lost or gained and you have a rough estimate of how to shift your intake to balance it out.

Online calculators are great, but they're just estimates. They give you decent ideas for starting points. From there, it's on you to fine tune it.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This - exactly this!!!!!

ginz

Thank you for all the replies!

I am 5'4 230lb 40 yo. I set my goal to be 1.5 and my calories are at 1370.

Set smaller goals... a smaller goal is more realistic, more attainable. To maintain your current weight, you should consume around 2000. BUT since you want to lose, keep your caloric intake around 1800. again, focus on consuming more protein. don't try to tackle the big picture... break up the journey... aim for losing 10lbs, then another 10lbs, and so on. each time you reach your goal, try to step it up... for example: this next goal i will also cut out eating doughnuts... or i will go for a 30 min walk around the block every day.

it's takes 21 days to break or form a new habit. you can do it!

shayleac

Drink lots of water, and eat quality food.
Fill up on vegetables, and have them accompany every meal, they are extremely low cal.

ButtBagg

eat sweet fruits and salted penuts

trogalicious

eat sweet fruits and salted penuts

...... I j..

nah, not even gonna.

lorib642

I have not been successful with weight loss attempts in the past because I would restrict too much and get really hungry and give up. I had to change my weight loss goal from 2 lbs/week to 1 lb/week to make it more reasonable for me. Don't quit, just adjust your target.

VelveteenArabian

It's been two days. It didn't take two days to get where you are, why should it to get to where you're going?