Day 2 and I want to quit already

ItsKimberlyLovee · October 2014

Hey,
I recently started too.
I had a conversation with someone at work about how losing weight is an emotional thing that you have to be ready for.
It has been really tough for me my whole life, it's hard letting go of bad habits.
Honestly, I have been eating better for about 6 weeks now and working out for 2 weeks.
I have noticed a WORLD of difference.

I feel better, healthier, lighter...
My skin feels soft. ITS CRAZY.

I still eat things I like, or I find ways to make healthy things more enjoyable at first.
I used to hate any healthy foods but when you incorporate them into your diet in modest amounts and just take it day by day, you'll find yourself liking them more. As far as the whole hungry all day thing. I feel you on that too.
I especially get hungry at work, but i think it's just my need to be munching on something. Drink water and see if you're still hungry 20 minutes after. If so, grab a small snack. I've portioned my snacks into little baggies to take to work with me because I know I get hungry and it's better to portion it than to have a whole bag in front of you. Even if it is a healthy snack, the calories and everything else still add up. I also have started drinking hot green tea regularly when I get that hungry feeling around lunch time. I drink my tea, and then I have a snack. It's something that will take some time to get used to, you just have to stick with it.
It's also about not skipping meals and eating small snacks throughout the day. For me, I like switching up my snacks, that way I don't feel like I'm being deprived of delicious things.

hope this helps.
I know it's hard.
But everyday, when I battle with myself over going to the gym or buying a box of cookies, I literally ask myself, "Where would I be three weeks from now if I keep on?"
And that def helps me.

harrybeanbag666 · October 2014

Hi Mylyn,

I've been where you're at.
Please see my post under the Motivation Folder.
It's called "Find Your Motivation Now".
Hopefully it helps when the times get tough.

Take care and don't give up!

HeyPretty1 · October 2014

That carb goal of 247g per day means you're never going to lose anything. You're torturing yourself for no reason right now.

Complete rubbish. Please disregard.

Also, strong first post.

That's so polite of you to dismiss low-carb/keto dieting out of hand like that. We all think we know best when it comes to dieting. You need to be more tolerant of others' view points.

I'm sick of reading these posts of people hungry and starving themselves and not making any progress. Thinking that their willpower just isn't enough. No. Your body is hungry, it has nothing to do with mental acuity and everything to do with biology. I wish I could convert the world to keto. I wish I could make you read books that actually explain what the hormone insulin does to your body. And knowing what it does to you, it's very simple on how to keep insulin from storing glucose in your fat cells as triglycerides: stop making your body produce insulin by eating less carbohydrates. You won't be storing glucose that isn't in your blood stream in your fat cells anymore. Your liver will convert your fat into ketones, which is actually your primary source of energy (not glucose!) It's unnatural how many carbs we eat and drink!!

But if you guys want to keep starving yourselves, by all means. Have fun with that.

JimmyRabuf · October 2014

I'm new here and desperate to lose weight, but I can't control a diet and joining a gym and getting undressed in front of other men is out of the question. What can I do?

JimmyRabuf · October 2014

I'm new here and desperate to lose weight, but I can't control a diet and joining a gym and getting undressed in front of other men is out of the question. What can I do?

HeyPretty1 · October 2014

Do a ketogenic diet. You'll get results quickly and you don't need to exercise until you feel like it.

Calliope610 · October 2014

I'm new here and desperate to lose weight, but I can't control a diet and joining a gym and getting undressed in front of other men is out of the question. What can I do?

why not?

PBWaffleCakes · October 2014

At first I was the same way. But then I was like if I just give up I just failed without trying and I knew that would hurt me more. Now that I lost 60 pounds I'm in that boat again. I just try to remember if I stop, I have to start over again so it is better to make mistakes and keep going. You also have to really want it. If you truly 100% want it you will find a way to make it stick. Maybe you haven't had your omg I need to do this moment yet. When that hits you will be more willing to go forward. I attempted to diet 4 times before having that moment. You will succeed once you decide it is time. Just remember nothing worth working for comes easy.

_HeartsOnFire_ · October 2014

devil_in_a_blue_dress · October 2014

Do a ketogenic diet. You'll get results quickly and you don't need to exercise until you feel like it.

You can eat at a caloric deficit and never exercise and you'll lose weight. Period.

If you don't work out, you'll likely get to your goal weight and figure you need to lose 10-15 more pounds because you till look flabby and don't understand why.

Eat a reasonable deficit -- a moderated diet with ALL the foods you like, find physical activity you hate least -- do that 30-60 minutes 3-5 times week. You will get there.

lioness2307 · October 2014

Short answer: YES! It does get better. It will get better. My advice: go SLOWLY and stay clear of the 1200 calorie/day starvation madness! Do NOT give your body the idea that it's starving!

This is not a sprint, it's a marathon. Slowly, steadily. To give you an example: My daily caloric needs are about 2200 calories (I am fairly active, cycle to work, exercise 4 times a week, but things I actually like, such as dancing, yoga etc.). Althoug MFP puts me at roughly 1700/day before exercise calories, I usually aim for 1800-1900/day max.
That allows me to have 3 nice meals + healthy snacks.
I aim for about 100-120 grams of carbs per day, which for me is perfect - due to Diverticulitis/IBS, I do not eat grains/gluten, so that's a lot of carbs already that I do not have to deal with.

Carb withdrawal: yes, that happens, but it WILL pass. Especially if you're withholding wheat/bread. Make sure you eat lots of healthy fats and protein. And veggies! LOTS of veggies. Good luck!

HeyPretty1 · October 2014

Do a ketogenic diet. You'll get results quickly and you don't need to exercise until you feel like it.

You can eat at a caloric deficit and never exercise and you'll lose weight. Period.

If you don't work out, you'll likely get to your goal weight and figure you need to lose 10-15 more pounds because you till look flabby and don't understand why.

Eat a reasonable deficit -- a moderated diet with ALL the foods you like, find physical activity you hate least -- do that 30-60 minutes 3-5 times week. You will get there.

The reason the starvation of a reduced calorie diet works is because you're also reducing carbohydrates. If you just restrict carbohydrates you do NOT have to starve yourself. The second law of thermodynamics has NOTHING to do with dieting (Calories In/Calories Out.) Dieting has everything to do with controlling your insulin response as insulin is the hormone which stores glucose in your fat cells. If you always have insulin around (most people do), you're always storing fat. If you get rid of the insulin, you start using the fat for energy like we evolved to do over the past few million years. This is basic Science folks. The low-fat diet with 7-11 servings of grains each day is NOT helping our obesity problems, is NOT preventing heart disease and is NOT healthy!

I'll keep posting this until you guys stop telling me I'm rubbish just because I don't agree with your nonsense.

Exercise is a wellness tool. It is not a weight loss tool.

Most people feel better and function better if they get a modest amount of regular exercise. On average across the population, thin people get more exercise than heavy people. People who exercise regularly across a lifetime live longer. But the extrapolation of these observations – that if heavy people exercised a lot more they’d be thin and live longer – is not supported by science. Nonetheless, that is the message that many health care professionals and the media consistently communicate to heavy people.

Here are some basic (but often ignored) facts. Fitness is primarily an inherited trait. Training can increase aerobic power at most by 10-20%, but (figuratively speaking) a different choice of parents would increase or decrease your fitness by as much as 50%. It takes about 350 miles of running or 1000 miles of cycling to burn off 10 pounds of body fat (assuming that your appetite doesn’t increase or your metabolism slows down). Unfortunately, when heavy people exercise regularly, their resting metabolism slows – this is not a typo! – it SLOWS by 5 to 15% on average. Based on the results of 4 tightly controlled, inpatient human studies, instead of losing 10 pounds, the average person loses 7 pounds with this much exercise, and some people lose as little as 2 or 3. These studies specifically demonstrated that this less-than-expected weight loss was attributable to the observed reduction in resting metabolic rate.

Exercise done by heavy people causes a lot of collateral damage. Think ankles, knees, hips, and low backs. So here’s a radical idea: let heavy people try carbohydrate restriction first, lose some weight (which most do without resorting to exercise), and then let them decide when to become more active once they are empowered, energized, and lighter of foot.

Making heavy people exercise is punitive. Enabling heavy people to lose weight and then become more fit is smart.

ballardf · October 2014

I echo what Lelah77 said. I'm 51 and a former Marine. I was used to being able to lose weight quickly. Now that i'm older I understand the importance of slow steady weight loss through healthier eating habits. I exercise at least 4-5 times a week. I joined MFP in September but began changing my eating habits in August due to complications from diabetes. Since then I've lost over twenty pounds. The key was gradually changing my habits and it worked for me. Good luck on your journey.

angelic1ang · October 2014

Most people told me to pack high protein meals in and then eat veggies when I am hungry between meals. I have digestive issues and so raw veggies are harder for me to eat. I eat salad but I can't just munch celery all day. I have protein bars and almonds to munch on at work and then at night I try to eat cooked veggies. Making healthier choices that last and are not short term are the best for you. They are what will help you remain healthy and maintain weight.

That said, the first month was hard for me. I was hungry all the time. Due to my digestive issues, I had resorted to carbs for most of my meals in the past. They are easy for me but that caused me to constantly be hungry. I had to break that cycle. I would even say I had to retrain my body so that I wasn't always hungry. I would get headaches. Aggravation was a huge issue. It's hard to deal with work and in the back of your mind be thinking about how hungry you are. I've only recognized that I am less hungry over the last 3 weeks. I can sit at dinner and have everything measured out for my calorie limit for the meal and not have to eat it all. I can walk away satisfied and not feel like I am missing out.

I did not drastically cut my food intake and starve myself. I set myself up for success by having healthy foods on hand so I wasn't tempted to go grab junk. When I did grab junk food, mainly for stress eating, I didn't feel as guilty as I used to. Each meal and each snack is an opportunity to make a healthy choice. Small victories. I hope at the end of the day to be at my calorie target. I plan for it. I am not always successful. Each day I am I give myself a pat on my back. I had a lot of false starts over the last two years. This time I think I have learned what works for me. Hope some of this was helpful.

mlyn627 · October 2014

And continue on with your Cheetohs, my dear. You rock!
LOVE the Cheetoh snack entry. A girl after my own heart!! :drinker:
~Curly (whose brain is usually committed to the plan long before results with the body are visible... still learning patience!)

Haha I almost forgot about the Cheetohs! I could not go one more day without them! I ate half of what I would have eaten before and was thrilled that I had some self control!

lee134 · October 2014

Please don't give up on you ! It is hard at first , but over time it will become a way of life

mlyn627 · October 2014

Thanks again for all the advice here! I am going on 15 days and had a few hiccups along the way but keep on doing the best I can. I have to say it has gotten so much easier too. I still sometimes feel hungry but I think it's more a mental habit of always having to snack on something. I am slowly adjusting to this and I love the way I have been feeling.

LaraeTX · October 2014

Friend request sent, good luck to you.

jasper186 · October 2014

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. I have been trying to get protein in but I'm probably blowing it! I guess I am so used to eating whatever, whenever I want that it's a shock to my system. I haven't exercised yet, last time I tried my knees hurt and I just honestly haven't wanted to again...yet.

If you can't work out, just walk.....it works and is much easier on your body. If you give up where will you be next year at this time?

aylajane · October 2014

How about just concentrate on logging everything you eat for a week, with no restriction - just eat normally. Take your average calories for the week, and the next week try to average 250 less a day than that. After a week or two, if you are not losing a pound here and there, try to average 100 less than that. Forget calculators - use your weight loss/gain (averaged over a week or two) to know where to go. If you gained, you are eating more than you burn and need to cut back some. If you lost, and the rate is acceptable and reasonable, keep it the same until it stops then reevaluate. RInse and repeat.

And you can look into "volumetric" eating in the beginning... i.e. get a larger volume of food for fewer calories so you dont feel like you are eating less... I.e. watermelon - you can almost eat the whole thing. Salads with more lettuce and veggies and less dressing. Oatmeal with extra water.

Personally (and this definitely doesnt work for most people), I take my goal in 100 calorie increments... I.e. if my goal is 1700 calories - I can eat 17 times that day at 100 calories each time! That is at least once an hour, and a small salad is only 100 calories depending on what you put in it, so its not like I am eating peanuts (though sometimes I do!). Sometimes I do it in 200 calorie increments, etc. I like to eat often though, so I have to spread my calories out for it.

Figure out something that works with your style of living/cooking/eating. Work with that. It will be easier in the long run to keep it up and not feel like you are sacrificing much at all, so you can keep going much longer!

Day 2 and I want to quit already

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