Am I really this weak!

debbiedoeshealth

In the spring I was meticulously logging everything. Turning food down that would not work with my Macros and generally finding it really easy. I lost 20 pounds. Then one day I stopped. Since then I have stopped and started, I am beating myself up everyday because I can't seem to get a handle on my eating. I am an addict. I cannot stop myself right now. What is wrong with me that I can't say no to my third granola bar? What is wrong with me that I can't do now what I was so consistently doing 6 months from now?

LeonCX

I'm six weeks in, and I am determined not to let the tediousness of logging food and counting calories do me in. It may not work for everyone, heck, I may be the only one who's doing it - but I take a day off from logging and counting every week or two. For me, it helps prevent "diet fatigue" from setting in. Good habits and routines are hard to establish and maintain, no doubt.Logging food seems to have the highest rate of success for losing weight, so I plan on doing it for life, but in my own way.
NO ONE is perfect, no matter how much we try. But being perfect or semi-perfect six days out of seven still reaps rewards. Hope you can get some strength in the forums. The success threads give me a daily boost.

ryanwood935

You can't always look at what you were doing before to get the same results. Life changes. Motivation changes. Maybe you need to find something new to keep you focused on your goals. Maybe you just don't have the right short term goals to work toward your long term success.

As far as your diet, some people do really well eating all those foods we probably shouldn't. Everything in moderation, right? If you are just fighting hunger pangs all the time, either your calorie intake is too low, or you need more satiating foods in your diet. Maybe up your protein and drink more water if that's the case. Try to work on things you know you will be able to maintain after you reach your goals.
That's all a general stab in the dark since I didn't see any recent entries in your logs

inkedmommy67

Nothing is wrong with you. Say it with me, NOTHING. Things get tedious and hard and you know what? That's okay. Light a fire under your butt and take this moment, this crappy moment, and say this isn't going to happen again. Pick up and start tomorrow, and every time you forget, log what you can remember and look at how drastic it is and remember to do better from that moment out. Keep building and moving forward, you CAN do it.

ninerbuff

Weak, probably not.

Let me prove it to you. If you were told that if you ate more than 1 granola bar a day, that it would result in cancer (hypothetically), would you really eat 2? I'm betting no.

So what's my point? You don't feel 3 granola bars are harming you or progress. Till you really get that feeling that it does and honestly want to make the change willingly, then you'll keep eating the 3 granola bars.

What I do with clients who aren't sure is have them write a pros and cons list. Obviously whichever list is bigger is usually the eye opening one for them. The list has to be honest. For instance if you put on "pro": will be healthier, but don't actually believe it, then it shouldn't be on the list.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

PurringMyrrh

Just. Keep. Logging. In. That's the start. Keep coming back, browse the success threads. I have been in the same boat so many times, and have had many backslides on this journey as well, but I know there's something about this place that gives me a little fire to keep on keepin' on. Being a food addict is horrendous and hopeless feeling at times, but you already know you've been able to override it before, and you will again. Sometimes you just have to get that rock bottom feeling again that motivated you enough in the first place.

chaos416

I'm only in my 3rd week of using this site so I'm still in the honeymoon phase and rushing to log every morsel. I think that seeing those numbers make me aware of what I am eating and what to expect. (It sucks to realize it is going to take so long.)

However, if you have used it before or counted calories in the past, you are probably aware of what you are eating and can remember fairly well at the end of the day. Why not just use the quick add feature and add just the total calories? Add calories for each meal and the total snacks for the day. You may need a paper calories list, or a website that just gives a list rather than the database we use here to refer to when adding everything up. Add them all, even if it is over a lot and maybe make a mention about "big ticket" foods in the daily note. Just get used to entering EVERY day. A week at a time, two weeks, three... Eventually you will want some information about those calories and may be more inclined to do the individual logging.

Just start one good habit at a time. Log every day.

ETA: Don't forget to log calories for whatever you drink...soda, alcohol, creamers, etc add up quick.

Runagain_4

First of all, congratulations! Not only for sticking to it once, but for being here when times are tough. You're here, you're trying, and that's a huge part of the solution right there. Little changes make little differences that over time end up making a big difference.

I've been working out for 10 weeks, nothing crazy, just 3 HIIT sessions a week and walking 5-6 km 3 or 4 times a week. I juice every day. I force myself to drink 2 glasses of water in the morning before I do anything else. I drink water throughout the day. 5 weeks ago I started logging my food. All little differences that I can fit into my daily routine without turning my life upside down.

For the first six weeks of working out I didn't lose a single lb. But I kept at it. I started taking my measurements. Even that was slow to budge. After I started logging, I started losing. Slowly. I've only lost 5 lbs since I started (it only shows as 3 on MFP because at first I didn't want to log it ... that meant owning up to it). I've decided now that the weight loss is a bonus. The real reward is accountability.

I'm getting my accountability by logging ... even when I've failed miserably. Like this week, when I had a conference for two days and a potluck at work. I failed at eating sensibly, but I succeeded at fully owning up to it. I logged everything; when I wasn't sure about nutritional value, I made sure to overestimate portions. It sucks to see no calorie deficit on the screen, but it kept me real and focused. I kept on exercising. When I got on the scale this morning, I was actually surprised to see my weight hadn't gone up. And that was a reward.

Now I'm back on track, despite the blip. I'm learning to congratulate myself on my successes, not my failures.
Success #1: Remaining accountable and logging (even if it shows my weaknesses).
Success #2: Keeping up with the exercise.
Success #3: Getting back on track today.
Success #4: Looking back and seeing how far I've come (e.g. 5 lbs and 9 inches overall ... who cares how long it's taken?)
Success #5: Seeing muscle definition slowly emerge after years of hiding.
Success #6: Focusing on the successes rather than the fails.

If I focus only on the 20 lbs I still have to lose, I'll be sure to get disheartened. If I focus only on the glass of wine I had last night, I'll kick myself for not being stronger. If I remain accountable and focus on my little successes, I win.

So you had an extra granola bar. Just log it and move on.

And pat yourself on the back for being accountable and not giving up. :-)

PurringMyrrh

I can't quote it since I can't recall it verbatum, but I saw a mantra type thing on here that was something like 'I'm not a go getter, I'm a not stopper'. No matter any fall backs, just don't stop in the long run. Fall, pick up, keep going, repeat.