Long Term

BarbKinney

So here goes my 99,000,000th attempt at a diet. I'm good for a few days, maybe a week but then I stop. HELP! How can I keep myself motivated long enough to finally lose this weight? Any advice for helping me to do this long term?

thanks!

traceybett

My Fitness Pal! YOu will love this site. I have been here for 40 days and feeling sooo much better! Great tools, great people to help you stay motivated.
Welcome and enjoy your weightloss journey!

SheilaSisco

Willpower (to workout), dedication (to log your food and exercise here), and a SOLID support system who will understand, love you and forgive your mistakes, and kick you in the butt when you're not following through! It worked for me.

And if you need more of a support system, feel free to friend me. I'm a good listener and always up to give you a nudge or a kick when you need it!

Brittney24

My view on dieting is that if you don't see yourself keeping the diet up forever, don't do it. For example, I was on the Atkins diet years ago, and is that maintainable for the rest of my life (high fat + protein with little carb)? No, so I gained it all back once I went off. Other diets like soup diets or liquid only diets aren't maintainable either, so why do them for a quick fix?

What I'm doing right now is eating what I still enjoy eating but either switching to more healthy substitutes (leaner meats, cheese with less fat) and measuring what I'm eating for portion control. I think the big thing to keep in mind is portions. If you want pasta, switch to whole wheat and weigh how much you're consuming to make sure you're not overconsuming. If you like pizza, instead of ordering it, why not make a healthier substitute with tortillas or pitas?

Balance is key. I've stopped dieting and focussed more so on portion control to prevent eating food that's making my body worse, not better.

jaimejean478

My view on dieting is that if you don't see yourself keeping the diet up forever, don't do it. For example, I was on the Atkins diet years ago, and is that maintainable for the rest of my life (high fat + protein with little carb)? No, so I gained it all back once I went off. Other diets like soup diets or liquid only diets aren't maintainable either, so why do them for a quick fix?

What I'm doing right now is eating what I still enjoy eating but either switching to more healthy substitutes (leaner meats, cheese with less fat) and measuring what I'm eating for portion control. I think the big thing to keep in mind is portions. If you want pasta, switch to whole wheat and weigh how much you're consuming to make sure you're not overconsuming. If you like pizza, instead of ordering it, why not make a healthier substitute with tortillas or pitas?

Balance is key. I've stopped dieting and focussed more so on portion control to prevent eating food that's making my body worse, not better.

Well said!

Friends on here, even if strangers, help SO much! Feel free to add me!

slapshotgolf

1. Realize that diet alone will make it difficult to succeed. Commit to some form of exercise, even if its just walking at first, and up the effort as you lose weight and feel stronger.

2. Track everything you eat. Everything. Commit to logging your intake - try healthy low cal substitutes wherever possible.

3. Ask for support - find people that will motivate here at MFP, share your diary, and hold yourself accountable to everyone for what you do from here.

4. Tempation happens. Ask yourself what will make yourself feel worse. Going without the "treat", or the guilt of succumbing to the "treat"? If you can't resist, fine. Start again tomorrow, don't give up.

5. Get used to being a little hungry. Bothersome at first, but you get used to it. Feeling full isn't a desired state.

Good luck - if you want to get healthy, then get healthy.

SSG.

path2a6pack

Humans are either running away from pain or gravitating towards pleasure - simple - you are always focused on the pain of the process
1- Hunger
2- Physical pain from exercising
3- Frustration
4- Discipline
5- Fear of Failure
6- Loss of comfort anti depressant binges food
7- The length of the journey
8- Restriction from nightly activities involving food
9- Lack of excessive alcohol consumption
10- Facing the truth

The amazing thing is that the mind is incapable of focusing or thinking about more than one thought at a time
so train your mind to master your thoughts
always and I truly mean always focus on the pleasure of the journey - when ever one of the 10 thoughts above manifest, switch to these thoughts
& use visualization

1- Your awesome body at the pool
2- Attraction of the other sex
3- Easy to put your shoes in the morning
4- your pants very loose while driving
5- All those who ever bet against you crushed in jealousy
6- Healthier relationship
7- Becoming a role model to your children/friends/family/ work coleagues
8- Healthy functioning body
9- Slow down aging
10- Think at 60 people think you are 40
11- Enhanced self confidence
12- Thinner will built people are more recognized for career promotions
13- One accomplishment promotes another

or build your own list
I have never ever seen my 6 pack despite many trials - a friend of mine once said: Loay, you will never ever get a 6 pack -
I am now on a journey - the difference is, I no longer want to achieve it in a week, a month or 6 month - I simply want to achieve it no matter how long, how hard and regardless of how many failures along the way - if for some reason my friend was right, I want to know I did everything within my will power to accomplish it and that is enough.

Good Luck