It's sad that......

Msaip

I just can't picture myself keeping this up after i reach my goal weight. It's not something that I am into? Yes I feel motivated to keep losing since I feel good about myself. As far as fitness goes I WILL continue that. But for the eating portion. I feel like Im giving up too much of what I love. And its not really bad things that I enjoy eating. Ill allow a cheat day or two which has worked so far. But how do I change what doesn't seem possible to change? Anyone else having these issues? Trouble giving up what you love? How do you detour yourself? I don't want to have to hit the weight loss trail ever again after this is done with!

FearAnLoathing

I dont give up anything,I just cut back.

Bakins929

Look at your avatar. If that isn't enough motivation, I don't know what is...

foxxybrown

What have you given up that you feel you can't have? Moderation is the key.

SarahWrittenThin

you don't have to give up the foods you love, you just can't eat a ton of the really bad foods. keep working out and eating "mostly" healthy and you will be fine.

NicolCook

I dont give up anything,I just cut back.

I do the same! I eat whatever I want......just not as much or as often.

jennywrens

I've not given anything up - I've made a point not to - but then I don't have cheat days either!

I work my treats in to my daily allowance and so far I'm really motivated (6 weeks in - would usually have given up by now!!). Why don't you give yourself a week or two cutting out cheat days but allowing a little of what you want within your daily allowance - do some extra exercise if it helps get you what you want! See how you feel then!!

MooseWizard

I have not denied myself anything, but rather keep them in moderation and 'budget' for them. I am also finding new things to love, and so the trade offs are much less severe. Don't be afraid to try new things. I have also discovered my tastes have changed. Many sweets are simply taste too rich to me now, and I just don't want them. In addition, remember that when you are ready for maintenance, your daily caloric intake will increase and so you will not to be as strict on limiting the foods you love.

coahdan

I have found with my clients that there is quite a bit of "giving up what you love" to reach the goal weight/physique and then there is moderation and monitoring to maintain what you've achieved.

If you track your weight weekly you can very easily knock a couple pounds off if they creep back up on you.

And like they say, nothing tastes as good as being thin feels.

I was having a rough time with not eating what I wanted to over the weekend, but when I weighed in this morning I was thrilled with the number on the scale. As long as you are giving things up for a reason you don't have to feel like you are depriving yourself.

Dan

starboardzor

I gave up fast food, which I thought I loved. Then I had it over the weekend. What did I see in it? It's god awful. Other than fast food, I haven't given up ANYTHING. I just do a lot more math than I used to.

willimh

You have to want it bad enough to really do it and stay committed to it. Look at it as a life or death situation. You can do it. It is a struggle at first and that struggle does last a while. Use your portion control and how many days a week you allow yourself to go there.

Dawntodusk

Often if you give up what you love, later you find that you don't love it after all. Your tastes change, and you begin to only want what is good for you.

Matchamatcha

You don't necessarily need to give up eating any of the things you love. I certainly haven't. Just eat smaller portions. Or if you want to eat more, earn some exercise calories. Also when your settings are at 'maintaining weight' you will have a couple-several hundred more calories to work with every day, so there's that

Msaip

I love popcorn and anything salty. chips are a huge weakness for me. I just feel like i'm wading through mud. Where does the motivation to keep going after all is done? I had the same problem last time i lost weight. Lost 50 lbs before my wedding then completely stopped afterwards and stopped eating healthy. the weight came back and also a baby! I feel so ashamed that I have let myself go, yet im proud of what i have acheived so far. Sorry If i am not making any sense....my brain feels jumbled right now

BflSaberfan

Right now you are in the weight loss phase.....restricting calories. Once you get the maintenance phase and realize you can eat an extra 500 calories a day again you will be able to enjoy those things again.

For what its worth I lost 50 lbs while eating chicken fingers and drinking mudslides. :flowerforyou: I have to live a little!

ShellyMacchi

i give up nothing... so... nope, i cannot relate i am afraid.
That was what i was ;like in the past though... could not wait for th 'diet' to be over so i could eat what i liked again. But now? there is such a world of difference i cannot begin to compare. Now i simply make healthy choices, find ways to have the things i love, just in a healthier way *S* Yes, i cook more from scratch now (and as a result saving lots of $ cause no longer contributing to 3 or 4 restaurants per week like i used to *L*

But this time... it's different than all the times in the past.. this time i am eating to get healthy first and foremost, for now that also means losing weight, but i can easily foretell i will have no trouble contiinuiing to eat this same way (just more of it) once i am at the weight my body needs for optimum health *S*

good luck in your journey! *S*

edited to add:
i have found that by cutting out most sodium (my daily limit is now 1500mg, as a health choice as i have high blood pressure), i no longer crave salty foods.
i also cut out all refined and artificial sweeteners except for the occasional use of honey..and i now no longer crave sweets either.
Both were HUGE stumbling blocks for me in the past)

(feel free to have a look at my diary if you wish.. it's public *S*)

chevy88grl

Honestly.. I haven't given up any specific food. If I want something, I eat it. We recently celebrated our re-grand opening at work and they had cake in the breakroom for it. I LOVE cake and wasn't going to eat it - but I decided I really wanted a piece. So, I found the smallest piece they had, cut the frosting off it, and went ahead and ate it. I made sure I logged into my food diary for the day and I went to the gym that night to absolve some of the guilt I felt over eating it. You don't have to give up things you enjoy to be successful at this - you have to simply learn to eat them in moderation.

elmct57

you can try finding new lower carb foods to love besides portion control on your faves...glad you're going to keep going on the exercise.

sharonuk10

I have not given up anything. Portion control works. IF you deny yourself things you enjoy then as you said you won't stick with this and WILL no doubt put weight back on. OH wait I gave up pop but that was before doing this as I had cut it back to one a day. I do not miss pop at all and I hardly ever eat fast food because it made me sick when I last had it over a year and half ago. I do not do so called cheat days either. I do eat out, I have chocolate, I have cake, I have cookies.. not always and not alot. Portion and moderation.

Beebs33

Also, once you hit your goal weight it is easier to eat a little more of what you think you "can't" eat. Not saying go overboard but I know many people who hit their goal and they are just a little more laxed because the weight stays off because they are still exercising and making good choice for the most part. When I hit my goal weight I'm going to go to Taco Bell...lol:) I haven't had it in forever!

rmhand

Sounds like you are dieting, not making life style changes. Remember that you want to teach your daughter how to eat well so she has a long healthy life. I have found the "favorite" things that I have "given up" really aren't that good after I have tried new foods or if I do want them I don't want them in such large portions. My own success gives me strength to stop eating the cookies and not buy the Little Debbies.

superstarcassie

I also have not given up foods. I try to modify things I like, make healthier versions of meals, or eat a smaller portion of the things I like. Heck, sometimes I just have what I want. Think of the weight loss as more of a lifestyle change. I know that I can NEVER go back to eating how I used to before losing weight. I wouldn't want to. Even when I eat whatever I want, I know it is still FAR less than I ever used to eat on a normal day! You just have to find out how modifying your diet will work in your life and stick with it! For me- I exercise because it makes me feel good, strong, and more fit....but in reality, I also like to exercise so I can eat more food within my diet calories. Find something that motivates you to keep going!

elyse0210

I still eat whatever I want however I eat those foods in moderation and in smaller portions. I find it harder to give up on something because then I'll have a tendency to binge on it. I've also noticed that my body rejects most junk food and I don't want to eat it anymore. What motivated you to lose weight in the first place? Maybe you can revist that and keep it as a constant motivation.

poustotah

Here's my motivation:

If I put my weight back on, if I let myself go, if I go back to my old eating habits, I will kill myself. I will die an early death after some doctor has cut off my legs and I have to shoot up insulin 2, 3, 4 times a day.

Is that an exageration? Absolutely not. Diabetes runs in my family - a preventable disease is killing my father right now and I refuse to let it work on me.

In addition to that, I feel freakin awesome now. I have energy to keep up with my 3 (soon to be 4) kids. They no longer have to ask, "mom, can we go to the park?" and listen to me tell them no because I'm too tired. You want motivation? Picture telling your baby no to everything they ask and then picture the look on their face at how disappointed they are that mom can't play with them. Better yet, picture not being able to see at all because being obese - a choice that was made - ends up shortening your life.

KristenSyrenne

I never had to worry about eating before so it is hard to try and change now. I love food and I love to eat and I always feel hungry. I am trying to be more healthy and I hope to get my metabolism going so I can eat more. I want to eat wings and beer on wing night, I want to eat the lasagna when we go out, I want to have the cake to celebrate a special occasion and I'm in love with ice cream. I don't always want to say no and I enjoy life by eating what I want. So I cut out the things I can live without and started to make healthier choices with choosing whole grain drinking more water and so on (if you are eating a treat and it is not as good as you thought... don't finish it) and I workout like crazy (I enjoy workingout and being strong). I am still having a hard time though, but I think with time it will get better. I'm just going to try and make little changes to be healthy which feels good! Moderation is the key and finding what works for you. Everyone is different.

lil_missfit

Girl....I love chocolate and allow myself to have a 50 calorie mini chocolate nugget everyday:)) I don't do cheat days either bc for me personally I take it to the extreme and could easily put a pound on depending on what I eat ( one fast food place can do that on a cheat day). I just set some calories to the side for a treat...not a cheat:))

Over all my dear...you need to love your body being and staying healthy more than you love food:)) moderation is the key:))