I suck

Tree72

Well, first off, you don't suck. This is a learning process, and you can only start from where you are.

Since you've been logging your foods, take a look back and see where you might be able to make some substitutions or reduce portion sizes. Don't try to do everything at once. For example, if you like Starbucks, try asking for 2 pumps of syrup in a grande instead of the usual 4. That will save you 50 calories right there. Or if you're doing mochas it will be even more. Of course, making coffee at home is even better since you can completely control what goes into it. That can be a longer term goal.

Don't think of this as all or nothing. It's not win or lose. It's about making better choices today than you did yesterday. Next year you'll be able to look back and be amazed at how far you've come.

Ali_TSO

Yeah, you totally don't suck. This is just the first step to the rest of your (healthy) life. My diary's not the GREATEST, but it's public if you want to look at it. My goal is 1500 cals and I've stayed within those boundaries. Feel free to add me as a friend if you'd like!

Egger29

I checked your Food Diary and noticed it contains alot of processed food which is directly linked to alot of extra calories.

Eg. Tim's Double Double is 480 calories for your one cup of coffee. By comparison, you can have black coffee and add a couple shots of your own flavoured creamer for around 30-60 calories tops. That's a 420 cal difference.

Same goes for tha Bagel Belt. You can just as easily Poach an egg and toss it in an english muffin with some non-processed cheese for 1/2 that count. You hit almost 1000 calories in those two items alone.

Alot of the other items in your log appear processed or "instant prep" items (aka convenience foods) and double portions for most as well.

Minor changes here and there can make all the difference in the world.

Cheers!

jmruef

It takes time! This is a LIFETIME change, not a temporary thing.

Be kinder to yourself. It makes me sad to see you so down on yourself for not changing your habits overnight. That's not a reasonable expectation for ANYBODY. Beating up on yourself isn't helpful.

Set reachable goals. So you're not eating within your calories - YET. Make smaller changes to start with - don't go to the bagel shop EVERY day for a week. Only go on Monday and Thursday, for example.

Go shopping and stock up on healthy stuff- fruits, veggies, etc. If you're like me and hate to cook, lean cuisine dinners (though high in sodium) are YUMMY. And EASY.

Am I completely "reformed," do I always eat healthy and think of my body first before deciding what to eat and whether or not to exercise on a given day? Nope. I love food. It tastes good and should be a pleasurable experience, and I am flat out ADDICTED to chocolate with no plans to change that in any way, shape or form. But I'm getting better OVER TIME about portion sizes and frequency of treats, and that's what's making a big difference for me.

It takes practice. And failing on occasion, and trying again. And again. AND AGAIN. Because you're so freaking worth it!

mamaboobear

wow, omg, I am floored by all the quick responses! Thank you for all the suggestions, and support! I have no problem with constructive critism regarding my diary, I love any help I can get, thats why I keep it on public. Looking at my diary, I can see that I can cut just over 200 cals a day if I just drop one of my coffees in the morning, I know portion control is a huge issue for me as well. I just quit smoking in January and since then, its seems like I've replaced cigarettes with food!!!

I'm going to take all the advice and all the other ideas I have seen on other's threads (like smaller plates etc.) and try to really buckle down. Hopefully a week from now I will be able to post in here and say I did it, I made even with my calorie goal.

hroush

Do you eat till you're full? If so, eat half of that amount and you will still feel full and it will last just as long. Drink a glass of water along with meals and it will also help.

PeachyKeene

I can relate. I have been there and it only gets worse if you don't have it cause you will overindulge in everything you eat until you get what satisfies you. Just continue to try to eat less and less of it. The more sugary, salty, fatty things you eat, the more you want of them. I find, if I eat a very healthy breakfast, it starts my day off better without the cravins of the bad stuff. It is kinda the same as quiting smoking the cravings will come less and less.

mamaboobear

wow in the time it took me to reply you all had wrote more!! i didn't realize how much processed stuff I had eaten either! funny how I am the punching these foods in and looking at my log EVERY DAY and yet I don't realize half these things are killing me until someone else points it out!

Just wanted to add, everyone seems to be reading that my one coffee is 500 cals, that is for two double doubles, I will definetly try to cut one out, and hopefully get that once switched from cream to milk at least!

mamaboobear

wow in the time it took me to reply you all had wrote more!! i didn't realize how much processed stuff I had eaten either! funny how I am the punching these foods in and looking at my log EVERY DAY and yet I don't realize half these things are killing me until someone else points it out!

Just wanted to add, everyone seems to be reading that my one coffee is 500 cals, that is for two double doubles, I will definetly try to cut one out, and hopefully get that once switched from cream to milk at least!

StephanieJ82

I looked at your diar and You should really skip the Timmys... i know it's tough. lol. I got one of those Tassimo coffee makers that makes one cup. LOVE it. and i jjust put half and half and its never over 100 cals.

Second, you should replace a lot of whay you eat with a 'healthy' version. Like the italian sausages.... i started buying Tailgate brand turkey italian sausage.... cut back on canned foods like the soups that are LOADED with soduin and make it your self.

And finally, plan your meals ahead of time and enter it all at the start of the day.... Then when you see you are going over you can adjust ect.

Good luck, you can do it!

Hollycat

Sounds like you're panicking. Which usually means, you're worried about deprivation.

"What if I can NEVER have this or that?"

Well...you can. Who's stopping you?

It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

Also sounds like dieting is a 'temporary' thing in your mind...."Once I get to my goal weight, I can eat again."
Well...the truth is, you can eat what you want now. Nobody is stopping you. That doesn't mean you deliberately [or mindlessly] eat over your calories, it just means you choose to eat what you want within your calorie range.

Once you accept that battling the bulge is a lifetime, daily battle, it really doesn't matter anymore how long it takes, as long as you keep fighting each day. Some days you lose, some days you win. If the overall war is won, then who cares how long it takes to get there?

My BMR is about 2200 cal./day. I figure a net 700 calorie deficit each day will result in a pound lost every 5 days [700X5=3500]. This is an AVERAGE and the VERY BEST I can expect. Potentially, I could lose 73 pounds this year. Realistically, probably not. There will always be cake and Christmas.

If, however, I look at this as something I just do everyday [record everything I eat in MFP, record my exercise, try to achieve a 700 calorie deficit each day], then the majority of those days, I'll be successful. The battles I win will outnumber the battles I don't win. It doesn't really matter if there are a few days where I'm not successful and lose the battle with major casualties [e.g. I eat half a cheesecake]. If my overall net calories result in a significant deficit, the overall war will eventually be won.

I try to limit my calories and balance my blood sugars like this:
Breakfast: 200 calories
Snack: 100 calories
Lunch: 300-500 calories
Snack: 100 calories
Dinner: 300-500 calories
Snack: 200-300 calories
TOTAL: 1200-1700 calories/day

For practical ideas on what to eat, visit HungryGirl.com.

Enter the food you plan to eat that day in the morning....that way you have a chance to see ahead of time what the end of the day will look like...

Hollycat
:flowerforyou:

Ali_TSO

I looked at your diar and You should really skip the Timmys... i know it's tough. lol. I got one of those Tassimo coffee makers that makes one cup. LOVE it. and i jjust put half and half and its never over 100 cals.

Second, you should replace a lot of whay you eat with a 'healthy' version. Like the italian sausages.... i started buying Tailgate brand turkey italian sausage.... cut back on canned foods like the soups that are LOADED with soduin and make it your self.

And finally, plan your meals ahead of time and enter it all at the start of the day.... Then when you see you are going over you can adjust ect.

Good luck, you can do it!

Yeah, I agree. Also, there's a lot of bread, etc...try switching to pita pockets, or tortillas for wraps! You'll cut out a LOT of cals that way. Also... I saw there's 0 water on each day. Are you forgetting to log it, or are you truly not drinking ANY water?

jennw912

I think you just have to evaluate what it is your eating. There's all kinds of things you can change, number 1 is WATER, WATER, WATER! Try and just have 1 caffienated drink a day and if you get sick of water, then get "fruit" water!! I know how hard it can be! You can change your bread to a low cal bread, mainly wheats, you can replace those high carb snacks(which will still make you feel hungry) with cheese sticks, yogurt or a veges. Its just basically traning your brain to NOT choose the high cal snacks. I buy a ton of the 100 cal snacks. If you just remember to tell yourself that those high fat, high cal foods taste yummy, but make you feel icky afterwards, eventually you will find your will power to only eat those kinds of things every once in a while!

nirsky

Here is how I would look at it"

Think that your doctor told you that you will die within one year unless you lose weight, start working out, and heating healthy.
Think about all the people you love, and how they will feel without you in their life.

You CAN DO IT. change your mind. make it a TOP PRIORITY!

Make small goal, and repeat everyday!
Add me a your friend, I will push you hard, and make sure you are on track.

Good luck, only YOU can do it !

nirsky

Also look at all the people and their pic.
Some of them where over 250lb and now they have 6-pack....Crazzyyyy.....takes time,,,,,but YOU CAN DO IT !

mamaboobear

thanks for the kick in the *kitten* everyone. You are all right, I need to make the decisions, no one else can do it for me. I know when I'm eating something thats going to put me in the red, and I know when I'm eating right. the buck stops here right

MistyMtnMan

I just wanted to add my 2 cents for some extra help in case no one mentioned this yet which I think they already have.

Lose that "double double" thing first of all. Very high in calories for just coffee. That's like the equivalent to 4 eggs, a couple slices of turkey bacon and a piece of fruit. That would keep you a lot fuller LONGER and better for you than just the coffee and donut or whatever it is.

Also, almost everyday you are eating some sort of processed meat or lunch meat. Keep this stuff to a minimum. You should mainly be eating lean chicken, ground turkey or low sodium turkey breast or canned light tuna in water. A LOT better and you can eat more of it.

Watch any WHITE things as well. White bread, white sugar, white flour. All bad for you and will keep fat on.

Mix in a low fat protein shake as well for a filling high protein snack to get you through longer periods of not eating. Almonds are also an excellent snack. Raw unsalted ones mind you.

You just need to tweek somethings but it will take time. Just stick with it and you WILL succeed.

DSeawood

Well, generaly peole start out good from the beginning, but you must be the opposite. Try gettd about it.

MistyMtnMan

Well, generaly peole start out good from the beginning, but you must be the opposite. Try gettd about it.

Wrong.
Sorry but I have to disagree with you. If people started out good from the beginning there would be no point in even having this site around. Almost EVERYONE one here needs or needed to adjust their diet in some way. That's what this whole place is about. You must be doing something wrong too if you're on here trying to lose weight.

Jessique

I was miserable for the first week cos it takes a while to get into this healthy living kick

Stretch your calories so you can eat more!! home made soups, swap meat for veggies where possible, drink plenty of water and have fruity snacks at hand to give yourself a sugar kick when you're feeling low

And don't say you suck!!!, you're trying to make a change thats something to be proud of, it'll take a bit of time but you get there, don't give up!

hotvessi

It took me 2-3 weeks to start changing my habits. Take it one day at a time and stop judging yourself.

Here are some things that helped me. Portions were a huge eye-opener for me. I'm not giving up chocolate or cheese.

cupped palm = 1oz of nuts
cupped palm = 2 oz of pretzels
index finger = 1 oz of cheese
size of palm = 3 oz of poultry

You can google these to find what foods are relevant to your taste.

I love bagels! I have been buying wheat bagel thins (110) and whipped cream cheese (70-90) and that satisfies the craving and fills you up. I also gave up starbucks and have switched to nescafe, instant coffee, iced with milk in the am. It tends to fill me up, plus you get all the calcium and don't OD on calories from a cup of coffee.

I also have cheat days and don't weigh in every week.

mamaboobear

thanks again for all the replys. I will take everything you all say, and update you in a week, hopefully i will have a much better diary for you to look at then!

Pebble321

That's a much better attitude!
Don't beat yourself up and don't feel you have to change everything at once.
Just logging your food is a really big acheivement, it makes it much easier to see where the calories are coming from.
I find that it is easiest if I plan ahead what I will be eating. Then if I'm craving something, I can have a look at my diary for the day and see what I have already planned to eat. Often I can distract myself by eating a snack or meal that I've planned. Or I work out what I will have to drop off in order to fit in something else.
You don't have to give up everything you crave, but eating just half of it is a really good place to start. And if you are like me you have an inbuilt feeling that you shouldn't "waste food"! I think you just have to let this go and if you eat half of something and throw it in the bin, that is not a waste, that is a victory!
Good luck!

MistyMtnMan

thanks again for all the replys. I will take everything you all say, and update you in a week, hopefully i will have a much better diary for you to look at then!

Can't wait to hear. Hang in there, you got this.

mrscjwilson

If I get a craving like that I will go ahead and have it, but only a small portion of it... So maybe if you want that bagel just have half. If you cut your portion sizes down that will help, and eventually you will figure out the foods that you can have more of versus the "bad" stuff, lol. Start with little changes and sure enough you will get there!

Perfect advice! Having lost 135 lbs myself this is exactly what I had to do...it will work slowly but surely! Dont beat yourself this is a life adjustment and it takes time to take back control of that part of our mind....I still struggle, but Im determined never to gain that 135 back...good luck!

nettle1

Don't worry too much, I also suck right now. I did very well at the start of the year but went on holiday for three weeks and gave up. I'm finding it really hard to get my motivation back. I am struggling to stick to 1200 cals a day and used to exercise a fair bit to give me some more calories to play with but I sprained my ankle a few weeks ago and now can't run or do anything much which is very frustrating.

propjetprop

I have reposted this several times, but a few people have really enjoyed it and IT WORKS.... try it!

1. IT IS OK TO BE HUNGRY... The sooner you accept this fact the sooner you will shed the lbs. You are changing your metabolism and habits, and you body is going to fight you... you have to control this and tell yourself every second of every day that it is ok to be hungry.... Make sure you are sticking to your caloric intake to stay healthy, but accept hunger... HUNGER PANGS ARE FAT LEAVING THE BODY!

2. EAT LIKE A CAVEMAN.... what I mean by this is if caveman had access to it or could make it you CAN eat it... if cave man could not access or make it, you CAN NOT eat it.... Very simply, our bodies are designed through evolution to be hunter/gatherers... we hike 20 miles, kill an animal, eat it and repeat... So stay away from the processed foods.... ALL processed foods... If you look at the ingredients and can not understand, read or comprehend at one glance what is in it... DO NOT EAT IT..

3. When you feel hungry, start chugging water... if it is not "time" to eat and you feel hungry your body might actually be slightly dehydrated. The water will satisfly the hunger pang temporarily and along with an apple or a a small veggi snack you will make it to your next meal...

4. EAT BEFORE YOU EAT.... If you are going to be in a place that is tempting, ie: out with friends, at a party, holidays, etc. Eat cave man food before you put yourself in that situation.. Example: You are going to meet friends for a night out.. you know you will be around good food and drinks... before you leave the house chow down on a pouch of tuna, smoked salmon, bowl of soup, instant rice, etc.. something, anything, so when you sit down to dinner or are at the party you are not "Starving" and you order food that is appropriate for YOU!

5. ALWAYS HAVE FOOD WITH YOU... this might mean you have to carry a fanny pack or purse/satchel, but it works.. keep it loaded with good stuff.... dried fruit, nuts, grapes, pouch of tuna, can of chicken, etc... if you feel temped to go in the convience store while pumping gas or cruzing the airport, grab your gut to remind yourself why your are doing this and then eat the good stuff you have with you, not the crap you could buy at the kiosk.... Check out my signature picture... I am an airline pilot and I carry that bag full of good stuff that last me 4-5 days on the road!

Mom2rh

First of all, you don't suck. You are trying to make healthy changes in your life. You don't say what your starting weight is, what your goal weight is or anything like that so in depth analysis is tough. But I would suggest a few things:

Take baby steps. If you drink a lot of sodas or other things with empty calories commit to making that one change. If you can't go cold turkey to water, try diet soda or crystal light or bubbly water. Look at your food diary and pick one thing right now you can change. Then build on that. Baby steps.

While you are doing that, make sure you have taken your before pictures and measurements. Really figure out what your motivation is. MFP is a tool to help with a lifestyle change. Not a deprivation diet. Once you are really committed to making the changes in your life, it will come easier and won't feel like deprivation.

Read the message boards a lot. Read the Success Stories. Read the nutrition topics. You will get a lot of varying opinions but you will be educating yourself and seeing what other people are doing successfully and how they are doing it.

And the last thing I would say is plan your meals. I have changed the way I eat. What I eat. How often I eat. I eat all day long. But I snack on apples, string cheese, carrots and hummus. Occasionally, I will throw in a protein or fiber bar. I drink lots of water. But in the first few weeks, what helped was going to the grocery store and getting all the things I needed.

OK...really the last thing...you can do it. You just have to dig for that discipline.

Good luck.

leighton1245

I have reposted this several times, but a few people have really enjoyed it and IT WORKS.... try it!

1. IT IS OK TO BE HUNGRY... The sooner you accept this fact the sooner you will shed the lbs. You are changing your metabolism and habits, and you body is going to fight you... you have to control this and tell yourself every second of every day that it is ok to be hungry.... Make sure you are sticking to your caloric intake to stay healthy, but accept hunger... HUNGER PANGS ARE FAT LEAVING THE BODY!

2. EAT LIKE A CAVEMAN.... what I mean by this is if caveman had access to it or could make it you CAN eat it... if cave man could not access or make it, you CAN NOT eat it.... Very simply, our bodies are designed through evolution to be hunter/gatherers... we hike 20 miles, kill an animal, eat it and repeat... So stay away from the processed foods.... ALL processed foods... If you look at the ingredients and can not understand, read or comprehend at one glance what is in it... DO NOT EAT IT..

3. When you feel hungry, start chugging water... if it is not "time" to eat and you feel hungry your body might actually be slightly dehydrated. The water will satisfly the hunger pang temporarily and along with an apple or a a small veggi snack you will make it to your next meal...

4. EAT BEFORE YOU EAT.... If you are going to be in a place that is tempting, ie: out with friends, at a party, holidays, etc. Eat cave man food before you put yourself in that situation.. Example: You are going to meet friends for a night out.. you know you will be around good food and drinks... before you leave the house chow down on a pouch of tuna, smoked salmon, bowl of soup, instant rice, etc.. something, anything, so when you sit down to dinner or are at the party you are not "Starving" and you order food that is appropriate for YOU!

5. ALWAYS HAVE FOOD WITH YOU... this might mean you have to carry a fanny pack or purse/satchel, but it works.. keep it loaded with good stuff.... dried fruit, nuts, grapes, pouch of tuna, can of chicken, etc... if you feel temped to go in the convience store while pumping gas or cruzing the airport, grab your gut to remind yourself why your are doing this and then eat the good stuff you have with you, not the crap you could buy at the kiosk.... Check out my signature picture... I am an airline pilot and I carry that bag full of good stuff that last me 4-5 days on the road!

WOW you are mostly wrong!! but there is some good info in there. Its never okay to be hungry because when you are your body is shutting down it has absoultly nothing to do with FAT leaving the body. The best way to make fat "leave your body" is workout and eating heathy and ALL!!!! the time you shouldnt ever be hungry. Now you are correct in saying that you need to have good healthy foods with you all the time I personlly carry 1 gallon of water and fresh fruit every where I go. Also you are correct in saying no processed food those just pack bad calories and tons of sodium on to your body and bloat you all kinds of bad stuff. Everyone that is trying to live a healthy lifestyle should be consuming way more then just 8 glasses of water a day that is the min but if you are hungry you SHOULDNT be chugging water you shuold be but eating healthy. I am a endurance athlete and have 9% BF and out of everything that I have ever tried there is no magic key that works for everyone so KEEP YOU Body guessing and keep it fueled and it will be very rewarding.

leighton1245

I have reposted this several times, but a few people have really enjoyed it and IT WORKS.... try it!

1. IT IS OK TO BE HUNGRY... The sooner you accept this fact the sooner you will shed the lbs. You are changing your metabolism and habits, and you body is going to fight you... you have to control this and tell yourself every second of every day that it is ok to be hungry.... Make sure you are sticking to your caloric intake to stay healthy, but accept hunger... HUNGER PANGS ARE FAT LEAVING THE BODY!

2. EAT LIKE A CAVEMAN.... what I mean by this is if caveman had access to it or could make it you CAN eat it... if cave man could not access or make it, you CAN NOT eat it.... Very simply, our bodies are designed through evolution to be hunter/gatherers... we hike 20 miles, kill an animal, eat it and repeat... So stay away from the processed foods.... ALL processed foods... If you look at the ingredients and can not understand, read or comprehend at one glance what is in it... DO NOT EAT IT..

3. When you feel hungry, start chugging water... if it is not "time" to eat and you feel hungry your body might actually be slightly dehydrated. The water will satisfly the hunger pang temporarily and along with an apple or a a small veggi snack you will make it to your next meal...

4. EAT BEFORE YOU EAT.... If you are going to be in a place that is tempting, ie: out with friends, at a party, holidays, etc. Eat cave man food before you put yourself in that situation.. Example: You are going to meet friends for a night out.. you know you will be around good food and drinks... before you leave the house chow down on a pouch of tuna, smoked salmon, bowl of soup, instant rice, etc.. something, anything, so when you sit down to dinner or are at the party you are not "Starving" and you order food that is appropriate for YOU!

5. ALWAYS HAVE FOOD WITH YOU... this might mean you have to carry a fanny pack or purse/satchel, but it works.. keep it loaded with good stuff.... dried fruit, nuts, grapes, pouch of tuna, can of chicken, etc... if you feel temped to go in the convience store while pumping gas or cruzing the airport, grab your gut to remind yourself why your are doing this and then eat the good stuff you have with you, not the crap you could buy at the kiosk.... Check out my signature picture... I am an airline pilot and I carry that bag full of good stuff that last me 4-5 days on the road!

WOW you are mostly wrong!! but there is some good info in there. Its never okay to be hungry because when you are your body is shutting down it has absoultly nothing to do with FAT leaving the body. The best way to make fat "leave your body" is workout and eating heathy and ALL!!!! the time. You shouldnt ever be hungry, now you are correct in saying that you need to have good healthy foods with you all the time I personlly carry 1 gallon of water and fresh fruit every where I go. Also you are correct in saying no processed food those just pack bad calories and tons of sodium on to your body and bloat you all kinds of bad stuff. Everyone that is trying to live a healthy lifestyle should be consuming way more then just 8 glasses of water a day that is the min but if you are hungry you SHOULDNT be chugging water you shuold be but eating healthy. I am a endurance athlete and have 9% BF and out of everything that I have ever tried there is no magic key that works for everyone so KEEP YOU Body guessing and keep it fueled and it will be very rewarding.