I'm tired of this

sweetsarahj

I’m tired of thinking about everything I put in my mouth. I’m not tired of eating healthy- I actually really enjoy healthy food. But I am tired of battling with myself over a couple scoops of ice cream and planning every single thing I eat. It just feels never-ending, even when I have reached my goal, I feel like my brain will be MFP-programmed to calculate the nutritional value of every single morsel of food. I’ve got two dinners out planned this week- a friend is visiting from out of town who I only see a few times a year, and he always takes me to a very nice restaurant (there are not many good restaurants where he lives). And I am taking one of my best friends out to dinner for his birthday. I just want to enjoy these meals without stressing that I'm setting myself back. I've already gained back some weight from not adhering closely enough to my diet over the past week.

I'm so tired of all this

LaurieBLouise

please don't give up yourself.

bkube01

"Nothing tastes as good as thin feels."

tryinghard2012

Sorry you feel so tired. :ohwell:

Everyone has to struggle with something. And in order to succeed there needs to be sacrifice.

I'd rather eat healthy and be fit than be boggled down with figuring out what healthcare plan will cover me. How I will pay for my high blood pressure, diabetes and other weight related illness medication.

Nothing in life is easy..... Feel better :flowerforyou:

allfoodsfit

I totally understand where you are coming from. I have been in the same boat for many years. To me it feels like if I don't calculate everything, then I don't have control. You can do it though....don't give up. Take baby steps every day!!

Godzirra

My first suggestion is to stop stressing. I'm a big guy and I have been for a while... I just started eating better again, and have lost 8 pounds in the 3 weeks since I've started. Since I've started, I've eaten ice cream, cake, cobbler, etc.

The trick is to NOT stress about it, but just eat less when you have something that's bad for you. Its that simple. But to stop stressing is super important... people gain weight just based on that.

Good luck!

Hernandezedw

If you're eating healthy and sensibly, you don't have to worry so much about counting calories. Eventually, it'll become second nature. You'll be accustomed to eating the right amount and you'll kind of know you've eaten more/worse than you should. Just do some extra exercise that day.

MB_Positif

Ok...first, stop stressing about everything. Two, enjoy your meals out this week. You can indulge intelligently by keeping the rest of those days light. As far as the stressing...don't look at is constant calculations. Just look at it as second nature. I realized recently the reason I was thin growing up was because my mom was a light eater. I didn't pack on pounds until I was eating ridiculous portions of everything all day. Don't deprive yourself, just consider the amount You've got this...

OntheShrink

OMG... I understand. I just went to NY this past weekend and I honestly didn't behave myself. But you can always take a walk after and talk with your friend. At least that way you can burn a little bit of what you ate. You can have it all really just have half and take a walk is my routine.

tam120

I'm with ya. I get tired of worrying about it. I just want to be normal and sometimes I feel like this isn't normal. Weighing everything, worrying about it all the time - how is that normal?
But nevertheless it's important so just do the best you can and don't beat yourself up if you're not perfect.

UpEarly

Have you thought about changing your planned rate of loss to 1/2 pound a week? That's what I do! I've lost 15 pounds since April 10th, without ever feeling deprived or like I'm 'dieting'. To tell the truth, I eat ice cream several times a week with any battling! It just fits easily into my nutritional plan. (as do cheeseburgers, pizza and cupcakes!)

Maybe if you choose a slower path, it will be easier to stick with it and make a permanent lifestyle change.

darseneau

I understand. Every year I get older it gets even harder. I am tired of it too. I was thinking the same thing, because I feel like I work so hard and it has taken me 9 months to lose 7lbs. Then I remind myself that this is just how my life is, and I can choose. If I didn't work so hard I probably would have gained 5lbs this year rather than lose 7lbs. I picture what I would feel like and how unhappy I would be if I didn't work so hard. That keeps me going. No matter how tired of it I am, I would be even more tired and sick of it if I was 12 lbs heavier right now.

Chubbers6

You need to reward yourself ! Don't get down on yourself, you can always get back on track, don't beat yourself up about what you may have done or not done in the past, one step in front of the other and look ahead. Have your week with your friends and just stay on track the days you can, then commit and get back into it when you are able to. We all have setbacks.......we all get discouraged, but looking back can't change anything..........you must look forward. You can do it......... !

lanenalatina

Don't be so hard on urself we are all human and we make mistakes, Just take one day at a time, if you going out to eat two times this week you have 5 more days to be good and just keep doing what you doing. You didn't gain all the weight u did in one night right? so you are not going to loose the weight you want to loose overnight. It will take time for you to get use to. And once you are on track on ur routine lacking of one day or two won't kill you. So just don't give up shake it off and keep going.



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rileysowner

An occasional meal or even day of just eating whatever is fine. I do that occasionally, and have even been known to do a whole week like that. Sure I put on weight when I do that, but it keeps me sane and allows me to enjoy birthdays, anniversaries, and the like.

roknmom

OMGOSH!! i hear ya...it gets to the point where i just want to yell ENOUGH already...then the self deprecation sets in and i'm like why do I have to be fat and have weight problems..why can't i get skinny by just not eating like my friends...why don't i have the will power to just not eat like everyone else...why can't i ever, ever, ever get it right??
I don't ever let on to anyone how I feel...the second i get up it's on my mind right till i close my eyes...
I want this to be done with already...why can't i do a fad diet and have it work like everyone else I know...I realized that every single morning for the past 3 years i have started a diet...and I am now bigger than I have ever been!
My intentions are good...I am so knowledged on nutrition, diet, exercise etc. yet i am a flubber blubber! I am in my prime...got 3 gorgeous boys...yet i purposely hide myself cuz i am so ashamed. Yet talking to me, and being with me no one would ever know how upset and depressed I am .... WHAT CAN'T I JUST BE NORMAL???? :-(

SlimDownDani

Don't become defeated. It’s all about moderation. On a day you know you might indulge in foods that are higher in calorie content go for 30 minutes longer at the gym. Or maybe split a really sumptuous meal with a friend. There are ways to still enjoy things you love and stay on track. The worst thing you can do is completely deprive yourself. I feel like that is when people completely fall off the wagon and binge out on everything they are missing.
It’s so easy to get tired of the same boring meals. There are so many amazing recipes that taste like a gourmet meal with ½ the fat. Keep your eyes open and you’ll be pleasantly surprised with what you may find.
Good Luck! If you ever need some extra support you can always feel free to message me! I have felt the same exact way before.

manorexicmarshmallow

I feel like once you reach your goal weight you need to put some routines into your life to make sure you are eating healthy and exercising regularly, and that once you do, you can stop obsessing so much about what you eat or how much you exercise and just fall into a healthy routine and not worry about it so much.

Once I reach my weight, I am going to try to maintain a regular walking regime, eat healthy during lunch and avoid unhealthy snacks. Hopefully, that will allow myself to coast...

icerose137

Find healthier versions of what you eat. My favorite "ice cream" recipe is 2 frozen bananas, 1/4c frozen juice concentrate (Pick one that compliments banana flavor), 1/4c almond milk (you can use milk if you can eat it, I can't) blend in a blender. It's the best feeling soft serve icecream ever. It makes 4 servings each serving is very generous, it's a fruit serving and it's only 78 calories. No guilt, no stress, very satisfying. I made gluten free thin mints this past weekend. normal sized cookies dipped in minty chocolate less than 70 calories a cookie. Even my picky husband begged me for a second batch and told me it tastes just like the real thing only softer, which is a bonus to him because he hates hard cookies but adores thin mints.

No stress involved. Be creative and find ways to make what you love without the caloric load of their overbloated commercial counterparts. It is totally doable. As for the restaurant start by dividing your plate in half and putting one half in a take home bag. Order something that isn't loaded with fat, start with your veggies and you'll do fine. Good luck and enjoy your dinner with your friend.

LorinaLynn

How about a compromise? Take one or two days completely off from logging. I've been doing that the past few weeks. I log faithfully during the week, and wing it on the weekends. I still eat moderately, but I don't count calories, don't think "Is that four ounces of chicken, or six?" etc.

It *is* a pain in the tush to count everything. It's not something I want to do forever. I feel that once I'm in the habit of eating normal portions and incorporating a lot of healthy foods in my daily menus, I shouldn't need to. And neither should you.

Logging is kind of a crutch. A very, very helpful crutch, but still a crutch. A crutch is something you absolutely need at times, but it's job is to get you to the point where you don't need it.

Janet39

My advice for what it is worth

Be as good as you can all day then, Eat It, Enjoy It, and Forget It.

But make sure you are back on track by the morning.

This is only for special occassions, the type you don't get every week.

If it is something you do all the time you wlll have to compensate with exercise and cutting back elsewhere.

sweetsarahj

I'm not giving up. It's not even an option. I guess what I want is some time off from this. The brutal thing is, I can't have any time off, I know it will set me back.

Thanks for all your suggestions. I lose less than 1/2 pound per week as it is, since I am close to my target weight. And I get the whole 'everything in moderation" but my reality is when I eat (even small portions) of bad foods, I either gain or stop losing. This is what happens when you get close to your target weight. There is an even smaller margin for error.

I exercise a lot, I am currently doing Insanity in the mornings and also jog in the evenings about 4x week. I'm getting enough cals, and i am slowly losing, but whenver I fall off the MFP wagon for one or two days, (like this weekend, where I was staying at someone else's house) I lose the ground I've gained. And it takes four days of meticulous logging to get back on track. I just know, I'll get to my target weight, then I'll eat a cookie and explode.

BethanyMasters

I know exactly how you feel. Counting calories and weighing and measuring things is probably the most aggravating thing about trying to lose weight. I'd exercise all day every day (if I had the time) if it meant that I didn't have to stress out about the nutrient contents of everything I put in my mouth.

It's times like your having that I tend to fall of the wagon and kudos to you for coming to the forums for support.

Perhaps take a short break from the weighing and measuring and counting. Continue to make good food decisions and exercise.




Also for the "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." people out there. Please with all due respect for love of my sanity knock it off. A good portion of us have NO idea what it's like to be skinny, we can imagine but that's not really good enough. A big ol cookie or brownie is instant gratification and most of us didn't get this way by saying no to instant satisfaction. It's a tough battle to say no to something you know will feel good right NOW instead of something that you imagine will feel good months or years down the road.

LorinaLynn

Also for the "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." people out there. Please with all due respect for love of my sanity knock it off. A good portion of us have NO idea what it's like to be skinny, we can imagine but that's not really good enough. A big ol cookie or brownie is instant gratification and most of us didn't get this way by saying no to instant satisfaction. It's a tough battle to say no to something you know will feel good right NOW instead of something that you imagine will feel good months or years down the road.

I've been skinny. The cookie is better. :laugh:

But it's best when you're strong and fit and eat well 90% of the time, so you can still enjoy the cookie when you really want it.

laceylovespink

i had a big message wrote out but it has to be inside of you. none of us can change that. I am prefer to have the MFP mindset rather than missing out on life because I feel to fat and fogged out to do anything.

sweetsarahj

I know exactly how you feel. Counting calories and weighing and measuring things is probably the most aggravating thing about trying to lose weight. I'd exercise all day every day (if I had the time) if it meant that I didn't have to stress out about the nutrient contents of everything I put in my mouth.

It's times like your having that I tend to fall of the wagon and kudos to you for coming to the forums for support.

Perhaps take a short break from the weighing and measuring and counting. Continue to make good food decisions and exercise.




Also for the "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." people out there. Please with all due respect for love of my sanity knock it off. A good portion of us have NO idea what it's like to be skinny, we can imagine but that's not really good enough. A big ol cookie or brownie is instant gratification and most of us didn't get this way by saying no to instant satisfaction. It's a tough battle to say no to something you know will feel good right NOW instead of something that you imagine will feel good months or years down the road.

Yeah I ***king hate that stupid quote. I feel like it's the anorexic's mantra.

petithamu

I can't really add anything more than what everyone has already said and they are all right. Just remember that you are NEVER the only one going through this. I can't tell you how many times I've moaned and *****ed on MFP about calorie counting and exercising. Actually, here, for a good laugh, read about my last ranting session...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/petithamu/view/warning-this-is-a-post-where-i-will-be-*****ing-a-lot-if-you-do-read-read-at-your-own-peril-tiff-is-in-a-bad-mood-90288

You started this on your own and that is something to be proud of. Like everyone had said, you have to give yourself a break from time to time. I only just learned that 6 months into this journey. Sometimes it takes people years to learn so I'm considering myself lucky it only took me six months. I used to stress out so much...to the point I'd get tummy aches and lose sleep over it...but for what? Just so I can lose 20lbs? Not worth it.

Go out with your friends, enjoy your meals. Don't stuff yourself, eat until you are both physically and mentally satisfied. Love yourself and be happy with whatever decision you make. One or two days is not going to ruin your progress. Don't give up

sinclare

I am so with you here. The constant stress of watching what I eat is making me insane.

SueInAz

I've been skinny. The cookie is better. :laugh:

But it's best when you're strong and fit and eat well 90% of the time, so you can still enjoy the cookie when you really want it.

^^ THIS!!

As I told my father-in-law after I took time out to use the treadmill at the hotel this weekend "I work out so I can drink beer". :laugh:

sweetsarahj

So the 'weight'; I gained over teh weekend is slowly coming back off...as I knew it would.... now the challenge is to stick to my guns and keep the scale going down.

My friend that I was supposed to have dinner with tonight cancelled on me, although I'm sorry not to see him, my waistline is kinda glad I don't have to eat out tonight

BarnDogBob

This is just a lifestyle decision. Making better choices about what you take in and put out. The numbers don't mean anything. Once you get into the groove and are aware it doesn't matter if your number goes up and down. You will regulate your healthy lifestyle as a matter of habit.