Hey!! How does everyone stay focused on their diet?

bbwbeauty

I need some mental techniques because changing my diet is proving to be pretty hard!! So please help me out if you can!! Thanks in advance

Jasmine_Moonstone

I have stayed focused b/c I wanted to have a healthier life. I looked at this as a lifesytle change & a life long change, not a diet. I see this as how I want to be for the rest of my life. So that means that once I loose all the weight, not much will change for me. I will still be eating healthier & still be what I eat.

I have also not deprived myself of the things that I really really want. If I want a cookie, then I eat a cookie. If I want a coke, then I have it. I do watch how much of these items I eat, but I still eat them.

However in the begining I was super strict with it. I rarely ate them. Now, I can have 1 cookie & be fine where as before 1 cookie turned into like 5-6 cookie.

You CAN do this!

lacroyx

I don't look at it as a diet. I treat it as a lifestyle change. little changes here and there, eat less, eat healthier, move more. I do not avoid bad stuff altogether. other than no longer drinking soda pop, I still have occasional pizza, burger, sweets.

infamousmk

I eat in moderation - I have treats and drinks and live my life, but I'm just more thoughtful than I used to be. So, instead of getting a craving for brownies and eating a whole pan, I'll stop at a cafe and buy a single brownie. I get my fix, and I don't feel the need to eat a whole pan. I started learning to cook and I eat wholesome, natrual foods. I remind myself that I eat to provide for my body, and everything I put in it makes up it's parts. The more fresh, whole food in there, the better. I like being active too, and I know that in order to be an active person, I've gotta have the right fuel for the activities. That helps a lot too.

And of course, log everything. When I see it written down, in black and white, I am so much more likely to stick with smart choices.

Qarol

Tell yourself it's not hard...

theba2il

"fit is not a destination it is a way of life."~via Pinterest

I don't see it as a diet, it's a lifestyle for me. Sometimes it helps to change the way you say things if that makes sense? I think it feels overwhelming and frustrating when your on a "diet."

Best wishes. :0)

mericksmom

It is a life style change for sure. But when is seems like I am not losing I will put on something I wore when I was heavier. You can see the missing inches. Get a mesuring tape and measure yourself.

jr1985

I try to keep mini goals in mine... my current goal I'm working for is my birthday coming up in 2 months... Everyday when I want to cheat I tell myself I only have X number of days left until my birthday and I do not want want to begin the next year of my life in the same possition that i'm in... Or I have X amount of days to get in shape before Christmas, or until I see my family at Easter etc... small goals to keep focused for

dsak

I have stayed focused b/c I wanted to have a healthier life. I looked at this as a lifesytle change & a life long change, not a diet. I see this as how I want to be for the rest of my life. So that means that once I loose all the weight, not much will change for me. I will still be eating healthier & still be what I eat.

I have also not deprived myself of the things that I really really want. If I want a cookie, then I eat a cookie. If I want a coke, then I have it. I do watch how much of these items I eat, but I still eat them.

However in the begining I was super strict with it. I rarely ate them. Now, I can have 1 cookie & be fine where as before 1 cookie turned into like 5-6 cookie.

You CAN do this!

I agree with this poster!

I also have little motivational phrases on my bulletin board, and they make me think twice about what I put in my mouth:

- A year from now you will wish you had started today
- No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everybody on the couch
- I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday
- A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step

Tree72

Like most others who have posted so far, I don't think of my current eating habits as a "diet" in any type of restrictive sense. For me what has worked best is to make gradual changes and to focus on the positive - to work toward doing the things I know I need to be doing and not worry so much about the things I shouldn't be doing.

My biggest weakness was sugar. So one of my first changes was to go to having desert once a day instead of after every meal. Sure, I could have lost weight faster if I'd cut out all extra sweets, but I can tell you now I would not have been able to stick with it if I'd started that way. So, make changes you can live with. Focus on what you can do today. Don't worry about the changes you'll have to make next month, you can worry about them when that time arrives.

For the focus on the positive part, work on eating more vegetables and fruits and getting enough protein. If you're eating healthy amounts of all the good foods your body needs you won't have much room left over for "extras" that aren't as healthy.

Also, keep going. If you make a choice you later regret, learn from it but don't let it derail you. Each time you make a choice about what to eat is an opportunity to make good choices. Just because you may chose one less-healthy option does not mean you have to continue to chose other unhealthy options. In other words, a cheeseburger is just a cheeseburger. It doesn't have to "ruin" your day. Just log it and keep going.

Good luck on your journey. :happy:

naturallynikki

I have pictures of me on my cellphone at my heaviest and when I feel tempted to devour a few slices of pizza, I pull out my phone and flip through the pictures. It ALWAYS helps! Also, I allow myself to eat one cheat meal a week so that I am not totally ignoring my cravings.

Saffyra

No "bad" food in the house and NO fast food.

It's really hard to eat food that isnt there.

You'll also discover how much time you used to spend eating I have so much time now, my house is sparkling clean.

Kikilicious84

I allow myself to have what I want...as long as I'm within my calorie. I look at my calories like they are dollars...do I really want to spend $200 on a donut? Some days I do...some days no way.

eddiegirll

How is your cholesterol? Mine is 249, & I came here to bring it down. So I am eating oatmeal or cheerios for breakfast.

I am learning to eat in moderation. Like I love to go by the serving size on the container or package, then there is room for more food.

I just need more exercise. I have health issues; back & shoulder injuries which slow me down quite abit. I am working on getting more exercise. Mainly when the weather is nice, I need to just get outside more.

kaypee65

What works for me as a strategy, make success easy, and think about what I have, not about what I'm giving up.

For me making success easy means having healthy foods that I really like around all the time. For example, Tasty Bite Indian entrees which I love. They satisfy my need for flavor when I don't have time to cook. I have nice salad fixings for when I have time to prepare a salad, and bags of pre-washed lettuce for days I can't. I have a dog that needs a lot of exercise. I walk on beautiful bike trails with him so instead of "having to exercise" I'm out enjoying the day with my dog.

As for thinking about what you have, that part is easy after the first paragraph. You have tasty, healthy food, and I feel better when I eat it. I have more energy, I'm more alert and I'm gaining a thinner, healthier me! For me temptations like a bit plate of nachos lose their allure when I see that green bar every day telling me that I met my goal; that I am one step closer to my goal. Sorry Mr. Nacho, I love you, but I love me more.

Lisa_222

I try not to focus on it so much as to just figure out the calories BEFORE I put it in my mouth. Somehow finding out that a particular food happens to be over 600 a serving calories makes me not want it.

sarah_ep

If I lose motivation all I need to do is look at my belly. That is motivation enough.

MrsCon40

Put a scale in an obvious location in every room. That'll do the trick!

:flowerforyou:

reinach31

I need some mental techniques because changing my diet is proving to be pretty hard!! So please help me out if you can!! Thanks in advance

Don't take this as a "diet" ..JUST think is eating healthier! .. I don't like the word DIET ... it makes me feel like I am not going to eat! hahhaha ... Stay focus and think if what your goals are .. if you fail one day.. don't beat yourself over that! Continue eating healthy and you'll be fine!

ABetterBalance

With nutrition and exercise, I set small goals, and began by making small changes. I started with simply tracking what I ate. Then making a few swaps for things that were lower calorie and higher in nutrients, then cooking more meals at home, etc.... By incorporating positive changes in a little at a time, I was able to see results without feeling like I was overhauling my entire life and getting intimidated.

mrsgolfie

I try to look at my eating as a healthy food guide. Portion control and types of food. Don't think you can look at it as a "diet" just eating healthy and getting some exercise each day. Think you need to treat yourself now and then too!
Try weighing yourself only once a week and drink lots of water. I have just started here; but I had lost weight before and it wasn't hard if I watched portion control. I kept my weight off for few years than I had a son who moved back home and he is a chef...and I ate his meals which were awesome but oh so fattening...lol I try to eat "healthy foods" and as I can't say enough "portion control".\
Good luck and "know you can do it"!

SoDamnHungry

I focus on eating less calories and eating more fruits and veggies. The site has also helped me to stop eating so much fat. Heart disease and type 2 diabetes runs in my family, and I realized if I didn't start caring about what and how much I put into my body, I'd start having problems, too. I also focus on exercising more to get my heart pumping.

ladybg81

Lifestyle change here as well. Never thought of it as a diet.

gwenmf

bump

Genem30

I don't have a system, I just have a way that I do things half assed that seems to work more often than not.

meerkat70

Tell yourself it's not hard...

Yes, this is me. It isn't hard. It's manageable, it's fun, it's a challenge, it's achievable.

sharonsjones

I'm with the other posts....its not a diet....it a lifestyle change.

undermajorconstruction

When I grocery shop, I buy healthy foods so that I always have something. When I am hungry, I am not going to go through the trouble of going back to the store just for one item. The other night, I had a dream abt pizza ( pitiful, i know) so for lunch I made my own with thin wheat bread and veggies and one serving of shredded cheese split between the two pieces. It was only 250 cals and i was close to full rather than satiated. I also have my diary open to the public so I feel as though I am being held accountable...never know who is watching. Works for me. I have to keep certain foods away until I can acquire more discipline. I know good and well that i won't eat just one serving of macaroni so way for now

Angel1066

i don't see it as a diet, it's a healthy lifestyle for me plus i don't want to be as risk with getting diabetes. Staying healthy keeps me focussed.

undermajorconstruction

Oh yeah, and once you make adjustments for maybe 3 weeks or so, you will notice that it becomes easier...just be patient with yourself and pay attn to serving sizes even if you have to measure everything. I just realized that before starting here, I was eating 2 -3 servings of EVERYTHING in one sitting!

Pangui

With all due respect, I don't think most people on here are answering the question. Just saying, "It's a lifestyle, not a diet" doesn't help you maintain your focus. It's a nice saying, but how do you translate that into concrete actions?

Focus is the key to a successful weight loss plan. It was the one thing I sought for years. It was easy to find that initial spark of motivation, but to nurture it and keep it going was the big challenge. This time around, I maintained focus by reading and learning all I could about diet and health and nutrition. Some of the books were useless, at least in content, but what they did achieve was to keep me FOCUSED. Each book would spur me onto something else until finally one day, I watched the documentary, "Forks Over Knives", now available on Netfix. What this movie did for me was to change my entire perspective about the role of eating in my life. That was all I needed. It's like someone just gave me glasses and I can see for the first time.

So, my suggestion would be, in order to stay focused, continue using all the tools MFP has to offer and read, research and study. This weight loss journey really needs to be a major part of your life because the second you put things on autopilot, old habits will creep back in and before you even notice, the weight will be coming back.