Why?

curranalice

Try to stop thinking that you are "giving up" things. What favor did junk food ever do for you? Dump it like a bad date.

wannalosew82

I try and get some exercise in the morning like a 30 mt exercise DVD. That keeps me motivated to watch what I eat during the day. Every time I have been tempted to eat something, I feel the aches and how hard it was to burn those "x" calories in the morning and question if it is really worth blowing it by eating a snack which has "2x" calories.

Captain_Tightpants

For what it's worth, it's helped me to try to have so much fun with it that I become obsessed.

Instead of eating well and exercise being a chore, a choice or even a "lifestyle change" - try to play a mental game with yourself where it becomes a "hobby" instead.

You'll still falter, but it's easier to stay on track for extended periods that way.

When it's a hobby, you start exploring all sorts of daft corners of health and wellness that you don't really need to know about. The other day I caught myself trying to figure out the whole pathway of a triglyceride from the moment it enters my mouth to the moment it either gets burned for energy or deposited as a fat cell. I was in neck deep - beta oxidation, krebs cycle, enzyme actions, chemical constituents of the metabolic stages, you name it. None of this helps me lose any weight of course. But it makes it fascinating and fun. Play it like a game of numbers that you really really want to get good at. Eating better and exercise naturally follow that.

Thriceshy

Don't even decide to start. Just keep track. Just that one thing--be ABSOLUTELY honest with yourself in your food tracking--measure everything, count everything. If you want it, have it, but WRITE IT DOWN. And then start looking at your records. Start seeing how much of what you eat. Brutal honesty with yourself may be the only way to find a start here. Just faithfully record every single thing you eat and drink, study that, and then you may find yourself better able to begin.

Edited to say that I see KAndrews has already said pretty much the same thing. I agree with K!

Good luck!

Kris

meg7399

I personally don't cut things out of my diet...I limit my amount. I know I would have failed if I cut out chocolate and wine. I just try and limit. Today, I could not resist M&Ms at lunch so I ate some and I will work out later to balance it. I might even skip a glass of red wine tonight. Last night I knew I needed to have red wine so I ate a light breakfast and skipped an afternoon snack! I just limit and balance the yummies in life and I have already lost 30 pounds!! Completly cutting out what you love and crave makes it so much harder!

gymshoe42

It really comes down to when you are willing and ready you will make it work. I said I'd lose weight and exercise starting like 2-3 years ago...

When my BP hit 144/101 and I weighed nearly the most I've every weighed... I said it was time. I made it a New Years Revolution and then a friend helped me find this site... from there I just input everything that i eat and drink... then I started just walking 15-30 minutes a day. I've lost 6 pounds so far, just in about 2 1/2 weeks.

It's discipline more than anything else...

I agree with ^ ^. I don't like saying that ..it's just in your mind....but from what it sounds like...it's just your mindset. You are not fully committed. You may say you are, but your actions clearly indicate otherwise. You need to make the commitment to yourself and be ready to make the sacrifices necessary to accomplish what you've set out to do. There will be sacrifices. Here's a basic (maybe silly) examples, but they're to illustrate the difference between truly committed and not. Let's say you're hungry. If you're truly committed to getting something to eat, you don't let anyone or anything get in your way. The uncommitted, would get on the computer and surf or go and chat with some people. Being committed is the mind set that nothing is going to hold you back or distract you. Find it in yourself to change your mindset, make the committment and good luck.

alexbelly

Keeping a public food log helps keep me honest. The idea that my MFP family cant see what I eat encourages me to make good choices.
Taking pictures of my dinner. I like coming up with new healthy recipes and showing them off.

I know it may sounds strange but it works for me.

kd80538

I have had the same struggles along the years. My personal tips for success:

1) Find substitutes for your favorites that are healthier. As an example, when I have a chocolate fix, I will have some "Black and White Drizzled Popcorn" or a Fiber One Brownie. Better caloricly, but I still get my "fix". I do the same thing for my salty snacks as well. My family knows that the one shelf in the pantry is all mine...my substitute foods, and it's hands off so I can have them when I want them. What's interesting is that over the last year, my family has started to really dig "my" foods, and we have naturally all but eliminated most of the junk food in the house without even really trying.

2) Try to incorporate a fruit and/or veggie with every meal.

3) Find movement that you like...whether it be walking, or the gym, or martial arts, or dance...movement burns it. I go through stages. In the summer, I love to walk with my husband. In the winter, I like to go to the gym and jam to my tunes on the eliptical. My base is always Tae Bo or Dance games on the Kinect with my daughter. I try to do a formal workout at least 3 times a week, and incorporate 30 minutes of movement (walking, cleaning, outdoor work) at least 5 days a week. Everything you do that moves you burns calories. Find what you like and find a way to have fun with it. I get bored with my Tae Bo, so I go out and rent or buy a new DVD...then I have variety.

4) Water, Water, Water...this should probably be my #1. I aim for 8-10 glasses a day. Without it, I'm hungry, and my body just doesn't function (and I used to drink 2-3 diet drinks a day). I can't say I've cut the diet soda completely, as I do treat myself if we go out to eat and order one. But I also order a water with it, and make myself drink from each during dinner.

5) For me, it's a day to day progression. Some days I have to really talk myself into making the better choices. Some days, it just happens very easily. But I can tell you that I have an internal dialogue with myself regularly, and psych myself up for the day. And along with that...please also know that there are going to be "those days". Give yourself those days. This should be a lifelong comitment, and we're human. We have days when cake will win over carrots. Learning how to accomodate and adjust for those days is important, but even more important is to acknowledge it yourself, psychologically and cut yourself some slack. Otherwise, one bad choice can spiral into a week of bad choices.

6) Read the forums...specifically the success stories. They are SO motivating! And there are a lot of amazing people on this site, and we all support each other in our journeys!

A few tips that have worked for me...and feel free to friend me if you'd like!

lostsanity137

I would recommend going slowly. Don't try to change everything all at once. Just change one thing and get used to it.

For me, the first thing I changed was I quit soda. I didn't change anything else. Then I quit sugary drinks altogether and now I just drink water. It was slow going, but once I got that down, I started focusing on things I eat. Not everything, but I did start logging everything. It's easier to make better choices when you see how bad everything you had been eating is for you. Then start working in exercise.

If you try to change your lifestyle all at once, it will be overwhelming and making one mistake will lead to another and then you will just quit. I know, I had done it a bunch of times before.

So...take it slow, but keep trying.

trisha329

Make sure you start when you're actually ready. If you're not physically, emotionally, and mentally ready for this challenge, you're probably not going to stick with it.

Yes! I so agree with this...THIS is the key...

miserywaterfall

Hey Jess, reading your post reminds me of me. I was a similar weight, infact 4lbs heavier and it finally got to the stage where I had had enough of it and decided to seriously try to lose weight.

My advice is, don't beat yourself up when you slip and eat something naughty. Especially at the beginning, it is very hard to break routines and bad eating habits. Focus on the positives that day instead and try again the next day. Take it slowly, one day at a time, it's a learning curve and you are going to slip up.

hope516

I think in order for you to be completly committed to this is to actually be committed to it. Its not going to be easy and you aren't going to do it unless you REALLY, REALLY want it. With that being said the only advice I can give you is to first actually see what you are doing to your body and what helped you get overweight.

Use this tool without trying to stay under goal. Eat normally. Any food that you eat log it, and honestly. This has been a very eye-awekening experience for me. Before a normal dinner for me every night was any number combo meal from MDonalds, supersized with a soda. In fact most of my food had the word fast in front of it. In most cases it wasn't an excessive amount of food...I thought. However, now that I have started logging my food, I have realized just how many extra calories I was putting into my body. Do it for a couple of days, and be honest. Then try to cut out one bad meal a day. Then try adding healthy meals. And eventually start trying to stay on point. Do it slowly and learn from it...

H_Factor

That sounds so simple. But it's just been Christmas. My partner and his daughter have a load of their chocolates still in the cupboard. I thought about just putting them at the top of the cupboard as far away from my reach as possible (as I have to use a toddler step to get to the top shelf) and then our of sheer laziness wouldn't eat them. How do I motivate myself to eat well though? Do you think persevering with the planning would help? I thought about preparing some healthy dishes and keeping them in the freezer so I can just heat them up...? And the exercise is a HUGE point. How do I force myself to get off my bum and exercise? I hate it right now.

You don't have to do everything at once. Maybe you could start one day by just eating under your calorie goal, not worrying about eating healthy. Then once you've managed that for a while then you could start setting goals like eating healthier meals. If it seems too daunting it'll be harder to do, but if you just think "all I have to worry about today is not eating too many calories" then it might make it easier?

this is good advice (assuming you get your mindset straightened out first). My journey started about a year ago. When I started, I focused exclusively on what I was eating and didn't worry about exercise for 2 1/2 months. I lost 21 pounds during that time and wasn't even eating as healthy as I'm eating now....I was just eating less and making some better choices. Its a process and there's no need to jump in with three feet at the same time. work on one thing at a time and then progress. but you have to get that mindset working first or else it will be hard to even accomplish one solid task. dig deep and find those brutally true reasons why you hate your current lifestyle. and, if you can't stick with something, chances are either you don't hate your current lifestyle enough or you haven't been completely honest with yourself in listing the things you hate about the overweight lifestyle.

diva500

I guess I was abit different in the fact that I just one day woke up and said that was enough....and started cold turkey weighing in at almost 350Lbs January 3, 2011. I gave up soda on that day too....but what I learned along the way was things I thought were healthy, were NOT!!! I have learned what are my trigger foods and so I dont keep them in my house...I have tried to bring them back into the house thinking I was strong enough....but I WASNT....so I have come to terms with the fact that some things I just cant have around me. I have gone from low-impact Zumba classes to step and weight classes, to getting a gym membership, to teaching low-impact Zumba and now have my own personal trainer. I started that night walking a mile and I now just completed my first 10K and am training for a 1/2 marathon.....sure sure you will have people cheering you on, family and friends encouraging you and saying how much you motivate them, but in the end your the one that has to do the hard work....YOU HAVE TO WANT THIS....REAL BAD......and then JUST DOING IT!!!! Dont wait for motivation to kick in.....start like you already have motivation, eventually it will kick in.....and if you mess up (which we all do), dont start over tomorrow.....start in your very next meal.....
By the way in one year I have LOST 155Lbs.....and let me tell you it is still a struggle......Good Luck

duckychic

During the holidays, I was having a hard time getting motivated to exercise and wanted to eat everything in sight. I read a post from someone on here and it really clicked with me. So, I tried it...

Make your daily goal be to maintain your weight. This way you should have a lot of calories each day (mine is 2280). Then you exercise (but don't eat the calories back). If you burn 1750 calories in a week, you will lose 1/2 pound, 3500 to lose 1 pound.

Just a different way of looking at what we are doing here.

AllergicToExercise

I sympathise as if there are 'bad' foods in the house I would track them down so I just don't get them in.

Try to get your family on side and see if they will support you in healthier eating? If they don't want to get involved themselves they can still help you by for example, taking their chocolates to work to eat there.

Planning meals in advance helps a lot too and accounting for everything in your food diary. I also hate exercise but try a small amount at first so it doesn't feel like such a chore. Even 20 mins a day is a good start and then you can build up to more once you get into it.

Good luck!

raige123

When you want to be as successful as bad as you need to breathe, then you will be. It's a quote I started to live by. Bottom line is you really need to want to do this. Not just kinda want it. If you are sabotaging yourself at every turn (I used to do this as well) it is probably your inner self not being ready.

musicaljessica

Try to stop thinking that you are "giving up" things. What favor did junk food ever do for you? Dump it like a bad date.

That is really good advice

musicaljessica

I guess I was abit different in the fact that I just one day woke up and said that was enough....and started cold turkey weighing in at almost 350Lbs January 3, 2011. I gave up soda on that day too....but what I learned along the way was things I thought were healthy, were NOT!!! I have learned what are my trigger foods and so I dont keep them in my house...I have tried to bring them back into the house thinking I was strong enough....but I WASNT....so I have come to terms with the fact that some things I just cant have around me. I have gone from low-impact Zumba classes to step and weight classes, to getting a gym membership, to teaching low-impact Zumba and now have my own personal trainer. I started that night walking a mile and I now just completed my first 10K and am training for a 1/2 marathon.....sure sure you will have people cheering you on, family and friends encouraging you and saying how much you motivate them, but in the end your the one that has to do the hard work....YOU HAVE TO WANT THIS....REAL BAD......and then JUST DOING IT!!!! Dont wait for motivation to kick in.....start like you already have motivation, eventually it will kick in.....and if you mess up (which we all do), dont start over tomorrow.....start in your very next meal.....
By the way in one year I have LOST 155Lbs.....and let me tell you it is still a struggle......Good Luck

Congratulations. That is awesome I need that trigger. To just wake up one day and start. I did that last year on January 1st. It lasted about a fortnight and then I fell into my old ways. I do want it - really bad. And I think you're right. I have to just start and the motivation will follow.

Pebble321

I have two suggestions:

1. Log everything you eat, healthy or not for one week. Don't promise yourself you will cut back or do anything extra til you've done this. No diet, just logging.
2. At the end of the week, look back at your food diary and pick ONE thing to change. Maybe you're eating a good breakfast but an unhealthy lunch. So, commit to a healthy lunch every day for a week. Don't worry about anything else, just make that lunch healthy.
The next week pick one more thing and work on that.

This way you aren't setting yourself up to fail every day, you are setting small acheivable goals.
The great thing is that you start winning and that makes it easier to keep going.

Good luck!!

econut2000

I agree with everyone on here who has said start with one thing. I find that as I start doing one thing right, the other things fell into place! I started by adding more veggies into my diet - I didn't change anything else (I had already cut out soda and juice long ago). Then I just started journaling. Once you write it down, you become more accountable and you will see that without even trying, your calorie intake will decrease - just because it can be scary when you see it on paper! From there I was able to make a lot of changes and most of them unconcious. And if you hate exercise, find something you do like to do! Exercise doesn't have to be in a gym: join a sports team, do karate, go for a hike, dance your butt off in your living room! Do whatever you find fun and that will motivate you to continue.

musicaljessica

I have two suggestions:

1. Log everything you eat, healthy or not for one week. Don't promise yourself you will cut back or do anything extra til you've done this. No diet, just logging.
2. At the end of the week, look back at your food diary and pick ONE thing to change. Maybe you're eating a good breakfast but an unhealthy lunch. So, commit to a healthy lunch every day for a week. Don't worry about anything else, just make that lunch healthy.
The next week pick one more thing and work on that.

This way you aren't setting yourself up to fail every day, you are setting small acheivable goals.
The great thing is that you start winning and that makes it easier to keep going.

Good luck!!

I'm going to do that.

TheBakerGirl

Plan meals in advance - sometimes I make a list of what I'm going to eat the next day. Even better, prepare what you can the night before. Then you have no excuse to reach for something bad when you're in a hurry. Be nice to yourself and don't leave it open to temptation.

Throw all the baddies out and don't buy more - I totally agree with all the above comments. If it's in the house, I'll eat it. It MUST go. If you don't have the willpower to throw it out now, just wait until the next time you slip up. It will be a lot easier to throw out the junk when you're sick of being controlled by it. Tell your hubby/daughter/anyone else that they'll just have to get their junk food fix when they are at school/work. Make your house a healthy one! It'll be good for everyone in the long run.

Most importantly - (this is one I really need to work on) don't be too hard on yourself! You said you started the day with a healthy breakfast, then it all went downhill. But that's a start! That's a good thing! You should applaud yourself on the small successes. Small changes like a healthy breakfast will lead to big changes. You may only eat a healthy breakfast this week, with the rest of the day being crap, but who knows, next week might be a healthy breakfast and a healthy lunch.

You can do it! Good luck!!

TheBakerGirl

And my sister is about 2 stone heavier than me and I know she wants to lose weight too. The only problem is she doesn't live near me and I only see her every couple of months or so.

This is perfect! You and your sis should take advantage of the fact that you both want to lose weight…even if you aren't living near each other. My mom and I did a healthy eating diet together for a few weeks, and it really helped. We checked in with each other every night on the phone. It really helped keep me accountable, and I knew it would help her a lot too. I think what motivated me the most though was keeping her on track. I love my momma and want her to be healthy! I'm sure you want the same for your sis.

musicaljessica

Plan meals in advance - sometimes I make a list of what I'm going to eat the next day. Even better, prepare what you can the night before. Then you have no excuse to reach for something bad when you're in a hurry. Be nice to yourself and don't leave it open to temptation.

Throw all the baddies out and don't buy more - I totally agree with all the above comments. If it's in the house, I'll eat it. It MUST go. If you don't have the willpower to throw it out now, just wait until the next time you slip up. It will be a lot easier to throw out the junk when you're sick of being controlled by it. Tell your hubby/daughter/anyone else that they'll just have to get their junk food fix when they are at school/work. Make your house a healthy one! It'll be good for everyone in the long run.

Most importantly - (this is one I really need to work on) don't be too hard on yourself! You said you started the day with a healthy breakfast, then it all went downhill. But that's a start! That's a good thing! You should applaud yourself on the small successes. Small changes like a healthy breakfast will lead to big changes. You may only eat a healthy breakfast this week, with the rest of the day being crap, but who knows, next week might be a healthy breakfast and a healthy lunch.

You can do it! Good luck!!

You're right about it being good for them. A 5 yo should not be so dependent on junk food. If you ask her what she wants to eat she always says McDs, macaroni cheese, hot dogs or chips. And she wants pudding after EVERY MEAL!! Its getting ridiculous. She throws a tantrum if I make her eat all her veg or if I don't let her have ice cream or sweets after tea. And she sees chocolate as a reward.... I'm not her mum so I can't force changes on her. But I don't think thats the right way for her to see food.

Plus my partner wants to lose weight but he doesn't want it forced on him. We were doing it together in summer '10.

I could just do with the stuff being gone. Every day this week I have had chocolate that I wouldn't have had if it wasn't in the cupboard.

mojox2003

I think as some people have said its lil steps, I find it sooooo hard and im a lot bigger than you as well, its been a struggle and like you have gone of and on the plan.

But I decided that im going to take it one day at a time and not put the guilt thing on myself if I have a bad day becasuse then that leads to more bad days and me giving up altogether.

MFP is amazing for me, I think puting everything I eat down shows me where and when im going wrong and where im going right as well.

Good luck and keep coming on here as the support is amazing

km47

Seems like if right after breakfast its all downhill from there.....that the answer is that you are not ready yet to shift what that junk is doing for you to something else. The thing is you sound like the junk is filling a void and until you swap out something that doesn't cost you calories (hobby or exercise) you will conitnue to fight against the tide. Good luck, maybe start exercise first, then start with smaller changes. Eat healthy in the am! add exercise, then after awhile, start swapping a healthy snack after exercise. If you take away the thing that helps you cope with whatever and don't have another coping thing, you will sabotage yourself. Baby steps........

musicaljessica

I think as some people have said its lil steps, I find it sooooo hard and im a lot bigger than you as well, its been a struggle and like you have gone of and on the plan.

But I decided that im going to take it one day at a time and not put the guilt thing on myself if I have a bad day becasuse then that leads to more bad days and me giving up altogether.

MFP is amazing for me, I think puting everything I eat down shows me where and when im going wrong and where im going right as well.

Good luck and keep coming on here as the support is amazing

I do agree. I have used other things like this before but the forums on here make it so much better. People are so lovely and supportive

castadiva

Start small, and remember that you can eat whatever you want to eat - having chocolate and tinned ravioli doesn't make it automatically a bad day, as long as those things fit within your goals. Making those choices may mean that you need to make some different choices for your other meals, or go for a brisk walk to 'earn' a few extra calories to fit inside the days goals. You have to figure out what you can live with. If your goal is too low to start with, bump it up a bit until you're comfortably within that zone, then gradually reduce it. I started around the same weight as you, and with small changes, I'm down nearly 30lb in three months.

Re. the chocolates - put them in a biscuit tin, or something else opaque, and put them out of reach in a cupboard. If you can't see them, you're far less likely to be tempted. Good luck!

prism68

In my experience, it's been more about eating the things that actually SATISFY hunger. Once you eat more of that, there's no more room/cravings for junky stuff. What I have noticed is that if I eat a tub of pringles.... I'll definitely want more pringles. Or something else with the same flavor pallet. I recently watched a documentary discussing the "triggers" in your stomach for fullness. A lot of the refined things or modified things we eat (ravioli, etc.) doesn't trigger the same hormones of satisfaction/satiety. Find some REALLY yummy food that has mostly whole grain, and you'll be sa-tis-fied! No room or desire for junk!

This is so true! I recently decided to only eat foods I LOVE, that calories are too short to waste on bad food... So think up ( and plan for) some healthy foods you actually enjoy eating...try to stock up on something in each category (fruit, vegetable, etc). Best wishes to you!