Sticking with it

Options
joodles0290
joodles0290 Posts: 23
in Fitness and Exercise
Every time I try to lose weight it ends up being the same. I lose three pounds, give up and gain 5 more. I am having a really hard time trying to stick with it this time do you have any tips?

Replies

  • joodles0290
    joodles0290 Posts: 23
    Options
    Every time I try to lose weight it ends up being the same. I lose three pounds, give up and gain 5 more. I am having a really hard time trying to stick with it this time do you have any tips?
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Options
    Don't think about this as a weight loss program. This is a way to change your eating habits, exercise habits, and lifestyle in general for life. That's the only way to maintain a healthy body, change for life!

    best luck to you.

    -Banks
  • BrenNew
    BrenNew Posts: 3,420 Member
    Options
    Every time I try to lose weight it ends up being the same. I lose three pounds, give up and gain 5 more. I am having a really hard time trying to stick with it this time do you have any tips?

    Hi, and welcome to THE best site on the web! I used to lose patience and feel the same as you, UNTIL I came to MFP!
    Banks is sooooooo right! It's NOT a "diet", it's a "lifestyle change". (And take it from me, it's a change that WILL change your life sooooo much for the better!) :happy:
    Between the easy to use food counter (which by the way is SUCH an eye opener!) and all the wonderfully supportive members, you WILL be able to lose the weight that you want to, AND, it'll "almost" be easy doing it! :wink:
    I recommend logging ALL your foods BEFORE you have them, rather than later, as it tends to lead to better food choices. (not to mention you'll know if you've got enough numbers left to have a night time snack, like I ALWAYS try to do!) Some people also like to weigh and measure some things, such as meats, rather than just estimating and possibly being WAY off! :noway:
    Also, drink lots of water, that seems to help alot too. :drinker:
  • kellya
    kellya Posts: 208
    Options
    ditto boss....after many, many years of being a yo-yo dieter....the only thing that truly will work is a complete lifestyle change...one that you have accepted for the rest of your life. good luck!
  • thejarviclan
    thejarviclan Posts: 465 Member
    Options
    What makes you slip? Can you change your routine so you do something else instead of eating? I find that it's hardest for me when I'm home - I have to start looking for projects to keep my mind busy so I won't think about food.

    I don't do the things that lead me (out of habit) to start snacking, like watching tv or sitting at the computer. Sometimes it's housework or laundry, sometimes it's a beading project...right now I'm reading the Twilight series and WOW! Does that ever take my mind off everything, lol!

    Find a new habit to slip into! ;-)
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
    Options
    Yes you really need to stop thinking of it as a diet. If you can begin to think of it as breaking old habits and replacing them with new, good habits, you'll find it goes much easier.
  • adopt4
    adopt4 Posts: 970 Member
    Options
    Diet = starvation, deprivation.

    Lifestyle change = better choices with food

    So on a diet you can't eat chocolate, right? But if you do a lifestyle change, and make better choices, then you can have a piece of chocolate, and as long as it's within your daily cals or you work it off at the gym, then it's no big deal. No deprivation as long as you make good choices on portions, etc.

    That's why people gain weight after a diet - when they try to go back to regular food or to the way they used to eat, their body will store it as fat because it's been deprived. A lot of diets will put you on starvation mode so as soon as you start eating enough cals, then BOOM the body says "help! I need fat!" and piles it back on.

    With this, you can either watch your cals, MFP has a built in deficit, or you can exercise and eat back the exercise cals so you can eat more (right now I exercise to eat!). So depending on how hard you want to work, you can eat pretty much anything.

    Drink your water, watch your sodium, sodium will cause you to retain water... Measure yourself once a month or two months, see where you're dropping inches.

    I've been a yo-yo dieter my whole life and feel that now I finally have the tools, knowledge and support to keep it off. I now know why I failed every time before and what was going on in my body. I've lost over 30 pounds in 3 mos, the healthy way, and I have a long way to go but this is the most I've ever lost at one time, not to mention in the shortest time!

Categories