HELP ME!!!

mattfairbro

My name is Matthew and I am really struggling. I have a desire to lose weight and get stronger but I find myself falling into the pitfalls of snacking and overeating. I have gained so much weight during the course of the last year and I want and need it off. I find that on days that I get my butt into the gym I tend to eat better that day but when I struggle with my food I don't have the "energy, desire, time" and any other excuse that I can think of. What have you guys done for yourselves to help overcome these obstacles? Any help would be SO appreciated!

Cajun_Angel

I can't give the "success" help yet because I just started this journey but would be happy to help you with motivation.

Baby steps..

Add me..

813Angela

Find a weight loss buddy! It helps me to stay on track, especially if you choose a coworker, because they will most likely have the same schedule and help you stay on track where you spend most of your day. Arrange to meet them after work and walk or workout together. Eventually it will become something you look forward to!

castell5

Try to think like this: "Are my actions (even ones you are contemplating) HURTING or HELPING me to achieve my goal?" Then answer yourself truthfully and go forward.
Here is the only equation that equals success. Diet + Exercise + Willpower = Success.

Good luck

Firefox7275

Fill your house with healthy foods and throw the junk in the trash, carry healthy meals and snacks at all times or keep them in your desk and car, don't carry cash you don't NEED so you cannot buy rubbish, get a slow cooker/ crock pot and make your own healthy microwave meals, don't even go past vending machines or the door of fast food places, literally walk or drive a different route. Write your workouts on a calendar, do the early in the day if it helps give you less time to think of excuses, keep clean workout kit in the boot of your car at all times.

Start the day with a large healthy breakfast, plan your day so you eat from all the food groups thereafter and eat every four hours or so. Keep your blood sugar stable and your stomach full.

AliceKlaar

Hi Matthew. You have to want it enough to take ownership and commit wholeheartedly to making the necessary lifestyle changes. I've just snuck a quick peek at your diary and I'm seeing next to no logging going on so the first thing I would say to you is to start filling out your diary every day. Rather than going at it full tilt, you might want to start off by making some minor adjustments to your intake - swap sodas for water, cut down on fried foods and increase your vegetable, fruit and lean protein intake. I would also recommend breaking down your weightloss goals into manageable chunks of, say, 5lbs or 10lbs - ticking off the small goals will hopefully give you a sense of achievement and motivate you to keep going. Also, check out the Success Stories - there are some truly inspirational stories in there that prove anyone can turn their life around if they want it enough. Good luck!

BigGuy47

I want and need it off.

How bad do you want it? When you're faced with temptation remind yourself that you want to lose weight. Make a choice between improving your health or having the short term pleasure overindulgence. You are in control. You make the decision.

...when I struggle with my food I don't have the "energy, desire, time" and any other excuse that I can think of.

Then stop making excuses. You are responsible for your own well being. Own it.

rcamill1

The most important thing here is to find an exercise that you really enjoy doing, one you find it, get out and go do it and afterwards when your done and you have that just worked out feeling... Remember that for days that you are having motivational problems. You can do it just keep pushing through and eventually it will become routine!

triff14

Here is what I have done lately that has helped motivate me: I've added some friends on MyFitnesspal and opened up my diary, so if I go over everyone can see and I am embarrassed! I've started doing 30 Day Shred, it's only about 25 minutes and I don't even have to leave my house! If 30DS isn't your thing I know there are a lot of good workout DVDs. I just tell myself it's only 25 minutes, I can even stay in my pajamas.

rfsatar

My name is Matthew and I am really struggling. I have a desire to lose weight and get stronger but I find myself falling into the pitfalls of snacking and overeating. I have gained so much weight during the course of the last year and I want and need it off. I find that on days that I get my butt into the gym I tend to eat better that day but when I struggle with my food I don't have the "energy, desire, time" and any other excuse that I can think of. What have you guys done for yourselves to help overcome these obstacles? Any help would be SO appreciated!

Today is my total rest day... and mate - it really just comes down to one word: DISCIPLINE.

I find pre-logging in the morning for the day is what helps me the most - I then know how much I have left for snacks.
Try having low cal snacks, and fruit in the house or look for lunchbox things that are usually low-ish in cals as your snacks.
This is the first thing I do in the morning now, without fail.

I flip to maintenance on the weekend and actually find I tend to stay within my deficit range anyway... but I have that leeway to go as far as my typical maximum intake and ... you know... ENJOY myself and live my life!
It also keeps your metabolism guessing as it can get used to reduced intake and lead to stalling.

It all comes down to HOW MUCH you want this.
This is a lifestyle change, it's not a race... it takes time.
It took me two weeks to even get to grips with logging and how many calories were in things!
It took me a couple of months to get used to MFP's process... and once comfortable with that, I did some further research on my actual daily energy expenditure, and working out my calorie deficit based on that.
All this TOOK TIME - I found it when I was ready... and now I am consistently losing. Even though I am set to 1lb a week, it has been coming down in 0.5lb increments - and you know what? It is moving in the right direction, and inches are coming off my waist. Half a pound off a week is better than nothing/something added and THAT is what drives me to continue.

Stick at it though.. you will gradually give in less, and feel more comfortable in yourself... but really it starts WITH YOU.

crazybookworm

First off, congrats on trying to make a change. That is a big step, and your on the right track!

Whenever I was feeling down or unmotivated, I just dragged myself to the gym(or for a walk, or any other physical activity) the motivation came after I started working out, and I always left feeling great. It's the first step of getting up and doing it that's the hardest, but once done, you'll never regret that workout!

If you're feeling this after you've worked out, try looking at something motivation..Seriously, it really works! I have a visual board at home, and one on Pinterest, whenever I felt like snacking on stuff that wasn't healthy for me or didn't feel like working out, I looked at my pin boards.

Good luck!!

rfsatar

First off, congrats on trying to make a change. That is a big step, and your on the right track!

Whenever I was feeling down or unmotivated, I just dragged myself to the gym(or for a walk, or any other physical activity) the motivation came after I started working out, and I always left feeling great. It's the first step of getting up and doing it that's the hardest, but once done, you'll never regret that workout!

If you're feeling this after you've worked out, try looking at something motivation..Seriously, it really works! I have a visual board at home, and one on Pinterest, whenever I felt like snacking on stuff that wasn't healthy for me or didn't feel like working out, I looked at my pin boards.

Good luck!!

^ That pic is AWESOME. Win, right there. Win.

mattfairbro

Gosh I don't know what to say....

You all have been so nice to take the time to respond to help a complete stranger. I guess its just nice to know that I'm not in the fight alone, you know? So many of your responses just boiled down to whether or not I was willing to work for it and how badly I want to make a lifestyle change. Well the fact is that it means so much to me lately because I want to fulfill my dream of becoming a police officer. I passed my first physical test but only just barely and I don't know if I can make it through the academy (the stress of it all doesn't help much either). I use to be a college wrestler and was really in shape through high school and college but then I went to live in the Philippines for a couple of years and lost a lot of weight. I came back home and nearly gained 100 lbs in two years. Well now its time to move on with my life and with your help I believe that I can do it! Please anyone who wants to add me please do!! I can use all the help I can get and hopefully I will be able to help you as well. You all are great!

mattfairbro

I want and need it off.

How bad do you want it? When you're faced with temptation remind yourself that you want to lose weight. Make a choice between improving your health or having the short term pleasure overindulgence. You are in control. You make the decision.

...when I struggle with my food I don't have the "energy, desire, time" and any other excuse that I can think of.

Then stop making excuses. You are responsible for your own well being. Own it.

Liz_M_

There are two things in particular that I found useful during my 38 kg weight loss. One was tracking EVERYTHING I ate and the other was making sure my next meal was planned. I made a weeks menu at a time and shopped only for those ingredients. I also made sure I had a frozen dinner or two in the freezer for emergency meals. Clean out the pantry and only keep healthy treats . Good luck. You can do it.

TheRealParisLove

Don't worry about it too much. The key is to just keep logging honestly, every day, every meal. Your food and fitness diary are going to provide you with very valuable information.

You won't know which direction you need to go in until you understand fully where you are when you begin.

Read on the forums a lot. Most of the advice here won't sound like it will work for you, but you never know when you may stumble upon the key to your own success.

Read your friends food diaries for ideas for your own meal plans. I'm so inspired to see what others are eating, and it gives me ideas to keep me from falling into a meal rut.