I keep falling off the wagon

skyttles

Trick is - don't give up; just keep plugging away at it. Never say to yourself "well, I blew it today already, might as well go out for nachos and magaritas" or "I have 2 birthdays coming up this month, so I'm going to write the whole month off and start again next month." Just keep at it, day by day, decision by decision. Some days are great, some days are terrible, but if you never-ever give up - you will see progress. It might be slow, but progress is progress. ....

^
Day by day.... one step at a time

quirkytizzy

Start with a small change. You don't have to completely makeover your lifestyle all at once. I find that when I've tried to fix everything at once, it gets overwhelming and I stop. Why not just try to make one healthy change in your life first? I started by cutting way back on fast food and ice cream (two of my major weaknesses and the biggest source of my excess calories). Just pick one thing to work on first - eat more fruits and vegetables, go for a walk at least three times a week, stop buying a food that is a major trigger for you, cook at home more times a week, track everything you eat (even if you don't stay to any calorie goal at first), whatever one thing you think you can do or stick to.

Give the first change two or three weeks and then add another in. And then another. Once I managed to make one healthy change in my life, the others started to seem more natural.

This. A slower plan that you can work with is better than a major plan that doesn't work at all.

I cut back on soda for two weeks before I cut it out entirely. Counted calories for a whole month before I did any exercise. And built up the exercise very slowly, too. Pounds still come off, muscles are still tightening, and I'm not overwhelmed or resentful of the work. Motivation comes and goes - you don't have to be on fire ALL THE TIME 100% RAARRRR all the time for this to work. Just create better habits, little by little, and wait. Results will follow.

SanteMulberry

I have about 100 pounds to lose, and i keep coming up with a plan of what i want to do to lose it but my motivation leaves me after a day or two and then i end up packing on some more pounds. Either the plans i come up with are just not realistic or i just dont want it bad enough though i feel like i do. Any tips to stay motivated or anything else that may help?

What you need is help to control your appetite (no, I don't mean pharmaceuticals). Don't believe people who have never been obese and who say, sanctimoniously, "It's all about willpower!" It isn't. Two years ago, I was "morbidly obese" with over 50% body fat and I am now about 30%. I would like to go down to 25% but even if I don't get there, I have discovered some things about myself.

I NEEDED to cut out sugar and wheat (too long to go into now but the short explanation is that I found them both to be addictive). I lost about ten pounds right away and discovered that I didn't need to eliminate carbs to lose weight--that I just needed to restrict them to around 100 grams a day (more on heavy exercise days--but that came later) and that most of them should be spent on vegetables and fruit (not too much fruit--most days only one serving. There's a reason for that but P.M. me if you want to know more of the "tricks" that I employ and why). That alone gave me the initial loss of fat that gave me the willpower to pursue healing for my other medical problems like gouty arthritis, high blood pressure (I was on two medications and they were likely damaging my muscles as my muscles hurt ALL the time while I was on them) high blood sugar (my doc warned that I was a prime candidate for Type II diabetes). I knew that healing would come with eating right for my body type and moving more.

I decided to do strengthening moves at home with lifting light weights (as much as I could tolerate with the arthritis which was starting to fade (with the help of some herbs) along with the carb restriction and sugar elimination (there is a reason for this but too long to go into now). I gradually tapered off my blood pressure medication as my weight began to drop and I began to move more and for longer periods. I felt much more like exercising.

And wonder of wonder, I found that I no longer was subject to binging once I got rid of the addictive (for me and a lot of obese people--maybe all) sugar and wheat. By this time, I was down about 37 pounds and in Sept. of last year, I joined MFP and started going twice a week to our local pool for water exercise, in addition to my home routines. My arthritis dramatically improved from that and I have shed another 13 pounds. I no longer have trouble controlling my appetite---in fact, sometimes I have to remind myself to eat. I'm finally comfortable being who I am and even if I never lose another pound (though I'd like to lose at least 30 more) I have actually enjoyed the journey. If I can do it---you can too--I was always unsuccessful (for years) before. Good luck!

DonnaJones7

All great advice above that I need to learn also. Here's something to think about:
We're a microwave society. We are used to instant results and we want it NOW. When I make a plan to lose over 100 lbs, my little spreadsheet looks so realistic. But all I'm looking at is the end result and can't wait for it to happen. So after 3 days, I'm discouraged.
I've learned that I am MUCH better off making a goal for THIS week and just staying focused on the short term.

Good luck!

jacksprat

I couldn't sleep so I rose at 4am. I got on the treadmill and walked for 30 minutes. I plan on having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and a turkey sandwich for lunch. I will have strawberries for my mid day snack and a handful of nuts for the mid afternoon snack. I plan on drinking at least 4 glasses of water before I leave work today.

Tell me your plan for the day. Guess what, I posted the meals and exercise mentioned above and what started out on my daily plan of 1640 calories for today increase by the 291 calories I used for exercise. If I do this today I will have lost one pound by Sunday. That is not hard. It actually made me feel pretty good starting this wonderful day that God made.

What is your plan for today. I honestly what to hear it. We can do this.

I am encouraged by all the other posts. Not feeling alone thanks to you all.

misslibbyh

Don't stop trying. Read everything you can about nutrition and try to utilize the things that will work for you. For me it started with white flour. I avoid white flour products. Then sugar. I started out by using less to make cool aid and buying less sugary cereals. This wasn't enough though as I started reading labels I realized sugar is in EVERYTHING. I've slowly gravitated towards a more raw foods kind of diet. Not completely, but I add more and more recipes to my collection and I keep on hand the ingredients for green smoothies when I crave fast food. I still need to get more exercise but nobody can tell me I just don't want it enough. It isn't all or nothing. Our eating habits took years in the making and everyone is different. Just keep trying.... and don't let labels fool you. Low fat is meaningless and even whole wheat is meaningless... Watch out for sugar. Pre-make and freeze meals, always have fruits and veggies on hand, dance, play, ride and keep coming back to MFP.

SanteMulberry

Don't stop trying. Read everything you can about nutrition and try to utilize the things that will work for you. For me it started with white flour. I avoid white flour products. Then sugar. I started out by using less to make cool aid and buying less sugary cereals. This wasn't enough though as I started reading labels I realized sugar is in EVERYTHING. I've slowly gravitated towards a more raw foods kind of diet. Not completely, but I add more and more recipes to my collection and I keep on hand the ingredients for green smoothies when I crave fast food. I still need to get more exercise but nobody can tell me I just don't want it enough. It isn't all or nothing. Our eating habits took years in the making and everyone is different. Just keep trying.... and don't let labels fool you. Low fat is meaningless and even whole wheat is meaningless... Watch out for sugar. Pre-make and freeze meals, always have fruits and veggies on hand, dance, play, ride and keep coming back to MFP.

^^^THIS^^^

GetDemGainz

Your mind has to be right in order to do it. Once you want it than you can start, I can't explain it except to say you will know. I don't think you have reached that mindset yet. Good luck to you.

cebreisch

It's so hard to get going. Knowing you "need" to do something (or wanting to do something) but actually taking steps to do it are different things.

You have to have a reason big enough to compel you to get off the nail....(reference to the hound dog bellowing because he's laying on a rusty nail - farmer's friend asks him why the dog doesn't move, farmer says, "Because it doesn't hurt enough.")

My defining moment came when I went to "Moms and Muffins" day at school with my daughter. I could barely walk to the front door - had to stop several times on the way to it, and once I finally got inside, I had to sit down and catch my breath....there was nowhere for me to sit, so had to sit on the floor. Sitting on the floor, I remember thinking to myself, "Something has GOT to change."

It'll either take a defining moment, or something will come along that you want enough to make it worth being uncomfortable - to make it worth taking steps to keep you on the wagon.

Take small steps - Rome wasn't built in a day, and God even took 6 days to create the world....losing weight is no different.

Take steps to set yourself up for success. If you eat out for breakfast, start bringing your breakfast to work (from home, not McDonald's). Then start adding fruits or veggies to lunch. If you don't drink much water, add a glass of water to your day until you can get up to 8 glasses a day. Bit by bit make small changes that are liveable, and you'll get there.