I just can't stick to it

ellen_kay

First off, you need to STOP with the pity party. Second, going from a large fry to a small fry is not going to help you lose weight. YOUR STILL EATING THE WRONG FOODS, even if it's less of it. If you want this bad enough, you will make it happen. What I'm hearing from your post is, "Blah, Blah, Blah, I can't, I can't, I can't, Blah, Blah, Blah...." You have to eat healthy and exercise to make it happen. Eating less junk food and exercising every once in a while when you feel like it will just leave you feeling disappointed and frumpy.
$H!T OR GET OFF THE POT. Nobody just wakes up one day and says, "OMG, I'm sooooo skinny. I wonder how this happened". People who have healthy bodies, healthy minds and muscle tone have worked their *kitten* off to get there. You have to work your *kitten* off too.

Good Luck! I hope you find what your looking for but with your attitude, I seriously doubt you will. Sorry to say!:noway:

I agree with this. I don't think that you are ready to lose weight. You don't have the right mind set. Yes, it is frustrating to be fat. I am there and working on it. But, you have to change your whole life. It is a big adjustment and you have to be mentally and physically ready to do it. Ready to do the work, because it is work. Step back and see if you are REALLY ready to make the commitment. If so, cut out the fast food and go for whole food. Get rid of all the additive and preservative and stick with the real thing.

Hope you can get your additude and mind set around all this and make the commitment. Good luck!

harmonscott

Hey there,

We all go through the doubt. There are weeks on end that we do not lose anything. A nice walk will clear the mind of all those thoughts of failure. You owe it to yourself!!! If you are starving on the diet break up your meals into seven snacks. There is no way if you eat seven times a day you can be hungry for very long. If you take that walk every day, you get to eat more! It’s ok to eat at McDonalds but not all the time. Set a goal and treat yourself every couple weeks. Nothing is off the list! The other little trick is you can eat a lot of vegetables. They are low in cal. and good for you. The exercise is the key. Walk walk walk. Its more about time than speed. 15 minutes to start and then build to 30. Before you know it you will be walking an HOUR!!!!!!! Oh one other thing, get rid of the sodas and drink water. Diet anything make my hungry and the other real stuff is 550cal per can. You can do it. Prove all the doubters wrong!!!!!

Just Do It

affacat

Of course you can lose weight eating junk food. You can lose weight eating one giant meal a day at McDonalds. But is that healthy? If losing weight is the only result you want...then have at it.

The issue at hand isn't pure math though. Yes, someone can lose weight eating unhealthy. But if someone is seriously struggling with weight loss issues, they need to break the cycle. Sure, someone already fit can indulge in a greasy burger (ewww). But if you're struggling, the last place you should go is to a fast food restaurant or Dairy Queen or anywhere else that encourages bad dietary behavior.

There is a psychological element at play as well as just math.

If you start eating healthy, you also train yourself away from 'bad' foods like grease. A month or two of a steady, healthy diet and grease-bomb food starts to taste disgusting. And that's a good thing. You've trained yourself away from the opposite behavior (ewww, healthy food has no taste)... and learned to appreciate the tastes of vegetables and such.

It requires discipline. And if someone is suffering from food addiction, then that's a sign they need to work on discipline... and if someone lacks discipline, they should stay away from McDs. That's simple math in my book.

ryry_

its not sugar, its not sodium, its not "junk food". its calories. you are consuming too many. its that simple.

Wrong. That's why so many of us struggle and fail year after year, is because we are made to believe that we are nothing but fat, lazy pigs who lack willpower. WRONG. Metabolism is controlled by the endocrine system. Hormones are affected differently by different foods. Calories in/out is only an over-simplified part of the story. Stop with this nonsense, because this BS is harming the health of many people. Just because (almost) everyone believes the same myth, doesn't make it true.

Blah Blah Blah...Delusional poster eats sub 1000 calories a day and attributes it to the quality of food instead of quantity. Then poster ironically calls calories in calories out a myth...lol

IamSweetcheeks

No fast food. Period, just give it up, it's not real food. It's not healthy food. It's garbage.

I gave up fast food over three years ago after decades of consuming it. I don't even CONSIDER it now. Even if it's the only thing and I'm starving.

Showcase_Brodown

Eating right is what will give you the most significant part of your results. The simple goal (which you know) is to achieve caloric deficit, no matter what kinds of foods you are eating. That is why ridiculous things like the Twinky diet work to lose weight. But it's much better to try to eat the best foods that you can. Things filled with protein will make you satisfied much longer and end up using more energy to digest than other foods(look up the thermic effect of protein compared to carbs or fats). Try to pick complex carbs over simple carbs because they will take longer to digest and not cause such a huge blood sugar and insulin spike. Also think about how many veggies you can pile on your plate and hardly amount to any calories. They are delicious, nutritious and they will fill you up. When you are eating things are of better value, you are probably going to feel better too.

Exercise is another part of the equation too, and a great idea anyway, but try to think of it as something you do to strengthen your body. Burning calories is an added bonus if you are trying to lose weight, but it ideally shouldn't be the purpose. That's why I feel that diet is the biggest part of the equation.

If you are keeping careful and honest track of your calories and creating a deficit over time, you will lose weight. One or two pounds a week is usually considered a healthy rate. So your idea of two pounds a week is actually pretty fast. Create a deficit you can live with and still lose weight. If the weight swings around, so be it. Everyone, especially women, has a variance in their weight due to water retention or other factors, so when you weigh yourself, you're better to judge your progress based on where you were a month ago. Don't get discouraged with the little ups and downs. Stick with the plan and the weight has to come off.

Hopefully I'm not missing the point here. From some of the things you said, it sounds like you view this goal as unattainable and that your body has just chosen a weight for you. I'm not trying to say that it will be easy, but please know that your goals are attainable. You are not destined to be fat or to fail at this. It will take hard work and consistency, but it is absolutely possible.

AlongCame_Molly

FIRST: Replace the words "I can't" with "I choose not to." This is actually the truth, and one that you must face in order to move on. You CAN make a different choice. The next time those Golden Arches call you, don't say "no", say "later." This'll trick your brain: You aren't denying it what it wants, you are delaying it. Often, your brain will "forget" that it wanted it in the first place.

SECOND: If you fall halfway down the stairs, should you pick yourself up and throw yourself the rest of the way down? Just cuz you blew it this morning, or whatever, doesn't mean you shouldn't do something better for yourself RIGHT NOW. Why not take a walk in the park? Have a yummy huge salad w your fave protein (chicken, salmon, steak?). Call a long lost friend and catch up.

Make small, sustainable changes to your EATING HABITS (not diet!). When I say small, I mean small enough that you hardly notice. If you usually drink three sodas in a day, drink two. If you stop at McDonalds five times a week, only do four times. After you acclimate to each small change, make another. Repeat.

This is a journey. No need to rush. Enjoy feeling the changes in yourself, mentally, physically, spiritually. And hey, cut yourself a break. I don't know you, but I'd bet you wouldn't kick someone when they were down, so why do you do it to yourself?

Hands down, this is the very best advice I've heard. Possibly ever.

affacat

. I manage to screw up at home. 3 oclock rolls around and I'm hungry and I eat 2 of those little fruit snacks of my kids. Sure, I eat apples and cheese as well....but it doesn't seem to matter. No matter what I eat I can't lose weight.

it sounds like you've fallen into the trap of eating the 'diet' food plus your snacks. That happens to a lot of people with any sort of 'filler' type diets. You end up eating more calories, not less.

AlongCame_Molly

its not sugar, its not sodium, its not "junk food". its calories. you are consuming too many. its that simple.

Wrong. That's why so many of us struggle and fail year after year, is because we are made to believe that we are nothing but fat, lazy pigs who lack willpower. WRONG. Metabolism is controlled by the endocrine system. Hormones are affected differently by different foods. Calories in/out is only an over-simplified part of the story. Stop with this nonsense, because this BS is harming the health of many people. Just because (almost) everyone believes the same myth, doesn't make it true.

Not wrong. This would only apply if OP has a thyroid issue. (I haven't read anywhere that she has)

It's not nonsense at all, and it really is that simple. You are not a snowflake.

beyondjupiter

Curious why you are eating McDonalds? Easy? Quick? Emotional? Habit? Why are you having so many bad days? Emotional eating?

These questions are just as important as anything to address. You have to fix yourself from the inside.

RunForChai

Hey, it's okay---we all struggle. I am convinced that changing the way we eat all the time, for good--and with joy [not depravation] is the key to longterm health and healthy weight. That means letting go of the guilt trips and all that stuff most of us deal with.

My advice:

1) QUALITY of calories matter. There are NO quality calories at MacDonalds [I know there are people on MFP who disagree]--I believe the food is designed to addict people, it feeds a craving and perhaps an emotional need but the feeling of being fed disappears quickly leaving us hungry for more, more, more. The only way I have found to beat this is by starting every day with--

2) Quality, high protein breakfast first thing in the morning whether you are hungry or not. What is a high quality breakfast: an egg [cooked at home, low salt, good quality "fat" such as olive or canola oil] or Ezekial bread with almond butter [the kind that is just almonds no salt, no added oils or sugars] or even a piece of chicken [that you cook yourself---saute it in light olive oil, limit the salt].....

3) Prepare snacks ahead of time so you have them and eat them whether you are hungry or not every 2 hours or so: quality snacks are: baggies of cut vegies [no dip, no salt], almonds and walnuts and raisins, thinly sliced apple, a half cup of fresh or frozen blueberries or strawberries [don't add sugar]......Be Prepared so that you can avoid the binges.

4) Sugar on MFP---I don't care about sugar that comes from fruit [but I limit myself to two fruits a day, maybe an apple and some berries] but I do think you must limit sugars from junk food.

5) Protein on MFP is way too low, eat more protein, eat it early and make sure it is high quality protein [sorry, fast food is not quality it is loaded with salt, sugar, bad quality meat and more]. Up your protein.

6) Eat half of the amount of carbs you are allowed on MFP---I think they set it way too high. How to do that? Cut: wheat, potatoes, corn.....I know, I know, it is hard at first but you can do it.

This is about changing your life, taking back your health and not being controlled by McDonalds [I don't mean this to blame you, you are not to blame, they want people to be addicted to them---but you are stronger than them].

Good luck.

bajoyba

I'm by no means a clean eater (just had some ice cream about half an hour ago!), but I do believe in eating lots of whole foods. Why? Because they're good for you, and they keep you fuller longer. If you find yourself hungry and snacking a couple of hours after you've eaten a meal, it may be because you're choosing foods that are calorie dense and small in volume (like McDonald's). In my opinion, there's nothing inherently wrong with eating french fries. But you're going to feel much different eating 300 calories of a candy bar vs. 300 calories of steamed vegetables. You may find it easier to stay within your calories if you incorporate more whole foods into your diet.

Also, while I don't think excess sodium will keep you from losing weight, it can definitely make you retain water, and water is heavy. Through tracking my sodium, I've learned that my body is pretty sensitive to high sodium levels. If I blow my sodium out of the water today, I will retain water like nobody's business. I know that the scale will reflect that tomorrow, and I know it will take a couple of days for everything to even out again. I still eat way too much salt occasionally... but I know what to expect.

And lastly, as others have said, LOG EVERYTHING. If you have a bad day (or several), log it. It's entirely possible to undo any deficit you may be eating at if you stop paying attention or give up 2 or 3 days of every week. If you're within your calorie goal some days and way over on others, there's a possibility there that you're eating most or all of those deficit calories on the days you're not tracking. Logging even the bad stuff may help you understand where you're going wrong, and it may also help you make better choices. If eating that piece of chocolate cake puts me 300 calories over my goal for the day, I may choose not to eat it... or I may choose to only eat half.

It's a learning experience. Be kind to yourself, be patient with yourself, and be honest with yourself.

jsiricos

Problem 1, you are stressing your gym bill - stay away from McDonalds, that'll save you money
Problem 2, No weight loss, - see problem 1's solution

Kids ALWAYS say they hate you, they only love you when they want something!
Hate means you must be doing something right

Eat clean, no fast food, nada, stay away from the salt..

But in the end, it doesn't matter what any of us say, YOU have to want it more than anything else.

Good Luck

Akimajuktuq

its not sugar, its not sodium, its not "junk food". its calories. you are consuming too many. its that simple.

Wrong. That's why so many of us struggle and fail year after year, is because we are made to believe that we are nothing but fat, lazy pigs who lack willpower. WRONG. Metabolism is controlled by the endocrine system. Hormones are affected differently by different foods. Calories in/out is only an over-simplified part of the story. Stop with this nonsense, because this BS is harming the health of many people. Just because (almost) everyone believes the same myth, doesn't make it true.

Blah Blah Blah...Delusional poster eats sub 1000 calories a day and attributes it to the quality of food instead of quantity. Then poster ironically calls calories in calories out a myth...lol

WTF, I eat about 1600 cals or more per day, moron. I eat more when I need to.

Cuz there's no way that what we put in our body affects health in any way. (Who's delusional???)

My diary is open to everyone, so that was a pretty silly thing to say. Just because you disagree and think you have it all figured out with just calories in/out and that our body has no complex processes to ensure survival, doesn't mean you need to LIE.

btoeps74

A few moths ago, admittingly I lived off fast food. Never ate breakfast either. Quite honestly it was easier for me to quit chewing tobaco than it was to give up eating either McDonalds or Taco bell. My reality check was our wellness physicals we have to do for work revealing how incredibly out of whack my cholesterol and HDL and LDL levels were. I can only assume your results would look a lot like mine did. Phlebotomists I've been told can actually see that grease in the viles of blood they draw. You have to get rid of that eating for pleasure mindset and think more along the lines of eating for fuel. One thing that has helped me is pre-preparing your meals for the week. Fast food is abused a lot because it's conveinient, so make home made meals conveinient. Buy frozen veggies (Look for low sodium varients) that you can microwave in four minutes. Buy chicken in bulk and cook it all at once and have it all set to go in tupperware containers. Also look for better cuts of meat. Most chicken is that minced up stuff that they add water and sodium and compress it. One entry I noticed in your diary, had 300 some grams of sodium in it. A pure chicken breast shouldn't have that much sodium in it. In any case, good luck in meeting your goals. Feel free to add me if you want as I would be curious to follow your progress.

bajoyba

WTF, I eat about 1600 cals or more per day, moron. I eat more when I need to.

Cuz there's no way that what we put in our body affects health in any way. (Who's delusional???)

My diary is open to everyone, so that was a pretty silly thing to say. Just because you disagree and think you have it all figured out with just calories in/out and that our body has no complex processes to ensure survival, doesn't mean you need to LIE.

Off topic, but... I just looked at your diary for the past week and a half, and every day your calories total less than 800.... Just sayin'.

ryry_

its not sugar, its not sodium, its not "junk food". its calories. you are consuming too many. its that simple.

Wrong. That's why so many of us struggle and fail year after year, is because we are made to believe that we are nothing but fat, lazy pigs who lack willpower. WRONG. Metabolism is controlled by the endocrine system. Hormones are affected differently by different foods. Calories in/out is only an over-simplified part of the story. Stop with this nonsense, because this BS is harming the health of many people. Just because (almost) everyone believes the same myth, doesn't make it true.

Blah Blah Blah...Delusional poster eats sub 1000 calories a day and attributes it to the quality of food instead of quantity. Then poster ironically calls calories in calories out a myth...lol

WTF, I eat about 1600 cals or more per day, moron. I eat more when I need to.

Cuz there's no way that what we put in our body affects health in any way. (Who's delusional???)

My diary is open to everyone, so that was a pretty silly thing to say. Just because you disagree and think you have it all figured out with just calories in/out and that our body has no complex processes to ensure survival, doesn't mean you need to LIE.

If you are eating 1600 a day you don't log it. And if you are eating 1600 a day, you could eat whatever you want and still lose. Never said food doesn't effect health. I was responding to you telling someone they are wrong for saying that calories in calories out is a myth concerning weight loss.

I have no need to lie, I challenge you to eat 4000 calories of whatever you consider "healthy" and report back your results. Then I will challenge you to eat a 1500 calorie regiment consisting of protein supplements and snickers and we'll compare results of your two plans.

ryry_

WTF, I eat about 1600 cals or more per day, moron. I eat more when I need to.

Cuz there's no way that what we put in our body affects health in any way. (Who's delusional???)

My diary is open to everyone, so that was a pretty silly thing to say. Just because you disagree and think you have it all figured out with just calories in/out and that our body has no complex processes to ensure survival, doesn't mean you need to LIE.

Off topic, but... I just looked at your diary for the past week and a half, and every day your calories total less than 800.... Just sayin'.

Thank You!

whitecapwendy

when I began my journey, I decided that I wanted to be healthier so I wanted to eat healthier, but the first thing I needed to learn was what healthy eating was. I found some books and began reading. So when I started back in January, I began by getting rid of processed sugars and processed flours. I filled my fridge with lots of fruits and vegetables. Having a busy life, I will make baggies of fresh veggies (current favorite is broccoli and baby carrots). I make sure I eat at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day and usually more. I make it a point to eat whole grains (look at the label and make sure the first ingredient is whole grain), It is best to cook lean meat yourself and not do fried. Because I have a busy life, I tend to do a lot of Lean Cuisines and Smart ones. My snacks are veggies, fruits and nuts (watching portions on the nuts. And lots of water 80-100 ounces of water. I also work out about an hour every day. I have found that my body (even at 54 years old and post menaposal) has responded beautifully to this --. I have lost 49 pounds since January 4

coreyreichle

Another item not addressed here as far as I saw, is possibly you have plateaued with your current exercise regime. Your body might have gotten as efficient as it can doing what you are trying making it do; thereby, your calorie burn for that exercise is much less than what you think.

Change up your regime. If you walk the treadmill, try instead hopping on the cycle. If you cycle, try jogging.

Also, start tracking neck/waist/hips measurements. You might not be losing weight at this point, and instead are just toning.