What do you do when you feel so discouraged?

Also something I read on here that was really useful for craving was someone who said work out exactly what it is that you are craving - whether that is the texture, the sweetness,/saltiness or whatever and find something healthier to replace that experience with.

For example I crave 'comfort food' but have realised I think of indian food as comfort food as well and it does the same thing. So I can have a healthy homemade chicken curry with plenty of added veg and get the same feeling.
Or if I want a biscuit (cookie) then it is the crunch and soft with the salty sweetness so I have an oatcake with peanut butter and sliced banana on top. I get the same effect but as long as I stick to one or 2 and only have a small amount of peanut butter and a small banana.
They explained it much better than I did.

I agree, it's best to take things slow. I know I've gone down that road way too many times and thought, "Oh no, I caved into that chocolate bar and now I have to start all over again!", when in reality you're going to have a bad day at one point.

When you decide to make a lifestyle change, you're allowed to eat whatever you want. The key is to try and make as many healthy decisions as you're able to, not to be perfect all the time. If you have a healthy breakfast instead of a slice of cake but have a handful of chips after dinner, at least you didn't have that slice of cake, right?

I also agree that logging how you feel is a good idea. I know that I'm going to want to eat chocolate when I'm grumpy, so I don't go near the vending machines at school before my morning coffee. Just experiment to find ways to avoid old habits. Good luck!

I look at old pictures of me when I was 40 lbs heavier. Never agaaaaain!

Something that really helps for me, is only prepare enough food for one meal. Just one serving. So when that voice tells you "just one more bite!" it's impossible to cave in to it, because there aren't any more bites to have!

Also, having small snacks throughout the day helps a lot of people. If you're only mildly hungry at mealtimes instead of insanely ravenous, you are less likely to want to stuff yourself.

What others have said really says it all... The only other thing I would add is that for me personally is looking at the success thread on here helps me stay motivated and asking myself "is it really worth it?" "do I really want it?". Taking a minute a minute to let your rational brain can sometimes surprise ourself with the self-restraint you can show when you give yourself the opportunity.

Take each day one at a time - you can do this. One good choice at a time xx

Edit: WE can do this

I feel discouraged sometimes also because I see other people eating all the foods I like with wreckless abandon! But, the most important lesson I have learned so far is portion control. I love MFP because it keeps me accountable for the calories. If I really want a certain food ( trust me I am a sucker for those birthday cake cupcakes - they scream my name! ) I will eat half of it and throw the rest away. Or, eat half and save the other half for another day. If I want something bad enough I will workout for it whether it be the YWCA or yard work. I have learned that some foods are NOT worth the extra workout so I can let the food go. One day at a time. One bite at a time. One calorie at a time. Remember you didn't put on the extra weight in a day and it will take a little while to get it off, but you will be so proud of yourself when you do. If you have children, remember that you are teaching them how to not be a quitter! You can do it!!!

When I truly started out over 5 years ago to lose 70 pounds. I started simply. Changing a habit at a time. First I got rid of all certifiable junk food. Candy bars, chips, cookies, bakery goods, etc. They have NO PLACE in a healthy lifestyle makeover.

I had to come to terms with the fact that if I wanted to stop my cravings once in for all I had to get rid of sugar and refined grains (white flour, white rice, white pasta, etc.) from my diet FOR NOW UNTIL I MADE avoiding these things a habit. I made a 90 day commitment. If I couldn't do that the rest would be impossible for me. Read your labels.

Watch your sodium intake. The latest recommendation is 1500mg per day.

Drink your water. Stop drinking diet drinks, or canned/bottled drinks with ingredients that you can't find on the local grocery store shelf to make your own.

I decided to eat fiber. If it didn't have fiber, I wasn't eating it. (for the most part - common sense, please.) Read your labels.

Start exercising. Walking. NO excuses NOT to walk. You have feet. you have shoes. You can walk anywhere. Not glamorous, not the latest trend, but I needed to succeed. Walking 30 minutes a day, each and every day was doable. Doing an INSANITY work out was not for me.

Eat lots more "wet" food. Fruits, vegetables, cooked beans.

Cut WAY BACK on processed foods. Deli meat. Cheese. Anything that comes in a box, bag, carton, bottle, container that has a list of ingredients that you can't buy at the local grocery store.

Realize that not everyone can lose 2 pounds a week. Some weeks you go up, some you go down, and some you stay the same. No matter what you just keep going. Even at 205 pounds I lost only 1.1 pounds a week over time for my first 53 pounds. Not impressive, but I did lose weight. It isn't magic and it doesn't always feel rewarding, but it does happen if you don't give up.

Losing weight is difficult. Not impossible, but difficult. You need to realize if you want to lose weight you will have to do one thing for sure. Do not ever give up. You will want to give up, but don't. That made the difference for me this time. I've tried to lose weight a million times, but I always quit because I got hungry, lazy, bored, discouraged, or whatever. Quitting will keep you fat and make you fatter over time. Sticking with your program will improve your health and cause you to lose weight. You don't have to be perfect, you need to be consistent. If you stumble, you get back up. Nobody can do this but you.

One last thing that helped me mentally was www.fatloser.com. Steve Siebold offers this free video lecture that comes to your email for 30 days and then he is gone. No spam, no fee, no strings. He is there to help you find your motivation. It worked for me. 8 - 20 minutes a day was the investment that changed my life.

Good luck to you! You are capable of doing this, you just need to find your bootstraps!

Stop thinking and just do it.

Consistency always pays off in the end.