How do you stay motivated?

Well...habits aren't going to change within a few weeks and you may have to dedicate a lot of time counting cals and fat until it comes naturally...soon it will...if more people thought about what their cramming into their mouths, obesity wouldn't be such a big public health crisis...So, congratulate yourself on doing a fine job and keep it up

The 1st and foremost is have a plan start ahead of time looking at what foods you eat now find the calories and see what you can and cannot eat. The 1st 1-2 weeks are hard and it helps if you have others around you that are on a diet as well. We are currently doing a biggest loser at our office so we have each other to feed off of. What I did was look at everything I was eating in the past and see what I could and could not eat take fast food and soda those are 100% gone from my menu all together. You would be surprised what you can eat on a diet and what kind of portions you can have.

For example I have everything planned for lunch and dinner this week M-F I already know how many calories they are and how much I can have. I will tell you I have been under every day for my calorie count at times by 300 and as much as 1000 calories since I have started my diet back on 1/3/2010.

The other thing I do is weight my self each morning to see where I am at if I am up a little I know I need to alter my intake and so on it's all about change and something that needs to be done unless we want to go back to what we were like before the diet Sure the food was great but were you really happy with the results.

It’s all about planning and look back at what you used to eat and remember all of those calories that is what motivates me because of this I am down 31lbs in 9 weeks.


Good Luck

I thought that way at first, then I actually started to look forward to it. I started losing weight and it seemed like more of a challenge, something that at the end of the day when my calories were under my goal, it was an accomplishment. I look forward to doing it now. Seeing how much food I can pack into one day without going over my calories. There are some days where it stresses me out a little, but not nearly as often as before. I am losing weight, feel better than I have in years, so everyday I log my food I think about how far it has got me so far and how much better it will help me to be. Everyday I get a little closer to being the me I always wanted to be.

I absolutely drive my husband nuts measuring and weighing everything. I have started ignoring him and have made a game of staying within my calorie goal. I have found that I can make substitutions of certain foods in order to have others. Sometimes, I find that I prepare a meal and I have not eaten enough calories that day. Then, I get to go on a hunt and find something wonderful to get just the right amount of calories that I am missing. It's kind of like a treasure hunt. I try not to cheat because I know I am only cheating myself, but I have found lots of ways to have the types of food I want even if it is not the exact food I want.

This is great...my hubby feels the same way...I often do go on the treasure hunt as well

I stay motivated because I have a picture of me at what has to be close to my highest weight looking at me all day right by my desk. That works well for me.

I make a menu sheet for the week Monday - Sunday. If I leave out the weekend, I mess up on those days. I make a chart that has the days across the top and time down the side. I plan everything out, down to the penny. I get stressed out about what I am going to eat if I dont plan it out. I make bad choices too if I don't do it this way.

I do this on Saturdays, do my shopping / cooking on Sundays and Wednesdays...

I eat 40/40/10, which does not leave a lot of room for fillers or sauces. I make a sauce that I can put on anything to make it taste good, it is sort of a home made tomato sauce with spinach, stewed tomatoes, and summer squash. For example, I know I get 1/2 cup of that, so for my lunch, I will have 3oz of Turkey meat, 1/2 cup of sauce and 1/2 cup of rice. So, on Saturday when I am making my plan for the week, I figure out how much turkey meat I need to cook up for Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I cook it all at once. I make a 8cup batch [16 servings] of the sauce and freeze it in little lunch bags, and then every other day, I make my rice. I just pack it all together and pop in the microwave for lunch, easy.

It takes some planning. I am eating 5 times a day, 25g of protein each meal. If I don't plan, I fail. I also have to count my water intake, so I get enough or I can't make it.

I would say planning is the best way to stop the insanity. If you have a plan, you only have to really THINK about it once a week, then you just do what you planned. If you mess up one day, you have your plan for the next already done and can jump back on the wagon easily.

I think planning is a great idea. Especially if it works for you. Another way to get through it if you find yourself constantly thinking about food, is to eat 5 times a day. I eat the same breakfast and lunch so I know what I am getting into. Inbetween breakfast & lunch I often get hungry. I use water and a high fiber snack to get me through. I find that, now after getting into my routine, that an apple is almost too much food. I feel stuffed after I eat it and drink 16 oz of water, but it gets me to lunch. In the afternoon I portion out some grapes and take that with me to lunch, and I have that and 2 more cups of water and I am feeling full again. Maybe if you plan on being hungry and brining healthy snacks, like carrots or fruits & veggies in preportioned snacks, you can still hit your calories and feel full all day long. I still think about food, but my snack quickly makes my thoughts of food go away.
Also, I have trouble looking at food still and not thinking I am still going to be hungry later. My strategy for that is to plan on eating less, but having that snack as a backup. It keeps me from eating with my eyes and I use my stomach as a guide.
Keep it up! You can do it. Stay on track and each day will get easier & easier! It takes 21 concecutive days to form a habit! You will get there, but remember you are never alone in your struggle!