No loss in two weeks...

I know healthy food can be delicious. For lunch today, because the cafeteria closed before I could hit up the salad bar, I'm having celery and carrots with fat free dip and some beef jerky because it was lower calorie and lower sodium than the premade sandwiches. Cooking on the other hand is boring. Eating the same thing every day is boring. And when I only ever get to see any of my RL friends when my parents invite their parents out to dinner and they just HAPPEN to be home that weekend, and if I'm not going out to dinner with them... that's boring too.

Food is fuel for your body, it's not always supposed to be fun!
Spending 3-4 hours prepping my meals for the week isn't #1 on my list of fun things to do each week, but guess what, I get my @$$ in there on a weekly basis and JUST DO IT. You know why? Because the results of being healthy far outweigh having fun non-stop and being entertained. Being at work 8-5 Monday -Friday is also pretty boring, but guess what, bills don't pay themselves! I think you might have some growing up to do, my friend.

Maybe instead of playing video games after work, you cook a meal for you and your parents. A) you get your healthy things you are also helping your parents. Video games can wait for later, your health is now

^^THIS

Why do you want to give up completely?
No one said you had to eat boring, just a little healthier!
Which can be delicious

Because people are yelling at me and pointing out every mistake I have ever made. That is not encouraging at all. It makes me feel like I can't do this.

I am TRYING to eat healthier. Lifestyle changes don't happen overnight, but lots of people here are all "suck it up and do it NOW you fat pathetic whiner!"

I know healthy food can be delicious. For lunch today, because the cafeteria closed before I could hit up the salad bar, I'm having celery and carrots with fat free dip and some beef jerky because it was lower calorie and lower sodium than the premade sandwiches. Cooking on the other hand is boring. Eating the same thing every day is boring. And when I only ever get to see any of my RL friends when my parents invite their parents out to dinner and they just HAPPEN to be home that weekend, and if I'm not going out to dinner with them... that's boring too.

Grow up...that is my suggestion..........

I'm absolutely positive I have no further advice to give you on here and you've probably stopped reading anyway, but I'm a Mom, I'm old, giving advice is what I do. :P I am impressed by the heartfelt responses I have read here. People who have taken the time to dig in and really give an objective opinion with earnest good will. They see a different perspective than what you are seeing right now. You are a college grad with a full time job and that's awesome, but you are an adult child living at home which means you re-define yourself separate from lifestyle they choose. You want to fill your dreams, not duplicate their mistakes.

Also, our brains are tricky and I see that clearly in how you explain "slips". Brain chemistry is designed to maintain weight. You feel like you are really trying and putting in a lot of effort on this quest, I can see that. But your brain says OK, I was really good so I can slip a little and it calculates subconsciously exactly how many calories you need to cancel out the effort. I've been there done that a lot! Whenever you think "I can't do that, because..." remember your brain might just be trying to get you to maintain weight. Good luck, it's only the first month of the rest of your life.

Why do you want to give up completely?
No one said you had to eat boring, just a little healthier!
Which can be delicious

Because people are yelling at me and pointing out every mistake I have ever made. That is not encouraging at all. It makes me feel like I can't do this.

I am TRYING to eat healthier. Lifestyle changes don't happen overnight, but lots of people here are all "suck it up and do it NOW you fat pathetic whiner!"

I know healthy food can be delicious. For lunch today, because the cafeteria closed before I could hit up the salad bar, I'm having celery and carrots with fat free dip and some beef jerky because it was lower calorie and lower sodium than the premade sandwiches. Cooking on the other hand is boring. Eating the same thing every day is boring. And when I only ever get to see any of my RL friends when my parents invite their parents out to dinner and they just HAPPEN to be home that weekend, and if I'm not going out to dinner with them... that's boring too.

No one called you fat once in this thread.

I wish you would just take the advice and stop making excuses.

We are the same age, but I feel like you are acting like you're 16, not 24.

Here's my conclusion:

YOU AREN'T READY TO LOSE WEIGHT. That's fine, we've all been there....one day you'll be fed up enough, and hopefully it won't be too late.

Helpful hints for restaurants:
1) Nothing with creamy sauce.
2) Nothing fried.
3) Vegetables or salad as a side dish, not fries or mashed potatoes.

Even McDonald's has salads.

Going to mcdonalds for a salad is like going to a prostitute for a hug!

.. but everyone needs a hug sometimes.

HA. True...but i'm not gettin one from a prostitute. LOL

You seem to eat out A LOT and not healthy choices...and a lot of your snacks are unhealthy. I'd definitely try cleaning up the diet and sticking to a consistent amount of calories for a little while. Your diary is definitely all over the place. What you eat definitely affects how the weight comes off, not just whether or not you stuck to your calorie count. 2 weeks with no loss is going to happen. I've gone a month with no loss, and for the most part I eat pretty well and get my exercise in. It's part of the journey. Have patience.

Hello You've gotten quite a few comments, most with really good information, and a lot with the tough love, which is good. I will try to point out reasons/answers for your question, without coming off as MEAN AND EVIL (rwar!). Know that nothing is intended to be taken as mean - I know it's crazy difficult to tell what tone is behind the words via text.

You are right that occasional treats are not bad. In fact, they're great! If you deny yourself any type of treat, you run the risk of a binge day, where you just snarf down all the cookies you can find. I am so guilty. However, people are right about the need to tone down the amount of treats - just because you have a bag of jolly ranchers doesn't mean you need to eat them all because it is one serving. Just because I have a pan of brownies doesn't mean I need to eat them all and lick the stirring spoon. What works well for me is to take out the ones I want - say one brownie or 4 jolly ranchers, and then put the rest where I cannot see them. If it's straight up not allowed (willpower check here!), you won't do it.

I would suggest chaning your weight loss goals from 2lbs a week to 1lb a week. The calorie goals are REALLY low, and when we're just starting to make a lifestyle change, they can make it difficult to stick. Plus, that whole "starvation mode" nonsense we hear about is really true! I didn't believe it either, and set the 2lb goal, but lost nothing (or worse, would get frustrated and binge). With the 1lb goal, I'm actually staying on track and often losing *more* than the 1lb it says I will. Give the 1lb goal a try for a few weeks. Once you adjust and your stomach starts shrinking, then maybe look at the 1.5 or 2lb goal.

I hear you on the I-don't-want-to-cook thing. A solution I've found is to invest in frozen dinners/lunches for work. There are some good ones out there. I enjoy Kashi and Amy's, because they have flavor, but find the "smart one's" to be gross. Personal preference, of course, but this helps you limit your calorie intake without cooking as much. Another thing to consider is a crock-pot. I ADORE my crock-pot. Throw in 2 chicken breasts and some seasoning/soup/salsa/whatever I want, and walk away for 3-4 hours. Super easy, plus it results in my next 2-4 healthy meals.

Try Yogurt for breakfast. It's low in calories, plus it's good for your girlie-bits (not even kidding!) I have revolted against breakfast for my whole life, but I've decovered that, once again, "they" are right. A small breakfast gets your metabolism going.

Last thing would be to try and watch sodium intake, along with caolories. Some calories are good (my banana has quite a few, but it's a GOOD food), but having too much sodium causes us to maintian weight, rather than lose it. Plus the less sodium you have, the easier it is for your exersize to be effective.

I've rambled a whole ton, and I'm sorry, but I hope this helps!

Why do you want to give up completely?
No one said you had to eat boring, just a little healthier!
Which can be delicious

Because people are yelling at me and pointing out every mistake I have ever made. That is not encouraging at all. It makes me feel like I can't do this.

I am TRYING to eat healthier. Lifestyle changes don't happen overnight, but lots of people here are all "suck it up and do it NOW you fat pathetic whiner!"

I know healthy food can be delicious. For lunch today, because the cafeteria closed before I could hit up the salad bar, I'm having celery and carrots with fat free dip and some beef jerky because it was lower calorie and lower sodium than the premade sandwiches. Cooking on the other hand is boring. Eating the same thing every day is boring. And when I only ever get to see any of my RL friends when my parents invite their parents out to dinner and they just HAPPEN to be home that weekend, and if I'm not going out to dinner with them... that's boring too.

Cooking isn't boring! You just aren't doing it right. :P

I never used to like cooking either, but it's not as hard or as difficult as people make it sound.

I dance while I prepare my meals. True story! I crank up the music and I boogie my little butt off while I'm chopping those carrots and mixing my ingredients.

Might I suggest learning how to prepare some easy, quick meals?

Last night I dined on baked chili! YUM! And it took only twenty minutes prep time (much of that prep time was spent with me dancing and/or watching TV while I prepared). The rest of the time the food was in the oven and I didn't have to do ANYTHING but wait for it to finish.

Not all cooking requires your full attention for thirty minutes. You can cook AND do the things you love. Cooking should take MAYBE ten-twenty minutes of your undivided time. That's the bulk of it. And isn't it worth it? If it means feeling healthier? Losing weight?

I know everyone seems really harsh right now but try and hear what they're saying beneath all the venom.

Everyone here is saying: If you want to do this, don't make excuses. No more excuses. It's time to change.

But don't be discouraged. If it feels like too much, then make small changes and work your way towards this new lifestyle. If you really feel you can't jump in then just start small and build up to the bigger changes.

And don't be discouraged if your weight loss is slow and/or seems to stall! Only get discouraged if you start to regain everything.

Anyway. Look at you! You've gained two and lost two. That's good! Better to gain and lose then to gain and not lose!!

I live with my parents also and it does make it more difficult, but I have learned that if i want to be successful i can only depend on myself. It is all about making the right choices. If they are eating pizza for dinner, you can have that pizza but only a small portion, and opt for veggies instead of meat. Skip the chicken wings and get a salad instead. I noticed a lot of sweets in your diary also. Remember that while it is important not to deprive yourself of those treats you have to limit your intake otherwise you will be unsuccessful. It involves a lot of self control passing up the sweets your parents have laying around in the kitchen or eating that salad while they eat a giant bowl of pasta (trust me i have been there), but it WILL be worth it and eventually you won't even be tempted. You made the decision to be healthy so you just have to stick to it! I hope that this helps. Good luck

I'm 21, live with my parents, and have an office job. It's *hard* to plan ahead and eat right, and a lot of the time I still don't because I forgot or was lazy. And then I pay for it later. I'm learning that instant gratification (i.e. I don't have time to cook because I want to go do ________) is not worth it in the end. But it's a process to get there.
Weight loss isn't always fun. Eating right is certainly not fun all the time. You're going to have bad days and good days but it's the attitude you need to change to see results.

I was a terrible cook two months ago. Now, I'm not fantastic, but my whole house eats what I make and it's healthier for all of us. As for social, all my friends are away at school. I have my bf, but it does get lonely. I go to the gym when I feel like that.

You have to really *want* it. If you find yourself making all these excuses, maybe it's not the right time for you to change your life.

Uh oh....are the meaners out today? Bottom line, you get out of the program exactly what you put in. However, T.O.M derails me for about 2 weeks every single month :ohwell:

Be patient. Be very diligent If you really want to see results. And, pay attention to the results you get based on what you eat and drink. For me, alcohol and sodium also make me hold on to weight longer than when I don't drink or eat out.

Welcome to MFP and hang in there!

What does socialization have to do with weight loss? I keep seeing that come up.

Ok seriously. People keep saying this. Do people really believe that if you aren't the "popular" type that hangs out with friends instead of playing video games that suddenly you'll start losing weight?

It's because the OP said it was one of her reasons for not being able to eat healthier.

OP, focus on small things you can change. Maybe you want to decide to only eat out twice a week, or maybe you replace one serving of chocolate with a piece of fruit. Small changes add up. The biggest thing to me is be consistent. You can lose weight eating out all the time, but it's so much harder. All the sodium will make your water retention be all over the place. All your calories get spent in one place and then you don't get to have anything else that day.

It doesn't have to be "all junk" or "all healthy"-- I generally do about 75/25 and I'm trying to get to 80/20. I do have chocolate pretty much every day, but I also have grilled chicken, veggies, quinoa, etc. If you can just work on making most of your meals at home I think it'll help your progress. I also wonder if you might benefit from raising your calorie goal a little and then sticking to it consistently. Your exercise calories may also be off, so I'd suggest either using a HRM or only eating back half.

Finally go back and read over your entire diary with a critical eye. Find strengths you can be proud of, and then also find weaknesses. Sometimes I'm surprised when I go back and look at mine; either I thought I was being healthier than I was, or I felt like I had a terrible week and it turns out it wasn't so bad. But I think looking back after some time has passed can help figure out what is working and what isn't.