i know what i am doing wrong...

however i either lack motivation or strength to change it. I've been trying for 5 days to stay under my daily calorie goal but i always go over....even though i eat less and stay away from junk and try to control portion size...its seems i still go over. I eat too many carbs, don't drink enough water, not enough veggies and fruits. It seems thought i am making changes but they are not significant enough to make a difference. I don't like a lot of meat or eggs so my protein sources are limited as well. I've been so tired lately and busy that i don't have enough time to go for walk. In the summer i go outside with my kids, now when its rainy and cold i seem to be couped up in the house after a sedentary day at work....
I know..i am
making excuses...cause i could actively play with the kids in the basement...walk up and down stairs in my house...i just don't have the energy...
motivation needed....i really want this to work but i don't want to be hungry all the time...
thanks for listening

Replies

  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    Eating to lose weight (at a deficit) doesn't mean being hungry all the time. Your diary is private so I can't offer any input on that.

    But I will say that until you get that motivation, that NEED to do this, it won't happen. Get off your *kitten*, make a decision to take control of your life and DO IT.

    Also, just focus on calories. Those are what is the most important. Don't stress over the rest of the numbers right now. That will come with time.
  • arlenem1974
    arlenem1974 Posts: 437 Member
    to make sure I don't go ever I make my food log the night before. If I think I might forget what is on it I print it.
  • MandaJean83
    MandaJean83 Posts: 675 Member
    I agree with the person above me. Personally, I had great motivation for about 6 months...and I reached my goal! Then I lost motivation, gained about 6 lbs back, and have had zero motivation to lose since then. I know that what I'm missing is my motivation and desire. That's something that you can't buy or be given. It has to come from WITHIN you.

    If you opened your diary, we could see what foods you are choosing. There are calorie dense foods and calorie light foods. You just gotta learn which of the light foods are your favorites and try to incorporate them into meals. You also need to figure out if you are a problem-snacker, like I am. I found that having low cal treats around really helps me. I love the fiber one brownies, little cups of fruit, special K chips...things that I can snack on for less than 100 calories!

    I also find that if i want to eat calorie dense foods, I CAN, but I need to eat them in smaller portions and make sure I get in a kick-*kitten* workout that day! :)

    Good luck to you!
  • kayduro
    kayduro Posts: 249 Member
    You say you are making changes. That's great! You are succeeding! As long as today is an improvement over yesterday then you are headed in the right direction. This is a process, a life change. It will take time. You shouldn't be hungry while you are doing this. Choose better foods that fill you up. Open your diary so people can help you tweak things. Look at what other people eat. Don't be too hard on yourself if you don't eat perfectly one day. Small changes lead to lasting good health!
  • fldiver97
    fldiver97 Posts: 341 Member
    google high protein food sources.....One thing that helped me curb the hunger was snacks/meals that were high in protein. I do not eat meat or fish but I love eggs. Just one hardboiled egg as either a snack or as part of a salad goes a long way. String cheese, (skim mozarella for instance are filling, have protein and are 50 - 70 cal per stick depends on brand), protein powder (soy, pea, whey or other source of protein mixed with water or almond or coconut milk with some berries makes a great protein smoothie. Prepare some salads and cut veggie sticks in advance and package in ziplock bags for snacks as a go-to....same goes for fruit, almonds, maybe a few pretzels or unsalted peanuts. Inexpensive snacks that are filling. Greek yogurt is higher in protein than other yogurt. And dress according to the weather and go for a walk, everyday if you can. It's hard to get going but you will feel good after your time outdoors. You will feel less tired and more motivated! It does take effort, the first few weeks are difficult but if you make the committment to change your eating habits little by little and get some exercise - even just walking - in, it will become a habit and will feel so much better. You are right, you know where your weak spots are.....if you want to lose weight/be fitter/be healthier/ whatever your goal is....YOU have to be the driving force, you have to want it bad enough to say "I can and I will do this". Change does not happen overnight, permanent change has to become a habit. Good luck :smile:
  • everydaypam
    everydaypam Posts: 90 Member
    Another thing to consider is being less aggressive with your weekly goal. If you are targeting 1 pound a week but feel hungry and can't seem to stick with it try changing it to half a pound a week. You'll get 500 more calories each day and it may be easier while you adjust to this new lifestyle of thinkin about your food. I know that on weeks where I just don't feel full this can work for me to stay on track. Good luck!!
  • Bakerchk
    Bakerchk Posts: 424 Member
    Eating to lose weight (at a deficit) doesn't mean being hungry all the time. Your diary is private so I can't offer any input on that.

    But I will say that until you get that motivation, that NEED to do this, it won't happen. Get off your *kitten*, make a decision to take control of your life and DO IT.

    Also, just focus on calories. Those are what is the most important. Don't stress over the rest of the numbers right now. That will come with time.


    ^^^ Genius!

    When I hear you say you're tired all the time, the first thing that comes to mind is that you are simply not eating enough. Please do yourself some good and read the threads on "eat more, weigh less". I'd say it's the hardest concept for women to grasp because we've always been told that in order to lose weight we have to eat tiny portions and are only allowed 1200cals a day (which is complete CRAP) and has been proven over and over again to be crap. I eat 1700 calories a day, consistently and I've lost 20lbs. It works, but is also is about WHAT you are eating. But as the user above mentioned, don't stress on the carbs, sugars, proteins, etc. right now. Get the calories down and then go from there. It's a science and it takes some time to learn.

    I am not sure how much you are eating, but if you are tired because of low calories, I think you will find this to be much more enjoyable once you start eating more. Again, this is just assuming you are eating around 1200 calories a day. If this isn't the case, then I am not sure why you are tired all the time. Maybe consult your doctor about this?

    As far as being motivated, there is nothing anyone can say to change that. Of course, everyone is here to help support you and help keep you motivated, but it really comes down to how badly you want this.

    I've found for me that once I started eating 1700 calories and stopped worrying so much about what I was eating, it got so much easier. I tell people all the time.... RELAX! You are not going to gain 100lbs by eating a cheeseburger. You might if you eating cheeseburgers for every meal, for a year.... but not one. So why stress? I am not perfect, far from it and I have made some very poor food decisions in the past year BUT I lost 20lbs. How? Because yes I made poor decisions but I made more good decisions than poor, and I got my butt in the gym, and drank my water!

    I hope you find the motivation inside of you. Set small goals for yourself so you don't feel so overwhelmed. Best of luck!
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    If you're raising young kids.. Make sure you are taking your multivitamins! With iron maybe! And add protein and vitamin D foods(ESP if you are not in a sunny place)

    Are you getting enough sleep?

    Raising kids is beyond tiring! Some days I barely had energy and motivation to just take a shower when mine were little!
  • JennKie1
    JennKie1 Posts: 200 Member
    I have that issue sometimes. I know what I SHOULD be doing, but I don't always do it. However, if you "don't have the motivation" to make a change, then you won't. I would stop and think about why you want to lose weight (there's the motivator), and how important it is to you. Use that to push yourself forward every day. One snack at a time, one meal at a time, one day at a time.....you'll get there.

    I don't eat perfectly, and I know that I could lose more quickly if I did, but if I focus on what I've done wrong, I just get discouraged and end up going backwards. I try to make better choices, still have some treats, and exercise on a regular basis. You can make it work and not be hungry all the time, but you need to experiment a little bit. I have days where I feel like I'm starving even when I've gone over my calories, and other days where I am not hungry even though I have a few hundred left over. I figure that it probably balances itself out as long as I don't let it get out of control.

    I also don't eat a lot of meat, and because of that, I am sick of eggs. I do like to eat veggie burgers, crispy tofu, garbanzo beans, greek yogurt, string cheese, low-fat cottage cheese, peanutbutter, etc....you can find protein without having to eat a ton of meat.

    It's a slow process, and it's not easy, but you can do it. You just need to figure out what does motivate you. It can't be for anyone else, just for you. My biggest motivation is my own "before" pictures. They're shameful. When I think about giving up, I just take a peek at those, and I remember why I need to get up off the couch and stick the DVD in and press "play".
  • Ewa101975
    Ewa101975 Posts: 39 Member
    thank you all so very much, very very helpful. I think i just need to keep making the changes and sticking to them. I am embarrased to open up my diary cause i am not eating 1200lbs...much more than that and my choices have not been great...but i would like your input so i will open it up...maybe that will help me stay on track :)
    I have small kids 7 and 3 and my 3 year old often wakes up so i rarely get a full nights sleep, I also have a liver condition that makes me tired...i have started taking a multivitamin and vitamin c with d cause i live in the cold dark ontario, canada.
    I am not a snacker really..if I snack i usually try for fruit...but insead of one apple i will have two...
    I also eat more when i am stressed out...comfort foods

    But like you all said the motivation needs to come from within...its there its just change is hard...

    Thank you all again:smile:
  • Ewa101975
    Ewa101975 Posts: 39 Member
    you are right...i just need to do it!
  • Ewa101975
    Ewa101975 Posts: 39 Member
    i know...some days can be a real challenge
  • Ewa101975
    Ewa101975 Posts: 39 Member
    i changed my target to .5lbs per week...at least for now....thanks
  • Ewa101975
    Ewa101975 Posts: 39 Member
    i have opened my diary...your input appreciated
  • lyndalpn
    lyndalpn Posts: 151 Member
    Don't be embarassed- we are all here for the same reasons- to get healthier and make changes. Having your diary open means others can help you, support you, give you advice and it gives you a degree of accountabilty - kind of like "if I eat that I will have to log it, so I better not eat it in the first place"! Its all about support and encouragement, not judgement. Feel free to add me as a friend if you feel I can help xx
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    Your food log didn't look embarrassing at all! You have a great amounts of fruits! I need to get more myself!

    My very minor suggestions would be:
    Replace on of those bananas with a veggie serving
    Reduce your dairy
    Get more lean proteins

    But, like I said, it looks good to me! And 61 calories over isn't even a weight gain amount!
  • michladyme
    michladyme Posts: 7 Member
    I know what you mean - I lack motivation too....it's very hard for me to get up from the couch after dinner and do anything. Walking the stairs in your house works if you can't get outside to walk. Try starting with five minutes a day...it's a great beginning!