Any tips of sticking with the program?

bhcate
bhcate Posts: 6
in Introduce Yourself
Hey Everyone,

So this is my first day or trying to turn things around. I have used sites like this before, but i have had a really hard time keeping up with them. I usually am good for a few days, then I fall behind and then abandon it all together. I guess that is how i found myself so far down this hole to begin with. Does anyone have any tips or tricks to get through the first few weeks and get "over the hump?" i would be much obliged.

Thanks!

-C
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Replies

  • 89nunu
    89nunu Posts: 1,082 Member
    get lot's of friends! the more people you have to support you here the more likely it is you will not get bored. Also talk to these people, they gotta be real for you...
    Especially try and find people that are in a similar situation like you and people that have already gone quite far in loosing what you still have ahead of you (whatever that might be)
    Put in a picture and fill out all the things of your profile, makes you think why you are doing this in the first place ad also makes you more attached to the site.

    Bet there is more but these are the main one for me :D
    you can add me if you like ;-)
  • Cocooma
    Cocooma Posts: 13
    Join a group and get some MFP friends. When you read their progress - diet and exercise diaries - it will help to motivate you and give you ideas. Send me a friend request if you want! Good Luck!!
  • sarabi08
    sarabi08 Posts: 6 Member
    Hi, Welcome...I have also been rubbish in the past, but I have down loaded the app to my phone which I have with me all of the time. I use it all the time when I'm shopping, if I feel tempted to be naughty I check out the damage on the app and that really puts me off. When I'm only allowed 1200 calories wasting them on rubbish keeps me in check....its saved me a few times. My other top tip is to buy or look up online the hariy dieters receipes (which are all on the app so easy to record) they are very tasty but healthy and keep within the allowance.

    Good luck :-)
  • Car0lynnM
    Car0lynnM Posts: 332 Member
    log your food the day before so you don't fall behind. If you stick with what you plan, you're also more likely to keep on target. Good luck!!
  • geojeepgirl
    geojeepgirl Posts: 243 Member
    Take measurements and be aware of how your clothes fit becuase sometimes you will see a change there versus on the scale. And that can help you stay on track.
  • CamillaBeaumont
    CamillaBeaumont Posts: 56 Member
    Don't try to do everything at once. Set reasonable goals as they are easier to stick with. For example, don't go from eating 3000 cals and never exercising to 1200 cals and 2hrs of cardio 7 days per week as you won't stick with it.
  • bearwith
    bearwith Posts: 525 Member
    I have told my close friends and we are all on this together. They can see what I eat and how much (usually how little) exercise I am doing. They then prod me to get a move on. Best inspiration. Also helps to log on several times a day and input what you are eating because it REALLY makes you think about not putting stuff in your mouth that you do not need.
  • Jaulen
    Jaulen Posts: 468 Member
    Get into the right mindset.
    It's not a diet, you don't need to eat diet foods, you don't need to cut out all treats from your life.

    It's (I hate this phrase) a 'lifestyle change'. It's learning to properly fuel your body, and learning to recognize a portion size. It's more of realigning your relationship with and knowledge of food and your body.

    If you're quitting after a couple of days you are probably making too drastic of a change and setting yourself up for failure.

    When you start, take measurements, track those along with weight. You may not see a budge on the scale, but you may see a drop in inches.....don't make success just hinge on a number on the scale (which you know can fluctuate many pounds from day to day due to water weight). Take a starting picture. If it's going to depress you to see yourself, don't look at it again, until you have some progress pictures to compare it to.

    Also, if you have a smart phone, get the app.

    If you cook at home, enter your recipes (takes some time, but worth it IMHO, especially if it;s something you make/eat often)

    See the information in this link:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • MrJase
    MrJase Posts: 88 Member
    A couple of things you could try........

    The MFP smart phone app definitely helped with me as I basically had it with me all the time. I could scan barcodes etc and it was also good for logging food.

    I will also say that reading success stories on here will help you loads. What ever I can't be bothered to work out I just have a quick flick through the stories and it game on afterwards! :)

    Lastly is get good MFP friends, they will congratulate you when you lose weight / complete a goal or give you a push if you have an off day. End of the day we are all on here for the same reason so we are all here to help each other!

    I hope this helps and good luck and you are more than welcome to add me if you wish :)

    J
  • gettingmeback2013
    gettingmeback2013 Posts: 114 Member
    I agree, make your way around the forums, make lots of friends..the support you receive is amazing and makes you want to keep going! Also, track your food like your life depends on it. Seeing what you're eating laid out before you really makes you think before you choose to eat something. No slacking on giving support either! Boosting others boosts you!!
  • _namaste_
    _namaste_ Posts: 246
    Whoops, wrong post.
  • legnarevocrednu
    legnarevocrednu Posts: 467 Member
    Try to join a challenge and get supportive, motivating friends!
  • hedwardsb
    hedwardsb Posts: 201 Member
    Start to log your calories for the next day at night before bed, so you don't have to log as much during the day.
    I like to take leftovers for lunch, so when I log my dinner at night, I go ahead & log the next day's lunch. I might go ahead & log breakfast, if I know what I'm going to eat.
    It, also, prevents the, "I'm so hungry, & I don't know what I'm going to eat" situation which can really get me in trouble, if I start eating pell mell.
  • mellllls
    mellllls Posts: 7 Member
    Welcome and best wishes to you! I really think this is a wonderful website/app. I've tried others unsuccessfully. But this one has really irked for me so far (I've only even using it a month).
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 Member
    It's not really a "program" MFP is a log... just start logging your foods... be honest on portions etc.
    I can't call MFP a program anyway it's so customizable, some are here doing IF (Intermittent Fasting) diets, some are following South Beach macro breakdowns some are using it for TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) less a cut to lose weight, and the ability for "all" these to be done on MFP says its a log where you can track what you're doing rather than a rigid program with no flexibility. If you eat a chocolate bar, log it. If you eat a pomegranate log it. If you eat half a pizza log it.
    Log one days worth of food entirely.
    Work up to two days logging everything
    Work up just start logging your food and you will come to see where you have been at.

    Once I started tracking I realized personally that I had to be eating close to 4000 calories a day with all the processed junk I was eating. Once I started logging just what I was eating it started to fall into place. I really didn't want to log that 300 calorie chocolate bar so I stopped eating them as often as I had been.
  • Royalsbatwench
    Royalsbatwench Posts: 117 Member
    Log everything. Even terrible days. Log. Log. Log.
    Get friends. My friends count on me and I count on them. I check here before I check Facebook or my mom's group that I'm on. It is a great way to start my day.
    Be honest. You're only lying to yourself.
    Remember that this is not a sprint. This will take time.
    Don't set yourself up to fail. You will have bad days, you are flawed. It will be okay.
  • ImperfectedBeauty
    ImperfectedBeauty Posts: 124 Member
    hey! and welcome =)
    A few tips I learned when i first started that really helped me was:

    1. Friends, friends can be so helpful when you feel like giving up, when you need to ask a question, when your having trouble with something... they are fun to have to motivate and encourage and vice versa.

    2. Spend the first day eating what you normally would, but log it!.. if you have ten cans of pop, log them. If you eat KFC for lunch and mcdonalds for dinner, log it. If you can see what your habits are normally like, then you can shock yourself into making it a permanent habit almost right away. When I first did it, I was horrified that I was eating almost 4000 calories a day and my sodium was over triple the recommended amount. I changed my ways and never looked back.

    3. Do not restrict yourself!... If you can make room to eat a cookie, then do it. If your significant other or something wants to go out for dinner at your favorite restaurant and you can make room.. do it!.. If you don't restrict your eating then your less likely to "cheat" and "fall off the wagon".

    4. Water, water is extremely important for everything. Your eyes, your lungs, your heart...etc. The more water you can drink, the better. I started off turning my nose up at it and now im at about 8-14 cups a day depending on the day. It takes time to be able to down bottle after bottle but if your anything like me, eventually it will become a habit, but if you like water.. then bonus your already a step ahead of where I was!

    5. Planning!.. plan ahead. Make meals for the week and freeze them or pack your lunch the nigh before and log it so you can see where your at for the next day. I usually make my diary for the next day in bed right before i turn off the light. This way I can take my time and tweak it to try to match up my goals.

    Im sure there are plenty of people on here who will give you these tips plus more, and I didn't want to give you an essay to read so ill stop here, but generally the people on this site are helpful and friendly and I don't think you'll have an issue getting your questions answered. Your welcome to add me if you like, im Christina btw. =)
  • Helenov
    Helenov Posts: 56
    Make friends on MFP, and help them, they'll help you back in the times you feel frustrated or unmotivated.

    If weight loss is your goal, or just some number on a scale, then you can give up easily, because it's just a number.

    So have a goal - something that you'll reward yourself when you get to your goal, and be committed to it. Make it something that's really a splurge, something you really want, but would never give yourself because it's impractical. That will help keep you motivated.
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
    I realized recently that I would never promise another person that I will do something for them and then not follow through (except in circumstances beyond my control). So I asked myself: why am I constantly breaking promises to myself. I decided to treat myself like I would treat friends and family, and that helps me to follow through.
  • witchieboo
    witchieboo Posts: 43 Member
    Do some to keep your mind off food. Give your hands something other the eating while watching TV.
  • gramarye
    gramarye Posts: 586 Member
    For me, what's been working is to not let it become a shame mechanism. I have the habit of getting into something, getting discouraged when I slip up, and then falling out of it. So telling myself, "You'll eff it up, and that's no reason to stop," has helped me.

    From there, when I see days that I went over explosively (like yesterday, going out to dinner and drinking with friends) I can say, "Okay, that was a blast, but I don't want to do that again tomorrow."
  • lbesaw
    lbesaw Posts: 267 Member
    Really concentrate on your food diary for the first few weeks. It will amaze you to lose weight even with NO exercise if your diary is on track. Plan ahead whenever you can--if you plan a meal out-adjust the rest of your day to accommodate the foods you want to eat. Portion control is key. After your diary and food is tracking adding exercise will boost your loss and allow you the occasional treat food. Good luck-this is the EASIEST plan I have ever followed. :smile:
  • tekwriter
    tekwriter Posts: 923 Member
    log in everyday even if you only quick add your calories. Make friends to share the journey. Just keep chipping away at it and eventually you will get to your goal.
  • Marilyn2303
    Marilyn2303 Posts: 91 Member
    In addition to tracking everthing I eat. Whether it be a full meal or a nibble of something, I check out these message boards, am in a few groups on facebook and follow another program that compliments this fine. Another motivator is go out and buy a new outfit, a size smaller than you normally wear. You'll be amazed with how quick it will fit you. I'm lucky where I live we have a discount and used clothiing store you can pick a pair of jeans for $3 and a shirt for $4 so it makes it easy and cheap.
  • NocturnalGirl
    NocturnalGirl Posts: 1,762
    Don't overcomplicate things. If your goal is weight loss, eat at a calorie deficit and hit your macros.
  • rubyrubyruby1
    rubyrubyruby1 Posts: 4 Member
    Allow yourself some cheat days or cheat foods and don't log it, it just makes you feel guilty to see that you indulged on a 500 cal piece of cake but sometimes you need to do it!
  • jerber160
    jerber160 Posts: 2,607 Member
    all of these are great ideas. I think the point is, use ALL the weapons in your arsenal.. if it motivates you to see photos of people with bodies you'd like to strive for help, post them around... if charting your progress through photographs or slide shows every month, or every weigh day help, take or make them... if you think it's fun to fiddle with apps on a phone use one.. I really reccomend a heart rate monitor and a good kitchen scale as bare minimums.
  • FionaDFair
    FionaDFair Posts: 125 Member
    There are some great tips here! I started last year and wasn't very strict with it. I logged every day, except during trips with my husband. We were supposed to be relaxing and having fun, so logging food was put aside just for those few days.

    This year I've nearly cut out soda all together, diet or regular. I've been doing my best to drink at least the recommended 8 glasses of water a day. I bring my water bottle to work and fill it on my breaks. Being well hydrated seems to help me avoid soda. I will allow myself a soda once a week if I want it.

    I also started going to the gym about three times a week with a friend. That has made a big difference. I feel strong and energized after working out at the gym. The advice about having a cheat day seems good too. I'll eat the foods that aren't necessarily healthful ones, still trying to keep the portion reasonable. I do log those foods and remind myself that it's just that day. Balance and commitment are important.
  • MrsBerto
    MrsBerto Posts: 2 Member
    I love this tip! I am going to try it :)
    Thank you
  • aakokopelli7
    aakokopelli7 Posts: 196 Member
    My number one, is find friends on here that you can make a real life connection with. That makes you care about them and what they are doing and in turn they care about you! Getting know and making real friends with people on here will keep you coming back. It's take 21 days to make a habit of something. Stick with it. When you start seeing results you will start to fall in love with this place. I LOVE MFP, and a lot of the people on it. This makes weight loss so fun!

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