Anyone else having trouble staying accountable to yourself?

I am having a horrible time. I just have no will power!! I start off in the morning with great termination but never carry through! I get so mad at myself for not sticking to it!!

I struggle day by day - when someone says "oh I just made this decision to change my life and I lost 40 pounds" it seems to me just as feasible as "oh, I just jumped really high and landed on the moon!" I say I am really committed to this - and I am - but there are times when I surely act like I am not. So, I don't have an answer for you, but there are some things that help me so maybe they will help you - if not to be perfect, then at least to be a little closer:

1. Plan. PLAN PLAN PLAN PLAN PLAN. Even if it is as as simple as telling yourself "I will eat X and Y and Z today" and then try to stick as close to that as possible. If you are going out with friends / have treats at the office / going to an unknown restaurant - spend some brain power and think about what your choices might be and what you are going to do. You may still have a donut/cocktail/pizza, but if you plan it is a lot easier to have 1 and not 5.

2. Don't beat yourself up over it. You don't have to be perfect. Just do the best you can. Every day work on some piece of it, e.g. no snacks after dinner. See if you can convince yourself to make it through just one day not doing something, and then do just one more.

3. Try the "food is fuel" mindset. Food isn't there to be tasty, it is there to get you the energy you need to be you. (I have mixed success with this - some days it is great and some days my mind doesn't believe it!)

And above all else, keep at it! You can do it!

I read something today that said something like people fail because they are waiting for a magic pill to overcome temptation. People succeed when they realize temptation will always be there you just need to resist it.

I cant remember it word for word but I like the idea. Basically Just because I crave a cheeseburger doesn't mean I have to give in. I haven't failed just because I am really craving. I think failure is giving in and not bouncing back.

My advice would be to (a) up your calories to something more sustainable; and (b) log everything, even if you go over.

If you are having trouble with accountability to yourself, find a friend or loved one to be accountable to. Even if it's a friend on here that has access to your food diary. That friend my be able to look through your diary each day and suggest more filling, less calorie foods that you can eat that will fill you up without running you over your daily calorie count as well.

You could also try printing out a weekly weigh-in, measurements sheet and posting it on your refrigerator where every time you go to get a snack, you are reminded to snack accordingly to keep those numbers going down. You could even snap a pic of that sheet and make it the homepage on your cell phone. That way every time your phone rings or you check your text messages you'll have another reminder.

For some people it seems that it was simply they made up their mind to lose weight and it magically melted off, but for others they have to find little tricks to keep themselves motivated and accountable.


Also agree with majope that you need to increase your calories to something a little more sustainable, and log everything that passes your lips even if it means going over your counts. You might also want to relabel your meals to time spans, so you can see when you do most of your eating. That may reveal some wholes in your eating habits that you really weren't aware of.

Good luck, and keep pushing forward.

Can I disagree with the 'food is fuel' mindset comment?

I love food, my grandmother was a chef, my mom was a chef and my uncle is still a chef. There is no way I will ever consider food as just fuel because to me, food is suppose to be tasty.

Having said that, I think moderation is key. I refuse to deprive myself of something as fabulous as food so I make sure I am good at portion control. Yes, some days I go over my calories by 100 - 200 but some days I'm under but to me, the average of the week is the most important. I find when I deprive myself of what I enjoy the most, that's when I burn out and that's when I binge and give up.

Life is too short to cut pleasure out of your life. If you want to eat something you love, do it, but don't gorge yourself and do exercise. I work out 6 days a week and I weigh my food and I count calories. I cook 95% of the time but when I do eat out, I don't go overboard but I don't sacrifice either.

Good luck to you but don't beat yourself up if you overeat on a meal or even on a day. Consistency is key, I'm sure people have said that to you...1 days or even 10 days out of 365 days is not going to ruin your journey.

with a 1200 calories goal i would have lots of trouble staying within my goal...plus, i would be a horrible person to try and get along with...

if you cant stick within your goal then i suggest that you change your goals and dont be so hard on yourself....

I completely agree!! Make goals that are reachable. 1200 is really low especially if you are working out aswell. I have small goals and then when I reach them..... I make new goals.

I am also in a challenge at my gym where I have to register everything I eat and everytime I work out. If you don't have this sort of thing, find some friends or maybe join a group on here that does challenges. I know that it has helped me stay motivated and on track alot!!

I agree with keeping an eye on your calories over a week. I tend to eat 100-200 calories below every day (that's including eating my exercise calories) and then one evening a week have whatever I want or have been craving for. I still log it and consider portion size but if I want a burger and a cream cake I have it. I find I am more motivated to stick to my calories through the week and then the day I'm having whatever I want, I find myself really thinking about what treat I really want and can't manage another week without. I will work out the calories before buying anything and often decide that something is not worth all the calories it has and chose something else!!! Some weeks I don't care and have it anyway but I feel I am in control because I am chosing to have that treat rather than feeling guilty that I have thrown away a week of being good! I often find I lose more on the weeks that I do this than the weeks that I don't.

Yes I am so good monday - friday but the weekend seems to ruin it. I don't know why this is such a problem. When I started, I was doing well on the weekends but since december/january I feel out of control.

I am now back to the weight I was in october so I feel like I have just wasted all these time. I need to get back on track but finding it hard to feel motivated to log all of the time. I seem to be doing it sometimes eg breakfast and lunch or breakfast and dinner but I need to go back to logging every minute.