How did you accept this?

I have been trying to loose weight/get healthy for a while now and run into a mental barrier. I do good for a while but then I start stuggling and fall back into old habits.

How did you accept that you would have to count calories for the rest of your life? The minute I stop I gain weight
How did you accept that a single slip up will damage your progress? Every week with a couple of mistakes in it and the scale does not change or goes up.
How did you accept that certain foods you will never be able to have just because you feel like it? I have a cheat day once a week but if that craving strikes me on a non cheat day, I struggle
How did you accept that the battle to change your mind and body will be a life long process?
How did you stop comparing yourself to others and saying it's not fair they get to be thin naturally?
How did you stop comparing yourself to others and saying I am just not dedicated enough, strong enough, good enough to change?

Replies

  • JcMey3r
    JcMey3r Posts: 431 Member
    Im just going to say one thing...Do it for yourself! and if you want to have a six pack at least once to flaunt around then you work for it.


    Its YOU vs YOU.
  • FeelingLessChubby
    FeelingLessChubby Posts: 152 Member
    I think these are very good questions, but to be honest there's too much negativity and self-torture going on here!

    First of all, the important thing is that MFP teaches people to make a lifestyle change - to love good food and exercise. So I personally feel that by the time I reach my goal, I will be well used to eating and having a fitness routine and therefore won't have to count every single calorie anymore. You learn so much about food and how your body reacts to it in just a short time on MFP and that knowledge just naturally becomes a part of your life.

    So I don't even think about having to count calories for the rest of my life - I'm simply going to carry on eating well and exercising for the rest of my life.

    A single slip-up doesn't damage your progress - come on... you have cheat days once a week, why not change the way you see those "slip-ups" - it's not the end of the world! You're not going to gain 10lbs overnight from one slip up!

    I'll always have any food I want when I feel like it - it's what I eat for the rest of the day and the next day that will make a difference.

    The battle to changed your mind and body is not a lifelong process - once you learn, you learn. You can CHOOSE not to follow what you learned, but you can't help it - what you learned about what's good for you will always stay with you.

    About comparing to others - this is something that's down to the individual I believe, perhaps a question of self-esteem? I can't help you there because I genuinely believe that comparing yourself to others is really counter-productive in every way. You can just be you, occupy a space that's just yours and filled with your own talents, thoughts, goals etc, and never compare yourself to others except when you need motivation. Everything else can be, to some, a waste of time and very bad for your ego. Just don't do it!
  • jennpaulson
    jennpaulson Posts: 850 Member
    ^^^^ THIS^^^^
  • ktsmom430
    ktsmom430 Posts: 1,100 Member
    Because the alternative is so unacceptable.
    I never want to go back to where I was, and I just have to keep telling myself that.
    Definately not easy, but every one of us is worth the effort it takes.
  • That is a great reply! I really needed to read it. For me, MFP has been the gateway to healthy living: I have got into running, stopped drinking so much booze and stopped eating junk almost completely. I still have the occasional blowout, but the joy of the MFP approach is that it's ok, you haven't done anything bad, maybe adjust the deficit downwards for a few days and you will be back to normal.

    I think it's like managing other "chronic" conditions, albeit in a much less painful way. For example, if you have a particular type of diabetes you have to inject insulin 2-3 times a day. Compared with that, jumping on a scale and taking care of what you eat seem like a pretty good bargain!
  • Shadowknight137
    Shadowknight137 Posts: 1,243 Member
    How did you accept that you would have to count calories for the rest of your life? The minute I stop I gain weight
    I didn't, because I won't. At the moment I'm young and fitness, lifting and aesthetic goals part of my mind right now. Will I do it forever? Nope. One day I'll just say "bugger it" and just settle down.
    How did you accept that a single slip up will damage your progress? Every week with a couple of mistakes in it and the scale does not change or goes up.
    A single slip up won't damage my progress. Currently bulking, if I undereat one day, I can overeat the next. Vice-versa occurs when (and if) cutting, or just call that day a loss and move on; not stress about things like that, when in reality, they're probably due to special occasions (ie, holidays, reunions, etc)
    How did you accept that certain foods you will never be able to have just because you feel like it? I have a cheat day once a week but if that craving strikes me on a non cheat day, I struggle
    I'm Coeliac. I eat gluten, I can be hospitalised. Dealt with it.
    How did you accept that the battle to change your mind and body will be a life long process?
    Pretty much this:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEm5E6yFUG0
    How did you stop comparing yourself to others and saying it's not fair they get to be thin naturally?
    Before I started tracking macros I was underweight, skeletal and weak. Probably due to not eating enough. In response, I was envious of those bigger/more muscular than me, but then realised that was because they were eating more. Nothing unfair about it.
    How did you stop comparing yourself to others and saying I am just not dedicated enough, strong enough, good enough to change?
    By being dedicated, strong and making a change.
  • Mady1911
    Mady1911 Posts: 90 Member
    There are people on Mfp that are recovering from cancer, car crashes, broken bones and what not! If they can count calories, you can too! It takes minutes. 10 mins every day for a healthier you and a better looking you...
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    How did you stop comparing yourself to others and saying it's not fair they get to be thin naturally?

    I'll take this one, as one thing i have learnt through all this is that only about 5% of thin people are 'naturally' thin... the rest work their *kitten* off and say no to cake on a regular basis - you just dont see it!

    i get told i am just 'naturally thin' all the time... er no, i am on my second round of insanity actually!
  • Ainar
    Ainar Posts: 858 Member
    I don't focus on that I will have to count cals for rest of my life and if I stop I will gain weight. If I would focus on that negative side of it I would feel overwhelmed as well, I used to do that. But now counting cals for me is not something I hate to do but must do to not get fat. It's something I am fortinate to do to stay fit and healthy. And if you focus on being fit and healthy instead of boring process of counting cals you will WANT to count cals. Whatever you focus on you will feel. A little psyhological trick I use now, but it works perfectly.

    Single slip up will damage your progress? I doubt that is true. It must be more than just a SINGLE slip up. I am having an unplanned cheat meals or day once in a while, just because I crave something and can't hold myself. So I pig out for whole day lol. Haven't did any harm to me. I still don't gain anything and I don't think that anybody will gain fat from one single slip up. I gaina ton of water weight tho from all those extra carbs and salt I ate when piggiong out but that's just water. Obviously skale will go up then, but it's not thats serious. Hmm... I don't know, I think you are having way more than just "couple mistakes" then, if it's fat (whitch I doubt it is, it's just water)...

    How did I accept that certain foods I will never be able to have just because I feel like it? Same answer - focus! Don't think about how tasty food is and how much you want it. Think about how bad you will feel after you give up and ate it, how unhealthy it is for you and think how good and proud you will feel if you don't give in. Associate and focus having cheat meal unplanned with bad feelings and associate eating healthy foods with tons of energy and pride instead of pain of eating untasty foods. Like I said, this little psyhological trick has did wonders for me. It helps if you do this loud. If you have wrong focus next time go to mirror and tell yourself what's up. Might sound silly but it works. :D

    How did I accept that the battle to change your mind and body will be a life long process? Again, you focus on wrong things. That it is a hard battle, that omg you will have to do this for whole life - this boring calories counting and eating untasty foods. Focus on that you will be fit and healthy for whole life. And if you focus on revard instead of how hard it is then you will want to do that not hate to do that. Again, doing it loud and talking to yourself helps. :D

    How did I stop comparing myself to others and saying it's not fair they get to be thin naturally? Never really did, I don't think at least. All I cared was how I look and feel, never gave a crap about others. And I don't think you should either. You are not them and life is not fair lol. Sounds corny but it's true. :D Deal with it.

    How did I stop comparing myrself to others and saying I am just not dedicated enough, strong enough, good enough to change? Tell yourself that you ARE dedicated enough, strong enough, good enough to change!!! Go to mirror and tell yourself what's up! Like if you have kids, they might go to you and tell "Dad, I'm such a loser. I failed my team at football game today. Everybody made fun of me, I will never get bettr" what would you tell him? "Yea, you are loser, you should give up on that game it is for strong kids not losers like you. These kids who made fun of you are right cos you are pathetic player."? No? Have this converstaion with yourself in a mirror every day...

    :)
  • acahane
    acahane Posts: 34 Member
    Thank you for the replies. I am reading and trying to take it on board.
  • alisam567
    alisam567 Posts: 34 Member
    This is a tough one but somehow I feel like I have lived this enough to know I can reply.

    You need to get your head out of 'diet' mode and into lifestyle mode.

    I have done every single diet going - and had great success at weight loss with no exercise! BUT I have said no to everything! EVERYTHING that is remotely bad for me! inevitibly I have been clock watching until I hit that golden weight target then gone out and gone stupid!!

    Since embracing the MFP way of life this has all changed!

    The calorie counting thing - is not a chore - as a previous poster said, its a couple of mins max! The 'what you eat' is the bit you need to control. Why do you call them 'cheat' days? What/who are you cheating? Noone! if you are doing exercise and staying healthy, a burger or cake now and again isnt going to hurt! I LOVE bags of crisps, I have a packet every single day! I am not cheating - I am eating! I work out, I eat healthily, and enjoy the occasional treat - hell I even make sure I have room for a glass of wine (at least) every day - and have chocolate in the fridge for when I have finished a workout! I am not cheating - I worked for it!

    The scales are continuing to move in the right direction - granted - very slowly! but I am so happy that it is slow! It means the changes I am making have longer to settle in! I never feel deprived! Hell I have some little visitors this weekend and I bought a great big pizza - it will be nearly 700 cals for half of it - I am going to eat it an enjoy it! I have made allowances today to ensure I can fit it into my daily count - but if I go over I wont sweat it!

    because of the changes i have made I recently went on holiday for a week to greece! I have never eaten more potato - pasta (not typically greek but was visiting parent) drank more red wine - I didnt count for that whole week - I knew i could fix any damage on my return! only on my return guess what? no damage! Every day whilst away I went for a hike - I continued to drink lots of water - I must also have been eating more healthily despite the quantity and it works! I think the lifestyle change is well and truly in!!

    Comparing yourself to others! Try thinking about it differently! I always compare myself to others - with disastrous results. It just gets depressing! Then I went on a school reunion. met someone again that I knew had struggled wiht her weight! I knew she had made a change from her facebook posts about working out - when I saw her! Did I compare? yes - yes I did! did it depress me? absolutely not - it was that very moment and that very person who for once in my life I didnt do a negative comparison...... I decided I was going to be like her! She is a fantastic inspiration - I booked myself on bootcamp to give my fitness a kick start, I joined MFP to track everything - I invested in a HRM (which I love btw - but thats for another post!), and i went on another reunion 3mths later - 21lb lighter! I compared myself wiht her again.... for the good! You know what stands out about both of us now I regularly work out? Smiles! Everything gets smaller but all anyone can see is our smiles! now its my smile I compare with other people! As the weight comes off the confidence grows and the smile becomes ever wider!

    Stick with it - get the word 'diet' out of your head! Get the finite approach to eating out of your head. This is it! this is your life! Eat drink and be merry - just less of the first and second! you will soon find it is second nature!

    If you ever feel deprived - you are doing it wrong!! Best of luck!
  • SkimFlatWhite68
    SkimFlatWhite68 Posts: 1,254 Member
    Some good replies here.

    Believe in yourself. Not just in your ability to lose weight or reach your fitness goals, but in LIFE.

    Sometimes, it might be difficult, but you are worth it.
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    I have been trying to loose weight/get healthy for a while now and run into a mental barrier. I do good for a while but then I start stuggling and fall back into old habits.

    How did you accept that you would have to count calories for the rest of your life? The minute I stop I gain weight
    How did you accept that a single slip up will damage your progress? Every week with a couple of mistakes in it and the scale does not change or goes up.
    How did you accept that certain foods you will never be able to have just because you feel like it? I have a cheat day once a week but if that craving strikes me on a non cheat day, I struggle
    How did you accept that the battle to change your mind and body will be a life long process?
    How did you stop comparing yourself to others and saying it's not fair they get to be thin naturally?
    How did you stop comparing yourself to others and saying I am just not dedicated enough, strong enough, good enough to change?

    Ooh that inner dialogue is a killer....I wouldn't talk to myself if I were you :laugh:
    It gets better. You will not always feel the way you do now (presumably overweight) as you will once you reach your weight loss goals.

    I'm sure you'll get a great deal of advice as to how to deal with all you've listed above, but in the end, you'll find your own way to make it work.

    I know for me, I feel like a totally different person :blushing: I hadn't realized how much my diet and genetic factors came together to create the perfect storm of a metabolic disorderly mess. To this end, I was lifting weights, exercising, eating well, but nothing was happening....I did this for years....once my medical issues were clinically recognized, I was able to change a couple of things to optimize my efforts.

    Now, I'm not starving all the time. I don't think about food all the time. Exercise is becoming evident as my muscles become more shapely. I sleep pretty well. I'm not fatigued all day long. In short....I just don't struggle anymore. :blushing:

    I too used to wonder how & why there were thin people walking around :sick: Mainly because I was doing everything people do to lose weight....weighing my food to the gram, using a fitbit & HR monitor with a strap, weight training, gym classes, yoga classes...all at the same time....eating more, eating less....nothing worked. :grumble:

    Now that my medical issues are being managed, I'm a whole new person & 23#'s lighter. I have a different set of problems now that I'm slimmer though :laugh: I'll take this set over the last set over the last, any day!:drinker: :drinker: :drinker:
  • iceflow
    iceflow Posts: 17 Member
    I purely use my fitness pal to simply log my food.

    My motivation to continue is my health. We only live once and really, nobody has time to be fat or unhealthy. Once I really let that sink in losing weight can be quite a fun journey. Even when I hit my goals, look exactly how I want to look. The motivation will be how far I've come
  • Alpina483
    Alpina483 Posts: 246 Member
    Having read the title, I thought it's a thread about, you know, how did you accept being this unhealthy and overweight and all.
  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
    I have been trying to loose weight/get healthy for a while now and run into a mental barrier. I do good for a while but then I start stuggling and fall back into old habits.

    How did you accept that you would have to count calories for the rest of your life? The minute I stop I gain weight

    That suggests you're having issues with either estimating how much food you're eating or not caring when you do overeat.
    How did you accept that a single slip up will damage your progress? Every week with a couple of mistakes in it and the scale does not change or goes up.

    You're not a special snowflake and you WILL make mistakes, same as the rest of us. Welcome to Earth and being human. What you do with those mistakes is up to you.
    How did you accept that certain foods you will never be able to have just because you feel like it?

    I don't get to punch stupid people in the face even though I feel like it, either. There is NO food that's "off the list" for me (other than soda, which I see as expensive fizzy water at best). I eat ice cream, cakes, bacon, eggs, tacos, and damned near everything else - in moderation.
    I have a cheat day once a week but if that craving strikes me on a non cheat day, I struggle

    Stop having cheat days. On my 'diet' I'm allotted about 1600 calories a day. Anything more than that I have to earn through exercise - and I've put in some long hours of heavy labor to splurge.
    How did you accept that the battle to change your mind and body will be a life long process?

    By not looking at it in that way. I work out and eat the way I do because I feel worlds better when I do. It's gotten to the point where I have to move a lot to feel right.
    How did you stop comparing yourself to others and saying it's not fair they get to be thin naturally?

    People who are 'naturally thin' eat at their maintenance level. It's not rocket surgery.
    How did you stop comparing yourself to others and saying I am just not dedicated enough, strong enough, good enough to change?

    By not having a victim mentality. The further I get from the fatass I used to be, the more my thinking has changed from "I can't do this" to "What the hell do I have to lose by giving it a shot?" and it carries across to most aspects of my life.

    Seriously - and this is going to be harsh - you're whining. Stop that. There are people here with far worse problems than yours who WILL make it to their goal because they stopped complaining about 'how hard it is' and 'my genetics' and just ****ing did it.

    I've been fat or obese for almost my entire adult life, and currently I'm nine pounds from being normal weight. I started this at the age of forty five.

    Does it take effort? Of course. Are there days I want to throw in the towel? Damned straight there are. So what? I don't feel like going to work some days, or rolling out of bed, or doing the dishes either - but they all MUST be done if I'm to live any kind of life worth the effort.
  • danofthedead1979
    danofthedead1979 Posts: 362 Member
    Wow, you make losing weight sound like a really dreadful burden!!! Jesus Christ, get a grip man! You've done brilliantly so far, just keep plugging away!
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
    How did you accept that you would have to count calories for the rest of your life? The minute I stop I gain weight

    Well, I have two chronic health conditions I have to manage for the rest of my life. One is mental illness and one is a heart condition I was born with. So I just consider my weight issues like that; a chronic condition I have. If I don't manage it, The fat will creep back on. Can't cry over it, many, many, many people have much worse conditions than a bit of the crazy, a bum heart, and periodic fat attacks :laugh:

    How did you accept that a single slip up will damage your progress? Every week with a couple of mistakes in it and the scale does not change or goes up.

    This used to bother me but after a while, about 6-7 months in I realized that the scale was consistently going DOWN. Slow, and sometimes blipping back up, but overall the trend was/is down. :smile:


    How did you accept that certain foods you will never be able to have just because you feel like it? I have a cheat day once a week but if that craving strikes me on a non cheat day, I struggle

    I don't accept this, not at all. I eat what I want, when I want. I just don't OVEREAT on treats. See my diary. See my weightloss. :drinker:


    How did you accept that the battle to change your mind and body will be a life long process?

    What was the alternative? Refuse to accept it and remain obese? Listen, I got SICK from obesity. Ugh. I refused to accept there was nothing I could do but remain passively stuffing my face and being inactive. :noway:


    How did you stop comparing yourself to others and saying it's not fair they get to be thin naturally?

    I learned in Kindergarten that life is not fair, so this wasn't an issue for me :happy:

    How did you stop comparing yourself to others and saying I am just not dedicated enough, strong enough, good enough to change?

    By telling myself that I AM dedicated enough, strong enough, good enough to change!! :flowerforyou:
  • TeamEdwardJenn
    TeamEdwardJenn Posts: 400 Member
    It sounds like your looking at this like a deat sentance ,and thats kinda bad , your minds going to keep on bucking against you until you change your way of thinking...Be more postive :)
  • benum21121
    benum21121 Posts: 200
    Everything I could have said to fully answer your questions has been stated by the members above me. There are a lot of good answers here, and should be taken to heart. It IS all about mindset: lifestyle change vs. dieting/temporary change. You are worth the effort it will take to stick to the changes that you know you need to make for you. Stick with it, and be PROUD. You're not alone. :-D
  • Companero1
    Companero1 Posts: 14 Member
    Life became easy once I gave up sugar. I always lost weight slowly until I stopped the sugar. I eat over 2k calories a day and the weight is falling off all the places I want it too and all i'm doing different is stopping sugar and eating normal food and yes some junk i.e. McDonalds. But no fat coke and no fries. I keep carbs to 100 a day. The good news is once you stop eating sugar for a short while you stop craving the stuff. Give it a try, you'll might find dieting a doddle after all :-)
  • loneaffliction
    loneaffliction Posts: 81 Member
    I completely understand. But don't get discouraged! Look at you! You've already lost 48 pounds! That's huge! And you are looking great!

    I know it seems daunting, but I do believe that it's all about building habits. You have to put some effort into it now because you're changing the habits you've lived with for how many years? What you've been taught all your life, what you've allowed yourself. But once you get used to it, once you learn what works for you, once you see the change in your body, you will be more motivated to stick with those new habits.

    Yes, there are setbacks, some people stop trying and gain the weight back, but as long as you are breathing, you have the power to change. You just have to want it. Don't sacrifice and deny yourself everything that you love. Just learn to make healthier choices. It's okay to give yourself a day every now and then that you have something you really love. You can always exercise to counter those extra calories. You can have something that's not so good for you if you are careful with the portion and offset it with healthier choices the rest of the day. It's all about moderation.

    Don't see it as something that you're giving up, but something that you are gaining. Confidence in yourself. Peace of mind to quiet those nagging little voices in your head. Don't you feel better already? Not only about yourself, but physically? If you're insecure in yourself, you're probably always going to compare yourself to others. The crazy fit guy at the gym that lifts two hundred pounds, but realize that everyone is different and that's not you. You could be, but do you really want to be? You may see other people and feel that they have more dedication or more drive, but most of those people have made that a true way of life, one of their primary focuses. There's a difference between wanting to be healthy and fit and making fitness your life. Exercise, especially, can be addictive for some people. But that doesn't mean that because it's not for you that you are lacking in some way. People have different motivations for getting in shape. Looking good for someone, family history, a scary prognosis from a doctor, wanting to feel good about themselves. Maybe you just haven't found your true motivation. Ask yourself why you're really doing this. Think about what really matters most.

    I'm a firm believer in loving yourself exactly the way you are. There are so many things to love. It doesn't just come down to your weight. And the people in your life who truly matter will love you as you are. You can do this. You just have to want it. Start by setting realistic goals for yourself. And think of that in terms of yourself and not anyone else. You don't want to look like that guy on the cover of the magazines or that actor in your favorite movie. You want to look like a better version of you. It's just like when I'm out for a run. I set my sights on a focal point a few hundred feet ahead and push myself to reach that small goal. And then set a new one. If I can just get that far.... And then a little further. And a little further. I think weight loss is much the same. Just push yourself a bit at a time. Week to week. Don't try to think about the big picture. When you stop thinking about what you can't do and focus on what you can, you'll find it so much easier. When I'm running and I'm exhausted, I don't think I can make it another two miles. But I CAN make it another two hundred feet. And what do you know? When I get that far, I realize I still have it in me to go a little bit further.

    You've already come so far. You have everything to be proud of. Take PRIDE in what you have accomplished so far. You're healthier. You're stronger. You probably extended your life expectancy. Don't take the enjoyment out of food. Just find the enjoyment in change. If you are struggling especially with food, I can help you with trying to make better choices or finding substitutions for the things you really love. I'm great at meal planning. I have to manage the diets of my family and all of my kids at work. It's always just been about getting active for me. If the exercise plan you're using is too hard or not to your liking, maybe it's time to try something different. If you're getting discouraged with what you're doing now, remember you can always change. Find the thing that works for you. And good luck! You're doing a really amazing job. When those doubts creep into your mind, remember all the things you have to feel proud of. Most people don't come this far. They give up. You haven't.
  • acahane
    acahane Posts: 34 Member
    Gosh I did not expect such a wealth of responces. Thank you all for your input and prespective. What I wrote this moring came from a bad space. I have been run down recently and I was wondering how you all dealt with the "inner dialogue" ...now I know.

    Most of the time I am not like this, most of the time I conquer my inner demons and just get on with it. I have had a good food day so far and will be back at the gym tonight.
  • Cheeky_0102
    Cheeky_0102 Posts: 408 Member
    sone of us will be be able to not track, some of us will never get off tracking.

    I will always have to keep food and fitness in the front of my conciousness. I have seen myself let it slip twice now (first was 230 lbs to 155 stayed there two years, back up to 199, back down to 170 for my wedding dress, back up to 220, got pregnant, stayed 220, had baby still 220, crept to 210, Started MFP this time (march i think) and i am officially not overweight as of yesterday (not thin, still want to lose at least 10 lbs or at least tone up)

    So i have "been around the block" and this is where i stand.

    i have to weigh in daily. If i'm not tracking, i at least need to know that I'm not moving too far from my range.
    I really do better if i track my food
    I do better with real life goals than body goals (run a 5k DONE, run a 10k,, ride a 200km bike event, Tough mudder, Get up on a surfboard, do an unassisted chin-up, etc/) lose 10 lbs is boring, surfing is a fun real goal that requires a bunch of different aspects of strength, endurange and balance
    I will never stop comparing myself to others, but that's life, I compare income, education, priorities, energy level, etc. With other people. Not just my size, so that's just who i am.

    I get my motivation from my own accomplishments. I just finished a 5km run. There are skinny girls that can't do that! I know my way around a gym, that's scary for a lot of people. I know SO MUCH about food. That's important to me as well. I don't feel bummed that i am so concious of what i eat, i feel proud that i have the awareness to be careful about what i put in my body. So many heavy people (or not heave people for that matter too) have no perspective on what is healthy food, or where their calories are coming from.

    just some thoughts for you
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    How did you accept that you would have to count calories for the rest of your life?
    I actually take breaks. I calorie restrict for 3 months then take a break. During my maintenance period I relax on the calorie counting and just do a simple reminder once a week of what a serving truly is. But when I do a deficit, I weight/measure everything.
    How did you accept that a single slip up will damage your progress?
    Not really sure what you mean by this, as I don't believe that slip ups will damage your progress that bad. So what, you had one too many slices of pizza last night, start back up tomorrow.
    How did you accept that certain foods you will never be able to have just because you feel like it?
    I don't have cheat days. I allow myself whatever I want, I just pay attention to a serving. I don't sit with the box of oreos anymore. I have a serving, and then that is it. Studies have shown that people are more like to succeed when they allow themselves to indulge now and again. Besides, what is better? Learning how to have chocolate and still lose weight, or get rid of it completely and end up sitting around staring while everyone enjoys the cake at a coworker's baby shower?
    How did you accept that the battle to change your mind and body will be a life long process?
    I wanted this bad enough to make it happen.
    How did you stop comparing yourself to others and saying it's not fair they get to be thin naturally?
    Hate to say it, but 99% of those "naturally thin" people work for their bodies.
    How did you stop comparing yourself to others and saying I am just not dedicated enough, strong enough, good enough to change?
    Actually, if you are telling yourself that then you aren't dedicated enough. This shouldn't be about how they look, or what they eat, or how they change. This is about you changing, this is about you wanting it, and this is about you having enough guts to stand up to yourself and get it done.
  • aarar
    aarar Posts: 684 Member
    I have been trying to loose weight/get healthy for a while now and run into a mental barrier. I do good for a while but then I start stuggling and fall back into old habits.

    How did you accept that you would have to count calories for the rest of your life? The minute I stop I gain weight
    How did you accept that a single slip up will damage your progress? Every week with a couple of mistakes in it and the scale does not change or goes up.
    How did you accept that certain foods you will never be able to have just because you feel like it? I have a cheat day once a week but if that craving strikes me on a non cheat day, I struggle
    How did you accept that the battle to change your mind and body will be a life long process?
    How did you stop comparing yourself to others and saying it's not fair they get to be thin naturally?
    How did you stop comparing yourself to others and saying I am just not dedicated enough, strong enough, good enough to change?

    I've accepcted that I will have to count calories becuase I'm not like people who can 'eat normally'. Food can be an addiction for me and if I don't keep it under control I can fall back into it in the blink of an eye.

    One slip up won't damage my progress. I used to believe that which is why I always quit in the past. Slip ups may slow me down, but at least I'm still moving forward.

    There is nothing I'll never be able to eat. I eat my favorite foods all the time. I didn't get fat by eating them; I got fat by eating too much of them.

    The battle gets easier every day but realize you'll have many ups and downs throughout the process.

    Everyone has their own battles, even naturally thin people. I don't compare myself to them because I don't know what they're going through,

    I now believe I am dedicated enough, strong enough and good enough as other people to make this change. You need to start believing it too.

    Good luck! You can do it!
  • JoelleAnn78
    JoelleAnn78 Posts: 1,492 Member
    Everytime I have found myself questioning whether I can really maintain this "way of life" for the long haul I have found myself on an unrealistic path.

    A fad diet, a crash diet, diet pills, very low calorie diets...... notice the trend? Diets do not work (for me anyway). I do not restrict anything unless I know it causes me some physical issue.

    I do not believe in cheat days - I believe in eating what I want and being responsible with my portions and choices. I eat pizza at least once a week. I eat ice cream every night. I still drink beer. I still eat in front of the tv.

    I love the way running makes me feel. I love the way it feels to ride a fair ride for the first time as an adult (did that last night!) and I love taking no pills in the mornings. And, the best part is that I do not ever say, can I keep this up forever? because it is no longer hard. It just is. It is a means to an end. To me it is like working -- some days I wake up and say, "I don't feel like working today..." but I go because I need the money and like having a home and car, etc. Some mornings I wake up and say, "I don't want to work out today..." but I do because I like the way it makes me feel!
  • LoreleiEvil
    LoreleiEvil Posts: 65 Member
    Monitoring my food is like taking my medications in the morning. It's a habit now, not a chore and a positive habit that has taken over for some negative and damaging behaviors.

    Logging in every day reminds me that skipping meals did me no good, for one. In fact, that screwed up my hunger response so badly that I couldn't rely on it anymore. Not eating all day long because I was busy and then going home meant fast food and beer then. So I was getting calories but no nutrition.

    Not a great way to have a life!

    If it fits in your macros works for me.
  • qtgonewild
    qtgonewild Posts: 1,930 Member
    i have been at this for 40 days. not much yet i know. but i have yet to have a cheat day. and i think when i do it will definitely be a cheat MEAL not a whole DAY. but my motivation for this all is so strong within me that i havent even been tempted to sway. and im a big girl and i loved fast food. i keep in mind and daydream often of the end results and how cute i will look. so thats how i accept it.