Cannot Get Started

Ask yourself why you want to change- for me it was mainly gaining my self-confidence back. I try to remind myself that when I wake up , before I eat anything. I also try to remember to think that before I give into a treat. If something's going to make reaching my goals harder why would I do it ? I begin to wonder. Baby steps, maybe switching from drinking soda at dinner to milk or water , switch to whole wheat. Try to include a serving of veggies with every dinner. Also , why not incorporate dog walking into your exercise ? Could even take family walks Its all about small changes amounting to a big one (healthier , happier lifestyle). Good luck !

The best way I started was to just log in everything. It takes 3 weeks to change habits. You need to be in the habit of logging in and log in no matter what, Next, get friends to help motivate and encourage you. You will also be doing the same for others. You might try to commit to a challenge and just concentrate on this. There are 2 that are a good start. 30 Day Arms and 30 Day Little Black Dress Challenge. Commit to something to get started. There will be messages, new challenges, and suggestions along the way. If you would like to friend me, please do.

My advice: For your first step, start tracking everything you eat. Try to be accurate as possible. Do not worry about dieting, but try to understand your current eating behaviors first.

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I was feeling the same way as you earlier this year. Also, in addition to all the standard excuses, I also get all panicky when i thought about dieting cause I got very ill a couple of times in my youth because I was too thin.

But i knew i had to change. I just did not know what or how.

So i started keeping track. That was it. My first goal was to measure and see what my intake was. Just like in business, "if you can't measure it you can't improve".

I noticed an immediate change in my behavior with the tracking. I stopped snacking for the most part because that meant i would have to go track it immediately in MFP. A pain... so basically laziness won versus snacking. For 'seconds' and portion control, after a few weeks it just started happening naturally as i became more and more aware of what a proper portion size was. One trick i have started using now is to actually plan ahead and enter ahead of time my meal into MFP (sometime for the entire day on my commute to work). I know it does not sound all that motivating, but it has been enough for me because i don't want to go back and edit.

So after a month of not dieting, but just tracking, I noticed i was losing weight! What a great feeling. It did not seem so intimidating after all. So I starting using the MFP calculator and figured i could still eat a good amount if only i exercised a little each week. So now I try to burn at least 500 calories a day... often more.

The one thing i refuse to do is "cheat" by not tracking everything in MFP. Sure there are some days i am over, but i also notice that if I am over, I will balance it out later (or before) in the week.

As mentioned here, I think planning ahead is key. Plan for those times when you don't have time. Plan how you'll handle a crisis before it occurs. And make a commitment to yourself. You deserve a few minutes of your own life...commit to taking them. Being good to yourself is only going to be good for those with whom you share your life. Besides, you are teaching 3 children how to be responsible adults...teaching them to take care of themselves is important. They'll learn by example.

Here are some hints that work for me.
Make up bags of veggies and healthy snacks like nuts, pretzels (for when I NEED that salty crunch) or even popcorn. Then I have them ready when I don't have time to sit down to eat what I should.
Leave out healthy fruits so you see them...acknowledge that those are the snacks that your body needs.
I also make portion sized dishes and freeze them. If I make homemade soup, I freeze 1 cup "blocks", that I can grab and microwave.
When I make chicken I often make an extra piece for another meal. Or buy a rotisserie chicken already cooked, take it off the bone (toss the skin), and make up 4 ounce pkgs to freeze.
Also, I rearranged my kitchen pantry so that the items I don't need to eat are not kept with those I should eat. I've even stuck post-it notes on the "off limits" areas to give myself a visual reminder that I could be making a better choice.
As for notes, I have them on lots of cabinets and mirrors. Messages like, "Choose the behavior, choose the consequences", "my weight is on project status", "Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow". (You get the idea.)
Logging in what you eat is important. If you have a smart phone, get the mobile app...it's a lifesaver for me. I log my food while I'm eating it if it's a busy day.
I also use my phone to set reminders for myself so that I stop and eat something, drink my water, or just stop and do some stretches, or even use canned goods to do some "weight lifting" for toning. When I cook or wash dishes, I do some yoga stands...it all counts as doing something positive for yourself.
Good luck! And get started! I wish I were as close to my goal as you are to yours. Don't wait until you're looking at 50, 60, or even 100+ pounds to lose. You can do this.
LeAnna
P.S. Good Lord! I could have blogged since I wrote so much! I've never been accused of lacking in words!

Thanks. My problem is skipping meals, then eating quick things that are higher in calories, not sweets, just quick things. I don't drink soda so that is good, but I do drink coffee with agave instead of regular sugar. In the nice weather, we are always outside after work and school. This time of year is so hard. It is dark and freezing by the time I am done with work and the dog is only 4 pounds so he hates the cold. This week I am going to try to drop my son at school at 8:15, go straight to the gym for a quick workout and try to be home by 9:15 to start work. If this does not work, I am going to cave and buy an inexpensive treadmill after the holidays so I can work out at lunch. Without exercise I get a little over 1,200 calories so everyone counts. I appreciate your quick response.

To me you sound like someone who could benefit (psychologically) from 2 weeks of eliminating a few trigger foods. It worked to kick me onto a better path. YMMV of course.

ETA: fwiw, at 1200 calories (gross) and no exercise you SHOULD be losing.... perhaps you're one who could benefit from a food scale to ensure you're really eating so little?

I also work from home and would find myself rummaging around kitchen every time I was waiting on a call or thinking about a project that I'm stuck on. I also volunteer about 20 hours each week.and would usually grab something on the go not matter what it was. Planning for my day and using the MFP to track every single thing I put in my mouth has helped a ton!

Couple of my favorite quotes:

Just do it!
Nothin' tastes as good as skinny.
You're worth it.

You can do this Dawn! Good luck.

Its the little things that count....I try to do 1-3 mins of jumping jacks as soon as I get out of the bed in the morning and also right before I lay down at night. It may not seem like much but it is something that even people with the busiest of schedules can accomplish!