really need some advice!!

glesiak
glesiak Posts: 5
edited September 22 in Motivation and Support
So for the past month or so I've been trying to get back on my diet but I still haven't been able to commit myself fully to exercising and eating right. It seems for the most part I do well at breakfast and lunch but when dinner rolls around and my boyfriend wants to get pizza or go to McDonalds it's just easier than trying to make something at home. I don't know what to do! With exercise I make myself a schedule and I do stick to it for a few days but as soon as I have a day where I really don't have the time then I just stop altogether. Anyone have any advice?

Replies

  • StacLegg
    StacLegg Posts: 346 Member
    its really hard, but if it was easy who would want to even do it!! =)
    when you dont' have your boyfriends support and he insists you eat out, can you pick where to go? If you have to eat mcdonalds, can you do a salad? If you have to have pizza, can you eat Veggie Pizza? YOU are the only one that can do this!!!! YOU have to make the decision that you are worth it and its time to take charge, no matter what your surroundings are!!
    I deal with hard days at work, brownies, choc cake, fresh doughnuts from the bakery......... I just want to be healthy enough that I don't have to eat those anymore. They taste good for 2 seconds..... and leave hours of feeling bad!! = Not Worth IT!!!!
    Good luck, and you decide....
    are you ready to make some changes???? :flowerforyou:
  • TaraDenise
    TaraDenise Posts: 164 Member
    If you can, get your workout in first thing in the morning. That way, you've got it done before anything else "comes up" that might stop you from doing it later. Also, once you've had your workout, you might be more hesitant to eat something unhealthy because you don't want to ruin your progress. That's what works for me during times when I'm not feeling the whole eat right and exercise thing. Good luck!
  • clahut
    clahut Posts: 211 Member
    Hi,

    I used to have the same problem. I'd get in from work and it was easier to call out for takeaway than cook (and my boyfriend didn't complain!), or just to out a ready meal in the microwave.

    The only way I can succeed is by planning. I sit on a Saturday morning and work out a menu plan for all meals in the coming week. I then only shop for those ingredients - so nothing in the house to tempt me to go off my plan.

    It might seems that it is easier to go for takeaway in the evening, but I am enjoying making a quick risotto from scratch in about 20 mins. Or making some nice pork chops with steamed veg in about the same amount of time. My boyfriend and I now use that time preparing the dinner as good quality time together sharing what happened in our days - rather than just vegging out in front of the TV with a pizza.

    It does take a bit of commitment and we do fall off the wagon every now an again, but only really once a month or so, but we are both reaping the benefit.

    C
  • jaded_rose
    jaded_rose Posts: 298 Member
    I've had that problem before. My advice is to pick restaurants where you can eat healthy. What I do is make a dinner menu week by week and try to get some of the ingredients ready a head of time.
  • kymarai
    kymarai Posts: 3,704 Member
    Exercise first thing is the only way I can do it! Something always comes up otherwise. I mix it up! If I don't feel like "exercising" on goes the IPOD and dancing to get that heart rate up where it needs to go for whatever time I can manage. It does help with the attitude as well. I even try to move extra like when brushing teeth, blow drying hair, or even folding clothes. Tummy exercises while sitting in the car. I try to sneak in some extras every day. Good luck!
  • stella77
    stella77 Posts: 282
    I would advise talking to your boyfriend. He should be supportive of you and not tempt you with fast food. There are healthy take outs you can both get.
    Or if he wants McDonald's get a Subway sandwich for yourself or something. I am sure there are plenty of healthier options around. (of course, nothing beats the Big Mac, but still...)

    I don't cook so when my husband cooks, I join in. Otherwise we eat healthy take outs. But on the days he cooks, he tells me in advance, so I can incorporate whatever we will have into my daily plan.

    So, in short - get your boyfriend on board. It will be easier once you have committed and have his support.
  • adamtall
    adamtall Posts: 275 Member
    I had the same problem with both exercise and eating dinners. My solution was to get up really early before I have to work (i usually get up between 5 or 6 now when I work at 8) and i started out with just walking/jogging a mile and slowly got more jogging than walking and added some pushup and sit ups. For dinners I just started looking at the healthier options or let my wife go somewhere while I made something at home that she would be drooling over by the time she came back (now she waits for me to cook before suggesting we go out) You can really throw something quick and easy together thats alot healthier than fast food in about the time it takes to run out and get it. I have also started baking a few chicken breasts on my days off so that all i have to do is decide what chicken dish i want and throw it together without waiting to cook the chicken
  • Aeriel
    Aeriel Posts: 864 Member
    I earn my nights out...so they are special. If I know I am going out, I exercise extra hard the day of and the the day after, so that I can splurge (a little!) on the higher calorie foods. I still try to stay healthy, but I can let my calories increase for the night.

    Basically, you have to get in the mindset that YOU want this, YOU want to be healthier, and YOU want to succeed. No one else can do it for you. Once you really get with the program, those take out foods don't taste as good, or even if they do, your body starts rejecting them. I know there are many things I used to love that now really upset my system if I indulge.
  • In knowing what fast food does to the body, I have refused to eat period. When we head out and the kids want fast food I always have healthy snacks for me in my purse. carrot sticks, baggie of lettuce, cut up colored bell peppers, celery sticks, cheese and crackers and so on. It's jut not worth it. Think about how you feel after you eat that crap, I hate feeling like. The other side of this is you could just refuse to go, and just stay home, or maybe make that your time of the day to go to the gym... maybe get him to go with you. Good luck and enjoy your journey, its for you... so make it the best you can :)
  • Try fixing dinner in the morning and putting it in the refrigerator. Then all you have to do is warm it up when that time comes around. I made dinner for tonight first thing this morning. I'm not even taking it out of the pot, I'm just gonna stick it in the fridge as is. Then at dinner time when I'm feeling lazy (like I always do) I'll just take it out of the fridge, set it on the burner, let it warm up, and dinners done. I also know how it feels to have a boyfriend who loves to eat junk food. If you're not able to get him on board with the healthy eating (which can be a struggle) I would recommend doing lots of research on the restaurants you frequent. I say this because its not always possible to just get a salad and feel satisfied (and sometimes salads can have as much or more calories as say a piece of grilled chicken). I often will go out to eat and have half of my meal then and save the other half for later. This way I'm spreading out my calories and getting more than one full tummy from them, if you're gonna eat the calories, you may as well make the most of them! As for exercise, you need to work on just getting in the habit before you go all out at the gym. Even if you just walk on the treadmill for 20 min and repeat that each day for a while that helps. Humans are creatures of habit and it takes us about six weeks to make something a habit. At this point you could start to increase your workout. Working out in the morning always helps me. I don't give myself the opportunity to think of different excuses as to why I could skip the gym that day. Hope this helps, good luck!



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  • Thank you everyone for all your advice, this is really helping me think about my life and get me motivated =)
  • sandra80
    sandra80 Posts: 308 Member
    what i do to avoid the fast food issue is i cook all my dinners for the week on sunday. that way when i get home, i just have to heat it up and i know what it is and that it's good for me. I honestly really look forward to whatever i made like i know i made a double batch of turkey 3 bean chili last week that i froze half of it to have for dinner next week. i can taste it right now as i sit here. mmmm mmmm mmmm can't wait for it again.
  • BrentGetsFit
    BrentGetsFit Posts: 878 Member
    Don't forget the crock pot! Now that it's getting cooler out I find myself wanting soups and stews. Put everything in before you leave in the morning and voila, it's done when you get home. I've made several batches of split pea soup already, some turkey chili and a couple of others, yummy! :)

    As for exercise motivation I set a specific time of day (6PM for me) and that is just when it gets done. I've ignored the phone (sorry mom), ignored the doorbell (my landlord started banging on the window, "I can SEE you in there!") and focused on getting it done and I feel so much better once it's done . I've also gotten compliments from people on my progress so that always helps. I also post in an accountability thread on the Beachbody forums with people who started the same program on the same day as me. It helps to hear about other people in the same boat facing and overcoming the same challenges.

    In the end though it's like some others here have said, we just have to come to grips with the fact that what we were doing before just isn't cutting it and it's time for new thinking. I'm now "a person who works out regularly" and "a person who avoids fast food" these are labels that never applied before but I make a conscious effort to make them true.

    It takes some effort to change the way we think and act (I used to say the most powerful force in my life is inertia!) but once we start that change the benefits are SO worth it. Good luck :)
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