Tell Me It's Worth It.

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so_many_ideas
so_many_ideas Posts: 38
in Motivation and Support
I'm struggling. I have always had a bad relationships with food--if it's there, odds are pretty good that I'll eat it...all of it. I've been getting better with calorie counting and have been successful with MFP in the past, but recently I've just been feeling like it's not worth it! I miss being able to eat all the cookies and ice cream that I want. Don't get me wrong, I still allow myself to cheat a little bit, and I've been pretty good (with a few exceptions) about fitting treats into my calorie count. But so often I just want to forget counting and just eat whatever I feel like! It doesn't help that I'm surrounded by people who put little to no thought about what they put into their bodies, and they are all thinner/healthier than me!
So friends, tell me it's worth it. Tell me that it's possible, because right now I'm seriously considering buying a role of cookie dough.

Sorry for the rant, and if you read all of it, thanks, you're pretty cool.

Replies

  • DirtyCurvesAhead
    DirtyCurvesAhead Posts: 121
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    Pick 4 days a year that you can eat whatever you want cal limit be damned! Mine are thanksgiving, Christmas, my birthday, and the Fourth of July. These are days I will easily eat 4000-5000 cals. I can look forward to these indulgent days and eat all the treats I want to excess. The rest of the time I eat what I should and enjoy my treats in moderation.

    Hope this helps.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    I haven't cut out anything from my diet. I still have ice cream every single night. I just exercise moderation and fit it into my calorie goal. I've found, from past experience, that being restrictive just made me give up and go back to old ways. Once I overcame that and discovered I didn't have to change anything but the amount of calories I consume, it was like the sea parting. I thoroughly enjoy the way I am now. I'm more adventurous with my food choices, I still eat all the foods I enjoy and I lose weight consistently. It is worth it, but only if you do it in a manner that you can sustain for the long term.
  • tmt2003
    tmt2003 Posts: 176 Member
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    Only YOU can decide if it's worth it or not. You don't say how much you have to lose, but speaking as someone who has been at this a long time I can tell you it's not always easy. Sometimes I still pout and feel sorry for myself that I can't just let go at eat like i used to. But I wouldn't go back to that person if you paid me. It has for me, been totally worth it!!

    Btw I do still eat my favorites I just pout sometimes because you know I want a WHOLE pizza instead of 2 just slices, lol.

    Teresa
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
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    Sometimes you just need "screw it, maintenance day!" Days. I'm not saying eat all the cookies and ice cream until you puke, but there is no harm in taking a day every now and then.


    That aside only you can say what's worth it to you.
  • Otterluv
    Otterluv Posts: 9,083 Member
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    Sometimes you just need "screw it, maintenance day!" Days. I'm not saying eat all the cookies and ice cream until you puke, but there is no harm in taking a day every now and then.


    That aside only you can say what's worth it to you.

    This ^^^

    I've been at this for a long time. Every now and then I just kind of need a break. Sometimes it's for a day, sometimes a week. My rule is that I still log. I don't go over my maintenance calories often, but I do frequently hit maintenance levels. As long as I have a deficit over the long term, I'll still lose. This doesn't have to be all or nothing.
  • charcoalgriller
    charcoalgriller Posts: 17 Member
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    I have tried with my children, and I hope I have been successful, but the important thing is to be grateful for what you DO have, and not focus on what you DON'T have. This isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. It's okay to slow down and walk sometimes, just keep moving in the same direction.

    When I first started using MFP, I was stunned and depressed at the caloric restrictions. But, duh, no wonder America is so overweight. It's obvious with every meal served at restaurants. After a couple of months I decided I was not happy with my body and accepted my weight for what it is and what I had to do to deal with it.

    The question for you is, do you really want this? Are you where you want to be in your head to make this change? I want to be skinny, rich, and powerful, but I know that I am not willing to give up my family to be rich or powerful. I want the whole tube of thin mints, but I can still enjoy 6, and have more for tomorrow! For me, that means enjoy what you have today, keep working towards the future you, and BE CONTENT that you are not going to be rich and powerful.

    Don't focus on what you're LOSING, focus on what you're GAINING!
  • Foodiethinking
    Foodiethinking Posts: 240 Member
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    Personally I look at the bigger picture- it's easier for me to imagine that I can enjoy something more than once if I have less of it.
    Take the pizza mentioned above- I still order a large from Dominos. Sometimes if there's an offer on, then what the hell I'll order two large. But I'll take the slices that I've accounted for in my day and stash the rest in the freezer: hellooooooo Dominos whenever I want. I can have Dominos every day for two weeks if I want (I haven't, but might be interesting lol). But I fit it in- sometimes I go over by a hundred calories, but that's ok because I'm working within my natural TDEE limits.
    Google your TDEE, I'm sure you'll see you have much more room to manoevre and enjoy food than you thought~ that's what I found.

    Good luck
  • metacognition
    metacognition Posts: 626 Member
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    Look at the perks though - you get to maintain if you hit under or at the calorie ceiling.

    Weight loss is just about being a good accountant.

    If you want to take a day to eat crap food then go for it. Just mix in healthy foods to get some nutrition.

    Yesterday I worked in a chocolate oreo, ribeye steak, blueberry muffin, and chocolate chip clif bar.

    Also, if you binge eat on sweets, there are several predictable outcomes which are less fun = sugar headache, sugar crash, lethargy, stomach nausea, dulled hunger (normal food less enjoyable). Eat until you are satisfied and choose lower calorie substitutes for your foods (for instance low fat ice cream).
  • RoseGoldDinosaur
    RoseGoldDinosaur Posts: 133 Member
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    It's worth it.

    I'm not going to lie and say that eating right is so much fun and you never feel deprived or unsatisfied. I want taco bell (and I don't mean 2 small tacos) and a family size bag of doritos and a whole pack of oreos and a pint (or 2) of ice-cream and 15 boneless wings with a big side of blue cheese and the list goes on…

    Eating right is a struggle- and I fail and have beer and wings sometimes too- but I promise you it's worth it. When you're in the bikini section of Target and you're looking forward to trying on, it's worth it. When you decide to stand in the front row at Zumba because you know you're fit enough to do all the moves, it's worth it. When you speed past the slow pokes on public stairs without losing your breath, it's worth it. When a trip to the mall becomes a treat instead of a depressing afternoon of torture, it's worth it. When you start making friends who like grabbing raw juices and invite you to run 5ks on the weekend (and you know you can do it), it's worth it. When you don't feel the need to cross your arms in front of your stomach when you sit down, it's worth it. When it's time to get naked in front of someone special and all you feel is proud, it's worth it. When you know you are healthy and fit and feel comfortable in your own skin, it's worth it. (Not that you can't feel comfortable and proud if you're large, but from personal experience, I find it much more difficult.)
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
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    IT IS WORTH IT!

    When I was first here I felt like I was failing because I couldn't hit the MFP goal everyday. I could go 2 or 3 days then I'd be all cranky and at odds and blow it.

    Just as I was about to quit I realized that even on the days that I "blew it" I was still doing better than before I was on MFP.

    I was happier much once I gave myself a range:

    ROCK BOTTOM: 1200 cal
    TARGET: MFP Calories for lose 1 lb a week (when that hit 1200 I changed to lose 1/2 lb per week)
    TOP OF RANGE: Maintain Calories for my GOAL Weight.
    (SAFETY VALVE: Maintain Calories for CURRENT Weight - remember to keep updating this number as you lose)

    Also Watch out for hidden sugars especially in anything prepackaged or processed.

    BOTH sugar and ARTIFICIAL sweeteners increase your appetite... The more you get the more you want.

    The more you eliminate from your diet the more relief you'll get from cravings.
    For most things I'm a big fan of making changes little by little, but for this I found it easier to go cold turkey on the sugar & sweetener for 2 or 3 weeks. Afterward I saw a tremendous difference in my cravings.

    I'm not strong enough to live sugar-free long-term and I do have a sweet tooth and like a couple of cookies or a little ice cream once in a while.
    So I try to make sure that my *real* food has as little as possible so I can indulge in a snack now and then.
  • jeneferphillips89
    jeneferphillips89 Posts: 268
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    It's worth it.

    I'm not going to lie and say that eating right is so much fun and you never feel deprived or unsatisfied. I want taco bell (and I don't mean 2 small tacos) and a family size bag of doritos and a whole pack of oreos and a pint (or 2) of ice-cream and 15 boneless wings with a big side of blue cheese and the list goes on…

    Eating right is a struggle- and I fail and have beer and wings sometimes too- but I promise you it's worth it. When you're in the bikini section of Target and you're looking forward to trying on, it's worth it. When you decide to stand in the front row at Zumba because you know you're fit enough to do all the moves, it's worth it. When you speed past the slow pokes on public stairs without losing your breath, it's worth it. When a trip to the mall becomes a treat instead of a depressing afternoon of torture, it's worth it. When you start making friends who like grabbing raw juices and invite you to run 5ks on the weekend (and you know you can do it), it's worth it. When you don't feel the need to cross your arms in front of your stomach when you sit down, it's worth it. When it's time to get naked in front of someone special and all you feel is proud, it's worth it. When you know you are healthy and fit and feel comfortable in your own skin, it's worth it. (Not that you can't feel comfortable and proud if you're large, but from personal experience, I find it much more difficult.)

    Its worth it and this hit the nail on the head for me, I'm actually a blubbering mess over here. (now, I am running on 4 hours of sleep, am quitting smoking and terribly hungry at the moment) but this spoke volumes to me. Think of all the potential good this will do to your life! I cant wait for the day when I can sit down and not feel the need to cross my arms in front of my stomach or throw my jacket around it. And who doesnt want to look like a rockstar naked??!!
  • jagged95
    jagged95 Posts: 24 Member
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    I haven't cut out anything from my diet. I still have ice cream every single night. I just exercise moderation and fit it into my calorie goal. I've found, from past experience, that being restrictive just made me give up and go back to old ways. Once I overcame that and discovered I didn't have to change anything but the amount of calories I consume, it was like the sea parting. I thoroughly enjoy the way I am now. I'm more adventurous with my food choices, I still eat all the foods I enjoy and I lose weight consistently. It is worth it, but only if you do it in a manner that you can sustain for the long term.

    ^This! Proper planning ensures success! Just takes dedication and YES it is worth it and YES YOU CAN DO IT!

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