Can't keep Motivation up, can't stop self-esteem going down.

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exterminatingmyfat
exterminatingmyfat Posts: 21
in Introduce Yourself
Hey everyone! My name is Rachel and I'm 20 years old. I've been struggling with my weight since I was young, pretty much started when I was in 5th grade and blew up like a balloon. I have thyroid issues (hypo-thyroidism to be exact) and have had them since then. I lost 30 pounds in 2 months when I was in my sophomore year of high school, but now I'm in my sophomore year of college and have gained ALL (and then some) of it back. I'm honestly too scared to even look at a scale but the last time I looked (a few months ago)I was at 237. I would love to get to somewhere around 140. I'm 5'4.

My problem is I consistently struggle with motivation and I have terrible eating habits. I eat fast food pretty much every day, and when I'm not eating that I'm eating greasy cafeteria food. For me the problem is not working out but eating. I just can't resist the urges I have. It's like I have no control.

Right now my plan is just to eat less, stay away from fast food, drink lots of water, and exercise. I'm going to try and eat as best I can until I go home for summer, which is in less than a month. Afterwards I plan to start the paleo lifestyle, because I will live in an apartment style dorm and I will actually be able to cook for myself. (Another problem I have now, as I have no way to cook things besides a microwave.

Any tips would be much appreciated, especially from those who struggled with motivation/eating right at college as well!!
Thank you <3

Replies

  • nancybuss
    nancybuss Posts: 1,461 Member
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    You can do it Rachel. One day at a time. One meal at a time. I'm not much help on the college food, other than there Has to be healthy options there. Its time to learn more about them. You're in college, you Are Smart. Look at your health and fitness as a class. One of the most important you will take !!

    Food is Fuel. Period. Try saying that when making your food choices. Do you want to fuel your body with the greasy fries or a baked potato? which will make your body feel better when you're done? A candy bar or some fruit? The junk tastes better for a few minutes, but then it brings the mood down, and continues the cycle.

    Good luck!!!!!
    You'll have even more control at the end of the semester.

    Nancy
  • Boom_Balatty
    Boom_Balatty Posts: 8 Member
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    A few tips, to make your MFP experience more valuable. I would suggest opening up your diary to the public, and honestly logging everything that you eat and all the exercise that you do. Then I would suggest getting more friends by looking on the forums (and by adding me, of course).

    You can find both success and failure here, it's whatever you're looking for, ultimately. Calorie counting works, and if you can find the right group of people and keep your motivation in focus, you can make changes that can make you proud, instead of feeling guilty or inadequate in the face of your challenges.

    If you're up to embodying the change you want to see in yourself, you've found the right place. For whatever you know of your weaknesses, you seem wholly ignorant of your strengths. Join us, and start to craft a new facet of your identity. At the end of the day, we don't find ourselves, we create ourselves. Seize the reins and get to creating a you that you're happy with, and don't be afraid to seek help along the way.

    ~Will
  • exterminatingmyfat
    exterminatingmyfat Posts: 21
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    Thank you both for the inspiration/ideas!
    I've heard that calorie counting is not always the best thing, and that it's the nutrition that truly counts. (That doesn't mean that I'm going to go overboard, on average I end up eating anywhere between 1000-1500 calories depending on the day.)

    Any advice on how to beat/solve cravings? I think that's one of my biggest issues. Also, finding healthy food that I actually enjoy eating has been hard for me as well. I'm not a huge fan of the traditional salad. I really don't like lettuce. (I eat my salads with spinach).
  • exterminatingmyfat
    exterminatingmyfat Posts: 21
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    I also agree that having a good circle of people to inspire/motivate me would definitely help. I don't mind opening my journal to the public, so I will do that. I'll also accept any requests I get as well. :)
  • erinelissa91
    erinelissa91 Posts: 63 Member
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    I agree with all these people! Have friends and open your diary to the public. I know for me, I am really careful about my eating habits because I know "people are watching" and it makes me feel good at the end of the day when I see the little "Erin has completed her diary and was under her calorie count."

    College is hard, especially when you are subject to cafeteria food. Although I don't live in dorms, I live in a house with my boyfriend who doesn't gain weight EVER and can eat, and does eat whatever he wants. So there are constantly Oreos, Cinnamon Rolls, Chips, Dips, Hot Pockets, etc around the house. And I used to be a terrible eater, on top of being a heavy drinker. If you can push through for a couple weeks, and don't completely deprive yourself, just cut down and try to make healtheir choices here and there, it will become habit. When my boyfriend is eating pizza, chips, and cookies at night I'm usually snacking on carrots and Greek Yogurt Ranch, and I don't even miss it anymore. But again, don't deprive yourself. It leads to bingeing. Just take it slow. I always try to tell myself that the weight didn't appear overnight, and in return, I can't expect it to be gone overnight.

    Another tip. If you can cook in your dorm, do it! There are thousands of healthy alternative to recipes out there. Black Bean protein brownies, low cal clean lemon bars, healthy pizza, every kind of cheat meal you can imagine. You just have to get creative and do a little internet searching. And if you want to try that, feel free to contact me and I will definitely hook you up with some healthy alternative recipes that have helped me through the cravings.

    Just know you can do it, and if you fail one day, get back to it the next day. We aren't perfect. Not one of us. But you just keep going and it WILL get easier!!! Good luck!
  • wendydarlings
    wendydarlings Posts: 5
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    I've been gaining a lot of weight since I started college, but having to keep a food diary has really helped! I've lost 10 pounds so far just doing that. Old friends and teachers from high school still think I've gained a lot of weight, but it doesn't faze me anymore since I think that 10 pounds is an achievement. I'm still working on getting down to a healthy weight for my build and height, though. :)

    Try looking for healthy, low calorie alternatives to the snacks you want. I really like thin crust pizza, yogurt with jelly, and dark chocolate bars. The small changes really add up. I can't fully let go of sweets and rice, so I just go for smaller portions.

    I'm obviously no expert hahaha. I'd like to add you though :D
  • hrs26
    hrs26 Posts: 1 Member
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    This might be a weird thing to say, but have you considered eating less sugar and carbohydrates? I always find that eating sugar makes me want to continue eating despite no longer being hungry. If you cut that out and eat more whole foods like vegetables and meats I think it might help. Also, fat makes you stay fuller for a longer period of time. Look into a ketogenic diet. It won't work for everyone, but it works wonders for a lot of people. Also, spend more time heavy lifting instead of hours of cardio. Cardio just makes you hungry and doesn't really do a lot to help shape your body. Good luck!
  • craftywitch_63
    craftywitch_63 Posts: 829 Member
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    Thank you both for the inspiration/ideas!
    I've heard that calorie counting is not always the best thing, and that it's the nutrition that truly counts. (That doesn't mean that I'm going to go overboard, on average I end up eating anywhere between 1000-1500 calories depending on the day.)

    Any advice on how to beat/solve cravings? I think that's one of my biggest issues. Also, finding healthy food that I actually enjoy eating has been hard for me as well. I'm not a huge fan of the traditional salad. I really don't like lettuce. (I eat my salads with spinach).

    "I end up eating anywhere between 1000-1500 calories depending on the day" This might be your problem. More consistency with calories and possibly a larger number of calories might help. Go to scooby.com and find out how many calories you legitimately need to lose a pound a week, then keep it there. It's not true that calories are less important. Since you have hypothyroid it's very important to focus on nutrition AND calories.

    I don't know how active you are but you will need to get exercise even though you probably don't feel motivated. Start walking for a few minutes or something like that.

    Since your self-esteem is suffering as well, counseling may help. Since you're a student, you probably have access to free counseling through your college. People with hypothyroidism are more prone to depression as well. The exercise will help that too.
  • aribugg
    aribugg Posts: 164 Member
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    for your self esteem, think less about how you look, and more about your health. altering a state of mind isnt easy, but it helped me a lot. if it fits into your budget, you dont have to cook fruits. mix them up with some yogurt and its nice treat. and there is always canned fruit, thats better than nothing. (although it doesnt mix with yogurt as well lol) try to think about losing the weight for your health, not just for the little black dress.

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