First day trouble please help

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Replies

  • eemitchell1984
    eemitchell1984 Posts: 83 Member
    Don't give up! I find that keeping a routine has been helping me. Baby steps... but making sure you truly log everything (don't cheat yourself) and staying true to your promises to yourself works. Counting calories sucks... but I find that it's become a bit of a game for me. Like... how many times can I say "no" and overcome the temptation in a day. Each time is hard... but over time it becomes easier and the pride you have in your decision outweighs the sacrifice!
  • ruthejp13
    ruthejp13 Posts: 213 Member
    From Psychology Today: "Relapse is now seen as the rule rather than the exception in addiction recovery. And it is no longer viewed as a catastrophe but as an opportunity for learning more and better strategies for overcoming urges and for identifying the moods and situations that are likely to be difficult.

    What is inappropriate is black-and-white thinking about success that turns a slip-up into a disaster and sees it as a sure sign of defeat. The fact is that it takes time to change all the mental apparatus that supports any particular habit-the memories, the situations that trigger craving, and more. Addiction changes brains, and it takes time to change brains back."

    My advice is to wear arm weights all the time. It keeps you conscious of what you are trying to do while building a little muscle too. Every fork full of food becomes a workout!
  • Thank you everyone
  • AlysonG2
    AlysonG2 Posts: 713 Member
    Log every single thing you eat, good or bad. Even if you end up eating 4000 calories in a day. It helps me so unbelievably much to see that. Always keeps me on track. Also, try pre-logging your food the night before or early in the morning. Then stick to what you planned, no excuses.
  • cmich123
    cmich123 Posts: 3 Member
    Logging every single thing is important, I agree with that. What I have done this time around is that I allow myself the treats. I have stocked my freezer with low calorie fudge bars and fruit bars. When I am craving that sort of thing, I indulge, of course they are a part of my daily intake, but it helps that I CAN IF I WANT TO!!! Another thing I have changed is that I eat within the first half hour of getting up in the morning. I never used to do that. It's important to start up that motor so your body can work to the best of its ability. I got married, quit smoking, and entered menopause all in the same year and really put on the weight, but now I am finally able to see some decent results. You can do it, too. :) Hang in there!
  • csy108
    csy108 Posts: 58 Member
    I plan out my whole week of food. If my food is planned when I wake up, and I already have it all in the refrigerator, I have no trouble eating my planned meals. Even when I get within a day or two of the end of my planned days, I start getting a little anxious and need to plan the next 5+ days. I LOVE planning out the whole week of food. I get to eat anything I was so long as it all fits. I realize preplanning everything takes time, but so does logging after the fact, and at least if you only eat what you prelogged there is no disappointment about failing to eat a calorie deficit that day.
  • nonacgp
    nonacgp Posts: 132
    First of all, stop beating yourself up. Look at it this way. You are down almost 70 lbs. Forget what you gained back. It's done. Stay focused on the wt. you did lose cause that will remind you that you CAN do it as you were successful before. Secondly-here is what I find helpful. Plan Plan Plan...Each day I plan exactly what I am going to eat within my allowable calories. I even tally it up on MFP in my data. Somehow writing it down before I start my day. Keeps me honest. And third...keep cut up veggies in your fridge, sugar free jello, and I make a big pot of vegetable soup and just heat it up by the cupful whenever I feel tempted to eat . I hope this helps. I hear your frustration but you can do it. The three children will make it difficult because of the time issue. But make time for yourself. You can do it.:flowerforyou:
  • frodopuppy
    frodopuppy Posts: 75
    be proud you still lost 67 amazing pounds. time to move forward. I feel every day I don't gain is a good one
  • Remember that you have done the hardest part already, making the decision to change and losing all that you have. Also you are amazing and deserve to do this for yourself not just for your children. When I feel the urge to eat loads of crap I stop myself and acknowledge that neither 1 piece nor 100 pieces will ever be enough so there's just no point in even starting. I also chew gum if I feel like eating because I'm bored or emotional. Good luck you can do it!
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    The best advice I can give you is to buy a food scale and weigh and measure your foods accurately. Eat a healthy well balanced diet and make changes that you can sustain for a lifetime not just today. Start slow and try not to eliminate the foods that you like. You can eat anything in moderation. It's difficult to not have treats around when you have children but they have rules about how much they can have and when so make rules for yourself in that regard. If you have a hard time staying within your calorie goal, going a bit over is NOT the end of the world, get over it and move on. Also get a bit of exercise, not only will it make you feel good it will increase your calorie goal :flowerforyou:
  • JoeyBsGirl
    JoeyBsGirl Posts: 5
    I feel your pain! I WAS a size 3 & ran 8 miles a day until two years ago. Not anymore. Through life not going exactly as planned I stopped running & working out & have gained a lot of weight. Emotional eating is to blame for most of it. Lack of moving is the rest! Being well aware that my size 3 went 5 then went to 7, etc... I have started over on numerous Monday mornings only to give up by Wednesday. This time I began with a schedule, of sorts. I included three meals & three snacks daily as well as four mini sessions & one hard workout daily. I use the schedule to grocery shop & buy nothing more than what I need to prepare those meals. I too have three kids & they are eating what I am eating (this helps form better habits for them later on) Each day after my hard workout (currently it is Insanity) I text a post workout picture to 7 people as a form of accountability.

    If I feel like I am stressed or whatever & am thinking about eating something unhealthy I look up the nutritional information & that gives me enough time to regroup & refocus.

    Don't focus on the negative. Focus on each day, each week. Incorporate your kids in daily workouts like walking. Also, let them help pick out the healthy foods in the store & be excited about trying new foods. They feed off your emotions. They are learning that it is ok to fall & get back up to be better than you were before!
  • LessHeavyVeggie
    LessHeavyVeggie Posts: 208 Member
    Something I feel has really helped me so far in terms of snacking urges is to PLAN to snack! Get some healthy snacks in the house that are quick and easy like fruits, cereal bars, low fat yoghurts, carrots to cut up into sticks etc and eat these roughly halfway between meals - that way you are less hungry between meals and will be less hungry when you are choosing what to have for dinner - meaning you should subconsciously choose less! (or so the theory goes anyway - from my experience so far it seems to be working)
    At first these snacks might seem less appealing/not as filling as junk but I got used to it pretty quickly and if I could I'm sure you can! I would suggest no longer buying the junk, but as you have a family I understand they are for the household so you can't just get rid - maybe try to put them more out of sight/awkward to get to if possible? Or even put a note/picture/something on the box/door/lid to put yourself off them? (just thinking off the top of my head here!)

    Also try not to be too defeatist - you're 67lbs down from your original weight which is fantastic! I wish I was in that position!
  • skinnyginny792
    skinnyginny792 Posts: 18 Member
    Now this is just my experience. The lady who suggested protein and exercise, I'm sure is right. I have a knee injury so I had to do Donovan Green's No Excuse chair exercises (which I LOVE). He's so very cute too! (I'm 61 so no I'm not stalking him).
    Also, i found that Carcinia Cambogia really helped curb my appetite.
    I take three a day. I use the kind they recommend on Dr. Oz and get them at GNC. If you become a member of GNC then they have special deals from time to time that you buy one and you get one half price..plus you get GNC's discount.
    The carcinia cambogia helps you feel content...it's not one of those "makes you feel full" things. It has something to do with endomorphins.
    I also had to quit my job (lifestyle change) because I worked retail and had acquired many bad habits: eating out and eating after 9 p.m/
    I stopped eating after 7...biggy for me.
    I have lost enough pounds that my clothes fit me better...big plus.
    I raised three children and was terribly underweight from depression for many years. I am now back down to 141 after ballooning up to 159.
    Be patient with yourself and DON'T STOP DOING BASIC THINGS YOU KNOW WORK.,<SMILE> have confidence! You seem to be doing fine to me if you 've actually lost that much weight. Add things. Don't take away. You will only be depressed. : (. I lost the weight I lost after losing my husband 2 years ago! You'll be down soon, but be proud NOW!
  • skinnyginny792
    skinnyginny792 Posts: 18 Member
    I don't log my coffee...i know that's bad...even though I put heaps of sugar in it. I want to see how much I lose without omitting coffee with sugar. If I get down, to where i want, then I will optimize that situation too!:noway:
  • skinnyginny792
    skinnyginny792 Posts: 18 Member
    I know you're right but she has three kids. I used to have kids climbing on me and under me while I exercised. I was thinking..."REALLY, KIDS""" DON'T YOU KNOW MOM NEEDS TO STAY HEALTHY SO SHE CAN KEEP UP WITH YOUR MISCHIEF??" LOL!:noway: :noway:
  • Lindzpnc
    Lindzpnc Posts: 98 Member
    If I could get through the first day of eating right I would be fine... I was down to having lost 98 pounds just 2 months ago and now I'm back to having only lost 67 pounds or so and I've done this so many times I can't count. I am so sick of it. I need some advice on things to do or ways to get thr8ugh the first day so I quit sabotaging myself. I am so miserable please be nice and supportive. So I'm back up to 288 pounds and have 3 kids who need me and I need help to get through the first few days of my diet so I can stayon Iit. Pleaseany advice would be greatly apappreciated.

    today we are on the SAME BOAT- I have already failed today but I know that I NEED to take this seriously- I know this doesn't help you at all just wanted to share that I'M with you.
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
    This is a link to my coach's facebook page. I have tried and failed so many times and this time, with her help I have been sticking with it. I started my new journey April 1st and I had a few ups and downs with my weight at first, but in the last 2 weeks I have been consistently at a plateau or losing, so I am happy about no more ups. Now I just have to keep working to be consistently going down.

    She is a Beachbody coach, but the thing about her I love the most is how understanding and supportive she is. Her story is inspiring to me.

    https://www.facebook.com/lynda.suttles?fref=ts

    That'll fix it. :huh:
  • Jumping_Jack
    Jumping_Jack Posts: 3 Member
    The "All or Nothing" attitude is a problem. You've paired this with a statement that you "just need to get through the first day."

    There is no first day. All we have is everyday.
  • millerpdt
    millerpdt Posts: 1 Member
    Best advice I received? Log your food, even on your "bad" days. If you eat a handful of chips as your running out the door-log it! I also have gained what I had previously lost after keeping it off for 3 years. I have MFP ad on my phone which makes it easier especially if you're on the go with the kids.
  • tawnywest
    tawnywest Posts: 45 Member
    It seems to take a week or two to wean yourself off the extra snacks and calories. I found I was literally thinking about food and having the impulse to eat every few minutes at first. Just observe these feelings and don't act on them or have something small and measurable when you are desperate. Eventually it gets better and you really start enjoying each meal time. Another thing is to hang a goal outfit so you can look at it frequently. Make sure it's something you really like. Planning the next meal in advance and sticking to a menu you really like will also help along the way. You'll be fine. Youth is on your side too.
  • kuntry_navySD
    kuntry_navySD Posts: 106 Member
    youre welcome to add me for support :)
  • yungibear
    yungibear Posts: 138 Member
    Losing doesn't have to involve any form of self-torture.

    Give yourself a little time for some moderate exercise, about 30 minutes a day. This exercise doesn't have to be full-on running 3 miles a day. You could just go on a walk or do a home DVD. If you have a dog, you can even count those walks as exercise. Eat moderately; you can even eat a couple of things you like everyday if it is under your calorie goal.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Thanks everybody definitely have emotional eating problems, and theres a lot of junk food in the house and I always have an all or nothing attitude, perfectionism at its worst. I'm also extremely depressed from the weight gain and having to lose it AGAIN for the thousandth time, and still not getting to my goal even though I should have been there years ago. So hope I can figure this out, I'm so tired and my kids deserve a better mom thats not always eating. I'm still breastfeeding my 10 month old and I swear that makes me hungry but thats just another excuse.
    Work on this. Seriously. This is the key. This is what will prevent you from succeeding. I'd argue its even more important than the emotional eating. Emotional eating can be managed and will reduce as you find better coping mechanisms, but the all or nothing thinking is really what's sabotaging you.

    You don't have to be perfect to lose weight and keep it off. You don't have to eat the perfect diet, or be the perfect dieter. You just have to take in less energy than you are burning - consistently over time. So, you don't even have to achieve that every day, just enough days that over time you have a calorie deficit and are burning more fat than you are storing. You can succeeds even if you eat all your favourite foods, even if they're the opposite of what people think you "should" eat on a diet, even if it's cheese, and butter, and white bread, and chocolate chip cookies. You can succeed if even if you have the odd bad day and inhale a whole tub of ice cream. (No, I'm not advocating that as the healthiest way of dealing with your emotions, but you can still succeed at this if it happens occasionally.) You can succeed if you have a day where you exceed your calorie goal, or even your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). You can even succeed if you exceed you calorie needs for a week over Christmas or Thanksgiving.

    You will see people on these boards talk about a "lifestyle change" rather than dieting. A lot of times, people don't really get it and have just replaced the terminology. The point of a lifestyle change though is that it's permanent, or at least long term. It's not just to get the weight off, it's creating a new way of living/eating that supports you being a healthy weight. Permanently.

    It doesn't mean never making mistakes or eating in a way that you didn't plan to, or going off track a little every now and then. It means that you don't give up trying. You don't give up forging new habits. You don't give up on the idea of exercise because it gets boring or starts getting in the way of other things - you make a commitment and find ways of making it a habit. You don't give up on your calorie deficit because you thought you should do it one way (all grilled chicken and steamed broccoli) and found it too hard to sustain. You go back and figure out a way that you can sustain.

    Start simply. Eat the foods you're already eating. Measure it accurately, log it, hit your calorie goal. Make small, gradual changes to tweak your diet so that it's easier to meet your goal. Look at your diary, you may see things that are taking up a lot of calories but not providing many nutrients and/or not providing much pleasure. Switch them for alternatives. Keep the things you really love. Make changes slowly, over time, allow each change to become a habit.

    And by the way - of course breastfeeding will make you hungry. Don't you think your child is getting energy from somewhere when you do that? That's from you - from your body! Of course you're going to notice that.

    Bottom line - people think that they are "all or nothing" thinkers, and that they'll never change; it's an integral part of their personality. Like so many other things, perfectionism is a habit. You can absolutely change that, and you'll probably be not only more successful at your goals, but a lot more relaxed and happy if you work on changing that.
  • I have been doing this for 4 days now. I sat down with a girlfriend who is fit and healthy we put foods I often eat and enjoy into the program and started stressing about the kilojoules in the foods. I was panicking and saying I'll have to change my lunch salad for lettuce tomatoe carott and celery....it's lo cal. She pointed out it is better to have my quinoa salad for lunch because it fills me up and stops me snacking ALL afternoon from 3-6 pm. Great idea cos there are way more kilojoules in the meusli bar, tub of yoghurt, bag of crisps.....well you get the picture. I have been measuring too. Dish out what I would usually serve then actually weigh/measure rather than guess the size and am surprised how much I was over estimating protien and underestimating high fat high sugar foods. I have been a yo yo dieter all my life and get frustrated with it all. I often joke that I wish fat and hairy was the fashion, it would be so much easier :-) Hang in there and just do one day at a time
  • wenrondy
    wenrondy Posts: 3
    I suggest that you take the time, after your children have gone to bed, to plan your menu choices for the following day. It's the only way that I personally can be successful. If you work outside of the home, then I suggest that you leave your money/debit card/credit card at home, so that you are not tempted to purchase things that aren't on your menu plan for the day. Again, from my own experience, I only sabotage my success by purchasing food items which are both unhealthy and expensive.
    Keep telling yourself each and every day that you are a good person and that you have what it takes to reach your goal. You have done such a terrific job. Keep it up. It's only a matter of time.
    Good luck.
    Best wishes
    Wenrondy :)
  • powerpigeon
    powerpigeon Posts: 46
    I don't know how old your kids are, but you could approach this as a family, so it doesn't feel so much like you're being punished with a diet? Teaching your kids healthy habits young will help them immensely in later life too.
    Cook healthy meals together, get them involved in picking colourful fruits and vegetables at the supermarket and find a way to serve them, get active as a family with walks, bike rides, active games in the garden, you joining in at the park...
    It might help you to see it as a change for the better for your whole family to lead healthy, active lifes, not just you eating diet food and slogging it out at the gym.

    You've lost weight already. You know how to do this. You can do it again. Good luck!
  • donnat238
    donnat238 Posts: 309 Member
    I used to be an all or nothing person. If I couldn't do everything perfectly...well why bother??

    Baby steps. Make attainable goals. My first goal was to walk 10 minutes each day and I added 5 minutes per week until I was at 30 minutes a day. Then I began to make changes to my diet...adding more protein, then more veggies/fruits, etc. I'm not perfect and I make some bad choices, but I keep on trying and frankly when I make mistakes now it's not nearly as bad as it was a year ago!
  • HerbertNenenger
    HerbertNenenger Posts: 453 Member
    From Psychology Today: "Relapse is now seen as the rule rather than the exception in addiction recovery. And it is no longer viewed as a catastrophe but as an opportunity for learning more and better strategies for overcoming urges and for identifying the moods and situations that are likely to be difficult.

    What is inappropriate is black-and-white thinking about success that turns a slip-up into a disaster and sees it as a sure sign of defeat. The fact is that it takes time to change all the mental apparatus that supports any particular habit-the memories, the situations that trigger craving, and more. Addiction changes brains, and it takes time to change brains back."

    My advice is to wear arm weights all the time. It keeps you conscious of what you are trying to do while building a little muscle too. Every fork full of food becomes a workout!

    Brilliant, just brilliant. Need to keep this. Love the arm weights idea, too. Nice reminder.