Losing steam while calorie counting

The only time I didn't log in my one year here was when I was in the DR for a week and didn't have internet access.

I didn't lose steam because I wanted the weight gone.

I wont lose steam because I don't want to gain it back.

There is only one way to ensure those two things happen for me...logging accurately and consistently.

My profile says "you either want it or you don't"...

No I don't have the urge to pig out...if I eat too much I am uncomfortable...I don't like feeling uncomfortable. Besides I eat what I

want in reasonable portions when I want it so I don't get those urges...

^^ love this and TOTALLY agree

Yes.



Stick with it, ignore the haters. You are doing a great job, this is hard work.

Sigh...no one expressed any hatred toward the OP. Personally I didn't write anything to her that I haven't said to myself many times. Every time that I have one of those moments that I wonder if it is worth it...I kick my own self in the butt

Counting calories will work for most people. It gets boring...tedious...and honestly...I would prefer not to count myself. I know however that over time...I too would slip back in to those "good old days".

The OP needs to give herself a chance...

counting calories makes me accountable. I tried it the other way (not counting calories) for the first 57 years of my life... not counting calories packed on a good 100+ pounds more than I need over the years.

Since last year I've counted calories... lost that good 100+ pounds and for the first time in my life I feel like I've just been born... year 1 of being healthy..

It was a pain in the *kitten* at first, though after some time it just became second nature. Sure, there are days where i don't log (special occasions or holidays) but generally i try to log everything. it's amazing how i STILL underestimate what i eat when i don't log everything. It's really easy to forget little things you eat here and there, and logging keeps me honest. I just try to remind myself of the feeling i get when i get on the scale and i see that it's gone UP a few pounds. NOT a good feeling!!

This might not be "your time" if you are ready to throw in the towel.

Not what anyone wants to hear or think, but it's true. I've "tried" dozens of times over 10 years to lose weight. I would log foods (not here, another site), lose 10lbs, join the gym then quit it all. Gain the weight back and I was unhappy all over again.

One day, I signed up for this site, expecting to not go very far. Well, I was ready and I'm going! Like another poster, the only time I "gave up" logging was when I was on a cruise ship. I'll have a "cheat" day, but I feel like crap so I limit those.

The key is (when you're ready) to not give up everything you love... just log it, make it work!
If you're ready, do it, stick with it! If not, give it time, you'll get there!

What's your calorie goal?

I find if my goal is too low, I start to lose focus. You begin to feel deprived, etc. Also, I eat all the foods. Fast food, restaurant food, home cooked, whatever. As long as it fits in my calorie goal (and some days not, there's nothing wrong with going over every once in a while), I'll eat it. I 100% agree with eating the foods you like/love. If you want some chocolate cake, eat it. Yes, nutritionally, it might not do much for you, but it'll do wonders for you mentally. Don't cut things out, just work them in.

NAILED IT!!! This is one reason I love you girl. I could not have said it better. Now get out if my head. :-P

I can tell you that I am on a 1200 calorie plan and am having a hard time meeting that goal. I eat all day long, drink half my weight in water and am very full that I usually end up with calories left over...is that bad? I do eat a lot of veggies throughout the day, but I feel like I get full meals as well.

Not that this is a bad thing, but I am missing the good old days where I ate whatever I wanted when hungry and went out and had fun without thinking of calories. I know, I know, that's the reason I got fat in the first place, but I am getting bored of this lifestyle change.
How did you all cope with it? Do the ones who are consciously counting have urges to pig out? If so, how do you deal with them? Is it ok to have a day off from calorie counting? Do you hate yourself the next day or will that cause a person to fall off the wagon?

You can still go out to eat and have fun but you do need to log your calories so you know you are in a deficit so you can lose weight. I have gone out to eat and still lost weight every week. You can still eat when you are hungry, just eat less. I have been consciously counting since I've been doing MFP and I don't have the urge to pig out cuz I don't want to go over my calories. Plus I feel like I'm letting myself down and also my friends on MFP cuz they are here supporting me. I don't want to waste my time or theirs. I try not to ever hate myself.

I lost 30 pounds last summer using MyFitnessPal and calorie counting, then maintained my loss over winter, and am now 27 days into my goal of losing another 30 pounds this summer (I have lost 10 pounds since 5/15). I had a lot of false starts over the years, but finally reached a point where I am truly committed to do whatever it takes to succeed. While I can get advice from others, only I can actually do the necessary things to cause me to lose weight. So down deep, this is a commitment you make to yourself.

To reach my goal, given my height and frame, I am on a 1200 - 1400 calorie diet plus I do a lot of physical activity. I just focus on each day, and now I have done it long enough that it feels automatic. I really don't have to spend a lot of time thinking about it. I just do what I need to do and then get on with the rest of my day.

Maybe some of things I do might be helpful:

- I used MFP for awhile just recording what I ate without having a weight loss plan. I wanted to see what I ate on average, how many calories I normally took in, and so forth. Plus I recorded my physical activity. This was very informative. I then started reducing my calories, figuring out what calorie level caused me to gain weight, maintain weight, and lose weight.
- I need variety, so I allow myself to eat anything I want, but stop when I reach my calorie limit. Doing this, I quickly learned what foods are splurges that left me hungry early in the day and what foods kept me full.
- Proper nutrition is highly important with a lower calorie diet, so I took several online nutrition courses (through Coursera), which have given me the vital information I needed to make wise choices.
- I eat a wide variety of nutritional foods over the course of a week, making sure I cover all the food groups.
- I had to redefine what a meal is. Last night for "dinner" I had a salad around 4;30 pm before going out to garden. I then had a small grilled pork loin around 7 pm, and then for desert around 9:30, I had some orange juice placed in a freeze cup that turned it into an orange juice slush. Earlier in the day, I had had an egg, toast with Smart Balance buttery spread, a glass of milk, coffee, bean soup, whole wheat crackers, and an apple. I never felt hungry.
- While I am actively losing weight, I measure and record everything I eat. This includes building recipes in MFP to get an accurate calorie count. It does take time, which is why I do it in the summer when school is out. Also note that a lot of food entries in MFP are less than accurate, so I do spend time researching foods to make sure the entered information is correct.
- There are certain foods that are not wise choices for me, so I don't buy them nor keep them in the house. No need to tempt yourself with ice cream in the freezer or cookies in the cabinet, and without them around, I find an apple tastes mighty nice.
- I find it is almost impossible to stay with my plan if I regularly eat out or eat what someone else cooks. Most of the time, I just prepare all of my own food.
- I fill my time with plenty of non-food activities that I enjoy that make me forget about eating. For me that could be gardening, hiking, playing with the dog, going for a bike ride or to the beach.
- A lot of times when I felt hungry, I was really dehydrated.
- And every pound I lose is motivation to lose another.

My guess is that you're being overly restrictive. You're allowed to cut lose every now and then...you don't have to be "on" 100% of the time...thinking you will be or should be is a recipe for failure. I've been maintaining for over a year now and I don't log...but I'm very mindful of what goes into my mouth and I'm a very conscious of proper nutrition, namely because this is more about overall health and well being for me than it is the actual lbs...but guess what? Last weekend I had a huge BBQ at my house with slow smoked ribs, pulled pork, brisket, all the fixings and a keg of beer...I had a rockin' good time and enjoyed myself with the understanding that one does not get fat in a day...this is overwhelmingly about what you're doing 90% of the time, not the 10%. I had a great time and the next morning I resumed my awesome and much more nutritious dietary lifestyle.

To that end, eating nutritiously doesn't have to be boring either...I'm a foodie so I like good food...healthy nutritious food can also rock.

I understand what you mean. I am the same. I cannot keep up with repetetive food or avoiding going out for a meal because I cannot always know the calories. After lots of false starts and yo-yo'ing, I have now started 5:2 - 2 days fast per week and mindful eating on the remaining 5 days. I am yet to see the results but it is much easier, more fun, not boring and I don't need to count calories.