Can't stop the daily obsession

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

after YEARS of being overweight I can tell you this- you have to want it more than you want the excuses to feel valid. Until you find your reason, your all consuming more important that breathing reason to stick with it it will be hard, every single day. Just keep fighting. If you slip up, don't let the rest of your day go to waste- get right back on track.

Also, get the app and log every bite, the minute it hits (or the minute before it hits) your lips. Measure EVERYTHING. Eyeballing portions is deceptive.

Most of all, don't give up. You can dooo itttt!

I know exactly how you feel almost word for word. I am 5'3 and at my heaviest was 180. I am at 165 now and struggling to get to 140. Here is what I have learned over the past few years and since starting two months ago to get back on the right track:

The scale isn't always the most important thing to look at. I have only lost 5lbs but I fit into clothes I have't been able to wear in two years. I lost 3 inches off my waist. My legs are toner and more sleek. My arms don't jiggle as much. That's progress even when the scale doesn't show it.

It's got to be a lifestyle change. I have to make working out a habit. A daily (or every other day) ritual. I have to be aware of what I am putting into my body. It does take some "obsession". I am re-learning what I think "healthy" foods are. To my surprise, I had no idea how bad some of the stuff I was eating was.

It's a process. Some days we fail. We just start again the next day. The most important thing I look at is that not matter how much weight I lose or how much better I look, i am making better food choices and exercising which means over all, I am becoming a healthier me.

Wishing you the best of luck.

I 100% know what you're going through. Last September, I was the fittest I had ever been in my whole life. I then became obsessed with trying to fix what was already good enough. I was convinced that I needed to be perfect, and the more I messed up, the more discouraged I became. I also became TERRIFIED about gaining weight, so I tracked obsessively, and tried to do more exercise than I could handle. Over time, my episodes of motivation and being "good" became shorter and shorter. I began to get discouraged so easily, to the point where I gave up before even starting everytime I felt the slightest hint of motivation. Believe me, I know what it's like to feel exhausted. It gets to a point when you're tired of failing, so what's the point of even trying anymore, right?

Since then, I have gained 15lb. Ironically, I can honestly say that the cause of this weight gain was the fear of weight gain! And the worst thing is, I was caught up in a rut of unforgiveness towards myself. That made it worse because all my energy went towards condemning myself instead of fixing it. Not a day went by that I didn't go stand in front of the mirror, look at myself with disgust and say: "How could I let this happen?" And I'll tell you a secret- I did that just this morning. But I've made up my mind to get back up again. I made the decision a couple weeks ago actually. It won't be easy but I know I can do it. I am still struggling a bit myself, but I'm slowly making peace with the fact that my mistakes happened, and I can't take them back, BUT I can move forward and fix it. I try to focus on what makes me happy everyday instead of the whole concept of weightloss. I know it won't happen overnight so there's no point in me getting mad that it doesnt. So what I've tried to do is break down my goals to two very simple things:

1. I will exercise X number of times per week
2. I will eat X number of calories per day. I will eat a certain number on workout days, and a certain on non workout days.

That is all. No overthinking. No looking ahead to the finish line. Just acknowledging what I've done right today. Once I've worked out for the day, its time for me to spend the remaining 10-12 hours of my day focusing on the fact that there's more to me than my body. Imagine where I'll be once 365 of these days have gone by? I don't mean days of being perfect; I mean days of doing small things in the right direction and praising myself for them. I'll be in a better place physically and emotionally.

You can do this Set smaller goals. You will not be perfect. No one is! Add me if you like, and we can talk more about it, or just simply help each other out with our daily goals. I don't know if my advice has been helpful, but I hope that it helps knowing that you're not the only one who has been through this. It certainly has helped me!

Best wishes,

Scarletcrepes

Listen to usmcmp!

I'd also say this site may not be the best for you if its become an obsession that is ruining your quality of life in other areas. I was also in similar shoes once. I tried to diet on here and mostly succeeded in driving myself crazy with unrealistic goals and never lost anything so I got really down on myself. I left and lost weight by eating healthier foods, eating reasonable portions, not eating if I wasn't truly hungry and not stuffing myself. I also cut carbs but I don't thats necessary if eating carbs makes you happy.

The basic idea is that you listen to your hunger signals and work with them rather than trying to beat them into submission. Eat when you're hungry stop when you are satisfied but not very full. Try not to snack- if you must, eat something low calorie and fibrous. Use common sense when making food choices. Is a small brownie going to hurt? No, but 2-3 every day will. 1 large slice of pizza, ok, an entire pizza- not ok etc. This might be a better approach than counting calories for you at the moment because it doesn't need as much fiddling and I think you need a break from thinking about this :flowerforyou: