always over daily calorie consumed

I have went over 3476 cal for 5 days over a total of 6 days, they were random days not consecutive, I know exercise would help me greatly but I lack motivation to start or even keep going, I enjoy the way you feel after sweating sessions. I also have a 18 mnth old who I have to bring everywhere which makes it more difficult to just get up and go to the gym, Im a person who has to have major exertion during a workout to feel accomplished. I wish I had a physical partner to help motivate me with the exercising part, my spouse isn't a gym person, he's the type that gets on a machine for 5 minutes then gets off and walks around while I am on my gym machine. its frustrating to take him bc he just does nothing while I go to achieve something. I feel like he's pushing me to hurry up. I'd also like to try like HIIT training or weights but have no idea what to do, I guess its overwhelming, I would like to get the consistency of cardio at the gym down before starting weights. I know it takes a month or something like that to get a habit down, I also use a food scale to measure my food.

I'm not sure I understand what you are saying here. Did you exceed your daily total by 3,476 calories each day? Or did you exceed your 5 day total by 3.476, which would be about 700 cals over target each day? There's a big difference there.

I also think your 2 lb/week weight loss goal may be a bit aggressive and difficult to manage when you have a young child. You may have better luck with a more conservative 1lb/week goal. but by having realistic goals that you can adhere to, you may be able to avoid some of the pitfalls that come with aggressive targets. Things like, "well I'm already over, might as well just eat whatever I want now" or "I'm making poor choices so I'm not going to log it because I don't want to know".

It also would be helpful for people if you would open up your diary, people may be able to make more specific suggestions for you.

Good luck.

I'm not sure how many total calories you're eating in a day but first 2 lbs a week is aggressive so I'd start by switching to 1lb per week. I would also suggest eating every 2-3 hours, this doesn't mean a full meal but instead you snack in between meals. Say you have oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, about 2 hours later have some greek yogurt with or without fruit your choice. Then when it's time for lunch make sure you have veggies and protein on your plate. In the afternoon have another snack, I tend to drink an afternoon latte gives me some dairy and protein and gives me just enough to get through to dinner but sometimes I go for the apple and/or rice cake with peanut butter or sometimes flavored almonds. For dinner make sure you've got protein and veggies on the plate and some whole grains. I don't snack typically after dinner but if you're a person that needs dessert keep some sugar free jello or pudding in the fridge.

As far as exercise you don't need the gym to get in movement. You have an 18 month old so use that to your advantage. I'm assuming he/she is walking so make a game of chasing each other around the house, when it's nap time do a video (either DVD or online). It costs nothing to do push ups, sit ups, jumping jacks you just need to put that as a priority on your list. YOU are worth it!

I hope all these words of other MFP's will help you find your way.

Try intermittent fasting (e.g. eat only between 12 pm and 8 pm) and drink lots of water.
Eat less calorie dense food.

Cut off all the unnecesary stuff like cakes or ice-cream - that means to limit as much as possible your intake of empty calories and replace them with healthy snacks like fruits, vegetables or milk.

Hi, just wondering if I can ask you what you mean by full:
do you mean full, like your stomach is full of food and that's a good, satisfying feeling?
Or by full do you mean: you fee as though you have eaten enough to have energy, you do not feel lethargic, your blood sugar feels stable, and you are not feeling hungry?
Best wishes for feeling well!

its not a day, over 5 days so its about 695 cal a day! I log everything but at the end of the day I get discouraged about my eating habits,

I just want to state again, as others have, maybe 2 lbs/week is too aggressive of a goal for you. If you change it to 1 lb/week, then you would have 500 cals/day extra to work with. Now, you'd still be over by about 200 cals, but that is a much more manageable number to try to make small changes in order to achieve. I don't have specific advice for you, since your diary is closed, but 200 cals is something you can either make small dietary changes to achieve (smaller portions, cut out one snack, etc) or you can easily put the baby in the stroller and walk for 30 minutes in order to burn 200 calories. Once you start seeing that you can stay on track with reasonable goals, and still lose weight, then I think you will be able to stick with things and be successful in the long run.

Meal prep is something that may help. I found with my busy lifestyle it makes eating so much easier. If you can get an afternoon weigh everything out and portion meals in tupperware. You can use labels to write how many calories are in each or you can go into the meal section of the food section and plug everything in. takes one click to log it in. I make a bunch of 400 calorie meals. I'm a picky eater so I just make a bunch of the same things and pop them in the freezer. Just take a few out for a few days and pop in the fridge. Then they're thawed and ready for the microwave.

I agree with the others that you should start with a less aggressive goal -- going from eating "maintenance plus" to "major fat loss" should be done in stages instead of cold turkey (sounds like you understand that intuitively, which is one reason you're "going over" your too-aggressive goal).

Also you should experiment with various foods to see which ones (1) satisfy you more, and (2) stick with you better. A calorie goal is sort of like a household budget -- you have to pick and choose what to spend it on. In my case, I cut out a lot of "flavorless stuff", such as rice, most breads, most noodles, most potatoes, but that's just what works for me -- you need to figure out what works for your preferences.

Also, don't think you have to start with a monster gym workout to get going -- I lost my first 30 pounds doing nothing but T25 (a 30-minute routine) and the occasional ski day. Admittedly, the weight loss was from calorie deficit, not the teeny amount burned during the exercise, but the exercise made me feel a heck of a lot better. Calorie deficit for weight loss, exercise for health.

Good luck with your journey!

Your diary is not open so I am not going to guess as to what the issue might be. There are a lot of calorie dense, not very filling foods out there. I was 280lbs and I managed to eat a 1100 calories deficit (on average) during April and May this year. My diary is open so you can have a look at that and see if that gives you some ideas. Good luck

I used to have the same issue - portion control and feeling full. After getting married I added 25 pounds in 2 years. When my wife was pregnant I added another 25 pounds in 9 months!!

There are a million options for you out there, but here is what worked for me:
1. Plan out your meals ahead of time. Not only does this put you on a bit of a schedule, but you also can plan exactly how many calories you will be eating.

2. Pre-cook as much stuff as possible, and portion it all out. There is nothing worse than being hungry and then having make yourself food - its just easier to order a pizza, right? Every Sunday I cook off 5 pounds of chicken breast and portion it out into 6 ounce Ziploc baggies. I know that I should only be eating 1 bag, and if I eat more than 1, then I am over-eating.

3. Eat as much fiber and vegetables as you can with every meal. Here is a great addition to any meal: 1/4 Cup cooked brown rice, 3 Cups cooked baby spinach, with 1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar. Its 80 Cals, 12 grams of Fiber and only 1 gram of sugar. You can pair it with any meat; it good cold as a topping in a salad; you can even mix it in to some turkey chili or a meat loaf.

4. Make your food very flavorful - just because you are dieting doesn't mean you need to eat boiled chicken and steamed broccoli. Make your own salad dressings and put it on your meats and vegetables - 2 tsp Olive Oil, 4 tsp Vinegar, 1 tsp mustard, then add whatever spices Im in the mood for (Dill for French food; Rosemary and Thyme for Mediterranean; Garlic powder and curry powder for Middle Eastern, Chili Powder and Lime Juice for Mexican).
Add roasted red peppers or caramelized onions for great flavor and good nutrients.
Greek, Mexican, Italian and Indian spices are always good for a boost of flavor.
When in doubt, add Lemon or Lime Juice - every week I go through 2-4 lemons and 4-6 limes. Don't forget about the Zest too.

5. Lastly, if you crave sweets, find healthy alternatives. Heres a simple one: In a bowl smash up 1/4 Cup Raspberries and 1/4 Cup Blueberries so that the juices are extruded. Mix in 1/3 Cup of Fat Free Ricotta and 2 Tbsp Fat Free Plan Greek Yogurt. Let it chill for 30 mins. Serve it topped off with 1 mint leaf minced up. Its more protein than carbs and still pretty sweet.

This is something that was said to me when I used to say I wanted to lose weight - but kept a laundry list of excuses why I couldn't make it happen:

When you are ready to lose the weight and get healthy - you will.

I thought the person was just being rude and certainly not very helpful. Guess what? Turns out, they were spot on. Once I made up my mind I wanted to be healthy, I got rid of all the excuses about doing it and started making it happen.

Read this link and then set up a doable plan for yourself. Losing weight is about being in a calorie deficit. That's it. Exercise helps and certainly has wonderful benefits - but if you truly don't have the time or inclination - then don't.

Best of luck!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

I just want to add to this that weight loss doesn't have to be aggressive. And 2lbs/week may be too aggressive for your current situation. I have lost 54lbs at a rate of 3lb/mo - that's only 3/4lb per week - pretty slow by most standards. But it has been CONSISTENT and moved me from a starting weight of 232lbs to a current weight of 178ish in 18 months.

Make positive changes that you can achieve on a continual basis and you will get to your goal. But the key is willingness to make the necessary changes and consistency.

I have opened up my dairy for anyone who's interested in giving me a review of how to cut calories......I don't think I will stay motivated to lose weight if my goal was losing 1lb a week, I get discouraged easily if I don't see or feel a difference, its hard for me without instant gratification. I've been logging for a month now and that's an accomplishment for me. I also am trying(doing) quit smoking, I haven't smoked since July 4th. I think my smoking cravings turn into eating moments at the moment.

You are setting yourself up for disaster, you need to realize this will take time and that you will NOT see a difference for at least 3 months and that is if you put in 100% effort everyday. I'd check your diary but you seem to just want a quick fix and aren't ready to make a real change....good luck with that.

I have opened up my dairy for anyone who's interested in giving me a review of how to cut calories......I don't think I will stay motivated to lose weight if my goal was losing 1lb a week, I get discouraged easily if I don't see or feel a difference, its hard for me without instant gratification. I've been logging for a month now and that's an accomplishment for me. I also am trying(doing) quit smoking, I haven't smoked since July 4th. I think my smoking cravings turn into eating moments at the moment.

Congrats on quitting smoking, but yeah, that's going to make it harder for sure.

Some thoughts:

Stop drinking your calories. Unless you really, really like milk, those are calories that don't stick with you for long. Double that for sugared soft drinks.
Try to go bun-less on your burgers. Most buns don't stick with you and suck nutrition-wise. Maybe even have a second meat patty instead of the bun -- the fat and protein will stick with you a lot longer.
Ditch the mayo unless you really, really like it. Very few condiments sock you with calories like mayo does.
French fries. Again, unless you just love them, I'd go with more meat instead.
Chicken thighs instead of breasts. Slightly higher calories, but they taste better and stick with you longer.
Fast food. Be very, very careful there. Very few fast food choices are going to be anywhere near healthy. If you gotta eat McD's, stick to the Egg McMuffin or BIg Mac, and take a miss on the fries, hash browns, and sugared drinks.
Quick Add: a sure sign you're eating without thinking about what you're eating. Almost always a red flag.

If I had a theme here, it would be to cut out a lot of the processed / fried carbs, and add more protein and a bit of "real" fat. They will fill you up a lot more.

Hmmm, I already feel like I'm being too hardass here, so I'll call it good. Great job being brave enough to open your diary; try not to take the comments personally.

I looked at your diary, there is a lot of Quick Add Calories in there which makes it difficult to offer alternative suggestions.

I don't personally have a problem with the processed food, condiments, etc. I've lost weight eating all that stuff, drinking wine pretty much every day, eating dessert several times a week.

I know you are looking for immediate gratification but it just doesn't work like that. There are many, many successful people here on MFP who have lost a lot of weight, but it took them months/years to take it off in a way that would ensure they could keep it off. There are also probably twice as many people on MFP who are looking for a quick fix and post threads just like yours, then they go away for a while, and come back a few months later, weighing more than when they left, saying, "Ready for a Fresh Start!" or "Back Again and Ready to Be Successful!"

There was a thread posted earlier today which I thought was very insightful for people who tend to be too aggressive with their goals...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1362903-1-pound-per-week-52-lbs-in-one-year?page=1#posts-20843171

You may not want to wait a year, but trust me, that year with your 18 month old is going to fly by anyway. You might as well set your mind to the fact that you can make small sustainable changes and in a year weigh 50 lbs less than you do now, or you can push too hard, not be successful, get frustrated, and ultimately give up because you think it is just too hard.