I have no will power - Suggestions?

Ansuggestion from anyone else who had the same will power issues?

Come back when you're ready.

You aren't ready yet.

If the scale is not enough you are not ready.

Make small changes until you are:

Reduce liquid calorie intake: soda, sweet teas etc.
Move to:

Remove
Sugar foods after 5pm.

Remove sugar foods 2 times a week
Then 3,4,5 etc.

Reduce carb intake.

Step by step.

I prefer STOP ALL OF IT NOW method.


Shawnda

I used to be the same! I saw an awful photo of myself whilst on a night out and I was actually shocked with how big I'd become! That was the eyeopening moment for me! I have put old photos of myself on my desktop background with the phrase 'remember why you started!' written across it haha. Whenever I go for a chocolate biscuit...I think back to how slim I used to be! I'll get there soon enough lol. Good luck to you too! You can do ittttt, feel free to add me if you like X

You aren't serious yet. Walk through a hospital and take a look at seriously ill people who developed all sorts of life-ending illnesses at least in part because of lifestyle. Look around at family and friends as well. Make a list of reasons why you want to be at a normal weight and strong.

Then devise a food plan that is at a modest calorie deficit and doesn't cut out all the food you like. If your plan is reasonable, you don't feel like abandoning it.

No one else can do this for you. Motivation does not come from the outside. It's you and only you when you are walking past a table of cheesecake.

These are amazing words - thank you!

The first 2-3 weeks are always the hardest. I'm a sissy, so I took that garcinia cambogia supplement for the first month when I got started. It took the hunger edge off and had the added benefit of making me super thirsty which made me drink a ton of water which made me full. Once I adjusted to the lower amount of calories and saw some weight come off, it was easier. I stopped taking it and now I'm doing a couch 2 5k program and feel pretty good.

I know my way isn't for everyone, but it worked for me, so I'm throwing it out there. If you do decide to take a supplement you should talk to your doctor first.

i should also say, i do the 'if it fits your macros' - meaning i can eat anything as long as i stay in my calorie target. log every bite you put in your mouth and i guarantee, if you stick to not exceeding your target calorie intake, you will modify the way you eat. as much as i love the chocolate drawer in my office, a few pieces of candy ends up being a LOT of calories. I've done it before, and come 8 PM, I'm hating myself for 'wasting' calories because had I saved them, I could have had a BIG salad with dinner and be satiated. it's a mind game for me, but i'm determined to win it.

So it could very well be that you just don't care enough. That's certainly possible.

But it could also be that your overall plan, and your environment, are too challenging for your resources. And if that's the case, it's possible that the issue is not whether or not you want it, but whether or not you know how to get it.

^^^This.

The first year after my kids were born, I couldn't do it.

I was breastfeeding, pumping and working full time. That was my whole life. I didn't have breaks or a lunch hour or sleep at night. I was starving all the time and getting fatter.

Fast forward to my kids' first birthdays. I could stop pumping. They were drinking whole milk and sleeping through the night.

Suddenly everything unwound and it was just a matter of carving out a regular routine and finding out the right amount for me to eat.

I did what I could do when I was able to do it. Giving myself the grace to not beat myself up over the impossible was a huge step in being able to move forward.

While I agree with the others commenting that you aren't necessarily ready to make a lifestyle change, there are things you can do to help get started. The two things I'm the worst at are portion sizes and mindlessly eating.

1. Take your large plates/bowls and pack them away. Seriously wrap them up, put them in a box and stick it in the basement. Eat all of your meals off of small plates and you'll notice a difference.

2. Stop buying junk food. I did it slowly at first - I quit buying potato chips cold turkey. Then I stopped buying frozen pizza. Then I completely stopped buying frozen food & soda. Now when I go to the grocery store I buy raw foods, fruit, vegetables and try my best to only buy minimally processed foods. It's a lot better to snack on carrots and strawberries than to eat a half a bag of chips (because I'm bored).

3. If it's in front of me, I'm probably going to eat it. To combat this, I had to add some structure in to my meals. It helps immensely that I diligently track my food on MFP. If I understand that eating an extra _______ is going to put me over or close to my daily limit, I'll either opt for a healthier snack or just say no. You can only really do that when you're updated on your days intake. I used to only eat after doing SOMETHING (like do 20 pushups before a meal for instance).

I totally get what you just said. Been there, done that!!

you're at a crossroads. you know where you want to go, you see the path, but sometimes taking those first real steps toward it are the hardest.

while i don't necessarily agree with the people saying "you don't want it enough" (because i've WANTED this for more years than i can remember, but have only recently found clues as to why hard work hasn't paid off), at some point there will be a defining moment, where everything just clicks into place and you can move forward.

long-term goals are daunting. any task we undertake will overwhelm us if we don't break it up into smaller, accomplishable pieces. want to clean out a house that a hoarder has lived in for the last 40 years? you don't try to clean everything at once. you start in one spot, one room, and focus on what's directly in front of you. don't look back, don't look up, just focus on the space immediately in front of you.

so break this journey up into smaller bits. when i started, i didn't focus on how i was going to lose 100 pounds, i focused on making sure i stayed on plan THAT DAY. all i had to do was focus on what i was going to be eating just over the next 12-16 hours. if i screwed up, i accepted it, owned it, and took responsibility by making sure that when i woke up the next morning, my goal was to stay on track THAT DAY. each day that goal is accomplished makes the next day's goal a little bit easier.

and then one day, you'll look up and realize that several months have gone by and several pounds have gone off. and you'll realize that you really can do this.