Sticking to a diet-need motivation

I have the hardest time sticking to any diet for more than a few days to a week. I tend to lose and gain the same few pounds for most of the year. I start off strong, with the most positive of intentions and then something happens and I lose focus and stray from my eating plan. I'm setting my calories to a reasonable amount (around 1450 calories) and I'm not trying to lose 50 pounds in 2 weeks. I'm okay with losing it slowly. . I would love to commit to a healthy eating plan that I can maintain for life, but I continually fail in this area. It's discouraging, but I try to be hopeful. Any help or ideas would be much appreciated.

Replies

  • Hi, I just joined today but I wanted to say that I get entirely what you mean, it's so easy to get distracted when life comes knocking and we all know there are things that are more important than being slim, though not as many as being healthy. But if there's a good enough reason to stick the diet you'll do it, no matter how hard it seems at first because once you see those numbers on the scales start to go down you'll feel amazing and proud of yourself. No one said it has to be quick but if its a lower number this time next year won't you feel great. I hope that helps.
  • ftrobbie
    ftrobbie Posts: 1,017 Member
    I have the hardest time sticking to any diet for more than a few days to a week. I tend to lose and gain the same few pounds for most of the year. I start off strong, with the most positive of intentions and then something happens and I lose focus and stray from my eating plan. I'm setting my calories to a reasonable amount (around 1450 calories) and I'm not trying to lose 50 pounds in 2 weeks. I'm okay with losing it slowly. . I would love to commit to a healthy eating plan that I can maintain for life, but I continually fail in this area. It's discouraging, but I try to be hopeful. Any help or ideas would be much appreciated.

    What is your calorie intake at the moment? I have made the switch from circa 3000-3500 calories a day down to 1500, more recently 1800 calories (600 a day deficit). How? Changing one thing a week. Most of my work colleagues do an all or nothing technique and least a few days to a week like yourself. They get resentful, hungry , bored and then eat like they always do. If you are in no rush, just record what you eat daily for a week (weigh not measure) and then have 100 cals less a day for a week. The following week remove another 100cals a day. You will soon work out what you value taste and fullness wise. My diary is open so have a look. There are some filling but calorie light items in there. When you get to 1450 cals a day stop. Reevaluate. I have recently had a diet break, 5 months of dieting, I needed a reset. You can make it work, if you make lots of small changes.

    Good luck
  • cindagrif
    cindagrif Posts: 60 Member
    I lost in the beginning, but the last two months I keep gaining and losing the same three pounds! I have tried exercising more and drinking more. But still no change. ?But I am going to keep trying!!
  • marypresent
    marypresent Posts: 39 Member
    Thanks for all your great replies. I appreciate your insight and support!
  • Jimsmith109
    Jimsmith109 Posts: 38 Member
    First off don't call it a diet, Call it a lifestyle change because a diet means there is an end and when there is an end that is when the bad new beginning comes to play.
    to succeed you must plan, pre prepare your food and put it in containers so that you don't have to make any choices, and eat 6 small meals a day take you allotted calories divide them by 6 and portion your food as such. eat every 3 hours this will help prevent you from starving and starving leads to cheating.
    choose quality protein like chicken breast, turkey breast, sirloin steak are some examples quality carbs = Baked sweet potatoes plain,
    steamed brown rice, Vegetables steamed broccoli, steamed Brussels sprouts and steamed asparagus.
    Drink a gallon of water per day if you can this will flush your body of toxins help with fat loss and help keep you full.
  • AzWifenMom
    AzWifenMom Posts: 26 Member
    Hi! and yes you can do it, but I think it all comes from the heart first. I have played the "Yes I can" game for I don't know how long and never saw any results. This year, something happened, to my heart. Not my physical heart, but my spiritual heart, the me inside of me. Near the beginning of the year I kept hearing, "the New Year, the New Year. I woke up one night and thought, what makes a New Year, is it one day or is all the new days put together to create a new year. I decided then I was going to make a New Year with all my days being new. I would look for something new and right it down. I don't mean a long journal of pages and pages, but just a sentence or a few words. So far I have a list of something new I find to build my year and each day is different.
    That being said, I also got a Fitbit Flex for Christmas and that was the best thing I have ever got (except for my marriage proposal). I started out simple and just really took baby steps to get started. I logged my food, my steps, my daily NEW and guess what happened, I have lost 20 pound so far and I don't feel like I have had to fight to get here, because every day is NEW. I also discovered I crawled out of my emotional ditch, because I didn't want to decorate it and live there, and just took one step at a time, one less bite of junk, added one more good thing to my new me. I really believe it doesn't have anything to do with a scale, a dress size or even a doctor's report. I believe it has everything to do with, "what am I going to do new today".
    I hope this helps a little or at least gives you something to think about.