Confused and Pissy

I felt the same way! It is so incredibly frustrating to think you are making a healthy choice only to find out it isn't. For the O.J. I would recommend you get the kind that doesn't have sugar added and/or reduce how much you drink. I have the same problem with fruit. I love it and I use that as my snack in the morning but it usually shoots up my sugar.

It's hard to change habbits and making dietary changes seem like some of the worst.

I barely drink juice any more, because really, what are the benefits? Lots of juice has more sugar than a can of soda and you aren't getting any of the benefits of the fiber if you ate the fruit, so I just tend to stay away.

It takes time to "dial it in" but it can be done. Some people also benefit from a more rigid structure of some diets restricting certain foods completely.

Girl I'm the queen of pissy! lol. You will do it, you will get frustrated and whatever but just don't give up on yourself. Be awesome 80% of the time and you will rock it. Read ask questions, etc. You will find your stride.

Practice!! :flowerforyou:

It takes time. One step at a time, really. Don't try to do it all at once. I think such a sudden, enormous change might cause failure. Give yourself some goals to work towards. For example, you might choose:

Make the first goal a simple one: to meet your calorie goals (just the calories) for 1-2 weeks. Then, depending on what you learn from that, maybe eliminate fast food or cut back on sugar or increase protein for a couple of weeks. Then try cutting back on processed foods or artificial ingredients or cheat meals. Just one goal at a time, until you're comfortable with it. But the most important goal is the calories...do that one first, then work on the rest a little at a time.

Hang in there, it gets easier!

There's no need to try to be "perfect". Most people who make the most progress and have the most success do it through baby steps. There are always healthier alternatives... OJ is way better than soda, but eating a raw orange is even better than OJ.

I started out over a year ago just focusing on my calories. I lost weight right away. Then I started cutting out processed foods. Then came paying more attention to protein (I upped my protein goal, lowered my carb goal). Then I paid attention to my sodium (Yikes!). Then I started working on sugar. All the while, I was working on doing more and more exercise. It's all been a gradual process. You CAN'T expect to know all the answers and to be perfect overnight.

You can work toward being healthy without knowing all the answers or being perfect. Sure, it's better to keep your sugars lower, but if you're staying in your overall calorie goals and eating a generally well-balanced, healthy diet that's free of most processed foods, then you're doing great. That's the general "base" I try to aim for. Everything else (specific sugar levels, % split between carbs/protein/fat, etc.) are things to work on once you have the basics down and are interested in tweaking your diet to become even more healthy.

I think Marll is on to something...

Adopt changes slowly and you'll figure out what works best. Focus on calories first and try to determine which foods give you the most bang for the buck and go from there. Instead of drinking orange juice try eating an orange. You'll get more fiber, less sugar and fewer calories and I bet you will feel more satisfied.

Choose what's right for you! It's give and take, and it depends on who you ask, so make the choices that are healthy for you, and that YOU CAN LIVE WITH! If you're drinking OJ rather than soda, then good for you. Some people drink only water, some people drink soda, but in small amounts. I like crystal light, but was recently informed that the aspartame in there could kill me. But again, it's my choice. So as desperate as I am to keep getting healthy... I'll take the aspartame so I can have my no-calorie peach tea.

I've come to realize that no one diet is right for two people. Just figure out what is good for your body. I am doing some intense kettlebell training, so I KNOW I need more protein than I'm allowed on this site (really wish you could adjust the levels according to your fitness goals!), so I just have to ignore that big red number under protein every day. I also know that I need to be eating fewer carbs on non-bootcamp days, so again, that's up to me. My trainer swears by this diet, her trainer swears by that... I'm piecemealing it all together to make it something I can live with, and my family too. And as long as it's healthy.... I'm okay with a little OJ!

i've learned to drink my juice like a toddler I add water to it. Still get the flavor without drinking as many calories/sugar.

Perfection isn't the goal. Each day you'll learn more and more about what works for you and what doesn't. Some people drink juice every day and it doesn't affect them aversely having ingested more sugar than MFP recommends.

We're all different and you will find what works for you. Enjoy the journey and show yourself nothing but love and patience.

Charmagne

You can! Go to Home, then click Goals > Change Goals (big green button at the bottom), then choose custom, and all of the goals pop up. You can change the protein/fat/carb ratios, but they must equal 100% to your calorie goals. Anything else you are tracking that you want to change can be done there, as well.

Thank you so much!