Losing motivation as soon as starting a diet! Anyone else ge

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ShyBreasts
ShyBreasts Posts: 91
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay so I started my healthy eating plan on monday using myfitnesspal and so far it has been going well, I have got up early to do two jogs (And I HATE jogging so that was a challenge) and I have stuck to my calorie allowance. However, in the past when I have tried dieting, I have always managed to do well for a few days or a week and then I start to feel better about myself and then I just eat any food because I feel good and throw the diet out of the window. It is sooo frustrating and I just wanted to know if any of you feel that way and if so how do you power through the diet and continue it?
How do you gain willpower and say no to giving in?!


Thanks so much for reading! Good luck to you all!

xxx

Replies

  • freeatlast20
    freeatlast20 Posts: 120 Member
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    for me I don't think of it as a diet...its a lifestyle...the way I will have to eat the rest of my life. Good Luck on your weight loss journey!
  • lois2324
    lois2324 Posts: 20
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    this is me all over, i start of all motivated and then eating healthly makes me feel great then without even realising it i lose it and pig out on takeaways and thats it for another couple of months till i start again! i dont know how to power through it, maybe we can help each other! im only on day 3, but feeling good so far. good luck x
  • HayleyDavison
    HayleyDavison Posts: 1
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    I always do this aswell! I do well during the weekend, then at the weekend i completly forget and i put all the weight back on!!!
    But this time im not going to give in! You can do it too! :happy: x
  • cdelbove
    cdelbove Posts: 12 Member
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    I have done that so many times. You just get to a point where you get tired of losing and gaining the same lbs over and over! For me MFP keeps me accountable because even when I splurge and eat something I know will make me go over my calories I still track it. Then I realize quickly that it wasn't worth it if I don't lose that week.
  • rich_MTatl
    rich_MTatl Posts: 5
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    For me the easiest part of my "diet" was maintaining my numbers in myfitnesspal.com. This task of inputing your foods each meal and then analyzing the numbers might seem difficult and boring for many, but for me was a pleasure because I am a numbers guy (computer dude). What I learned after just a couple of weeks using this system is how f***d up my numbers were! My sodium was off the charts, my sat fats and cholesterol was thru the roof. So once I realized my eating habits were all messed up I began to change what i was eating in order to "hit my numbers". So this is the important point, you have to know what are "your numbers". Myfitnesspal.com allows you to look at numbers for Total Calories, Carbs, Fat, Proteing, Cholesterol, etc. What is important is that you need to figure out what are your numbers for each of those categories. Then use the Goals feature to set you numbers and input into the system what you eat each day. Do this for 1 month and I you will be amazed how a little tweaking here, a little tweaking there will allow you to adjust what you put into your body to help you lose those extra pounds. Not to mention the health benefits of it all! So, in short, my advice is to find your numbers, input your food, analyze and tweak. Sounds boring, right? But it's not so hard, now that I've been doing this for about 6 weeks, i spend maybe total 20 minutes per day in here, but have just about reached my goal of losing those 10 pounsd i've been carying for the last 5 years! Stick with it.
    Rich
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    Using myfitnesspal has been the only thing that has kept me on this path. The accountability and support is key...and it has to be lifestyle changes, not just a diet! I am also a Christian, so at the beginning I prayed to God that I couldn't do this on my own and asked Him to give me the strength I needed to keep going! 70 days and about 15 pounds down! :)
  • ItsOn130
    ItsOn130 Posts: 269 Member
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    I know how you feel... In the past, I too have been like that. I've been eating well and exercising faithfully for almost 3 months now! I had started last summer, lost 14 lbs, and gave up.... but pretty much kept that weight off. Now I've lost another 14, some before starting MFP. Basically, I just keep my eyes on the prize. I love the endorphins that exercise gives me. I push through even though it would be easier not to. When I don't feel like going to the gym I have to push myself and remember how good I feel afterwards. I also rely on how much more energy I have and the stamina that I've gained to remind me that this is working. I'm not sure how much weight you have to lose, but it does get frustrating, especially when you hit a plateau(which I've seemed to hit for the past month). Just keep doing what you're doing, keep your eye on the prize, and get to it! You can do it! Oh.. and reach out for the motivation and support as often as you need to on here! Everyone is really great about that! Good luck to you! :bigsmile:

    Feel free to add me if you wish!
  • WomanofWorth
    WomanofWorth Posts: 395 Member
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    Okay so I started my healthy eating plan on monday using myfitnesspal and so far it has been going well, I have got up early to do two jogs (And I HATE jogging so that was a challenge) and I have stuck to my calorie allowance. However, in the past when I have tried dieting, I have always managed to do well for a few days or a week and then I start to feel better about myself and then I just eat any food because I feel good and throw the diet out of the window. It is sooo frustrating and I just wanted to know if any of you feel that way and if so how do you power through the diet and continue it?
    How do you gain willpower and say no to giving in?!>>>>>


    Thanks so much for reading! Good luck to you all!

    First and foremost, stop thinking of it as a diet. A diet is something that has an end date. This is a lifestyle change. This is how you keep yourself healthy for the rest of your life.

    Motivation is really about willpower and don't let anyone tell you it isn't. It isn't about being perfect. What I mean in this instance about willpower is that it is about telling yourself I WILL do the following:

    I WILL eat the proper amount of calories
    I WILL get at least 7 hours of sleep (lack of proper sleep messed up the metabolism)
    I WILL drink 1/2 of my body weight in ounces of water so that I can feel fuller longer, rev my metabolism and not dehydrate during workouts
    I WILL exercise for 45-60 minutes per day at least 5 days per week. We all have to begin somewhere with consistency, though so even a 15 minute walk (about 1 mile) counts. When you're not energetic for it, tell yourself that you will at least doing 15 minutes.
    I WILL eat a rainbow of fruits and veggies, incorporating veggies at every meal.
    I WILL track sodium intake, especially since sodium is sneaky and turns up in places you might not expect.

    Those are the basics. Remember that these willpowers are merely habits. If you mess up, do the next right thing. One bad meal does not a bad eating day make. Planning goes a long way on this journey.

    Remember, motivation is like bathing. Neither last, so you have to do them every day. This is a daily and sometimes hourly rededication but it does get easier.
  • myrbg
    myrbg Posts: 93
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    it's like you read my brain! what you go through is the story of my life! but, i have found that the support and encouragement from my mfp friends has really helped me persevere and keep going. clock in as much time as you can here, read the threads, make new friends, write in your blog...soon enough you'll see that everyone is going through the same thing and if you stick together, it'll be easier to stick to it. good luck!! =]
  • knelson422
    knelson422 Posts: 308
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    Yes, I do the same thing. Self sabatoge (sp?). In fact, I have lost almost 25 lbs, and now am struggling to track everything, again. Silly, right? Because I know it works. Lets just keep pushing on, and make it happen because if I stuff my face with treats and think I can work it off, I am wrong. It doesn't work that way anymore. This is more about eating for me than exercise. I love to exercise, so that is no problem. I need to not reward myself for a good job losing 2 pounds with going out for ice cream. Realizing that my body deserves better food and to be taken care of is what needs to change in my mind. It is getting there. I am happy with my weight loss so far, but am only about half way there. I don't want to stop now. Just keep going!!
  • biged335
    biged335 Posts: 734
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    You're changing your lifestyle not just lossing weight... That's how I'm looking at it.

    Also, you have to commit to yourself that this is what you want to do. Set goals the goals you want to reach, write them down, and post them somewhere you can see them everyday. That'll reinforce what you're trying to accomplish. Use this website too... This is your support network. When you're feeling weak, bring it to the message board and you'll have plenty of people give you the feedback you need to keep going.

    But to me... The biggest thing is you have to want it!!! I mean really want it... Commit to it and you can do it!!! Like I tell everybody, If I can loss weight, anybody can do this!!!

    One other thing, We all have bad days. When the day is over forget about it and get back to work!!! Don't dwell on bad days!!!

    Just keep pushing and you'll reach your goal.
  • Philbobaggins
    Philbobaggins Posts: 2
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    HI Hanna. To start with, well done for making the effort to run, its never easy doing something you dislike. is there no other exercise that you enjoy? it makes like much better!. To be honest I'm a personal trainer but I direct my clients to this site as I think its pretty awesome!.

    If its just purely the fact you feel ok about yourself so eat badly again then im affraid will power is the answer! you could try to find someone to diet with you, and/or exercise it will make you more likely to do it and a little competion normally helps, but, if your starting to crave sugary foods and carbs its just a natural reaction to your body adapting to not having them. it will take about a week to detox. You need to eat food that will maintain blood sugar levels and not spike them, which is what refined sugars do, sweets, choclate fizzy pop ect. try eating nuts and fruits as snacks to stop you feeling hungry as often, the protein from nuts helps keep you fuller for longer and the sugars found in fruits should help you overcome the crave! lol.

    hope this helps a little.

    Tom
  • coldcorn
    coldcorn Posts: 1
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    What I will add, is that once you complete 30 days of the activity/diet - It becomes easier.

    I've been doing a lot more exercise/eating healthily for about 2 months now, and the last month has been much easier in comparison. Its just getting to the point where it all becomes habit.

    For example:

    I've started commuting into London each morning by bicycle. Its 15 miles each way and I generally run up 120-150 miles a week. Perhaps a good goal is to set a role model/someone else who you know is doing the same thing and not let yourself slip up. Watching a lot of health tv programs generally helps too ;)

    Cheers,
  • Mairgheal
    Mairgheal Posts: 385 Member
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    Maybe you're throwing yourself in too much?
    You say you hate jogging and yet you get up early twice to go jogging. Why do that to yourself, surely you can't sustain that? Try find an exercise that you can do long-term. I go for a brisk walk every day during my lunchbreak, this way it doesn't feel like I have to make time for it, and the fresh air does miracles anyway.
    The same with eating. MFP gave me 1200 calories, which I found a real struggle, so I changed this to 1450 (or something like that). Sure maybe I lose weight slower, but at least this way it doesn't feel like I'm depriving myself.

    You need to find a way of doing this without it making you feel like it's hard work. As much as I hate the term "life style change", it is what this is about.
  • gp79
    gp79 Posts: 1,799 Member
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    The very first thing I thought of when I read your post was your use of the word HATE. If you truly hate something and have burned out quick in the past then I ask if you have considered taking up something that gets you active which you enjoy or have always thought might be kinda fun?

    While running is great for burning calories and improving your cardiovascular system its not the only way to success. Some runners love it, some say they hate it but do it for the benefits and some just cannot bring themselves to stick with it for whatever reason.

    Like others have said, it's a choice that you have to make about your life. It took years and years for those of us who are overweight to pack on the pounds by making poor choices that we have been guided to make our entire lives. Doing a 180 on your nutrition is a crash course with a high potential of failure if done too quickly. Americans are wired to expect results now. A recipe for disaster. Realizing that this process of healing is going to take time, begin by making small changes in your nutrition. Changes that you find are suatainable are the ones you want to be making, slowly.

    In my opinion 75% of losing weight is knowing your body and understanding what to feed it.

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