Changing your mindset

Most likely because you're thinking you'll be eating foods you don't like to lose weight. But that doesn't have to happen. You can still eat what you love and lose weight.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3817-eat-more-2-weigh-less

Tricks dont work because you realise you have been tricked and then you react against it.

You can lose weight just like anyone else, but you have to be at a deficit, which will involve you eating less calories or burning more. If you want to lose weight enough then you have to make the choices that reinforce this and move you closer to target rather than further away. Do you want to lose weight enough? Are you prepared to take the steps needed consistently?

You might find it helps by reading up on how it works and how to use the site before starting. Then take baby steps and treat it one day at a time. Aim for simple steps such as logging for a week, walking 15 mins a day or any exercise and hitting your calorie limit. Keep it up and you will lose weight.

I've been there many times, Jamie, asking myself the same questions after yet another failed try at maintaining motivation. I listen to those same "bad tapes" in my head, as they try to reinforce that "why bother" mantra. My trick is to acknowledge those faulty lines exist, that they will pop up whether I expect them or not & to have an action plan on how to deal with them. I have positive, motivational statements posted on my bathroom mirror such as: "I will feel comfortable at the beach" or "I will be able to buy clothes in any store" - whatever motivates you. Look at those whenever self-doubt enters the picture. If you realize that what you do/eat today will literally shape you for better (or worse) in the future, and keep on track with your manageable goals, I hope you'll begin to see progress which will further reinforce that you really can gain control over those negative, self-doubting thoughts. It has worked for me - all the best to you!

Don't spend much time thinking about things. Just do it.

JamieZ0503 wrote: »

How do you trick yourself into believing you can lose weight? I give up mentally before I even get started. I usually think, "what's the point, I can't lose weight anyway so I'll just eat this or that". How do I get my head in the game?

There is no trick. At some point down the rational rabbit hole, it becomes clear that on a personal level, there's no amount of binge-eating that makes the slow, painful disintegration of health it causes worth it. There are other people in your life that it affects. Children, significant others, parents, siblings. Each obesity-related illness that befalls you raises your medical bills and generally puts more strain on public health costs.

That said, it's mostly a numbers game at the core of it. There's a lot more to being healthy than just not overeating, of course, but losing weight at its simplest is just matter in matter out. If you get used to eating X amount of calories per day, after a couple of weeks, your hunger signals follow suit. You can eat foods you love and lose weight, so there's no reason to mourn chocolate or anything. Just practice moderation and the "I can eat this another time" trick and you're golden.

Don't get discouraged. Don't let weeks without a change on the scale push you back into old habits. Scale weight is an unreliable measure of progress since we're all over half water, and water is affected more by sodium intake and dehydration than calorie intake. Water can skew your scale weight by up to 10 pounds. So always remember that as long as you're counting calories well, keeping on every day, you will lose the weight you want to lose.

My general trick is when I get a craving, I promise it to myself on the following Friday. Usually the craving just goes away, but I do have Friday as what's supposed to be a "maintenance" day (I use maintenance at my goal weight, not my current maintenance) and I can eat more than usual, or an item I usually don't eat because I'm trying to clean up my diet. Remember screwing up happens to EVERYONE and just putting it behind you and keeping on going is the important part. It takes practice to get good at self-control.

Lastly, don't overthink it. Know that you can have too few calories and that in general you should try to eat in your calorie range and not below. The higher your calorie deficit, the harder it is to maintain your diet. It might help you as a newbie to just do your TDEE-20% at first. (You can try fitnessfrog.com to find your TDEE, then just subtract 20% from it and don't eat more than that, then recalculate every 10 pounds.)

This can be easier because it allows you to lose weight eating more calories, thus making it easier to diet since you're less hungry and have more energy.

Exercise isn't necessary but it DOES help not only in burning extra calories but in helping you maintain discipline. Even just 20 minutes 3x a week doing something light like elliptical is a great start.

Hope this helps. Good luck!