Is it still worth doing if you know you will fail?

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I've tried to lose weight many times in the past. I've generally stuck to counting calories and regular exercise. I know it works. It has worked in the past, and I know it should work in the future and always.

I know how to do this, but every time I start, I last a shorter and shorter time before I go off the rails. I don't stall out or hit a plateau. I just decide, "I'm going to eat that whole bag of Cheetos because reasons!" Then I binge for days, regain the weight I lost, and wallow in misery for a few months.

So now I'm feeling like I want to count calories again, to start exercising again, to do all the things that I know will work. But I am also afraid to even bother when I have such a track record of quitting.

I hate that I'm one of those people that loses and gains, loses and gains, but do I hate it enough? Do I need the answer to that question before I start?

I hate that I weigh 290. I hate that I can't do the things I want to do because my stomach gets in the way. I hate buying my bras from specialty stores.

I hate that I quit so easily, too. I don't know how to change it, though.
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Replies

  • dawnna76
    dawnna76 Posts: 987 Member
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    change your inner self, stop saying i cant or i will fail. say i can and i will succeed. then remove the junk from the house. cant eat a whole bag a cheetos if it isnt there! personally i love ice cream, cant buy it and keep at home cause i will eat it all in one sitting (no really) so if i want ice cream as a treat I have to get up and go get it at the ice cream shop. so i dont do it as often, one cause that is more work and it costs more!
  • conniebug76
    conniebug76 Posts: 16 Member
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    So how do you "change your inner self?"

    And you can eat a whole bag of Cheetos if it isn't there. You go to the store and buy it. It's actually pretty easy to do.
  • lborsato1
    lborsato1 Posts: 1,011 Member
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    Attitude is a big part of the commitment to weight loss. You don't seem ready to do it, as you are already "failing" before you even start. You need to find a reason that motivates you before you can be successful. Good Luck !
  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
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    No one can find motivation for you. You have to want it more than you want the Cheetos. Binges happen. But do you continue until you've undone all progress, or do you say the next day, well that made me feel bad and get back on track.
  • conniebug76
    conniebug76 Posts: 16 Member
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    Well, that answers the question. I'll save change for another day. Thanks!
  • dawnna76
    dawnna76 Posts: 987 Member
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    you start by stopping with the negitive talk. stop saying i cant. start saying yuou can and eventually you will believe it. your problem seems it may have more to do with self esteem and self control. maybe seeing a therapist might help.
  • MakePeasNotWar
    MakePeasNotWar Posts: 1,329 Member
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    Are you trying to fix everything all in one go and feeling deprived? That would make me eat a bag of cheetos, too. What if you just picked one or two small things to change, then once they were solid habits, take on another. Obviously you will lose more slowly, but if you can truly take your time to build up small habits, you'll be able to maintain your weight loss for life.

    Maybe try just logging for a while, until it's second nature. Then look through your diary for something that seems easy to fix - the "low hanging fruit", as it were. Or in my case, the low hanging cheesecake, lol
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    Well, that answers the question. I'll save change for another day. Thanks!

    Lol
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    If you're already assuming you'll fail, why even bother?

    I'm the most pessimistic of people, but even I came into this saying "okay, I can do this". 11 months and 54 pounds later, I am doing it. If you give in and eat the Cheetos, tell yourself it's okay and get right back to where you were before. One slipup does not deem you a failure.
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
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    Start saying I can and I will.
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
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    Well that escalated quickly.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    Well, that answers the question. I'll save change for another day. Thanks!

    Well that was easy. See ya next time.
  • aimeemcnally
    aimeemcnally Posts: 18 Member
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    If you believe you can do it you are half way there :)
  • Bellodesiderare
    Bellodesiderare Posts: 278 Member
    edited December 2014
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    Whether you say you will lose weight or you will fail you are correct. Attitude is half the battle.
  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,862 Member
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    I hate that I quit so easily, too. I don't know how to change it, though.
    There is no magic elixir for this. You'll do it when you are ready.

  • RUNNING_AMOK_1958
    RUNNING_AMOK_1958 Posts: 268 Member
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    Fear is your problem. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Seriously, are you going to let a bag of Cheetos have so much power over you that it controls your life?
  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
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    That's what I did. Once I got out of my own damn way, I started to succeed. Once I saw changes in my body, my mind and self talk changed too. It's not easy. But it's worth it.
  • NerdieMcChub
    NerdieMcChub Posts: 153 Member
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    I completely understand where you're coming from, though, I have health issues hindering my goals. This is the reason I've given up in the past. I was weak, to be completely honest.

    I finally stopped the self-pity and am getting PROPERLY treated for my medical issues. It's still going to be harder for me than a "normal" person. But now I know this. I accept this.

    It's hard. You can do this, but not until you truly want to commit.
  • iRun_Butterfly
    iRun_Butterfly Posts: 483 Member
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    Yes, it's worth it. I had lost and gained many times before this last time. I was convinced this last time was going to be another failure. However, somewhere along the way it just stuck. I don't know the magic formula or what made it different, but if I hadn't tried I would never know. Just keep trying, it'll stick.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    You can have some cheetos. Log it. Fit it into your day. Don't set such a low calorie goal that you can't fit in some treats if you want them. Deprivation leads to binges, eventually. It's not a "diet", it is how you learn to live.