can't seem to do the program right

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lilmisscrabby
lilmisscrabby Posts: 37 Member
in Motivation and Support
I cannot stick to this program I know what to do but I just don't do it I have no motivation I try but then I go over my calorie limit I'm not sure what to do anymore I have uninstalled and then reinstalled so many times has anybody ever went through this when starting and will I ever get it right state of mindor am ia a compulsive overeater are in that category I'm not sure on what to do anymore

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  • Spreyton22K
    Spreyton22K Posts: 323 Member
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    Motivation wanes.....maybe looking at it from the perspective of one day at time will help along with breaking your goals into manageable, achievable bites (no pun intended).

    I cannot speak to your issues with compulsive overeating but have you sought any medical help with this condition.....therapy or support groups IRL or on-line may be helpful.

    The other issue may be that you have set up your goals within MFP at too low a calorie goal and you are getting hungry and therefore going 'over'.....which is then setting up the awfully demoralizing pattern of repeated 'failure'.

    You have a goal of losing 37 lbs....I suggest you put in the numbers for losing weight at no more that .5 lb per week and see if that helps. Other steps starting out:
    Buy a set of scales and use them diligently.
    Log or pre-log everything that goes into your mouth.
    Find an exercise that you enjoy and make it a habit....not to lose weight but to help with stress and also it will give you more wriggle room calorie wise (beware that MFP highly exaggerates the calories burned for exercise).
    Get whatever support or help you can to sort out your relationship with food and yourself....good mental health is very important.

    I wish you all the best.....
  • Leana088
    Leana088 Posts: 581 Member
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    Build habits instead of relying on motivation. See it as a change in lifestyle, don't look at it as a diet. Change your focus from weight loss to health.

    Also, I'm a mindless eater. So I allow myself 3 square meals a day. Eating should ONLY EVER occur at a dining table.... Nowhere else. Drinking lots of water or chewing gum helps keep your mouth busy. It also helps to occupy your mind with something else. Do something that stimulates your brain and makes you concentrate, like a logic puzzle or something.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I hear your pain. There's a lot of negative self-talk in your breathless sentence. I am pretty sure you have experienced some successes for instance, just not consistent or sustained success. I was very cautious about setting out on this enterprise twenty months ago, and I told no-one except my patient husband for the first six months. I didn't want to advertise any more failures.

    I'm in my fifties.

    So the good news, it's never too late to start again!

    It might be worthwhile to break apart your sentence and take one issue and work on that. If you tackle that one issue, does it make a bunch of things better? For instance, it might not hurt to find out if you are a compulsive over-eater or not. You may need to sit down with a dietitian or a therapist to figure that out.

    When I sat down with a therapist she told me I definitely was not a binge eater. I worried I was for a long time. But there you go. I'm not. I'm a boredom/stress/mindless eater if I don't stay alert. I've developed strategies for the boredom/stress/mindlessness. Like taking up knitting in the evening for instance.
  • Leana088
    Leana088 Posts: 581 Member
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    Spreyton22K wrote: »
    Motivation wanes.....maybe looking at it from the perspective of one day at time will help along with breaking your goals into manageable, achievable bites (no pun intended).

    I cannot speak to your issues with compulsive overeating but have you sought any medical help with this condition.....therapy or support groups IRL or on-line may be helpful.

    The other issue may be that you have set up your goals within MFP at too low a calorie goal and you are getting hungry and therefore going 'over'.....which is then setting up the awfully demoralizing pattern of repeated 'failure'.

    You have a goal of losing 37 lbs....I suggest you put in the numbers for losing weight at no more that .5 lb per week and see if that helps. Other steps starting out:
    Buy a set of scales and use them diligently.
    Log or pre-log everything that goes into your mouth.
    Find an exercise that you enjoy and make it a habit....not to lose weight but to help with stress and also it will give you more wriggle room calorie wise (beware that MFP highly exaggerates the calories burned for exercise).
    Get whatever support or help you can to sort out your relationship with food and yourself....good mental health is very important.

    I wish you all the best.....

    Agree. If you truly are a compulsive overeater, that's something you need to seek professional help for. And make sure you're not eating too little.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Be patient. Weigh and log everything for two weeks without judgement. Get into practice of observing your feelings and patterns. After two weeks you can evaluate and make adjustments.
  • TonyaVanan1976
    TonyaVanan1976 Posts: 38 Member
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    Just remember it only takes 30 days to form a habit. After that first month you'll be just fine
  • ljglivingfree
    ljglivingfree Posts: 44 Member
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    Never, never, never, never quit. EVER.
  • PlaidCaterpillar
    PlaidCaterpillar Posts: 4 Member
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    Hello lilmisscrabby. I could have written the exact same thing. There has to be a way though right? That's what I keep telling myself.
  • jasmineruth
    jasmineruth Posts: 88 Member
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    Just keep starting again. Just because you over ate doesn't mean that you aren't making progress. Just trying is better than not trying at all. I bet there are things you have chosen to not eat, that you would have eaten if you hadn't been trying.
    I would recommend sitting down one day a week and planning what you are going to eat for each meal for the coming week, go grocery shopping. Do not buy anything that isn't in the plan. Throw away food that will cause you to over eat. Set your calorie goal a little higher, plan snacks that fit within your calorie goal.
    Go for walks or bike rides, or do some other relaxing and enjoyable exercise. Take it one day at a time. You can add me if you want a MFP buddy. I am an emotional eater, I am busy, not terribly fond of exercise. But, I'm not giving up. Little failures are bound to happen, I have decided when they do I will just move forward. Celebrate your successes and the fact that you are here, trying.
  • ukaryote
    ukaryote Posts: 874 Member
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    I got no motivation. I just log and build habits. It takes me about 2 months to really establish a habit.

    It is to difficult for me to focus on the goal. I focus on the process and try to do one day at a time.

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