Is The First Week The Hardest Week?
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As you can tell by the myriad of answers, everyone is different. I agree with reading the Success Stories forum, I find them VERY inspiring and have used them as crutch on many tough days. That, and staying honest with myself...I log everything that goes into my mouth, regardless of what, how much, and how many times. That honesty keeps me on track, whether I like it at the time or not. I wish you the best of luck
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I will admit that I was a junk food junkie when I started. Soda, candy, and other high calorie foods were part of my lifestyle causing me to be overweight. I felt that the first 3 weeks or so were very hard for me to break these habits. However, one question that helped me stay on track was could I be satisfied with something more nutritious? Often the answer was yes, and in a weird ripple effect one good decision would lead to another good choice and so on. Additionally, you need to teach yourself to recognize hunger over boredom eating. One good way to test this is to drink full glass of water first, and then reassess if you are really hungry or not. If yes, start with a fruit or veggie to see if that will keep you happy if it isn't a meal time. I hope this helps you to stick it out because it is worth the effort.0
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Getting started is always hard, every day will get easier!0
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156 days in and it's second nature. The hardest part for me was around month #2. Plan for diet breaks or a day off from eating in a caloric deficit here and there along the way, and just realize that you will mess up eventually on your journey, just remember to get back on track the next day and keep on trekking. My best tip is to chew mint gum when you want to snack. Good luck!0
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The first week is usually the easiest. It's the following weeks that gets hard. When you don't see results anymore, or you get tired, or you just get bored, feel like giving up. For me, it's mixing it up and not get side tracked. Which happens a lot.0
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My first week too and I am starving I have to say but I am trying to stick to a specific plan. I am drinking tons of water and green tea to try and ease my hunger in between meals.0
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the whole thing is hard day in and day out until it isn;t anymore. lets not sugar coat it.
Let's? I believe we are all sharing our personal experiences...which are all different. Sorry to hear that you find every day of this hard, but not everyone is experiencing what you are so you cant speak for everyone (Lets? LoL)...thats not sugarcoating.
For some of us, some days are easier than others. Personally, like I said, I find that the longer I do this, the easier it gets because its become routine, and also, I have a really positive attitude towards this path Im on, which makes it easier to hold onto the motivation to keep going.
Much like how for some people, they have a hard time getting into the gym, but once it becomes a part of their routine, not only do they love it, their day doesnt feel complete without it. I hate they gym, and its hard for me every time I ever try. Every day Ive ever been in a gym was hard...Doesnt mean I think that people who say they enjoy it are lying and sugarcoating things...they simply have a difference experience.
Lets get real. If you have spent a lifetime living one way with certain habits and now you are wanting to live another way with new habits.
Its going to be hard until its not.
I - last poster - was an amateur body builder in the gym for the last thirty five years...so be careful when you post that which you know nothing about
now for anyone who feels the need to attack please pass over me. thank you.
Didn't see anyone attacking. Just difference of opinions0 -
Op for me first weeks were fine as I knew from day 1 1200 wouldn't work for me as too small so adjusted my calories First few days was more of an eye opener as I swore blindly I didn't eat loads. Once I knew how much I ate I started to make adjustments. Good luck0
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Ps tip is not to make too many drastic changes. This is what makes it harder0
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It's a lifestyle change and all change is hard at times... It's more mind over matter I think... sometimes I am really pumped, looking at cute clothes and sometimes staying within my calories makes me want to run away screaming or over indulge on wings and beer
I am 30 days into this and do find that I don't have that starving hungry feeling anymore. I don't know if it is because I drink half my weight in water every day or because I also eat every 2-3 hours so there really isn't any time to be hungry? I also eat what I want to eat, if I am craving something I eat it, within moderation of course but it satisfies the craving and allows me to stay on track... One day at a time... Stay focused, forgive yourself often and keep pushing forward!!!! Good luck!! 0 -
Eight days and I'm not exactly suffering but I'm also not losing any weight. I started a clinical trial smoking cessation program on March 4 and gained 10 pounds between then and April 4 and I was seriously overweight before the 10 lb gain. I was doing really great at not smoking until I started dieting so now I'm pretty much not getting anywhere with both. But I WILL NOT give up on either!0
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like many, i was stoked in the beginning, so that's what helped me stick to my calorie goals (for the most part). but it wasn't easy. i fought off cravings because i knew i had to. it got easier once i started seeing results and feeling more energetic. i still get cravings, but they aren't as bad as they were the first few weeks. i have days when i am soooo hungry and no amount of food will sate me, but other days, as long as i make good food choices, i feel great. at the end of the day, when i complete my food and exercise diary, it makes me feel just as good about exercising my self-control as it does to burn 500 calories doing physical exercise.
but then sometimes after i complete the diary under my goal, i go and eat a handful of oreos. so yeah. it gets easier, but it's still a daily struggle.0 -
oh as for tips for snacking; it's not a sexy answer, but try healthier snacks.0
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Actually, the hardest week was any one of the weeks that lead you to being overweight and out of shape. Those were the real pain.
You can't know this yet but, once you've made so progress, you'll realise than no exercise or healthy food choice is harder than being afraid of a flight of stairs or not finding clothes that fit.0 -
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For me personally, the first weeks were the easiest. I had all this newly found motivation and I was excited about my new decision to lose weight. Then a slump kinda happened, but after that I got back on track again and now I kinda "settled in" and it just feels natural and it feels like it's becoming a part of my lifestyle instead of just it being a diet, as it felt at first.
Good luck! As people have said, check out some success threads and just collect as much motivation and inspiration as you can!0 -
This works for me ^^^^^crazyjerseygirl wrote: »Read the success threads!
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Is The First Week The Hardest Week?
No.
No ... the first week was one of the easier ones. The determination and some degree of enthusiasm were still there.
This week ... week 8 ... has been a harder one because I've just come off a very active Easter where I could eat more because of the amount of exercising I was getting, right into a stressful university situation where I haven't been getting much sleep ... and I desperately want to eat more, but I'm not exercising enough to allow for that.0 -
I find the chewing gum can help. It's like eating without the calories and you can even get different flavors if your craving sweets. Usually when people snack it's not becasue their hungry but because their bored. Find something hand on to do when you fill like snacking that also might help. Good luck 0
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I found 1st week easier as I was full of motivation it's the weeks after when life gets in the way and your shattered. I force myself on here read success stories and look online at all the cloths I would love to wear in summer and it motivates and gives me a boost0
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like many other posters, the 1st week was the easiest for me. I'm motivated! All these recipes I'm finding online look amazing! I can do this!
Then, you're tired of salads for lunches. You're tired of salmon for supper and oatmeal for breakfast. You don't want to exercise because the thought of showering (for the 2nd time today) exhausts you and you haven't even gotten off the couch. This happened to me around week 5 or 6.0 -
I agree with many others saying the first one was the easiest, I think the hardest part is right after you stop losing fast, like one does when switching to a healthy routine from an unhealthy period, and you have to keep working with less instant reward (but be patient, as reward always does come!)
I am a big fan of having a tiny piece of paper to roll between my fingers, I basically play with it rolling and unrolling and bending until in the end it becomes soft as fabric... like a stress ball but since it changes texture in your hand it can be even more satisfying.MissusSpags wrote: »I find that keeping my hands busy [...] helps me.
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personally I DONT think the first week is the hardest. YOU should be MOST motivated and determined in the beginning. THIS journey is sooo long and hard and full of temptation and laziness that as you go on, it gets harder and harder and harder. YOU HAVE TO SET GOALS. I set mini goal rewards for myself and it keeps me looking toward little things instead of the whole big picture. Read success stories, instagram #weightlossjourney or #transformationtuesday and get inspired. Get friends who are active & NEVER GIVE UP.0
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What helps is knowing that we are all in this together. Just think its someone on here that is struggling just like you they are doing it too. I read the Success board to keep going. Look up some healthy snacks that you may like.0
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In some ways, the first week is both the easiest and the hardest. It's easy because you're gung ho to make a change, but it's hard because you're fighting against old habits. For you, it's the habit of snacking constantly.
For me, I will snack if there are yummy snack foods around, so I have to NOT have those tasty snacks anywhere around me. for you, it might be different.
For me:
1. No snacky foods in the house. (crackers, cookies, chips, ice cream, cookies) I am just not capable of eating them sensibly. I really am not.
2. Prep healthy snacks ahead of time so they're ready to go. I cut up veggie sticks and have hummus ready. I make batches of green smoothies. I have a "healthy" nut and seed mix ready to go, and portion it out into 1/4 cup servings. I seem not to overeat this stuff.
3. Every morning, I try to take a moment to answer the question, "what am I going to do today to help myself reach my goals?" I think about what I have prepared for meals, think about what class I'm going to take at the gym, and also think about other goals I have (saving money, keeping the house clean, making social plans with friends.
All in all, it's the planning ahead that seems to work out the best for me.0
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