disheartened--how do you stay on track?

For me the biggest thing was to start weighing everything and using the MFP tools to make better choices. The biggest obstacle was really my mind set. I really resisted the idea of calorie counting for a long time. But tend to do things if they are logical and this is logical. Inescapable logic really. I don't like it. I don't want to do it. But I am seeing results already. As it turns out it is not as bad as I expected it to be. I am actually starting to enjoy meal preparation more because I have to be more mindful about it. Although I do hate that there are even more dishes to wash every day...


I guess for me it came down to deciding that I really wanted to do something about my weight problem more tha I wanted the freedom to just eat whatever and whenever wanted to.

The other thing that really really helps is t be able to use this forum. Talking to other people who have the same struggles and seeing how people overcome them as well as sharing the things I have found helpful. Having that support makes a difference. I don't talk to my friends about this subject so having the community and some "friends" here is a big deal for me.

I think once you get in "the mode" of weighing food and logging, you should make it a habit (or mostly a habit..even now I don't log every single day but then again I don't come on here upset or frustrated when I don't lose or pick up a half pound...lol..I know what happened! I ate more than I thought I did! LOL)

The last time I lost weight and gained it back was because i stopped being mindful of logging and I definitely stopped weighing myself. I promised myself to weigh in at least 1x a week when I get to maintenance. It's much easier to nip a .5 or 1 lb gain in the bud than it is to have to lose 50 lbs.

Julia, I definitely do not have all the answers. This is the first time I've tried MFP, but I've been to Weight Watchers at least 5 times and have tried many other things like working with a personal health consultant. Whenever I've been the most successful, I've had a clear vision of what I wanted and I repeat to myself how I CAN achieve that goal. I have some visualization tools that I use when I'm feeling weak.

For me, I visualize my hiking poles or hiking boots. I LOVE backpacking and hiking. I visualize myself doing really hard hikes and looking like I belong on the trail. For every ounce I lose, it's like I invested in the newest high-tech gear that is lighter than my current version. I watch adventure movies while I exercise, think Wild, and imagine myself on the trail, hiking alongside the stars. If I feel like I might slip, I go look at new gear, compare it to what I have, then I think about how I can save that much weight just by staying on track.

You need to find that "thing" that motivates you. For most people "being healthy" isn't enough. When you find that "thing", you need to think about it, visualize it, and create a connection to it.

I can't tell you what a HUGE difference this makes for me. Instead of feeling deprived because I can't sit down and eat an entire bag of chips, I feel like I'm choosing something I love even more. I'm aligning my day-to-day choices with what I love to do most.

I have to have a goal I'm working towards or I fall off the wagon.

It could be a fitness goal (running a 5k or 10k), a weight loss goal (using a program like DietBet where I give them money and am forced to weigh in on a monthly basis), or a social goal (like attending a fundraiser or work party in a fancy new dress).

I know I have stronger willpower when I'm less stressed, sleep more, no alcohol, and all that good stuff, but having a goal in mind that I tell myself I HAVE to stay on track for really helps. I think that's also a large part of why weight watchers works for a lot of people (with the weekly weigh ins and accountability).

I found a reason to do this that was stronger than my excuses. My daughter will turn 2 in June and I don't want her to struggle with her weight. I don't want her to hide to eat chocolate, I don't want her to eat "no hold barred" like I used to. So when I feel too lazy to work out or when I see a piece of chocolate, I think of her and the influence I have on her. It's still a daily struggle but 8 months in, I've lost 30 lbs!!
Feel free to add me

For me to keep me motivated and keep my mind on loosing weight, I weigh in almost daily. I know most say not to do that because they say this can cause you to get fustrated but for me it's the opposite. I realize that the weight will fluctuate daily due to hormones, fluid intake and retention, etc and that doesn't bother me. For me it works though and worked in the past when I would stay with it. It keeps what I am doing to the forfront of my mind and keeps me more motivated. I don't always log it in on here daily but I keep that on my mind. I also am setting very small goals for myself to meet so that I don't get fustrated with only seeing the big picture that is going to be a ways away.

I made a commitment to 'no excuses' so every day I simply remind myself of that. Whenever I think of skipping exercise - no excuses. Whenever I think of going over on my calories - no excuses. There are simply no excuses, and every day it gets easier.

Accountability, having someone I have to check in with, helps. When I don't see regular progress I go in to a funk. To combat this I regularly review my progress, look for signs of boredom, and change up what I'm doing. I set lots of mini-goals, like the 5K run I'm scheduled for this Saturday. I can't quit because I have a run to prepare for!

Something Ive noticed through the years, when Im on MFP I lose weight, when I stop, I gain weight.

Its not necessarily MFP in and of itself..but the tools making me be aware of my goals, and making it a priority..when Im not on MFP, I completely forget about it, and with that, I lapse back into old habits that make me gain weight to begin with. That is a glaring issue for me.

I may or may not be on MFP for the rest of my life (lol) but...I do know that I cant just *forget* that I have a body that Im trying to both take care of and maintain the weight of. I cant ever just decide Ill never step on a scale, only to do it when Im afraid of what the number is. Ill always need to keep myself in check to see where Im at.

Same for food..I may not log my food forever, but I have to be *mindful* of what Im eating, of how much Im eating, to paying attention to my body and not continuing to eat even after Im full because it tastes sooo good, or theres only two bites left I may as well..etc.

So yeah...I guess for me its, not forgetting that I have a body that needs to be tended to...which is so easy to do when other things come up in life, but at some point, it goes from being just a part of me, to yet another problem I need to deal with. And once Ive dealt with the problem of my weight gain, and back to a healthy weight..I would like to be able to just maintain that instead of doing this journey over and over and over again. That is motivation to me.