Can't stay on plan... what's wrong?

You might try the Fifty, Female, and Fun group--very supportive, good advice.

Kathryn41057 wrote: »

5"9
203 lbs
Lightly Active (I'm on my feet a lot when I'm working)
1680 Calories
I guess I'm not crazy about weighing and measuring everything. I think I get overwhelmed with the thought that this weight is not going to come off overnight. It's going to take some time. I want to be healthier, and lose some weight in the process.
I also know that I have to be the one to make the changes and commitments, but I don't know what throws me off this path

Hi, Kathryn. IMO, just getting started is the hardest part, since once you start seeing the progress it is motivating.

One thing I did was set reasonable goals and think about where I'd be in, say, 6 months. You probably know how soon 6 months from now seems to get here, so it was helpful for me to think (for example) "by Halloween I could be X lbs or in dress that I've wanted to fit back into forever. As it's possible it won't go as fast as you want you have to be someone that won't get totally derailed by that, but I found it helped me see longterm goals as really achievable and concrete and to realize that what I do now matters.

Another thing I did was to take charge by focusing on process goals--things that I was 100% in control of, whatever the stupid scale did, and things that would be worth it in themselves independent of the scale. When I started I was scared that the weight wouldn't come off (superstition), so I decided that no matter what I was going to be healthy and fit, even if I was a healthy, fit, fat person, and decided that I was going to eat in a way that made sense to me and was healthy (and tasty) and was going to get myself in good shape through exercise. Of course the weight did come off, but this gave me lots of things to think about besides the scale and to focus on when the scale didn't cooperate a particular week.

Finally, I tried to think of it as a process, not something that was either on or off. The point was to learn and get better at this, so a setback or mistake was a learning experience, not a sign that I was a failure or it wasn't working. Basically, I tried to be kind to myself. Related to that, I tried to have manageable goals each week. For example, when I started I was really out of shape, so I just set a goal to walk a certain amount. After a couple of weeks I set a goal to ride the stationary bike 30 min/3 x a day and go swimming once. Stuff like that. I didn't do things that would be unpleasant and deter me from continuing, and I focused on finding things that would be fun, with the understanding that I probably would find everything more fun as I worked my way into better shape.

For food, it was similar--I had a goal to cook 5 dinners and 3 lunches, say, and a set breakfast. I decided to add veggies to meals, or increase protein. I basically figured out how I was eating and simple steps to make it healthier and lower calorie, and then I started implementing them.

For me, the process itself became really fun, especially when I started losing.

I also kept a journal to keep track of what I was finding worked and what I was struggling with.

Willpower is a like a muscle, you have to exercise it for it to get stronger. Every time you give up you're missing an opportunity to exercise your ability to bounce back. Keep at it, one day off the wagon is better than two. Every day is a new day. Get realistic. No sense crying over spilled milk. Yes, it will take a while for it to come off. Nobody can make you stick to it. Take it a day at a time, one meal at a time, you need to ask yourself, does this contribute to my goals?

Just do it. If it's frustrating, do it anyway. If it's slow, do it anyway. If it's tedious, do it anyway. If it's discouraging, do it anyway. Calorie counting is the simplest and least restrictive weight loss "diet" there is. When you give up, it's not a matter of your ability to keep going. It's a choice that you're making. Don't make that choice anymore.

before i joined my gym, when i would walk every day.... i would sometimes have to FORCE myself to go do it. Force the socks and shoes on, force myself out the door. even when i was sick, or in the rain and snow and cold and yuck... if it was over 25f degrees (my personal cut off point)... then i went. even when i didnt want to. because *I* am in charge. not my emotions, my BRAIN is the BOSS. and my brain said ' get moving fatso'. so i did.