Help please :( ...struggling

I'm going through the same thing

Check out the iron cowboy and his progress on his 505050...coming into the home stretch. Was super motivating for me.

http://www.ironcowboy.co/#home

First and most important, don't give up. You found your balance once and will you find it again. Here is a couple things I do and I have a sweet tooth. I don't keep any sweets in the house and yes I have kids, three of them. So if we want a treat we walk the 30 minutes to go get a ice cream and than walk back home again. If I really want a bag of chips I again walk the 30 minutes to the store, buy a small bag of chips, walk home and enjoy my chips. I keep other tasty healthy treats at home and not so healthy treats we have to go for a walk to get it. This journey is hard but it's so wroth it. Keep pushing forward you will get there.

SuseAndo26 wrote: »

On a side note- how do I send friend requests?

Click on the person's name to go to their profile then click the little blue guy with a plus sign (at least that's how it's done on my cellphone).

SuseAndo26 wrote: »

Thankyou all so much.

As I type right now I am walking on my treadmill!!!

I have WAY blown my calories for the day (I logged everything I have eaten today which I am very embarrassed about...and this doesn't even include the last 4 days)

The treadmill will do little to compensate for the last few days however you have all helped me so much!! To know I'm not alone and we're all in the same boat is massive.

I have to start again somewhere, so might as well be right here, right now!!

I'm not one of those people who discusses weight/weightloss with other I know ..I always feel embarrassed and weak that I cant control myself, but this forum is perfect for the support I need!

Thankyou again so much.

On a side note- how do I send friend requests?

This kind of thinking got me into a lot of trouble. I've learned now that when I overeat the best thing to do the next day or next meal is to go right back to my regular eating and exercising routine. I do my best to NOT try to eat way less the next day because then I'd just end up hungrier and likely overeat again. I've struggled like you have, so I know how you feel. Glad you're finding support here!

Oh and two things that were already said but are worth mentioning again: It's inevitable that you're going to have days when you don't make the best choices, but as long as you're really working at it and making good choices most of the time, you'll be moving in the right direction. And log even when you don't make the best choices.. I think it takes a special kind of honesty to do that, and if nothing else it can act as a reminder of your commitment and dedication to get healthier.

I've been there. Pretty sure most of us have had days like that.

Perhaps try planning in snacks or a desert into your day ahead of time? That helped me when I started. I often logged in the next day's snacks the night before because I knew I'd want them. Then I just ate other meals with those items already factored in.
I still do that from time to time, especially when I'm going through a candy craving phase or it's a holiday and there are baked goods in the house.

If you don't have one, get a food scale. It makes it easier to figure out portion amounts that satisfy a craving but let you stay within your calorie goal. I'm doing that with potato chips at the moment. Instead of eating out of the bag I'm weighing out 10-20 gram portions (54-108 calories).

In addition to figuring out reasonable portions, I like mini-versions of baked goods. Like mini cupcakes and doughnuts from the grocery store. Eating one of those feels like an indulgence, but the calories are a lot less then the full sized versions.
That reminds me, I recently rediscovered mini M&Ms. Love those. I log 30 calories worth of them at a time, which is roughly 20 mini pieces. That gives me 20 opportunities to have a little taste of chocolate if I want to. It usually takes me several days to eat them all since I'm not snacking on them, just satisfying a craving in the moment.

I usually wait until the end of the day to have a treat, so that it's something I'm looking forward to for most of the day, rather then something I had early and then am denying myself until the next day.

That sort of daily indulgence-in-moderation may work for you, may not. Some prefer weekly or monthly treat days, or limit treats to holiday. Others find they do best when going without junk food altogether. You'll find your balance.

How much are you eating? What are you eating? Are you able to open your diary so we can have a look? What ratio of macros have you set? Without this information, it's hard to give some specific advice, but I can say this generally based on my own experience:

1. If it's really hard or if you're having binges or constantly thinking about food and having to exercise willpower all the time, it could be because you've set your calories too low.

With your height/weight/gender stats (and assuming doing at least 30 minutes of exercise 3 times a week) you should AT LEAST be eating around 1600 calories a week. This might seem too high to you, but a calorie allowance in that range will allow you to stay in a deficit whilst still being comfortable being in that deficit. That reduces the risk of you succumbing to temptation and bingeing because you're not constantly hungry and thinking about food all the time.

Keep your body well-feulled and at a reasonable calorie deficit of no more than 500 calories a day and eat enough protein to keep you full and you reduce the risk of bingeing and cravings in the longer term.

2. If applicable, try to change your psychological mindset. What's the time frame for your weight loss goals? Are you expecting to lose 25lb in 6 weeks? That's an unreasonable expectation and you're setting yourself up to fail.

However, if you set an expectation that you'll lose the weight in 7 or so months, and really appreciate that's how long it will take, it may be easier for you to stick to your goals. Understand that this will be a long journey and it may be easier for you to stick to that road as you're travelling it.

3. Consistency is so important! If you regularly maintain a calorie deficit over time, you WILL lose weight.

I find routine helps a lot with staying motivated through the journey. Get up at the same time every day. Prepare your meals in advance every week and take your lunches to work with you. Exercise at the same time every day. Stay in the same daily routine for 3 weeks and you'll probably find you've formed a habit and it's much easier to follow through with your diet and exercise routine.

Those are the main things that come to mind that help me. All the best of luck to you and best of luck with your journey!

You should be able to lose about a pound a week with 1500 calories per day. That number should easily go up to 1700-1800 if you exercise about an hour per day. That's a few more calories to play with, especially since you won't necessarily want certain things everyday. Just a buffer you can dip into whenever you want to, and still be successful. I do agree that an all or nothing approach is not necessary and may not always be that useful

Some really good advice on here, would defo say don't deny yourself the food you like. I did for a year and yeah I lost weight but put it all on in binge sessions, they say you won't miss it but I did. Now if I want something unhealthy I eat it, but I make sure I earn it. Maybe that's wrong but it's worked for me so far. Lost about 3 stone so far. Feel free to friend me if your looking for support, I know I could always do with some more :-)