why do I keep starting all over again?

I made it a point to just stick with my calorie goals and aim to focus on the protein goal, at least just that. The protein keeps me satisfied. I used to quit logging if I ate unhealthy foods, but now you will see ice cream, chips and fast food in my journal. I set my calories at 1800, but I do workout 5 days/week, I normally eat 1400-1600, weekends get up to 1800. My key was not setting crazy low calories and expecting not to eat some of the junk I love. My taste buds are slowly changing and now I prefer my crazy delicious homemade food to restaurant food.

I'm following on this one because I'm on the same boat as you are.. I do soooo good and then, I just give up.

ACtuallly for me madhatter's advice does not work. I have things in my wardrobe that i like and want to wear that i will probably never be able to wear becuase they are too small.

No. Listen Marla, i know what you are doing wrong. Or at least one of the things you are doing wrong is screamingly obvious to me. I did like you and actually lost weight many times but always put it back on again when i stopped. I"m talking about exercise. You do not need to exercise to lose weight.

If only people would believe when i tell them this.

Weightloss without exericse is so much simpler. It is a lot easier to stay motivated when you don't have to push yourself to do things you don't feel like doing.

It takes more than 30 days to change a habit. At 30 days you are just getting started. With regard to exercise, i have gone for periods of around 3 months usually and then just stopped for various reasons - injury, new job, problem whatever. So much for the new "habit".

Anyway back to my rant. Forgive me, i do get a little frustrated at how suckered in everyone is to this idea that exercise is necessary for weightloss. Exericse helps you to keep it off. Its not necessary to lose it. And in fact i would say that if you don't learn how to lose weight without exercise, you risk failure down the track so I believe that for most people who need ot lose a fair bit of weight, it is better to not bother with exercise until you are close to goal or when you feel like trying something.

You see if you if you take this approach, and when you start something you can't keep it up, you won't lose heart and head back to all your old habits becuase you know from experience that all is not lost. You know how to lose weight and manage it without exercise so when you stop, you are fine.

But where you are at now, as is the case with so many, the comes when you don't exericse for this or that reasons, usually becuase you are tired or just don't feel excited by it, you think you are about to fall off the wagon, and then you do becuase you are afraid you are falling off the wagon and you think this because you think you can't lose weight without exercise.

So i'm here to tell you that losing weight and keeping it off are actually fairly easy. I have done it. I have pushed the boundaries of this experience. I have explored the edges and know this first hand. Its not merely an idea, or a second hand notion. That said, scientists also do support what i'm saying.

So my one liner for al this is exercise for health, not for weightloss. For weightloss, just fix your diet. There's more to successful dieting than even this and i've written a blog post about it which i've also posted in the getting started forum. Its called The Fundamentals of successful long term weightloss. These fundamentals apply to us all so please read the post and don't be too quick to dismiss what i have found out first hand and which is supported by scientists and other professionals in the area of weightloss. I am not a kid. I have years of life experience behind me at 51 and I am slim and healthy now. Much happier and also better looking than i was when fat.

If you give up your favorite things to eat, then you will eventually go back to them. What you need to learn is how to MODERATE your favorite foods. When I started, I cut out soda for lunch and eating out, which cut 200-300 calories out of my day! But that doesn't mean I don't drink soda. I still have my Barqs on game nights, and if I'm really short on my calories at the end of the day, I'll have a can of something. I just bought a bag of candy corn and took the time to portion it out by weight for what it says a serving is. I used a lot of baggies, but this way when I want candy corn, I grab a portion that I can fit into my daily calories and that satisfies that craving instead of just eating out of the bag, which will put me WAY over! XD Don't look at this as a diet. Look at it as you're going to change your eating habits for the future. Yes, it's slower. And you will have off days. That's normal. But by doing so, when you hit your target goal, you're better equipped to STAY there and not gain back.

Also, Patttience is correct: exercise IS NOT NECESSARY for weight loss. It's good for other things, but you can lose weight without exercise. I did. I've started walking now to try and get my asthma under control, but my daily calories are figured without that. So if you don't like or can't exercise right now, don't. Control your calories in by moderating your eating habits and you'll still lose weight.

Thing is, ANY diet plan of any kind, when you boil it down to the basics, is based on the fact that weight loss happens when you burn more calories than you consume. That's it. How you do it is up to you. Some people just control calories in, some step up activity to burn more, and some do a combination of those two. You have to find a way that works FOR YOU.

mariadcarmenr21 wrote: »

I wish I could just stop quitting! I think it's time for a big change!

Big changes are usually what make this unsustainable. Moderate your foods; don't cut them out. Weigh out your portions so you know what your actual intake is. Keep in a deficit and enjoy what you like. When you're ready, add in exercise in a form you enjoy: walk, run, join a sports league, swim, go outside and play with the dog, etc.)
Small changes are what's needed.

ETA: and form reasonable expectations of weightloss. It's not linear and it takes time.

I didn't read the comments so I'm sorry if this is a repeat. One thing I have learned is to stop feeling like a failure if you have a soda or something you think is "unhealthy". Get rid of this all-or-nothing mentality. So you have a soda...or a piece of chocolate...just log it and move on. No one eats "healthy" all the time. Just do the best you can every meal, every day, every week and eventually it gets easier to stay on track.
As far as the gym goes, you must find something you truly enjoy. That is the only way I am consistent with the gym! Good luck!

Boot camps, crossfit, classes...places where you get to know people are the best. You motivate eachother and look forward to seeing them!

I consider eating "out" of my nutrition plan as having a flat tire.
I repaired it and move on
I do not get out of the car, slash the other 3 tires and abandon the car
Life happens. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and go back to your nutrition plan
This is a lifestyle change, not a "diet"
Good luck with your healthy journey

If you keep starting over, you are not really quitting. You just rested for awhile. If you have a bad day or two, just pick it up & keep going. You got this.

I have started doing a kind of "weekly goals" list (to help me towards my "short term" and "long term" goals) and it seems to help, kind of taking it one day at a time but still keeping myself accountable for that week (only!). So if I go over one day, by the end of the week, I try to make sure I even out.

Also, keep in mind that as much as it sucks to feel like you have to start over again and again (trust me, I've been there a lot!) you are at least starting again. It's not a failure.

madhatter2013 wrote: »

Will power and discipline. Go out and buy yourself a dress that is a size too small. Maybe that will help you work harder to fit into it. When you do fit into it, get one size smaller, etc, until you're happy with the way you look.

I did this... I have a dress that i bought in may that is a few sizes too small and every so often i try it on... when i started i couldn't even get it over my chest... now it can get it on and almost zip it... about 20 more pounds and i should be in it! I have an event in February that i plan on wearing it at..

In the grand scheme of things we all start over everyday. Everyday is a new day and a new chance to do better than we did the day before. If you stumble on the eating & exercise goal for a particular day, brush yourself off and start afresh w/the new day. Hang in there.

I go through the same thing, So I'm back on track just started yesterday and I would love to have u add me as ur friend on here we can motivate each other and anyone else on this thread can add me wishing u all the best on ur journey

I would also like to add (for anyone feeling what the OP stated) that it may be beneficial to look within yourself and ask why you are starting and stopping...once you acknowledge why, then you can move forward from there...If you feel bored or tired from working out..then you can switch up the routine..if you are just unable to commit to exercising right now then you may want to focus on your eating and come back to exercise eventually..if you feel deprived food wise, then have at it with what you want! Just keep it within your caloric range on Most days..If you need more external motivation..maybe partnering up with a coworker, acquaintance or heck someone off here, may be the push that you need to stay the course....Some people find that it isn't the desire for constant food causing them to quit, it is there own internal struggle for whatever reason eg. work stress, family concerns etc that pushes them to seek "comfort" with food..once they find resolve those concerns then they can focus! Hopefully you find a system that works for you!!