How do you do it??
gigi2892014
Posts: 29 Member
I have started my new weight loss / exercise journey about 5 days ago. I want to lose about 20lbs. For the past two days I have been cheating and been eating a lot more than I was supposed... I see a lot of people here who are so successful, disciplined and focused keeping up their regime! How do you guys do this? I find it so hard...and only after 3 days I have disappointed myself!! I would really love to know how you guys stay so strong ??
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Replies
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What did you set your weight loss goal per week at? Maybe it is too aggressive.0
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I don't know if it's willpower exactly. I've been at this a year and I just rarely go over my goal. I carefully track and prepare for each day. To me it's just simple math. I also don't deny myself treats and everything I do is sustainable. I feel very in control, which in turn isn't leading to crazy binges or giving up. In the past I may have had a bad food day and given up. Now I look at the math and realize this one bad day isn't enough to turn it all around, so I can easily jump back into it the next day.0
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I set it to 1 kg per week... And I didn't eat all my calories first 3 days... I wasn't that hungry either... Was that my problem?0
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That's a pretty aggressive goal for so little loss. Maybe change your goal to a half kg. or even set it at maintenance for a week and just get used to logging daily. Then change to a deficit.0
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Thanks a lot for your input Victoria. I guess you have formed a habit and you are used to living a healthy lifestyle ... Something I probably need to learn as yet.0
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Just to know how good I want to feel again. Of course I would love to fit back into clothes I love, but just to feel good again. Sleep good again. I started this a little over a month ago. I had no idea home much I was eating before, so at first I was so hungry. I have learn to make better choices in what I eat now. I have good days and bad days. Do I cheat and eat bad self, sure. But in my mind they next day is a new day. A fresh start. Don't get discouraged.0
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For such a small goal, going slow will help maintain muscle. I would also recommend, if the goal is overall health, a weightlifting program.
You can do it! 0 -
I started eating 4-5 meals a day rather than three. If I at my calories in three meals a day a was awful hungry in between. I now eat 4-5 with each meal being between 300-400 calories not counting eating exercise calories back. It's help keep me from binge eating because I go too hungry.0
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I started at the beginning of the month, and was really surprised after a day of just logging my normal diet how much over maintenance I was.
Initially I had my intake set at 1200, but found that was a little strict for me and hard to stick to... So I went to1400 and am finding this more manageable. You may be trying too much too soon.
Another thing I found that keeps me accountable is prelogging my day. I find it easier to stick with a plan than to keep adding things as I eat them.
Finally, if you actually want to lose weight, then commit to it and stop cheating. When you overendulge, log it anyway, and look at how much you are setting yourself back by cheating.0 -
You are just getting started and you don't have a lot to lose......so relax. Maybe you are putting too much pressure on yourself, it's just been a couple of days. Ease into it, you'll get the hang of it. Good luck!0
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Don't be so hard on yourself! It takes a bit to figure out what works. And part of that is also figuring out what doesn't work.
If you haven't already, get a digital food scale.0 -
I try to stay focused on things other than food through the day. I plan ahead what I'm going to eat and only eat those things at those times.
It's good to ensure you are eating enough calories and getting proper nutrition (hit all your macros), and perhaps work in some treats if that works for you, so it's not so restrictive.
Other than that, don't think - just do.0 -
My thoughts are that you've gone in too strong. Yes we all want to lose weight and get fit but it doesn't happen overnight.
Cutting out or substituting small things each week will slowly change your diet into a healthy and manageable diet.
I hear it so much 'I'm hungry all the time on this diet'.
Eating right and being healthy, are lifestyle choices. It's a journey not a challenge. Most times, if your head isn't clear and your personal issues rule you, it's most likely your weight will be affected.
Personal health and wellness include mental health and inner peace. A lot of people don't realize how closely they are related.
Eg: a good looking car with a rusty motor won't get you where you want to go.0 -
It just take a little practice, you'll get better at it.
One of things I had to get used to in the first few weeks was learning which foods kept me feeling full all day. I'd say the first month or so that's the main thing I focused on - eating under my goal and not being hungry. Rice and oats helped me until I found other foods that were satisfying.
Good luck, hang in there!0 -
gigi2892014 wrote: »I set it to 1 kg per week... And I didn't eat all my calories first 3 days... I wasn't that hungry either... Was that my problem?
so what do you consider cheating? If you dont even eat all your calories.
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BurnWithBarn2015 wrote: »gigi2892014 wrote: »I set it to 1 kg per week... And I didn't eat all my calories first 3 days... I wasn't that hungry either... Was that my problem?
so what do you consider cheating? If you dont even eat all your calories.
OP said they "cheated" the last two days (so I'm guessing OP was under calorie goals for the first three).0 -
Thank you so much for all your great advise. I have changed my goal as some of you suggested and I will try to relax about it more.0
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Make sure you log all your "cheats" too. I find when I walk past a takeaway or ice cream, or sweet shop and feel tempted, the little "don't you know that portion is 800, 900 or whatever calories?" message that flashes up in my brain, gives me a hmm perhaps not, warning. Its put me off many a time. If I didn't bother logging them then they would be forgotten so would be easy to do same again and not realize how many times it was happening. I still have treats but am more aware of them now.0
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Hey playmadcats, that's truly awesome advise. I didn't really feeling like logging all my cheat calories but what you said makes totally sense ! Thanks0
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I set my goal to 1 lb a week. My diet is not restrictive. My exercise is not extreme.
I prelog my food for the whole day to help me stick to my calorie goal, get enough protein and watch my sodium intake. I plan 3 meals and 1-2 snacks per day.
I don't have cheat days. I eat food I like every day and fit it in my calorie goal or decide to have a maintenance day. I log everything and move on.
I drink mostly water and save my calories for food.0 -
gigi2892014 wrote: »I have started my new weight loss / exercise journey about 5 days ago. I want to lose about 20lbs. For the past two days I have been cheating and been eating a lot more than I was supposed... I see a lot of people here who are so successful, disciplined and focused keeping up their regime! How do you guys do this? I find it so hard...and only after 3 days I have disappointed myself!! I would really love to know how you guys stay so strong ??
I hate to say it, but you might not want it enough. If cheating is more appealing than eating an apple instead and dropping those 20lbs, it will be hard. I tried so many times and failed because I hated my body, but didn't care enough.0 -
gigi2892014 wrote: »I have started my new weight loss / exercise journey about 5 days ago. I want to lose about 20lbs. For the past two days I have been cheating and been eating a lot more than I was supposed... I see a lot of people here who are so successful, disciplined and focused keeping up their regime! How do you guys do this? I find it so hard...and only after 3 days I have disappointed myself!! I would really love to know how you guys stay so strong ??
I hate to say it, but you might not want it enough. If cheating is more appealing than eating an apple instead and dropping those 20lbs, it will be hard. I tried so many times and failed because I hated my body, but didn't care enough.
Yup. You really have to want it, and it doesn't sound like you do.0 -
It took me a couple weeks to get it right. I teacked every morsel, but for some reason I just kept going over. I'd say, for about 3-4 weeks I just couldn't get into the groove. Some days were good. Others not so much.
But I didn't lose any weight (obviously) so it gave me a chance to look at how much I'd been eating, the types of food, how much I needed to cut out if I wanted to lose, etc. So, it sort of readjusted my mindset.
I started pre logging meals that kept me fuller, added in snacks or treats, and figured out how much I could eat for the day if I stayed on plan. Now I log every meal the night before. Even if it's just a guess. Sometimes I do change it as I go, but only if it fits into my calories.
So, try giving yourself a few weeks of accurate logging just to see your tendencies and to get in a groove. If you can stick with that I think you'll figure out a way to make staying under your calorie goal doable.0 -
From personal experience, since you have so little weight to lose, focus more on eating balanced meals, and getting fitter. Weight will come of with it. Scale might not change that much, but your body definetely will.
Don't restrict your self from any food, just think about what you eat and make it work in your schedule.
Feel free to add me. I myself started this wanting to lose 20 lbs, but then when I lost 10 I realized I don't need to lose 10 more, I just need to lower my body fat % and get a bit more toned.0 -
I've been in maintenance going on three years this spring after losing 40 Lbs...I maintained a reasonable calorie deficit that I knew I could maintain long term...I understood the reality of weight loss being a long process and I knew that to be successful my diet had to be something I could do over the long haul...it took me about 9 months. I also knew that I had to learn to eat to maintain that loss and that really, losing the weight was only one small part of a much larger process that goes into perpetuity.0
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ReadyWillingEager wrote: »BurnWithBarn2015 wrote: »gigi2892014 wrote: »I set it to 1 kg per week... And I didn't eat all my calories first 3 days... I wasn't that hungry either... Was that my problem?
so what do you consider cheating? If you dont even eat all your calories.
OP said they "cheated" the last two days (so I'm guessing OP was under calorie goals for the first three).
Still when you eat a couple of days 1200 calories, and than a couple 1500 calories that is not going over or cheating.
So the question remains what does the OP consider as cheating.
Her body maybe needs more food to function normally while she is trying to lose weight. But i see she recalculated her goals
Good luck OP
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