How to stay on track

DarkOctoberNight
DarkOctoberNight Posts: 111 Member
edited September 29 in Motivation and Support
I'm finding that the hardest part of losing weight this time...is staying on track and not cheating. Also, ill be honest...this is the first time I decided to incorporate consistent exercise in to my day. How do you stay on track? You know...wake up in the morning and go on that walk, pass on the chocolate covered donuts? I am struggling. It doesn't help that I'm dating an over weight enabler. He has a body by Xbox...lets just put it that way. He encourages me to eat junk food and pack on the pounds. I NEED HELP!! AH!

Replies

  • innerfashionista
    innerfashionista Posts: 451 Member
    Will power.

    I want to be healthier more than I want a doughnut. I want to be healthier more than I disliked running. My body craves healthy food and exercise. Detoxing the first two weeks is hard but it's manageable. And who says you CAN'T have a treat every once in awhile? If this is truly a change for you and not a diet it's about finding the happy medium between denying and treating yourself.

    As harsh as this may sound, if you don't truly want it for the right reasons it's hard to pass temptation. I just know the momentary happiness from the doughnut isn't worth everything I've accomplished in the 6 months I've been working on my changes.
  • JJHudgens
    JJHudgens Posts: 96 Member
    Are you and the enabler serious? If so, he needs to get serious and respect your health options. If not, maybe find someone new to date. (I say that gently of course, smiles.) This journey is hard without the support....
    What keeps me going and on track is seeing the results! I hope you've had some so you can enjoy the benefits as well! ;)
    Just keep making good choices, regardless of his. Grab one one of those food documentaries...that should kick you right back into wanting to stay on track! It's scary what bad choices can do to your body!
    Being on MFP is a great start, and there is a ton of support on here. So when you're weak, log on! ;) Good luck!
  • connienewtonsteele
    connienewtonsteele Posts: 4
    I actually started working out for the first time in about 30 years! I made a commitment to do it 5 days a week. With the help of this website I can finally understand that I have not been feeding my body with the right stuff.

    I want to encourage you to keep up with it, and maybe your Xbox boyfriend will perhaps start changing his habits. Easier said then done, but I started feeling lazy and guilty when my husband last 40lb and didn't need too and I gain. What is your reason to lose the weight and work out? I feel like with the destruction and natural disasters going on in our country and world, we need to get strong, healthy and wise. I will be 55 next month and realize that the most important thing I have is my health. God Bless!
  • lejess
    lejess Posts: 63
    It doesn't help that I'm dating an over weight enabler. He has a body by Xbox...lets just put it that way. He encourages me to eat junk food and pack on the pounds. I NEED HELP!! AH!
    My bf was like that too. He isnt overweight, but he never wants to do anything but sit in front of the tv and eat. He can eat whatever he wants, poop, and be the same weight! :laugh:
    However, after a few weeks of me changing what I ate, and working out, he suddenly noticed. Then I noticed that he stopped asking me to go to fast food restaurants for dinner. He started taking bigger helpings of veggies when I cooked, and the other day he told me he was proud of my efforts.
    So my best advice to you is to just push through it. Its hard, but it wont always be THIS hard. Your bf has to get there on his own, but maybe by you changing you (and not trying to change him) will get him motivated as well.
    Walking past those chocolate covered donuts is hard, but it gets less hard once you start to see the pounds come off and know how tough it was to get them to. Seriously.
    You can do this. But also, dont take on too much. If walking 5 days a week is too much, scale it back to 3, and gradually add a 4th day when you feel you need more challenge. If you try to change absolutely everything over night, you'll be overwhelmed.
    One step at a time, one day at a time, hell, walking past one donut at a time.
  • GypsyWildflower
    GypsyWildflower Posts: 41
    Like you, my boyfriend is also an enabler. He's thin, tall, and while his eating habits affect his nutrition and health, it doesn't affect his weight so he sees no reason to change. It makes it so hard on me. Honestly, I was fit before I met him, after a very very long journey to get there. Living with a lazy butt, junkfood/soulfood eater makes taking control on yourself very difficult. I understand how hard the bad stuff is to pass up, and finding the will let alone motivation to get up and exercise. One set back sets me back as if I had ten. It is a constant struggle, and I am always falling off the wagon. I do find some support here with a few friends. And allowing them to view my updates makes me more likely to do the right thing. I don't want others to see that I'm failing, I'm already embarrassed enough to see myself that I fail. So, what I'm saying is, stay here. Keep working on this site, and maybe like me, you will slowly find reasons to keep up with this whole change.
  • sophjakesmom
    sophjakesmom Posts: 904 Member
    Take it one choice at a time. When faced with a choice, choose the healthier one. If you don't, don't let that choice lead to more bad choices. ( I call that the "one cookie/ not the whole bag" rule. :laugh:

    Good luck!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    The problem with most people that try to lose weight, is they completely eliminate things they enjoy eating from their diet. That causes them to crave, and cheat, and struggle. Life is too short not to eat a delicious chocolate donut once in a while. It's all a matter of balance and moderation. Eat enough low calorie healthy foods everyday, get a decent amount of exercise, and you may find out that you might actually have the room in your diet for that donut, or that slice of cheesecake, or a couple scoops of ice cream, or those french fries you were craving, or potato chips, etc, etc. It's all a matter of balance. Losing weight and staying healthy should be something sustainable, and personally, if I cut out all of the "bad" foods completely, I'd never stick to it. I have a culinary background, and sometimes I want to make something decadent and unhealthy (but delicious!) I don't treat it as taboo and evil, I figure out a way to balance it into my life. As long as you pay attention, and really study what you're eating and doing, you will succeed!
  • DarkOctoberNight
    DarkOctoberNight Posts: 111 Member
    Thank you so much for the well wishes! Me and tubby have been together almost 2 years. We have a lot of problems aside from over eating and we are trying to work it out. He just doesnt understand why I want to lose weight and that it's becoming a health issue. Diabetes and high blood pressure runs in my family. He doesn't see this as an issue. I really need to get through to him and see what happens. If we are meant to be then he'll understand. Thanks again!
  • DarkOctoberNight
    DarkOctoberNight Posts: 111 Member
    I've talked to him about healthy eating. He starts out ok for 2 days and always falls off track. He complains about how fat he is and then does nothing to change it. He obviously doesn't care that much. Me on the other hand...I really love hiking and am finding with 30+ extra pounds...its a challenge. I can't do all the things I love doing with out a struggle. He wont join me hiking either. Hed rather sit in the house stuffing his face and killing Zombies...I cant seem to get him to do much of anything these days.
  • DarkOctoberNight
    DarkOctoberNight Posts: 111 Member
    Thank you. It's nice to have support.
  • grantcn
    grantcn Posts: 2 Member
    I completely understand. My family suffers from the same health issues blood pressure and diabetes. I have high blood pressure right now and I am working to get rid of it.

    I just want to encourage you that YOU CAN Do It!

    You are worth it...keep focusing on the future where you want to be.

    Much Love!~

    Crystal
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    One thing I like to do, is plan out everything I'm gonna eat for the day. If I have my full menu planned, I put everything into MFP first thing in the morning. That allows me to see exactly what I can expect for the day. It helps to cut off problems before they happen, like filling in lunch and realizing I only have 100 calories left for dinner. :laugh: Also, when you go ahead and look at everything (honestly, don't leave things out) you can really get a good handle on what you are eating. Of course I don't always plan out every meal for every day before hand, so those days have to be more careful. The best part of planning, though, is it allows me to fit in any "bad" foods by planning for it, and it also allows me to point out to my wife the things we eat, and how to adjust things to help her stay on track also.
  • etarre
    etarre Posts: 147 Member
    Do you have friends who might want to join you in working on a healthier lifestyle? Your BF is not your only option in terms of support or hiking buddies. Of course, you'll find lots of support here on MFP, too. Good luck!
  • HappyHealthyHolly
    HappyHealthyHolly Posts: 84 Member
    It can get difficult but I try hard to keep my reasons for losing weight in mind. When I think about why I'm getting healthy, just food doesn't sound as good. And, after I go without it long enough, I end up not wanting it & not liking it when I have it. I have a hard time with my family because the guys (Dad & bro) can seem to eat anything & it doesn't matter & my Mom doesn't always seem to care. She doesn't like being heavy, but she doesn't have strong enough motivation to fix it. Needless to say I always dread our outings together. It's extremely difficult to order a salad when they're eating pizza, but I just tell myself (100 times if I have to) that I'll feel so much better than they will later! ;)
  • DarkOctoberNight
    DarkOctoberNight Posts: 111 Member
    I do have a few friends whome I already talk about food with and hike with. Only issue is my friend I hike with has very little time because she is getting married so I see her once a week. Also we geo-cach and letterbox while hiking so it's never consistent hiking. Id love to find new people to hike with though, but due to me being unemployed I dont meet a lot of new people.
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