Struggling with Motivation

I definitely agree with everything in moderation.

Caffeine- shouldn't be a bad thing (in fact, it can increase your metabolism) as long as you aren't having a grande caramel frap or something like that. Coffee + skimmilk = no problem.

Also, I haven't cut anything out of my diet. I am much more aware of how many calories something has, and working out to off-set candy or whatever else I feel like eating. Think 1 piece of pizza, a salad and fruit for dessert... instead of 3 pieces of pizza and ice ceam. Or 2 pieces of white bread with just mustard, meat, lettuce and tomato. Some people do the "mayo or cheese" rule on sandwiches, although I hate mayo, so it makes the choice easier for me.

Most of all, don't give up if you have one day (or week) of going over your calories. Take a breath, and get back on track. Good Luck!

One of the interesting things I've discovered on my own journey is that if I don't eat often enough, my metabolism crashes, and that affects my brain chemistry. It makes me tired & depressed & much more prone to think "what the hell, I'm hungry..."

It sounds like we're doing some of the same things. I haven't eaten anything containing flour, wheat, rice, or sugar for the past four months, and I've lost 30 lbs. If you love chocolate, try using a chocolate-flavored protein powder. You can mix with water & have a chocolate shake, or add an egg & some baking powder and nuke it to make something that resembles a brownie. Just gotta find creative ways to stick to the diet & still get the flavors you like. Some people can handle the 'all things in moderation' philosophy, but for me personally, carbs & sugar are like an addiction so I've had to go cold turkey & not look back.

But the MOST important thing to me has been replacing those carbs with plenty of protein, and never letting my metabolism crash, keeping it on a slow & steady burn. My doctor tested my metabolism and recommended that I eat at least every 3 hours while I'm awake. So you might try just having little snacks all day long instead of big meals, and making sure each snack contains some protein (nuts, meat, fish, protein drink, a hard-boiled egg etc). I've actually set an alarm on my phone to remind myself to eat every 3 hrs, 'cause I'm honestly not hungry that often. But if I wait 'til I *am* hungry, my brain gets fuzzy & my motivation fails & I end up eating stuff I'm not supposed to.

Everyone's different, we can all just share what worked for us, which won't necessarily be what works for you. But I hope this helps. Best of luck to you!