Week 1 HELP

It comes down to this: do you want to be at a healthy weight or don't you? You have to make that decision every moment of every day for the rest of your life.
You can still have "temptation" food, but it has to be in a controlled (literally measured) way, within your calorie budget.
It's a drag, but IMO that's what it takes.

If you are not being successful and not being able to keep yourself motivated is because you might not have clear goals and the reasons might not be substantial enough to adhere to. Though there are plenty out there who can say ok this is it, I am going to change fully my diet and exercise 6 days a week and be good and are successful doing so (I admire their commitment); there are plenty of us that need to take baby steps - if you are giving in to temptation perhaps it's because you are depriving yourself - it isn't about NOT eating cookies, it is about knowing that the serving size is only 2 and then logging it. I pretty much eat what I want when I want all within serving size - shucks last night's dinner was 10 wings with french fries and that is ok, because that is what I wanted to eat - will I reach my goals absolute, just perhaps a little slower that she/he who was able to cut out all carbs and what is known as junk food (me I call it less nutritional dense).I.. experience has taught me that when I deprive, I tend to binge much more easier. I should also state, that with time, the cravings succeed and more nutritionally dense options seem to become the choice at least 85% of the time...

As far as keeping motivated, you gotta set clear goals. To do so, you must dig much deeper than the weight loss component. Then there is the setting monthly, weekly, and daily goals... for those of us who need to take baby steps, breaking down our goals as simple as - today I am going to strive to (1) eat within my calories, (2) take no less than 10K steps, (3) exercise for no less than 30 - this week I am going to strive to (1) exercise no less than 5 days, (2) have a total weekly deficit of 3,500 calories... When we set a goal to lose weight and don't break it down, I believe it is easier to lose that motivation faster

In all you have to find what works for you... every successful person, has gone thru the tried and failed process along with the education process. What works for me, doesn't necessarily means it will work for you - but it could provide you with a baseline to explore the method that would keep you wanting more - cuz to want more, it has to be enjoyable not dreadful.

Ok. So, this week was "bad". That's ok, it's done. It's a new week coming up, start over fresh. I've lost 25 lbs in the last 7 months, at least in part, because this time, I didn't go on a "diet". My first goals had nothing to do with losing weight, although I did set a calorie goal to lose 1 lb a week. My first goal was simply to track my intake.
Based on the information I gathered in that 1st week or 2 of logging, I decided to add a serving of fruit or veg to practically everything I ate, because I wasn't eating as much fruit/veg as I thought I was. Wanted pizza? I ate the pizza, but sliced a tomato on top. Wanted cheesecake? I ate the cheesecake, topped with berries. Had a salad? Chopped up some broccoli or a pepper and threw it in there. (I did say I was going to add a serving to everything, remember?) The only thing I've totally "eliminated" from my diet is potato chips, because I can't seem to control my intake with that! I can eat a 1oz serving of chick pea chips, or tortilla chips and salsa or other substitutes without trouble. For me, personally, knowing I have to write it down, even if I'm the only one who sees it, helps me to avoid over indulging most of the time. And if I do overindulge, well, tomorrow is another day. Good luck!

Keto and my keto coffee keep me on track. I don't have any cravings anymore. No cravings = no thinking about food = no temptation (even when I see something that would have made me cave in the past) = success (for me anyway).

Embrace the pain. You're not going to make progress without having some days where it's just painful. You have to choose to work through the pain. Some days...no pain. But when you feel like that, remind yourself that painful days are still to come. Sounds like fun...huh?

Here's the deal though. How much pain do you feel living the way do now? It may be a different kind of pain, but it's still there. There's a Jungian saying, "Unnecessary pain is the result of avoiding necessary pain". That's my goto mantra when it gets tough. Living unhealthy and fat is unnecessary pain. I don't have to live like this. Eating healthy and exercising is necessary pain. It's necessary because it helps me live without that other pain.

Another thing I try to do is to tell myself, "this discomfort I'm feeling is proof that I'm doing something right". It's not much, but feeling good about doing the right thing is sometime enough to overcome the discomfort of doing the right thing.

If nothing else, remember Nike's advice. JUST DO IT!

DISCLAIMER: I'm a person who has given into pain more times than you can imagine. So the words I've written here are reminders to me as much as they are for anyone else.

I'm lucky because I mostly eat at home and therefore can avoid most temptation. I don't buy junk food. I log ahead so I know what to expect and adjust beforehand if necessary. I eat foods I like and am used to, just in smaller quantities if necessary. I do some sugar-free low cal foods so I can work in snacks and desserts. I don't want to feel deprived....and don't. When I do go out and over eat, I make up before/after with healthy low cal foods like soup/salad/fruit/veggies for a day. It does take discipline and discipline is developed. I guess I'm anal and like to stay within my numbers, so for me that is motivation. As the weight starts coming off and the numbers go down that is my motivation. Then I start feeling better and get more energy and that is my motivation. If I want to eat/drink something special I make myself exercise for it and that is motivation to get active.