Feel stuck

You could try packing your lunch and pre making dinner. Going out to eat every day twice a day Is easier however all the calories carbs fat added sugars etc add up. I would log healthy meals make them the night before and take lunch, then come home and warm up your dinner. As an added bonus add some nice candles and sit at the dinner table so it’s as if your still out to eat and having a romantic dinner

Are there lower-calorie options that you like where you go out to eat?

I tend to graze, keeping about 1/4 to 1/3 of my calories for snacks. For me, protein (string cheese and veggie dogs) help fill me up. As do dry cereal (helps me hit my iron) and popcorn (I've got a salt tooth). Occasional protein chips, too.

I find more fluids help keep me fuller too. Water, Crystal Lite, diet pop

Otherwise, is making your own lunch/dinner an option? Maybe eat food you fixed yourself a bit more often. Instead of going out 10-14 meals a week, try making it 8-12?

End of the day, breaking habits is hard. "Simple" solutions aren't always easy and I get that. It took developing an obesity-related complication to get me to buckle down and make changes, but it was always in the context of "What am I willing to change that I can keep up with?" So, for example, after synagogue services on Saturdays, there's always a standing buffet. I knew that I wasn't going to leave early (and if I did, I'd just eat more at home). I also knew I wasn't going to just stick to the cut fruit and veggies. So I figured out what I actually needed (psychologically, anyway) to eat where I could feel I got a bit of an indulgence and then stop at that instead of refilling my plate. Turned out that a frosted shortbread and 2 pieces of potato kugel come in at about 380 calories... and worth every last one of them. And knowing that I can have those, I can leave the rest of the pastries alone and not go back for more kugel. But if I'd flat out decided "No more 'bad' food at the buffet for me"? I think after 2-3 weeks I'd have been back to refilling my plate, feeling guilty, eating more, deciding that the day was already blown so I might as well do what I wanted and start fresh the next day... and eventually given up the whole thing.

The trick is to make slow small changes that you can live with and that don't stress you out overmuch or eat into too much of your time.

I hear that. I'm a stress eater, too. Hence my need for small low-calorie snacks. Along the lines of, "when I'm tense, or bored, I have an urge to put something in my mouth." I can't control that. I can control what I choose to put in. Dry cereal or cookies. Popcorn or potato chips. A pre-portionned piece of string cheese or a 6-oz brick of Gouda. Candy or grapes/cherry tomatoes. Hagen-dasz or homemade sorbet. Rather than not snacking, I make the snacks fit my calories.

Frozen pizzas aren't inherently high-calorie. Could you go for a plain cheese or cheese-and-veg option? Similarly, many takeout places have choices that could fit your calories better. There are no 'bad' foods. There are foods that you can generally enjoy all the time, foods that need a little bit of work to fit in, and foods to save for really special occasions. There are desserts I won't have in the house, because the leftovers aren't safe around me. But I don't say, for example, "No more lemon meringue pie." It becomes, "We're in a restaurant. Lemon meringue pie is on the menu. If I want a piece, I can have it and know that I won't go home to half the pie sitting in the fridge calling my name. And if I have to have a lighter lunch/longer workout to make room for it, it's worth it." Or it's not worth it and I order the fruit cup. But at no time do I tell myself that I CAN'T have the pie. It's a question of what I need to do to be able to afford the calories and whether it's worth it. Sometimes it totally is. Other times, I choose not to.

It is tough when you don't have support at home, but you need to do you. My husband isn't watching his weight. (He may be slightly over, but not to the extent I am.) He's also a meat-eater. I'm vegetarian. I've always done two mains and we come together on sides, salads, soups, and desserts. It works for us. (I also don't buy deli salads I can't moderate, keep my homemade desserts to 200 calories/portion and buy bakery desserts I either don't like or can resist.)

When you need support, come here. Most of us understand what you're coping with. And I have found that over time, it gets easier to take a step back before eating something that doesn't fit my plan so easily.

if u and hubby enjoy eating out it can work. Order the most sensible things on the menu not what looks best. I used to eat lunch out with coworkers and it can be done. select a restaurant with a grill. skip the bread. ask for burger on lettuce wrap. top with grilled mushrooms and onions. Order clear soups.If the place serves breakfast all day, ask for eggs no or little oil. Take u r own low cal salad dressing or do oil and vinegar. Order senior portions if available/. Ask u r husband to help by trying restaurants that can accommodate u r choices. ask for a menu take it home and study it. Call the restaurant when they are slow and ask for info or help with u r dietary needs. good luck. U can do this!!!

Stress AND bored eater here! I used to eat out all the time just to have a few minutes away from my desk.
I make an effort to now to pack my breakfast and lunch every day. If I plan to go out to eat with coworkers, I ensure I pack a slightly larger breakfast and two snacks (almonds, fruit strip, granola bar, string cheese, etc) to eat either before or after lunch, whenever I start to feel hungry. Those small snacks keep me from needing a huge lunch or feeling ravenous by dinner.

I ALWAYS keep Healthy Choice steamers in my freezer for a quick dinner when I just don't feel like cooking (which in the past meant running out for fast food instead). Even if I don't think I'm that hungry, I'll still make some corn or green beans to have, too (or save for the next day!)

The fact that you can admit "how" you've gained weight is -- honestly -- a huge step. Once you know, you can start to consciously make small changes that will eventually become habits.