I love how I looked but hated the work

You can eat a donut if you fit it into your calories. It's tough to do that without knowing what your calories are. I understand getting fed up with counting, but it seems like just eating the right number of calories without counting isn't working for you.

Can you learn a few tricks to make counting easier? For example, scanning labels, using the location tab to pull up restaurant menus, and adding foods from your recent list? For me at least, logging has gotten to the point where it takes literally moments. It's way easier than not logging, because I know what I'm allowed to eat and don't have to stress about it. I like the way @PAV8888 looks at it, think of counting your calories as a way of figuring out the maximum you can eat!

I really feel for you - being a new mom with additional life circumstance stressors is incredibly difficult (been there, done that). One thing that helped me during that time was to not focus on my weight at all. I just did not have the mental bandwidth to deal with it. Instead, I focused on eating food that would give me energy to deal with the stress, and also prioritized sleep. I did not work out at all. I made little food rules that helped me when I had lost weight years earlier - something green with every meal, lay off the pasta a bit (but don't eliminate it!), egg whites are your friend. I didn't lose weight - I maintained at my pre-pregnancy weight, which was still overweight, but it really didn't matter to me then. Getting through each day with my head on straight was the priority.

There is a season for everything in life. When your kids are very little, your priorities shift, especially if you have more going on than just being a new parent. AND THAT'S OK. You have to figure out what you can live with right now, and if dealing with logging and working out is not part of that, that's fine. There will be consequences (as you are experiencing now), but you can minimize those by just making small mindful choices every day to remain healthy. When you are used to your new normal in a few months, you can start focusing on this aspect of your life again.

luce_de_luce wrote: »

A few things I see posted on here that help me when I feel like throwing in the towel:

If I had a flat tire, would I slash the other three? (One unplanned treat/snack/bite/day over my calorie goal is not a reason to sabotage my goal entirely.)

If I quit now I’ll soon be back where I started. When I started, I desperately wanted to be where I am now. (So true, this is hard work but it’s harder feeling miserable about my body and the way I take care of myself or actively hurt my physical and emotional health.)

What you eat in private, you wear in public. (It’ll show up eventually...)

And finally, remember the example you’re setting for your child. He or she WILL adopt the lifestyle/habits of the adults who raise them. Don’t set them up for a lifelong struggle with their health and body image.

Be strong, I know you can!

After this weekend this was very useful to read to keep me on track thankyou!

I have been trying to focus more on my weekly calories rather than daily. YES, I still track daily. But some days, I just don't eat as much as others. The donut may not have fit perfectly into my day today, but I can plan around that the rest of the week to make up for it. It takes a lot of the stress off of me for feeling like I had a "fail". I rely on the app and look at the net of my totals weekly.

Awesome @bryonyd4 ! I’m glad I could pass along some of the wisdom that’s been shared with me. Good for you

JoAnna4731 wrote: »

I really feel for you - being a new mom with additional life circumstance stressors is incredibly difficult (been there, done that). One thing that helped me during that time was to not focus on my weight at all. I just did not have the mental bandwidth to deal with it. Instead, I focused on eating food that would give me energy to deal with the stress, and also prioritized sleep. I did not work out at all. I made little food rules that helped me when I had lost weight years earlier - something green with every meal, lay off the pasta a bit (but don't eliminate it!), egg whites are your friend. I didn't lose weight - I maintained at my pre-pregnancy weight, which was still overweight, but it really didn't matter to me then. Getting through each day with my head on straight was the priority.

There is a season for everything in life. When your kids are very little, your priorities shift, especially if you have more going on than just being a new parent. AND THAT'S OK. You have to figure out what you can live with right now, and if dealing with logging and working out is not part of that, that's fine. There will be consequences (as you are experiencing now), but you can minimize those by just making small mindful choices every day to remain healthy. When you are used to your new normal in a few months, you can start focusing on this aspect of your life again.

I totally agree regarding having the mental bandwidth. I think being in the right place mentally is crucial. Sometimes, we just have to strive to survive. That's not giving us an excuse to just let go, but it can be a reason why we struggle to hang on. I am amazed at people who are successful with their healthy lifestyle when others in the home bring in trigger foods. I live alone, which is so helpful to me. When I visit family out of town, I eat constantly just because the food is there. Good thing I don't visit often.