Cannot stick to it!

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you can do this. one thing that helps my planning is platejoy.com. in past failures not planning and diet fatigue eventually wore me down. this time i've only repeated the same healthy meal 3 times since Jan 2.

Obesity crept up on me in my mid-30s. I had never been a thin guy - I have a stocky build, but there was no denying it at age 37 - I was fat. What made really make the changes I needed? Anger. Anger at having to buy new pants yet again. Anger at seeing pictures and not recognizing myself other than I look a lot like my many obese relatives. Anger that the lady at the store where I bought my candy and soda referred to me (in an affectationate way) as “Big Guy.” Lastly, Anger that you got winded just carrying my infant son from the car into the house.

Anger became action. Action became habit after the anger lessened as I started to lose.

I am now 43 years old, 95lbs lighter and the best shape of my life (visible abs!). Sometimes anger can be a great tool.

I agree with 100_proof but for me I complained over and over I was fat and hubby would keep telling me"then do something about it" I just couldnt stick with it, one day I got fed up with not being able to breathe well and getting winded just walking from one room to another. mind you I was only 70 lbs overweight. I started my journey 5 years ago and am still going strong. you have to want it like 100_ proof says. once I started losing and feeling better and clothes started getting bigger I tell myself that I will NOT go back to being like that. I will do what it takes no matter what and not go back to the beginning. that is what I tell myself when I want to give up and not follow through.

I agree with the advice to go for 1/2 pound a week,slow and steady wins the race,,,besides I'd die on 1280 a day! You can do this

timeforwork wrote: »

It's easier to lose 30 lb than it is to lose 50 lb than it is to lose 100 lb. It's your choice whether to start now or wait until your bigger and health causes you to become more serious about losing. Good luck hope you find your motivation x

Well said!

kjoh12 wrote: »

Hi!
I'm in a rut and never imagined that battling my weight would ever be an issue for me. I have always been very petite. The past few years I have had major life stressors and in the past year have put on 30 lbs. I start and stop MFP within a week, two at the most. I cannot get myself motivated when the progress is so slow that I start to tell myself that I would rather gain a pound slowly then lose a pound slowly (crazy I know!), or tell myself that counting calories is no way to live. How do I keep at this, when I truly do need to lose weight?

If you don't WANT to do it, you very likely won't. If you need to lose weight, then you HAVE to do that things related to doing it or you won't. So what's more important to you......................wanting to lose weight or telling yourself you don't really want to?


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

everyone here gave great advice, what I would add too is to find what works for you. Example is I've tried to eat many different ways before I found what works for me. I would eat several snacks & small meals throughout the day but it just wasn't "me". Before mfp, I would eat 2 large meals a day so I found doing that works for me. The difference is the 2 largest meals I eat fit into my calories plus I have a few snacks too. There's also a volume eaters thread on here. I got good ideas from there, like sometimes I'll make a huge salad (lettuce hardly has any calories but is filling)& put my dinner in there, like chicken, cheese, hard boiled egg etc & use low cal dressing. or just have lots of veggies with my meals. One thing that really fills me us is to make a smoothie with my meal. After I lost 47 lbs, mfp lowered my cals to 1200, so I reset to lose at 1/2 lbs instead of 1. I can't live on 1200

kjoh12 wrote: »

Thank you everyone. I wasn’t sure what I was asking for but I have received some good tough stuff here to think about.

Calories in vs. Calories out are the thing here. It is all about what you put in your mouth! Portion control was huge for me back in the day when I was 251lbs. That was the issue. I was also an emotional eater (I was going through a very horrible marriage and ultimately a divorce). Got past that.

Mind set is going to be everything. If you are strong in mind (not suggesting that you are weak-minded...) then you stand a HUGE probability of being successful. I can not tell you the number of times that I would be driving home after work, making excuses (and they were nothing but BS excuses) about why I was not going to the gym tonight and I would catch myself and turn around and then kill it in the gym.

However, it is really what happens on the plate that most matters. If you can find a way to master the portions on your plate then you will succeed! I was eating three burritos from Taco Bell for lunch when I was 251lbs. There might be a big part of the reason I was 251lbs! I mean, Captain Obvious here.....but you know what? You don't always see the trees or the forest - at times!

Find your numbers. And, by that I mean the caloric intake that you need to achieve your goals. Then map out your meals. I would suggest that it is going to be a total PITA at first. I mean, I love that sort of thing so for me it was no problem at all. If you do this then half the battle is won. That is a big struggle at first....

Also, a huge part of the issue - as I mentioned - is portion control. What in the world does that mean? I am so glad that you asked. It means that of one serving of <insert food item here> is 1/4 lb (talking 96/4 ground beef) and that serving has 170 calories and you are really eating 1/3 lbs then you are not eating the 170 calories that you thought. Your caloric intake will actually - over time - be much more than you think. That is a problem...and it is very frustrating and discouraging. So, get your measuring correct. It is a skill and it will take some time. You are going to mess it up....sometimes big time. That is okay. We all do when we are starting. After doing this for one or two weeks, take a step back and go over what you are doing. There will be things - I promise you - that you are doing wrong and you will see it clear as day! Don't beat yourself up. Like I said, we have all done it! You are not special in that regard! :-)

Have patience. This is super simple (Calories in vs. Calories out) but it is not easy! Keep that in mind.

Also, you are worth it. You have a family and kids and they need a healthy mom! They are worth it, too, right? But, you have to do this for you....not anyone else. You have to be really selfish in this. That might sound funny....but it is so true.

There is a lot of good advice on this thread. I also need to bookmark this and start making the changes required to finally lose the extra weight.