Can anyone relate?

Hi. I can totally relate. I was starting out great and then detailing myself in the afternoon. I would also eat well and then not exercise. When I would exercise, I seemed to get hungrier. I am using my Apple Watch to track my exercises and heart rate. I’m using MFP to track my calories. So far so good this week. You are not alone. This is a good place for support. I have set a short term goal of 10 lbs by December 1 and longer term goal of 10 more by March. It’s easy to get off track. The important thing is to not let one bad day defeat you. Get up and make tomorrow better. You can do this.

The thing is - when you exercise you are SUPPOSED to eat more. That's how it works. Eat more, have more energy, exercise more get to eat more.

My body was designed to move. When I do so on a regular basis and I eat enough to fuel that extra expenditure, everything works as designed.

I still log food eleven years into this. I have to - I don't like the freefall feeling of not knowing, I start making the unintended decisions to eat more than I need.

Log food. Exercise. Eat more on exercise days. Rinse, repeat.

The world is full of secretive paths through life. Some of them are best explored with a spirit of adventure to figure out what you enjoy doing and how you enjoy doing it. Inspiration for what will sustain you must come from within.

Eat the things you enjoy, but moderate their bulk. Life is more than mere diet, but experience.

Do the things you enjoy and don't constrain yourself to exercises for the pure sake of feeling as if you must exercise.

Do you like being outside? In a gym? Moving and getting stronger benefit your health, but it is the calories you intake that benefits your weight the most.

Set small, achievable goals for yourself and stare not at the mountain. No one climbs a mountain in one, giant leap. One step at a time, and make sure your steps are achievable!

Gather up your tools (food scale, watch, MFP, etc), put them in your proverbial backpack, and see where your choices take you. Experiment. Find out what's right for you. Once you do, jot them down and make a commitment to do small changes to adhere to your new plan.

Instead of "I want to lose X pounds" as a goal, set goals that build new habits:

Fitness motivated type goal suggestions ->

"I want to close all three rings for two days in a row this week."
"Now that I know I can close all my rings in a day, I want to double that! Four days this week, and four days next week!"
"I've closed my rings four days for four weeks in a row! I want to commit to closing my rings all seven days for one week."


Consumption motivated type goal suggestions ->

"I want to change my diet. This week I am going to just log without constriction. See the days/times that pose a problem for temptation."
"I've logged my food all week last week! This week, I am going to focus on changing the calories for one meal."
"I am going to buy a food scale and get used to measuring my portions."
"Now that I know how it feels to measure, I am going to start measuring at least two days this week."
"I'm going to experiment this week to see which types of food give me satisfaction without feeling deprived."
"This week, I am going to put my findings of satiation to the test and try eating the foods I believe will leave me satisfied and nourished while also letting me eat the foods I enjoy."
"This week, I understand the types of foods I like, the types of foods that leave me satisfied and so now I am going to reduce my calorie intake by 10% of what I have historically been eating."
"This week, I'm going to reduce my calorie intake by another 10% of what I was eating."
"This week, I am going to hold to a calorie intake that lets me lose half a kilo a week!"

Gradually up your goals until you are where you want to be! And don't sweat the days you don't achieve your goals. One day is but a breath of a memory in the grand scheme of your life.

The important thing is that no matter what anyone says, find the path that's right for you. It's not a race and it is important to take the time for a measured approach that will lead to sustained change. Good luck!

kommodevaran wrote: »

Yes, you are approaching it all wrong, and I think some harsh words, but from a loving and caring place, is what you need. (You will get some sayings too; if you like them, you can think about them as wisdom.) You are relying on motivation, aiming for perfection, walking the same path that has made you regain before. The definition of insanity is doing the same things and expecting different results, and the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Your plan does not need to be "perfect" - perfection is not only an illusion, it's the enemy of good. You need to plan for your real life situations and your personal challenges. Why is your eating horrible? Eating should be enjoyable. You are eating too much overall - why? Are you trying to eat too little, or boring food, or both?

Set behavioral goals. They must be concrete, as well as reasonable and realistic. We can help you set that kind of goals, but you have to stick to them, so they must be yours, and you will still have to apply some willpower now and then, even with the most optimal and customized plan.

Listen to Yoda here... she knows her stuff... hey Yoda!

We can all relate to some degree or other. In that, we all have motivation that comes and goes. And that we have all had periods where we have not made optimal choices. In the end, though, this isn't about motivation. It's about immediacy versus delayed gratification. Fritter lovers (such as I) always want that fritter. We just have to determine how worthwhile it is for the immediate pleasure to veer from our long term goals.


This article is pretty good. Read more about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_gratification

I always want that fritter...😏. Yep, pretty much always. Somehow the scale always knows whether I ate that fritter....