Exactly the same. I love working out. But I cannot get my food intake in check. I start every day tracking and by the end of the day I’ve lost all willpower. In my head, tracking = restriction and it takes so much mental energy. And then I give up and swing way too far the other way. I’m holding 10-15 extra pounds on me now because of this - I lose a few pounds, start to hate counting and tracking, binge again and gain back what I lost plus a couple pounds. I’d love any tips anyone has to stop feeling this way!

Oh yeah, I belong here with the rest of you ladies! I wanna be your accountability buddy 😃

I have 15 pounds to lose to get to normal weight. I’ve put them during a pregnancy and now, 4 years later, I still didn’t lose it. I exercise a lot, I’m strong, but oh boy, I eat all the crap food!

I re-joined MFP, so I can start tracking my food again. This is day 1 for me and I was just looking at the clock that it’s 3 PM and I only have 36 calories left 😂

So, who want to buddy-up?

THIS IS SO ME!! I do HIIT 5 days a week and yoga every Saturday. I'm up like 10 lbs from where I really should sit and keep doing it to myself over and over again especially on the weekends. Would love to start up a group! We should be able just to use this thread or create a new one to follow.

Y'all sound exactly like me! Love the gym and exercise, but also love food and hungry all the time. Healthy but probably 10-15 stubborn pounds above what would probably be a more healthy optimum. I'll add my two cents about things I've been doing lately that seem to have made a difference. Warning: this is a long post.

I've gone through multiple cycles of getting all rev'ed up, tracking my food, losing a few pounds through the mindfulness (even when I don't hold myself to any sort of calorie budget), getting dejected by MFP telling me that what I want to eat is too much, or what I already ate I probably shouldn't have, then stop tracking, eat all I want, and regain those pounds back. Two months ago decided to try to address the negative feedback loop of MFP and try to build it into a long-term, rewarding habit, by doing the following:
1. I set a deadline 3 months in the future (1 month from now)
2. I decided on a non-food reward: for me, a well funded clothes-shopping excursion.
3. I set up a points system that emphasizes food logging in a timely manner and keeping steam up . I have MFP set up for 4 timeblocks (morning, midday, afternoon, evening). I give myself 3 points for logging my food before I eat it(as I'm prepping it), 2 points for logging it after I eat it but before my next meal, and 1 point for logging it late. I also give myself 1 point for hitting "done logging for the day" to acknowledge "yes, I actually did log all my meals today" and 1 point for coming in at or below my maintenance calorie budget (14 possible points per day). So the emphasis is almost all on the logging habit rather than the calorie number, and trusting that the process and mindfulness of portion control over the long term will make the difference. There's no "punishment" or negative repercussion from failure to log. No need to be derailed or hate myself or have a bleak outlook on life.
4. I calculated a points-to-dollars conversion based on the maximum possible points and the maximum possible budget I could afford, and set that aside in my budget.

Thus far (2 months down, 1 month to go), I've lost 7 pounds. Even if I overeat at breakfast, I have plenty incentive to still get back on MFP and log my lunch, snacks, and dinner even if I know I'll exceed my calories for the day. Rather than "calling it a wash" as soon as I slip up and letting a mistake derail my habits for the rest of the day, I keep plodding along with the healthy logging habit for the rest of the day.

Once I hit 5 pounds lost, I lost a lot of steam and motivation. I wanted to re-ignite the fire in my belly but without a dark, depressing, self-hating narrative. I did some research on long-term motivation and crafted a set of prompts that I use for daily/weekly journaling. The intention is to be positive and accepting but honest, with proactive forward thinking. I've included my responses in parenthesis for examples.

• My long-term goal is [X] (___ lbs or ___% bodyfat or I'm satisfied, whichever happens first)
• I'm pursuing this goal because [X, Y, Z] (stress on my joints, athletic performance, health, looks, self-esteem)
  
• My next milestone I'm working toward is [X] (when I hit 160 lbs or the end of my 3 month food-logging-for-clothes-money scheme, whichever happens first, at which point I will get by body fat tested to re-key my goals and focus)
  
• To get there, I'm doing the following: [X, Y, Z] (daily exercise and focusing on portion control)
• I am working toward the following Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic, Time-bound commitment:[X by Y] (at least 450 food logging points by June 15)
• If I meet this commitment, I'll celebrate my hard work with [non-food reward] (clothing budget equal to my points divided by __)
  
• I know there will be challenges along the way but I know I'm up to the challenge. I think my biggest challenges over the next [day/week/month] are going to be [X, Y, Z] (social events, coming home hungry)
• My strategy for meeting these challenges is [X, Y, Z] (visualizing myself saying no, bringing an afternoon snack to work)
  
• Even if I have a setback, I won't jump off the wagon. My most recent setback was [X]. (Overeating at ___ meal)
  
• It wasn't what I intended but I forgive myself. I know that one mistake doesn't ruin progress, it's the long-haul that counts. I learned [X] from the experience. (I overeat when I see other people serve themselves second portions. I can graze through a lot of calories when I'm hungry and trying to "tide myself over" until the next meal).
• I am still committed to my goals. [Forward-looking statement] (My next meal begins with a clean plate, and I can continue working toward my goals by eating a healthy dinner)
  
• -It won't all be drudgery. Parts of the process are actually quite enjoyable and I look forward to them, such as [X, Y, Z] (how pretty all the vegetables look together in my shopping cart when I'm shopping clean, the stress-free weeknight evenings when I've done meal-prep over the weekends, the smell of the shampoo at the gym)
  
• My goals are challenging but I know I am capable of achieving them. I have already accomplished [X]. I successfully did [Y] in the past to get to where I am now (lost 5 pounds through meal planning, meal prep, and no grazing).
  
• [Positive reflections on the body I have today] (I love how strong I feel when I'm lifting weights. I love how my abdomen feels noticeably more svelte under my prodding fingers after just 5 lbs lost. I love how my hips look when I wear my stripy swoopy top)
  
• I love my body and that's why I'm willing to work hard to take good care of it.

Hope this helps somebody! And if it doesn't help you, I apologize for how much time you just spent reading this

serena_fitt wrote: »

Anyone else addicted to the gym, in decent shape but just can't seem to stay on track with your food?
I need someone to vent to (and vice versa) - someone who's just as dedicated as me: Gym successes, tips and goal AND staying on track with the macros to finally keep off those last few kgs and get in the best shape of our lives by summer 2019!
Please do reach out I'd love to hear your story, especially if you're in a similar position to me!

Yes that’s me, pretty dedicated to fitness and training. However, snacking is sometimes my downfall. I’ve been quite good for the last few weeks . No sugar or carbs. However I love nuts!!! All or nothing I’m afraid, so I had to cut them right out of my diet for now ! I weigh 138.8 today so I’m on my way down ! Yay!

Add me! I have 20lbs or so to lose! Just getting back into it and posted starting photos and weight on my profile in hopes that it keeps me accountable!