wanna give up :/

I've become a little bit of a zealot... Sorry in advance for all the long-windedness

Here's how I started:

1) tracking for a couple of weeks before I worried about losing.
(although seeing what I was eating I couldn't help but rein back a bit)

2) seeing where I could make small changes on things that weren't that important to me.
(Don't even think of taking chocolate out of my diet!!!)
--Reducing quantities where I won't notice it so much
--Swapping out things instead of eliminating them.

3) Look at my diary and started adding foods that had positive healthy effects specifically for the health issue in my family.
I found most of the things I "should" add were really yummy too! salmon, avocado, oatmeal, mango, red grapes....
(Sort of think of food as medicine to deal with family history of various health issue oatmeal is good for heart health, mango and red grapes lower cholesterol, tumeric and cinnamon good for arthritis)

4) every couple of weeks I see where I can make another couple of small changes.
If you completely revamp your diet, it's way easy to revert to old ways in times of stress. (and who doesn't have stress?)
If you make a series of small changes, food still offers you some sense of comfort.
sort of a comfort continuum, and after a while the first small changes will seem comforting in themselves.
You don't have to be perfect you just have to do better.

5) also rather than being uberstrict with the target MFP set for me I did the math to find out the calories needed to maintain my goal weight and my current weight and I gave myself a range with 1200 as my rock bottom, lose 1 lb/wk as my target*** and maintain my goal weight as the top of my range. As long as I keep within in this range I'll lose. I tend to naturally zig zag my calories 3-4 at very close to my target and then a higher calorie day closer to the top of my range.

As long as I stayed under maintain my current weight calories I won't gain. So no need to throw in the towel, just pick-up where I left off.

Once I found ways to lessen the stress, I found it way easier to focus on the process and let the results follow. (It's what worked for me some people need the stress to get them motivated. Me I get scared and overwhelmed and don't see the big goal as achievable. I only worry about it 1 lb at a time.)

***also once my lose 1 lb/week target was down to 1200 calories I switch to lose 1/2 lb/ week (1200 cal rock bottom, 1/2 lb/week as my target, maintain goal weight as the high end of my range.)

Food is not the enemy.
Oddly enough on my journey here I've reduced guilt over food.
I have the occasional treat and I fully enjoy it with no guilt involved.
The thing is since I'm not eating crap all the time the occasional treat is just that a TREAT it's special and I enjoy it so much more than when I was unconsciously shovel junk food into my face.

I figure if I've got a good plan that I can actually maintain I can keep this off for a long time to come, without feeling deprived.

Good Luck

Well, I hate to pull out a cliche, but it does get easier. I was in the same boat, expect it wasn't so much the nights that screwed me but the weekends (hello Merlot!). I kept working out and then started tracking my food/exercise here. Gradually, I just got better and better about gym consistency and calorie intake. I chalk it up to a shift in my thinking. I started loving the gym and tracking my food made me think more about what I was eating. Suddenly, I started seeing some real results, whereas before I had been stuck for months. I still have a lot of work to do but I feel great.

My lesson? Don't put so much pressure on yourself. If what you are doing isn't working, make a small change and see if it makes a difference.

I think something that gets us all is we want big numbers loss. In reality a difference of a few pounds really shows.

If you're doing great during the day, then keep doing what you're doing during the day.

If you struggle at night, then CHANGE what you do at night.

Try going to the gym at night. I do my weight training at around 9pm. The benefits are that there are less people, the ones that are there at that time tend to be regulars (you can maybe make some workout friends).

Do you have a bike? If so, can you spare $300 on a bike trainer? I use a Cycleops Fluid2 and ride my bike while I watch TV.

Great advice!

Just do it now............... because there is always going to be a holiday or a life event on every month of the calendar. Thats what life is, birthdays, weddings, parties, graduations, new babys, showers, social events at work, holidays, retirements, weekends, visiting family, going out with freinds, dates, anniversarys, etc... They never cease, and there will always be reasons for excuses. Do the best you can throughout what ever events are happening and forgive yourself the slip ups and stay on that horse.

If You Think You're Beaten

If you think you're beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you'd like to win, but think you can't,
It's almost for sure, you won't.

If you think you're losing, you've lost.
For out in the world we find -
Success begins with a person's will,
It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you're outclassed, you are,
You've got to think high to rise.
You have to stay with it,
In order to win the prize.

Life's battles don't always go,
To the one with the better plan.
For more often than not, you will win,
If only you think you can.

I hope I'm not repeating something that someone already said but... it can seem virtually impossible to lose weight during the holiday season with all of the parties, family get togethers and gifts of sugary treats being shoved down your throught! Therefore, if you cant seem to keep yourself in check everyday with your eating, a more realistic goal could just be to MAINTAIN your current weight and not gain anymore during the holidays. Once the holidays are over you'll feel less pressured to give in to all of the high calorie but tasty options you're surrounded by right now!

Good Luck!!

First of all, from your pic, I would never guess you had 45 pounds to lose.

Don't give up. Sometimes low carbs makes people act oddly, so see if you can adjust your diet.

I did that last year, I had went from weighing 255 to 172 and then around the holidays I was just so unmotivated and wanted to indulge so i said I would not worry about how I ate or exercise until the new year and here I am now and I weigh 280! Trust me when I say it is not worth it!!! I have to start all over again and its so frustrating to know that I was 20 pounds away from my goal of 150 and now I have to start from scratch. You can do it!

I dont necessarily want to give up but i am really thinking about not even trying until the first only because i feel so unmotivated and i dont know...........but would it make me a failure if i postpone it?? any suggestions ........i dont know any advice or words or something? I wake up everyday and i do great throughout the day.........and then the night comes and i screw it all up.......

If you're not motivated now, you won't suddenly and magically be transformed come January.

Deal with the issue NOW.
Most people who fail wait until January, then hit the ground running only to falter by mid February.

Don't join that herd of losers.
Again, something is going on now, and you need to work through these difficulties today - not tomorrow, next week or next month.
RIGHT NOW!

And know this also. We all have been through it; I can so relate to how you are feeling, but this moment is your moment to reach down and get a hold of yourself.

Good luck!

There is always a perfectly reasonable, justifiable, reason why you should put off a challenge. However, you can never beat a postponed challenge. My thoughts are... Seize the day.

To hell with your plan to loss x amount of weight. Instead... make your goal... I am going to seize today. Today will be my day. Forget about yesterday... don't think about tomorrow, just focus on your plan for today. When you own today... then worry about tomorrow. Sometimes the big picture can be too big for one to focus on. Instead... choose what part of the picture you would like to beat. You have issues in the evening. Make that your goal.

We are all here to help support each other. I know you can do this.