Struggling:(

I can only tell you what has been working for me. I drink water with lemon in it all day long. It helps me drink my water, and drinking the water with lemon (for me) makes the foods I crave less palatable so I don't want it. I have just decided to do this, and this is what I am going to do. Do you have healthy foods in the house you could choose instead of the "bad" foods when you're hungry? I know for me, if I don't have healthy foods when I'm hungry, I will grab whatever I have. Not sure if this helped, but maybe some others will come along and be more informative for you. Good luck!

One thing that helps me is that if I snack between meals, I force myself to enter in the calories I'm about to eat right BEFORE I eat it (like from my phone). Then I look at where that leaves me for the rest of the day, and this often helps me decide not to eat it. Also, this rule is such a pain, it's often not worth it to me to spend the time on it, so I give the snack a miss.

I think mealtimes would be a little more difficult, the best way is to plan way ahead what the meal is going to be, before you get hungry.

I felt the same way last week! I had so much great motivation and support from complete strangers on here. I am here to help you in any way that I can. Everything takes time. Remember it didn't take just a week to get to the size you are now. We will work through this journey together.

You're doing exactly what I did for far too long. I would be jealous over others that could do it & wonder why I couldn't just get up and do it too. Starting to log the food is a great step to get motivated. It makes me think twice about how I use my calories for the day. Also I feel really good about logging exercise. I haven't been doing this very long but I already feel so much better. At first you will need to force yourself and before long you'll get addicted to the good feeling you get from the eating better & exercise and that guilt will go away!
It gets easier. Don't give up. YOU ARE WORTH IT!

It's really rough It has taken me months to actually commit to MFP once again, and even now I know I can slip up at any time. it's kind of like I've been scared straight, so at this point I need to be consistent on MFP or I will get myself into more trouble

I would say that maybe you should designate a "first day" for being healthy. Tell your friends about it, anyone close to you as well, that way when the day comes, you are obligated to carry out your new healthy eating patterns. You will be forced into thinking before eating because you've made that day an important one.

That's how I handled my first day, and now I'm on day 9. Still struggling, but at least I am conscious of what I'm eating now I hope I didn't jinx my progress by writing this :P

You're probably going to get lots of different advice but for myself I had known I needed to diet for about a year before I started, I told myself that next week I would start, but then didnt and said the week after etc, etc and then one day it just "clicked" in my head and all of a sudden I could do it! The first 2 or 3 days were really hard but I just made sure that I stayed within the calorie limit for those first few days, then I found that it was so much easier because I had already done it a few times before! So my advice would be to prepare in advance what you are going to eat for the first 2-3 days that will keep you within your limit, stick to it at all costs and then take it from there. Plus it gives you chance to choose some really balanced, healthy foods

If that doesnt work, maybe you're just not "ready" yet... I cant say when you will be but you will know when you are. Good luck!

Weight loss to someone who is used to eating whatever, whenever IS NOT EASY! It does take true determination and self-control. The moment you feel your jeans fitting a little looser or you can put on that blouse that's hasn't fit in a while, you will be on your way. Picture that, do that and stay focued. Only you can determine that what you are eating/going to eat are smart choices. Don't beat yourself up over the small set-backs; get back on track and continue to make the choices right for you and look forward to the day that someone says "Hey, you look like you've lost weight". YOU CAN DO IT.

Just don't bring those foods in the house,
I know it's dam hard but it's got to be done,
make a menu and stick to it so when shopping you only buy what you need. no temptation in the house.
it's very hard at first and the cravings will drive you mad but if you can get through a few weeks it will get easier as you go along.

You need to refocus write down why you want to lose weight and read every morning. Preplan your meals the night before using the diary/database so when you wake up you know what you are going to eat that day and stick to it!!

If you want to eat more then fine do exercise and think the more exercise I do the more I can eat and that should motivate your exercise regime!

I put up some pics of me up inside my cupboard doors and on the back of the bathroom door so I have a constant reminder why i have to stay focussed and it seems to be working.

If you have a bad day don't fret about it just write it off and the next morning start again. Exercise in itself will make you feel better in yourself so that will help your mind! And remember no pain no gain!!

Good luck stop stressing and take each day at a time xx

Plan, plan, plan. When you have your plan in place, it makes it easier to stick to it. A friend from mfp gave me some great advice : Don't trade what you want for what you want RIGHT NOW. Do you want to be healthy and thinner? It takes work and committment. If you are not ready for it mentally, it's not going to work.

Good Luck.

Suggestion: log what you're ABOUT to eat...see if it's "worth" it. Pre-logging has been a lifesaver for me. Try it!

edit to add: ^haha...beat me to it!

This works for me too, especially if I know that I don't have a lot of calories left for the day. It amazed me in the beginning how much i was actually eating! (i.e. i was shocked that one Blow Pop sucker was 60 calories!) If you have a smart phone with the app then its makes it easier. If you are over a day here and there it's no biggie, just start fresh the next day!

I'm new at this as well, but after exercising regularly and not weighing myself I decided that I'd take a look. I was amazed at how much I still weighed and then decided the calories had to be counted as well. This site is great for this little trick! Now, I guess what I try to do is find the most dense food (filling) with littlest calories and eat in my range. I also exercise every day or at least 6 days a week so I can stay 400-500 calories under and have a snack in the evening! (My husband has that incredible metabolism that lets him eat all day long whatever he wants!!) So not fair. I have always weighed "just right" but constantly watching, until I had my last baby at age 38. The extra 15lbs just didn't go away. Keep 100 calorie snacks available that you like and stick to them! If you fall off the horse one day, get right back on!! And don't forget the water, hot tea etc between meals it really does help! (Think to yourself, Ugh! I don't want all those calories... I'll have to exercise more & who wants to do that?)

This is what has and is working for me. I'm not saying that this is what you need to do, but I do have a few suggestions.

The first of the year I focused on changing my diet. I eliminated all processed foods, all white sugar/flour/rice/potatoes/pasta's and only consume WHOLE grains. Wheat bread is not at all the same as Whole Wheat bread. I do not consume soy or corn, due to gmo's. The exception to this is organic pop corn kernels. That first month was a bit trying at times, but I eliminated my cravings and felt GREAT. Didn't lose a single pound, wasn't trying to either.

Then February came and I tried to start dieting. I tried to log my foods in a journal which I kept out all the time. I was still improving my diet and added a few supplements. I became obsessed and I wasn't losing weight and spent forever journaling and trying to figure out what was wrong. It was so depressing as I knew I was putting the right kinds of food in my body.

Then March came and I found this site. Thats when I got down to business! I have started to build a great support network of people from this site who are dedicated to themselves and honest. I keep my food diary open and when I ask for advice about what I'm eating or what to eat, my new friends are there to offer their suggestions. I also browse others food diary's for menu ideas etc. I have personalized my settings to reflect my own goals, not the recommended MFP ones. Since doing this, I have lost 4 #'s and I feel so much happier. I am holding myself accountable.

So my suggestion to you is, build a network of support and open up your diary. It's difficult to offer advice on food changes etc. otherwise.

Feel free to add me if you'd like! :flowerforyou:

~~Marci~~

All these are good suggestions, particularly the logging your food before you eat it. I do that all the time. I also have a bottle of lemon water with me all the time as well. That helps me feel full and satisfied with the little bit of sweetness/sourness it adds to the water. One thing I have found is that if i exercise in the morning while the kids are eating breakfast I do MUCH better through out the day. Even if it's just my quick little jog on the treadmill. I don't know if its a mind thing or what but I always think do I want to ruin all that exercise with junk? Usually the answer is no but if I get the occasional urge for something I just eat it and don't beat myself up for it. Like the other posters said when you are truly ready you will change your mindset and just do it. I sit in a house full of junk food and processed stuff that the kids and the hubby like and I just don't eat it because I am ready to make a change. This coming from a girl who would eat two king sized candy bars on the way to work and ice cream every night and all kinds of junk in between, so it can be done. Good Luck. Feel free to add me as a friend for moral support. :-)