Dieting going down the drain! :(

It's hard to know what to do; I gave in many, many times and have just recently felt an adjustment in attitude. It's ok to give in once in a while; you just need to have the strength to pick it back up. I didn't at the time, but I do now. I wanted to lose weight so badly, but I don't think I was ready to commit to a healthier lifestyle 6 months ago.

For me, this has been a long reeducation in my relationship with food. It might be for you too; don't feel too guilty about tripping up once in a while, it happens to everybody. If the problem is really serious (e.g. binging and purging) try and speak to a doctor, they may recommend CBT to try and help aide you.

It will get better and you will be happier and ready! Chin up.

I hate to say it - but there's always going to be something. For now it's the stress of exams, before too long it'll be the stress of work etc. So tackle things one step at a time.

Exercise has fallen away. So get up half an hour earlier every morning and go for a run. It'll start your day in a really positive way, AND it'll let the people around you know that your focus is on a healthy lifestyle.

People are expecting you to eat calorific food (probably not literally shoving it down your throat but I get your drift!). If you've gone for a run there's a tiny bit more wriggle room there, but regardless, refusing food is a social minefield. Perhaps have just a tiny portion? Or choose one calorific dish in a dinner? If you're expected to provide food, provide something healthy - even if nobody else eats it, you can.

If you're the first 'cab off the rank' in terms of healthy eating, so be it. Set an example and keep trucking on!

Ah this is not a nice situation. It's hard for me to resist temptation too but I sort of challenge myself with the whole self control thing. It's better to say NO then to feel crappy afterwards and I can guarantee I'll feel crappy if I eat too much bad stuff.
Just gotta learn to say no.

Sorry, this isn't going to be some softly-softly answer.

You need to learn to say no, both to yourself when you crave fat or sugar, and to others when they are eating it or trying to make you eat it.

It may be exams that are making you stressed now but once they are over and done with Life is waiting to heap a whole pile more stress your way, and if you don't learn to deal with it now it will always be a problem.

If you had a child or a pet who was allergic to something which would affect their health or possibly kill them would you allow them to eat it? No matter how much they begged I bet you wouldn't. Sometimes it's hard to say no but the feeling when you've done it outweighs the difficulty.

You CAN say no, you just need to learn HOW to :flowerforyou:

I started off so well, but my exams popped up and I haven't exercised since( about a week and some). I also have been eating fattier foods like McDonald's just because stress makes me crave it. It's hard to cope with it because I am already always hungry. I just ignore it so that I don't go over my allotted 1200 calories. Help please!

A few things stand out for me in your post that you can control and decide where your priorities are ...the drop in exercise, the emotional eating and the super restriction in calories that you are doing/food restriction that probably contributs to your increased cravings for "forbidden" foods

Behavior modification isn't easy and if you are trying to change your behavior drastically it is even harder....obviously when you get into environments that are less than supportive it is even tougher (food addictions/habits are not so unlike drug additions/alcoholism...people do great in controlled environments and then fail when they get back into old environments)

Anyway--I included a site below that has great information if you take the time to look at it and see if it gives you some ideas to get you back on track. I know you want to get your weight off as quickly as possible but it may be that you will have better success (both short and long term) if you loosened up on your calorie intake a bit...consider increasing your calorie intake to 1400-1500 range or target 1 pound a week loss vs. 2 poundsif that is where you are at. At least for awhile until dieting feels doable...then try dropping back again if you want or if dieting is no longer excrutiating and you are making progress keep doing what you are doing!! Part of not having the motivation to exercise may be that your body just needs a little more fuel. The other thing about your exercise plan is that you need to find something that you look forward to doing, whatever that is so you do it regularly until it just becomes part of your routine and you miss it if you don't do it. I've now gotten to the point that I look forward to working out and I think about exercising when I get stressed/bored vs. eating...never thought I would but with enough time and finding the right workouts/exercise you can get there too!!

Although there are limits on how much you can control what the people around you are doing relative to food, if you are consistent in how you respond to their behaviors you can change them/get them to stop doing things that are sabotaging you. If you don't already know this about behavior modification you need to be warned...when you first try to change a negative behavior in someone else it typically escalates before it declines.... so get ready for that (as in initially the frequency they try to get you to eat will go up significantly....if you consistently say "no" it will eventually slow down/stop...if you consistently say "yes" it will slow down too....but if you sometimes say yes and indulge and sometimes say no their behavior/food offering is going to continue as is).

Try to put always put yourself/your needs first...don't eat for others and figure out what your priorities are---do you want to be healthy/thin/fit or do you want to stay as you currently are or even worse go back to the way you were before you started working toward your goals?!?! Only you know how bad you really want to change.

If you increase your awareness of your eating/food habits and modify your diet plan (up your calories if you are truly physically hungry all the time and/or change your behavior patterns/thought process if any of that "hunger" is really emotional issues getting in your way) I think you can get back on track, lose all the weightyou want and enjoy life all at the same time...starting now! Best of luck!! :flowerforyou:


http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_weight_loss.htm

I don't know how much you have to lose but I think 1200 is too low. Your body needs healthy foods to get you through your exams, not rubbish from McD's on a regular basis. You know this, of course. Your diet isn't going down the drain, it hasn't really taken hold at all and you need to establish a new eating pattern that isn't a diet but is healthful.

All supermarkets have ready prepared fruit salads, green salads, sliced meats, wholegrain rolls - even boiled eggs. You could buy fishfingers and put them in the oven - quick and easy and low cal - also brain food. There are so many options available to you - cereals with semi-skimmed milk that you can add fruits/nuts to or whatever you like.

You can't have failed to notice the options but I think you've chosen to block them out and give yourself 'permission' to eat at McD's because of your exams. Well you don't have an excuse - during my exam week I ate Cheerios, omelettes and kiwi fruits mostly for breakfasts and snacks in the day - eating something more substantial once I was done for the day.

You can do this, you just have to WANT to do this. Get a hold of yourself and put the choices in place that will get you through your exams without packing on the pounds and feeling bloated and unwell, which you will if you carry on. Best of luck - and good decisions.