why do I give up every day?

skheather
skheather Posts: 42 Member
edited December 19 in Health and Weight Loss
I start off each day with great intentions and then I goof up and give up. How can I stick with it?

Replies

  • Microfiber_wechange
    Microfiber_wechange Posts: 640
    I start off each day with great intentions and then I goof up and give up. How can I stick with it?

    Have you got a friend who could motivate you? i.e. do it together?
  • Cocochickdeleted
    Cocochickdeleted Posts: 342 Member
    I can't tell you how many 'false starts' I have had in my 'diet' career. To make it stick, a couple of things had to happen. First, I had to mentally prepare to make a lifestyle change. I knew that 'dieting' was not a long term option. I had to change my whole view of food. Second, and this was the hard part, the planets had to align, as my husband says. I had to decide that it was time, and that there would be no turning back. It helped that my husband decided he was ready at the same time. We started doing things to get out of the house and away from the refrigerator. We'd go for a walk, or drive to a mall and window shop. Eventually, the new lifestyle becomes life, and it gets easier. I hope you can find your motivation!
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    It comes down to wanting it bad enough to do what you need to do every day or not. Nobody can give you willpower but you. Either you change your habits today, or you don't. Simple as that really.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    It comes down to wanting it bad enough to do what you need to do every day or not. Nobody can give you willpower but you. Either you change your habits today, or you don't. Simple as that really.

    ^^^Exactly this!!! You've got to find your "want to." Why are you doing this? When you can commit to that goal, the rest will start to feel easy.
  • clareeast
    clareeast Posts: 64
    Hard to do, but you need to but yourself straight back on track. It's easy to think, damn, I shouldn't really have eaten that - the whole day's ruined. But if you take each meal as a new start, it's easier to get into the habit of doing what's good, and not getting too hung up on little "mistakes". I'm not saying I get it right all the time, but I keep "starting over".

    For example, I agree to meet the girls in town for coffee, and more often than not we end up doing (less-than-healthy) lunch - now I can see this as a pattern, and I allow for it in advance - but six months ago I would think, "Well, as I had a pizza for lunch with the girls, I might as well have a chinese take-away for dinner." And I have a few glasses of wine to go with it. Before I knew it I'd consumed nearly 5000 calories in the day. If I was in a really low state, I would say well Tuesday was a write-off, the rest of the week doesn't matter either. This attitude led me to gain back the 20 lbs I had previously lost! Now I always share a pizza for lunch, and come dinner time I eat lighter. Slowly, but surely, the weight is coming off (again!).

    Having support, either on MFP or in the "real" world, really helps. Someone to tell you all is not lost because you didn't make the best food choice, or made an excuse not to exercise, and to keep you focused on the "why" as well as the "how" - it certainly keeps me sane! (I think - lol!)
  • LeggyKettleBabe
    LeggyKettleBabe Posts: 300 Member
    Are your goals realistic for YOU? Maybe you need to take baby steps to build some confidence and work toward that ultimate goal.
  • sharpeoplepc
    sharpeoplepc Posts: 84 Member
    Try changing your settings to only lose 1/2 pound per week, you will get more calories. That made all the difference to me. I just couldn't survive on 1200 calories. Somehow I have been losing more than 1/2 a pound per week anyway.:bigsmile:
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    It sounds like you need to sit down and analyze your environment and the structure of your day. Assuming you are really committed to losing weight right now (don't lie to yourself), figure out what happens between your good intentions of the morning and afterwards:

    Do you not have the right food at the ready for when you get hungry? You reach for something else?
    You eat too much? You have triggers?
    You haven't planned exercise?
    You haven't visualized what you will do when your resolve weakens?

    I happened to see this Lifehacker article that shows how to tracks these things. Maybe it'll be worth reading.

    "Uncover and Manipulate Your Triggers to Optimize Your Work and Life"

    http://lifehacker.com/5909198/uncover-and-manipulate-your-triggers-to-optimize-your-work-and-life?utm_source=Lifehacker+Newsletter&utm_campaign=48a9ec6c78-UA-142218-1&utm_medium=email#viewcomments
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    It comes down to wanting it bad enough to do what you need to do every day or not. Nobody can give you willpower but you. Either you change your habits today, or you don't. Simple as that really.

    True, but some people need to plot out what to do. Execution is not simple for them.
  • sandown12
    sandown12 Posts: 648 Member
    1.join the group Eat More to weight Less.
    2. Never use or think of that evil word DIET
    It causes failure before start as it feels like restriction .
    3. Get good mfp friends who don't heckle you for eating a bit if 'junk.
    4. Take one day at a time.
    5.Measure don't just weigh.
    6.think of Christmas 40lbs off or 40lbs on.
    7.Small goals
    8.Aim for 0.5-1lbs a week
    9.Find any exercise you actually enjoy.
    10. Remember this is a life change not a race and with all things it take time mistakes and learning

    I'll be your friend x
  • BriskisGrl
    BriskisGrl Posts: 461
    for me it's honestly by starting small.. not necessarily work out wise but by the food I eat. Start cutting down and taking one thing out at a time. I'm supposed to have 1200 calories a day. Thats without the working out. Some days I can easily eat that and others like yesterday and the day before I wasn't hungry so therefore I only netted between 300-700. Soda pop isn't good for you.. I could easily months ago drink a gallon a day min. Now a 12 pack will last me over 2 and a half weeks.. small baby steps.. Don't rush head in unless you have that kinda determination and will power right up front. Start small and have a support system there to help guide you :D
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    I plan what I will eat at the beginning of each day (or the night before). I work 10 hour days and then go straight to the gym. So, I make sure to eat breakfast before i leave in the morning. I pack lunch and 2 snacks to take with me to work. I try to eat and drink on a regular schedule so I don't get hungry. Waiting too long to eat and getting overly hungry is my biggest pitfall and easily leads to binges, so I try to avoid it.

    I try to balance my macros - whenever possible I try to consume carbs/fat/protein each time I eat. I try to incorporate foods that keep me satiated like nuts, olives, avocados, lean protein.

    It is very easy to think we're hungry when we are actually thirsty. So, when I leave for the morning I take 80 ounces of water in my camelback.

    I try eat 1600-1800 calories per day. When I tried 1200-14000 per day I was hungry and prone to binges and bad choices. It just wasn't sustainable for me. I have a lot more success when most of my caloric deficit comes from exercise rather than dietary restrictions.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    It comes down to wanting it bad enough to do what you need to do every day or not. Nobody can give you willpower but you. Either you change your habits today, or you don't. Simple as that really.

    True, but some people need to plot out what to do. Execution is not simple for them.

    The motivation is what I'm talking about, not the planning. The OP said she has herself setup but that she's not executing the plan. That comes from motivation. It comes from wanting to succeed more than you want the crappy food and to sit on your butt.
  • ashley67203
    ashley67203 Posts: 95
    If you're like me and keep losing and gaining the same ten pounds year after year you might want to check out this group that's really helping me stick with it:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less

    I'm never hungry, never feel deprived, I have loads of energy and my clothes are fitting much better. Plus, I know this time around I'm not going to gain the weight back over the holidays.
  • skheather
    skheather Posts: 42 Member
    Thanks for the info...I think this will help me remember why I am doing this.
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