consistency / Venting
 

Hello All :)


I was wondering if anybody is struggling like me with consistency?

I can remember a time when counting calories and working out was my job. Its what I did everyday...and I was very successful at it!! I lost 112lbs over a course of 2yrs and kept it off for over 5 & 1/2 yrs until I started working full time again. :mad:

Fast forward 8 yrs later....And now I've gained over 40lbs back and im feeling like a complete failure :( Here's what I do. I pick out a day to start again, buy a tablet or log onto MFP. I will start counting again and working out but I end up binge eating and starting over the 'next week'. ( and not to mention the countless accounts I've deleted on MFP) Its madness and im sick of it!! Im sure this behavior is why I've put on so much weight...

Anways...just wondering if there are any other 'part-time counters out there like me, sigh....

I guess this is a vent in some way too:dizzy: thanks for listening....

Oh, I did that for years. I'm still a procrastinator extraordinaire, but have been able to get some sense into things and am actually on my way to where I want to be.

I don't think I have any clear advice, but looking back, I think I was still stuck in the idea that I *had* worked out a lot and thought that I was able to just pick up from where I left off. Clearly, I wasn't. This seems to be a similar problem with some athletes who aren't able to reset and start again from the beginning. They're still living in the idea that they know what they are doing and have done it before. Essentially, it's just ego-talk and as such it will fail, because it's not based on reality.

I guess a bit of humility helps. No need to beat yourself up about being a "failure". So things didn't go the way you expected. Accept it and learn from it. Swallow your pride and start with less ambitious plans. Don't starve yourself if it leads to binging. Just make small changes here and there. It will all cumulate over time whether it's getting into a habit or building strength or losing fat.

Actually, now that I think about it, most success stories I've read have started with "I started small, walking for five minutes per day". Yes, it is very humbling to have to accept that we're not able to make major life changes overnight, but it doesn't make one a failure! It's just reality.

The way for me to get around that kind of behavior is to set myself up so that I can't fail (or so that failing is harder than succeeding). I plan. I literally sit down and write every single food I will eat in the day before the day starts.

Breakfast:
Snack:
Lunch:
Snack:
Dinner:
Snack:
TOTAL:

When I grocery shop, I do it once every 2-3 weeks. This means that the day before I make a list. On the top of the list are different recipes I plan to make. Usually there are at least 3 soups, a stew, a chili, and a few dishes that my daughter likes (namely zucchini/turkey meatballs, squash/chicken nuggets, and cauliflower/cheese sauce for macaroni and cheese). Everything I listed is freezer friendly, but I often include a few other dishes that are not intended for freezing. On the bottom of the list, I write out my ingredients that I'll need to buy along with the other things that I will need just for my snacks or regular "on a whim" ingredients like mushrooms, spinach, peppers, onions, corn tortillas, milk, baby carrots, frozen vegetables, etc.

I start cooking my freezer meals on Saturday morning. I portion and freeze so that we have them readily available to eat within minutes. If I really feel like cooking after work, I'll cook one of the other dishes that are not so freezer-friendly (homemade Chinese takeout is my newest conquest) or just make something quick with the ingredients I have on hand. The fast "recipes" are usually something like a microwave loaded baked potatoes, quesadillas, flatbread/tortilla pizzas.

It's often easier for me to eat what I have (AND CHEAPER!) than to get derailed and eat something that may not fit into my plan.

I tend to get derailed during the holidays and get too relaxed with my food diary. I also use MFP and when I'm serious about my diet I religiously keep track of every bite even if I eat badly, but then I get off track and get lazy as far as logging food goes. I am still serious about my zumba classes though and go to those religiously. Exercise alone will not do it for me though. I can work out like crazy and still not lose, sometimes even gain weight. Dieting is the only way I can lose weight.

For any diet plan I totally agree with Munchy that the key is to plan ahead. Every time I failed at the Atkins diet was because I didn't plan out my meals and snacks ahead of time. It makes it so much easier if you plan ahead.

What works for me to keep me motivated and on track is when we do weight loss challenges here at work. We all put in money each payday and the winner(s) get the pot. We have done 12 week challenges and 6 week challenges. Sometimes it's winner takes all and sometimes there's first, second and third place. We go by percentage lost instead of pounds lost in order to keep it fair. We try to change it up to keep it interesting. One time we did a 6-week challenge where the goal was to lose 5% of your body weight and whoever did it split the pot. Everyone had a chance to at least win their money back, but only 3 out of 8 made it to the 5%. It's fun and really keeps me motivated. We are starting our next one on January 1st and it's a good thing because I need some motivation right now. This time of year is hard for me, especially with the holidays.

Good luck on your weight loss journey. This website has also been a big help for me. I try to log in daily and get tips and motivation from others who know what I'm going through. It's also nice to read through the success stories. I'd really like to make it to goal so I can have a success story to post :)

Another here on planning.

Days I don't have at least a small one, I tend to go over my calories by wide margins. When I plan, I stick to it and do much better. I do not buy anything I can't eat either. Of course, I live with a man who brings stuff like sugary cereal in and fried chicken tenders, so it's not perfect, but I personally don't buy that crap when I shop. I have a list and it get just what's on that list and nothing else.

I'm so inspired by your previous weight loss of 112 lbs wow! Psht, if you can do that, you can totally manage the recent regain :) You got this!

I have had some sloppy calorie counting myself for several weeks now. The way I have kept it from not only becoming a worse problem, but also kept myself from becoming discouraged, is that when I have an oops, I start right back with the next meal, even if it's breakfast the next morning, and try to do my best. I don't wait for another week or a few days for sure. I immediately take my "lumps" if you will, and get back on caloric plan immediately.

To echo what has already been said, having the appropriate food in the house from which to choose for your diet is imperative! Heaven forbid I run low on some of my go-to diet food choices. That's like a danger zone for me, lol. When I feel myself slipping, I also gravitate toward food choices of which I can easily count the calories - I don't eat out and don't partake of some of the casserole type dishes I prepare for my family. I basically make it easy for me to get exact with my computations. Also I have to ramp up eating every 3 hours or so, snacks etc. instead of going long stretches of time between meals/snacks. I don't know what your full time job is like, but hopefully you have a few minutes to have a small mid morning snack and then some almonds or something midafternoon, that is if you do some small snacking around your meal times (I do.)

Keep us updated :dust:

Yes, exactly!! I used to workout ( cardio and heavy weight lifting )for an hour a day - 6 days a week AND I looked forward to it. Now its a struggle to just 'think' about walking for 30 mins. I have to stop comparing myself to what I used to do....im not that person anymore.

This is definitely something I can do. On my days off I could sit down and just plan ahead my meals. Think about what I want to eat for the week and so forth. Come to think of it - its one of the reasons I was so successful before. I always stuck to a scheduled meal.

The weight loss challenges sound cool and very motivating!! I'm going to suggest a challenge at my job, I know there are a lot of women looking to lose weight. Thanks for the suggestion.

This is one of my issues too. My hubby and kids bring in junk that can trigger me to binge. I will have to put a stop to this (oreo's, fruity pebble cereal, cheez-it crackers, its madness)



Exactly!! That is what I tell myself everyday. " I did it before and I can do it again!" And totally agree with you on the slip-ups. Something else I used to practice.

thanks again to everybody. :hug:

That's what I was doing with counting points / tracking what I ate when I was doing WW. For years. I'd stop and start over and over, and only tracked some days. I had many "oh, I'll just start again on Monday" moments. It was when I looked back and realized that I had been gaining and losing the same 10 pounds for about 3 years, that I came here and got myself in gear. I also switched to calorie counting, which is the best thing ever. I've been plowing through my last 20, tough pounds. Slowly. But they're coming off. What is working for me, is these three things:
1) Weigh myself every morning. It is the ONLY thing that keeps me from slipping back to where I was and keeps me in check. If I see a number I don't like I look back at what I've been doing and get back in gear.
2) Track my calories every day using MFP. Even when I have a day that isn't great and go way over my calorie allotment. I still track what I ate.
3) Prepare ahead. Have the right foods in the house and prepare meals ahead of time. This prevents me from going out to eat or grabbing something on the run that is high in calories because I didn't have food in the house.

This is a tough time of the year to stay on track, for sure, but you can do it.

Thank you so much for this advice. Today I thought I really blew it and wasn't going to put it in MFP. But when I read this I decided to go and try to remember all the cookies I ate, and input it. If I remembered everything, I think I am at approx 1800 calories. I was on my feet all day so I had a Huge calories adjustment so really I'm fine. Wow, surprising. I think I will be better about entering it during the day instead of trying to remember though! During a normal week I do tend to repeat meals so I can enter it at night, but if I decide to have a day like today I better input. I agree on the scale too. When I stop weighing I'm gaining! I don't want to see it! But you are right that is the key.

Excellent tips and congratulations on finding what works for you! It is working for me as well!