Ok i don't really want to complain but I'm finding it really hard to start my day today and was wondering if any of you ever feel this way and what you do to motivate yourselves.

I woke up 2 and a half hours ago and have managed to do NOTHING. I started working out but stopped after 5 minutes partly because i'm still in pain from yesterday's workout and partly because i just feel upset. Also, I started icing a cake i baked for my boyfriend because it's his birthday. Staring at it, smelling it, knowing i can't eat it is killing me. I ran out of icing and now I can't even find the energy to go to the store and get some more. I also know I'm going to a restaurant tonight for his birthday and I'm dreading ordering something and not knowing how many calories are actually hiding in there (in my area, there aren't really any chain restaurants where I can find nutritional info online, they're all small businesses)...
Writing this has made me feel a bit better but if anyone has any advice or wants to vent as well i'm all ears!
Thanks guys

I can't help on the energy, but a little on eating out. Pick beef, pork, shrimp or chicken, prepared in the simplest way possible (ie. grilled, no sauce). Ask them to drop the starch from the meal (pasta, potato, rice) and just take veggies. This won't make the meal perfect, but with a steak dinner you can sometimes add way more calories with the potato with 'all the fixins' than you would think.

I just looked at The Keg, our local chain steakhouse, for their baked potato:

potato - 350
butter spread - 203
sour cream - 62
bacon bits - 24
3 cheese topping - 364

So... potato, butter, sour cream.... over 600 cals.

8oz sirloin - 542 cals
baked parmesan tomato - 38
steamed asparagus - 189 (sheesh - grilled and drowned in butter!)

Avoid the bread on the table, or allow yourself one small piece. I usually avoid it because I can't stop with one small piece. Since you've made cake, obviously skip dessert. If you're going to have salad, ask for the dressing on the side. Key terms in dressing are fat-free, pick that one if they have it. And above all else, enjoy yourself. If you're only going out occasionally consider it a free meal, but keeping all of the above in mind.

order a cup of soup and a salad with low fat dressing & no croutons tonight, you'll be fine! also just get on the exercise machine for 20 minutes, once you are done you'll feel so much better. or jog to the grocery store and get some exercise that way! (if it's within jogging distance). i live in a city so i'm used to a store on every street, haha.

best of luck!!!!!

On the energy thing - are you giving yourself at least one full rest day every week? I know when I started off I was gung ho and never took a day off. At the moment I walk 5 days a week (30-45 mins), lift weights 3 days a week, but on Saturday I do neither, and on Sunday I only do weights (and sleep in).

Hey! It sounds like you haven't been at this for very long... maybe you have and I just got the wrong impression. But I'd like to share with you some ideas that might help your attitude.

First of all, someone's birthday should never be a reason for you to feel miserable. Yes, there are going to be some food challenges, and that cake to deal with, but this is just a small blip in your journey. You do not want to be a downer on your boyfriend's birthday! So, you can enjoy the time with him and just make sure to adjust your approach to the food.

- You can have some cake, if you choose to. Think in terms of cubic inches, and cut yourself a thin slice. If it's a round cake, go for an inch wide at the edge. This is not going to do terrible damage unless you let it! NO second piece--and in fact, if your boyfriend doesn't want to take it home with him, or if you live together, you'll have to freeze him a chunk and throw the rest away. Yes, I'm serious.

- You can eat at the restaurant. Skip alcohol. Most places these days can do a grilled (not breaded, not fried) chicken breast sliced over salad with dressing on the side. There you go! The idea is, find the items that will do the least damage, and eat a reasonable portion. Leave the leftovers on the plate! You don't need them.

Second (yeah, this is a novel... ), if you are exercising to the point where you are that sore the next day, then you need to take things easier. If you're new to exercise, this is very important. You don't want to hurt yourself while you're changing your exercise habits. No need to go for a boot-camp style breakdown! And RealCdn is right about rest days--you need them!

Third, please please let go of the idea that if you don't do everything perfectly, then it's all hopeless! Many people make this mistake. It's not an either-or situation you're in--it's a situation where you can control what you do, within limits, and sometimes you'll go over the limits a bit. Just keep trying to keep those to a minimum and stay on your plan as much as possible.

And finally (I know, everyone is asleep by now), make sure that the plan you're following is reasonable--that you're not trying to get by on too little to eat while exercising some massive amount. This is another recipe for giving up! Moderation is the best way to go...

Cheer up! You are doing fine!

Jay

What Jay said.

Also, are you getting enough sleep? Enough to eat?

Thank you all for the advice!!
I am getting enough sleep and enough to eat but I guess I wan't sure how much damage I would be doing with the restaurant eating!
Thanks for the pick-me-up though! you guys are great!