I messed up again!
 

Hi!

I have managed to mantain my weight for a while, wich is a semi-accomplishment for me, becuase for the past year I have been rapidly gaining weight. It's like a water balloon being filled up with water, except I'm being ballooned up with fat.

I used to be a very tight and muscular girl. Now my legs jiggle when I walk and have unsightly love handles- I feel like a blob.:dizzy:

Anyways.. For the past 2 months, I wake up every morning and tell myself "Today is the day! I'm going to look so pretty this comming summer!" And by 2:30 in the afternoon I have already consumed cream soda, cookies, and chips:mad: Worst of all, I have an ugly tendensy to blame my family members for my weight gain. It makes me feel horrible after I yell at them. I don't want to be the mean fat girl.

My question is, what do you do for motivation? What keeps you on track, how do you avoid tempation, and how do you get a good start on your diet?

Ok, thats four questions...

inter-stella----

It seems that it's different for everyone, but for me, I thrive on the control that I get out of planning out my meals and exercise. When you're not consciously thinking about what you're putting into your body, you often aren't paying attention to how your body responds to it. BUT, when you really start to pay close attention to what you're feeding your body, it's easy to see the results of your choices in plain view! I was never aware that my body changed so fast just based on my activities and the foods I was eating until very recently!

Also, it helps me a lot to make little mini-goals for myself. Even if I don't meet them (I missed my second one), I usually come close, and that means I'm better off than I used to be! The prospect of trying to lose 76 pounds (which is my ultimate goal) was too overwhelming. So, I find it helpful to break it up into manageable slices... How do you eat an elephant?...:D

Third, I try to limit negative self-talk. I know it's a habit, and we're always so hard on ourselves that it's really hard to stop doing it. BUT, think about it this way: society is full of images communicating to you that you're overweight, not attractive, etc... What you say to your own self in your own mind is ENTIRELY up to you. Sometimes you have to be a cheerleader for yourself! :encore:

Fourth, pick a plan that you can live with. Any diet is bound to fail if you HATE it from day 1. Think of a healthy way of eating that you can feasibly live with for the rest of your life, and let that be your "diet".

For motivation, this website works wonders. There are tons of people here who will help you when you're having trouble and cheer for you when you succeed. It's worked wonders for me so far! For avoiding temptation, I struggle. I often think to myself "do I want this _______ more than I want to be thinner?" and the answer is usually no. If the answer is yes, then I go ahead and treat myself. This website is good for keeping you from caving in to your temptations, too. I speak from experience when I say that it is EMBARRASSING to have to come in and report that i completely pigged out one day. It's like an entire network of accountability partners!

Finally, understand that setbacks are part of the process. You may not lose every day or every week... Learn from your setbacks and move on. Do not beat yourself up. The only way for you to fail is to quit.

Best of luck to you. Please stick around the website because it's an invaluable resource. The people here want to help you succeed!:hug:

One way to avoid temptation is to not have it in the house. It's pretty easy to stock the cabinets with only healthy foods if you live alone or if everyone in the house is dieting. However, if you're the only one dieting, maybe you can segregate the food in the house. You could get a box and put all the chips, and cakes and cookies in there so that when you look through the cabinets you will not be able to see the naughty foods and you can focus on the healthier alternatives that are visible. Granted, I know that the phrase "out of sight, out of mind" really doesn't work when you really want a doughnut, but it might help as a step in the right direction.

I can understand blaming others for "making you eat." My boyfriend would (and still does) offer me food very often. He'll ask me three times in a row if I want some of what he's eating and after I've answered "no" each time, he'll just shove the food inches from my face trying to get me to take it. I just keep remembering a Buddhist quote I read: "It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways."

As far getting a good start and staying motivated, I have no significant advice. You just have to do it and that's it. Good luck! :)

WOw, thats a great quote... Out of curiosity, why do you think your bf keeps on offering you food and shoving it in your face if you said no 3x???

I feel your pain. I feel as though all I am thinking about is FOOD constantly. There are periods (phases) when I do very well, but food is always on my mind. Try to keep positive. One step at a time. One day at a time. That is my plan so far. Baby steps.

http://www.3fatchicks.net/img/bar097...5/130/155/.png

inter stella? Have you had a look at the 'Plan for a Nearly Perfect Day' threads? Try planning out six good little feedings, a couple of hours apart and some activity for a diversionary tactic :)
You'll be surprised how motivating one good day can be.

Veggielover,

My boyfriend is obese and I think he struggles with the concept that I can't eat the same quantity of food as he does. He has been making some improvements though, and I've been doing better about communicating too. If I've finished eating for the day, I'll say "Hey, I'm not eating any more tonight, so don't ask." He has been putting forth effort because he sees my weightloss and knows it's important for me. He grew up on a farm and I think offering food will always be a hospitality sort of thing for him. It's actually kind of funny when he tries to listen to me. He'll say, "Ok, I know you're not eating and I'm not supposed to offer you this, but do you want some?" Oh well, sometimes boys just don't learn as quickly. :D (No offense to all the gents out there)