Staying Motivated...

I am really really trying to lse weight, I have about 20 to lose. I've lost about 4 or 5 so far but my biggest setback is somedays I am awesome, go to the gym, drink a ton of water and watch what I eat. The next day ( usually a weekend) I convince myself I can cheat a little and before I know it I've been on an all day binge. I wake up the next morning and hate myself. Does anyone have any tips on keeping the motivation up in tough situ's ( out to eat, cookouts, at the beach, ice cream) Sometimes it seems impossible to "be good"!

Mon. Jul 16, 6:41pm

First of all don't beat youself up TOO badly for an OCCASIONAL slip up.
However, if you are constantly eating food you shouldn't be it will be a problem.

Honestly what works for me is portion control. If I am really craving something I allow myself to have it, in moderation. If I have something "bad" for lunch then I have an extra intense workout and a light dinner. It's all about give and take and I reached my goal weight and have maintained it for over a year this way. Good luck!

Monday, July 16, 2007, 6:53 PM

When do you weigh in? My weigh in day is Sunday... Helps me remember on Friday night/Saturday that I want to see progress in the morning.
When I know I'm going to an event, I make plans (even right them down) for what I'm going to do to "stay good": Send the bread basket back or move it away, stick to 3 bites maximum of goodies, play with the kids instead of hanging around the snack table, etc. Even when I cheat a little on these goals, it's better than having no plan and blowing it completely. Then I get to check off how I did when I return (I'm so anal!).

Monday, July 16, 2007, 7:10 PM

whoops... right them down = write them down. my brain must be tired.

Monday, July 16, 2007, 7:10 PM

When I go to bbq's or cook outs during these summer months I always try and bring a thing or two that is "legal" for me. Fruits, veggies..... That way there are things that I can snack on too.
I was invited to a bbq for the 4th and really had to think about how to stay on track but with a little planning it went really well.
I knew there would be chips, the hardest thing for me to say no to, so I brought a pre portioned amount of pretzels. I brought my own bun. It looked like a baby compared to everyone else's but I was ok with that. I brought my own low fat mayo.....And I made a pasta salad with very little pasta and lots of veggies then when I had it I picked most of the pasta out and left it on my plate.
I came home feeling wonderful. And who knows maybe your being open about watching what you eat will encourage someone else.
Sometimes it is hard to say no but try to focus on why you want to lose the weight and how important is it to you.
That is another thing I ask myself, not how bad do I want the food but instead, how bad do I want to be thin.

Lastly, keep track of what you eat. I am amazed at how quickly the calories add up.
Best of luck to you

Tuesday, July 17, 2007, 6:50 PM

I hope that you're focusing on developing habits for a lifetime instead of hurrying to dump those pounds and get back to what you used to do.

If your real goal is to change your relationship with food, with exercise, and with your body, you might want to work on moving away from the extremes of rigid compliance with a "diet" or "exercise plan" alternated with "cheating."

Real life is full of weekends, picnics, trips to the beach, and all those other things that can trip us up when we're on a diet. Find ways to make those times enjoyable so you don't feel deprived and resentful. The previous post was right on target with suggestions about bringing some things that will work with whatever weight loss plan you're following.

Try to focus on living a healthy life, rather than having "legal" days and "cheating" days.

One thing I've been working on is to observe my thin friends and family members and learn from how they think about, talk about, and interact with food. They don't worry about whether today is a diet day or a binge day -- it's just a day.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007, 7:13 PM

7:13, that is such wise advise. I've been on so many diets only to blow them at some point and then give up. This time I'm following no diet, no rules, nothing off limits. Just concentrating on regualr exercise, eating healthier--more fruits and vegetables, less processed food--and making the size of the portions inversely proportional to the density of the calories. I can't get tired of the drudgery of counting calories or points, because I don't do it and since I have no rules, I can't break them. I do find logging what I eat helpful because it reinforces good food choices and if I do make a poor choise, it lets me see what might have caused it. This is not a diet, this is a lifestyle change. And the amazing thing is, I'm losing weight almost as fast as if I was actually 'dieting'. The only thing I find I have to be strict about is alcohol. A couple of glasses of wine and my good judgement goes out the window.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007, 1:24 PM

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