How do you break through getting stuck stuck stuck?

Hi

How do you keep going?  Have you pushed past that ho hum feeling?  How do you keep from stopping?

I have a long ways to go and I really can not even imagine ever losing what I need to lose... like say 1/2 of me. 

Not yanking your chain or anything.  I guess I just can't seem to stay with this and don't know anyone who ever did.  Maybe it's just a nightmare even trying to change because I just get so disappointed each time I don't make it. 

Would like to hear your story.  If you want to share.  Thanks.

First of all welcome to the site! I think the best part of this site is that it is not about following a diet; it is about knowing how many calories you should be consuming in order to lose weight. I highly recommend you take full advantage of all the tools (click expenditure to see how many calories you burn on a typical day, and click on allowance to see how many calories you should consume in order to meet your weight loss goal). Log your food, stick to your recommended caloric intake, drink plenty of water, and post on the forums: we support each other through the good, the bad, and the ugly.

let me welcome u first and then DONT SAY THAT!! -- you can do it and u will do it! i am on diet and on this site for about 2 month and half.. what is it 10 weeks? now i am excited more than ever.. i was size 12--10.. and now i fit in 8! in 3 month!! i cant wait to find all my curves and lose all the fat.. what inspires u more than looking at urself in mirror and seeing how good u look?

** who could imagine Atiyeh one day would say she actually like her body**

yeah i was sayin.. u just came to the right place at perfect time! here are many GREAT people that will help each other to be inspired and not quit until u reach ur goal.. i know when u have a lot to lose it is harder,, but go and look at some ppl's profiles and u just wont ever quit again..

huggs
Atiyeyh

Hi!!! 

This is my first post, I found this site a few weeks ago and have just been getting a feel for it.

I know what you mean though...I have the same issue...it's almost as if my brain wills me to self destruct and start back with all the bad eatting habits.  I have times when I have willpower to spare and other times when I am compelled to eat anything not nailed down lol. 

One thing I have noticed is that everyone seems VERY supportive and friendly on this site.  I think they may be the extra willpower source we need. (fingers crossed). 

Good luck...

Hi!  Thanks for posting!

Have you really changed the way you eat?  How do you figure what to eat? 

I guess it's easier to follow something like Atkins for me except I love carbs which is why I get so sick of doing Atkins I get the cheese and hamburgers which I love but then I miss bread and rice and cookies and start dreaming about all the sweets.

argh. 

Hi!  Welcome to all of you "newbies"!  Mugsie is so right, the tools and support here are great!  :D

Honestly, I've only been doing this 3 months (a little longer than nebita, who is doing fabulously!) . . . but I'd say not thinking of it as a diet but rather a way of eating and getting healthier for the long run has helped.  I can eat whatever I want (no "forbidden" foods, just some I really have to consider seriously before eating) as long as I get to my daily goal: 1350-1500 calories, 20-25% from fat, 25-30% from protein, and 50-55% carbs.  I also drink 120-140oz of water, which is a trip b/c I was a soda/coffee fan before deciding to improve my health. 

And, I am "stuck" on a plateau right now . . . and have been for a week, but I'm also down 39 pounds . . . and would LOVE to eventually reach my goal weight and give up some bad habits while developing new good ones.  If I look at it as a "quick fix," I'll be in trouble, and if I look at some foods as "forbidden," yep, I'll get frustrated and crave and eventually eat too much of them.

need2lose, you can do this, and it does get a little easier as better eating becomes a habit and the weight starts to shift!  I know you can do this because you're already talking about it and asking for advice.  BK and all the fastfood places are tough to give up or cut back on, but you're right, they do kinda sabotage otherwise good eating (check the fastfood restaurant listings on the food link for this site--the stats for a whopper w/cheese will blow you away!).

Maybe you could make a few goals (realistic ones, start slow) and post them to the "July Goals" post in the Motivation Forum.  Then, you could watch your own progress and that of others.

Please don't give up, newbies, and please DO keep posting!  :)

Thank you! :)

So how did you decide what foods to eat?  Did you come up with what you like or do you have a favorite diet?

I have a good plan, but i get really sick of it...  maybe i'll go to the bookstore.

honestly, need2lose, I'm not sure I was very scientific about it all . . . or maybe I was. . . .I do eat almost everything I *want* to eat, but my tastes are changing, too . . .Here's what I did:

1) Decided to reduce caffeine, sugar, salt, and processed foods (think "junk" food and "candy").  I still eat pretzels, wheat bread, cereal, and a few other things that might be less than superfoods, but don't do caffeine or most desserts (I stick mostly to fruit, ff frozen yogurt, or something like that.  Two reasons: first, they're better for me than most brownies and cookies, and second, if I do eat a little more than I should, I don't blow my whole day).

2) I don't eat fatty meats (including chicken skin) anymore and have at least a couple of days each week where my dinner entree is totally vegetarian.  I DO eat lots of fish, turkey, chicken, and tofu or veggetarian "meats".  I don't fry, except with no-stick spray.

3) I try to space my foods out so I have 3 meals and 2 snacks or a snack and dessert.  I've read on this site that that keeps your glycemic/insulin levels happier and helps your metabolism.

4) I drink tons of water (like 120-140 oz a day--they say 64oz is a minimum to ensure healthy bodily functions).

5) I don't go below 1200 calories a day, because starvation mode would kick in and eventually cripple my metabolism.  I stay between 1200-1500 (you could use the tools on this site to figure out your calorie "goals").

6) I eat tons of veggies.  :-)  and fruit.  :-)  a few nuts for good fats.  :-)

7) I try to keep my sodium low, say around 2000mg.  Most healthy folks can have up to 2300mg per day.  I shoot for approximately 20-25% fat per day, 25-30% protein, and 50-55% carbs.  The little pie chart tells me how I'm doing.

8) I take a vitamin every day and record my foods every day.

9) I walk, do yoga, stretch, and--as of today!--do aerobics 3-4 times a week.

PHEW!  I hope this helps!  Sorry to take up so much space . . .

Honestly, though, you will want to see what your own expenditures and allowances should be (the site tools area) and then decide what about your eating could be better.  If it is sweets, maybe cut back or eat them less often, or find new recipes or options for baked stuff.  Whatever you decide, this site can help you do it!  It is really awesome!!  :D

Wow Writestuff.  That is a lot.  How long have you been doing this?  Are you still feeling like you want to keep making these changes?  I guess I'm asking... is it really getting easier or do you ever find yourself wanting the way you used to eat? 

Why did you do this?  I'm not sure I really want to do this.  I know I need to do it.  I know I'm unahppy being to heavy but I love food.  So the thought of dieting makes me kind of wrinkle my face all up.  I guess I don't see it as a long term thing and really am having a hard time imaginging changing for a really long time.

Is that weird?  Do I just need to like yell at myself and do it anyway.

I don't know what I'm saying and reight now I am tired and I think I'm upset.  I hope this gets easier.  I don't feel like I can cahnge anythign right now.   How did I go from optomistic this afternoon fto feeling like it's impossible tonight?

Need2lose, I've made similar changes that Writestuff has made but I've done it slowly over the last nine months.  My advice is that everyone feels like they can't do it.  But being thin shouldn't be a goal all by itself.  The goal is a healthier lifestyle.  If you want a hamburger then have one, but have one once a month, not weekly (or in my case; more - before I made changes). 

Set small attainable goals for yourself and find new 'comfort' foods that you love and curb your appetite for foods that won't help you keep a healthy lifestyle.  Sometimes they can be revamped foods that you make at home with fewer calories, like hungry-girl.com's mockmcmuffins. (I personally use egg beaters instead of egg whites! ;-) ) Eventually you'll find that your choosing better foods on a regular basis without a second thought about it.  But keep mixing it up, for me food gets boring, so try lots of different foods so that you always feel like there's something fun to choose from and keep boredom at bay.   

needtolose...I recommend eating 1850 on a regular basis. If this seems like alot to you because you are used to dieting, that is why you can stick to this. 1850 is what you need to lose weight. This best way to look at this is that you are not on a diet.

I have been her since March and lost about 40 pounds. I could not stick to a diet, and came here where I was told to eat 1650 calories.  I did 1200 briefly and when I got sick of it I went back to 1600. And that is where I am now. And I am happy and I dont log every calorie everyday. Make your eating habit changes slowly so that you dont make such a huge change on yourself.

I have my own goals for daily nutrition. I shoot for 90-100 grams of protein, 35-45 grams of fat. I dont pay attention to my carbs unless they get up to like 75% of my daily intake. I tried Atkins before and had it work for me, but really who wants to live without pasta!If I want a candybar - I eat IT! I only eat one. I enjoy it when I do. I eat portions and stay within my calories. I eat one Zone Bar or something similar a day. I try to eat three servings of fat free dairy.

Do I hit all my goals all the time? No, and I try not to beat myself up when I do. This is something I plan on doing for life so I dont  make changes that I can not live with. Some changes I thought I would never be able to do; I have done. (Think: drinking plain skim milk straight) I did not excecise at first, I am begining to now. Slow changes...that is how you make permanent changes.

need2lose, I did most of it all at once, but definitely have been increasing water and exercise over time.  I did it because I'm young enough (early 30s) but obese and don't want to be AND because my boyfriend (42) just found out he has congestive heart disease.  We both decided it was better to change our ways.  Had it not been for his recent scare, and me being tired of being heavy and totally out of shape, we might not have made the change.  It does get easier, but I still crave things and want to eat some foods that are less than great for me, so every now and then, I do.  It is just a once every couple weeks or month thing as opposed to an every day or whenever I want it thing. 

The way you feel is not weird, but if you don't see it long-term, weight lost will likely come back, according to most studies.  It's like if you work out for 3 months you get muscles, but if you then stop, you lose them. 

I'd definitely sleep on all of this and then think about why you want to do it.  If it is for your overall long-term health, then it would be a long-term thing.  Of course, you don't have the immediate pressures my bf did, so you might just consider making smaller changes over time. 

I totally second what pixie and meredith said.  Don't beat yourself up (good advice that I don't always take myself, I admit it!).  But you can do this, and it does get easier.  Just exactly what you decide to do is totally up to you, but whatever you decide, if you want help or recipes or advice or whatever, just post and someone will reply.  This site is wonderful for that.

Good Luck!

Thank you. 

I gained 3 lbs last night.  How does that happen? 

How do I quit eating sweets at night. 

frustrated, can't seem to get started again, and I'm already stuck up an extra 3 pounds.

I know this sounds really whiny but really, I just feel like quitting...  is it oik to just say waaaaaaaaaa :(  I feel like throwing my spoon on the floor.  oh my gack.  I can't believe I feel like a 2n year old about this.

lemme tell you a story.  Until I started coming here, I went with the conventional belief that I had to starve to lose weight.  I'd stick to it and lose 15 or 20 pounds, then I'd get stuck and give up.  I'd gain back the weight plus another 5 pounds, all the way up to 210.  I developed the belief that I just could not lose weight unless I ate less than 900 calories a day, and I couldn't stick to that for long, so I was resigned to being fat.

What I discovered here at CC, is the knowledge that you have to nourish your body for it to work right, and that includes how it burns fat.  But not at first.  I started out at 1200 calories a day and did lose 12 pounds and got stuck, just like always.  But instead of giving up, I came here and asked for help. 

People who had lost amazing amounts of weight told me I wasn't eating enough.  After reading all about "starvation mode", I increased my calories to 1500 and then to 1800 (my maintenance level) for a few days. I stayed stuck for over a month, but had lots of encouragement not to give up, so I didn't.

Believe it or not, I dropped 4 pounds in a matter of 10 days!  I decreased my calories and kept losing until 18 pounds was gone, then another plateau.  Right now I'm increasing my calories again, and I've already lost a half a pound since last week. My total loss is now 20 pounds and the scale just hit 190 today.

You have to eat.

Be sure you are eating only nutrition packed foods.  Get rid of all the junk and processed stuff.  Cook from scratch and get yourself plenty of fresh veggies (frozen are the next best choice).  Eat your veggies before you eat anything else.  Get some good, high fiber, high protein cereal and throw away the Froot Loops.

You can do this! 

Welcome!

need2lose, I find that what works for me is making small changes. Here are some that I have made; perhaps in them you will find inspiration for making one change tomorrow that you can live with most if not all days (and I didn't make these all at once, but over time):

• switched from a caloric beverage at lunch to a diet beverage. Once I got used to that, I switched from the diet beverage to water.
• stopped eating chocolate chocolate chip muffins for breakfast three days a week by cutting back to having one a week. I'm now down to one every other week or so. I still eat them, just not as often, and what helps me not get them as often is saying to myself, "they will be there tomorrow."
• recently implemented change is using the bathroom one floor below me once a day, using the steps to get there and back. I will probably expand this in the future, but for right now, those 22 steps a day back up are 22 steps up I was not doing before.
• walking the distance between work and the subway twice a week. I used to never do this, and started with once a week. Now I'm doing this twice a week. Do I make it every single week? No. Sometimes it's 100 degrees out. I don't kill myself doing this, but a couple of times a week, I can usually get this done.

There are other changes I've made, too, to better my life in various areas, in eating, in exercise, financially.

Now if only I could get the work that I need to do on my house started.....! :-)

need2loose.....don't worry.  I just started this program again (i had stopped for a while after I had an accident)  Everyone on here is great but I know sometimes everyones plans can seem complicated.  If it makes it easier you can try what I do.  I eat 6 times a day which includes a 100 calorie snack in between each meal.  I eat whatever I want the onlly thing I watch is my calories.  And it is working.  I am a single mother of two and a foster mother of one so I understand the calorie count problem on the casseroles and such.  Just work it in.  If you know you are having something like that for dinner than try eating a lower amount of calories during the day and then guestimate(ha ha) on what it can be.  I mean if you leave 400 or 500 hundred calories for dinner and eat a cup of caserrole or so you aren't gonna gain 15 lbs.  And one more thing.....it might help you to have a splurge day.  A day where you have one meal and you can eat anything you want without worry.

need2lose,

One trick I use to keep from backsliding and giving up on the weight loss thing is planning one day a month on which I absolutely will not count calories.  I call it my cheat day and every time I get a craving I put it on a list and on my cheat day I can have everything on my list.  I've been doing this since November and have lost 40 pounds and at this point I find I don't even overeat on my cheat days.  Or at least not very often.  The rest of the time I stick to a 1350 to 1600 per day diet.  I do get stuck sometimes - have been for several weeks now - but it always gets back in gear.

And if you can't find the exact food you ate, look for something close.  For homemade caseroles I usually take the main ingredients and figure it that way.  It keeps me close to where I need to be.

Hang in there.  You can do it!

neeners just showed me this site...check it out.  It was wonderful to be able to put my wight in and see what my body looked like then you can put your goal weight in and see what you will look like....i am going to look at it every single day and soon i will be looking in a mirror the site is www.mvm.com.

need2lose, I know it can be frustrating, especially when you're cooking for several people.  Hang in there and just make a few changes and do what you can.  One thing you may want to look at is how much sodium you took in on the day you gained the 3 pounds.  It could be you were retaining water to some extent.  I don't know what was in the casserole, but bbq sauce and most meats have sodium (it's injected into the meats), and most soups (so if there was cream of mushroom in the casserole) and cheeses have a bunch.  I know if I make something these days, I enter the ingredients and the site tells me what all is in things.  Another suggestion to the good ones athena gave you is to eat more fruits and veggies (raw or steamed/boiled). 

If you post what you ate for the day, folks can will also be willing to give you suggestions, if you want.

Keep on trying, and let us know if we can help.  :)

One of the things I did when I started was buy a new cookbook.  Since you like cooking, maybe this would be one place to start.  There are tons and tons of healthy cooking books.  Cooking Light has books and a monthly magazine, which I get now.  I bought the American Heart Association's Low Calorie cookbook, and love it.  Look for one that has all the nutrition information included with each recipe. 

Everyone's advice has been great.  In the end, the only person who can make it happen is you, and I wish you the best with your decision making.   Personally, my motivation has been the trend line on my weight analysis.  Even though I haven't felt like I've lost much (still wearing the same pants, etc), that weight log is a pretty good testimonial.  And, when I think about it, I know that my shirts are looser, my pants are now held up by a belt several holes tighter than it used to be, etc.  Besides that, I am loving cooking healthy foods into wonderful things to eat! 

Healthy changes are great.  They can be hard, but when you look back and see how far you've come, it's very motivating!  Hope to see you around :-)