Can't stick with anything... Help!

This is my umpteenth attempt at creating healthier habbits and becoming more fit.  My screen name, Stilltryin, says it all.  I have tried Weight Watchers, Curves, Biggest Loser DVDs, this website, and just plain old gumption.  I have lost as much at 15 pounds!  After about 2-3 months something slips and I fall back into the old habbits. 

I'm not sure why I can't stick with things.  I have heard that if you stick to a routine for 3 weeks or so it should become a habbit.  I can't seem to get there.  None of the healthy habbits become long term habbits.

I am 5'2" and weigh around 158.  I would like to feel good in my clothes, be fit enough to run around with my kids (before they are too old to want me around) and keep myself healthy.  If I had to pick a number it would be 130. (I was 105 when I got married 19 years ago.  Too skinny!!)  It doesn't sound like much to lose.  So many of you are struggling with more difficult numbers and I feel dumb that I can't get there.

If you have any advise or supportive comments, I am all ears!

you know, I was this exact same way. I tried several diets and programs and never sticked with them for more than a couple months. I would do great for a while, lose around 10 lbs, then fall off.

I dont know what it was that triggered me to finally stick with it, but I did. After moving to college, I went from 130 to 135, which doesnt sound like much but it overwhelmed my small frame. One day I just decided I would rather be comfortable with myself and eat healthier. I have lost a little over 20 lbs. since I decided that and it was 5 months ago.

I really learned to love exercising. I love seeing what it does to my body. I made it a part of my every day routine. Workout, shower, get ready. I programmed it into a part of my life and now I dont dread it at all. I also love healthier foods. I used to love fattening greasy foods, but after you start eating healthier your taste buds change, they really do. I NEVER believed it before, but now it has happened to me. I cant eat fries, they physically make me feel like throwing up. It has helped me alot.

if you need anything else let me know! you CAN do it! It is all a mind game. Make it a simple decision that becomes a part of your life!

You are the same height and weight I was when I started here almost a year ago.  I am now down 20 pounds to 139, which was my original goal... now I am trying for another 10.  I am finally in a size 6 for the first time in my life (even though I have weighed as little as 125).

I have been a yo-yo dieter my entire life.  The one thing I have learned is that I am not able to make diet and exercise a habit, no matter how long I do it.  It's been almost a year this time, and I could still go back to the old ways in a heartbeat if I knew I wouldn't gain anything back.

The biggest lesson I have learned is to do everything in moderation.  If it feels like work, or I feel deprived... I expect to be rewarded by the scale at the end of the week.  WRONG! I have found out that for me, it depends more on where I am at in my cycle than on how hard I work or how much I deprive myself. 

I found exercises that I feel I can do every day without feeling like I worked really hard, but that make me feel better about myself (so at the end of the week if I haven't lost any weight I don't feel like quiting).

I don't starve myself, or deprive myself of what I really want... I just make sure to allow myself calories each day for "fun food".  I try to go by the 80/20 rule... behave 80% of the time and enjoy 20%.  And yet, stay within my calorie range.

I also don't compare my weight day to day... I DO record it every day... but I compare it to months ago... not days.  I've only been losing about 2 pounds a month... but I feel so much better!

The three weeks rule seems to work for me, but I only change small things at a time.  Too much change is just overwhelming, and when choosing between "old habits" and "new habits" that are way different . . . it's just seems inevitable.

What works best for me is to sortof "morph" my old habits into new healthier habits.  Be kind to yourself and realistic. For example: old habit: eat 3 or more pieces of pizza, new habit: eat 2 slices of pizza with a salad. 

Another CC friend said the same thing about changing one thing at a time.  I can do that for a while then things just fall away (not the weight!).  Dr. Pepper, for example.  I can get to one can a day then none, and, for a while, I was DP free.  Several weeks ago I became ginormously stressed and had one.  Then another and now I am up to 3-4 per day.  Another CC friend is challenging me to change to diet DP.  Ewww.  But I'm going to try!

Yep.  It is me and dt. pepsi.  I am currently down to one a day with lunch.  And I know from experience that there is no point in going to none, since I will just start up again like crazy. 

This weekend I drank more than 1 a day . . . but I'm not worried because I am right back to one a day today.  I've heard to aim for 80% / 20%.  Do good 80% of the time, and relax 20%. 

About the dt. dp . . . I would drink none for 1-2 weeks, then start with dt. dp - that way the taste will be better.

On the soda, I agree with the above.  Try to stay away completely for a couple of weeks and then try the diet Dr. Pepper. My whole life, I hated diet soda. It always gave me headaches. The taste was unbearable. But then, about 6 years ago, I went on the Adkins diet (ugghhh) and made myself switch to Diet Mt. Dew. (I was a Mt. Dew addict!!) The first few were pretty rough, but after a while, I got used to the diet flavor. Now, I can't handle the taste of regular soda. It's too sweet!

On the yo-yo thing, I am totally with ya. I know what my body needs for me to lose weight. I've done it a few times before. But since I know what I need to do to lose it, I wake up every morning with the intention of starting my new healthy habits. I keep my gym bag at my desk at work, full of clean clothes, ready for the day I finally go back to the gym. (Lunch break is the only time that works for me) But then, at some point in the day, I will eat something bad, which puts me in the mindset that I just screwed myself, so I might as well eat whatever I want, and start over again tomorrow. I've been "starting over tomorrow" for a year and a half now. (I quit smoking almost 2 years ago and gained 30 lbs almost immediately...)

I sure hope this website helps. I just signed up today, and I like it so far!

Good luck to you!!!  :)

It seems like so many of us have gone through the same ordeal in the past, waking up that day saying to our selves "This Monday I star my diet..." and then Friday of next week comes and you find yourself in MacDonalds ordering a supersize meal.

The only thing that can be said is the same as the others... everything in moderation. Do not expect to change EVERYTHING all at once, and I think if you do you are destined to fail. I couldnt do it.. I had to do it little by little... I still eat my lollipops, and chocolates, but I know I cant do it everyday and If I decide to do it everyday than one bag of M&Ms lasts me for about 5 days... I portion it and spread it out. I eat my spaghetti... but not the 3 bowls I did before, now I eat slower, and enjoy to food more instead of gulping it down like I wasnt going to be offered food for another week... and I find that if I eat slower the faster I feel satified, I try to not buy things that are too high in fat since I wont be able to find them at home when I crave it.

 I also buy alot of popcorn (low calories one cup is about 20-30 calories.. low fat kind of course) for when I crave something salty and popsicles when i crave something sweet... Everything in moderation. Don't take anything out of your diet!

Taste everything... eat everything... just dont gulp it down, slow down and enjoy it.

I guess what I would say is to take it one day at a time and reflect (or try to) on the choices you are making on a daily basis. A few days ago there was some cake at a party and you know - I just wanted it so I ate it. I ate 2 pieces, but I knew that I had made that choice and had figured out that the next day I woudl have to be a bit lighter on the calories. In the old days I would have just said, "Aw forget it, it's all ruined..." and had cake all the time. Now, I do reflect.

Hope this helps.

Hi stilltryin!  19 years ago I too was 5'2, 110 lbs.  3 years ago I was 160-ish and fat all over.  I gained a lot of weight the 1st yr of married life (30lbs) and by year 15 I was 160 and hating myself for not being able to lose any weight.   I couldn't stick with any diet plan for more than 2 weeks.  I'd do good for a few days, maybe a week, and then be overcome by hunger and chow down everything in sight.  I always felt deprived, hungry & in a way punished for being fat.  Dieting has always been something of a white knuckle ordeal for me.  It goes without saying, I never lost weight on anything I tried.  Eventually I gave up (Yea for you! Never quit on yourself!!) and when I woke up a year or so later I weighed 200lbs.  In Feb I, armed with plenty of resolve but not much else, I started walking.  I was going to do a little everyday (whether I felt like it or not) until I could walk 10K steps a day and still breathe.  I was losing about 1 lb a week.  Not fast enough.  That's when I stumbled across this website (trying to decide if I should eat the choc cake or not - HA!).  What a blessing this has been.  I use the cal counts and burn meters to help me make smart(er) choices.  I still don't have an eating plan per se - that type of structure just doesn't work for me - but I am staying within my cal goals nearly everyday (yesterday was an abberation, I went over by 100 - but today is a new day! I've lost 15 lbs (officially), and taking aim at my next 15 lbs.  Setting a shorter goal keeps me reaching for the next lb.    I finally defeated the hunger monster by eating protein with every meal, even my snacks.  My point in sharing this is to let you know I can empathize with how awful it feels to go from 110 to 160 (and more) and encourage you to not stop trying to find the combination that will work for you.  It is not impossible to lose weight.

Boy, am I glad I read this post. Still tryin' says it all for me too. You all helped me a lot as well. You're right, it IS a mind game. It's all about attitude. I know I can stick with it this time. You're about the same height and weight as me "Still Tryin'" and I struggle with the very same issues. I'll keep you in my prayers.

As far as the soda thing goes, I used to be a Pepsi junkie and I HATED Diet Pepsi or anything else with the word "Diet" in front of it. So I started on CalorieKing and once I saw how soda took up calories I could have been eating and did me no good at all in the process I just cut it out completely. I didn't even try to substitute with the infernal "diet" crap. I just started drinking more water and sometimes some unsweetened iced tea (that's a northern thing). I have been almost completely soda free (except for the occasional ginger ale) for about a year now and have no desire for it really at all. Anytime I have tried to drink anything sweet I couldn't. I lost my taste for it.

I believe you can still do it!

Complete overhauls of your lifestyle do take time, and doing it overnight does sound good but it leads to falling off sometimes.  I know this very well.  But, you just have to pick yourself back up and start again.  Small changes work the best, and the small things you can give up/substitute lead to the bigger changes.

In these last two months I've been on CC, I've lost 14lbs now.  It's not where I wanted to be, in fact, I wanted to be more active and try to lose about 2lbs every week.  It didn't happen, but I make sure I don't give up.  Excerising doesn't interest me, burgers and pizza still interest me (but I can't eat as much as before), and I'm sure if I brought ice cream and cake into the house I'd eat myself sick.  Just stay clear of temptation, and maybe get a buddy.  It's easier to say "No" to something when someone's telling you not to do it as well.

I think stress is getting in the way.  Or at least I use that as an excuse.  School is almost over, I am a high school special educator, and all of the last minute things get me going.  I have not been getting sleep well and no exercise.  I just have no interest in doing any right now.  I believe that when school is over I might be able to get moving more.

I think I'll start with getting off the DP again.  Since I hate diet drinks, even though I drink Diet Sierra Mist, I might get on water better.   Tea is not my cup of tea (ha ha and I thought tea was a southern thing?) but I was doing well with water in January.  I was up to 64 oz a day!  My eyeballs were floating!!

I was also working with the Biggest Loser DVD for around 30 min every day.  I feel so stupid that I quit!

I will try to do more reflection on what I eat.  Today I feel sort of sick so I haven't eaten much.  I had 2 McDonald's hash browns and a half of a sausage, egg, cheese biscuit.  Lunch was very little of a Healthy Choice meatloaf.  I didn't even eat the veggies.  I think I am catching cold.

As I said, stress is a big factor.  I hope this all evens out after school is out!

Peace to everyone, Sarah

This is how i have always been not just with dieting and exercise but even with jobs! I get bored so easily - good thing im not picky with food- lol!

i went on vaca and never once worked out- i walked around all day for a day and a half doin things but thats about it- and i hit 2 buffets- had pizza and ice cream !! i did bad and i feel bad later about it but usually thats my motivation to get home and eat salads and chix and other stuff!

so i need to get my butt up and do 20 min of some tae bo and 20 min of some strength to get my butt back in gear! We just have to do it- but i dont make unreasonable goals- im not one to have time to exercise for one whole hour w/o being interrupted by crying kids so i do a lil here and a lil there!- i hope its enough!!

the only motivational advice i would offer is to look at old pics of yourself and realize that that isnt where u want to be- think healthy and thin- bc when u start to see results appear in photos u know u r doin well!

Original Post by christinalauren:

you know, I was this exact same way. I tried several diets and programs and never sticked with them for more than a couple months. I would do great for a while, lose around 10 lbs, then fall off.

I dont know what it was that triggered me to finally stick with it, but I did. After moving to college, I went from 130 to 135, which doesnt sound like much but it overwhelmed my small frame. One day I just decided I would rather be comfortable with myself and eat healthier. I have lost a little over 20 lbs. since I decided that and it was 5 months ago.

I really learned to love exercising. I love seeing what it does to my body. I made it a part of my every day routine. Workout, shower, get ready. I programmed it into a part of my life and now I dont dread it at all. I also love healthier foods. I used to love fattening greasy foods, but after you start eating healthier your taste buds change, they really do. I NEVER believed it before, but now it has happened to me. I cant eat fries, they physically make me feel like throwing up. It has helped me alot.

if you need anything else let me know! you CAN do it! It is all a mind game. Make it a simple decision that becomes a part of your life!

I have no idea how I will be able to all of a sudden not love french fries! They are SO bad for you but they are my comfort food! When eating a burger, I think-how can I possibly have a salad with this? I NEED fries! But hearing that eventually I will not like the taste of them, comforts me. I'm trying the slow method. Going to diet pop. Adding fruits and veggies, taking out fast food. I'm trying to do it one step at a time. The other day I saw my BF drink 3 cokes in one night! I was so jealous because I was drinking water. I took a sip of his pop and almost gagged. It was SO sweet! I think I just thought I missed it, but I really didn't! I'm just scared that this will be yet another attempt at a diet... and that I will fail and go back to my old habits.

I'm with you all too. I'm only 25 and i've done jazzercise, curves, i have the firm dvds, hip hop abs,  power 90, ... who knows what else... 30 day shred (which i'm actually into doing now)   I love pizza and could eat pizza and pasta and wendy's classic combos every day of the week.  But one day I just got tired of my jeans getting tight and my shirts not laying right and my fat rolls sticking out over my jeans and enough was enough. I made a conscious decision that I would no longer shove things into my mouth because they were there.  I was looking online to see how many calories a girl my age/ size should eat a day and was planning on writing everything down and stumbled across CC.  This has been a Godsend for me because I have a computer on my desk at work and my laptop in my living room so there is no reason not to log in my food and keep track of what I'm eating.  

Once I started to actually see how much thing were "worth" in my day it became like a competitive thing. It is me vs. the cal meter.  100 calorie packs are my favorite thing ever.  Rite bites chocolate chip cookies are delicious!  I now count out the tostitos and put them on a plate and leave the bag in the kitchen rather than blindly shoveling them in until I can't possibly fit another morsel in.  I'm consciously aware of what I'm eating and how much and that is what the change is.  I still eat my favorite foods. but now I ask myself, do I want 2 oreos or do I want a big dinner?  right now, the oreos just aren't worth it. I'm not a big fruit/ veggie person so this is extremely difficult for me. So like I said, I found that controlling the amount of what I eat and exercising has been the biggest factor for me.  I've lost 16 pounds since the end of February when I started.  I'm about halfway to where I wanna be.   Just keep in mind the reason why you started. Be consciously aware of what you are eating. Don't deprive yourself of eating what you have a taste for every now and again if it works into your calories.  Live your life! Throw away the "fat girl clothes" and refuse to by them in that size again!

Stilltryin --- I'm middle school sped - my kids have been off the hook since spring break.  I definetly feel ya on the stress factor - and actually found that if I force myself to start walking when I come home, I feel more relaxed/ better afterwords because it gives me a chance to get some of my personal frustration out -- clear my head -- some days I've walked for 3 or 4 miles just because I needed to keep going!  Get through the rest of the year. But don't allow IEP season or stress to be a reason for you to get out of your exercise routine in the fall! Use your exercise as time for you and a stress reliever instead of another thing you need to fit in your day. I've always dreaded working out too, and now get mad at myself when I don't make time for myself to get a walk in.   Good luck!  ( I have 5 more days and I can't wait!! )