lack of motivation

i'm new here, but i have been counting calories for a bit (with more or less success). anyways, my problem is that i am usually good for 2-3-5 days max, i'll eat the recommended amount 1650 cals for me that CC suggests, eat healthy, and then i kinda give up and go back to my old habits. i'll eat 2500 calories or more, and do that for 2-3 days, until i feel horrible and guilty, and go back to eating the recommended amount. i'm not sure how i should go about being able to control my calories without feeling restrained so that i don't always end up giving up.

I kind of do the same thing, I will lose two pounds and then increase my calories until I gain them back. I have been doing this for about a year. The same two pounds over and over....

My "diet" hasn't been hard to stick to.. In fact, I don't even call it a diet. Let me share the way I have been eating, and maybe it will work for you too. There are very few things that I absolutely do not allow myself. One is non-diet sodas. I love them, but it's like the calories of a whole lunch but with no nutrients! When I decided to lose weight, I immediately cut sodas out. I did not change my diet except to cut the portions in half. I dropped a few pounds that way, and it encouraged me to go further. 

That is when I found this site. I became aware of how many calories were in things, and started making better choices that were still delicious, so it really didn't feel like a diet at all. We mostly eat at home, but if we went to McDonald's, I'd choose the grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce and tomato, mustard, and no mayo, and skip the fries. It's really good! With each meal, I drink a whole liter of water, or diet kool aid, taking a swig after each bite. After the meal, I am no longer hungry. One great trick of mine is to eat a very low cal but very filling lunch, because for me, dinner is the meal that I am most tempted to overeat during, and dinner is often a social meal that one might eat with others, with dessert offered. If I had a giant veggie bowl for lunch (65 calories), low fat yogurt for breakfast (80 cals), and snack on fruits or veggies (10 carrots= 50 cals), then I know that I can enjoy dinner without stressing or feeling deprived. I can even safely have a slice of cake or a scoop of ice cream on occasion.

I keep 100 cal ice cream sandwiches in the freezer for when my man busts out the ice cream and cookies for himself, which usually happens at night, but I never eat more than one in a day. This way, I'm not having to sit around drooling over his sweet treats while I crunch on celery! I feel like I am having a sweet treat, too, and I am!

I think the only reason that I have not had a problem sticking to my diet is that I do allow myself a small amount of whatever it is that I want, staying within my set calorie limit. I expect to happily eat this way for the rest of my life.

Well, I do allow myself almost anything on the days that I am good. I mean, one of my days last week, I had wendy's, popcorn, chocolate, and a regular breakfast and lunch, all under 1650 cals. I do know how to find alternatives to the foods I like. Its just that some mornings I get up, and even if I have all the tools and knowledge and foods in my house to make great meals, I just don't *feel like it*, and wind up at McDonalds for breakfast and get something extra greesy. And once I do something like that, I can't help but let it ruin my day too. I need ways to fight the urge in me that always wants to give up. And I need to learn to accept that its okay to screw up for one meal, but then not let it ruin my day by binging *because if I ruined one meal, I ruined the entire day*. I'm sorry if I'm not making any sense.

Here are some ideas:

Have one cheat day a week where you let yourself have whatever you want.  That way - no guilt, and when you are really having a craving, try to convince yourself to wait until your cheat day.

Make sure you are not undereating for your exercise level.  I was trying to stick to a calorie plan that was too low for me.  I was always hungry.  So like you, I would have several days in a row where I stayed within my calorie limit, and then several where i wouldn't.  However, by logging everything, I learned what things I really needed to stay away from.  So even when I went over my limit, I made decent choices.

If you eat something bad, move on.  And follow it up with a big glass of water and something else healthy - like a fruit or veggie.  Tell yourself, you just gave your body something healthy, and more will be coming at your next meal.

Good luck.

I was thinking.. Another thing that might help is, when you are thinking, "I might as well have a quarter pounder with cheese and french fries for dinner since I had a sausage biscuit and hash browns for breakfast", to acknowledge at the time that you are doing it that it is an excuse and tell yourself out loud that you will not make this excuse.