trying to get re-motivated

Hi,I am new here just found this site at the beginning of the week.Monday,I was so set and ready to change my eating habits and reach my goal before the beginning of Dec.2006.I did really well all day Monday,I even went walking.When my husband got home he and the kids insisted on pizza for supper,I was out numbered and didn't have alot of other things here to eat.I ate pizza and tried to keep it within my calories for the day,but after about an hour,I was starving,so I went back for more and blew it!!The whole family is still home and everything will get back to normal next Monday and I am really hoping that I can get back on track,I feel like such a failure,it is the same thing that happens everytime I try to go on a diet.I need to lose about 50lbs.and it seems so hopeless.Sorry for the pity party.
Alison

Hi Alison,

Have a heart to heart with your husband.. tell him how important it is for YOU to reach your goal. I know it is hard when you have a house full of people NOT on diet. Start again next Monday.. mack sure you have alternatives in the fridge and cupboard - just for you.

At home is is only me and my partner, he certainly does not need to lose any weight, but is doing everything to help and encourage me by eating more or less the same as me only in larger portions. It is not hopless and you should not be hard on yourself. I have only started my diet this week to and so far thing are going ok, like you I have only just found this site and I think it is absoulutly fab... there are lost of people her including me you will try and help as much as possible, so do not give up.. you WILL be able to do - I have every interntion of achieving my goal whihc is to a minimum of 35 lb..

Take care
Anne

I agree with the idea of having other food in the house as an alternative. The other thing I try to do is keep my "high risk" foods out of the house. I am a freak for chips and salsa..... I can't have them in the house or I just eat that all day (no kidding). If I want them, I buy the mini bags and my husband is more into cookies and I can leave those alone.

Don't wait until Monday! Stock up on fruits so you have guiltless food when you are hungry from a small portion of a "bad" food even today. I am always a binger when I delay the start of eating right.

Good luck and hang in there!

Alison, you are not alone. I myself just started my diet again for the third time in 3 weeks. I feel prepared not to fail this time. I stocked up on lo cal snacks and weighed them out into little baggies so I don't feel left out. The hardest time is at night watching television. When the urge to eat is really bad, I pick up a book or busy myself with planning meals ahead for the week. Plus this web site is great to go on whenever I feel I'm all alone in this battle.
Kathy

Hi Alison, you didn't "blow it". You simply fell back on old habits and it sounds to me that you need to keep a lot of freash veggies and fruits around incase it happens again. I have found that you can literally eat as many (well almost, not potatoes and bananas) kinds of freash or baked fruits and veggies and you will not put on an ounce. So if it ever happens again, just reach for a veggie or fruit or both and a nice glass(es) of water until you are no longer hungry. Another motivation I have found is that visualizing yourself thin and able to fit into normal clothing will help you not reach for those oh so good carbs and fats(especially at night). And my daughter's doc told me something interesting, she said that the body doesn't work on a cut off of 24 hours cycle, but rather over a week span. So if you did bad today(of course try not to repeat) but dont beat yourself up about it, and make tomorrow an active and healthy day. And don't forget bananas and potatoes are very good foods( just not fried and not too much) they are very high in fiber and help you cure your carb craving. I hope this helps-Sally

Thanks everyone for the incouragement.I decided today to record EVERYTHING I eat,whether I am doing good or bad,so that I am more concience of how much I really am eating,I did keep up today even though it was bad.I ate 1000 cal. more than I am suppose to to lose weight.Urg!!Gotta do better tomorrow.I really am determined I am just having a rough time getting started.

Alison

Hi Alison,
I'm new here too. I have about 50lbs to lose. Maybe the next time your hubby and the kids want pizza, you could suggest that they go out to eat it.

I am doing pretty good this time trying to lose weight. I talked to a personal trainer who gave me some really good advice. Some of the things she said were: Thirst feels like hunger to some people, so if you think you're hungry maybe you're just thirsty. Another gem she told me was this: If you fail to plan - you plan to fail. It is so important to plan ahead your meals and snacks. Even excercise times should be booked like any other important appointment that you absolutely HAVE to keep. Good luck!

Alison and all,
I also am just starting, need to lose about 50 and am struggling getting out of the gate. If you need motivation, the nytimes.com is running a series on diabetes. It scared the heck out of me. This is not just about looking good, it is about life and limb. WE CAN DO THIS and WE Will. WE MUST.

Allison and all...what worked for me was when I stopped referring to my weight loss program as a "diet." Diets can sound brutal. They're horrible and they are only temporary. When one goes on a diet, one eventually goes off. That's when the yo-yo weight gain/loss happens. And, you never really figure out what you're supposed to be doing.

Think of this as a life-style change. You are learning to eat healthy for life. That doesn't mean eliminating all the great sweets and fats. It means take them in moderation and occassionally. It took me a long time to master this. I have learned to eat healthy 90 percent of the week...if I go to a birthday party on a weekend, then I can have my cake and eat it too! (sorry for the pun).

Really, Allison, don't call it a diet. Call it a lifestyle change...one you will not regret.

Good luck! We're all pulling for you.
Nina

I totally feel your pain. I am the single mom of a very picky eater, plus have my boyfriend who can eat ANYTHING & not gain a ounce. Most of the foods that I have at home are the ones that my daughter will eat. She does east some healthy foods, but mainly fast & easy ones since we're always on the go.

I've tried talking to my boyfriend about it, keeping more healthy foods around, cooking healthy meals for the two of us when he's home, etc. I do the same thing, do well during the day, then get home starving and grabbing the worst thing you could. It happens to everyone. The last successful diet (4 years ago) it takes a while to get on a schedule, but gets easier. I am new to this as well, but with the support & advice from people on this site, I'm sure we'll both get & stay on track!

Hello, everyone. I'm new to the site and am counting calories for the first time, have about 50 lbs to lose, too, and have the same frustration with meals at home. Starting to eat less has definitely been challenging. I have noticed, though, that the fruit and veggies snacking helps so much. Then, even if dinner is some type of "junk" food or isn't as healthy I can eat a lot less of it and still feel full. I also keep fruit and veggies at work now for snacking during the day. This also has been helpful.

Alison, don't punish yourself when you slip now and then. Just keep trying. Eventually, your willpower will overcome your frustration. We can all do this!

Nancy

This is why I keep a BIG stock of lean ciusines on hand. The kids and hubby eat what they want and I pop in a 12oz 280cal dinner while i dish theirs up by the time Im done so's my dinner...You'd be surprised how often one of the kids wants mine instead..LOL tough luck mate!!!

Alison, it's not how many times you fall down, it's how many times you get up that counts. I have lost the same weight all over so many times I think I have lost the tread off my tires! It was the mentality of the word DIET, that was my mistake. I lost 100 pounds, kept it off for about three years and slowly put it all back on, mainly because I thot that I had been let out of jail. The diet had not become a lifestyle change. don't give up just because of a mistake, get up and keep trying.