Losing motivation and cheating =(

[ravevampyre]

Lately, within the past four days or so, I have found myself cheating on my healthy eating diet, and playing DDR less.

I am having trouble keeping motivated, I feel so distracted lately, and my mom was supposed to be on the diet too, and lately she just snaps when i recommend something like a healthy sub from subway in replace of a cheeseburger from mcdonalds. We havent gone grocery shopping lately, but I feel better when we have a fresh supply of healthy foods around.

If anyone has any advice or could maybe exchange aim sns with me to help me possibly on a daily basis for a good weight loss, please help..
thank you!

[urbanjunglekitten]

I feel your pain, ravevampyre.

I too have been pretty lazy the last few days . . . I took Sunday and today off and Monday I only played for an hour (with lots of breaks inbetween songs and stretching to keep myself from playing too hard) and I have been cheating bigtime on my diet as well. I blame it on working in a resturant, but, truth be told, I could be making better choices on what I eat in the diner as well. Not going shopping is a big obstacle to weight loss . . . only by keeping healthy foods around us do we allow ourselves to make better choices.

I don't know what kind of advice to give you, other than to stick it out and don't give up. Remember, slipping for a few days happens now and again and it's ok . . . it's not the end of the dieting world. Just get your mom to go grocery shopping with you and re-affirm your decision to eat healthier and to do better things for yourself. Then pull out that DDR pad and go at it! I'm planning on a two hour session tomorrow, and as much as I'm dreading being sore, I'm looking forward to the endorphin rush when I collapse on my couch afterwards.

Check my info if you want my AIM sn, I'm more than willing to offer any support I can give.

UJKitten

[abrannan]

Yeah, unfortunately there's no harder time/place to diet than being chained to someone else's eating/grocery shopping habits. Most likely, your mom feels judged because she doesn't want to be on the diet anymore, and is dealing with that. Nobody wants to fail alone, so we try to drag others down with us. Whenever possible, set the example, but make no comment about what she chooses. I know it's hard, especially at McDs, to find appropriate choices some places. See if she's open to swinging by two places when getting food from out. In your particular case, Subway first, then McDs. That way she may decide it's too much hassle to go to two places and will order form Subway, and if she doesn't then at least her food is still hot when you get home.

If you're driving, offer to go to the Grocery store for the two of you. Have her make a list, and honor that list, even if there's bad stuff on it, but make sure you get good stuff for yourself.

[secretsof2113]

you've got all of us here as motivation thats for sure. Don't forget about the site, and try to stick with things. I know when I feel like quitting or giving up, I think about how much I have been judged, especially by guys all of my life, and that makes me want to work out just ten minutes longer, then when I feel like I'm done, I keep pushing on. You can always take a break if you choose for maybe a couple of days or so, but don't go overboard on things. Looking at how far you have come, and having something little like motivation make you gain back all you have lost isn't really worth it.

[nonskanse]

For why your mom might be craving the Burgers vs. the Subway subs, see SuperSize Me...

The guy starts to get moody based on when he eats fatty foods (with lots of sugar in the soda of course).
I still can't give up fast food completely. Once every couple months, I "have to" have a Nick Tahoe's Garbage Plate. Delicious but huge and full of fat. So if you can't avoid fast food:

Try the chicken salads if they aren't looking too wilted, if you must do fast food... they still aren't very good though. Even if you eat fast food, you can look up the calories for your favorite items online, and discover that small fries+hamburger at McD's =490 calories. Most of it is fat, but if you eat out pretty rarely its ok. Go with no bun and you could get a cheeseburger instead. (I'd rather have fries for my simple carbs than those gross buns anyway).
And don't drink any non-diet drinks from a fast food place! Even the lemonade and tea are all sugar.

www.mcdonalds.com/app_controller.nutrition.index1.html

www.bk.com/Food/Nutrition/NutritionWizard/index.aspx

[Jsn]

nonskanse said:

I "have to" have a Nick Tahoe's Garbage Plate.

So you're in Rochester? That's cool.

[mercury]

Ugh, this has been my worst week ever. Mainly cause my dance pad broke, but i ordered a new one. . I've been eating chocolate too cause of V-day. But it's cool cause it will all end when the new ones arrives next week!

[StarDrifter]

Okay, here are some solutions my wife and I have come up with.

Your grocery store should have bags of chopped fruit in the frozen section. Try to get two or three bags of whatever strikes your fancy so they stay good between trips to the grocery store. These will be much lighter/less sugary than the canned stuff, and are still pretty tasty if you let them thaw properly. Plan to thaw them ahead of time every day.

Also plan to cheat on your diet. Jello makes sugar free puddings and gelatins that are extremely low calorie and easy to make. I have a half serving of Bit O Honey candy every day at 3pm - other "less bad" candies also exist if you'll be able to ration yourself. It really does help keep willpower up and calorie intake down if you premeditate any act of disobedience.

The person who suggested the hamburger/small fries/diet soda was onto something. Order small things from McD's if that's where you have to eat. This not only turns out healthier for you but shows that you're serious about losing weight. I accidentally roped my entire household into dieting by changing my own habits in such a way.

And hey, keep optimistic! It's the best way to accomplish anything and everything you want to get done. Weight loss is just one of countless perks of a can-do mindset. Just remind yourself that you can accomplish your goal, put that mat on the floor, and get going. It really is that easy more often than we realize.

Good luck.

[hiddenblue]

I started reading this topic because I thought I had written it... seriously, I too have been struggling the last few days. It all started out innocent enough: take a couple days off the diet, enjoy Valentines Day, have a couple pieces of candy, and then get back on program. But I can't seem to get back on. I am beginning to realize that I cannot "take a break" from eating right. That is the whole reason I have been gaining and losing the same 10 pounds for 8 months now! I get down within 10-15 pounds of my goal and I quit. I am beginning to think that there is a part of me, deep down inside, that does not want to reach this goal... it's crazy really. But thank you for the posts (even though it really wasn't my topic) because you all have great ideas. I think the lesson today is this: don't quit on yourself!

[urbanjunglekitten]

*Definitely* don't quit on yourself!!!!

Everyone who has come forward with a story on this board (at least the stories I've read in my short time here) has decided to drop the weight for themselves . . . because *they* wanted to make a change and feel better about themselves (myself included)! Quitting on yourself is like saying "I'm not important enough to do this." WE ARE ALL IMPORTANT! We are all worth making those changes.

Now, all of us stumble and fall "off the wagon" sometimes, and need the others to help pick us up off the side of the road and dust us off, so we can continue on together. But *you* have to decide to hold out your hand so the others notice you need help. That's the essence of the support on this board . . . knowing that people who are going through a similar hardship as you are willing to encourage you to get it back together and keep plugging away at this weight loss thing. Strength in numbers, you know?

That was kind of tangential, but I think I just felt the need to be the group cheerleader for a moment. GO TEAM!!

jk

UJKitten

[UpsideDown]

The difference between those who loose a lot of weight, and those who don't, is that the people that loose a lot and keep it off, get back on the horse after falling off. Every one ends up cheating on a diet, those who say they don't are either A, lying, or B, allow themselves enough treats so they don't feel deprived.

I find that taking a walk outside will often clear my head, and, unlike the treadmill or DDR, when I decide to quit, I still have to walk home, so you force yourself to do more. I live where its really cold, so you burn more calories because your body has to regulate your temp. Take a 30 min. walk, think about what you want, how much you want it, and what you are willing to do for it. Think about why you eat too much, is it emotional or out of boredom, and what you can do to change it. Once you figure out why you cheat, you can help stop it. You can do it, if it takes two months or two years, if you really want to, the weight will come off.