Mental struggle while going for weight loss (Update pt2 page 3)

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Although i’m seeing progress in muscle gain, I can’t get the weight loss journey kickstarted

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That's still a good sign. Just because you aren't losing weight doesn't mean you aren't looking better. I also struggle on weekends when I cut. I get around it by going way under on calories on the weekends during the day if I know I'm going out at night. Its impossible to track whatever you eat/drink at a restaurant. 1 hour fasted walks in the morning will also help a lot as well.

Cut the alcohol and the carbs if you are serious. Otherwise deal with your lack of results you want.

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Another thing is, I don’t know really what to cook as the main source besides chicken.

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Snacks=small portions of nuts, Oikos triple zero Greek yogurt, an ounce of cheese. I like to cook omelettes or scrambled eggs in a mug in the microwave with Eggbeaters (25 Cals per serving, no fat, good protein). Shred some rotisserie chicken in a salad with vegetables, little shredded cheese, a little olive oil or low cal/low fat small amount of dressing. Light vegetable soup. I buy John Soules fajita beef and chicken in a bag and eat it in a salad or a keto cheese wrap.

Get smaller plates and small ramekins/bowls for portion control. Measure your steps/distance on a pedometer. I use pedometer++ on my phone and walk a lot more once I see my progress. I’ve been doing this for 6 months and have walked 1500 miles. Best of luck to you! You can do this.

They are extremely satiating. Like complete opposite of a dorito lol. Which I have an impulsive ability to snag that 450 calorie bag at checkout on the weekend after a couple glasses of wine and destroy. 1 large russet is probably 300 calories but damn that’s gonna fill you up. If you eat the dorito then you gonna eat the russet after.

No.

Losing weight has been solved. A caloric deficit. The difficulty is what you are having issues with in the mental game.

About 12 years ago I was nearing 300 pounds and found someone, thankfully, that had figured out this “magic” diet of the caloric deficit. Being a math guy it made sense. However, it did require that “click” or whatever you want to call it where I snapped out of it and my relation with food became different and I decided I was going to get in shape.

Start by trying to get through one weekend without cheating. It will hopefully be more fulfilling and satisfying than cheating. You need to be able to take pleasure in the discipline you exerted over yourself. You really don’t want to think about it being a diet so you can cheat. It needs to be your new healthy life.
That last part is what, unfortunately, requires the “click” that comes after you wanting it enough (ie more than the high calorie foods/drinks)

For 99% of the population weight loss has been solved. Caloric deficit. Losing weight is 99% discipline as the 1% method has been solved. The euphoric/happy feelings you get from terrible food and drink are extremely fleeting. Sometimes you literally feel worse than before. You feel worse than you would have if you ate nothing all. It was all for a flash in the pan emotional feeling.

If you change your eating habits you greatly increase your chance of living longer AND you will feel better in the years you have left.

Thank you for the words. I appreciate it.

Main thing is, like you said, I make it though a weekend being clean and feeling that satisfaction.

Great post Azazie

Incredible method. I love steak and potatoes

I’ve been reading lately about Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory, specifically his development of how self-efficacy beliefs can serve as a mediator between ourselves and our goals. Essentially, it boils down to your confidence and competency levels in accomplishing a task. It’s not necessarily about the outcome, but the activity itself. So for example, we wouldn’t assess a high school student’s self-efficacy belief to get an A on a math test but rather their belief in performing the steps in solving a math problem, which ultimately leads to the A.

I’m no psychologist, but I’ve been applying this strategy for myself as I too am going on a cut.

Divide your goal into performance activities. So, for example, one may be choosing to eat a healthy dinner Friday night. One might be resisting alcohol on the weekend. One might be meal prepping your work lunches.

Turn them into “I can” statements. “I can resist alcohol on Saturdays.” “I can eat a healthy meal Friday night.” Now to be technical, each one of these should be considered individual activities with their own “I can” statements. But I think going more general here will be fine.

Then rate your confidence/competence with each statement on a scale of 0-100. Don’t use the Likert scale. And don’t rate them on what you want to do but rather what you know you can or can’t do.

Research says this method helps you reflect on your strengths and weaknesses and then make necessary adjustments to what you need to do in order to perform each activity successfully.

Complicated, I know, but it’s worked for me.

thank you man!