I am having a very hard time sticking to any diet including this one.  I am a stress eater and eat tons of snack junk food at night.  I can't seem to keep motivated.  I start out okay for a day or so and then start eating junk.  Then I become more depressed and eat even more.  Any advise would be greatly appreciated. 

Know that you are not alone!  I think a lot of us on the boards have felt the same way and fallen into the same vicious cycle.  Unfortunately, only you can make the decision to do it, to make lifestyle changes and then follow through. Having said that, there are some ways to make your plan more successful. Are you making managable changes or tons of huge drastic changes all at once? Try incorporating some things you know you can do...whether it is cut out one bag of chip or throw away a handful of chips that you would normally consume.  Or circle around the store once or twice before you start shopping--maybe this is too elementary for you so you can ignore it but I hope you see what I mean. As you set small goals and meet them, hopefully it will provide ample motivation to make even more significant changes. 

Also, try to find somethings you can enjoy to replace the food when the boredom and depression strike. These feelings aren't going to go away no matter what number the scale spits out. I'll be thinking of you...Good Luck...You can do it!

Hi Mxgrel,

I see that you already got some great advice. The key to getting through this is going to be to set goals that are realistic for you and be open to changing them as you go. You can begin by taking a look at what is making you eat like this in the evening. Get in touch with what you are thinking and/or feeling and also keep track of what you are doing while you are eating. Once you have the answer to these you can come up with solutions. For example, if you are eating out of boredom you can come up with other ways to deal with your boredom. When food is serving a function it is not enough to just remove it from your diet. I would be happy to help you come up with options if you want to share what you come up with.

Let me know if this does not make sense,

Betty Kovacs, MS, RD

Hi I am new to this board but i have been on the fitness ones. I need help I am struggling with my weight I can't seem to lose that much. I didn't lose any weight last week and this is my fifth week on the plan. in all I lost 1 pound and I have gained it back and then some I think. Can someone give me some adivce please on how to stay steady in losing weight and lose a few pounds this week even if it is just one or two pounds.

Hi Ilovedaniel2009,

The only way to lose weight is to consume fewer calories than your body needs. You can burn some calories up through exercise, but the majority of the calories that you save should come from your diet. It's much easier to cut back by consuming 500 fewer calories per day then it is to burn it up by exercising. When you are consuming a consistent amount of calories and do not lose weight for at least two weeks it's time to cut your calories. You can cut back by 200 calories or go to http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm to get your maintenance calories. DO NOT USE THE FAT LOSS CALORIES ON THAT SITE. Once you have your maintenance calories you subtract 500 calories per day to lose 1 lb per week or cut back by 1000 calories to lose 2 lbs per week. It's not a good idea to go below 1200 calories per day as your goal.

Let me know if you have any other questions,

Betty Kovacs, MS, RD