Struggling with Weight Loss, Need Help!

Diets like we have been exposed to will always fail because they are unsustainable for the average person. Restrictive dieting that blocks out entire food groups or food types just isn't reasonable and leads to an unhealthy mindset around food. Calories in, Calories out is the only major contributor to weight gain or weight loss for most people. Calorie counting can be intimidating or seem too complicated but it really doesn't have to be. Macro counting is optional but has personally helped me a lot in understanding my body and my needs. The Facebook group Macros Inc is an amazing educational resource on calorie and macro counting. Most people try calorie counting and get discouraged when it doesnt work. Most of that is down to user error from miscalculations (for example logging 1 serving size according to the label instead of weighing the portions in grams) or not fully acknowledging everything they eat. Just to be transparent Macros Inc does do coaching but you don't have to be a client of theirs to be in their group. However if you think coaching would help from my understanding they are one of the more affordable and not scammy or predatory coaching services available. Another thing that helped me was getting my overall nutrition in order by taking a multivitamin and finding a supplement plan that works for me. Some of those supplements are L-theanine, PQQ, and 5-htp. All contribute to boosting my mood which gives me the motivation to stay active and to stay mentally clear so I don't mindlessly eat. On the topic of staying active, anything is better than nothing. Pacing a room while on a phone call, doing some stretches, just walking from one end of the room to the other every 20 minutes or so. Once you are consistently active you will want to be active more. My go to just to get my body moving and to maintain my motivation is a Qigong or tai chi routine. It is meditative, provides easy stretches that can be modified and are less intimidating than yoga, and is a good way to just keep you moving for anywhere from 5 minutes to hours depending on how you feel. Weight lifting is also safe, easy to incorporate, and low impact on joints. Now all of this information and experience is useless if you don't have the right mindset. Don't let distorted thoughts drive you. A day over in caloric intake doesn't ruin the whole week. A week that was too rough to get up and take a walk or do a workout doesn't ruin an entire month. Having a motivational influence or person to lean on is nice but don't let that trick your brain into relying on someone else's validation to maintain your desire and drive to be on this journey. You have to want to do this for yourself and your longterm wellbeing. You don't have to be on a timeline. Setbacks and slow moving periods happen with everything in life and we rarely let those completely stop us. So don't let those things stop you doing this either. If you hit a rocky patch its okay to step back, rest, evaluate things, and either jump back in or find something that works better. You deserve the best "you" you can give yourself. You can dm me as well if you need. I'm currently on my own weight loss journey and I've had my ups and downs over the past year.