I don’t know how to stop

[Makemedoit]

I just can’t seem to get in the zone and see through my desire to
lose weight. Can anyone help? I start but then within hours my motivation and staying power has gone. I just don’t know what to do

Hi, OP. I was in a similar boat for a very long time. I've only just managed to get myself started over the past month or so and have lost half a stone.

From personal experience, the best advice I can give you is to pick a weight loss scheme that suits you (lots to choose from!) and just get started. Pick your favourite foods from within the scheme, make them often and savour them. Keep a note of your weight loss regularly and revel in it! Hang an outfit you want to fit into eventually somewhere where you see it regularly and get excited about it and keep imagining yourself wearing it.

If the weight loss is slower than you would like, keep reminding yourself that you're still going in the right direction. The only alternatives are to flounder at a weight that makes you unhappy or, worse, to keep gaining.

And most importantly, enjoy the feeling of improved energy levels and mental health as you get lighter, make better food choices and are aware that you're slowly but surely getting there.

Look for accountability too. Do you have a friend who would also like to lose weight? Or even post regularly either in this thread or in one of the other threads in your chosen weight loss method.

It's hard, I know, but you can do it.

It’s really hard to just flick a switch and get in the zone, it takes time. I started 2nd week of Jan and I still kept reaching for the snacks, but I accepted that it was a small blip, and ate healthily the rest of the day, and tried again. It’s not a complete failure if you give in to a craving, but it will get easier.
If you find it too overwhelming to change everything in one go, then make a list of what you’d like to change, food wise, and start doing a couple. Then it won’t feel so massive.

So maybe:
Switch white spaghetti and pasta to wholemeal
Cut down on fizzy drinks / sugary coffees etc
Switch white bread to seeded / brown / 50/50
Look up some healthy recipes and then go food shopping for the ingredients
Don’t buy any chocolate or crisps or biscuits on your next supermarket shop
Make a batch of healthy bolognese sauce without a jar
Put all unhealthy snacks away somewhere so they’re not on view and tempting you
If you get takeaways, reduce it to once a fortnight

Decide how you’re going to achieve it, and just make 1 change today. Every day set a little goal for yourself.

Join some of the threads on this board, there’s lots of support and advice.

I'd echo what SingaporeSlinky has posted. Don't try to make huge changes that make you feel deprived or you'll just fall off the wagon. Have you got something like a photo of you that you think you look awful in? That kind of thing can be a huge motivator. When you reach for something to eat, think about why you're doing it and ask will it make you feel better or worse and is it worth it? Measure things out - don't just open a packet and start eating. Allow yourself a small handful or crisps or a couple of biscuits, but don't trough the lot.

Ditto small changes, I reduced coffee size and swapped to skinny no sugary extras, log everything which made me have 2 toast rather than 4. Do more steps. Still have treats twice a week but balanced with healthy meals eg some chocolate or a cake but steamed veg and chicken for dinner.