failed again regained.

ltssharon

Hi Pals,
I binged and binged and in one month gained back at least all I had lost in 3 months of myfitnesspal. I am too bummed to get on the scale. I am going to exercise today, so I guess that is a start. Also, I will toss the 3 remaining candies in the Whitman's big box that I did not eat all by myself (plus hershey's). Well, you get the picture. Tell me there is hope if you have ever put yourself through this torture.

Thank you pals.

smil3ygirl

It happens! My Christmas vacation was a total disaster. Just get back to tracking, don't make any excuses and if you have a bad day, don't give up! Remember that tomorrow is always a new day no matter how poorly you did the day before (or the month before). You can do it!

kellymack82

Hey we have all been there. I gained a pond and a half and I feel the same way. So yes throw away the 3 candies get your calorie allowance and get back on the horse. You can do it.

Jolinia

There is hope. I've undone months of eating right and exercising in a matter of weeks, too. So I know how it is. Be patient, start over, and at least you already know how it's done from having succeeded before.

Graceious1

I've done the same and in addition to what other posters have said I'd add:
-Think of food as your fuel
-Remember how you lost the weight/fat and go back to that
-The scale is not your friend but the measuring tape and clothes are. They will give you honest feedback on your progress.
-Give yourself at least 4 weeks until you notice a difference

Feel free to add me for support and good luck.

3dogsrunning

Maybe look at why you binged and lost control. Are you too restrictive with your calories? Are you too restrictive with your food?

ltssharon

Thank you all. I just want it to be easy, I want to indulge myself constantly, I like to cook and eat for a hobby, I love love love food. But I am going to start again and work on these things. I will stay away from food as a hobby and use the time for something else. Reading comes to mind, because I already have enough exercise. I am an introvert, so I will do more of the introvert activities I enjoy. When I have to socialize, I will plan for myself lots of introverted activities to reward myself for going through the required social activities. I will use those introverted activities as a reward. If I feel I want to cook cook cook, instead I will write a cook book for 1 serving of foods that are healthy and that I like.

Jolinia

ltssharon wrote: »

Thank you all. I just want it to be easy, I want to indulge myself constantly, I like to cook and eat for a hobby, I love love love food. But I am going to start again and work on these things. I will stay away from food as a hobby and use the time for something else. Reading comes to mind, because I already have enough exercise. I am an introvert, so I will do more of the introvert activities I enjoy. When I have to socialize, I will plan for myself lots of introverted activities to reward myself for going through the required social activities. I will use those introverted activities as a reward. If I feel I want to cook cook cook, instead I will write a cook book for 1 serving of foods that are healthy and that I like.

Sounds like a good plan. Might even be a bestseller. Lots of us are pretty terrible at cooking healthy foods with reasonable calorie counts.

ltssharon

OK, year later and ten pounds heavier. I am starting again with MFP. I quit work. I have an injured knee, so I am slowed down. Here is my plan: I am going to walk 1 hour to mass, spend an hour in mass (and maybe 20 minutes in confession line) and walk back for an hour. That should put me on the right track. I will be walking slowly because of the knee injury. I like the route I take. I get to cross a bridge which I enjoy. I have great clothes for any weather, since I really haven't driven much in 6 years.

Butterfly2022MD

I did the same thing. now I am restricting my carbs because it helps reduce my cravings. I am starting over, and just moving on.

queenliz99

Walking is good which is for health. Losing 10 pounds is done in the kitchen. You can do this!!

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10257474/starting-out-restarting-basics-inside/p1

Expatmommy79

I'm sorry about your injury...

Your activity plan looks great. But please don't forget to plan your meals... 80pc of weight loss / weight gain depends on what we put in our bodies.

Good luck and hope your injury heals quickly.

ltssharon

Thank you for your reply. I am starting a lacing project to help keep me out of the kitchen. Also I have put a big glass of water by the entry to the kitchen to remind me that I do not have to feed my face every time I am near the kitchen.

Chezzie84

Lost 32lb and put 33lb back on!!
It happens to the best of us. Question is what are you going to do now?
Failure isn't slipping, failure is giving up after you slip!!

jgnatca

I love to cook too but these days I give a good portion of it away.
I wouldn't look at this as a failure. This is what the road to success looks like.

Christmas is a great time of year to give away food and treats.

dubird

There's lots of possible reasons why you backslid, but everyone does it at one point. I ended up gaining back 20lbs last year because I wasn't paying attention. Don't beat yourself up over it; accept that you made a mistake and take steps to correct it.

I would suggest starting slower. Cut back on a couple of things at a time and give yourself time to get used to them. I started with just logging for a couple of weeks to see what my patterns are and what I can change. Then, started with one thing and built on it. It's ok to not cut down to your target right away when you first start, just as long as you are making progress. Remember, this isn't a diet, this is you relearning eating habits and developing tools that will help you KEEP the weight off once you hit your goal.

Take a good honest look at yourself and find out what prompted the binging, be it feelings or stress or something else. This is so you can watch out for that in the future. Knowing WHY you binged can help you avoid it down the road. If you're letting your feelings dictate your food choices, you might consider some kind of counseling if you can't seem to avoid it on your own. There's no shame in seeking help when you need it, and chances are you won't need help for long.

Keep close track on your calories, weigh everything you can and give your best guesstimate of what you can't. Research restaurants you want to go to and pick out a couple of different meals that will fit in your day. That way, you still get to eat out, even with friends, and you're not going feel like you're sabotaging yourself.

If there are certain foods that you pig out on, don't allow them in your house. Period. No matter what others in your family say. Not saying you can't have them as treats, but when you do, buy a small pack, not a regular sized one. Small packs can sometimes be two servings instead of one, but it's a hell of a lot better than 20. This way, you still get a treat, and it's a manageable amount of calories to work into your day.

Also remember, you're only human. Backsliding and gaining the weight back doesn't make you a failure unless you LET it do so. Everyone has done it; if you go over your calories for the day, simply acknowledge it and move on. Start fresh the next day. Learning to forgive yourself for mistakes and keep going is a very helpful tool that will serve you well in the future.

Rachel0778

If it feels like torture it likely won't be something that you will stick with through the long term. The key is to make small changes over time. Figure out where your body needs to be to maintain your weight and start cutting back just 100 calories at a time. Going a half a pound a week is still 1/2 pound less than you would be if you did nothing or started binge eating the candy boxes. I love your idea of incorporating movement into your daily routine so it feels like a positive part of the day.

vrojapu

I totally agree with the 2 posts from dubird and Rachel 0778. If I think of the body as a pet that needs to be trained, I can remember to start teaching it only small tricks and rewarding it every single time [non-food, but we all know that, right?! ] If I can get the body to do 3 small, teeny-tiny things I want it to, the next day I can try for bigger goals, and bigger rewards. I backslide all.the.time, and use this strategy to climb out of the hole that I invariably dig myself into. Keep your chin up - we're all rooting for your success!

dubird

vrojapu wrote: »

I totally agree with the 2 posts from dubird and Rachel 0778. If I think of the body as a pet that needs to be trained, I can remember to start teaching it only small tricks and rewarding it every single time [non-food, but we all know that, right?! ] If I can get the body to do 3 small, teeny-tiny things I want it to, the next day I can try for bigger goals, and bigger rewards. I backslide all.the.time, and use this strategy to climb out of the hole that I invariably dig myself into. Keep your chin up - we're all rooting for your success!

I wouldn't change something every day, but once a week. Since you're trying to change an established habit, that takes a lot longer to make it stick. Something like 90 days I think? I dunno, but I found it easier to adjust slow. I guess as long as what you do works for you, though, go for it. ^_^

ltssharon

Poster here. You all have been so helpful. So many hints to be gleaned from all this. Thank you so much. I have been pretty on track for 3 days, but am not trusting myself yet because I have been down this path so often. I did think of a fun hobby I can do for a treat. I am just now on 1200 calories and realizing how many many calories I must have been eating to gain so much weight that I cannot fit into my fat pants. Thank you all so much. Well, time to brush my pet's teeth and call it a day. Write again. Thank you.

dubird

ltssharon wrote: »

Poster here. You all have been so helpful. So many hints to be gleaned from all this. Thank you so much. I have been pretty on track for 3 days, but am not trusting myself yet because I have been down this path so often. I did think of a fun hobby I can do for a treat. I am just now on 1200 calories and realizing how many many calories I must have been eating to gain so much weight that I cannot fit into my fat pants. Thank you all so much. Well, time to brush my pet's teeth and call it a day. Write again. Thank you.

Not knowing your stats, I don't know if 1200 is appropriate for you, but if you find yourself getting super hungry all the time, you might try upping to 1400 or so to give yourself a little room. This is a slow process, which can be frustrating, but adjusting slowly means you'll have an easier time keeping the weight off. Good luck!