77 Down: 30 To Go, but I feel like I've lost it...

britzzie

From January to June 2012, I lost 75ish pounds. I was a beast. No temptation was too big. No event enough to make me fall off the wagon. I researched restaurants before I went out and ate before I went to parties.

I have maintained my loss for a year but have 30 pounds to go, but I can't seem to get back to that place where I was. The slightest temptation makes me fall off the wagon. I still workout. I love it. That's not the problem. It's food that's getting me.

I think that because now I don't have to shop in the plus sizes, actually have a cute shape (and muscles!), am pretty fit, and have a ton of energy, I'm just not as motivated as when I was a size 20 and felt like crap all the time.

I know how to do this, so I don't need diet/exercise advice here. I need to get my head right. Anyone ever been in a similar situation? How did you work through it?

jessready

Bump...I would like to know others that have dealt with the same

Librariangetsfit

I am struggling the closer I get to my goal. Working out is not the problem, it is food for sure. Glad I am not alone.

StrongAtLast

Yes, and I'm not sure. Maybe try something new with the diet? Sometimes that gets me motivated.. I know people will yell, but following a pre-determined diet plan sometimes helps get me over the edge.

allisonrinkel

I really enjoy working out, which I never thought I would say before! I have lost around 50lbs, but recently stress and life stuff have been making it hard for me to control my eating. I have been having a rough time trying to stay on track, and would also like helpful suggestions on how to cope with stress so that I don't turn to peanut butter.

Lindz8afish

Going through this right now. I can't seem to avoid food and I'm bouncing up and down between 5lbs because of it. I've got 10-15lbs to lose yet. For me, I'm taking a day at a time and making sure to keep my exercising going. I figure if I keep pushing myself to exercise and eat my best when I can, I'm bound to get there one day. Sorry it's not very good advice, but sometimes I know it helps to know you aren't alone!

Keep being a beast!! :happy:

CRichards22

I AM SO IN THIS PLACE WITH YOU!!!!! :sad:

I lost over 100 pounds and got from 269 to 167 in a little over ayear last year and now I've gained a few pounds back but I love working out and and I manage to stay on track 70-75% of the time....so I've been maintaining basically but I want to see 150 or 145~~

Gotta get the beast back to get these last pounds off! I know it's my own fault, I'm just flippin happy to be in sizes 8/10 instead of 20s and maternity clothes, LOL. But "m not DONE either, have to stop acting like I am! :ohwell:

Bumping for motivational ideas myself!

happythermia

Totally in the same boat! Last week I really tried to kick it in to gear...I'm basically just trying to fake it till I make it lol!

LFDBabs

Bump.............I'm in the same situation. It's totally a mind-set issue at this point and I've been trying to get back to it for over a year.

jacklis

I understand the place you are at. The tactic I am taking right now is to tightly manage things again and set new, small goals.
Example, my life's a little insane and so coming home in the evening after work, gym training and mom taxi -it is a victory for me if I make my lunch before I go to bed. So that's this week's goal. Purchased a wall planner to help the whole family get involved and know what is going on with the schedule, activities and such so that they can help. It might not seem relative, but having things around me organized keeps me eating at home, scheduling and planning my food and adds to my over all head space about controlling things (planning to portions).

Icedcoffee29

I am SO there with you too! I have about 30lbs to go as well. I have maintained by weight for about 5 months, but I want to get losing again.

tarakizer

I'm in this same place too. Lost 65 pounds and am playing around with 5 pounds for the past few months. Have not at all reduced my exercise, food is causing me all sorts of issues though. I was soooo determined before, nothing could break me. I am not even a sweets person, but boy do I want sweets now. Hoping that this extra 5 pounds doesn't become more. I will up my exercise if needed, but I am really hoping I can get the food aspect under control soon. I would love to lose the last 10 pounds, although I would be very happy to just maintain at this point.

TinaDay1114

I've been there before, and frankly, I'm there again.
What worked for me last time was changing up my workout routine -- trying something completely new, since workouts weren't the motivational issue. Usually changing it up kept my burning cals even as my eating lagged. Gave me time to get my head back on.

I think, honestly, this happens to people a lot more than they admit -- I think everyone gets "burnt out" on this thing periodically, and sometimes just not beating yourself up so much about it and letting it run its course works best. I say that because I tend to beat the stuffings outta myself like I'm gonna become a total BUM if I don't, when in reality, I'm probably just taking a burn-out detour like most humans do.

Hang in there! :flowerforyou:

JanaCanada

From January to June 2012, I lost 75ish pounds. I was a beast. No temptation was too big. No event enough to make me fall off the wagon. I researched restaurants before I went out and ate before I went to parties.

I have maintained my loss for a year but have 30 pounds to go, but I can't seem to get back to that place where I was. The slightest temptation makes me fall off the wagon. I still workout. I love it. That's not the problem. It's food that's getting me.

I think that because now I don't have to shop in the plus sizes, actually have a cute shape (and muscles!), am pretty fit, and have a ton of energy, I'm just not as motivated as when I was a size 20 and felt like crap all the time.

I know how to do this, so I don't need diet/exercise advice here. I need to get my head right. Anyone ever been in a similar situation? How did you work through it?

I SOOOOOOO could have written this myself!!

After losing 50 lbs, I have lost my moitvation to keep going, even though I could seriously lose another 50 (I'm at 175 now). I confess....I think I give myself "permission" to cheat because I have done so well and come so far, so the self-sabotage is what's stalling me. I have no answers for you (except to say that you are NOT alone), but I sure hope someone posts some encouragemnent or advice about how to get your groove back.

tarakizer

Wow is it all females saying we are in this same place too? This is enlightening or maybe it's just coincidence?

alysonleanne

From January to June 2012, I lost 75ish pounds. I was a beast. No temptation was too big. No event enough to make me fall off the wagon. I researched restaurants before I went out and ate before I went to parties.

I have maintained my loss for a year but have 30 pounds to go, but I can't seem to get back to that place where I was. The slightest temptation makes me fall off the wagon. I still workout. I love it. That's not the problem. It's food that's getting me.

I think that because now I don't have to shop in the plus sizes, actually have a cute shape (and muscles!), am pretty fit, and have a ton of energy, I'm just not as motivated as when I was a size 20 and felt like crap all the time.

I know how to do this, so I don't need diet/exercise advice here. I need to get my head right. Anyone ever been in a similar situation? How did you work through it?

I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW IN THIS ZONE I AM!!!!

I can't get out of my food funk!

RHSheetz

I have been there... And this is how I got modivated again.

When you started out, you had a goal, something that you wanted to reach, a way you wanted to look. Maybe it was getting out of the plus sizes, Maybe it was to have the energy that you lack, maybe it was to be able to walk from the car to the office and not need a nap after the walk.

You hit that goal, even though you are not where you want to be. You no longer have a vision for what you want, were you want to go. SO, when I hit that point, and people were telling me how great I looked and I "backed off". I could ride the rollercoasters, I could keep up with the "young pups" at the gym. I could walk further in a day than I could in a week, I started slipping. Letting stuff in a justifying it.

SO, I set a new goal, and backed it up with pictures in my mind of where I want to be. I want to turn heads at the pool, in a good way. I want to be the old guy who young guys wish they were. I want to have unlimited energy, and that has become my new drive.

When you see your destination, you start slowing down and letting things sidetrack you, set a new destination. What do you REALLY want, and what are you willing to do to hit that goal!

Go for it, and BE HEALTHY. You can do it, and you deserve it!

flea2449

Same here :sad:

I had 19 pounds left to hit my 100 lbs lost mark and now I'm at 50. I'm still working out everyday, but my eating is for crap on the weekends. I won't give up though.

rnprincess

I love that you started this thread. I lost 30+ pounds and kept it off for over a year. Then in December 2012 I started again. I added excercise in daily. Faithfully getting my 10,000 or more steps a day doing Zumba four times a week, but my diet has definitely fallen off. Like you, I am no longer in Plus sizes-which was an amazing achievement but I am so easily tempted now. I have decided to go back to basics when I first started back in December and document everything I am eating, get in all my protein and continue with my excercise.

I am not sure if this helps, but there are definitely other people in your shoes. My mantra is "Quitting is not an option", so I will just continue to take it one day at a time-I still have 50 pounds to go.

rnprincess

I have been there... And this is how I got modivated again.

When you started out, you had a goal, something that you wanted to reach, a way you wanted to look. Maybe it was getting out of the plus sizes, Maybe it was to have the energy that you lack, maybe it was to be able to walk from the car to the office and not need a nap after the walk.

You hit that goal, even though you are not where you want to be. You no longer have a vision for what you want, were you want to go. SO, when I hit that point, and people were telling me how great I looked and I "backed off".

When you see your destination, you start slowing down and letting things sidetrack you, set a new destination. What do you REALLY want, and what are you willing to do to hit that goal!

Go for it, and BE HEALTHY. You can do it, and you deserve it!

Thank you for this reminder!!

britzzie

Thanks for the support, everyone! Glad to know I'm not alone. Wish we had gotten more answers, but hopefully they are on their way.

furniem

Pick a really good reward for yourself that you will get when you get the rest of the weight off. Something REAAAAAAALLY good. Something you have really wanted but have always said no to.
And as rnprincess is doing, go back to basics and track every little thing. Will have to be militant about it but once you start to get in the groove again it will become habit once more. And they say it takes 21 days to make or break a habit so it will take some time.

You got this!

britzzie

I have been there... And this is how I got modivated again.

When you started out, you had a goal, something that you wanted to reach, a way you wanted to look. Maybe it was getting out of the plus sizes, Maybe it was to have the energy that you lack, maybe it was to be able to walk from the car to the office and not need a nap after the walk.

You hit that goal, even though you are not where you want to be. You no longer have a vision for what you want, were you want to go. SO, when I hit that point, and people were telling me how great I looked and I "backed off". I could ride the rollercoasters, I could keep up with the "young pups" at the gym. I could walk further in a day than I could in a week, I started slipping. Letting stuff in a justifying it.

SO, I set a new goal, and backed it up with pictures in my mind of where I want to be. I want to turn heads at the pool, in a good way. I want to be the old guy who young guys wish they were. I want to have unlimited energy, and that has become my new drive.

When you see your destination, you start slowing down and letting things sidetrack you, set a new destination. What do you REALLY want, and what are you willing to do to hit that goal!

Go for it, and BE HEALTHY. You can do it, and you deserve it!

I'm pretty sure you've hit the nail on the head here. A new vision of where I'm going is definitely in order.

Thank you for your heartfelt reply, and congrats on your success. My friend request is in the mail : )

kookanddra

When I started to get compliments on the weight loss I had I was so excited. Next thing I knew I was not loosing any more. I had the feeling that I look good and people noticed. For a while I guess I thought it was good enough. My motivation to get back on track again? I took a pict of myself. All of a sudden I didn't like again what I saw in the pict. I looked at it and thought that I haven't hit goal yet so why did I stop?? So I got focused again on what I truely wanted in mysefl.

britzzie

furniem....Good advice here, too. 21 days of true logging. Militant, beastly logging.

blondageh

I have NEVER gotten to my goal. I am amazed when I see people get down to be itty bitty little things. I always get ok and complacent.

jojo86xdd

I've been there, and I've managed to learn through trial and error..
This is just my opinion...
but I think the problem here is the mentality you had going into your journey. Even though is was in the right place, from what you said it seems as if you refrained from foods you love, avoided them all together and maybe even deprived yourself of them. And I know this was driven by your will to drop the weight. But now that you've lost a significant amount of weight the will to stay away from these food has dwindled. I feel like if you had approached food differently, this wouldn't be an issue now, but you can still change that. DO NOT DEPRIVE YOURSELF. You have to learn to balance your diet. Eat healthy, yes, fuel your body, yes, but there is nothing wrong with having the things you love from time to time. This i the healthy outlook on food. Eat what is nutritious for your body 90 percent of the time, but you can have all the foods you love in moderation (i.e ONE SERVING) and simply fit them into your daily calories.

Remember, this isn't just about dropping the weight. It's about keeping it off, FOR LIFE! Deprivation/abstinence from foods you love is NOT a realistic plan. It's all about balance.

For example, I have a "cheat" meal (not a cheat day) 2-3 times per week. No more than that. This could be dessert, or a cookie as a snack, a burger, pizza, or a drink on weekends, I log it and I move on. Aside from that, I keep it simple, and I keep it healthy (eggs, veggies, fruits, nuts, min amount of added sugars, no white bread, no white rice etc...)

britzzie

Seems there are a lot of us in this boat. I created an open group called "Almost There" if anyone would like to join up. I certainly don't have all of the answers, but I have a couple ideas now, and knocking out those last few pounds as a group could certainly help!!

rowanwood

You won't like my answer but here it is....


Why is your goal what it is? Is it a number? A size?

If you "have a cute shape" and feel good, why exactly are you struggling to reach some arbitrary goal?

I have a goal, technically, but if I suddenly feel great and strutting and I'm not there? Meh. Close enough.

I was fat and it was lousy. I feel better now, but not as good as I want to feel. Once I feel awesome, I don't know that I'll worry if its 2 lbs or 20 lbs away to my "goal." Because in the end, my goal with MFP was to fit better in my skin and my life, not into a certain size pants or a weight bracket someone else thinks I should fit into.

Not the normal answer, but hey, live, love what you've done and if you lose more and change, great. If not? You are still beautiful, feeling great and happy. What's wrong with that?

britzzie

This is just my opinion...
but I think the problem here is the mentality you had going into your journey. Even though is was in the right place, from what you said it seems as if you refrained from foods you love, avoided them all together and maybe even deprived yourself of them. And I know this was driven by your will to drop the weight. But now that you've lost a significant amount of weight the will to stay away from these food has dwindled. I feel like if you had approached food differently, this wouldn't be an issue now, but you can still change that. DO NOT DEPRIVE YOURSELF. You have to learn to balance your diet. Eat healthy, yes, fuel your body, yes, but there is nothing wrong with having the things you love from time to time. This i the healthy outlook on food. Eat what is nutritious for your body 90 percent of the time, but you can have all the foods you love in moderation (i.e ONE SERVING) and simply fit them into your daily calories.

Remember, this isn't just about dropping the weight. It's about keeping it off, FOR LIFE! Deprivation/abstinence from foods you love is NOT a realistic plan. It's all about balance.

For example, I have a "cheat" meal (not a cheat day) 2-3 times per week. No more than that. This could be dessert, or a cookie as a snack, a burger, pizza, or a drink on weekends, I log it and I move on. Aside from that, I keep it simple, and I keep it healthy (eggs, veggies, fruits, nuts, min amount of added sugars, no white bread, no white rice etc...)

This is probably also true. Thanks for keeping me honest.

britzzie

You won't like my answer but here it is....


Why is your goal what it is? Is it a number? A size?

If you "have a cute shape" and feel good, why exactly are you struggling to reach some arbitrary goal?

I have a goal, technically, but if I suddenly feel great and strutting and I'm not there? Meh. Close enough.

I was fat and it was lousy. I feel better now, but not as good as I want to feel. Once I feel awesome, I don't know that I'll worry if its 2 lbs or 20 lbs away to my "goal." Because in the end, my goal with MFP was to fit better in my skin and my life, not into a certain size pants or a weight bracket someone else thinks I should fit into.

Not the normal answer, but hey, live, love what you've done and if you lose more and change, great. If not? You are still beautiful, feeling great and happy. What's wrong with that?

I won't bash you for this answer. My pic may not look it, but I weigh 199lbs. I can run a 5k and did a Warrior Dash two weeks ago, but per the BMI charts (which I know some people think are a load) I am still 31lbs away from not being "overweight." I'll know it when I see it, and I'm not there yet. My goal may not be 168lbs, but it's a hell of a lot closer to that than it is to 199. So yes, it's a number and that should be ok.