Lost All This Weight & Losing Self-Control

deannaxsmithx
deannaxsmithx Posts: 27 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I'm finally at the "healthy" side of the BMI charts. I look good, feel good, and I'm very proud of what I've accomplished over these past 7 months. Because of my success, I'm starting to lose motivation to keep going & stay within my calorie goal. I keep thinking, "yeah, I lost 40lbs. I can eat a couple brownies," or something similar to that & I unfortunately end up going over my calorie goal. I'm starting to get stomach aches, heartburn and headaches from the amount of refined sugary foods I'm eating. Anyone know how to get rid of this "yeah, I lost weight and now I can eat whatever I want" mindset?

Replies

  • Nanogg55
    Nanogg55 Posts: 275 Member
    Keep looking at any "before" pictures you have. Work some treats into your daily calorie goal as well.
  • socioseguro
    socioseguro Posts: 1,679 Member
    Take a picture now, when you have met your goal and paste it at your fridge, next to a picture when you started your journey.
    You have to convince yourself that this is a lifestyle change, not a diet you can abandon. Today is the first day of the rest of your life.
    You are doing this because you love yourself enough to care for your health. You can do this
    Good luck in your healthy journey
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited August 2015
    I think most of us have been there done that! It could be a slippery slope so time to catch yourself on? be more mindful of your eating especially as you have done so well...it takes a long time to change habits of a lifetime but it happens gradually.

    Keep stepping on those scales often and adjusting intake as necessary. It took me first year to lose my weight and 2 years now maintaining with some ups during second year when I felt like you and slacked off. The 3rd year my mindset completely changed and eating habits that once were a struggle are now normal. You have to want to stay slim/healthy, i realised that i do love being slim and will do what it takes to stay this way.

    Wishing you all the best, keep up the great work :smile:

  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    Work on your emotional eating habits, while you're in a good place. Reward yourself for exercising, and for finding something better to do when you're tempted to go over your TDEE.
  • shrinkingletters
    shrinkingletters Posts: 1,008 Member
    Are you at your goal weight now? Have you calculated your maintenance calories?
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,526 Member
    It is SOOO difficult. All I can say,from experience, is that it will be even harder to lose it the second time. So maybe telling yourself that will help!
  • kkzmom11
    kkzmom11 Posts: 220 Member
    socioseguro wrote: »
    Take a picture now, when you have met your goal and paste it at your fridge, next to a picture when you started your journey.
    You have to convince yourself that this is a lifestyle change, not a diet you can abandon. Today is the first day of the rest of your life.
    You are doing this because you love yourself enough to care for your health. You can do this
    Good luck in your healthy journey

    This is what I need to do, but I HATE having pictures taken of me. :'(
  • BasicGreatGuy
    BasicGreatGuy Posts: 857 Member
    Don't think of yourself as no longer on a diet. Think of where you are as a lifestyle change.

    Treating yourself with sweets every so often is fine. However, if it has always been a tripping point for you, you might consider not rationalizing deals with yourself, as it is taking you back to where you don't want to be.

    Many people here promote the idea, that one can eat whatever one wants, so long as one stays within the goal. That advice may sound good. However, we are all different. Some people don't do well with having their triggers around. If you are one of those people, it may be best to remove the trigger (at least for now), lest you find yourself going in a vicious cycle.
  • anggoc
    anggoc Posts: 25 Member
    I too have been in this situation. I've lost 40lbs and then gained back 40+ lbs 4 times over an 18 year span. I have found that basically I just slipped back into old bad habits and gave up my new healthy habits I just built up. I'd gain 5 lbs from eating junk/not working out and drinking alcohol . I'd feel so horrible and then before I knew it I was back where I started. Just try to indulge every once in a while. If I'm really craving something I eat it. Usually I just keep trigger foods out of my house and also don't feel guilty if I indulge and then I get back on track right away . Sugar can be so addicting too. Good luck!! Remember how far you've come. Keep up your healthy habits :)
  • gramarye
    gramarye Posts: 586 Member
    socioseguro wrote: »
    Take a picture now, when you have met your goal and paste it at your fridge, next to a picture when you started your journey.
    You have to convince yourself that this is a lifestyle change, not a diet you can abandon. Today is the first day of the rest of your life.
    You are doing this because you love yourself enough to care for your health. You can do this
    Good luck in your healthy journey

    I honestly think this is terrible advice from a mental health standpoint. I think comparison photos are a really valuable tool for people losing weight, but to paste an old picture of myself on the fridge like a bad math test would just make me feel *kitten* all the time. *kitten* moods lead to more overeating, in my experience.

    Celebrate your body, OP, and practice balance. I find that when I'm maintaining, "maintenance" is actually a week wherein most days were around my maintenance carries, with a few over under, which tend to balance out. I also have to practice, "Yes, I get to have one snack. Not three servings of a snack, or three different 'one snacks.'" And that sucks, lol, but it gets easier with time and when all other aspects of my mental health are being cared for.
  • d_robin
    d_robin Posts: 1 Member
    Unfortunately it's a lifelong battle. Weigh yourself regularly and allow yourself a 3-5 lb cap then get back on the wagon. The key is eliminating the word diet because it's never over. True when they say lifestyle change with a little slip every now and then. ☺
  • aylajane
    aylajane Posts: 979 Member
    Set new goals where eating right is part of them. Problem is that "maintenance" is a long term goal - i.e the rest of your life. Hard to gauge any "progress" on that. So set a goal of doing 10 pullups, or running a 5k or hiking the AT or something that is just beyond your reach now but you could achieve if you really wanted to in just a 2-3 months. When you accomplish that, take a week or two off, set a new goal and start over. Dieting and losing or gaining is always easier because there is a definite goal you know when you meet it. Maintenance is basically saying not to change until you die. Not really any motivation there!
  • wilsonm2014
    wilsonm2014 Posts: 182 Member
    Challenge yourself to something that you HAVE to train for. Get a goal. Go look at "Green Beret Challenge" on FB. There's one in Cincinnati, Ohio at the end of August-30th actually. It rocks and will leave you with a feeling of self accomplishment.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    d_robin wrote: »
    Unfortunately it's a lifelong battle. Weigh yourself regularly and allow yourself a 3-5 lb cap then get back on the wagon. The key is eliminating the word diet because it's never over. True when they say lifestyle change with a little slip every now and then. ☺

    Absolutely this.

  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    A huge part of maintaining weight lose is physical activity. It isn't just that it burns calories and lets you eat more, but it helps bring your desire to eat in excess under control.
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    A huge part of maintaining weight lose is physical activity. It isn't just that it burns calories and lets you eat more, but it helps bring your desire to eat in excess under control.

    Could not agree more on this. Exercise does help even if it's just a little bit each day.
  • Pinnacle_IAO
    Pinnacle_IAO Posts: 608 Member

    For me it's been harder maintaining than losing.
    I thought once I reached my weight goal things would level out, and I could skate along with less effort.
    WRONG!
    It's a continuous undertaking where I must remain focused at all times every day.
    I get that now, and I have maintained my weight almost 3 years now.

    Stay on course. You can do it!
    <3
  • LadyDaenerys
    LadyDaenerys Posts: 89 Member
    deannaxsmithx wrote: »
    I'm finally at the "healthy" side of the BMI charts. I look good, feel good, and I'm very proud of what I've accomplished over these past 7 months. Because of my success, I'm starting to lose motivation to keep going & stay within my calorie goal. I keep thinking, "yeah, I lost 40lbs. I can eat a couple brownies," or something similar to that & I unfortunately end up going over my calorie goal. I'm starting to get stomach aches, heartburn and headaches from the amount of refined sugary foods I'm eating. Anyone know how to get rid of this "yeah, I lost weight and now I can eat whatever I want" mindset?


    I lost 60 then gained 15 back because i did the same thing... when i saw that i was looking more like my before pic i got sick to my stomach and HAD to WAKE UP! So now I'm back on the ball! Sometimes you gotta fall and get back up!
  • 115Everest
    115Everest Posts: 31 Member
    wilsonm2014 wrote: »
    Challenge yourself to something that you HAVE to train for. Get a goal. Go look at "Green Beret Challenge" on FB. There's one in Cincinnati, Ohio at the end of August-30th actually. It rocks and will leave you with a feeling of self accomplishment.

    It's not a bad suggestion to find an event. I trained like a crazy woman for the Lung Association's Fight for Air fundraising stair climb. And ate NO junk during training. Couldn't let the folks that contributed down and couldn't embarrass myself at the event! It kept me in check for weeks and weeks and was the most fit I've probably ever been when it was over.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    That's why I keep a deficit. I know there'll be days when I eat an extra brownie or two. So I keep my goal 400 calories under my TDEE. This way at least I know that the days I'm less hungry or have more willpower and can resist the brownies (which is more common than days when I want an extra treat), I will have a deficit... and it will all even out.

    Basically, I just look at a weekly (heck monthly sometimes) maintenance. Some weeks I am 1500 calories over, some weeks I am 2000 under... I've been maintaining for over a year this way.

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