Lost my Drive

shawnaes91

I don't know what it is but recently I've just lost my drive to continue losing weight and maintaining my weight.

I had gotten down from 172 to 138lbs. This last month I've gone back up to 145lbs. Its purely my own fault. I was going back to school which was super stressful especially since I was taking a subject I'm not strong in. Then to add on we've had money issues recently and it was back to school time and my daughters birthday this month. Now I'm having to deal with a lot of family/IL issues. I dealt with all these things during my weightloss journey but I'm finding it really hard now to just over look it.

I find myself binge eating just to feel better. I know I can stop but it just feels like I can't remember how to.

Any advice on how to get back on the wagon?

50andfabu

If you lost "it", that means you had "it" once, so you can get "it" back.
binge eating doesn't make you feel better...it makes you feel worse.
if you are stressed trying eating healthy foods then going for a short walk/break/change of scenery
You've worked hard and done really well....don't give up!

crystalcement

You've got this! Stock up on some healthy snacks so when you feel a binge coming on you can reach for an apple or carrots instead. And maybe post a picture of yourself at 138lbs on the fridge so that you can remind yourself why you are making healthy choices and how great you feel as a result. Take it one day at a time.

oh_happy_day

You know how to do this. You know what worked for you last time. Don't undo all the hard work you've put in! Maybe spend a few weeks on maintenance calories and get your head back in the game? If you feel the urge to binge - call a friend, go for a walk, distract yourself with your kids, come onto the forums, put the food away - whatever you need to do!

PinkPixiexox

You lost weight before, you can CERTAINLY do it again
I've said this many times on this forum and I don't think it's emphasized enough - you are a human being, not a robot. Of course you are going to have times when life gets in the way of weight loss plans. I lost my Nana last year and it broke my heart - I was spending most of my time trying not to cry so OF COURSE counting calories got put on the sideburner for a while. Yes, I gained weight but like hell am I going to beat myself up about that.

The fact is, you've caught this now and want to do something to change your situation - congratulations on re-starting the journey. You can do it - Please use this forum for support, it'll help you enormously and remember, the odd treat is not going to upset the progress.

KateTii

Weightloss, when charted on a graph, is never a perfect downhill line. Daily fluctations and mini "relapses" are all part of the process. I know I would go crazy if I didn't have diet breaks or let my logging slide when big things are going on - life happens!

Ok, so you have gone up to 145lbs? You still aren't at where you started, so you are already doing better than you used to! You have already identified you have fallen off the wagon so the battle is pretty much won. The hardest thing to do when trying to lose weight, is accepting your current habits and making changes to those habits (which lead to results)

goldthistime

shawnaes91 wrote: »

I don't know what it is but recently I've just lost my drive to continue losing weight and maintaining my weight.

I had gotten down from 172 to 138lbs. This last month I've gone back up to 145lbs. Its purely my own fault. I was going back to school which was super stressful especially since I was taking a subject I'm not strong in. Then to add on we've had money issues recently and it was back to school time and my daughters birthday this month. Now I'm having to deal with a lot of family/IL issues. I dealt with all these things during my weightloss journey but I'm finding it really hard now to just over look it.

I find myself binge eating just to feel better. I know I can stop but it just feels like I can't remember how to.

Any advice on how to get back on the wagon?

Firstly, kudos for logging onto MFP and starting this thread. When I have been where you are right now, I can't even LOOK at MFP. So, could be worse, right?

Still, it sounds to me like you have a lot on your plate right now. It may not be a good time to add a calorie deficit to the mix. Maybe a good time to practice eating at maintenance. Perhaps consider setting yourself a goal to revert to a calorie deficit on October 1st (or whatever date makes sense to you). Don't consider this to be "failing". Consider it to be practicing eating appropriate to your circumstances.

As to binging, I know what you mean that, initially at least, it makes you feel a little better. But it WILL make you feel worse if you continue on. Much worse. It's unlikely that you are binging on fresh fruit, vegetables and lean meats, so you are probably compromising your nutrition on top of everything else.

Get some exercise if you can manage it (to feel good rather than to lose weight), and prioritize getting enough sleep!

sheldonklein

Right the ship before you try to make progress. Eating at maintenance for a month is a form of discipline that will serve you well when you are ready to lose again. I lost my discipline over the summer and have been treading water for 3 months, but I haven't allowed myself to gain.

PinkPixiexox

sheldonklein wrote: »

Right the ship before you try to make progress. Eating at maintenance for a month is a form of discipline that will serve you well when you are ready to lose again. I lost my discipline over the summer and have been treading water for 3 months, but I haven't allowed myself to gain.

Brilliant advice.

TnTWalter

yes! wish I had taken that advice a few years ago....or I wouldn't be sitting here trying now to lose the 30 I gained because I lost my drive....don't do it!!

sheldonklein wrote: »

Right the ship before you try to make progress. Eating at maintenance for a month is a form of discipline that will serve you well when you are ready to lose again. I lost my discipline over the summer and have been treading water for 3 months, but I haven't allowed myself to gain.