Help, if you've been here
michael_jordan7
Posts: 176 Member
My story, began in February 2015 at 330 lbs. with blood pressure and diabetic issues. Losing from 330 to about 200 lbs was, for lack of a better word, easy. I had no problems staying on my eating plan, avoiding restaurants, and keeping my workout schedule. Hit the 199 mark in April of 2016 and ever since then...oh boy. I have struggled to avoid overeating and binge eating and here lately I have gotten lazy on my exercise routine.
I know that I feel better when I eat properly and have more energy when I exercise, but I am currently struggling with both. My weight has gone from 200 up to 230 lbs.
Looking for those who have made it successfully through similar struggles, please give me tips and advice to help me.
I know that I feel better when I eat properly and have more energy when I exercise, but I am currently struggling with both. My weight has gone from 200 up to 230 lbs.
Looking for those who have made it successfully through similar struggles, please give me tips and advice to help me.
1
Replies
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That has happened to me several times in my journey to stay fit. I was 210 and got to 167 lbs. Then I was transferred to a different location at work. That altered my eating habits and routines. I finally got back on course after gaining to 218 lbs in 15 months. I reached 176 lbs and another transfer happned. I am 210 and I am currently working to get back to 167. This time I promised myself to not let life alter my thinking and motivation to stay fit for life. This process is a marathon not a sprint. Sometimes we have to slow down and other times we speed up. The key I am finding out through it all is we have to keep moving, no matter how fast or slow just keep moving. Hope this helps.1
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That has happened to me several times in my journey to stay fit. I was 210 and got to 167 lbs. Then I was transferred to a different location at work. That altered my eating habits and routines. I finally got back on course after gaining to 218 lbs in 15 months. I reached 176 lbs and another transfer happned. I am 210 and I am currently working to get back to 167. This time I promised myself to not let life alter my thinking and motivation to stay fit for life. This process is a marathon not a sprint. Sometimes we have to slow down and other times we speed up. The key I am finding out through it all is we have to keep moving, no matter how fast or slow just keep moving. Hope this helps.
Thank you for the encouragement. Best of luck in your journey!0 -
Stop being lazy and just do it. There are no tips... it has to come from you.1
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You're going to have to learn to mentally make some things nonnegotiable. Healthy eating and exercise becomes a way of life, and you stick to those habits like you do other habits like showering or brushing your teeth.
Everyone's life involves changes in routine like new jobs etc. Just be diligent in keeping your healthy eating and exercise in place now matter what.
You've got this!!!1 -
My eating routines were way off, I was obese and I felt miserable. I had lost weight before, and regained even though I "promised" myself I wouldn't. I had to treat myself both kinder and stricter. I need a good eating structure so I created a meal plan that I
1) LIKE and
2) FOLLOW.
I also move some every day. Not necessarily exercise - walking is fine.1 -
I get it. When I saw 199, it was like all my focus flew out the window. Don't have all the answers, but I do have a couple of thoughts. 130 lbs in just over a year was a major accomplishment in a pretty short amount of time. It probably felt easy because of the sense of accomplishment, but it required sacrifice and hard work. Some benefit from a maintenance break after a long stretch of restricting (but the key word there is *maintenance*). Also, you are in completely different territory now, so it's likely time to revisit your goals. 2 lbs/week was probably fairly easy at 300, but at 200 (even 230), you would likely benefit from a more modest goal. Keep it sustainable so you're not as likely to get discouraged or start to feel deprived. As to the exercise, I've always found if I commit to 5 minutes, even if I don't feel like it, I'm likely to finish the workout. We need to tap back into the good feelings our healthy lifestyle was giving us. Don't get discouraged- you've regained a fraction of your loss, but you can put a stop to that now and will still be reaping all the benefits you've gained. Wish you the best
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I get it. When I saw 199, it was like all my focus flew out the window. Don't have all the answers, but I do have a couple of thoughts. 130 lbs in just over a year was a major accomplishment in a pretty short amount of time. It probably felt easy because of the sense of accomplishment, but it required sacrifice and hard work. Some benefit from a maintenance break after a long stretch of restricting (but the key word there is *maintenance*). Also, you are in completely different territory now, so it's likely time to revisit your goals. 2 lbs/week was probably fairly easy at 300, but at 200 (even 230), you would likely benefit from a more modest goal. Keep it sustainable so you're not as likely to get discouraged or start to feel deprived. As to the exercise, I've always found if I commit to 5 minutes, even if I don't feel like it, I'm likely to finish the workout. We need to tap back into the good feelings our healthy lifestyle was giving us. Don't get discouraged- you've regained a fraction of your loss, but you can put a stop to that now and will still be reaping all the benefits you've gained. Wish you the best
Thank you for encouraging words and some good advice. I need to have a good solid week of eating and exercise that is my goal for this week.2 -
Have you taken a diet break? You've yo-yoed but kudos on catching it at only 30lb gain
Start weighing all your food and logging it accurately
Aim for maintaining 230 for 4 weeks ...this will be a cut on what you're eating but you have to stop your rebound
Then think about cutting
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Echoing the advice above. If you've been dieting for awhile, a diet break might just the thing. Give yourself a chance to practice eating at maintenance for a few weeks or so, without the deficit. Sometimes I find that really helps with the binge problem. It gives you more calories to play with for awhile. Also would agree that 2 lbs/wk is probably too much at this point now if you're binging. If you set to 1 lb/wk, it'll be slower, but you'll have more calories to eat each day. That might be more comfortable for you. For weight loss, slow and steady tends to be the best approach.2
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So many others, including myself, have this problem at Onederland. It's completely mental and the only way through it is to just keep working on it. There is no magic bullet here. Just decide tomorrow that you will hit the store for food you like that will fit your plan and start over. If you mess it up, hit your plan the next day. Repeat. Don't quit! Once you push through this issue the weight will start to fall off again. Ignore it and you will gain it all back.3
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So many others, including myself, have this problem at Onederland. It's completely mental and the only way through it is to just keep working on it. There is no magic bullet here. Just decide tomorrow that you will hit the store for food you like that will fit your plan and start over. If you mess it up, hit your plan the next day. Repeat. Don't quit! Once you push through this issue the weight will start to fall off again. Ignore it and you will gain it all back.
Thank you for some good advice and I am determined not to ignore it or to gain the weight back.0 -
Please don't quit! I have had my moments and similar times too. Just keep at it. Even if your motivation and enthusiasm isn't there right now just keep going. I promise it will come back to you.1
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michael_jordan7 wrote: »My story, began in February 2015 at 330 lbs. with blood pressure and diabetic issues. Losing from 330 to about 200 lbs was, for lack of a better word, easy. I had no problems staying on my eating plan, avoiding restaurants, and keeping my workout schedule. Hit the 199 mark in April of 2016 and ever since then...oh boy. I have struggled to avoid overeating and binge eating and here lately I have gotten lazy on my exercise routine.
I know that I feel better when I eat properly and have more energy when I exercise, but I am currently struggling with both. My weight has gone from 200 up to 230 lbs.
Looking for those who have made it successfully through similar struggles, please give me tips and advice to help me.
For "overeating" (by which I presume you mean eating too much at meals), I put proper portions on my plate the first time, and say no to seconds. If I ever go back for seconds, I immediately know I'm failing.
For "binge eating" (by which I presume you mean excessive snacking), I find that, psychologically, binge eating is a lot like dwelling on a bad break-up. I'm in the most danger of binge eating during idle time, during which I have too much time and not enough to think about--so I think about eating. The solution is to keep busy, keep your mind focused on something, anything, to keep yourself out of the kitchen. My wife works long shifts on the weekends, and I'm left home alone all day. I fill that time by doing any chores she assigns me, home projects that I decide need to be done, reading books, and (I'm a millennial; don't judge me) video games.
For exercise, the advice I give everyone is to make yourself want to exercise. Many people use cardio as an opportunity to listen to music. If you're more of an audiobook guy (as I am), listen to one of those. If my mind's racing and I can't focus on an audiobook, I use that time to think, and record my thoughts on an audio recording device (my phone). For younger people I recommend Pokemon Go.
In general, if you have family or close friends who are struggling to lose weight, it's remarkable what a friendly competition with just enough cash at stake can do.2 -
Huh? I'm probably the least lazy person I know, lol...michael_jordan7 wrote: »
Just brutally honest. People who search for outside help to help them with weight loss motivation will never find it... it has to come from inside. If it was easy, everyone would do it.
I mean, gosh, it took me over 10 years to be ready to make the change. It only ended working when I REALLY wanted it... more than eating the food.0 -
Have you taken a diet break? You've yo-yoed but kudos on catching it at only 30lb gain
Start weighing all your food and logging it accurately
Aim for maintaining 230 for 4 weeks ...this will be a cut on what you're eating but you have to stop your rebound
Then think about cutting
This is great advice. After a huge loss (congrats!) like you've had, taking a break to adjust to maintenance for a little while isn't quitting, and it can be helpful in getting yourself back into it.
Also, if you are feeling bored and fatigued with what you are doing, maybe set new and inspiring goals, try a new kind of exercise, something that will get you excited again.2 -
I believe she's referring to you having not achieved your goal weight or rather been maintaining for 2 years despite being 2# from goal. If you wanted to lose those 2#, you'd "stop being lazy and just do it".
OP, I agree with taking a short diet break and eating at maintenance for a week. You might be surprised the mental relief.3 -
I believe she's referring to you having not achieved your goal weight or rather been maintaining for 2 years despite being 2# from goal. If you wanted to lose those 2#, you'd "stop being lazy and just do it".
OP, I agree with taking a short diet break and eating at maintenance for a week. You might be surprised the mental relief.
Fair enough. But it proves my point too - it has to come from you (generic 'you'). If you don't want it enough, it's not going to happen (although in my case, I don't think it's laziness - which were OP's words - as much as just not wanting it enough).
I don't understand the 'take a maintenance break' thing though. He gained 30 pounds back... he's got that break.2 -
Huh? I'm probably the least lazy person I know, lol...michael_jordan7 wrote: »
Just brutally honest. People who search for outside help to help them with weight loss motivation will never find it... it has to come from inside. If it was easy, everyone would do it.
I mean, gosh, it took me over 10 years to be ready to make the change. It only ended working when I REALLY wanted it... more than eating the food.
the least lazy person you know....also the whiniest, most miserable and hypocritical person as well....2 -
Just brutally honest. People who search for outside help to help them with weight loss motivation will never find it... it has to come from inside. If it was easy, everyone would do it.
I mean, gosh, it took me over 10 years to be ready to make the change. It only ended working when I REALLY wanted it... more than eating the food.
Most people who struggle to stay on a weight loss program know what to do to lose weight--they just don't do it. To get a person to start (or restart), he/she either needs a strong enough fear--or a strong enough desire--to sway their decisionmaking, day by day, until their diet/exercise plan becomes their routine.
Unfortunately (and I believe this is a softer way to say exactly what Francl27 means to say), an online forum cannot effectively give OP the desire or fear he needs to drive a successful weight loss campaign. All we have are words and an occasional meme, which just can't play to emotions strongly enough to have the necessary effect. This is where online weight loss communities fall short.4 -
I saw 199 last week. Dang. I hope to see it again, soon. I've stayed on the program and everything.1
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Hey there,
I don't ever comment in boards, but your post made me think of me. I would say the past 8-10 years I've not only been trying to overcome losing weight, but fighting and finding solutions to binge eating. This past winter was my all time worst with it, and I gained about 30 lbs in the span of three months (which fortunately, I've gotten off fully at this point). And right now I've successfully gone through the past four months or so without slipping back into the old binge habits once. I will tell you this, I tried Nutrisystem for one month. I think I lost 7 lbs that month which was less than I expected. I'm not at all trying to promote or speak against Nutrisystem, but my point in bringing it up is that it definitely changed my thinking and got me off the habit of binge-ing. With the program, you eat a dessert or post-dinner snack every night that's usually 100-150 calories. When I chronically diet it usually means I fully eliminate everything bad for me. Until, that is, I get a craving and say, eat about 2000-4000 calories of raw cookie dough, or a pint of ice cream with a pack of cookies on the side... I have dessert probably at least 5 nights a week now - usually 100 calories each time. I buy either weight watchers brownies, fiber one cookies/brownies, or skinny cow frozen ice cream treats. And for me, that keeps dessert cravings at bay. I don't know what foods are your trigger foods, but if they're sweets, I'd definitely suggest trying this method.
I think something that really helped me is also recognizing that there are some foods I simply don't eat responsibly, and I won't bring them in the house. I can't eat just one slice of pizza - so I don't order pizza. If I have ice cream in the house, I will eat it til it's gone. So I only buy individually wrapped ice cream treats (as for some reason, I don't binge on individually-wrapped things). I think we operate under this mentality that we are so strong and we can overcome our temptations and conquer our cravings etc etc. Maybe that's true. But I find that recognizing my weaknesses, and not putting myself in situations where I'm forced to test them is very helpful to me. I hope that helps a bit!3 -
Long term motivation is a common problem, but the solution is usually very personal. So, what do you really want to get healthy for and can you break that down into smaller steps or some kind of little reward that will get you motivated today? I'm using Halloween as my motivation...not sure what kind of guy costumes would require getting into better shape than you are today, but if you like Halloween that might be one to get you through the next couple months...then there's looking nice for the winter holidays...or looking nice for holiday parties...and then it's new year so of course it's time to be super motivated and start the new year off right...then beach time is right around the corner...for me, I just keep shifting from one goal to the next...sexy costume, new party dress, new bikini, whatever I possibly can come up with to just give me that 1-6 month goal window to really focus on and strive toward.5
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tcunbeliever wrote: »Long term motivation is a common problem, but the solution is usually very personal. So, what do you really want to get healthy for and can you break that down into smaller steps or some kind of little reward that will get you motivated today? I'm using Halloween as my motivation...not sure what kind of guy costumes would require getting into better shape than you are today, but if you like Halloween that might be one to get you through the next couple months...then there's looking nice for the winter holidays...or looking nice for holiday parties...and then it's new year so of course it's time to be super motivated and start the new year off right...then beach time is right around the corner...for me, I just keep shifting from one goal to the next...sexy costume, new party dress, new bikini, whatever I possibly can come up with to just give me that 1-6 month goal window to really focus on and strive toward.
that's an awesome idea 0 -
^^ These are wonderful thoughts - just going to throw out there for we "older" folks (that would be me for sure) - trying to look a certain way for something doesn't cut it anymore. Gone passed in our lives are the 10 year, 20 year, 30 year and well heck, 40 year reunions. Gone are the parties where we want to look "sexy". Sexy at my age is anything that doesn't show my jiggle in my wiggle
. Motivation may be that our blood pressure is much lower, our diabetes is under control, we can walk those 5 miles or lift those heavy (for us) weights. Our motivation is being able to not only See our grand kids, but run around the yard with them and bike ride and swim.
I use this motivation when I am struggling (constantly) with staying on track and not sliding back into those old habits. I Can run up that flight of stairs at work (not retired quite yet); I Can go to the Dr and not need to stand backward to not see the scale; I Can face old friends I've not seen in a while and still smile that they can't believe what I have accomplished; I Can run/walk that 5K, 10K, 1/2 marathon where I couldn't even walk 1/8 mile before.
I CAN eat healthy to sleep better, breathe better, walk better. That is my motivation. Look in the mirror and be your own inspiration - because you CAN.
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michael_jordan7 wrote: »My story, began in February 2015 at 330 lbs. with blood pressure and diabetic issues. Losing from 330 to about 200 lbs was, for lack of a better word, easy. I had no problems staying on my eating plan, avoiding restaurants, and keeping my workout schedule. Hit the 199 mark in April of 2016 and ever since then...oh boy. I have struggled to avoid overeating and binge eating and here lately I have gotten lazy on my exercise routine.
I know that I feel better when I eat properly and have more energy when I exercise, but I am currently struggling with both. My weight has gone from 200 up to 230 lbs.
Looking for those who have made it successfully through similar struggles, please give me tips and advice to help me.
Sure, I've hit One-derland several times, gotten complacent, and the weight crept back up. I am flirting with the 180s these days. I just keep logging.2 -
I've been up and down again a few times although I'm proud to say that I have never gone all the way back to where I was, I can still understand what you're going through.
Just saying "this week I'm going to get back to it" didn't work for me. I had to actually re-commit to logging, start making weekly meals again and pre-recording my food. I had to force my butt out of bed to the gym and stop saying 'next week'. Take it one step at a time like a beginner, start logging again. start weighing again. Just start 2 -
Hey there,
I don't ever comment in boards, but your post made me think of me. I would say the past 8-10 years I've not only been trying to overcome losing weight, but fighting and finding solutions to binge eating. This past winter was my all time worst with it, and I gained about 30 lbs in the span of three months (which fortunately, I've gotten off fully at this point). And right now I've successfully gone through the past four months or so without slipping back into the old binge habits once. I will tell you this, I tried Nutrisystem for one month. I think I lost 7 lbs that month which was less than I expected. I'm not at all trying to promote or speak against Nutrisystem, but my point in bringing it up is that it definitely changed my thinking and got me off the habit of binge-ing. With the program, you eat a dessert or post-dinner snack every night that's usually 100-150 calories. When I chronically diet it usually means I fully eliminate everything bad for me. Until, that is, I get a craving and say, eat about 2000-4000 calories of raw cookie dough, or a pint of ice cream with a pack of cookies on the side... I have dessert probably at least 5 nights a week now - usually 100 calories each time. I buy either weight watchers brownies, fiber one cookies/brownies, or skinny cow frozen ice cream treats. And for me, that keeps dessert cravings at bay. I don't know what foods are your trigger foods, but if they're sweets, I'd definitely suggest trying this method.
I think something that really helped me is also recognizing that there are some foods I simply don't eat responsibly, and I won't bring them in the house. I can't eat just one slice of pizza - so I don't order pizza. If I have ice cream in the house, I will eat it til it's gone. So I only buy individually wrapped ice cream treats (as for some reason, I don't binge on individually-wrapped things). I think we operate under this mentality that we are so strong and we can overcome our temptations and conquer our cravings etc etc. Maybe that's true. But I find that recognizing my weaknesses, and not putting myself in situations where I'm forced to test them is very helpful to me. I hope that helps a bit!
I don't think Nutrisystem would be work for me, but I DO like the idea of building a treat of some kind into each day, maybe as a reward - if I eat well and do my planned exercise today, then I can have an ice cream sandwich for dessert. I think I am going to give it a try, and yes I have had to learn that I can't eat pizza "in moderation", that just won't happen for me, so I have to avoid it, same for me with any kind of buffet, if I go in the door, I am going to overeat. I have learned a lot about myself through this process and I continue to learn every day.0 -
Huh? I'm probably the least lazy person I know, lol...michael_jordan7 wrote: »
Just brutally honest. People who search for outside help to help them with weight loss motivation will never find it... it has to come from inside. If it was easy, everyone would do it.
I mean, gosh, it took me over 10 years to be ready to make the change. It only ended working when I REALLY wanted it... more than eating the food.
the least lazy person you know....also the whiniest, most miserable and hypocritical person as well....
Think you nailed it there...1
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