Down in the dumps

Rivera1988

I have been on here for 37 days I have lost 3 lbs and that was hard it's self I basically relapsed last week and ate horrible but gained no weight I can't seem to get back on track to working out and eating better ugh I don't know how I got so off track and now I'm stuck I wanted to loose 10 lbs by nov back when I started but I guess that definitely is t going to happen. Any type of advice would be helpful??

2011rocket3touring

Baby steps. First log everything you eat, even when you indulge. Next try to stay within maintenance calories. After that try to eat at a deficit and perhaps add some exercise.
Remember this is a marathon, not a sprint. You (we) need to develop new habits to last a lifetime.

mari5466

Plan your meals!! And don't go crazy on this idea of "healthy" as if it excluded all things you enjoy eating just do it in moderation.

merbear787

The best advice I've ever heard is JUST KEEP GOING! Even when we have a bad week or binge or eat badly (we all do) don't let it derail your efforts. One foot in front of the other and tomorrow is a fresh day. It's about a lifestyle and the journey, not just the destination! So forgive yourself and just keep going you can do it!

RoxieDawn

The last thing to do when something does not according to plan, is give up. Its in the past its done and done.

So what you do is pick right back up where you were, and continue. This is not a do over, it is a speed bump in the road! So what the bumper came off when you hit it put it back on and keep going!!!!

joseccastaneda

As you experienced, eating "bad" once is not going to derail your efforts. Its been a short time, but you will see that you may be eating what you used to eat, but you can't eat the same quantity as before. I've had times where i still think i can finish a burrito and i'm extremely sick the rest of the day. Your body gets used to the changes and will give you a hard time as a reminder.

Bduv121

Remember you have control of what you eat bit the other way around. Also you have control over yourself not anyone else

Allegi32

Rivera1988 wrote: »

I have been on here for 37 days I have lost 3 lbs and that was hard it's self I basically relapsed last week and ate horrible but gained no weight I can't seem to get back on track to working out and eating better ugh I don't know how I got so off track and now I'm stuck I wanted to loose 10 lbs by nov back when I started but I guess that definitely is t going to happen. Any type of advice would be helpful??

First of all, solidarity. Been there SO many times....there's a reason why not everyone is fit and thin - it's hard!!! It can be really daunting to try to do it all at once. I know you want to lose the weight NOW but sometimes you try too hard and burn out and wind up in a worse spot than you were before. My advice is to take it 1 step at a time. Don't try to be perfect. But don't give yourself excuses. You have to want it more than anything else - you have to remember WHY you started this in the first place. What does losing weight mean to you - what does it look like to you when you reach your goal?

Unknown

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Dano74

You're in a frustrating spot- one that has to do more with losing momentum and summoning the subsequent motivation to jump back into what you were doing.

It's tough and frustrating, right? you KNOW what you need to do... you just are like, "blllllaaaagh" about it.

The trick is.... there is no trick. It's simply creating momentum and consistency without playing the guilty woulda/shoulda/could blame game with yourself.

TRUTH: You can start today. You can start first thing tomorrow. It'll take time but instead of looking down the road to your goal... look at what you're doing today to meet your goal. As they say in post-game interviews: "One game at a time". That's good advice... one day at a time. One meal at a time. One entry at a time. One decision in the moment at a time.

10 lbs. isn't your goal. Your goal is to eat in your calorie goal today, work out today. The 10 lbs. will fall into place. 3 months down the road "last week" won't mean a thing if you're consistent.

You've got this- momentum is your pal. Be stronger than complacent you... and when you look back at your day after getting it done come cupcakes or "stuff came up"... you can say "Peace out, guilt. I owned today with no regrets. And I'm doing it again tomorrow."

DebSozo

Three pounds in a month isn't terrible by any means. Don't give up and go for it.

Francl27

Maybe switch to something that you can actually stick to long term.. so don't forbid foods, don't pick a huge deficit etc...

seeing1111

I lost the most weight noticably while doing intermittent fasting 16/8. Constraining the time which you eat to an 8 hour window (still watching the calorie total) and not eating during the other hours. It can be tricky depending on your schedule and lifestyle but it seems to produce results.

SLLRunner

Rivera1988 wrote: »

I have been on here for 37 days I have lost 3 lbs and that was hard it's self I basically relapsed last week and ate horrible but gained no weight I can't seem to get back on track to working out and eating better ugh I don't know how I got so off track and now I'm stuck I wanted to loose 10 lbs by nov back when I started but I guess that definitely is t going to happen. Any type of advice would be helpful??

Patience is a virtue, slow and sustainable wins the race!

3 pounds in a five weeks is great! That comes out to about a half pound a week. You only have 7 pounds left. I suggest throwing away the time goal and stick with the weight loss goal. Continue doing what you're doing and just let the weight come off as it will.

elisa123gal

It isn't going off your diet that ruins things.. it is not getting right back on. When you fall down do you stay on the ground forever? No.. you get up and walk again.. So.. dust yourself off and no big deal. That's what we all do.

khhregister

My progress has also been slow. I'm currently 7 pounds lighter than when I started a little over a year ago. In that time I've been lower, and then gotten careless about weighing everything and logging everything. Every time I do that, I put the pounds back on. Sometimes I've gotten derailed by illness or business travel. But I keep coming back, and I'm definitely in better shape than I would have been without MFP. Before joining, I was putting on 10 pounds a year. So I look at it as a victory that I have halted the weight gain, and then also gradually, gradually, getting that weight back off.
Please don't give up. You're turning your life around, and that's a big job. There's a lot of momentum behind your old habits and it takes a huge effort to change everything so you can be healthy and happy.

courtneyfabulous

I find it helpful to track everything and allow for small treats if I feel like I need it- you can add in treats without going over your calories or macros if you plan and adjust meals accordingly- like have that brownie but skip your carbs with dinner & steam your veggies instead of sauteeing them to adjust for the carbs & fat in the brownie. That way you won't feel deprived and go off plan and will continue to see results. Don't do it too much or all the time because you do want good nutrition, but it's ok once in a while. Also if you're feeling like you aren't getting enough food increase your veggies & greens intake. They are super low in calories but very filling- and also full of nutrients I was feeling like I was being deprived of food until I increased my veggies. Also low sugar fruits like berries are nice to satisfy sweets cravings, and protein shakes satisfy sweet or chocolate cravings while helping you meet protein goals! You can work those into your diet every day.

I suggest sticking to the macros not just calories- you will feel better & have faster/more effective weight loss if you are getting the proper ratio of proteins fats & carbs rather than just tracking calories alone. Make especially sure you are getting enough protein and not going over on carbs & sugars. That will help A LOT.

Make sure the exercise you do is what you enjoy- it should be fun, feel good, and be mentally therapeutic, not a chore. Once you get in a routine you will miss exercise rather than dreading it. If you don't feel very motivated try just at least going for a walk. Track your walk with an app like Walkmeter to see how many miles you've walked.

I also suggest not logging your exercise- myfitnesspal over estimates calories burned and allows you to eat those calories so you might eat back more calories than you burn.that might be slowing your progress. But if you start to feel hungry all the time increase your daily calories a bit.

3 pounds in a month is a pretty good rate of fat loss. You could safely go up to 6 pounds per month or possibly 8 but anything beyond that would probably be muscle loss and that's counterproductive. Don't give yourself a time limit, give yourself a goal and when you reach it make your next goal to maintain you weight so you don't gain it all back.

Weight loss & fitness isn't done in a week or a month... it's a lifestyle. Of course when you get to the maintenance phase you get to eat a lot more and not be so strict- but you have to keep up with exercise and tracking still.

Good luck!