Fell off the wagon, trying to get back on!

12anita

I list the weight I needed to prior to going to visit family during the holidays last year, but I've been in a downward spiral since! I'm keeping up the exercise fairly well, although I've cut back due to foot and other aches and pains. They are under control usually, but I don't have the same self control with my eating habits. I know I'm eating too many sweets and larger portions. I used to go to Jenny Craig, but I'd rather try to get a hold of it myself to avoid buying those meals again! However, I am motivated by having to 'weigh in.' I will take any advice!

galengower

I just finished a book called The Power of Habit which contains some startling insights into how habits are made and changed. Sounds like a little might apply to your situation, plus it's a compelling book. Surround yourself with people who will help keep you accountable to your goals, too.

VUA21

As someone who spent more than a decade yo-yo dieting before I had that "AH-HA!!!!" moment, he's what worked for me. I went from 350 to currently 180 and still losing..

1. Unless you are genuinely allergic or intolerant to a food, there are no bad foods: everything in moderation. Yes, I eat cookies, chips, cake, candy... But, only what my calorie budget allows.
2. Start with maintenance as you're weight goal, then just do a mental goal of just staying under that, even if it's only 100 calories. After a week of getting used to that, then change to weight loss. It'll be easier to adjust to (less likely to fail).
3. Meticulously weigh EVERYTHING!!!! Especially at first. Now, I no longer weigh my leafy greens as being off by a whole cup of raw spinach is a whopping 7 calories (not really a big deal). Any decent digital scale will work. The $15 ones at Walmart or Target are fine, you don't need the $100 variety.
4. Dirty a lot of dishes: ie, use small plates. I use two saucers for a lot of my meals, one is for veggies, the other is for everything else. I can't load up on high calorie stuff that way. Use a knife and fork for everything that doesn't require a spoon. Seriously, pizza with a knife and fork takes twice as long, or longer, to eat. It takes about 30 minutes for the human body to register that it's full. You'll end up eating less as you will hit the 30 minute mark while eating less overall.
5. Read labels!!!! As far as calories go, "Cinnamon bun" flavored instant oatmeal has fewer calories per serving than the "apple" version... A lot of breakfast cereals will surprise you as well, cookie crisp has fewer calories per serving than most Kashi cereals... That means cookies instead of lawn trimming for breakfast!!!!
6. Learn to swap to lower calorie items. Unsweetened almond milk has 30 calories a cup, fat free regular milk has 86. When having it in cereal (especially the really yummy "children's" kind), there's no taste difference. Nor can I tell the difference in my coffee. Swap chicken thighs out for the breast, and so forth. This way you do not lose the volume of food you are eating, only the calories.
7. Setbacks happen. Think of learning new dietary habits like learning how to ride a bike. Just because you fall off once doesn't mean you quit trying, using the bike analogy it's easy to see how silly giving up because of one miss really is.
8. Don't give up because you had a really bad day. Having bad days is called being human. We all have them.

Hope this helps.

88olds

Ditto VUA21.

And I want to add that our efforts are generally as good as our food diary. It’s a pain at first but it gets easier. Keep your diary every day no matter what, good, bad or ugly. Forget? Do your best to go back and fill it in. Don’t know how many calories in that dish or meal? Make a good faith estimate. You don’t need to be perfect, just consistent.

Oh, 1 more. Just because you go over your number is not a reason to abandon your diary. The process is more important than the number at any point in time. Embrace the process and you can quit the on/off wagon mentality.