Back to square one - How do you start again?

ChandalNicole

I. AM. STRUGGLING. I'm basically rolling down a hill on the struggle bus. Head over heels. I've been here before, I'm sure many of us have. The difference is, I want so badly for this to be the real start again, but it's so difficult this time around.

Little background, 2 years ago, I lost 90 pounds, I was 10 pounds away from my goal! I struggled with the final 10, but was able to maintain for over a year. The stress from my wedding put some hiccups in my routine but I still held strong, give or take 5 pounds! And then, honeymoon surprise baby! I quickly gained back 3/4 of the weight I had lost. I CRAVED ice cream, daily. Lots of it. I've also struggled with some postpartum depression with this pregnancy. I've talked to my doctor, we're good there. It's been a huuuuuge preventative for getting my mojo back though.

I want to feel like a freaking beast again! I was jogging 3-5 miles 4-5 times a week and doing weight training, clean eating, everything. I was in the best shape of my life. I just can't find the full motivation to just plunge back in. What are some tips that worked for you? How do you get back into your routine?

MikePTY

Don't focus on trying to be who you were. Only worry about who you are going to be. Try to focus on just doing a little in the beginning. You won't get there all at once.

The good thing about weight loss is that even if it feels like it, there is no bus. Each day is one day at a time. If you make bad choices today, focus on making better choices tomorrow. And if you make bad choices 2 days from now again, then focus on making better choices in 3. Treat every day as it's own battle, and forget the defeats as soon as the new battle begins.

erjones11

Hi-

You are not back at square one. You know what it feels like to be a "freaking beast". And you know how to do it because you did it before. So, get started....

88olds

Congrats on the loss ( you’re still down some) the wedding and the baby.

Motivation is fleeting and unreliable. Calculate a modest calorie deficit, start a food diary, plan a menu and try to hit your number. If your plan proves to be inadequate, problem solve and make it better. Try to establish good habits, they will see you through periods of low enthusiasm.

Calorie counting works given enough time.
Good luck.

DeterminedMummy94x

I totally relate, I had lost 85lbs through intense daily cardio and calorie restricting in 2012/2013, had two daughters very close in age, so was pregnant for most of 2014,2015,2016, managed to gain it all back. I'm now 20lbs down after deciding to shift the baby weight in September lol. Feel free to add me for support! Good luck!

ChandalNicole

MikePTY wrote: »

Don't focus on trying to be who you were. Only worry about who you are going to be. Try to focus on just doing a little in the beginning. You won't get there all at once.

The good thing about weight loss is that even if it feels like it, there is no bus. Each day is one day at a time. If you make bad choices today, focus on making better choices tomorrow. And if you make bad choices 2 days from now again, then focus on making better choices in 3. Treat every day as it's own battle, and forget the defeats as soon as the new battle begins.

I totally am just trying to jump back into who I used to be. Thank you for putting that into perspective for me! Thank you for your advice!!

ChandalNicole

88olds wrote: »

Congrats on the loss ( you’re still down some) the wedding and the baby.

Motivation is fleeting and unreliable. Calculate a modest calorie deficit, start a food diary, plan a menu and try to hit your number. If your plan proves to be inadequate, problem solve and make it better. Try to establish good habits, they will see you through periods of low enthusiasm.

Calorie counting works given enough time.
Good luck.

Thank you! Maybe a good written out food plan would be a great way for me to start, something visual!

Becoming_A_Butterfly

Unfortunately I have been there too. I used to be at my goal weight, running and kickboxing like a beast, and I let myself gain a lot of weight back. I totally agree with the advice not to try to leap back into where you were. It will be frustrating and painful and discouraging. Maybe start with reflecting on what worked best for you before, and what you liked before? What kind of workouts did you enjoy? Instead of trying to jump back into 4 miles, for example, maybe gently jog half a mile, see how that feels, what adjustments to make. Start somewhere, and build back up to where you were.

Let yourself enjoy the process and the victories of making progress instead of punishing yourself for straying from being in shape.

I wasted so much time tearing myself down and being angry with myself for gaining weight back. Don't do that! Be good to yourself as you get back at it, and be proud for being willing to go for it again.

k8eekins

ChandalNicole wrote: »

I. AM. STRUGGLING. I'm basically rolling down a hill on the struggle bus. Head over heels. I've been here before, I'm sure many of us have. The difference is, I want so badly for this to be the real start again, but it's so difficult this time around.

Little background, 2 years ago, I lost 90 pounds, I was 10 pounds away from my goal! I struggled with the final 10, but was able to maintain for over a year. The stress from my wedding put some hiccups in my routine but I still held strong, give or take 5 pounds! And then, honeymoon surprise baby! I quickly gained back 3/4 of the weight I had lost. I CRAVED ice cream, daily. Lots of it. I've also struggled with some postpartum depression with this pregnancy. I've talked to my doctor, we're good ocus, zero tolerance for distractionsthere. It's been a huuuuuge preventative for getting my mojo back though.

I want to feel like a freaking beast again! I was jogging 3-5 miles 4-5 times a week and doing weight training, clean eating, everything. I was in the best shape of my life. I just can't find the full motivation to just plunge back in. What are some tips that worked for you? How do you get back into your routine?

For starters, returning the number of times I've done, weren't restarts, but transitions from one phase to the next.

Tips that work for me:

• Do it for you.
• Do what's familiar
• Do what's fun
• Choose what'll likely be sustainable
• Pressure yourself with deadlines eg November Soiree, December Wedding, January Ball.
• Update your measurements
• Follow-up on your progression shots

To get back into a routine:

• Right attitude, healthy approach: Do it. Make the time. Meet the time. Bank the time
• Focus, zero tolerance for distractions

KareninCanada

How old is baby now? I used to put mine in a backpack and go for a walk every day, and do some really simple bodyweight exercises at home. Between that and nursing, I lost a lot of my pregnancy weight gain. (AND, I could keep up with DH when he came home from training with a ruck-march walking speed. LOL)

ChandalNicole

KareninCanada wrote: »

How old is baby now? I used to put mine in a backpack and go for a walk every day, and do some really simple bodyweight exercises at home. Between that and nursing, I lost a lot of my pregnancy weight gain. (AND, I could keep up with DH when he came home from training with a ruck-march walking speed. LOL)

She's almost 4 months. She had colic the first 2 so that was rough too. Now we're at a point where we can accomplish some things! We walk to pick up her sister from school and intrubtonsqueeze in quick workouts while she naps!

ChandalNicole

Thank you all for your words of encouragement and advice! I haven't been able to get any workouts in yet this week but I've completely cleared out my fridge and stocked it with healthy choices like I previously had done! Veggies are prepped and packaged for easy access to further my success! I feel good about this go now!

orenshani7

I think the key is to understand that you really have to start from square one.

Don't fool yourself to believe that you can take any shortcuts because you were training before. You need to start from a very low starting point and rebuild yourself up. It will, thought, take you less time to get back in shape because you did train before.