Please help by sharing what you do to keep yourself on track

ALG775
ALG775 Posts: 247 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Hi all,

This is the first time I've started a thread- and I'm hoping to hear your thoughts.

I lost 50 lbs in 2015. I gained about 10 lbs within the first 8 months, but maintained for almost two years. I gained another 5 after a close friend died. I did ok at the beginning of the pandemic, but after about 2 months, the stress got to me and I started gaining weight and have gained another 15. I'm still about 20 lbs lower than when I started, and I am determined to address the challenge of getting back to that original loss of 50 lbs.

I think the biggest challenge I have is judging myself too harshly-then I give in to all or nothing thinking and give myself permission to eat.

I know what I have to do-but I need to work on my mindset.

What thoughts and beliefs have helped you do what you need to do?

Thanks for your help
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Replies

  • NC_Girl
    NC_Girl Posts: 177 Member
    edited April 2021
    @MadisonMolly2017 Thanks for sharing..... Many great points.
  • Speakeasy76
    Speakeasy76 Posts: 961 Member
    You are definitely on the right track that it's your mindset that needs to change to be successful. You can do all the "right" things like track your calories, eat well, exercise, plan your meals and workouts, and even lose some weight. However, if you don't truly believe that you can lose weight AND keep it off, it's likely to come back on.

    I, too, used to be an all-or-none thinker and perfectionist (still recovering). When I shifted to thinking about eating/exercising for health and strength vs. eating/exercising for weight loss took some of the pressure off to lose weight. I enjoy eating mostly healthy foods with some treats, and now it's just habit. I honestly feel better eating more of the "good-for-you" stuff.

    I also tell myself that absolutely nothing is off limits (well, except for now--I'm on an elimination diet for food sensitivities, but it won't be permanent). If I want cake (which I love), I can have it. I just make room in my calorie allowance, and if I go over--oh well. It's not the end of the world, and I'll just get back on track. It's not an excuse to give up and tell myself "I'll just start again on Monday."

    I've had a problem with binge-eating in the past (to the point of seeking a therapist), and the thought of restriction and even tracking what I eat would start to trigger that fear that I would feel deprived...which would lead me to binge. I had to address those thoughts, and really make myself believe that It's okay to be a *little* hungry from time to time. I can deal with that, and it doesn't mean I'm going to binge.

    I also can overeat to "stuff" uncomfortable feelings. I've had to learn to 1)Identify what those feelings are and 2)Be ok with sitting with those feelings for a bit.

    I lost about 35 pounds back in 2012, gained and lost about 5-7 more, and was in the higher end of healthy BMI. I lost about 11 pounds slowly last year, and really haven't felt deprived. I only cut 250 calories, and also made sure I was more active throughout the day outside of my formal exercise. It was slow, but it actually wasn't too hard. There were (and still are) lots of weight ups and downs along the way, but I learned to be okay with it.

  • rosiekin
    rosiekin Posts: 80 Member
    What works for me is logging and avoiding what I believe are my trigger foods. I have successfully been maintaining a 90lb weight loss since April 2015 and I never feel deprived as I still eat lots of foods that I enjoy like crisps and pizza, particularly pizza! In recent years I haven't weighed myself at all but I know from my clothes and the mirror that my weight has been pretty steady so whatever I am doing is working. If at any point I find I am putting on weight, then I will adjust my calories or exercise accordingly.

    If I know I have heavier calorie days coming up, then I cut down for a day or two beforehand. As long as I average 2000 calories a day over the week, and get my steps in, I know I'm going to be OK. Like you, I am a bit of an all or nothing sort of person but this doesn't apply to eating quite as much as it used to.

    Try not to judge yourself too harshly. You are definitely not alone putting on weight you had previously lost. I've done that multiple times in my adult life, losing anything from a couple of stones to as much as 5 stones. Sounds like you are getting back into the right mindset to re-start your weight loss journey. You've done it before so you can do it again. Good Luck.
  • ALG775
    ALG775 Posts: 247 Member
    @rosiekin Congratulations on your accomplishment! And thanks for the reminder not to be harsh.
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 11,152 Member
    NC_Girl wrote: »
    @MadisonMolly2017 Thanks for sharing..... Many great points.

    Thank you, @NC_Girl :)
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,000 Member
    ALG775 wrote: »
    Hi all,

    This is the first time I've started a thread- and I'm hoping to hear your thoughts.

    I lost 50 lbs in 2015. I gained about 10 lbs within the first 8 months, but maintained for almost two years. I gained another 5 after a close friend died. I did ok at the beginning of the pandemic, but after about 2 months, the stress got to me and I started gaining weight and have gained another 15. I'm still about 20 lbs lower than when I started, and I am determined to address the challenge of getting back to that original loss of 50 lbs.

    I think the biggest challenge I have is judging myself too harshly-then I give in to all or nothing thinking and give myself permission to eat.

    I know what I have to do-but I need to work on my mindset.

    What thoughts and beliefs have helped you do what you need to do?

    Thanks for your help

    That everyday is a new day...
  • ALG775
    ALG775 Posts: 247 Member
    @AnnPT77 I like your thought around balancing present Ann with future Ann. While I am currently metabolically healthy, my knee is a bit of a challenge-;and the heavier I am, the more future me will not be able to walk, dance and move.

    @Hayer1 I appreciate your thoughts around loving yourself and your body. I think this is really important for me. I recently participated in an exercise where we were asked to find a picture or ourselves as a kid- and look at that picture and love and appreciate the special being we were- and still are! It is so easy for me to have compassion for my kids- and my younger me- and I want to extend that to my current me!

    I think that since I have struggled with weight most of my adult life- and I have a parent who struggles, seeing as something I always need to pay some attention to is important. Perhaps this connects to your point @springlering62

    @J72FIT - agreed!

    And thanks for the podcast recommendation @TheresaM787
  • ncfitbit
    ncfitbit Posts: 1,058 Member
    Love all the awesome suggestions here! I needed to read this today. I've been looking for a way to get my head back in the game after I let the pandemic and a family member's illness fool me into thinking it wasn't important to focus on myself. The result is I'm up 10 lbs. The only reason it wasn't moer than that is I'm stubborn and I refuse to buy new clothes.

    Does anyone know of a "former maintainers" group for people who need some additional accountability to get back on track?

  • ALG775
    ALG775 Posts: 247 Member
    The words that you use to describe yourself have a powerful effect on your actions. For many years I described my self as fat, lazy, slob, and incompetent. Since joining MFP last March, I have lost 77 pounds and realize that many of those negative words were said to me but they are not my true self.

    I agree- what we say about ourselves and what we think about ourselves is powerful.

  • mylittlerainbow
    mylittlerainbow Posts: 822 Member
    edited April 2021
    The tracking during weight loss phase is continuing. I've only been in maintenance this time around since last October but intend to stay there for the rest of my life and never let myself gain any significant amount again. To that end, I continue logging on MFP - calories and exercise minutes/type and water. (I prelog my food for the day to make sure I can incorporate any "treat" that I might want to allow myself that day.) Plus I weigh and log that every week, too. Really makes a difference for somebody like me to be held accountable to somebody/something because I've learned I am incapable of going it alone with no support. I occasionally look at my "before" photos, too - especially when I see my face as "too round" or my belly as "too protruding" these days (now that I'm used to my appearance again) and have to remind myself of how it was when I was REALLY too heavy!
  • ALG775
    ALG775 Posts: 247 Member
    "because I've learned I am incapable of going it alone with no support."

    I think this is key for me. I need support- whether it be MFP, my Dr, etc. And with a little help from our friends, we can do it!
  • ALG775
    ALG775 Posts: 247 Member
    MaltedTea wrote: »
    Jovial yet berating self-talk followed by committing to positive change 🤷🏾‍♀️

    :smiley:
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    ALG775 wrote: »
    "because I've learned I am incapable of going it alone with no support."

    I think this is key for me. I need support- whether it be MFP, my Dr, etc. And with a little help from our friends, we can do it!

    This is so important, I needed help and reached out. So many people in MFP have helped me, some a little harsh but I guess I needed tough love at times!

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