Discouraged

mamasuescamps

I am in need of encouragement ! I lost 80# and I am slowly returning to poor eating choices .. what can I do 😢

Alatariel75

Get back on it! Speaking as someone who lost 80# and then gained it aaaaalllll back (with some friends, apparently) I really, truly wish that I caught myself before backsliding all the way.
Set yourself a plan, remember what worked, set achievable goals, maybe set yourself a reward if that works for you.
Also, maybe go back and look at some photos of your "before", dig out some "before" clothes, and give yourself a bit of a reality check on what it might mean if you go back to old habits and gain it all back. Trust me - it's not a good feeling!!

cmriverside

Well, you came here. That's one good thing.

I had to make a choice. Do I want to eat everything I want when I want it or do I want the longer-term (delayed gratification) slimmer, healthier body?

When I originally lost 80ish pounds back in 2007-08 I had many health problems. When I lost the weight, miraculously they all went away. The health value of good nutrition and a little exercise can not be overstated!

Just start. It may take a while to get in the groove, so give yourself a little grace when you have a less-than-stellar day, and just get back at it the very next day. It's all about good habits and a fairly consistent food plan.

LenGray

I lost 50 lbs last year and have spent the last seven months basically being in maintenance (up a few, down a few, but basically the same) for health reasons and now I'm starting to get back to active weight loss.

When I'm tempted to go back to my old way of eating, that's when I really have to key in on what I want out of life and be honest about where those choices will lead me. The poster above who talked about getting old 'before' pictures and clothes is right on the money. I also look at old journal entries where I talked about my struggles being overweight. I look at everyday things I can do now that I couldn't 50 lbs ago, like walking up flights of stairs, running, and fitting comfortably in my clothes. Then, I think of all the things I still want to do (be visibly muscular, complete a marathon, be under 200 lbs, etc) and accept that my old way of eating doesn't benefit me the way it used to anymore.

After that, I just focus on actions that serve my goals. I start drinking more water and less soda, downgrade my burger combo to a small instead of a large, start cooking more at home, add more fruits and veggies, take my vitamins, sleep enough, start doing little pockets of exercise throughout the day. I do those things because, mentally, I'm clear on how and why I should do them.

It's not easy, but I think getting your mental house in order around weight loss helps a lot. I would argue that it's the most important thing. After all, your body cannot follow where your mind doesn't lead. I hope that helps and that you know that we're all rooting for you. Good luck

Chef_Barbell

mamasuescamps wrote: »

I am in need of encouragement ! I lost 80# and I am slowly returning to poor eating choices .. what can I do 😢

*hugs* The good thing is that you can do something about it now. This is why it is so important to lose weight sustainably, meaning eating how you would in maintenance, just less. Depriving yourself sometimes leads to this type of backside.

BrickFox

Meal prepping goes a long way to making better choices in advance. The day before you go food shopping, find some meal prep videos on YouTube, and write down a few in your phone notes app. Grab the ingredients when you go shopping, and set aside the time to make at least 2 of them in advance.

If you're struggling during breakfast time, make sure you have that prepared the night before, so you can eat it either straight from the fridge, or a short time in the microwave.

If snacking is your problem, try and eat a bigger portion, but within your deficit, to not feel the need to have small snacks. Also, popcorn is only 100-110 calories, and makes for a great end of night snack.

cwolfman13

Plan your meals in advance. My wife and I plan our menu for the week for shopping purposes primarily, but it also helps to have a plan and keep things on track. I'm also not an "all or nothing" type of person and I allow for less than optimal food choices, but I don't make those habitual everyday things and I tend to plan them into my weeks...ie we usually have pizza night once per week, typically on either a Friday or Saturday. I allow myself Popeye's Chicken twice per month. I allow myself to treat occasions as occasions...stuff like that.

BrickFox

Also, check out this website for meal prep

https://mealprepmanual.com/

jwasson3

You are not “starting over”, you are moving forward! Pick 1 healthy habit that has helped you and commit to that…….then add on as you can. I have also found that mind set is so important. Sounds like you may be struggling a bit with that……I often ask myself “is what I am about to do or not do helpful towards my goal?”……..you are worth it! You are worth being healthy!

mfp_sucks

Coming to MFP is a great way to get started. From here it's all about logging daily and reading the helpful postings here in the forums. Best wishes...