Moving Past Complacency

2stepscloser

Lately I have really been struggling mentally. Over the course of the last 16 months, I've lost 72 lbs. I've gained a lot of knowledge and have certainly seen changes in my body, even when the scale reflected otherwise. Physically, I've accomplished things I never thought I could do. However recently, I've seen myself slipping back into old nasty habits with eating, despite still exercising on a regular basis. There was a time when exercise was my fuel, my lifeline, my excitement...but that too is fizzling out.

In my past failed attempts to lose weight, I've never truly finished and accomplished my goal. I get to a point (similiar to where I am now) and am complacent. Yes, I would love to lose about 35-45 more pounds but if I don't, I am very pleased with my progress. It's almost like my exercise now is offseting my poor eating. My family loves me for who I am regardless of my weight, but I am mentally beating myself up to the point where I can't seem to get past the "hump," so I get frustrated and totally fall off the wagon. There are days where I wake up and my motivation is so strong and other days where I almost dread heading to the gym. I try to motivate myself by looking at progress pictures, reading success stories, and following several fitness minded people on IG. I am hopeful someone has experienced this before and can provide some insight as to tips/tricks to move past the complacency. I know my journey isn't finished but how do I beat this roadblock?

onmyweightohappiness

Think thats very normal. I have gone thru it many of times in my 4 year journey and some days are harder than others. Those days were I want to skip my work out I remind myself how amazing I'll feel after or if I want to go back to 280 lbs again or if I will be around for my son, while those comments to myself don't always work sometimes I force myself to get my work out done in the mornings. Some days I do skip. I aim for 6 days a week Monday thru Saturday, not all the time does it work but its my goal. Plus I have a monthly goal of X amount of minutes MIN I HAVE To work out. I'm competitive and even though it's with myself I don't like to lose LOL
As far as eating "naughty" foods per say, I allow them typically on weekends, which after makes me feel horrible my body has gotten so use to healthy eating but the fat girl in me still craves the naughty stuff, I still can't believe I use to eat that stuff 24/7. I keep all trigger foods out of my house period, I don't bring money or change with at work to avoid vending machines. I guess for myself its always been the reminder that this hard work and effort is worth it, compare now to 4 years ago amazes me still how I use to live and how I live now. All the things I can do now that I never experienced ever in my life. I can't imagine going back. Realize your bad habits or triggers that send you into the "bad" habits and work on them. You have to just push thru it, for myself I can easily talk myself out of a work out or staying on track wtih eating good healthy foods in a minute, its fighting thru those moments and realizing I'm worth this fight every single day, some days I might trip and fall and totally screw up but the next day I'm trying 10 times harder and getting back on track to where I know I need to be and want to be.
If you ever need a buddy to keep you motivated feel free to add. Just know your worth all this is the best sentence to sum it up.

OBXbound4me

Sometimes it is good to take a "mental and physical break" to get recharged. I know what you mean though when a break becomes "comfortable" and it is hard to get the original fire back. I think a big part of that is because the father you go, the harder you must work to continue on that path. What you would do to drop weight at first may just make you maintain now. Also, eating some of the wrong things and being complacent in eating dicipline is one of the easyist things to do. Believe me, I know that very well. I think it is in finding new things that will be fresh and hold your interest. Maybe before you walked but now will bike or do yoga. Some things just get stale and need a recharge of doing something else for a while. As far as the food goes, I don't have the magic formula on that yet as I slip every day almost with the bad things I intake. In any regard, I will be here to pull for you no matter what. Good luck getting past this hill in your climb to fitness.

jessspurr

I couldn't have written my own experience any better than you did. I'm literally going through the exact same thing right now. I just posted about it the other day. I don't have an answer. A lot of people will tell you "well, you just don't want it bad enough" and yes, I think in my situation that is true. I don't want the last 30-35 pounds as bad as I wanted the first 47. I'm more and more comfortable in my own skin and feel like a "normal-sized" person now which has sort of taken the motivation away in a sense. I haven't lost any weight since November and I have no delusions as to why that it is. Like you, because exercising is a habit it is off-setting my poor eating, but without it I'm sure I would be gaining. I'm toying with an idea right now...maybe it will help you. So, since it's been so long since I saw new weight come off me (go down to a new size, etc.) the excitement of my "new body" has sort of worn off and now I'm faced with not really remembering how huge I used to be but finding that I actually am not content with my body as it is now. I still feel very big (when I was first starting to lose, I would feel smaller and smaller in comparison to my starting weight, but now, since I can't really remember how it felt to be that big, I don't feel smaller anymore. I just feel big. I feel again like I can't find any clothes that look good on me anymore. I'm truly thinking that this corner I've rounded into feeling like my body now is my normal and my normal isn't going to cut it. So since I have been feeling like this I do feel like I've had more motivation. For the first time in weeks, I logged all of my food and ate close to my calorie goal yesterday. I think I have "feeling fat" to thank for that. I really am not condoning body shaming of any kind, more so like my mind caught up with my body and I'm not content. Wow, that was a ramble. I couldn't think of a way to condense it. Maybe it doesn't make sense to anyone besides me.

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Alidecker

I have been in the same place for a while as far as the nutrition part of losing weight. I got within 4 pounds of the goal weight that my doctor gave me, I was training for a triathlon and could eat more food. Once training stopped, I didn't stop eating. I still love the workout part, but I am just "blah" about getting the nutrition part back on track. I lost around 130 pounds and have gained back 20. While I still see it as a hug accomplishment, I get angry with myself for letting the 20 come back. I have stopped the gaining, but want to hit my goal at some point and just can't seem to get motivated to eat right for more than 3-4 days at a time. I don't think this will ever be easy for me, it will be a lifelong battle, which also leads to "blah". I have to remind myself that I am so much better off now that I was 5 years ago....

Maybe find something to train for to get you excited again, not just working out. Find a different goal besides weight lose....that is what I am working on now, not a specific goal, but trying to find a goal to motivate me again.

Good Luck!

greenmonstergirl

I am right there with ya! I had my fire back about a month ago when I saw 158, but here I am back at 165 again, I keep bouncing up and down 5 pounds on the scale (however I did end up a size 8 at 158, but back in my 10's now). When I finally reached 165 last fall, I was in a 14 so progress is made not only in pounds on the scale but sizes too so I try to let that motivate me while the scale doesn't move.
I'm at that point again where I want this...I do want the last 20 to 30 pounds gone, I do want that nice body I've never had in my life! You just have to do this for you.

AdventureFreak

You look good and you have made great progress so far! A stall at the final stages is pretty normal and will test your might. I have certainly been there. How accurate are you tracking your food intake?

CallMeCupcakeDammit

I went through a time like that, and I gained almost 40 lbs back, which, being so close to "Onederland" really ticked me off. I went back to what was working for me in the first place. I reworked my calorie goal, and went back to pre-logging my food, which always helped me stay on track, and got myself back into a good workout routine. Everything I eat at home and work is weighed. My browser opens up to my diary so I'm not distracted by my newsfeed first. I had to put myself first again. I've passed up girls' night out for leg day at the gym, because I'm determined not to lose focus again. It was suggested to me to take a one week diet and exercise break every 3 months, where you eat at maintenance and do non-strenuous exercise. It gives your central nervous system a break, and gives you a mental break as well. And it gives you something to look forward to, aside from smaller pants.

laurie62ann

bump to read later and respond

2stepscloser

This is why I love mfp. There are always others who have been through what I'm experiencing. Since this post, I've been dealing with a knee injury which has limited my exercise ability. It's nice to go back and see that nutrition is truly 85% of this journey. Back to the basics is required and realizing the finish line is forever changing. Thank you for the ideas and encouragement.

yoovie

Its never over when you get to goal weight, you still want to improve yourself Mostly you can have fun doing things with your new body, like hiking mountains, rock climbing, learning to surf, etc

111grace

20 years of yo-yo dieting , March 17 2018, i want to move past complacency NO movies/couch instead going to get up and move more!