On the Wagon, Off the Wagon... Please help!

auntiebabs

Maybe it's because you try to do too much too fast?

The slower you lose the more like you can keep it off. It's the long haul that is important. It's not the first one to the finish line that wins. It's the one who can be the healthiest the longest. YOLO.... you only get one body, no trade-ins. I want it to feel good, so I can go out and have fun for as long as I can.

I want to be capable and dance and run and swim and kayak and climb trees and backpack and throw my niece and nephews in the air. I don't want my body to stop me from living my life.

The good news is you don't have to be perfect, you just have to be better.

++Track for a week or two before worrying about losing. This way you'll see where you really stand, odds are it is different than where you thought you were, which is actually good news... information is power

++Be scrupulously honest... you can lie to your friends, you can lie in your diary, you can lie to yourself, but YOUR BODY KNOWS EVERYTHING YOU EAT. So you might as well be honest in your diary (keep it private if you like) but you need that info because you can't get where you are going if your are not honest about where you are right now.

++See where you can make small changes on things that aren't so important to you.
(Don't even think of taking chocolate out of my diet!!!)
--Reducing quantities
--Swapping out things instead of eliminating them.

++Focus on what you should eat not what your shouldn't.
Eating your nutritious foods first. Your body will be more satisfied and have less cravings.

++Small sustainable changes.
If you completely revamp your diet, it's way easy to revert to old ways in times of stress. (and who doesn't have stress?)
If you make a series of small changes, food still offers you some sense of comfort, sort of a comfort continuum, and after a while the first small changes will seem comforting in themselves. Also rather than having to think about everything all the time. You only have to think about a 2 or 3 new things to focus on.

++Rather than being uberstrict with the target MFP set for me. (I swear this saved my life.) I was happier once I gave myself a range:

ROCK BOTTOM: 1200 cal
TARGET: MFP Calories for lose 1 lb a week (when that hit 1200 I changed to lose 1/2 lb per week)
TOP OF RANGE: Maintain Calories for my GOAL Weight.

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(SAFETY VALVE: Maintain Calories for CURRENT Weight - remember to keep updating this number as you lose)

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++Only worry about it 1 lb at a time.
Forget I *NEED* to lose 20, 30, 50, 100 lbs. I'm only worried about 1 lb the next one. I'll worry about the others later.
Once I found ways to lessen the stress, I found it way easier to focus on the process and let the results follow. (It's what worked for me some people need the stress to get them motivated. Me I get scared and overwhelmed and don't see the big goal as achievable. )

++Think of losing weight like the stock market. Yes, there will be fluctuations but as long as the overall trend is the the right direction don't worry

Food is not the enemy. You need nutrition to fuel your body and make it strong. and healthy just feels so damn good.

Most vitamins are fat soluble... so remember to include plant and fish based fats (HAPPY FATS) so you can access the nutrients in your food.

All of your foods fall into 1 or more of 3 macro nutrient categories
FATS • CARBS • PROTEINS ... I personally think it's unwise to severely restrict any one of these categories.
Instead of eliminating or limiting quantity focus on the quality...

HAPPY FATS (Plant and fish bases)
COMPLEX CARBS (un or minimally processed)
LEAN PROTEINS

Oddly enough, on my journey here I've reduced guilt over food.
I have the occasional treat and I fully enjoy it with no guilt involved.
The thing is since I'm not eating crap all the time, now the occasional treat is just that a TREAT it's special and I enjoy it so much more than when I was unconsciously shovel junk food into my face.

editorgrrl

i think when you have alot of weight to lose it can be overwhelming and feel like it will take forever, but time is going to pass anyway....i think being human it's ok to fall off the wagon every now and then but you just have to make sure the one or two days doesn't turn into one or two months, and get yourself back on track before you gain too much. I count calories and weigh in once a week, i write it down whether i gain or lose just so i hold myself accountable, seems to help.

I think this is a big thing for me. When I eat something unhealthy or do a "cheat day" (bad idea) I tend to knock myself down and then I won't even log it. I think if I screw up I should still write down what I had.

Log everything you eat & drink accurately & honestly. As I said above, eat "healthy" 80% of the time, and fit a little yumminess into your calorie goal as often as possible.

Food is not a moral issue. Logging will make you more mindful of what you eat, and you'll gradually learn to make better choices. Logging works.

xoxchelaxox08

First off, I LOVE those glasses! Second off, I've been hopping on and off the wagon since I was 19, so roughly 5 years. I used to be thin, eating whatever I wanted and never exercising. Then I was in a motorcycle accident and couldn't walk for a couple months. That's when I went from being 5'10 weighing 140, to weighing in at roughly 190. I became depressed because I got fat, and coped by shoving food in my mouth. I became a dieter and would diet for a couple weeks and excercise. I always fell off right around my period. This time around, I'm changing my eating habits as a lifestyle change instead of a diet, and it's making all the difference! It sounds silly that wording can make that big of a difference, but it really does for me. I've also started enjoying excercise as part of this new lifestyle! I might be 225, but I can run half a mile,which I couldn't even do when I was skinny!

I'm also the kind of person who does better with people "cheering me on" so I made sure everyone in my life knows about my changes, and they not only support me when I brag about doing better and feeling better, but they help talk me out of negative things such as the double quarter pounder my PMS-y self wqs craving for lunch today.

If anyone would be willing to add me, I would be really appreciative of the support