How have *you* broken your weight loss streak?
djsiry
Posts: 12 Member
I've been on a great streak in the last 6 weeks - very consistent with a low calorie goal and the weight is coming off (around 25 pounds). I've been eating nutritiously, cut out all alcohol, most meat, and no sweets. I'm not really craving anything or torturing myself. In fact, I feel like I can just keep on going indefinitely and get to my goal weight (although my weight loss has leveled off at a more normal/safe 2-3 pounds per week)
Which got me thinking...I've been here before and find it hard to point to why it's never held up in the past. I'd always lose 10-15 pounds and would be feeling great but then all of a sudden, without any clear reason or trigger, it all goes to heck again. It's hard to see myself not staying committed right now, but with history as a guide I might end up losing this momentum and snapping back.
I really son't want that to happen this time, so I thought I'd reach out to the MFP community and ask what your experience is with what makes you/us falter when everything is going great on the way to your goal, and of course how can we stop that from happening!
Which got me thinking...I've been here before and find it hard to point to why it's never held up in the past. I'd always lose 10-15 pounds and would be feeling great but then all of a sudden, without any clear reason or trigger, it all goes to heck again. It's hard to see myself not staying committed right now, but with history as a guide I might end up losing this momentum and snapping back.
I really son't want that to happen this time, so I thought I'd reach out to the MFP community and ask what your experience is with what makes you/us falter when everything is going great on the way to your goal, and of course how can we stop that from happening!
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Replies
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I think for me there are a couple factors. One was having a strong reason for why I was losing weight. Another was having accountability partners to keep me on track. Last I made sure to occasionally treat myself (but staying within my calories, not going overboard) so I didn't feel like I was depriving myself.0
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PMS. I guess you can't relate to that one.0
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Nope - but I do think that a particularly stressful time at work = more drinking, which has a lot of calories and throws discipline out the window. I am (was?) definitely a stress drinker and eater.0
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Nope - but I do think that a particularly stressful time at work = more drinking, which has a lot of calories and throws discipline out the window. I am (was?) definitely a stress drinker and eater.
Drinking. Yep. That is one of my pitfalls, too. Although the last two times I overate before I drank, then said heck with it, I already broke into munchies territory, might as well have a drink, too.
Edit: Oh yeah, and not getting enough sleep will often send me over into crazy calorie land, too. Speaking of, time for me to quit posting and start snoring.0 -
Well, I've had 2 "breaks" from my weight loss so far.
1st time: My plan wasn't sustainable. It was actually before I started counting calories. I really over restricted and only let myself enjoy a very very limited selection of food (like maybe 10 different things total). While I did lose a decent amount of weight, when the holiday's hit I didn't have the self control to stick to my over restricted diet. I gained about 20lbs of what I had lost back (not to bad when I had almost lost 60lbs).
2nd time: My plan was great. Easy to stick to. I'd probably be really close to my goal by now if I hadn't gotten pregnant. How am I planning to stop it from happening again? I am on birth control now (instead of trying to remember a condom when me and my husband have had 1 to many drinks
)
I think what causes a person to slip up will vary. For some people, they aren't sure losing weight is what they really want. For some it's their own insecurities. I know some women who have said they don't want to lose weight because "only skinny girls get raped." :huh: :noway: Some think that losing weight means over restrictive diets and never eating some of their favorite foods again. For some, it's as simple as seeing the scale move up 1lb instead of down or even lose 2lbs a week instead of the 5lbs they wanted (yes I've actually seen posts like this). The list goes on and on.
Things that help prevent slip ups:
- Want: People have to truly want it. If they don't than they will give up easily.
- Patience: People need to have patience. This is very hard for a lot of people. They expect the weight to drop like they see on the Biggest Loser.
- Support: Nothing beats having friends and family who support you. Now support doesn't mean agreeing with every decision a person makes. To me support is steering a person away from bad decisions (vlcd's, diet pills, etc) and cheering on the good ones (exercising, healthier food choices, etc).
- Moderation : I fully believe that cutting calories while allowing yourself to eat your favorite foods in moderation makes this process so much easier. I'm not saying filling your calories with ice cream, cookies, pop tarts, and such, but just make room for a little bit every so often.
- Scale Lies : People also need to remember that the scale isn't the best way to measure progress. The number it shows is a reflection of a lot of different factors. Measurements and pictures are not swayed by near as many factors as the scale. You never know, you may find your goal body weighs more than you thought it would.0 -
Well this go round I've been doing good. I don't eat much when stressed and with exams and all this is actually helping me have eating habits which is always my downfall. I'm not paying attention to time etc really absent minded and then boom I'm starving and eating a ton in one sitting repeat cycle. So this helps with that quite a bit leaves me accountable. I'm amusing myself also by watching the scale go up and down on a daily basis. Its only idle curiosity its not gonna ruin my day either way if it goes up or make my day if it goes down. Plus once I'm cleared I plan to join the local fitness club and start lifting but that will be added once the logging and actual eating regularly becomes a habit.0
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Nope - but I do think that a particularly stressful time at work = more drinking, which has a lot of calories and throws discipline out the window. I am (was?) definitely a stress drinker and eater.
Give me a few drinks and all discipline is outta the window. I'm eating everything. Does that come deep fried?? I also eat more and more carelessly when I am over tired. So if the social calendar is full for a stretch or life throws me a curve ball in lifestyle the leaves me wiped out too often, I can blow up like a house.0 -
I start to believe people when they tell me I look good, "wow you've lost weight", "what do you mean you're still losing, you so don't need to"
I forget that social propriety demands these types of statements ...I believe them and I start to think "I've done well I can eat normally"
Well this time the way I'm eating is normal, my focus is on getting fit not losing weight (although of course it's losing weight too but that's secondary) and I will remind myself that a BMI of 29 is not healthy, not "you look great" territory ...but I do look better, and I do carry the weight OK so I will walk with a spring in my step (for at least 10,000 steps a day
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PMS. I guess you can't relate to that one.
LMAO!0 -
I think for me personally, I lost 28lbs and started looking great...people would comment on how much weight I had lost and some would say I'm too "skinny" this was the permission I needed to go eat when really I should have focussed not on weight loss but fat loss...Whats different this time? I don't know, everyone will always have an opinion, my motivation is different instead of loosing weight I want to loose and maintain so I guess thats another challenge right there...also understanding that one bad meal/ decision will not undo all my work and the opposite!!! Come on guys we can do it!!!0
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booze
spring hit and the beers came out0 -
Yes - the scale watching can be a problem if you let yourself feel defeated or depressed every time you see it go up a little (or not down enough)0
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@rabbitjb I think this is an important factor. I've experienced this, and its nice for people to notice the weight loss and comment, but I know that I want to lose another 20 pounds (which gets me to 20% body fat, not at all "too skinny") and have to keep anchoring my mind and my expectations around that, and not what others say or how they see me. They are comparing what they see to their mental image of me 30-40 pounds heavier - my goals are comparing to what I want to see of how fit I was in my 20's.0
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@BigT I think I have come to accept that I can't have booze if I want to get fit/lose weight. Thats a big deal for me as I've been a big drinker all my life. I guess I'll have to see if vanity/health (both are motivators) are stronger than my other urges. So far so good.
What makes it easier I guess is I'm married with a kid and don't need to be out on the social circuit too much. Happy to stay at home with family.0 -
cut out all alcohol, most meat, and no sweets. I'm not really craving anything or torturing myself. In fact, I feel like I can just keep on going indefinitely and get to my goal weight (although my weight loss has leveled off at a more normal/safe 2-3 pounds per week)
This...
making my "diet" too restrictive is what made me yo yo for 3 years before I got it.
Moderation is the key and until I learned that I didn't have to give up my favorites while I was losing weight I yo yo'd.
This time I ate what I wanted, I hit my protien goals and stayed in my deficit and now I am at maitenance and have been all summer long...even a bit below due to my activity.
I still drink, I eat my chocolate, have my pasta and nosh on various snacks when they are out.
Being too restrictive or cutting out foods/food groups for me is a recipe for disaster.0 -
likewise@BigT I think I have come to accept that I can't have booze if I want to get fit/lose weight.Thats a big deal for me as I've been a big drinker all my life. I guess I'll have to see if vanity/health (both are motivators) are stronger than my other urges. So far so good.
What makes it easier I guess is I'm married with a kid and don't need to be out on the social circuit too much. Happy to stay at home with family.
its a little tougher for me being a college student but after stalling for 3 months enough is enough. no drinking until i've hit my goal0 -
In the past,
1. Having a calorie goal/deficit that was too aggressive
2. Cutting foods out.
It's a sure way to failure for me.
Now, I eat everything I want, in moderation.
Currently,
1. Pregnancy.
Weight loss can come after baby. I still track my calories to make sure I don't go too overboard, but I'm in no way restricting calories or foods.0 -
My thoughts 80/10/10 - simple life style change...but decision I have ever made. Making it simple has kept me going for two years and I don't plan on going back, it's all a great habit now.
80% - healthy food, pre plan your food weekly
10% - bad food in moderation - portion control
10% - working out!
SIMPLE!
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I get bored and want to snap my fingers and have the rest of the weight just come off. But I did NOT quit - I just kept plugging. And it did. This is my first weight loss attempt (I'm 55) and I wish I'd done it 15 years ago, when I put on the first 5 pounds. I've been maintaining now for over a year.
P.S. You're much more aesthetic than I am. I do drink (singular) every once in a while. I have dessert every day (in small quantities). I LOVE to eat and both my husband and I are very good cooks, if I say so myself. What I learned is that SOME is good, but more is not necessarily BETTER. Didn't you learn that about drinking sometime in your late teens? It works for food too.0 -
cut out all alcohol, most meat, and no sweets. I'm not really craving anything or torturing myself. In fact, I feel like I can just keep on going indefinitely and get to my goal weight (although my weight loss has leveled off at a more normal/safe 2-3 pounds per week)
This...
making my "diet" too restrictive is what made me yo yo for 3 years before I got it.
Moderation is the key and until I learned that I didn't have to give up my favorites while I was losing weight I yo yo'd.
This time I ate what I wanted, I hit my protien goals and stayed in my deficit and now I am at maitenance and have been all summer long...even a bit below due to my activity.
I still drink, I eat my chocolate, have my pasta and nosh on various snacks when they are out.
Being too restrictive or cutting out foods/food groups for me is a recipe for disaster.
Yep, ^^^ This ^^^
I should qualify this, with "I can be pretty extreme with food restrictions, and calorie restrictions, myself....'
But.... if you've eliminated all that stuff just to lose weight, and are cruising at 2 -3 lbs per week loss, with only in the 30 lbs to go range.... I'd be pretty surprised if you can keep that up,right down to goal. What's your transition plan? IMHO, what derails a lot of people, is they 'diet,' until things stop working, or it just seems too hard. And then, instead of going into a carefully thought out Plan B... they just give up.0 -
I had been very obese since my teens, then made changes in 2008 and my weight has not slipped back up since then. After finding this website and tracking my intake daily, it's just been a very steady downward trend in the scale.
However -- once in my early 20's I lost a lot of weight and didn't keep it off. I had been on steroids and completely inactive due to a spider bite & multiple related surgeries. So once I was able to get back on my feet and off the steroids, my weight was dropping off...add to that a bad breakup and living alone on a limited budget, and I couldn't really afford much food. I had pretty terrible habits of living on eggs and rice and loads of diet cola, but not really eating enough calories at all. I dropped 70 lb and looked like crap with big hollow eyes and a sunken face. The weight stayed off for 1 year. The minute I started up a new relationship with a guy who was very obese & loved to cook and eat...all of the weight came right back. I didn't really understand how to make sustainable changes and I refused to own a scale to monitor my weight.0 -
I think for me there are a couple factors. One was having a strong reason for why I was losing weight. Another was having accountability partners to keep me on track. Last I made sure to occasionally treat myself (but staying within my calories, not going overboard) so I didn't feel like I was depriving myself.
Overconfidence without having the moderation gene kick in is one reason for me. My thinking: "I've lost some weight so I don't have to log my food today (which turns into a week, or month)". Then you fall off the band wagon of being really conscious of what you eat. This results into the portions becoming larger and eating calories that are way over your deficit or maintenance calories.0 -
I originally got down to where I am now in the Spring of 2012. Since then it's just been discipline and accountability. I decided that I just didn't ever want to be like that again. I've allowed myself some "off" time here and there for vacations or holidays but then I just get back at it. Don't beat yourself up if you get a little off track, just get back on the horse.0
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I think for me personally, I lost 28lbs and started looking great...people would comment on how much weight I had lost and some would say I'm too "skinny" this was the permission I needed to go eat when really I should have focussed not on weight loss but fat loss...Whats different this time? I don't know, everyone will always have an opinion, my motivation is different instead of loosing weight I want to loose and maintain so I guess thats another challenge right there...also understanding that one bad meal/ decision will not undo all my work and the opposite!!! Come on guys we can do it!!!
Totally this! I was down a lot and became complacent because people told me I should be happy with where I was and happy with my weight loss. Maybe they were right? I stopped focusing on the calories and started working out very sporadically instead of obsessively...and 30 of those pounds came back on...and I'm back to losing them now. Everyone will have an opinion and I don't need to be happy because they say I should be. I don't need to stop because people say I should. When I am happy with me...I'll be the one to know it!0 -
This is my first time actively trying to lose weight, so I have no experience in stopping/starting. Today is day 112 for me and my bottom line is: failure isn't an option. This is my new life and "going back" isn't something I can do. It's the same mindset I used when I quit smoking (cold turkey) 10 months ago.
You can do it :happy:0 -
bump - for inspiration - I'm on a half trying slump which I need to get myself out of
... but the fact I'm half trying ... rather that just giving up IS a postive0 -
Aside from physical problems, people quit for one reason: they want to quit.0
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I did so during exam period (needed food all day for studying), the post exam period (I was drinking a lot to celebrate then went away to Rome so ate my body weight in Pizza (and drank it again in wine) ) and the next one is coming when I head to Venice and Croatia in a few weeks.
I think the main thing that throws people off is being too strict - every time I have stopped I have done it out of personal choice and it's never thrown me off course permanently. I've only lost 20lbs since January but that's over 10% of my original body weight and I used to eat SO BADLY all of the time. My worst habit was around 10 months ago I ate breakfast, lunch, dinner and second dinner, all meals consisting largely of crap. If I logged how much I ate back then now, it would be well over 3000 calories a day. But now I have got myself into good habits long term I exercise good self restraint but reward myself by having time off - it's no fun to be the only person watching their food and drink at a big event etc. People get fed up and wonder if it's really worth it if you're too hard on yourself all of the time.
The most important thing to remember is that this is a lifestyle choice - it can only be made permanent if you make it sustainable. If you try and force yourself to give up the things you love forever and always instead of telling yourself you can only have it in moderation it's a course for failure. And at the end of the day, moderation allows you to appreciate things more.0 -
I haven't been at this very long but a big difference this time around is "education" and "information".
No I haven't found any magic way of shedding the pounds and keeping it off,... I have found what seems to work for me.
Before when I wanted to lose I would go on a "diet" and lose quick,.. then resume "normal" eating and gain it back. (and then some)
This time around no "diet". I eat whatever I want within my calorie goal. So I can have my cake and eat it too.
Knowing what I put in my mouth and what the consequences are has made a real difference. So when I have that cake, I have to "be good" the rest of the day, and maybe exercise a little more.
I haven't weight this little in probably 9 years.
I really feel I can keep it up this time. Because honestly I don't feel like I'm on a "diet"0 -
I had a 50-ish day streak, at 20 lbs down and it kind of all came crashing down last month. My uncle had a stroke, my boyfriend dumped me, my little sister had a baby, I fainted at work, and I was working 45+ hours a week. That entire month just really went out the window and I gained a little over 5 lbs in that time. Luckily, I'm not even 2 weeks into this month and I'm already back on track. Started a workout regimen, too. Full steam ahead.0
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