How have *you* broken your weight loss streak?

radmack

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.

Me too!

boatsie77

Going back to overeating is a signal that one hasn't addressed the reason they turn to food as a drug to medicate the cause of pain, fear, stress, etc.

The mechanics of losing weight is simple and straight forward...but unless one addresses and works through issues that result in food addiction, removing weight and maintaining that loss for any period of time will prove to be difficult and cause much suffering.

Many folks deny they are addicted to food ("I just LOVE the taste of food...but I'm not addicted)..but the evidence of their addiction (i.e. fat) is out there for all to see. Evidence of food addiction can be seen in some folks who have had gastric bypass and because they can no longer rely on food to "fill the void and ease the pain" they turn to the use of drugs and alcohol.

Signs of addiction are:

1) Taking substance and can't stop
2) Withdrawal symptoms
3) Addiction continues despite health problem awareness
4) Social and/or recreational sacrifices
5) Maintaining a good supply of substances
6) Obsession with getting and using substance
7)**Denial**
8) Secrecy and solitude
9) Excess consumption
10) Dropping hobbies & activities one used to enjoy
11) Having secret stashes of substances

May of us on MFP can tick quite a few (if not all) of these boxes when it comes to our overeating habits. If diet and exercise was the answer, most everyone on MFP would possibility qualify for the cover of the next issue of Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition or GQ.

The first time I dropped 75 pounds, I didn't address the mind-body connection of my addiction and regained it all back plus 10 pounds.. This time around, I am working through that connection...it's not easy, but I know it is THE KEY to maintaining my healthy lifestyle. I am currently 1 year & 4 months into maintenance.

djsiry

Going back to overeating is a signal that one hasn't addressed the reason they turn to food as a drug to medicate the cause of pain, fear, stress, etc.

I think this is a very insightful post, and it definitely applies to me. When I have been on my "weight gain" cycles, I find myself looking forward to certain foods (usually not the good kind!) and finding opportunities to go eat them, typically along with alcohol. It would be very relaxing, like a pleasant retreat - often times alone. Sounds like addictive behavior to me (although the alone part is pretty practical - I would crave meat and my wife and kid are vegan)

Eleanor_82

Like a lot of others I think I've been too harsh and unrealistic with previous efforts where I probably considered the diet a kind of short term punishment until I could go back to 'normal' food. I find that frequent travel for work and holidays are also big contributors to falling off the healthy eating wagon.

Before, I always used to focus mostly on exercise, eat just salad or soup and ignore the more holistic nutrition aspect because I considered myself a hopeless case in the kitchen. I'm trying to make a more equal balance this time- involving exercise because I enjoy it and like seeing results but also trying to prepare healthy (but not miserably restricted) lunches for work.

healthyfoxx

Depression. It comes out of no where a lot of the time, and can last anywhere from just a couple weeks to a few months, or even a year. It's like someone flips off a light switch in your brain and you suddenly can just barely get in to work (and sometimes you don't even do that), let alone for make your own food or go for a run. I had a bout of it recently, and luckily it only lasted two weeks. It's next to impossible to want to take care of yourself in that state, so a lot of progress can be undone in a short amount of time.

To combat this, I focus on bouncing back as gracefully as possible. I try to force myself to eat well, even if I don't exercise. Then add in exercise again gradually. Just forcing myself to go through the motions of a healthy lifestyle doesn't "snap you out of it," but it helps lessen the damage I'll see when I get back to feeling more like myself.