support toward fitness goal

sbechdel

Hello MFP members,

Just looking for some support to keep up with working out and eating right. Seeing all the support online here, it may be that I just need to reach out and ask. I have been a member for over a year, but haven't posted to the myfitnesspal community. I am getting married in less than 4 months and would love to loose the last 10 lbs. that just won't come off without dedication and willpower. I seem to get where I want to be for a few months, then slowly slip, so I need to push hard to get where I want to be by May. I have had bad eating habits my whole life as I turn to sugary foods when I am stressed, and I want to make a lifestyle change not just a quick fix. I can keep up with the exercise, but as I gain the lbs., I want to move less and eat more. Thus, I am worried as the wedding approaches and things get busy I will fall off the wagon even more than the 10 lbs. I face now. Additionally, my fiance and I want to have kids soon after we get married, and I would love to be an inspiration to them to live a heathy lifestyle and I honestly can't say that right now since I yo-yo back and forth. I need to make the change and stick to it as I don't want to pass on my bad habits. Anyone out there that needs a support buddy in any fashion, shoot me a response and maybe we can keep each other on track. Any thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks,
S

fitnesspirateninja

First off, congratulations!

The weeks before our wedding were such a blur. I can't remember if I was taking good care of myself or not. Probably not, though! I know that after the wedding, I totally slipped and gained back all but 10 of the pounds I'd lost. For me, a stressful or life-changing event will usually make me slip back into my old habits. Right now I'm working on losing the weight I gained after the wedding.

I didn't meet my goal weight before the wedding, but my dress fit perfectly and needed only minor alterations. I felt and looked beautiful, and had so much fun! I think your concerns are valid, but my advice would be to not worry too much about being perfect for the wedding. It's okay if you don't lose those last 10 pounds. Keep your focus on getting back on track after the wedding and honeymoon (if you're taking one) are over, and life has calmed down a bit. On the other hand, you'll probably feel less stressed and have more energy if you're eating right and exercising.

I have trouble with bouncing back after a slip up. After the holidays, I freaked out because I had gained 4.5 pounds, and was totally off my routine. My mood and energy level dropped. But I was able to jump back in and lose the weight I gained plus and additional pound. I would like to come up with a "bounce back" plan, but I don't know what that would consist of. Life is going to happen. Stress is going to happen. I am learning how to deal with that stuff without turning to food, but it's a struggle for me. I think having support from MFP helps a lot. I also talk to my sister-in-law, who also using MFP, on the phone and in person. We are able to check in and motivate each other.

I hope that this is somewhat helpful to you.

sbechdel

Thanks for the advice "southcoastsweet,"

Congrats to you too... your counter says you have already lost 20 lbs!!! Great Job! I appreciate your kind words as I am pretty hard on myself. Part of this "getting healthy" lifestyle is to learn to just be happy with myself regardless of my size, which has always been a battle. It's a long road but I am taking it day by day.

I understand how you feel with trying to create a "bounce back" plan. The same happens to me - I kept up with the exercise for the holidays, but the good food choices went right out the window! It's hard to be consistently disciplined in how I eat because of my bad habits and how food has been such a crutch. Recently, I told my mom that when I feel like I need a cupcake or something like that, that I was going to call her first so she could help me make the decision not to go down that path. So far it really has worked because it's to the point I don't want to have to call her; it's easier to just choose not to eat what I am debating about. I think how you are using MFP with your sister is similar. Hopefully that will work for you.

Let me know how your progress goes, I would love to be another support for you along your journey.

Best,
S