Greetings from Northern Virginia

daisydieter

Hello everyone,

I'm on a mission to lose 60 pounds in six months. I always struggled with 20lbs in my 20s, losing it/gaining it back. Once I had kids, I gradually piled on 40 more pounds. Eight years ago, I lost it all... then gained it all back over course of 4 years. Then 2 years ago, I lost 41 of those pounds, then last two years put back on 36 pounds. So back where I started.

Last go 'round of weight loss, I noticed that I faltered... and hoping to find a support circle to stop it again:

1) When I stopped weighing myself daily. The weekly weigh in would get blown off because I feared a big weekend would make the number too high and I just don't want to see it. I'd think I'll cut back that week, but don't... and the next weigh-in, I blow off for same reason. Before I know it, it has been months, sometimes year, since I saw the actual number.

2) I push myself too much physically. Between having a problematic sacroiliac joint and being this heavy, I can't begin a diet with me jogging 5 miles in the morning... strolling to the grocery store at lunch... then doing weight training and hour on elliptical after dinner... with 18 mile weekend hikes thrown in. Three times I've made this mistake and ended up in agony for several days and unable to do any truly calorie burning exercise for several weeks. I'm being much more careful this time. I've worked up to doing an hour of cardio per day over the course of the month. But the urge to now do much more is one I fight.

3) Last but not least, I'm an emotional eater and drinker. Stressed, sad, bored... go-to distractions/soothers is yummy food. Alcohol can be an issue in that it is empty calories and with a buzz, I have binged. Then next day, even just 2 drinks, I'm so sluggish and don't exercise. Then that makes me feel like a loser and I want to distract myself with food... a vicious cycle.

So if anyone has experience with any of these issues, love to connect and provide each support in overcoming them.

Suz_w8loss

Hello daisydieter,

From Northern Va too !! Nice to see someone else close by. I just started this site last week & need to lose about 80lbs. I was doing good last summer and fell off the wagon after Halloween. Now it's time to get it all together and start over.

kristelpoole

Hey guys, I live in Richmond, VA. Welcome! You should definitely join our Virginia and DMV groups to find more locals.

To the OP - it sounds like you've had great successes in the past. What were you doing to be successful? It sounds like whatever you did wasn't something you could maintain so I would work on your overall lifestyle change first rather than just losing the weight again. If you want it to last, you'll have to make some changes that will also last. I wish you the best of luck.

Stay here and commit yourself 100% to MFP because it works.