Fell off the wagon, why do I hesitate to get back on?

EncoreUneAutreFois

I don't think of this as a diet, but I definitely fell off the wagon this week -- no exercise, no food restraint -- and I questioned whether I should just give up because of how far I had set myself back. It's tough to see one month go by and no weight change. I don't understand why I'm so resistant to start up again, is it fear of failure?

What do you to get back on the wagon, if you've fallen off for a week?

mgmlap

For me..I see it as a journey...and on that journey..you take detours. It doesnt mean that you permanently stay of the road. You have to think of it as more than just losing weight. Its to give you a better lifestyle. This will entail a healthier you. You wil enjoy life more as a fit person.

Its as if you dropped your phone every day this week..and at the start of the following week..you crush it with your foot..cause of course after dropping it a few times..its bound to be broken..but you dont bother to check.

As you are going on this journey..not are you going to lose weight..but you will lose inches..gain insight on what foods to eat..and therefore you will enjoy life more.

I speak from experience...I actually want to do things now...which held me back when I was 40 pounds heavier. I cant wait for summer to go hiking with my husband and dogs......Dont give up..its just a detour..get back on that road..and keep driving!

Rockerchick72

Hi there. I would say to just begin with the very next thing you put in your mouth. Ask yourself if you're hungry vs. thirsty. Ask yourself if you're about to eat out of boredom, etc. Just bite the bullet and do it. There's no time like the present. I have good and bad days too. Guess what, you're human so give yourself a break and think positive.

debbysatit

To Mgmlap, Thankyou for what you wrote it was what I needed to read today!

EncoreUneAutreFois

Thank you so much for that -- sometimes it just takes a reminder to make you more mindful of what your next step is. Much appreciated!

funkycamper

Don't let a month long plateau with no weight loss derail you. It happens. You can't control the scale. However, you can control how you nourish your body and how you exercise it. I recently lost my first pound since Christmas. Not a big surprise because I binged a bit during Christmas, New Year's, and the 10-day vacation we had in January. However, I kept exercising most days even though it was just a lot of walking during the vacation. And, since Christmas I have gone down a pant size even though the scale just shows that 1# loss.

Also, if you have been losing for awhile, sometimes your body does stop losing for awhile. At least this happens to me about every 20# or so. It's like it gets stubborn about releasing the weight for awhile. Again, I can't control when the scale moves. I can control what I eat and exercise.

That said, I also think it's a good idea to take a break from weight loss when you've been doing it for awhile. Maybe eat at your maintenance calories for a week or a month. Keep up your exercise during this time but take a break from a calorie deficit. This will reset some of your hormonal levels and do good things for your metabolism. It might also do good things for your emotional well-being.

I also usually own weight about once or twice a month. It keeps me focused on the things I can control (again food and exercise) and my focus off what I have no control over (the scale).

splashangel

I just did the same thing about a month back. I stayed on track for monthes then just got up one day and didn't excercise.Or the next...This went on for almost a month. I ate mass ammounts of whatever got in my way. I still don't know why. But, one night, shortly after 11:00, Totally not feeling it,I got up and worked out. The next day I ate like I have learned to eat. I had to struggle through cravings again but now I'm pretty much o.k. I have thought that maybe I got a little bored. So, my first day back I went outside and tied a rope to a peice of landscaping timber and drug,flipped,pulled and shoved that thing all over my back yard.( Husband say's he's gonna put blades on the bottom of it so I can cut the grass) I then bought a chin up bar and set up a home gym with free weights, in our shed. Good luck on the rest of your endeaver. I'm with you,
Angel

jbachhuber

Hang in there! For me, exercise and good eating go hand in hand. When I exercise, I eat well , when I don't, I don't...vicious cycle.

My suggestion...start exercising again first, you'll feel better, get energy back and want to eat better.

SueInAz

Last summer I went through three months losing and gaining back the same 5 pounds. After getting completely discouraged, I was reminded that Einstein's definition of insanity was "doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results". So I cut back on carbs, started running longer distances and lost 5 pounds over the next 4 weeks.

My advice to you is to shake things up if you want to break that plateau. Switch up your exercise routine by either increasing the intensity or doing something completely different. The "falling off the wagon" might actually have been a good thing because as another poster suggested, increasing calories for awhile can also help break a plateau. The caveat is that you have to get back on the wagon to take advantage of it.