Help! I've fallen off the wagon and I'm too fat to climb bac

KelijonesRN

I literally lol'd when I saw your topic line! We've all been there, girl!

I know for me, recognizing my weaknesses was the biggest step. Like you, the emotional component is huge! I can't count the number of times I have eaten when I was not hungry or to reward myself or because I was bored or anxious. When I fall off the wagon I have to reel myself back in.

Here's what I do:
1. Revisit my goals and set new short term ones: this week I will work out MWF and log my foods every day. I don't look at the scale as a measure for my success (although I do track my weight loss each week). I start by seeing if I actually did what I said I would do.
2. Simplify my diet: I actually love Smart Ones meals! I'll eat one for breakfast and lunch and then have a healthy dinner. This gets me back in the habit of eating smart and takes away the hassle of trying to figure out what 'smart' looks like.
3. Snacks! I love snacking so I have to always have a smart snack on hand. Lots of fruit, pudding, crackers- something for those "I can't take it moments!" (The Smart Ones desserts are AMAZING!!)
4. Those cheat meals you speak of? When I am getting back on the wagon, those go away for 2 weeks until I am back in the habit. And when I cheat...I don't CHEAT!! I still eat smart I just don't log what I eat. :-) Cheat meals negate all the hard work I spent working out. I don't like wasting that energy!

35lbs is huge and that is something to be so proud of!! That's amazing! Don't forget to give yourself a pat on the back for all you have done but also be careful not to use this a justification to plateau. I find that after I loose a lot I get lazy and kinda get over-confident. Keep the goal in sight. Keep pushing! :-)

doreenwc

Some GREAT ADVICE here! Some of which I need to learn as well. I lost 147 lbs last year in 8 months and keeping it off is much harder than taking it off.

Anyone want friendly help, motivation, friends. Feel free to friend me. We can ALL use the support.

Doreen

stubbysticks

"if you bite it you write it"

^^^^
THIS. And erasing the word "cheat" from your weight loss vocabulary would help too. Some of the other posts alluded to this, but the concept of setting rules for yourself could help. Everyone who's been successful at some point with weight loss followed a certain set of rules, & they can vary greatly depending on the person. Maybe it's "I can eat whatever I want as long as I meet my calorie goal for the day" or "I can make one day a free day to eat what I want as long as I log it, & set a specific time to end it." A lot of my effort through the week happens with the mindset that "the better I do now, the more I can eat on Spike Day." True story. If it sounds like I reward myself with food, I absolutely do. If I'm willing to run a couple miles for a donut, what's the big deal? Some donuts are just worth it.

The tendency toward emotional eating complicates things, so having free meals or free days may not work for you. Only you can decide if it's something you can handle. If you find that you can't separate emotional eating from these planned indulgences, then it's probably not for you.

You don't just HAVE to view it as "falling off the wagon." I really hate that phrase. There's no wagon, people. You simply made choices that you now realize weren't good ones for your weight loss. Dedicate yourself to making good ones today. That's all you need to worry about right now. Don't worry about yesterday, & deal with tomorrow, tomorrow.

JennL418

I am in this situation as well. I try and eat well, and get to the gym. But my main problem is that by the time I get home from work or school the last thing I want to do is lace up my sneakers and go to the gym. I just want to sit for a few minutes. But whats the point of not being happy with the results or lack of weight loss if I'm only putting in half the work?!?!? So, I need to make time.

Don't stress about it. Just take some deep breaths and get back on it!!

ahealthy4u

You have to want the goal that is at the end of the tunnel and until you are ready just like anything you won't commit or at least that is how I felt for years. No I want to feel better and things I know now I wish I would have known when I was younger.
Get a group of friends that you can work with that can help you out in giving you that extra little push but don’t get to down on yourself. Enjoy life eat what you want with in moderation think baby steps and you will get there. Good Luck “YOU CAN DO IT I HAVE FAITH IN YOU!” If you need a friend to give you a little extra push of encouragement you can always add me.

IvoryParchment

I don't have as much to lose as other people here, but I have definitely experienced the phenomenon where if I overeat one day, it is harder, not easier, to stay within goal the next day. It doesn't make intuitive sense (I should be better prepared for limited calories, right?) but I find that when I start restricting calories, it is harder the first few days, then my body adjusts and it feels natural.

I would suggest that if there is a reason for you to overeat -- special occasion family meal or whatever -- you plan to gradually lower your calorie goal over the following few days, rather than beat yourself up over "cheating," and expect to go right back to the lower calorie goal. You have to find what works for your body, since you'll be doing this the rest of your life.