"Fell Off the Wagon"

CoralConnor

Hi All! Hope you're having a fine Thursday. I'm in need of a little support. I've lost 9 pounds since I started changing my habits and joined MFP in January. This has brought me a lot of satisfaction and happiness. However I'm going through final exams at my college this week and I just didn't hold it together to stay under my calories with the constant work i'm doing at school and my job. I've been slightly over on my calories for the last 5 days (maintaining some days or a couple hundred more calories over on others) mostly due to stress and also not caring after I did it the first day.

Now I went to the gym and ate well today and have over 600 calories left. But I feel so fat I don't even want to try !! Bloated and puffy. I can still feel that I'm in better shape from where I started. But I just feel very upset with myself for letting go of the plan this past week. I feel like I quit and I'm scared I'm not going to make it to my June goal of 175.

How do you get back on track? Even better, How do you Inspire yourself? Working out at the gym today made me feel inspired. But now I just feel fat. mainly it's my stomach! I know I can do this! I just haven't proven that to myself lately.

Nicci93

I can completely relate.. I have days at a time where I let myself down especially during stressful weeks with school. It is a lot to handle, but you just have to keep remembering why you are doing what you are doing.

I see my size two, fast metabolism roommate chowing down on chips and cookies and the best things in our room... and I have to look down at my stomach to tell myself to stop wishing. I honestly have to look at myself in the mirror.. in pictures and such.. to show myself why I still need to diet and workout. I am not happy with my appearance and it is my greatest motivation. I want to be attractive to myself so I can be more confident. Confidence affects every other aspect in our lives!!

Hanging sticky notes or pictures around your room/apartment/home/house/whatever is really good too. I'm gonna rehang stuff around mine.

briscottcoach

The best thing you can remember is that you are on a journey - there isn't an ending to this. You will have good days, bad days, good weeks and bad weeks. Focus on where you have come from and where you are going.

(1) That bloated feeling is most likely from the pressure you put on your body in the gym if you haven't been in awhile. Drink your water and remember to make sure you are eating within 30 minutes of working out or your body isn't going to recover properly.

Question: When you say went "over" your calories do you mean weight loss calories or maintenance calories?

(2) When you run into stressful situations don't beat yourself up because you aren't losing weight - stress helps you put weight on! These are the times when you say to yourself. I'm not going to freak out, I will focus on maintaining my progress and pick up where I left off when this is done.

(3) That roommate eating all the junk - it will catch up, it always does. You are training your body to be healthy for life and when she has to learn later in life, you'll already be comfortable with yourself.

As for inspiration: Measure your progress in inches and focus on that. Weight is good, but it will come AFTER the inches when you are exercising. Take some "goodbye" photos and put up affirmations about why you are already awesome.

You ladies are too strong to let you it get you down. YOU CAN DO THIS!

CoralConnor

Thank you!!! I really needed to hear those things. I must widen my scope and look at this as a lifelong journey with progress and roadblocks.

CoralConnor

Oh and when I say I went over I mean I went over my 1,550 calories can eat every day. Most days lately I've eaten 1,700-2,000 calories. So mostly maintaining. I'm just so afraid to backpedal, gain any of the weight I lost or EVER be back in the 200's. But I need to let go of the fear it holds me back. Thanks for your kind words of inspiration, you both!

briscottcoach

You are so welcome! I love helping people - it's one of the things that keeps me focused and inspired. I'm always up for new "buddies" if you'd like to add me. Take care of you!