Falling off the wagon ... hard

susannamarie

For me, I can't make a change I can't sustain. When I cut soda out of my life completely, I lasted about 3 weeks and was back to several 2-liter bottles or a dozen cans per day. It's the biggest vice I have.

Now I allow myself some, but I keep it in my car, which is warm. So I have to get it and chill it before I can drink it, and I get it one can at a time. This has kept the consumption much much lower and allowed for better health and weight loss.

graelwyn

Although I am not overweight and never have been, I have had lifelong issues with a tendency to binge eat, and there are now so many foods I cannot have around as I cannot simply stop after a few pieces of chocolate or one or two biscuits... Once I start, I tend to keep going until I feel full, even though I should not have felt hungry to start with. Cakes, biscuits, sugary cereal, chocolate, bread, chocolate spread, ice cream...all had to go. I now just buy in dried prunes as although I sometimes get through a whole 500g bag, they don't seem to put weight on me much, compared to if I binge on biscuits or chocolate, or bread. I also have a dessert with my bf after dinner most evenings which helps, and snack on apple rice cakes, which again, although not especially nutritious, don't seem to gain me weight unless I eat bags of the things. It is so depressing to not be able to have things as a treat in my own home, makes me feel very weak willed at times.

Olive32214

Bump

ninerbuff

Eating is a behavior. Behaviors can be changed, but there has to be TOTAL WILLINGNESS to do it. If not it's doomed to failure. You have to change your thinking. People who are fit and lean go through emotional problems as well, but take them on differently so get an idea from someone you know who is fit on how they deal with it. Personally myself, if I feel emotionally stressed, I do something physical like mow the lawn, wash the car, hit the gym, or even just go for a walk.


A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
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Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

SoDamnHungry

I know eating healthy is good for you, but why do you have to eat healthy? If that's preventing you from losing weight, you need to realize that not eating veggies isn't the end of the world. At 288 pounds, you can still probably eat at least 2000 calories a day just to maintain. So don't go over that to avoid gaining weight. Eat 1700 to slowly lose weight. You can still eat things you like.

Dieting and exercising are difficult, but if you have no drive, you won't get anywhere.

LizKurz

One of my pals posted this and I just read this when I am about to give up. Hope it helps.


Losing weight is HARD.
Maintaining weight is HARD.
Being fat is HARD.

CHOOSE your HARD.

Omg, this is awesome. I need this on a shirt.

littlecrystal

I don't have a sound advice as I have just started myself, but what helped me to stop the useless cycle of losing-gaining-losing-gaining, was upping the calories to a long-term maintainable level. I used to be on 1400kcal and it was really hard to stick to it. Now I am on 1620 and it is so much better. I allow some treat every day. I usually don't finish my calories by midday.

Just try having little deficit of calories, something like 1800kcal, it is easier to stick to, it doesn't require a particular motivation, and you will still lose weight slowly.

honestlysweet

For me, exercising at the gym is what keeps me motivated. I go to the classes they have at six am, like lifting and combat and cardio classes. It is an awesome feeling to walk out after my shower, full of energy from the exercise. It makes me feel great, and it is addictive.

I didn't see anything in your post about exercise. I can tell you from experience that simply changing your eating habits won't work, or at least it doesn't for me. In the past, eating well with no exercise never lasted. I always fell off the wagon after only a few month. But this time, with the exercise, I love the feeling I am getting and the results show in my measurements and photos, even though the scale isn't moving much, probably because I am building muscle.

I suggest joining a gym and going to the classes. That's what worked for me. Good luck, and congrats on the Master's. That's quite an accomplishment!

GdeVries

Many years ago I ran into a guy that went to Overeaters Anonymous, and I remember thinking to myself how hard that must be. I mean, you can stop taking heroin and you won't die. But you can never stop eating. You have to eat. And all day we are bombarded with messages to eat, eat, eat. And they aren't pushing apples and oranges and carrot sticks. Nah, they want you to order a 900 calorie burger. Oh, perhaps you'd like to supersize that.?

Well, here I am, because I've gained to much weight. At my highest I was 238 pounds. I want to get down to 183. So that's a 55 pound loss. The first thing I did was get myself an elliptical trainer (used). So now I have no excuse if the weather is bad. I also bought a second hand weight machine to start building some muscle. First it was 10 minutes on the elliptical. Then I found I could do 12 minutes. Same thing with the weight lifting. 5 reps x 3 of the lowest weight. Slowly I'm building that up, as well. I bicycle and walk with my dogs. Yesterday we took a 4 hour bike ride! Wow, I did that? It was awesome. I so enjoyed it!

Ok, so food is my problem, too. I love love love to eat. I love to cook. I have more cookbooks than any other type of book and I adore the internet because of all the recipe websites! The food industry has spent a lot of money to get us addicted. First off, stay on the outside aisle of the supermarket. If you must go into the inner aisles, pay attention to stuff on the lower shelves. The manufacturers pay for the prime real estate at eye level. And not because their product is so good for you. Try to buy unprocessed foods. Prepare your own meats and vegetables. Eat fruits. Be sure to by whole grain breads. Trader Joe's has some great breads. Better yet is to bake your own bread. Know what you are eating. I can't believe how many ingredients are in foods that I can't even pronounce!

For me, I had to find a way to lose weight without having to go without. I'm not very good at being 'mean' to myself. So I found ways to keep eating the things I like, but also keeping it healthy. I try to watch my intake of carbs/sugar, sodium etc. And I've found that it get easier. Eat well, and exercise, are for me the most important things.

Good luck on your journey!

dls06

I think most of us have this problem. I have been maintaining for a while and will never stop logging. When you fall off the wagon don't stop, you'll get back to it faster if you keep logging.:flowerforyou:

kjones3535

My biggest issue is sugar/candy. I am having to completely cut certain things out because I cannot control myself once I start. Today is my 4th day without candy. It helps me to look at the numbers (being an engineer it makes sense for me to break it down) and realize that little things make a HUGE difference. I was eating around 150 calories/day in just candy when I work since it is all over the office. 150 calories times 260 days a year=39,000 calories (about 11 lbs). So, if I do nothing else I will save myself 11 lbs this year by not eating the junk around the office.

One way to avoid it for me has been to start using the restroom on a different floor. My favorite candy (hot tamales) are right outside my restroom and I was grabbing a few everytime I walked by. By going downstairs I get a little extra exercise and completely avoid the temptation.

I guess what I am trying to say is find a couple little things you can easily change right away and eventually they will all add up to a much larger result.

Good luck!