Fell of MFP Wagon -- Really Down

MoominFit

Hi, all. Has anyone else been doing super well with exercise and eating -- and then you just slide right back down into the pit? I was semi-sidelined by plantar fasciitis, but I was still doing lots of yardwork and continuing to eat well (by which I mean not starving myself because I'm doing the eat-more-to-weigh-less approach). I'd lost about 10 lb in four weeks, but more importantly, I was fitting into clothes I hadn't worn in almost a year. I'd gotten to the point where things like donuts didn't even sound appealing (though I'd have a small bit of dark chocolate at night). And then ... I can't even put my finger on a specific reason. Partly it was a stressful week last week, and partly I'm frustrated not being able to do my exercise video. But the bottom line is that I've just started eating way too much again, and way too much crap. And the more I do it, the more I feel like I can't stop and I'm backsliding. I *know* I just need to stop and get back with logging food into MFP.

Anyway, would just like to hear what some of you have done in this situation, and how you overcame it. Thanks, Andrea

spikefoot

Somedays I am more motivated to be healthy and others I am less concerned.

I think for me it is when I start to feel better about myself I become more confident..when I am more confident I feel complacent.

Set realistic goals and enjoy the process. Nothing happens over night.

There is a reason the entire world is not in great shape.

piccline

If exercise were a pill everyone would take it, it just takes 30 minutes a day to swallow it.

KCoolBeanz

I can empathize a bit...I had a cold which sidelined me for a few days. I felt frustrated because I couldn't exercise, and then all of a sudden I felt myself sinking into that "what's the difference" mentality. I didn't quite hit the bottom, but I've found it to be a bit of a struggle getting back to the level of motivation. It seems silly (to me), becuase it was just a stupid cold. As for overcoming it, the only thing I did was to try to stay positive, and I refused to allow myself to fully give in to my negativity (by either indulging a tiny bit, or positively talking myself out of the terrible choice I was about to make). I may have made some not as great choices in the bit of time following, but it's not nearly as bad as it could have been, or used to be. So for that reason, I think it was a little victory :-)

TinaCleg_cancel

It gets tough. I feel your pain. I have been logging and working out for five weeks and have only lost a few pounds. It's frustrating. It's easy to get discouraged. Don't give up, you can do it. Just start again...

Lkbaker

I did the same thing !! Just pick yourself up and do it. Today is day 1 for me again. I am not going to beat myself up over how far back I have gone, but I am gonna do it even better this time around !!

Add me as a friend and we can do this together !!

We got this !

MoominFit

Thanks, all. I know it'll take time. I'm not just focusing on the scale or trying to "lose X by X point." I used to be really fit but never got back in shape after my 2nd pregnancy (I have three little kids). So I'm trying to make a lifestyle change, not merely go for a quick fix. We generally eat well, and I get some exercise -- I'd just really like to be fit again. When I hit these slumps, I do think "What the hell? Why don't I have will power? What's wrong with me?"

But as of tomorrow I have the foot dr's go-ahead to do cardio stuff again. I'd been doing JM's Ripped in 30 & was halfway through week 2, when I had to stop for a month. I'm going to restart at week 1 tomorrow.

Thanks for the encouragement!

atldrew

I have been a member of MFP for over a year and have fallen off the wagon at least 1/2 a dozen times for a myriad of reasons including work schedule, traveling, getting sick, taking care of sick kids, and so on. Try doing it again for one day, just a day. Pretend that you are back on the wagon for a day. Then tomorrow, see if you can do it again.
You have made some great progress, you have some momentum and you CAN get moving again!
:-)
Good Luck

Lkbaker

Yah !! great news you got the go ahead from the doctor. I lost 35 lbs and had a back injury. I gained it ALL back !! I am like you a mom of 4 (3 with feet, 1 with wings) and want to be fit and make a permanent lifestyle change. I take it one day at a time. I am trying the 10,000 steps a day challenge and I also received a DVD set from my sister- it's called "Mama wants her body back" there are 3 different workouts and they are only 20 min long and combine cardio,core, & strength. Really an quick, but effective workout. Sometimes that's all us mom's can squeeze in !! lol... good luck and take it one day at a time, one choice at a time !

gpstrucker

Forget yesterday, don't worry about tomorrow, focus on today.

Alcereceda

it's okay to fall off the wagon- just try not to let it run over you :):)
Everyone has these setbacks- just look at it as a hurdle and jump a little higher- next time you'll know what to do to avoid the setback.

Michele7091

This is my 3rd time on this site. Or maybe the 4th?? Who knows! The point is I too have tried this several times. Fortunately this time for me it is finally sticking. I stopped looking at this as a "diet" and started looking at it as a lifestyle change. And just like everything else in life, I am going to have slip-ups. I'm not perfect so I can't expect to never falter. I don't do cheat days or cheat meals but I do believe in the "everything in moderation" philosophy. And I also believe that if I am craving something, I should eat it. In fact, last night I made homemade chocolate chip cookies. Want to know the reason?? Because I was craving the dough. And I ate it. And didn't log it either *gasp*! I just told myself that today is a new day and I focus on going forward and not dwelling on yesterday. You can do it too...just look forward...today is a new day!! :flowerforyou:

olmstea

I fell off the wagon too and was really struggling to get bak on. Two things from this site got me re-motivated.

1) "Just look at today. Watch your eating....do your exercise....just for today. Then tomorrow you can worry about tomorrow." This reminded me that I can't take everything on every day. Break it into manageable chunks and I can stay on task.

2) I saw a quote on here (not sure where) that said: "Just for today, I will remember that falling down half a flight of steps is no reason to throw myself down the other half". This reminds me that even if I mess up I can stop and get back on track that same day. Yes, I will go over my calories, but I won't quit or go off on an all-day binge.

That's what helped me - thought it might help you too. :flowerforyou:

jetabear10

We all feel that way from time to time. It's getting back up and buckling down that is the difference to the new you. Accept your little slip and then forget it. Today is the 1st day of your new life. l

WE can do it together so chin up and get back at 'er!

shellyt1

I'm right there with you! I just take it one day at a time and do what I can with excerise I can walk but if I start running again my knee hurts so I find what excercise I can.

tweetybaby69

We all fall off from time to time which is what makes us human. Sometimes I get discouraged when I see that my friends on here are dropping 2 pounds this week and 4 pounds the next week and I stay stagnant. I keep asking myself what am I doing wrong. I tell myself that I am doing all the right things so why is the weight not coming off. But then I say to myself, "you didn't gain the weight overnight, you can't expect to lose it overnight." So then I wrap up my pity party and get back on track.

Feel free to friend me and we can help each other stay motivated!! Good luck!

SoySalva

Been there' done that....can't remember how many times! Good news is you have realised you are falling back into bad habits and are aware you need to take control again.

Don't dwell on yesterday...it's gone...just focus on today, make better choices and all will fall into place again. Many people fall off the wagon and don't forgive themselves for doing so and end up gaining the lbs lost and them some!

You can do this....you have the will...go for it:flowerforyou:

chelledawg14

Hi... I've been fighting that "slide" myself - started having pain in my hip about three weeks ago and was frustrated. This past week was REALLY bad as I tried to exercise and couldn't give it 100%. So I drank beer and ate pizza (Im talking pizza with extra cheese, sausage, pepperoni, onion & green pepper - 4 big slices over two days). Then I ate two candy bars in two days. Then I was more upset. Luckily, I snapped out of it already after going to the doctor yesterday, he gave me encouragement as I continue to lose weight, even if it is slowly now. I have bursitis in my right hip so he gave me some exercises and gave me more more kind words to keep exercising and only do as much as I can, but don' t let it get you down. Just start over, you have an entire community here supporting you!! The way I see it, most of us will go through some experience where we slip up, but just pick yourself back up and start anew! YOU CAN DO IT!!

carrieo888

Yup! About 4 years ago, I had lost 20 lbs. strictly through exercise (endurance walking - typically 9 mile mountain hikes on weekends, plus 3 miles 4x week), when an old ankle injury caused complete failure of a tendon. I had to have my foot completely rebuilt. I had to use walkers and crutches for 3 months, then braces for another 3 months. Then 3 more months of PT. Almost exactly a year after the "blow-out" I went for my first walk since the injury and barely made it 1/2 mile. During that year of mostly sedentary lifestyle, I gained back 10 lbs and was pretty depressed. I never got back to that level of walking again (though I did train for and complete my 3rd 50-mile challenge walk two years ago, and beat my personal best), but found FitDay (an MFP-like site) and lost 20 lbs using that. Plateau-ed for a year and found MFP, and have lost another 10 lbs - just 15 lbs to go til I hit goal weight!

Along the way I have learned more about myself. There will always be obstacles, but it's how you deal with them that makes you stronger. Quit? Not I! Beat myself up over not always doing the "right" thing? Not anymore! Make better choices next time? Mostly :-)

Good luck!

FitForeverAgain

Action does not follow motivation. Motivation follows action. Visualize who you want to be. Act like that person. Start again. Today. Now. You will be back with it soon enough. The journey is NEVER a straight line. 1/2 the battle is getting going again. This will not be your only hiccup. It happens to all of us. But, you must take another step in the process, this action will create motivation. If you wait for motivation - it will not come. Create it.

msjenjenp

This happens from time to time due to frustration, getting tired of denying yourself, stress, life, boredom with the program, whatever. Don't beat yourself, up. Just get back on track right now. It's really perfectly normal. Don't let one or two bad weeks ruin your whole program.

This just happened to me over the past few weeks. I realized I was really pushing the envelope and over-eating, but guess what? I enjoyed it. So now, that's over with and I am right back on track and have already lost over a pound.

You can do it!

raiderrodney

Try not to let it get you down because it happens to us all. Just remember that you are changing your lifestyle and that doesn't mean you will be hardcore every week. But it does mean you will be making better choices the majority of the time. Like other have said...just look forward and not back!

SuffolkSally

Yeah been there done that!

The things I seem to struggle with things which should be pleasurable - particulalry having people to stay or visiting people, and I just find it impossible to stay with the programme - and once I've lost the plot a bit I find it hard to recover!

I know all the right answers but I do seem to have these phases when I can't stick with it....

caiconCristi

Totally! I can totally relate. But bottom line is....so what? You are aware of what happened. That's the important thing. Emotional eating is going to happen. It doesn't mean we have to give up or unconsciously let the vicious cycle of eating junk then getting addicted to junk all over again happen. Living in the present moment for me is key. Once you start on junk again, it is very hard to get back on track because in 2hours your body will crave the junk you ate. That happens for a ton of people. You aren't bad nor do you lack will power. My 2 cents is be kind to yourself and stay aware of what you are feeling in the moment. Then make a choice. Even if you make a choice to down the plate of nachos, if you do it and you're present without judging yourself--I think you'll start to feel how your body feels and gain the presence to make a choice you feel good about. It's all a growth experience.

dyannajoy

I get these little love letters every day from a website that I LOVE called the Brave Girls Club.......this was the message I received today.....want to share it with you.........I encourage you to be VERY gentle with yourself today.....you deserve it and more dear.:flowerforyou: Dyanna
p.s. I fall off the wagon alot, but I always crawl back on...you can too

Dear Incredible Girl,

When you've done all that you can do, and you still feel like you have so much further to go.....when you feel like all that you have to give still isn't nearly enough....when it seems that you will not be able to keep up everything that needs to be kept up for one minute longer....

Stop and breathe.

Look....really really look at what you are expecting of yourself.....

You are an incredible girl...you are amazing and strong and brilliant.........but, friend...you are also a human being. You can not do it all....you can not always hold everything together perfectly and you can be perfectly composed every single day. It's ok to have "off" days...it's ok to feel weak...and overwhelmed and have meltdowns once in a while. It's ok. YOU are ok. Everything is going to be ok. It is.

Let yourself have days to be a perfectly imperfect human being. Let yourself feel what you need to feel and process your life the way you need to process it. Let yourself BE.

Bad days will pass, and overwhelm will dissolve and the sun will come up again tomorrow morning....just like it does every day. There will be a brand new sparking day waiting for you tomorrow....waiting for you to hold hands with all of the joy that it is offering.

You are just right. You are doing great. You are fabulous!

And you are very very very loved.

xoxo

natzkj

if i fall off the wagon, i try to think on the postive side and say to my self '' its a fresh start tomorrow''

irishcanadianwoman

"I will remember that falling down half a flight of steps is no reason to throw myself down the other half".

I love that quote!
Please don't throw yourself down the other half flight of steps.
Good luck

grex1949

Start logging again, TODAY. Don't put it off. Write down everything you eat. You will get back in the saddle again because you will see what you are eating, and you won't like it.
Also, get some exercise. If your plantar fasciitis is still bothering you, go swimming or do a pool workout. Work on your upper body and arms with some weights. Or, my favorite, do some rowing. That should not hurt your painful foot condition.
You can do it; you've already proven that. You just need to get back on the wagon.
Good luck!

auroranflash

You know what to do... you just have to do it again. Sometimes it's hard to get started once you've gotten comfortable, but you know you'll feel better if you exercise and eat lots of fruits and veggies and yummy healthy foods

Great job on what you did accomplish. Sorry, it really isn't any easier or harder than that: Just do it. We're here to help, but it's all on you, girlfrann.

Good luck!