stuck.....can anyone relate?

jjuice11

So sick of this cycle I just can't seem to break. Ever since I can remember, I will do "really well" with my eating & exercise for a week or two, but can not seem to stick to it. The result then being gaining back the weight I had lost(and more) as well as getting mad/sad with myself and then starting it all over. The worst for me is all the emotional stuff that goes along with this. I look at myself after I binge and think, how sad that you can't control what you put in your mouth....I know this negative self talk is bad, but I just can't seem to stop.
I am 40 yrs old and don't want to treat myself this way anymore, it is exhausting!
MFP was "working" for me for 2 weeks, but now I am back to one good day followed by 3 bad days and so on....

Any tips on how to break this cycle would be greatly appreciated:)

1midsun

I find that when I have a bad day, I try not to "beat myself up about it" Just get back on track as soon as you can!!

If you happen to have chicken wings and a few drinks on a Friday night, have a salad or something on Saturday. Just try to get back on track. That works for me!!!

Keep trying though, don't give up!!!

waldenlev

Sure, I can relate. In fact I'd bet most people here can. I know I had a less than stellar weekend. The important thing is you start again, every time. Each time you'll get a better at catching yourself sooner. Don't get down on yourself, just look back and the successes you've had (small or large) and start again. And always, always, be honest with yourself when you're tracking food. I find I'm much less likely to "cheat" when I know I'll have to enter the food in my diary and I don't want to see it there. :-)

Don't get too down on yourself!

glittersoul

If you have a bad day don't worry, just keep going. No reason to get down on yourself. Are you not eating enough when you are being 'good'? You could be restricting yourself too much which would make it easy to want to overeat the next day...

ChildOfTheLions

I go through the same thing and i am sooo disgusted with myself when i am done eating and when i see the numbers go up on the scale. I take it one day at a time. I try to keep healthy snacks around so if i get the urge to ransack my pantry or frig and want to pig out at least there is not alot of things that are empty calories. I do have the urge to bake ALOT! and sometimes i give in and just get it out of my sytem and have to exercise more that day ( well at least try to). I have come to the conclusion that i will battle food temptation for the rest of my life because i love food. And somedays i will win some days i will loose the battle. I try to drink alot of water too so my stomach feels full. That doenst always work but i try

SparkleShine

Oh yes, I can relate! I am 41 and have been yo-yoing for the past 8 years or so. I've gotten down to my goal weight once and close to it another time. Currently I am trying to lose 5 pounds I've put on since March. I think for me it will always be a battle...I LOVE FOOD!:laugh:

One saying I heard that may make sense to you is~ If you skipped brushing your teeth one night does that mean you say forget it and stop caring about brushing them for days or weeks on end.

I know it's kind of a weird statement but also true. If you binge at lunch, does that mean you just say forget it and binge the rest of the day? No, you still have opportunity to make good decisions.

divinebird

What everyone else said--we ALL have bad days (or bad weeks!) and it's not always a perfect path. Try to move away from food guilt, and words like 'failure' and 'bad'. Make a small change and stick to it. Then add another small change and stick to IT. If your daily calorie goal is too strict and you feel like you're being denied, what if you made your weight loss goals a little gentler? Say you want to lose 1lb instead of 2lb per week; you'll have more calories to work with and it might make it easier to transition. You can ALWAYS change your MFP goals as time goes on.

I have a really, really hard time with fats. I love butter and cream like you wouldn't believe. It means that even though my calories each day have been good, my fat intake has ALWAYS been over. It would be very easy to beat myself up over this but I also know that I'm doing well in other ways. You don't have to get everything right, all the time, right from the get-go.

And celebrate your victories, no matter how small! "Yeah! I successfully turned down a brownie that I couldn't afford calorie-wise. I ROCK!" Even the decision to walk an extra loop around the block is a victory. Or reminding yourself that you only have 400 calories left in the day, and you have yet to eat dinner, so no, you shouldn't buy that candy bar for a snack. (These are all examples from MY life, obvs, ymmv.)

Whatever you do, though, again, don't chastise yourself for not meeting your goals. You're only human.

cubba213

So sick of this cycle I just can't seem to break.
I am 40 yrs old and don't want to treat myself this way anymore, it is exhausting!

This journey is a mental battle for all of us... I am right there in your shoes, 55 years old, it is exhausting and it seams up hill. I thought Wow I have done so well the past few weeks, yet when I pass a mirror and step on the scale I have gone nowhere fast... My Dad told me he does not want me to die first, he has been so good to me I have to abide by his wishes, he is 83 yrs old, he has more energy than me & can do more. Keep working it, like I am one to talk, but we are here for each other... Love Kim

cubba213

I have a really, really hard time with fats. I love butter

Me too and I buy no butter popcorn and add 4 tablespoons, why???