NEED HELP! struggling to get back on it

KelCanDoThis

Hi

I have been struggling for weeks and weeks now. I managed to lose over 35lb.But then I relaxed, started with a few drinks, then a few extra snacks, then a day off, then two, then before i know it I have been off for weeks and weeks and the weight is creeping back on.

I went from a size 20 to 14, and now by 14's are not fitting me. Im not happy and actually feel quite ashamed of myself as I was only half way to target.

I do want to do this, I really do, but im struggling to find the willpower. I have plently of excuses, 4 kids, job, running a house, but they are just excuses. None of them make me shove an extra 5 biscuits in my mouth!!!!!

I would really love some advice, help and some diet buddies. I have already made some great friends on here and they have been a huge support, but im sure I have bored them with the falling off the wagon rubbish.

I must do this, but feel like a newbie all over again!

Kelly. (please feel free to add me)

camiah

I struggle too. Just remember to take it one decision at a time. Friend request sent.

pennyrtyler

Make an appointment with yourself, put on your favorite workout clothes, and just start with the first step: START MOVING AGAIN!! :-)

You might hate it on the front end, but you know you'll feel awesome when you finish!

P.S. Instead of feeling guilty about falling off the wagon, find the excitement and joy in being a newbie again!! You can do this!

marcoscu

The first step is always the hardest. Just get back into the routine, you have already done once and so you know you can do it. Remember, that you have friends here that been through it all.

prettygirlhoward

nothing wrong with starting over... Get back in it like you never fell off.

Afterblue

Okay, look. You work hard, you come home to your 4 kids whom I am sure you love dearly but I bet they are exhausting (I have just one and he is exhausting enough. Adorably). I bet the last thing that comes to your mind when you walk in that door is "Great! Now I better exercise!". Or "Yum! Now I can have 4 oz of grilled chicken with a cup of veggies and a fist full of brown rice! Yay!".

No.

Food is comforting to many of us. It is gratifying to the senses. It makes us feel good and it is such an easy form of gratification that we engage in it constantly. Then we have one biscuit and say- ah well, I f'ed up, so might as well eat the entire package and before we know it, we are back to treating food as solution to all the sadness, frustration, tiredness or whatever negative emotion we feel. And then we feel guilty and engage in even more food to mitigate that guilt.

First of all, the change in perspective where food goes fro "therapist" to just food is the critical shift that changes your mind from thinking it is on a "diet". Diets don't work. Or if they do, almost everyone bounces back to pre-diet eating habits. What needs to change is the eating habits or outlook towards food.

I have a husband and a kid. When I told them no unhealthy food would enter this house, they screamed bloody murder. That is easy for my husband who eats 1000 calorie meals with beer and appetizer and still has a six pack. Or my kid who eats vastly healthier (and no beer), but is as skinny as a rail. But, keeping only healthy foods around the house ensures your entire family eats healthy, and ensures that if you slip up, you are not eating anything disastrous.

The second thing is exercise. When I feel tired or disgruntled, I force myself to put on my shoes and workout instead of reaching for Pulparindo (Don't ask. Some women like chocolate cake, I flip out over this obscure Mexican candy). By the end of it, I am actually feeling better instead of worse. If I am too tired, I will take a bubble bath with some nice smelling bath oils, or a scented salt scrub. I try and find things that will make me feel better that are not food related. Seeing food as reward is a bad, bad saboteur.

Lastly, candy water. Seriously. I flavor water with preserved lemon, or make ginger tea and sweeten with stevia. I store this in the fridge. Then I drink a glass of those each time I even *think* of gorging on something. Most of the time, I don't want anything after.

And lastly, I don't deny myself anything. There is no forbidden food for me barring...illegal ones, or things I would not eat ever. I just buy them in very small portions. I never store for later because man...I have no self control. I don't even take home doggie bags from restaurants because saving money is all well and good, but I swear every night at 12 AM, those left overs beckon me seductively and then...well...all hell breaks loose.

Good luck!

Dudagarcia

I used to ask myself how bad do you want it? And I wanted it really bad and set goals for myself. U gotta do this for yourself and decide how bad u really want it. Remember goals work it's just us that fail to work them . U can do it, stay active and remember that as women we take care of so much but we forget to take care of us, so put urself in there because ur just as important to ur family:) wish u well

KetoBella

Instead of holding yourself to any caloric limits or exercise goals commit to just tracking for a week. Once that becomes part of the routine focus on improvements. Not perfection just improvements. I'll bet you will be back in control in no time. Don't quit!

footballchick89

After I had my second daughter I was over 200. I started with walking, then when I got stronger I would dance with my toddler while the baby slept or I would clean(any calories logged was good with me) When baby was about 8 weeks old I started to get lazy and gained 5lbs back of the 40 I had lost, but last week(she's 11weeks today) I decided I didn't want to hate my body any more and started the shred. Surprisingly I am more than halfway through level 1 and actually excited to do Ripped in 30 next month. I guess my point is start easy and do that until you are comfortable doing more. You don't want to get burnt out fast.

RahmaB823

Go buy something real cute that you don't fit into yet and make that your new goal so when you reach it you'll be motivated to go shopping again. That's my retail therapy and it's working for me!

VogtAndrea

When you come home tired and only want to sit down, eat something and relax for "a minute", put it off a bit. Make that little bit of time (even if its 30 minutes) and do something. I don't care if it's an exercise dvd, a walk outside with the kids, cardio-type dance music, whatever...
If you've got kids dancing age, make them part of it, part of exercising, ... even if it's walking on the spot holding a baby for 30 minutes with different steps every once in a while, you're doing what you need to, in order to keep active.
The rest is eating right and drinking lots of water. You can manage it.

ekking69

You've got some good advice here. I think the concept of starting over may be a good one. Make it a fresh start. You are starting over at a size 14. Make a short term goal. Don't look at it as failing. Look at it as you took a hiatus from the program for a while. Now your back on. This is a lifelong battle, so don't beat yourself up when you lose focus for a while. It's bound to happen at one time or another.

Regroup. Reorganize. Refocus. And restart.