In a desperate attempt to stop re-gaining....

Zvyezda

.....I'm changing my settings to maintenance. I lost 12.5 kilos since February but in the last few weeks personal problems and stress have caused me to completely fall of the wagon with my healthy eating and I have re-gained 2 kilos so far. I am so desperate not to ruin all the hard work but I just can't stop the binge eating. I'm sure I would have re-gained a lot more already if it wasn't for the fact that I exercise so much. My partner has been through the same stress but she's somebody who completely stops eating as a result and it's difficult for her to understand how I could even eat at all, let alone eating like crazy. How is it that people can be at two opposite extremes where it concerns emotions and food??? I know that I have to stop this but it's all too much of a struggle right now. To make matters worse, my partner is away for 3 weeks now and I have an empty house.

I figure that since I am extremely happy with my weight loss so far and I'm pretty close to my goal weight (5 kilos away) that I should first concentrate on trying to maintain my current weight before trying too hard to keep losing and then failing. At the moment, I'm not logging because I'm too scared of seeing how much over my calorie allowance I am every day- maybe if my calorie allowance is higher I would be more likely to stick to it?

Does anybody have any advice for me in my current, desperate situation??

1yoyoKAT

As someone who gained back over 100 pounds, please learn from my mistakes...

- log what you eat to hold yourself accountable for what you put in your mouth
- get out of the house: window shop, take a walk, drive somewhere, visit an understanding friend... get away from being alone in the house with your food
- get your binge trigger foods out of your house and out of your life for now

The bottom line is that if you ignore it, it WON'T go away. The weight sure comes back on a lot faster than it dropped off. It's great that you took the first step and opened up about it, it's tough to talk and eat at the same time! :flowerforyou:

nancik81

I have had a summer of heartache and worring. We found out late in the summer that my son had a rare eye condition (he is 10) and there was a possibility that he could go blind. Finally found out he wont go blind but I gained almost everything I had lost in the month. It has been hard but I finally got mad enough and started changing how I think and eat. I am now back on track but the key is to hold yourself accountable for every bite you put into your mouth. It is a vicious battle for all of us. Here for you and you can add me as a friend if you want. ((hugs))

bokodasu

You don't have to lose the weight all at once - it will still be there when you're ready to get back on the wagon. (I know, that's the problem, right?) Not gaining is better than gaining, and if those are your realistic options right now, then go with the first one. Don't add to your emotional stress by demanding that your body do something physically stressful right now; be a little nice to yourself.

Keep logging; your log isn't a judgement on your moral worthiness, it's just a tool you're using to keep tabs on what's going on. Keep eating healthy, get moderate exercise, as much sleep as you can, and your body will be relaxed and rested when you're ready to ask it to start changing again.

mair123

I am sorry that you are going through a rough patch in your journey. Personally, I would not change my settings to maintenance and I would continue to log your food as always. Regardless of where we are- still losing or maintaining, it is important to have that information to look back on. Knowing that you are still logging will also help curb some of your binges. You'll know if its worth it or not. You put a lot of hard work into your weight loss. While there is no rush to get to the finish line, don't start running backwards. You CAN and WILL do this.

Zvyezda

WOW what kind words and lovely, encouraging posts!!! After I posted, I honestly expected to be told to stop moaning and just 'get on with it'!

1yoyokat- That's exactly what I will focus on now- logging everything, regardless of how scary the calorie content is. I'm a little worried about chucking 'trigger' foods out of the house because to me that is about restricting and as sad as it sounds, I can't cope with that pressure now, but I will still try.

nancik81- I'm sorry you had to go through such a traumatic experience but I'm glad your son is better now and it's encouraging to know that you got back on track :-)

bokodasu- That's exactly my thinking too. I'm actually quite happy with my body now, I am bigger than I want to be but I'm very fit and a hell of a lot better looking than this time last year!!! I want this to be a lifetime change, so you're right- there's no rush at all to lose it all.

mair123- You are right about logging, I think it WILL help to curb my binges. Although, on maintenance mode I can still log. I feel that it's more manageble and that I would be more likely to stick to logging EVERYTHING because I won't be exceeding my calorie allowance so easily.

Thanks again so much for your support guys!!

Lindaendall

I agree with other respondees in that you should keep logging even when in binge mode.

I am in maintenance now and occasionally didn't log but found that I soon started slipping things in without realising and the cals mounted up. I now log everyday. It really does help.