bad habits creeping in

fun_b

grrrrr....I was doing so well and then this past week I have been eating crap again and my weight is gone up. I would have been happy to have been this weight last month so it's not so much the weight gain but I can feel myself following my old patterns with emotional eating. I have been going through a stressful few days and I just had the 'I don't care' mentality. Anyone got some advise of how I pick myself up. I am back to eating normally today and doing some exercise but its the headstuff that concerns me.

mactaffy84

I think we all get the "I don't care mentality" every once in a while. Indulge I it for a bit (no more than a day) and then pull up those boot strings and get back to it. Just do it because this is where " fake it until you make it" comes into play. Get over that first hump and it gets easier. Most important is NOT to get down on yourself because you slouched a little bit. That does nothing for you. You've done it before, you can do it again!

Bess_74

I can sooooo relate. My first month here I totally rocked it & lost 20 pounds. Since Noveember started I keep gaining & losing the same 5 pounds. I keep saying "once in a while is ok, I've been good," and "it's only one day," except now it's been almost 3 weeks :mad: I feel like my heart is in the right place my head isn't...or maybe visa-versa. Either way, I feel your pain. I'm trying to just get through it and every morning say to myself TODAY, I'm back on track.

MyPaperBleedsInk

Yeahhhh..... I went on a weekend trip and gained about 3 lbs....
First step is complete--- recognizing that you've made poor decisions.
Now you just have to want to work to fix it. Get out there, get active.

beachbebe

I think we all get the "I don't care mentality" every once in a while. Indulge I it for a bit (no more than a day) and then pull up those boot strings and get back to it. Just do it because this is where " fake it until you make it" comes into play. Get over that first hump and it gets easier. Most important is NOT to get down on yourself because you slouched a little bit. That does nothing for you. You've done it before, you can do it again!

Emotional eating under stress is a challenge for me too! Great advise on no more than a day, fake it, positive attitude, and remembering past successes. Thanks for post!

kenazfehu

My strategy is to get back on track with the very next meal. I know from the past that a meal easily becomes the rest of the day, then a week, and before I know it months have gone by without me logging anything. So I just get right back to it without trying to compensate in any way. I definitely don't want to get into a binge then starve cycle.

JesterMFP

I don't know if this is the case for you, but often, along with the "don't care" attitude, comes an "all or nothing" mentality, or "black and white" thinking. So, if you eat something you wish you hadn't, or eat more than you intended to, you think "well screw it, I've messed up, do now I might as well eat crap for the rest of the day", or "I've eaten so much, there's no point in logging". If you do have these thoughts, then I think it's important to work on that and try to be a little more flexible in your eating habits. If you eat too much at one meal, do better for the next one. Don't think "I'll start again tomorrow", do it now. Also, moving away from the mentality that you're on a temporary "diet" that you will stop once you've reached your goal weight can be helpful. Try to make changes that you can live with permanently. There's less of an urge to fall off the wagon then.

I recently read this article at nerdfitness; it's to do with not gaining weight over the holidays, but I think it has some helpful tips on staying on track in general. http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/11/05/no-holiday-weight-gain/

I'm an emotional eater too. It got me to obesity. Now, I'm almost at my goal weight, and to be honest I'm still an emotional eater. Logging on MFP, and staying committed to my goals, helps loads in keeping it under control. I haven't completely cracked not using food to feel better (although it's much better) - I just use MFP as a tool to control it.

To really be successful, first you've got to really want it. Then, you need to stay committed. The easiest way to do that is through creating new habits. Will power only lasts so long, and chances are there will be many, many days when you don't feel that motivation to lose weight. If you create strong habits, they will carry you through the tougher times when you just don't care about losing weight any more. You've recognised that some bad habits are creeping in, so nip them in the bud now and get proactive about making good habits - whether it's consistent logging, more exercise or making a real effort to find other ways of feeling better than eating food.

fun_b

Thanks for the advice. It's true that I do the 'I've messed up' attitute and I am learning to overcome these thoughts. I have managed to stay on track since I posted and even thought my weight hasn't changed since I am feeling more confident that I will see some changes on the scale soon.

ohheyy125

Ya, EVERY DAY around this time (from about 3-7pm) I'm all "I don't care about my size, I love food". The mornings are best for me... I deal with this every day. It's hard. But I keep finding ways to push through. I really do want to lose the weight. Everyone has different coping skills...I like to look up motivational pictures, watch youtube videos, read fitness or celeb magazines. Whatever you gotta do. Yo-yo dieting doesn't get people far. Right now my mentality is "make small changes I can maintain forever" So, no more 250 calorie daily coffee...more whole grains, more fruits and veggies. MORE EXERCISE. Just stick in there...you really do want this.

lewcompton

I haven't let myself stray for more than a single day twice since starting in July and I've dropped 99... My wife has far less to lose and has done a week on week off thing and has dropped 10 in the past two months. As long as you have a plan that will work for you and you stick to it that's what matters.

kayraven

Well if you track down WHEN you are engaging in such behavior - it comes easier. Just stay away from the situation.
And it's always helpful to carry a reminder of your goal - like a thinspiration picture or a "goal" bracelet, something you can see and think about before you put that piece of junk in your mouth