I fell of the wagon!!!

pinkeclipse

I have been on MFP since the begining of the year. I cut a few things out of my diet completely(gluten, high frutcose corn syrup, pop, soy, red meat and as I can aford it organic). Did really well the first 4 wks lost 17 lbs. Then my birthday happened. Hubby want to take me to dinner at our favorite resturant ( we only go once a year) and that when everything went to hell. It has been a week now and I gained 3lbs back and can not seem to get back on track. I have a very fast, busy life. I work full time (3-12 hr shifts up at 2am for work at 330am), go to school full time (in nursing), have a household to keep running 2 grown children, a son in law and 2 grand children all living with us. When I am at home I only have a few hours before I need to go to bed. Im super stressed and have no energy. I need to get back on track!! Any advice on how to change would be greatly appreciated.


Kim

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LoraF83

Don't feel like you have to take on the world. Just start by staying under your calorie goal. Then, try to make better choices. You can still have treats, just not all of them, all the time.

TinaBean007

It sounds like you made a lot of drastic changes. You need to decide if they are sustainable. If so, then dig deep and look for what motivated you to do that. If not, then modify those changes, make them sustainable and while you're at it, make your life easier. Plan and prepare as much as you can so those chaotic days are easier. 17lbs is nothing to snub at and you deserve to keep that off.

It's ultimately your choice. Do you want to the same New Year's resolution next year as this one? Or do you want to be the person who accomplishes their goal and moves on?

jzammetti

I am willing to bet the 3 pounds is water weight - especially if you ate gluten or other carbs after restricting them from your diet since the beginning of the year.

pinkeclipse

Thank you all great advice. I have eated gluten and dont know why it upset my stomach now. And Im going to take Sundays and get things prepared for the week and utlize my freezer.


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Timshel_

Maybe you can look at it this way...you have found some things that help you lose weight, but still might need to find ways to make eating healthy more sustainable for the long term.

That said, 4 weeks and 17 lbs down and a week off with 3 pounds back is STILL ahead of those sitting on the couch that have done nothing. The great thing about the wagon is, even if you fall it is easy to get back on. Take the expereience and learn from it.

Try again.

130annie

Dust off your knees...and climb back on the wagon.....

Timshel_

Oh, and I am off the wagon the next few days myself. But I am only giving myself a couple days, then back on track.

KenosFeoh

I'm the same way. That's why I can't have cheat meals. Cheat meals turn into cheat days and then cheat weeks and then cheat months and before I know it I've been overweight for 2 decades!

The only thing to do is knuckle down buckle down and climb right back into the wagon. Now go drink a glass of water and put on your climbing duds.

Getyourshineon

Dust off your knees...and climb back on the wagon.....

Yes, that! Don't try to conquer the world all at one time.. Cheat days are okay, especially for special occassions! Climb back on and take 1 day at a time!!! You can do this!

KANGOOJUMPS

get your *kitten* back on the wagon and FOCUS!!!

MindyG150

Maybe you can look at it this way...you have found some things that help you lose weight, but still might need to find ways to make eating healthy more sustainable for the long term.

That said, 4 weeks and 17 lbs down and a week off with 3 pounds back is STILL ahead of those sitting on the couch that have done nothing. The great thing about the wagon is, even if you fall it is easy to get back on. Take the expereience and learn from it.

Try again.

Well said!

gpizzy

You started off amazingly! I'm thinking as other(s) have said that the 3lbs is water weight. You have a chance to get back on track now. Do exactly what you were doing before. Take time to prep your food - if you feel like you 'dont have time' then schedule that time just like you schedule work/school/studying/family into your week. Don't be afraid to ask for help. If you need help to prep, then reach out to those around you. They want you to be successful. You can do it!

dcyr009

Just keep telling yourself, "You had your fun and enjoyed it and now it is over". Don't feel bad about it. Just start up all over again.

jofjltncb6

There is no wagon.

Starting now, you make the choices that you know you need to make.

And whatever you do, do *not* fall into the trap of, "well, I fell off the wagon, so now I can just throw everything out."

DaughterOfTheMostHighKing

We all fall... the idea is to get back up again and do the best you can to keep on going strong! I started eating my pastas again last week and boy did I enjoy myself! lol!!! now it's back to being who I want to be and become!

kaorinchan

Sounds like you should have a lot of help at home, I understand working and going to school full time-- many of us have to do it! Are you taking care of the grandchildren? Maybe your kids/son-in-law could help keep the house running smoothly since they are grown adults. You shouldn't have to do it all! Let them be responsible for them and their kids, so you have time to focus on you and your health.

Good luck!

carrieous

put some of those other grown adults in your home to task. There is no reason you should be doing the lion's share of the work.

and just back on that horse

snowflakeheather

Yup....you fell off the wagon. But it sounds like you're ready to get back on board. Pick a few small goals to start with, and find success. Somebody recently told me that nothing tastes as good as skinny. Thinking that thought has helped me to make a few better choices recently. It's all about one choice at a time. You can do it!

TrailRunner61

I think you eliminated too much stuff at once. Don't 'diet' or you'll feel deprived and give in. Eat whatever you want, but stay under your cals for the day and log everything. Pay attention to the calories in the food you eat, then gradually, one at a time, make changes in your diet as you exercise and you'll still lose weight.
When I did that, I was mortified at how high calorie and how low the nutrition was in the food I had been eating. I also realized that I wasn't eating enough food. Once you eat healthy, you get a lot more food for the amt. of calories. It's totally worth it.
Don't give up. You can do this!

Mrs_Bones

Your life sounds extremely stressful. Just from having so much on the go. If you're not getting enough sleep, that could cause the weight to pack back on because being short on sleep and high on stress is going to release cortisol (the stress hormone) like crazy! I think you need to seriously consider if there are any commitments going on in your life right now that you can afford to drop or if there are tasks you can deligate to someone with a bit more time than you so you have time to take a bit better care of yourself.... or at least not get burned out!

Maris_Swan

What's done is done. Don't dwell on it. Just do what you can to make today better! Best of luck

AnneEngland1958

We all fall off the wagon - that's the first thing to say. The second thing is this: being healthy, and being the weight you want to be, is about focusing on YOU. It seems that you spend so much time being busy that you run out of time for you. I'm lucky that I don't have the same super-stressed life that you do and I have a husband who does the lion's share of the cooking and household chores, but we both work (me 37.5 hours and him 30 hours a week) and we have a son still with us at home.

We cook WeightWatchers recipes from the magazine (do you have it in the States?) which are wonderful. And we plan our week's menu in advance, ordering our groceries online and getting them delivered (that way we only buy what we need!)

Exercise. We walk or cycle to and from work. I also run or walk at lunchtime, and I swim twice a week with our youngest son. But here's a good trick I found to make walking (or running) more interesting. I listen to audiobooks - you can walk for miles without realising it when you're listening to a good book! This is how our own national treasure, Stephen Fry, lost loads of weight a couple of years ago.

I am the weakest-willed person in the world - so if I can lose weight, so can you! Do it for yourself.

Fatandfifty3

This is how it pans out. You had lost a bit more than a whales brain -( "16 pounds = a sperm whale's brain")
You then lost your head- and gained one ( "3 pounds = an average human brain")
Don't throw the baby out with the bath water!
You've still lost a Bald Eagle and 2 Guinea pigs! (12 pounds = a Bald Eagle, 1 pound = a Guinea Pig )

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/890613-how-much-did-you-lose

rob1976

pop

For some reason, my dysfunctional brain read "pot"....

Timshel_

There is no wagon.

MAybe there IS a wagon, but a wheel came off. Or the horse came off the wagon, so she is still really on the wagon, but it isn't moving like it was before. Or if there isn't a wagon, mayeb it was a train...or a truck...

There is no spoon Neo.

icimani

One meal at a time - one day at a time.

Just last night I had a planned 'fall-off-the-wagon' meal. It tasted great, but now it's back to my new normal routine. The trick for me is to get right back into it now - not after whatever the next upcoming event may be, not the 1st of the month, not Monday morning, not even tomorrow morning - but RIGHT NOW. It's just way too easy to get back into old habits, isn't it?!

murbina123

Your doing an amazing job. Give yourself a break. Your doing great. Stay within your calories and take one day at a time.

Mjhnbgff

My doctor said something to me that made me put the whole "falling off the wagon" thing in perspective. She said, "If you're late to work, do you say the day is ruined and get to work even later and get fired or do you do your best to get to work as soon as possible?" The same principle applies to food. Everyone is going to have a bad day now and then but you can't let that bad day turn into several days. Just pick up again the next day and trust me, it will get better. I had a bad day last Sunday but I spent the rest of the week eating right and exercising and I still lost 2 pounds. The last 4 weeks cannot be undone in just one day.

Also, as someone else posted earlier, I do not have cheat meals or days because they are guaranteed to turn into months and before I know it, I've gained 50 lbs and am desperately out of shape--again. I also feel like crap when I don't eat clean so not feeling like crap is another incentive for me to eat right every day of my life.

Great job on the 17lb weight loss!

briannadunn

Sounds like your everyday stress and life is a little chaotic. I homeschool 4 children, have a 11 month old, and have a business that I run and it gets real hectic during the summer time boarding dogs, but over all you have to look at what is best for you. You need to lose weight but you don't need to stress about it. Are you restricting to many calories? Is your goals realistic? Are you doing an exercise that you love and look forward too? Make a choice and stick to that one thing to change, be it drinking 8 glasses of water everyday for 7 days, then next week staying under calories for 7 days. Things like that.

pinkeclipse

You guys are great so much good advice. Making me think that sometimes Im to hard on myself. But did great today even had a piece of valentines chocolate, but still stayed below my cal of the day. Thank you all!!!