re-disciplining yourself

maryjay52
maryjay52 Posts: 557 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
i was so disciplined during my 80lb loss.. i realize where i went wrong after i stepped on the scale a few days ago and realized ive gained 30lbs back... you would think it would be easy to get back on track with the type of discipline i had but it's not..im going through the cravings all over again..im trying to find my place back in the healthy lifestyle i once had.. workouts are difficult when i was a powerhouse in the gym..ugggh

re-disciplining yourself is hard. you have to change your mental status all around again and realize your body needs to be worked back in to the groove again too.. today i was at a store where you could smell pizza being baked... i felt like a crack addict ,working hard to keep myself away from bad carbs in general. it was the smell that triggered my addiction to all of this. i fought it and won though..i made a big effort to stick to my planned meal schedule for the day.

i did a ton of soul searching the last two days. i let my life slide this past year but ill be darned if i slide to the ground..im back up again and moving forward. ..ive come to realize that under no circumstances will i ever allow myself to get so cocky as to think that gaining weight back will never happen to me.

anyone else ever go through this?

Replies

  • kd51411
    kd51411 Posts: 33
    I know exactly what you mean. I lost 30 pounds by tracking EVERYTHING I ate and not missing a day at the gym and recently I find myself missing more and more days of tracking and skipping more days at the gym. My weight loss as not just stopped but I have noticed a few pounds of weight gain which is SO upsetting since I worked so hard to lose the 30 pounds.

    We just have to take it a day at a time- we did it once we can do it again!!! :-)
  • DaisyHamilton
    DaisyHamilton Posts: 575 Member
    I know what you mean! A while back, I fell off the track and honestly, still haven't gotten fully back on. My nutrition is fine, but I can't remember the last time I did a cardio work out. ;(
  • aduck23
    aduck23 Posts: 31 Member
    I know the feel.
  • mangobadango
    mangobadango Posts: 294 Member
    I feel like it is a constant for me. I'm constantly reminding myself that I need to get up and move and eat healthier. Its hard to ignore all those cravings though and sometimes I just let myself cave into them.
  • Jacquelyn913
    Jacquelyn913 Posts: 300 Member
    Me me and me. I feel like a failure to because I said I wouldnt let it happen. I lost almost all the weight I needed to, then got pregnant, and everything I had learned about eating right and working out went right out the window. Now I sit here with all this left over weight and a very guilty feeling. I am truly disgusted in myself.
  • themommie
    themommie Posts: 5,033 Member
    Oh yes been there done that. I lost 105 lbs about 13 yrs ago kept it off for 4 yrs got sick and gained it all back. Started again trying to lose over 2 yrs ago , having lost 107 lbs. It took me ALOT longer this time to get the weight off, but I did it and i am terrified of gaining it back again......good for you for recognizing it, re-disciplining yourself and staying away from the pizza. You can do it, the longer you do it the easier it becomes it is the first 3 weeks that are the hardest.....:smile:
  • deadmittens
    deadmittens Posts: 536 Member
    Currently going through it right now. I just ate half a bag of chips :(
  • Mathguy1
    Mathguy1 Posts: 207 Member
    For myself, this has become a lifestyle so I dont think I'll return to my earlier weight as my current lifestyle wont allow it.

    However, I was in the same boat. I worked hard to "diet" and exercise and was able to lose 35 lbs. Then, for many reasons you described, I gained it all back which meant that all of the hard work that I spent for the previous 8 months was for naught.

    I feel that the longer one works out and has a solid nutrition plan, the more likely it'll become a lifestyle and less of a "diet". I believe that there is a fear of returning to an earlier weight and therefore losing all of the effort and hard work spent exercising which keeps many of us motivated to continue with this journey.

    If my scale ever says that I have gained 10 lbs (and I'm not trying to bulk), I will redouble my efforts to figure out why I am gaining weight and work to reverse the weight gain. Getting back to my lower "normal" weight will make me feel 10 x better than any excuse that I can come up with.
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
    I think yo yoing is even harder than losing in the first place.

    Sometimes the heart of the matter is figuring out why you fell off the wagon. Personally, I have been slacking because if I lose weight too quickly, it makes me tired or hungry. If I lose slowly, it's ok. There is a very fine line between losing slowly, maintaining, and gaining it back.

    It helps to take baby steps, rather than to jump into weight loss head first.
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    Do you think it has anything to do with too much discipline? Perhaps working out just a few times a week and occasionally letting yourself have treats would make it easier for you to keep up. Perhaps not. Just a thought.
  • dez_yaoichan
    dez_yaoichan Posts: 454
    i had lost 50 pounds in 4 months. took a rest to adjust to a new job and next thing i know, it's 3 months and i've gained back 40 pounds. it just seems harder the second time. i know the first time was hard but looking back, 4 months isn't that long, so it seems to easy to have lost the first 50. even though in 30 days i've lost 8 pounds, it feels like i'm making no progress at all.
  • tialynn1
    tialynn1 Posts: 884 Member
    I am going through the same problem since the summer. I started this journey in January and lost almost 40 pounds by end of June. Then summer hit. I traveled in 6 weeks time, three times. I hardly ever missed exercise, but the eating wasn't so great. Before summer hit, I had almost completely eliminated soda out of my diet. I fell back to drinking soda again. I have struggled since then with getting back on track with healthy eating. Still have the exercise down pat pretty well. I haven't gained to much weight back, but I am afraid that I won't go further. With the holidays coming up quickly, I am really worried. I really need to get back on track.
    My description is almost exactly like kerrydeolivei. We can all do this.
    Let's get back on track strong before the holidays are upon us.
    Sending a friend request to the 2 of you. We need support each other.
  • maryjay52
    maryjay52 Posts: 557 Member
    too bad there isnt 'like' buttons on here like on facebook..you all are awesome to respond to this because im going through a hard time with it ..im not beating myself up or hating myself though. im just trying to figure out what the heck is keeping me from being so motivated as i once was ..i needed a carrot to go after too and i finally got one. i felt like i was jonesing in the store today lol holy cannoli ..i just have to stick to all this and wait out the next month after my body is cleansed from all the junk i indulged in this past year.

    what sucks more is that i gave away all these wonderful outfits ,suits, dresses ect .. they were all falling off of me because i had lost all that weight..now im stuck big time . i was forced to go buy some things that i could wear till i get this 30lbs off of me. that part infuriated me. however icant walk around without clothes on so i had to buy some lol .. i didnt buy a lot ..just enough to get me till i get some weight off. i want my old clothes back and i want to fit back into my jeans
  • Jolie1971
    Jolie1971 Posts: 51
    This sounds just like me, actually I just posted last night needing people to support me to get myself back on track. Please know that I understand what you are going through.

    It is important that you know what you need to do to keep on going. I know that because of your success, you are able to do continue! Maybe think of a little reward you can give yourself for logging on/doing a workout for a week straight and maybe that will get you in the groove again! Just a thought. Good luck!
  • Zomoniac
    Zomoniac Posts: 1,169 Member
    I had a slip over the first 8 months of this year. Fortunately nothing too severe I can't put right with a little hard work. But it was enough to realise that this is it now. MFP is my life, and even if I end up in perfect shape, I will never leave, and never stop. I've put too much in to lose it to complacency.
  • beansprouts
    beansprouts Posts: 410 Member
    I know from experience that It is so easy for me to fall off the wagon...That's why I fully expect to be logging my food for the rest of my life
  • SameMe_JustLess
    SameMe_JustLess Posts: 245 Member
    I could have written a lot of what I have read here! I have entire wardrobes in like 3 different sizes. Ugh!! I'm trying to be more realistic this time: smaller, mini-goals, good but not extreme eating/exercising, etc. This should serve me as I lose this time..the last time!

    Good luck to you!
  • Mpol2
    Mpol2 Posts: 442 Member
    The great news is that you caught yourself way before you undid all that hard work... And you will turn it around again, lose the 30, and stay on track better in future. Those of us who struggle with excess lapse...and relapse... But the trick is to get back on track as soon as you can, and stop the slide. Hang in.
  • FitEndAg_i
    FitEndAg_i Posts: 37
    Hi, saw you've done a lot of soul searching, may I suggest some spirit inviting, kinda indescribable. I'm losing weight, 30 lbs, probably 15 to 20 more to go. Ride my single speed bike everyday, check on my heart rate often, and my blood work is heading in the right direction. I'm extremely motivated and engaged with that which comes. Stop by our group "A Spirit of Fitness" and say hello!
  • NymphetamineGirl
    NymphetamineGirl Posts: 5 Member
    I guess I'm having a similar experience.

    I did Weight Watchers a couple of years ago, lost the weight and was really happy. It seemed so easy and the weight fell of in a really consistent way. Because I had attained the results I wanted, I wanted to stop paying to continue with the program. I didn't even realize I had put ALL the weight back on until it was too late. A year later I tried WW again and it wasn't the same. I couldn't stick to anything. I was constantly hungry. I was moody. I couldn't muster up the motivation to exercise consistently. Now here I am, starting again, not able to bring myself to just give up. I still can't figure out why it is so hard now. I did it once, it makes sense that I should be able to do it again. That's what everyone keeps saying anyways. But the same issues as before are occurring again and again.

    Can anyone shed some light on the psychology behind this?
  • dez_yaoichan
    dez_yaoichan Posts: 454
    I think we all get stuck on this "it was so easy last time" really, it's just as hard every time. It's like getting a tattoo I guess. it hurts but after it heals you think "oh it wasn't so bad" so you get another one and it seems to hurt more, then it heals and you realize you just needed to push on.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    Thank you for sharing your story. I believe that many of us treat weight loss like a really important "project". Give it time, attention, focus and drive. And once the project is complete, its easy to move onto the next. I've certainly been there. It's reading stories like yours that remind me that indeed, this isn't a year or two out of my life. That it IS my life and the focus and attention need to be on-going, forever. And I'm so tentative to toss the fat clothes, so maybe this is a warning to put them in storage for the short run. At least the good stuff.
  • NymphetamineGirl
    NymphetamineGirl Posts: 5 Member
    I think we all get stuck on this "it was so easy last time" really, it's just as hard every time. It's like getting a tattoo I guess. it hurts but after it heals you think "oh it wasn't so bad" so you get another one and it seems to hurt more, then it heals and you realize you just needed to push on.

    I have tattoos and that totally makes sense. I guess I never thought about it that way... You've given me something to think about. Thanks. :)
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Yes, it's hard, really hard!
    I mean, I knew losing weight would be hard but I had underestimated just how hard it would be not to gain it back again.

    For me, it's about habits - all my adult life I've had the habit of eating junk when I'm sad, or tired, or lonely, or sick, or frustrated, or... well, whenever really. I know that I'm eating good meals - they are almost all home cooked and full of real food, not too much rubbish or empty calories in there. But, it's the chocolate and lollies (candy) and cakes and snacks that tempt me and as soon as I start eating them to excess the weight just goes back on - which is no surprise.

    For me, I find that the best thing to do is to set a date to start again - after a month or two of gradually picking up the bad habits again, on 1 November I decided to get back on the wagon. Up til 31 October I didn't worry too much about what I was eating, didn't log, didn't stress about junk. But, that's over for now and it's back (mostly) to the good habits that saw me lose a significant amount of weight last year.

    I really don't know what it is in me that makes that switch turn on or off - when I'm in the right zone I can resist buying and eating junk (mostly) and can happily have just one small slice of cake instead of going back for more and more.
    I've decided that all I can do is work on keeping up my healthy meals and treat each day as a new opportunity to make good choices.
  • kimcalica
    kimcalica Posts: 525 Member
    This stuff is so inspirational! It's everything I go through.. It's like I'm riding on a roller coaster and my hormones or emotions or whatever, call the shots. I've learned that if you don't understand what you are eating, and only eat what tastes good and what you crave, that you will continue to crave those things and more frequently and more of them. If you don't get "proper nutrition" you go hungry.. You wander about eating this and that, not really knowing what it is, just that it tastes good, and it just doesn't work right.. It always ends up happening.. I end up "following my crave" I saw someone write, I'll be logging food the rest of my life, yes! The key is awareness! Knowing what we are eating will be the best thing for us! Unless we just don't log in anymore or stop logging our foods, we can't escape the truth about what we're eating.. And knowing we can burn it! This is going to be my friend for life! I've only been at it a month but.. Nothing has ever
    Made me feel this optimistic about forever results!!

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