Losing my way...

You will always feel so much stronger when you can can see that you made it through this, you can and I am sure you will!! I know that I am not giving myself another option!

Have you completely given up the food you love (crave) the most?? That downward spiral is how I get when I've been depriving myself of what I love and finally just give in to temptation and lose control and binge. Then the weight starts creeping back up. So, now, I don't deprive myself of what I normally would eat on any given day. You can check my diary if you'd like. I'm an open book. Since February I've lost a total of 48 pounds and for me, mentally, I think...WHY in the world would I want to gain back 48 pounds??

That is a huge trigger for me too, I eat what i crave, i just have less

What I had to do (took me forever) is to learn what my trigger foods are. Fast food is bad period so I couldn't say "Oh, just go to Taco Bell and get one burrito." Every once in a while that would be fine but for me if I went to the drive through I would order like I use too and that is just awful. I learned to not bring home certain foods and If I can find one snack pack to buy thats all I would get. I love love mexican food but the tortillas I use to buy are high in everything. Since I'm on a low carb diet I buy the whole wheat carb options. I'm able to eat 2-3 and still way within my range of what I can have. It's just amazing, when you really look, you can find foods you love and eat a lot of it and be fine. I didn't think, with this diet, I would be able to have breads and things like that but I've learned I can I just have to buy the right brand. I'm, sadly, unable to buy fun size candies and have them every once in a while because I would eat the whole bag soooo that is just out of my view and house at all times. Write a list of what you love and crave and then research and I'm pretty sure you can find something else to match and then it will trick your mind and you will feel so much better! Some days I'll have something and feel guilty then I post it on here and I'm like "Wow, it isn't bad like I thought it was."

Have you completely given up the food you love (crave) the most?? That downward spiral is how I get when I've been depriving myself of what I love and finally just give in to temptation and lose control and binge. Then the weight starts creeping back up. So, now, I don't deprive myself of what I normally would eat on any given day. You can check my diary if you'd like. I'm an open book. Since February I've lost a total of 48 pounds and for me, mentally, I think...WHY in the world would I want to gain back 48 pounds??

This is huge for me, if I deprive too much... I binge.

It doesn't mean I need to eat fast food for every meal, it just means I have to make recipes "light", healthify them... eat lower calorie versions, or have a smaller portion of the regular food I crave.

I find that it's easiest to make a change one decision at a time.

I was on here for a month and a half. Lost 17 pounds. Then I backslid. I haven't posted a loss for a month. I'm not going to make a big to do about a plateau or something because I know I haven't been eating right. Too much fast food and alcohol, not enough movement, not recording everything I eat, etc.

I decided I need to get back to it. How though? One decision at a time. Taking a couple minutes in the morning to throw together lunch instead of saying 'screw it, I'll pick something up'. Having 150 calories left to spend and feeling hungry and instead of choosing the ice cream sandwich, making a big healthy salad. We make hundred's of decisions every day that affect our weight loss. If we can just change one or two a day to the healthy option, suddenly it doesn't seem so hard, or daunting. It doesn't have to be perfect. Just one time a day, put down the donut, and pick up an apple. The next thing you know, you are eating better, and it won't have even felt like work.

"Old habits die hard". You're an adult and you have operated a certain way for a long time. It takes time to learn new coping mechanisms, to figure out how to deal with cravings, and to change a lifestyle that made you overweight in the first place. It is great that you have MFP so that you can voice your concerns and get support.

I read once that self-sabotage is about fear. Find out what the suppressed fear is in this case. Are you afraid that you won't succeed? Are you afraid of change? Are you afraid of not getting through the holidays without backsliding? Are you afraid of people's perceptions?

In addition to that, to break the cycle of the bad habits, you just decide that you don't want to yo-yo again, you don't want to have to start over again, so the time to act is now. Get the junk out of your house.

This! ^^ I struggle with the same exact story as the OP. I had lost 30pounds and was only 6 pounds to my goal weight! SIX POUNDS!!! then something just.....made me stop. IDK what but I stopped all the great eating and exercise and began binging and junking out.... As you can see on my ticker it no longer shows a 30lb loss. :-( I feel ya! I'm in the SAME boat...

You are doing great just writing about it here! I'm learning that my emotions are so up and down with this--that I can't use them as my guide! I have to keep doing the work--getting activity in and writing the food down--every day. Even on days that I don't want to do it. On days when I'm just going through the motions. Keep doing the work--even if I don't feel like it. And then pretty soon, I feel like I want to do it again. And then the emotions start all over. Do the work, even if you aren't motivated. I also like what others have said about making sure you are not being too depriving. I know I need to work more indulgences into the work I'm doing--would rather plan for it then have it derail me. Keep at it friend! You can do it!:)