I slipped and fell

I slipped and fell and have been going down a mud slide for 9 months now. Spiraling out of control... yet on purpose? I tried something new but somehow the damage done over the years was too deep. I was losing grip. A grip I found so hard to hold. I thought this change was my answer. Instead, 9 months later, I've lost everything I fought for and gained ALL the weight back. Weight that I told myself I would never gain back. I had given away all my "big" clothes. Now I have a closet full of skinny clothes and nothing to wear.

I refuse to stay where I am so something's got to give. I want to believe in this different approach and hear of success in others, so I guess I haven't played the game right. I too want to succeed at EM2WL but I will have to modify my game plan and combine a fee different techniques I've learned over the years because I know what works for one doesn't work for all.

Although a cliché at this time of year, I commit to refocus after the holidays. Because I want to believe, I will start by increasing exercise (be consistent with my workouts) and continue eating above my BMR.

I want to be healthy and fit more than I want to be skinny.

N

Replies

  • Jerrypeoples
    Jerrypeoples Posts: 1,541 Member
    you can look at it like a relapse that a drug addict goes through. it is not easy to make such a huge mental change and then to stick with it. i cant tell you how many New Years resolutions i made that this was the time i was going to change....then say it again the next week, the week after that and so on and so on.

    the nice thing is you can recognize your issue and you can correct it as long as you put your mind to it. Having changed my mindset to eat better (havent had fast food in close to 5 months) m- f i eat the same foods every day.

    breakfast - bowl of cereal and skim milk
    lunch - 4 oz of pasta and 3 oz of chicken sprinkled with kraft mexican blend cheese
    dinner - peanutbutter shake from the gym

    all in all that is about 1100 calories

    i will have a snack of some wise thin low fat pretzels

    weekends are my "cheat" day and i enjoy 2 slices of pizza as well as panera asiago roast beef

    each day i do an hours of cardio on the eliptical machine, 750 calories burned and about 6.5 miles

    just find what works for you (as this has for me) and stick to it
  • Spindrift2012
    Spindrift2012 Posts: 58 Member
    So look at what went wrong this time around. What caused you to stop trying.
    Remind yourself that you won't do that this time around.

    My biggest change is to meal plan. I plan out the meals for the week for the family (I have to do this anyway). I choose any recipe that doesn't have more than 500 calories per portion for the main meal of the day. That way there is variety to keep it interesting and its low calorie.

    I also plan out my snacks and take them with me on work days.
    That doesn't mean to say that I don't indulge sometimes, but that I don't use one day's over indulgence as an excuse to just stop altogether. Instead (and this is a big change for me) I am actually thinking that I must do more to make up for the extra calories I've eaten.

    And find an exercise you like and will stick with. No point in doing something you don't enjoy.
  • julysbaby
    julysbaby Posts: 97 Member
    Hugs to you, Friend. I know how hard the journey is. I do believe in the EM2WL philosophy and plan to continue as you do. However, what I have learned is that we are not all the same and I may need to tweak things a bit. I HAVE to watch my carb (sugar, starch) intake and I MUST manage my sodium. Those two things seem to be my OUT OF CONTROL spots. I believe that if we continue to work, it will happen. I was there this weekend. Frustrated with the lack of outward progress, but aware that as my knowledge base is changing, so am I. Keep pushing through. Keep me accountable and I will do the same. :smile:
  • I slipped and fell and have been going down a mud slide for 9 months now. Spiraling out of control... yet on purpose? I tried something new but somehow the damage done over the years was too deep. I was losing grip. A grip I found so hard to hold. I thought this change was my answer. Instead, 9 months later, I've lost everything I fought for and gained ALL the weight back. Weight that I told myself I would never gain back. I had given away all my "big" clothes. Now I have a closet full of skinny clothes and nothing to wear.

    I refuse to stay where I am so something's got to give. I want to believe in this different approach and hear of success in others, so I guess I haven't played the game right. I too want to succeed at EM2WL but I will have to modify my game plan and combine a fee different techniques I've learned over the years because I know what works for one doesn't work for all.

    Although a cliché at this time of year, I commit to refocus after the holidays. Because I want to believe, I will start by increasing exercise (be consistent with my workouts) and continue eating above my BMR.

    I want to be healthy and fit more than I want to be skinny.

    N
    You have taken the first step to getting back on track and achieving your goals... having the mindset and willpower, which is EXTREMELY important. Your goals are exactly on target: be healthy and fit. You know what you want and the only thing stopping you is you. No excuses.... JUST GO FOR IT!!! Remember, It Ain't Over Til It's Over.
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
    Dont' focus too much on what you did in the past. You've already given those days enough of your time, it's over, it's yesterday. What matters now is today and tomorrow.
  • I'm taking the EM2WL approach right now and it seems weird to think of someone falling off the EM2WL wagon. If you don't mind me asking, what exactly was it about EM2WL that brought on your weight gain after 9 months?
  • Chrissie_R
    Chrissie_R Posts: 224 Member
    you can do it!! you did it before so you can do it again
    best of luck to you x
  • naonah
    naonah Posts: 119 Member
    Thanks folks for your kind words and motivation....I want to try to tweak the EM2WL philosophy and make it work for me. Drastic low calorie diets worked well for me in the past, at least to lose the weight...not maintain the loss. That's where the problems started. After 5 years of maintaining most of my 70 lb loss (which was lost in 1.5yrs), it started creeping back on me even though I was hitting the gym and watching/tracking my food. My body just couldn't hold up with it anymore....any little change would make my weight plummit.

    I can't go back to that, nor can I stay where I am. So, I have to find the middle ground. Baby steps...first it's back to the gym twice per week (1 hr each session). HIIT type circuits first...then I will add weight lifting.
  • gjulie
    gjulie Posts: 391
    sorry I appreciate this is a stupid question but what does EM2WL mean?
  • Princess41463
    Princess41463 Posts: 39 Member
    sorry I appreciate this is a stupid question but what does EM2WL mean?

    Eat More 2 Weigh Less
  • naonah
    naonah Posts: 119 Member
    sorry I appreciate this is a stupid question but what does EM2WL mean?

    Eat More 2 Weigh Less

    You can check out the group here on MFP.