breaking bad habits

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nurselisamarie
nurselisamarie Posts: 11
in Motivation and Support
help!!! I'm on track for a week or two, then I go back to the same vicious cycle of not tracking, overeating, snacking on everyhing at night, staying up too late, and I end I hating myself for it. I had a bad week last week, my cat of 20 years died, and I used that as an excuse to overeat and be a bum, anyway, I'm trying AGAIN, and need some help and suggestions to stay on track and motivated. thanks!!!

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  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    2 things.

    1) Make sure your diet goals are reasonable. If you can't live without chocolate, a diet void of chocolate is doomed to fail. Keep things reasonable.

    2) stop making excuses.
  • Healthydiner65
    Healthydiner65 Posts: 1,579 Member
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    Sad to hear about your loss! The only way you' 'll get healthy is if you want to.You have to want it for yourself and are 100% commitTed.Good luck!
  • CassieRoark
    CassieRoark Posts: 21
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    You have to do this for you. You are only hurting yourself by not taking care of what you need to. You have to be strong and control yourself. The only trick I can tell you is self control. You CAN teach yourself it. Making excuses only hurts yourself.
  • Dyann_Alvarez
    Dyann_Alvarez Posts: 61 Member
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    "Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming". That's Dori's great words of wisdom on Finding Nemo! Words to live by I think! We all do it - I guess. Well, I do it! Doing good, thinking, "yeah... I got this" only to eat the bottom out of the bag of chocolate! New day, new start. That's the beauty of morning! Just keep starting over. Eventually, the cycle slows and then after a while of keepin' on, we're on track more than off. Just don't stop. Start over 1000 times if you have to. Eventually it will change. Just don't stop.
  • luvinna
    luvinna Posts: 50 Member
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    "Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming". That's Dori's great words of wisdom on Finding Nemo! Words to live by I think! We all do it - I guess. Well, I do it! Doing good, thinking, "yeah... I got this" only to eat the bottom out of the bag of chocolate! New day, new start. That's the beauty of morning! Just keep starting over. Eventually, the cycle slows and then after a while of keepin' on, we're on track more than off. Just don't stop. Start over 1000 times if you have to. Eventually it will change. Just don't stop.
    ^ This! One day at a time... Baby steps... Just keep swimming... However you want to think about it. :smile:

    I lost my cat of 14 years a couple years ago, so I feel your pain. I also had a few bad days this past weekend. I was feeling down and alone after spending Christmas with my family. Also gained a pound while I was there. But today's a new day and you can start over just like I am.

    I've always thought that it's very unfair that bad habits are so easy to get into and so hard to break, while good habits are so hard to get into and so easy to break.
  • cyberiarob
    cyberiarob Posts: 229 Member
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    Don't look at it as breaking bad habits, look at it as starting new good habits. I've made logging and tracking of my food and exercise, eating healthy, etc. as much a part of my life as taking a shower and brushing my teeth. At first you have to convince yourself that there is no option, it needs to be done. You eventually get to the point where you do it without even thinking about it, and it bugs you if somehow you forgot or were unable to do it.
  • lindaw66
    lindaw66 Posts: 258 Member
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    I'm so sorry to hear about your cat. Don't beat yourself up for taking a break while you grieved your baby. I've recenly had some issues that keep me falling off track too, and I've decidided that life has to go on no matter what the issue is and I still need to take care of myself. I've taken a drastic step to remind myself of what I really look like in hopes this will remind me of how much I want to change that. I took pictures of myself in my bra and panties (front, back and side view), I created a collage photo of these pics and I saved them as the back groun on my cell phone! So I litterally have to look at the naked truth every time I use my phone. This may not work for everyone, but it sure is motiviation for me. It's a real accountability tool and I can't wait to take new pics each week to see my progress. When I reach my goal I will post the first set of pics and the last set up pics. I've also written down my short term goals and a short term reward as well as my long term goals and a reward. I also knew that dinner and planning and grocery shopping were my downfall. So I would do great for breakfast and lunch and snacks while I was at work but then I would get home and not have anything prepared and not want to go to the store and so we would end up eating fast food!

    So I've signed up for a weekly menu with quick and easy recipes along with a detailed shopping list divided by the sections of the store I shop at!!!!!!! You can choose from all different types of meal plans, low car, low fat, paleo, portion control. I chose the low fat meals and I love the recipes, they are so easy and I can log my dinners at the beginning of the day and work backwards and this has been sooooooooooooooooooo helpful.

    Check out the website, this may be helpful to you. I found them on Pinterest and I googled a coupon code and got 3 months worth of dinners and recipes for $16! I would spend more than that on a fast food dinner for the family.

    eMeals Easy Meals for Busy and Frugal Families

    Good Luck
  • Joyness316
    Joyness316 Posts: 11
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    I completely understand what you are saying because that seems to be the trend that I have been on FOREVER! I hate that I am carrying around the extra weight but not doing what I know I need to do. It is a vicious cycle but like any "addiction", you just have to put your mind to it and decide that above the want for the junk food and over-eating that you want to be healthy and in shape.

    I have just started my journey (AGAIN for xxxth time) and am going into it with a different mind set. I can't just do this program and think that I can "be done" once I make it to my goal. I truly has to be a life style change otherwise the weight will come back. I am getting ready to turn 40 and have always lived a very active lifestyle but food choices and portion control have ALWAYS been a weakness. I also just found out the result of bad food choices have lead to anemia which comes with a wide array of issues from lethargy, insomnia, moodiness, leg cramps to name a few. I've spend a lifetime looking for the "answer" like in a pill, on some drastic program, have had and un-done lap band surgery (due to complications). Nothing will sustain where I want to be like eating healthy and being active.

    When you want it bad enough and have the right motivation, you will succeed! Do some soul searching; what is the real motivation for making the right choices? Hold yourself accountable, find a support network (via friends or family) occupy your time with activities that keep you moving and make you happy (I LOVE ZUMBA!!!) and remember; you are human and you will mess up. Just don't get too hard on yourself when you do and get back on the program.

    I understand that this seems easier said than done as I am right there with you. My strategy is not to focus on how far I need to go and how hard it's going to be; that will just drive me INSANE! I am taking each day at a time. Stay under goal, be active and "celebrate" that success. With each little success you allow yourself to take credit for, you will get stronger! The stronger you are, the more you are able to take it another day! :smile:

    I don't have many friends in this forum so if you would like to stay in touch take the journey with someone, let me know! I'm in the same exact boat!
  • ChristieNJFitnessAddict
    ChristieNJFitnessAddict Posts: 50 Member
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    I know exactly how you feel. I had a really bad week last week and since I went on vacation in October plus Hurricane Sandy hitting I have been off track. I'm usually strong when it comes to eating healthy. You have to stop playing the guilt game. Once you give in you will continue to give in. What helped me long ago is everyday I cheated and eat bad the day the day before, I would wake up and tell myself it's a new day and I'm going to eat healthy today and forget about the past. Remember, it takes 21 days for cravings to leave your body since you last had them. Hold out for 3 weeks and it will get easier from there.

    Another thing you have to do that takes a lot of effort and strength is you have to mentally train your body to have healthy habits when certain events in your life happen. Such as when you're stressed out.. Everytime we're stressed out we look to comfort food because that's what we have trained our bodies. So next time you're stressed out maybe have a fruit smoothie or almonds or something veggie related. Don't have something that is high in calories. Everytime you're stressed out have the same time. So that hopefully by the fourth or fifth time you're body is stressed out... you'll crave that healthy snack :) I do recommend going on a 30 minute or so walk when you're stressed out. That helps calm and makes you healthier. That goes with every other emotion. Remember it starts with you. You're in control of your own life.

    Another suggestion is having that boot camp strict friend or family member you can count on. Everytime you want to eat something bad or you're craving it you should have that support friend that can help talk you out of the cravings or offer you suggestions of healthier things to eat. This is sometimes necessary when you're not strong enough yet to fight against the urges. And those are some of my suggestions. We all slip and fall at times but we have to get right back up. Never beat yourself down. Everyday is a new day :)

    Good luck!
  • prokomds
    prokomds Posts: 318 Member
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    One thing to think about. Are you trying to go from eating unhealthy, not tracking, and not sleeping enough to the opposite all in one go?

    Maybe you should attack your goals in smaller chunks, rather than thinking you'll be perfect every day from here out. You could start by committing to tracking, regardless what the numbers say, for a couple weeks. Then you'll have a lot of information to look at regarding how to improve your eating, so you could slowly start introducing more positive changes...

    For me at least, saying I'm going to do it all immediately is a recipe for failure. Doing it in small chunks, though, is perfectly reasonable (and forms better habits slowly rather than forcing yourself into a lifestyle completely different than your current one)
  • nurselisamarie
    nurselisamarie Posts: 11
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    I needed to hear that, ( stop making excuses ) your right!
  • nurselisamarie
    nurselisamarie Posts: 11
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    thanks for all the suggestions, they are all great, it means a lot thanks!!!!:flowerforyou:

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