Sometimes i just wish I could buy a can of motivation.

LATeagno
LATeagno Posts: 620 Member
in Motivation and Support
Why is it that motivation is sometimes so fleeting?

Lately I wake up each morning ready to take on the world, and somehow around 5 p.m., I cave and end up eating a bunch of junk. It doesn't start off like "well, I'm gonna stuff my face..." it's more like, "I'll just have pizza tonight instead of the grilled chicken and broccoli I was going to have...." and then suddenly, 600 calories and 75g of carbs later, I give up on the whole day and say "well, we'll start again tomorrow. This day is officially in the toilet" then end up eating a bowl of ice cream and a fruit smoothie or some other high sugar, high carb, high calorie treat that I feel incredibly guilty about later.

What the heck happens to me at 5 p.m. that causes all of the day's hard work to get flushed down the toilet? This has been going on for a week now. I haven't ***really*** lost any weight in months because this keeps happening. I'll lose 6, gain 6, lose 6.... it's always the same 6!

OK, I KNOW this is on ME and no one else. I'm not blaming life or my husband or my daughter or their freezer full of Snickers ice cream and boxes of pizza. I choose to do this-- no one else. I'd just love to know what's happening in my head and body. Is this an addiction? Why the heck is it so hard sometimes-- and yet for months on end, I have no problem whatsoever saying no to every bagel or cookie in my path?


WHY CAN'T I BUY MOTIVATION?! lol

Anyway... do any of you find yourselves in this rut? If so, how do you stay motivated? :)

Replies

  • Josalinn
    Josalinn Posts: 1,066 Member
    If i could buy motivation i would use it for so many other things in addition to weight loss :grumble: if you find it, send me a link!:laugh:
  • LATeagno
    LATeagno Posts: 620 Member
    If i could buy motivation i would use it for so many other things in addition to weight loss :grumble: if you find it, send me a link!:laugh:

    Oh boy do I hear that! You know, you'd think that things like fitting inside all roller coaster seats, upcoming family reunions, health, feeling crappy, etc. would be motivation enough. And the weird thing is that it usually is, but somehow, even the steam on the most motivating motivation engine runs out for no reason at all.

    And when it does run out, it's super, super slowly-- enough so that I never realize it's gone until it's too late, you know?
  • fatgirlinheels
    fatgirlinheels Posts: 6

    What the heck happens to me at 5 p.m. that causes all of the day's hard work to get flushed down the toilet?

    Are you getting sufficient calories up until 5pm? I'm not an expert by any means, but I've noticed I have those days too when I haven't eaten enough during the day. I just turn into a ravenous beast and destroy any food in my path. But when I've kept my calories steady throughout the day, I'm usually not that hungry come 5pm. Just my two cents! :)
  • starfinale
    starfinale Posts: 309 Member
    you just need the right wake up call to remind yourself why you're here in the first! You have to fight!!!

    I have the same problem as well. I keep telling myself, if I want it badly enough then I will not allow myself to make stupid decisions that I will regret. It happens, but you have to be mentally in the right place and ready to lose the weight. If you're not there mentally then you're wasting your time trying.

    good luck! :)
  • LATeagno
    LATeagno Posts: 620 Member

    What the heck happens to me at 5 p.m. that causes all of the day's hard work to get flushed down the toilet?

    Are you getting sufficient calories up until 5pm? I'm not an expert by any means, but I've noticed I have those days too when I haven't eaten enough during the day. I just turn into a ravenous beast and destroy any food in my path. But when I've kept my calories steady throughout the day, I'm usually not that hungry come 5pm. Just my two cents! :)

    Yes, I think so. It varies, but I'm usually around 800 cals by 5:00-- sometimes 1000.

    The weird thing is that it isn't even about me binging --- it's just making poor choices because they're convenient. I have to make myself "special" food while the rest of my family eats pizza (or some other equivalent junk-- and no, my husband won't eat anything I eat-- he eats ground beef-based pasta with almost no sauce, mac and cheese, plain burgers, plain pizza, plain dumplings and soft pretzels. He literally eats nothing but crap because he doesn't like anything else. No chicken, no turkey, no bacon, no other meat other than ground beef, no veggies, no whole grains, no anything. His preferred meal is dumplings made with flour and egg boiled in water. I'm NOT kidding. He won't eat any type of sauce or condiment or spice either. NONE.)

    Anyway, i'm off track. It's not usually that I obliterate a large pizza or anything-- it's usually two slices, maybe three. Too much, yes-- but not a straight up binge. It's not because I'm ravenous. I don't know WHY it is. LOL
  • LATeagno
    LATeagno Posts: 620 Member
    you just need the right wake up call to remind yourself why you're here in the first! You have to fight!!!

    I have the same problem as well. I keep telling myself, if I want it badly enough then I will not allow myself to make stupid decisions that I will regret. It happens, but you have to be mentally in the right place and ready to lose the weight. If you're not there mentally then you're wasting your time trying.

    good luck! :)

    I am ready. But then again, I'm ALWAYS ready. Maybe that's part of the problem. I've been "dieting" since I was 14. I've never not been on a "diet." I have a terrible relationship with food. I'm always losing 50 lbs. and then spending a year gaining it back, and then re-losing it. *sigh* I seriously think I need to see a specialist or something...
  • Kellihulst
    Kellihulst Posts: 140 Member
    I hear ya! My wanting to binge time is usually around 3:30 when the kids are getting home from school and I am in the kitchen and hungry myself and sometimes it just wants to take over. I have found that on days that I don't eat enough prior to that I am ravenous and will shove just about anything in my mouth. And it happens too with not getting enough to drink. A lot of people if they aren't drinking enough will mistake thirst for hunger. So drink a glass of cold water first and then wait a few minutes. Get out of the kitchen!! The longer in the afternoon I stay in there the more I want to graze. But if I get out and start doing something else it usually leaves.
    And I am not a nutritionist but only 800 calories? How many are you supposed to have? Are you getting enough lean protein in your day before? That helps to fill you up too.
  • LATeagno
    LATeagno Posts: 620 Member
    I hear ya! My wanting to binge time is usually around 3:30 when the kids are getting home from school and I am in the kitchen and hungry myself and sometimes it just wants to take over. I have found that on days that I don't eat enough prior to that I am ravenous and will shove just about anything in my mouth. And it happens too with not getting enough to drink. A lot of people if they aren't drinking enough will mistake thirst for hunger. So drink a glass of cold water first and then wait a few minutes. Get out of the kitchen!! The longer in the afternoon I stay in there the more I want to graze. But if I get out and start doing something else it usually leaves.
    And I am not a nutritionist but only 800 calories? How many are you supposed to have? Are you getting enough lean protein in your day before? That helps to fill you up too.


    Well the 800-1000 cals is before dinner, so I promise, I not like... pro-ana. Haha. Most of the time I clock in around 1600-2000 cals in a day, so I'm definitely not undernourishing myself in terms of calories.

    I have metabolic syndrome and terrible reactive hypoglycemia, so I have to watch carbs. TBH, though-- I will say this-- when I end up screwing up, it's ALWAYS with something carby. I once had a banana binge where I ate 3 bananas in like 5 minutes. I really, really need to watch my blood sugar, but I'm always cheating with carby crap. I have no concept of normal anymore. Because I'm so carb sensitive, I have a really rough time gauging normalcy when it comes to carbs and sugar and food intake as a whole. Ugh. 15 years of dieting have made me a mess, and I'm still fat!
  • CarlyQ80
    CarlyQ80 Posts: 3 Member
    I just started calorie counting last week, dropped 2 pounds, gained it back already, went to a wedding this weekend and didn't eat right. I don't even wanna step on the scale. A 30 pound weight loss seems impossible right :/ motivation is key and unfortunately I am struggling w/ that too.
  • wendalyse
    wendalyse Posts: 58 Member
    Hi Fantasticgirlin heels,
    I know exactly the rut that you're in because I've done the same thing myself. I tend to have an all-or-nothing mindset and when I blow it, it can take me a while to get back on track again. I have had to have some serious heart-to-heart conversations with myself when I eat more than I should that it's not going to make much if any difference if I stop right there and just continue on a healthy plan of eating properly, exercising (both cardio and weight training) and getting enough sleep. One thing I do is take a snack with me for the drive home after work I cut up a Gala apple and smear it with 2 triangles of Laughing Cow light cheese. It's enough to prevent me from inhaling the fridge when I walk in. I also find that if I start the day off with about 45 minutes of exercise (and I go to the gym at 5:45am 4 or 5 times a week) I am far less likely to derail. When I do slip though, I feel like such a failure and I mentally beat myself up. I know that there is no other way. It's get on the bus, Gus, or decide to like myself as I am and as I will be in the future, which would be bigger because I sure won't get any smaller / fitter/ healthier if I keep on as I have.
    Good luck fantasticgirlinheels.
  • Blueyedtine
    Blueyedtine Posts: 52 Member
    Motivation is fleeting fo rme too! I have to grab on when I can. I try and tell lots of people about my goals so that I have some accountability. Also, make it fun. I know when I'm in "the zone" I don't have a problem with binging. But I do when I'm not really prepping for anything. Right now I have a 5k I signed up for as well as seeing some friends in June that I haven't seen in about a year.

    Also, have you rewarded yourself? Maybe get a fun workout you will look forward to or cute workout clothes? Anything to get inspired!

    Last thing I can think of is the food you mentioned sounds a little plain. You can still make yummy food that you will look forward to eating that meets your calorie needs:)

    Have fun, don't beat yourself up and just don't give up! You got this :smile:

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