Lost my way - starting over - advise and motivation wanted!

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nicole_andan
nicole_andan Posts: 127
in Introduce Yourself
I've lost around 16lb since October - it was more, 23lb but in the last 6 weeks I lost my way and put a lot back on and I'm feeling pretty rubbish about it. :cry: I was in a groove, getting on alright and then got poorly followed by an injury. After half hearted tracking and putting things off I've had a total 3 day break from everything and started over yesterday but really need as much motivation as I can get.

I'm 31, married (sometimes happily!) I have a totally sedentary job, either behind a desk or in the car. I have about 35-40lb to lose (I'll re-evaluate as I have actually never been that weight so I'll see what I'm like when I get there). I am now over my injury so was back at the gym yesterday which was HARD WORK!!!!!! I'm back again today and initially I'm aiming for 3 times a week.

Routine is always what works for me and until I'm in one I am still at risk of teetering over the edge! Any help, any advice, any friends, any motivation will be greatly appreciated and accepted.

Nicole xx
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Replies

  • Zeade
    Zeade Posts: 25
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    I'll add for mutual motivation , and if you did it once you can do it again ! x
  • battyg13
    battyg13 Posts: 508 Member
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    i agree with the above comment.

    you did it once you can do it again. its all about getting yourself back into that routine of diet and exercise. what you have got the mental side sorted you are there. the physical bit is the easy bit in my opinion.

    if you ever feel like you are going to break your routine sit there and ask yourself is it beneficial to have a day off when you should be at the gym? is that chocolate bar better for me than that banana? posing these questions often gives people the boost to do the right thing.

    Good luck with your training and i hope you hit your target and maybe even exceed it :-)
  • elliexgeorge
    elliexgeorge Posts: 10
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    I know exactly how you feel :blushing:

    I was 211lbs in June 2011. Started losing weight and gone down 40lbs.
    Then I lost motivation and I was maintaining that weight for most of last year.
    This year I put on 9lbs and as of last week I'm back on track.

    I think you just have to do one day at the time and before you know it the routine will set in.
    For me is coming on the boards and reading posts like yours helps because I know I'm not the only one feeling this way.

    Good luck with your loss and feel free to add me :flowerforyou:
  • demelzanoo
    demelzanoo Posts: 14 Member
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    Hi! I feel your pain, ive been in that slump for about 15 years on and off ! x I joined on sunday, started a blog on here and have been using it as a distraction to my usual grazing boredom issues.. People on here are mostly heading for the same goal, we all need and thrive on motivation and encouraging words.... MFP has got me through the dreaded day 5 fail stage, its got me back on track the day after my elected day off.... so stick with this lovely group of people and tick off each day as an achievement x good luck, and add me xxx
  • charlene1873
    charlene1873 Posts: 263
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    Keep your chin up and you've done the hard part once by already losing the weight so you can do it again! I lost 80llbs really quickly and probably in hindsight abit obsessively and it didn't last long so i'm right back to start and trying to do it the healthy way this time.

    good luck!!
  • jdad1
    jdad1 Posts: 1,899 Member
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    Stop, Go ahead and quit. Just give up! Dieting that is. Don't diet, just change how you eat, forever.
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
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    Learn all you can , start by reading this.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet
  • nicole_andan
    nicole_andan Posts: 127
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    Hi everyone! Thanks for all the friend requests and lovely words! You are right I have done this before and i'm sure I can do it again!

    Just a few replies... I know about the road map. My day to day / week to week lifestyle (because of my job) are not predictable, I can have a week where I barely move apart from the gym and other weeks I am highly active making it impossible to calculate which means I normally set my calories to my TDEE on sedentary and then eat back my exercise calories. - This works for me when I am actually following a normal healthy eating regime!
    In terms of diet - I don't diet... I don't cut things out, I do try very hard to eat a normal healthy diet with appropriate portion sizes. I still snack, I still have treats...

    The problem over the last 6 weeks is that my portion sizes increased dramatically as did the number of snacks that consisted of chocolate, sweets and cakes!!!!

    I'm going on holiday in October and really hoping to feel a bit sexy as it's our honeymoon (3 years after the fact) I know I won't have lost as much as I hoped but I still want to try and keep on trying after, I don't mind how long it takes to reach my overall goal as long as the trend is numbers keep going down!

    Thanks again! Keep the advice (and moans if you've had a blip too!) coming

    Nicole xx
  • nicole_andan
    nicole_andan Posts: 127
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    Also, some of you have had some AMAZING weightlosses over the last couple of years... WELL DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! xx
  • Sabochan
    Sabochan Posts: 37 Member
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    I'm in the same boat. I lost nearly 50lbs, gained back 20 and am back on the change again. I became complacent with my portion sizes and thought it was ok not to log. How wrong I was! I'm currently back into the swing of it, although my weight fluctuates --.--

    Hope you don't mind but I've added you. ^^
  • ChelleDJM
    ChelleDJM Posts: 161
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    I am right here with you too. I lost 57 pounds last year from Feb-Aug and then proceeded to put back on 35 of those since then. I started again last Wednesday. Log everything. It's the only way. Get exercise where you can. I am home with young children which makes it hard to go to the gym as much as I would like, but I need to prioritize it for early morning before the husband leaves for work (though he recommitted too and it's hard for us to both go unless we get up very early...which makes me a cranky mama!). I am trying to get out with the kids every day and keep them active too. I have had knee and foot issues that just got worse with exercise (overdid it in spinning class I think). I have had physical therapy in the last 6 months and replaced most of my shoes, but even 30 minutes of exercise makes my legs ache, but the logging and moderate exercise will get me back. We did it before!

    Best of luck to you!
  • Primaldi
    Primaldi Posts: 2
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    I can see from your post that you want to lose weight. You can do it! You know you can. Make that conscious decision. I would recommend to bump up your steps and stairs on your Fitbit Ultra. Maybe you can take a spin around the office at lunch, always take the stairs walk farther etc. I would say plan your meals and since that snack bug is hitting you I would make my own healthy snacks, (of the primal paleo variety), and not be caught without some healthy snacks to avoid binging on high insulin producing foods. Don't forget to eat healthy fats also to keep you satiated so as to avoid over eating. Here's to a thinner you. Enjoy your holiday! ????
  • fitnewlife
    fitnewlife Posts: 339 Member
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    This journey can sometimes be tough, but don't give up. I've struggled as well but I refuse to quit. After having surgery in December and going through treatment in February and having thyroid medicine issues, my weight is not budging too much. But I'll keep working out and eating right because if I don't I'll gain tons of weight.

    Don't look at this as a temporary thing, its your life, so plan ahead as much as you can and get moving as many days as your schedule allows. Schedule your workouts just like you would schedule appointments and meetings. Your health is just as important as all the other things in your life.

    If you've done it before, you CAN do it again. But this time tell yourself you will keep the weight off for good.
  • talraviv69
    talraviv69 Posts: 13 Member
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    Read the book "The will Power Instinct" by Kelly McGonigal (or listen to the audio book version)

    For me it was a life changer.
  • nicole_andan
    nicole_andan Posts: 127
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    I just read the review for the Willpower book and it looks good... I'll see whether I can get it on Kindle, thank you xx
  • nonoark
    nonoark Posts: 153 Member
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    You can add me, I just restarted in April and doing pretty well.
  • nicole_andan
    nicole_andan Posts: 127
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    Just to re-iterate, some of your weightlosses over the last couple of years, 40, 50, 60lb are amazing... I know many of you are saying that you have put some back on but HUGE kudos to you all for doing it in the first place!

    Thank you for taking the time to respond and also for all the friend requests xx
  • conniehv40
    conniehv40 Posts: 442 Member
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    I just posted that I just can't seem to do this. I LOVE this post/thread because it is me.

    I do know, however, when I am motivated, it is mostly because I PLANNED, not because I just "wondered" if I would feel like it today!

    I never feel like car pooling the kids to their events all over town, or going to the dentist, or even to the grocery store for that huge shop when we are out of everything! I think exercise is like this list. We have to make ourselves do it at a planned time without allowing ourselves to quit. As for eating, I am not great with this either! If my kids quit, I'd be all over them, but there I am just eating junk because I feel like it.... This, again, when I was motivated, is planning and commitment!

    Good luck and let's read each others post, ideas and tips to get back on track!!
  • Wrightn221
    Wrightn221 Posts: 5
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    Hi! I agree with the others "If you did it before, you can do it again!" 7 years ago I gained like 30lbs and I was like "Where did this weight come from!?" I've been working out for over 20 years, so I couldn't understand how I had gained so much weight. One day I was looking at Dr. Oz and he was talking about women in their 40's will lose 5% muscle and their estrogen level will decline. I had to think about everythingi that I was putting in my mouth and alcohol was one of the culprits so I had to cut that out! Never been a bread and pasta person, so that wasn't the cause. I started eating brown rice, sweet potatoes, greens & protein but maintained my weight, not lost. About two years ago, I met a Dietician at Church and she said "How a person lose weight depends on their DNA make-up." Sometime later, I did a google and found an article by Psychology Today "One Diet Doesn't Fit All" and a light bulb went off!!! For years I was eating higher carbs, but should've been eating low carb. I was a follower of Dr. Atkins when he was alive, so I went back to the new an revised Atkins. After all those years of trying to figure it, low carb was it! With all that noted, I've since lost 15 but have 15 more. Last month, I got a chance to meet with one of the free trainers at Planet Fitness and their plan is helping me. I've lost 4lbs by alernating weights on different days, an hour of cardio and eating low carb. Try Atkins, that should help you. You can also google lots of great recipes from Various sites as well. Not one that needs motivation, just give me a plan and it's on!!! You can do it too!
  • lambchoplewis
    lambchoplewis Posts: 797
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    I am right there - May and now half of June have been bad for me. Stopped my routine and 5 lbs have crept on.

    I am STOPPING IT NOW!!

    My old routine (and now back to it) was to weigh myself every morning - this kept me from stuffing things into my mouth as I would have to face the scale. I know this is controversial as you can gain 2-3 lbs overnight and still be following the plan but it worked for me. I would then log my food and exercise and read some of these motivational posts.

    Let's get back on a routine and don't let the lbs creep back on.

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