Can't get back on track...

LaraLemons
LaraLemons Posts: 1
in Motivation and Support
Hey, I've been on my diet for about a month now. I was doing pretty well, too! I don't really go by the amount of weight lost; I base my weight loss on inches and whether I can fit into smaller sizes of clothes. Anyway, my birthday was last week and I allowed myself ONE cheat day, so I could go out for supper with family/friends and not have to worry about if I could eat a certain food or have a piece of cake, etc. My one cheat day ended up turning into a cheat weekend. I got back on track the next couple days and then lost all control and motivation. I've been bingeing for the past 4 days... It's awful and usually happens after I'm done working out. I don't know what to do! I need some advice/ tips on how to talk myself down before I start eating everything in sight.

I haven't told my friends about my dieting because they're all naturally really skinny and don't understand the daily struggles of being overweight! My family knows, but I don't like constantly burdening them with my diet talk. Should I get a support system? Do you think that'll assist in keeping me motivated?

Replies

  • fuzzball01
    fuzzball01 Posts: 105 Member
    Support systems are awesome. Plus, they help keep you motivated.
  • NathanFronk
    NathanFronk Posts: 137 Member
    I found that when you diet and deprive yourself of what it normally eats for a period, but then have a cheat day with those tasty nachos, burgers, cake, etc that your body gets a fix and wants another hit, and another, and another.

    Try not eating anything for 8-10 hours after you wake up. I think you'll go through an intense period of wanting to eat, but within a couple hours it'll pass and you'll be back in control of your diet.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    I tend to wonder if your calories are too low normally? This an cause binges. If you want a link to work out how many calories you should usually eat PM me and I'll help you out.
  • ADixie4You2Know
    ADixie4You2Know Posts: 47 Member
    I went through this same thing. Started my journey back up on June 1 st. Did really well all month long. No cheats or junk food all month. I lost 15 lbs. My daughters 16 bday was June 30th. I had my first cheat meal... 2 slices of pizza and a small piece of cake and one scoop of icecream. Well this turned into 3 days of poor eating. Her bday was on Sunday I didnt get back on track until Wednesday. My weigh in is on Saturday. I gained 0.6 lbs :frown: What I did to get me back on track is look back at old pics Ive taken along my journey.. Sometimes you have to look at where you've been to remember where you're going. We all have our set backs. You just have to get up dust yourself off and do better tomorrow.
  • jsteras
    jsteras Posts: 344 Member
    Use this site to it's full advantage, great support on here, and we are all going through the same things:) I can tell you somedays I seriously have to talk myself out of food I know isn't healthy one meal at a time. I love Mcdonalds Sausage biscuits and hash browns. I work night shift and every morning on the way home I have a conversation in my head saying you could stop and grab one just today, then no not today, I will just go home eat a healthy breakfast and maybe tomorrow I will have one. I will say, this may sound crazy to some , but I have not stopped in a month and had any:):) I am losing weight and feeling great and yes I know I could stop and get that meal and figure it into my calories but it's more about learning to control what goes in my mouth and making smarter choices:) Feel free to add me I will gladly help support you .
  • Ladina1990
    Ladina1990 Posts: 137 Member
    I know EXACTLY how you feel, i go through the same thing sometimes, it okay to fall off the wagon here and there, you just have to find your inspiration, what you need to do is weigh yourself and look at pictures of you at the size that you dont like, try doing some zumba or hitting the elliptical, your going to be just fine just hang on in there and dont give up :)
  • airangel59
    airangel59 Posts: 1,887 Member
    Look for/add some friends here.
    Most of my local friends either don't have this issue or don't care and eat what they want so they are no support to be and I truly hate to be obsessive and talk about my meals or calories with them....the folks here are going thru the same things you are, they understand and just knowing you are not alone is very helpful & motivating.

    Plan (preplan) and log your food in advance so you can see what you can eat/have left to snack on during the day.
    You can always adjust things before you finalize it.

    That is why I don't cheat, if I can't work stuff into my daily diary, I don't eat it.
    Got here cuz obviously I can't / couldn't control my intake....portion control/wrong choices etc etc

    Good luck on your journey and getting your mindset back where it needs to be
  • thisdamselflies
    thisdamselflies Posts: 92 Member
    I have the same problem sometimes: once I go off track, it becomes a downhill spiral. Some of the previous posters suggested that you add some friends here and create a support system on MFP, and I think that's a great idea. If you'd like, I'd be happy to be one of those people. Feel free to add me.

    Also, don't do this:
    Try not eating anything for 8-10 hours after you wake up. I think you'll go through an intense period of wanting to eat, but within a couple hours it'll pass and you'll be back in control of your diet.

    While the first part of what that poster said was accurate (those kinds of foods can be addictive to some people, myself included), denying yourself any food at all is setting yourself up for disaster. The times I've tried that, I've found myself starving halfway through the day and eating whatever I could get my hands on (think vending machines and coffee shop sweets) until I went to bed. The thing that usually works for me is getting rid of all the crap food in the house and then just getting through one day. Once you've succeeded for just a single day, you won't want to ruin it the next day. Also, since your diary is closed, I can't tell what you are eating, but mockchok suggested that you might not be eating enough, and I would agree that that's a possibility. Being hungry will push you to eat foods high in sugar, salt, and fat, so make sure you're not depriving yourself of nutrients by eating too little!
  • sav3175
    sav3175 Posts: 47
    Ive had the same problem and i would beat myself up about it which would make me feel bad and i would binge some more. remember that everyone has pitfalls you can pick yourself back up and get back in the game stay positive if you need any more support you can add me :)

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