How often do you fall off the wagon and vow to start over?

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rachelatua
rachelatua Posts: 19
in Motivation and Support
I feel like I have these days way too often. I gradually get more and more lax, and then I blow it big time, feel horribly guilty, and promise myself to start fresh and really do it right the next day....always hoping it will stick this time. Reminds me of the Einstein quote that Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. How can I make things different this time, be consistent, and stop sabotaging myself?

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  • KristyAnn81
    KristyAnn81 Posts: 128 Member
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    At least once or twice a month I give myself days, or at the least a meal. If I didn't, I'd go crazy.
  • B8_shop
    B8_shop Posts: 7
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    Lots and lots and lots. I don't know what the trick is. Sometimes it's really easy and sometimes it's a major struggle. I'm trying to not be so serious about it this time. I'm not going to try to force it to happen and not make my goals so extreme. I definitely relate to your challenges. I've been in that cycle for the last 13 years.
  • ArizonaSquid
    ArizonaSquid Posts: 9 Member
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    At first, very frequently. After a month of "I'll just do it right tomorrow" excuses I finally realized that I'd being going about it all wrong. The realization made the difference, and I progressed from there. The realization was actually a really simple one:

    Change doesn't happen overnight.

    I'm not talking about weight, or health, or muscle, or any of that stuff. Just a change in day-to-day necessities can't happen overnight without some semblance of difficulty. I was trying to go from what was basically a 4000-ish calorie a day fast food nightmare to a 2000 calorie a day goal. I tried, over and over again, to do it "overnight"... and no wonder I failed. Same thing with exercise. At 315 pounds, trying to go out and run a 5k every week would have gotten me injured.

    Change takes time, **but every step you make is progress towards total change**.

    I simply set minor goals for myself:
    - From this day forward, no more Taco Bell.
    - From now on I won't get any fries if I have fast food.
    - Starting today I will have an entire bottle of water before I leave the house for work.

    Eventually, the sum of those goals adds to real change. My last mini goal I just instituted about a week ago was "Bring total sugar intake under 150% of MFP recommendation." This one was significant for me because it impacted my coffee habit in a big way, LOL!
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
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    So far, never. But there is always tomorrow. :)
  • spgebhart
    spgebhart Posts: 382 Member
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    I totally do this too. I think I get really gung-ho and burn myself out too quickly. I'm also really impatient to see results and get discouraged when it takes awhile, even though I know it's unreasonable. Maybe it would help to stop thinking of each "start over" as separate events and see them as stages in a continuous journey. They might look and feel similar, but every time you try again, you learn something new and approach it slightly differently, even if it doesn't feel that way. I know even though I've had a lot of stops and starts, I have learned A TON since I joined MFP and I feel like I continue to grow.

    You say you gradually get more and more lax until you blow it big time. What are some thing that motivate you that you could use to stop yourself from getting lax before you feel like you have to totally start over? Right now I am motivated by that silly little message telling me I've logged in 15 days in a row or whatever.

    I'm also trying for shorter term goals. Like, this week I want to count calories every day, and get in at least 5 hours of exercise. Just for this week. And then next week I hope to do the same but I'm going to get through this week first, you know?
  • rachelatua
    rachelatua Posts: 19
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    Thanks so much for your replies! I think part of my problem is sheer exhaustion. I eat when I'm tired to get myself through the day....also I have trouble staying motivated when I'm just so worn out. I have a toddler, so it's phase of life. I know I just need to find better coping mechanisms!
    Also, I do much better when I prepare more fresh foods rather than relying on quick processed stuff (don't we all.) So maybe tomorrow will be a startover that will stick. Here's hoping. =)

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