fell off the wagon......AGAIN

JoyBellz
JoyBellz Posts: 108 Member
edited September 21 in Motivation and Support
Okay, so I fell off the wagon yet AGAIN. I felt like I was working so hard at logging my food, watching or at least being aware of what I was eating and exercising, yet, I was only gaining weight. After several weeks of this, I just gave up. I'll be quite honest with you. I have a VERY stressful job and work LONG hours and there were days it was all I could do to stick to it but I did only to see a HIGHER number on the scale. It was very discouraging. However, I still think about what I "should" be doing everyday, every time I go to eat something, its always in my mind. No excuse is a good excuse, I know that. I will say that the stress of my job rules my world. Basically my life doesn't exist during the workweek. Its unbearable most of the time. I have looked and looked for a new job with no luck other than night shift making almost $3 an hour less than I am making now and no guarantee I would ever see my husband b/c of conflicting schedules. While money isn't everything and sometimes happiness is more important, I have to be responsible in this situation. We do have bills to pay and they keep coming whether the money does or not. The stress has gotten so bad lately, I finally decided enough was enough. I heard some things were changing at my current job and that they were going to hire a part time employee. I went to the office manager and asked if they would cut me back to part time. After she and the owner were over the shock, they finally agreed. I will officially cut back to part time hours no later than the second week in October. I think the decrease in stress alone will make a huge difference in my health. My plan is to walk what used to be my "normal" 2.6 miles a day, TWICE a day when I am off work and just once on the days I do work and increase it or change it up from there. In addition, I want to get back to eating healthier. I have always been a quiet, shy person but I have recently learned that sometimes that hinders more than it helps. I am starting to stick up for myself. I am taking control of this. I am NOT going to let this awful job rule me anymore. SO...until I can find a new job, I am working this one, PART-TIME in hopes of making the best of what I have. I'm telling you though, I am needing A LOT of motivation and courage and kick in the butt to get moving again. I HAVE TO DO THIS and I must admit, I NEED HELP!

Replies

  • hmo4
    hmo4 Posts: 1,673 Member
    I fell off too:sad: New start tomorrow. I can't stop thinking about food when I'm only allowed 1350 cals. I'm so tired too. I'm with ya!
  • JoyBellz
    JoyBellz Posts: 108 Member
    I fell off too:sad: New start tomorrow. I can't stop thinking about food when I'm only allowed 1350 cals. I'm so tired too. I'm with ya!
    My doctor wants me all the way down to 1200 calories a day. I am going to have to do that in baby steps b/c I am doing good to stay under 1500. So frustrating. BUT I HAVE TO DO THIS!
  • acreator24
    acreator24 Posts: 26 Member
    may sound a bit harsh, but a stressful job is a health risk on top of any weight issues - might be worth while to find something else to do. If not an option then here is what I did back when my job was killing me - I started getting up 2hrs earlier and going to the gym. I maintained my weight b/c I wasnt dieting but after 20 days of 5 days per week cardio workouts at 5am I didnt have anymore stress and was able to start losing some weight. Then I got an easier job and quit working out and dieting lol. Anyway, my two cents - for what it's worth. Keep yer chin up, focus. You can do anything you put your mind to.
  • lsiberian
    lsiberian Posts: 69
    It's not like your progress is erased when you get off the plan. If you weren't eating healthy the entire time you'd have just gotten worse and be even worse. Even sticking to a diet half the time is better than never. Dropping stress should help too since stress increases fat retention.
  • KJLDavies
    KJLDavies Posts: 30 Member
    Hey, I've fallen off, too. And I was even losing and doing so well! I'm a college student (graduating this semester, starting my graduate work in January), and I teach dance during the school year. This makes for a schedule with little to no routine. My summer job I work 8-5, hour lunch, Mon - Fri, and spend most of my time on the computer. This makes logging in my food easy and working out on a regular basis easy. So, when school started, I just got thrown off. I was the same way, every time I ate, I thought about what I should be doing, but I just didn't do it. We CAN do this!! Abraham Lincoln failed more times than he succeeded in his lifetime, and he was pretty great, and that's what I keep in mind when I've "failed". WE CAN DO THIS!!! Feel free to add me or message me if you need a "keep-on-track" buddy!
  • Levahna
    Levahna Posts: 132
    Good for you for sticking up for yourself! Taking care of yourself is more than exercising and eating healthy and you realize that! If you need some extra support, feel free to drop me a note or send a request.
    Everybody falls off the wagon. . . not everybody gets back on. So. . . GOOD FOR YOU!!!
  • JoyBellz
    JoyBellz Posts: 108 Member
    may sound a bit harsh, but a stressful job is a health risk on top of any weight issues - might be worth while to find something else to do. If not an option then here is what I did back when my job was killing me - I started getting up 2hrs earlier and going to the gym. I maintained my weight b/c I wasnt dieting but after 20 days of 5 days per week cardio workouts at 5am I didnt have anymore stress and was able to start losing some weight. Then I got an easier job and quit working out and dieting lol. Anyway, my two cents - for what it's worth. Keep yer chin up, focus. You can do anything you put your mind to.

    Thanks for the encouragement. I know that the stress on top of the weight is not good. I look for a new job in the classifieds in numerous papers on a daily basis. If we could afford for me to just quit, I'd do it tomorrow. I dread everyday to the point I wish something "bad" would happen so I had a good excuse to call in. It sucks but for now, I'm stuck there. BUT I feel this move to part time is one step closer to getting better. I'm hoping anyway. Thanks again.
  • JodieHut
    JodieHut Posts: 705 Member
    Your topic made me laugh because I just wrote a blog this afternoon titled 'Whats a girl gotta do to STAY on the wagon?" Guess this happens to lots of us. I blame stress too, because eating is how I have always chose to deal with stress. We all have stress, so the trick will be to learn how to deal with stress in a less destructive way. I am a work in progress! Best of luck to you!
  • acreator24
    acreator24 Posts: 26 Member
    I fell off too:sad: New start tomorrow. I can't stop thinking about food when I'm only allowed 1350 cals. I'm so tired too. I'm with ya!
    My doctor wants me all the way down to 1200 calories a day. I am going to have to do that in baby steps b/c I am doing good to stay under 1500. So frustrating. BUT I HAVE TO DO THIS!

    You can do it easily....try thinking about things low in calories that will fill you up. For example there are very few calories in fruits and veggies. For breakfast I eat and entire cereal bowl filled, to over flowing,of fruit consisting of 1cup watermelon, 2 cups cantaloupe, 1 cup of strawberries...like 150 calories and fills me up and I'm 245lbs! I'll eat a 90 cal fiber one bar for a snack and eat 2-300 cals for lunch - chicken or turkey breast - with another 100 calorie snack soon after lunch....and chicken or fish for dinner. Stay away from restaurants unless you can get chicken breasts, turkey or fish without a lot of goo. Do veggies for snacks. You'd be surprised how much you can eat and eat all day long staying under 1200 - oh the more often you eat the more your matabolism(sp) will kick in to over drive and the less hungry you will be. Another tip - carry 100 calorie snacks with you every where you go in case you get hungry. The most filling 100 calorie snacks are those small quaker granola bars...and the peanut butter ones are like CANDY, I am addicted lol. McDonalds doesnt have anything that is 100 calories or less when you need to eat on the go so plan ahead just in case. Mini carrots, celery, cucumbers - eat TONS of that stuff and next to no calories....you can even do a TBSP of ranch veggie dip to help them taste good and still eat tons without killing your calorie goal.
  • JoyBellz
    JoyBellz Posts: 108 Member
    I must say a big THANK YOU to all of you who replied. Its overwhelming to see just how many people who don't even know you, care. This is an awesome website. I greatly appreciate all the words of encouragement and support. You do not know just how much I need it right now. Thank you so much! :cry:
  • eriny
    eriny Posts: 1,509 Member
    time to get back on that horse !!!!!!!! you all can do it !! :flowerforyou:
  • acreator24
    acreator24 Posts: 26 Member
    may sound a bit harsh, but a stressful job is a health risk on top of any weight issues - might be worth while to find something else to do. If not an option then here is what I did back when my job was killing me - I started getting up 2hrs earlier and going to the gym. I maintained my weight b/c I wasnt dieting but after 20 days of 5 days per week cardio workouts at 5am I didnt have anymore stress and was able to start losing some weight. Then I got an easier job and quit working out and dieting lol. Anyway, my two cents - for what it's worth. Keep yer chin up, focus. You can do anything you put your mind to.

    Thanks for the encouragement. I know that the stress on top of the weight is not good. I look for a new job in the classifieds in numerous papers on a daily basis. If we could afford for me to just quit, I'd do it tomorrow. I dread everyday to the point I wish something "bad" would happen so I had a good excuse to call in. It sucks but for now, I'm stuck there. BUT I feel this move to part time is one step closer to getting better. I'm hoping anyway. Thanks again.

    I know what that's like and if you can, really try to give exercise a go....you will see that you'll be too tired at first to worry about stuff at work and you'll just get the job done. After 20 days you'll feel like an entirely different person. It's amazing. As a matter of fact, my talking about it has me thinking about starting to do that all over again. I miss that feeling...and all the energy that came with it. The first few days I was dead dog tired....but pretty soon I found that I only needed 6 hours of sleep and felt like a million bucks. I did this when I was 280lbs. Just basically walking on a tredmil or using the eliptical machines.
  • edemair
    edemair Posts: 9 Member
    Good luck to you.
  • Vio687
    Vio687 Posts: 9 Member
    Well it is a new month and a great time to get started over. Actually today was my first day back on the wagon. My job can be stressful too and I work insane hours but I think you have the right idea to cut back on your hours and put yourself first. If you don't have your health what do you have. Keep up the good work.
  • fitterpam
    fitterpam Posts: 3,064 Member
    Joy,

    I know you can do it. When you make it a priority, it works. Even with a stressful job, your health should be a priority. If you can't change the job, it means taking some time at home and planning. Every week my DH and I sit down and work through everything. We wash, bag and prepare most foods and chat at the same time. To stay on the wagon, you need to make time and the best way to do it is incorporate it into your daily life.

    Every day is a new day. That's the beauty - just start over. Every day is a new opportunity to make a change in your life - whether a good one or a bad one. The choice is yours. 5 minute deep breathing sessions throughout the day will help reduce the stress, which will be better for you in the long run.
  • ChubbieTubbie
    ChubbieTubbie Posts: 481 Member
    You can do it! Just take a deep breath, focus and start again. I've fallen off the wagon several times---sometimes I can't even see where the wagon went after I bailed!--but you can't beat yourself up over it. Try to find things that work for you--I know my biggest challenges are finding time to exercise (which is hard to do with kids running around, a budget that can't squeeze in a gym membership and a husband who works super long hours) and eating the right calories at home (it's so much easier to order take out and I can hear cookies calling my name). So since I know those are my problem areas, I focus on those first and work around them. If I know that I'll be baking cookies for a school thing, I make sure my calories at work are low so I can indulge in one or two so I don't feel left out. I let my family and friends know my weight loss plans so they can hound me about exercise. It's all about adapting to your situation.

    You can do it! I know you can! If you fall off the wagon once and awhile, stand up and brush yourself off and hop back on. Don't dwell on what you've already done, focus on what lies ahead.
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