What's happening?!

sophieamhaley · February 2014

Over the last three days (have just finished my period incidentally) I have felt so up and down and just wanted to pig out and drink wine and not log and not do anything.
I've still exercised and I have logged what I have eaten even though a lot of it has been crap. But then I've felt guilty and awful and I seem to be stuck in this depressive cycle and I can't break out of it!
I've been craving sugar so much, like cakes, biscuits, chocolate and it's not been going away, I've felt like I couldn't sit still until I purged, it was that bad.
Then the thought of logging everything that I eat and drink has seemed so miserable and regimented it's made me want to cry.
Half of me wants to quit MFP, at the moment it feels like it's doing me more harm that good, mentally. But then another part of me thinks I only want to quit so I can eat and drink crap and not have to look at the red minus numbers telling me I've failed.
I feel so down I don't know what to do!
I know it sounds daft but I feel totally stuck.

Does anyone have any advice or suggestions please?

mrssparrow2 · February 2014

'Allow' yourself an off day / few days, so that you're not feeling so guilty and can relax.
Once you're sorted, jump back on the wagon (but make sure you do).
Sometimes, if you give yourself permission to take a little time out, it's easier to sort yourself out in the long term.

ditzie2009 · February 2014

Sorry to hear you're feeling very low right now! If it helps I was like this last week and gave myself a few days "away" from MFP. I didn't log anything and didn't worry about it. I needed to forget about it for a while.

I ate so much crap that I could feel my body didn't want to do anything and I ended up feeling sorry for myself. I gave myself a good talking too, wrote down how I felt and why I felt like that and went to bed.

Had a decent nights sleep and woke up positive the following morning.

I know everyone is different but this time of year I always find hard as the winter is dragging on and I'm fed up of the crap weather! (NOt sure if you're in the UK!)

I've just been out for a walk with my little boy (brisk one with buggy) in the sunshine and feel better.

Don't punish yourself and hope you feel better xxxx

sophieamhaley · February 2014

Sorry to hear you're feeling very low right now! If it helps I was like this last week and gave myself a few days "away" from MFP. I didn't log anything and didn't worry about it. I needed to forget about it for a while.

I ate so much crap that I could feel my body didn't want to do anything and I ended up feeling sorry for myself. I gave myself a good talking too, wrote down how I felt and why I felt like that and went to bed.

Had a decent nights sleep and woke up positive the following morning.

I know everyone is different but this time of year I always find hard as the winter is dragging on and I'm fed up of the crap weather! (NOt sure if you're in the UK!)

I've just been out for a walk with my little boy (brisk one with buggy) in the sunshine and feel better.

Don't punish yourself and hope you feel better xxxx

Yes I'm in the uk and yes I agree about the weather!

That's the problem with MFP (or actually, my relationship with it and with similar things) once I'm hooked, I find it hard to take a step back and relax the rules, I have gone at it all head on and I can't let anything slip by. If I go over my calories I tell myself I'm not bothering but really I am and I feel guilty and annoyed at myself. The stupid thing is though it doesn't stop me from doing it, that's what I mean about being in this vicious circle... I've had therapy recently for an anxiety disorder and I find that things that require discipline make me feel anxious a lot, I tried the 5:2 fast diet and found it hellish, I felt constantly on edge on my fast days.
I wonder sometimes if I'm ever going to find a way of life with food that I feel happy with combined with feeling happy with my body, I thought this was it but now it just seems to be becoming a problem. I don't want to quit, I'm tired of giving up on things the moment the going gets tough, but with these feelings I'm having I just keep wondering if it's worth it.
I'm pear shaped and I finally feel pretty happy with the way I look as I've lost a few pounds and firmed up, but mentally I feel that I'm torturing myself, for want of a better word. Sounds a bit dramatic but can't think how else to phrase it.
I feel that I'm just making a massive deal of it all but I can't seem to stop!

sophieamhaley · February 2014

Should say, I'm tell myself I'm not *bothered

cjazz72 · February 2014

Over the last three days (have just finished my period incidentally) I have felt so up and down and just wanted to pig out and drink wine and not log and not do anything.
I've still exercised and I have logged what I have eaten even though a lot of it has been crap. But then I've felt guilty and awful and I seem to be stuck in this depressive cycle and I can't break out of it!
I've been craving sugar so much, like cakes, biscuits, chocolate and it's not been going away, I've felt like I couldn't sit still until I purged, it was that bad.
Then the thought of logging everything that I eat and drink has seemed so miserable and regimented it's made me want to cry.
Half of me wants to quit MFP, at the moment it feels like it's doing me more harm that good, mentally. But then another part of me thinks I only want to quit so I can eat and drink crap and not have to look at the red minus numbers telling me I've failed.
I feel so down I don't know what to do!
I know it sounds daft but I feel totally stuck.

Does anyone have any advice or suggestions please?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H0fTwtPLfo This guy name Charles Duhigg who had this book called the Power of Habit. Its an interesting concept on how we create habits and how to figure out how to change those habits. I suggest checking his book out. there are three stages: Cue Routine and Reward. So I use myself as an example. I been finding myself extremely tired after work. Like I zonk out the moment I sit in my chair and I fall asleep. So I tired his theory out. I changed the chair out for a chair that I couldn't sleep in. I also sat in the couch or started to try to do something between 3-4 pm. I even try taking naps in my bed but still fell asleep. Recently though I discover why I was sleeping. I been sitting for close to 9 hours. Even at work I dont take a break. I eat my lunch and continue working. So I decided to take a half hour walk and stayed later. This is what I noticed: I don't zonk out when I get home as much. As well as I find myself wanting to go for a walk during lunch. Like I can't seem to talk myself out of it. I just get up and go for a walk. I actually found my mood to be better and I am not as tired when I get home. The point of all of this is that if you really want to figure out why your snacking like crazy and stop eating junk is to physcologically figure out what is the Cue, Routine and the Reward. Once you figure that out then you can figure out how to change it and create new better habits.

cebreisch · February 2014

Well, Sounds like you're human to me. I still remember when I had the realization that I was going to have to log everything until the rest of forever and being depressed about it too. I would soooooo love to be one of those people who never had to worry about what they eat. Very jealous of them.

Getting past that is important to being able to move on. This is my journey, not theirs. They have their own issues to deal with (some days I really hope those issues are worse than mine! LOL).

After this realization, you'll find yourself either eating something or wanting to eat, and then realizing that food won't fix whatever's bothering you. It was sad for me to realize that the way I was dealing with things for so many years was to try to eat them away, and the only thing it got me was gaining weight until I was closing in on 400 pounds.

Never mind that being hormonal doesn't help issues either!! LOL

Well....wish I had some advice on being able to better cope with it. Sometimes there is stuff that you just have to work through the best you can. All I can really tell you is that you are awesome!!! It takes courage to post about these sorts of things.

editorgrrl · February 2014

According to your ticker, it's time for you to transition to maintenance. Congratulations on your loss! The last few lbs. will come off very slowly, but that will give you time to get used to eating more.

Change your goal to .5 lb. per week and be very, very patient. Eat "good" or "clean" or "healthy" (whatever those words mean to you) 80% of the time. Fit yummy, portion controlled treats into your calorie goal. Deprivation can lead to bingeing.

Everybody's different, but your weight will probably fluctuate. Don't panic! Just be patient, and keep up the great work you've done to get this far.

Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

Edited to add that you should look at your nutrition for the past 7 days, not just today. Do not let one day "in the red" (or even a few) distract you from your goal.

chani8 · February 2014

I got a lot of relief by adding the No S diet to my life (nosdiet.com), because it's very simple rules that put food in nice boxes and I don't have to think about food except for 3 times a day. No S means No Snacks No Sweets No Seconds except on Yes S days which are Sat/Sun/Sick/Special days. I can't rave about this technique enough. It's all about habits and moderation. Check it out, there is even a nice support group on that site. Just don't give up calorie counting, too soon, as it's easy to over eat on even three meals a day if you don't know how many calories are in certain foods. Good luck!!

sophieamhaley · February 2014

I got a lot of relief by adding the No S diet to my life (nosdiet.com), because it's very simple rules that put food in nice boxes and I don't have to think about food except for 3 times a day. No S means No Snacks No Sweets No Seconds except on Yes S days which are Sat/Sun/Sick/Special days. I can't rave about this technique enough. It's all about habits and moderation. Check it out, there is even a nice support group on that site. Just don't give up calorie counting, too soon, as it's easy to over eat on even three meals a day if you don't know how many calories are in certain foods. Good luck!!

Not even healthy snacks? I love my mid morning Braeburn and my mid afternoon malt loaf fix!

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