Gained 2lbs after continuous loss and feeling demotivated

So since it's been about a week or so since I last weighed myself, I thought it'd be ideal for me to step on the scales....bad choice. I found that this morning, after using the toilet and such that I weighed 182.8, up from 180 - and I feel absolutely awful.

Admittedly I have let myself slip a lot recently. I went to a house party and ordered myself a 12inch thin based pizza to myself (ate about 3/4) of it, plus alcohol and some candy which was provided. I made a cake the other day and ate about half of that, and yesterday had a few slices of some other cake. I've also been snacking when it came to having drinks of tea, and I would throw in a few cookies. I don't think I realized what I was doing to myself and now I feel like such a disgrace.

I haven't been motivated to exercise either. I've stopped running simply because my anxiety is getting worse, and I no longer have the energy during the day to do other exercise. I have a cross trainer in my cellar which I used to use every day , however it has broken - and since then I've felt so lost and not willing to exercise. I used to do routines with it, incorporating weights but now that I don't have one...I feel lost.

I didn't drink much alcohol the night I went out, though when it came to food it was a disaster and I don't know what I was thinking. I was complimented so much that night too, everybody was asking how much I'd lost, and asking for photos, as well as telling me how good I looked.

This is the first time I've gained weight in 5 months, since then it's just been continuous loss.

Does anybody have any tips or advice, I need to drop stupid act now.

Replies

  • bumblebeez86
    bumblebeez86 Posts: 208 Member
    Just start again tomorrow forget about the binge you just had and get back on track. Obviously you know what to do as you have lost so much already. Sometimes when I have got a lot of compliments and done so well for so long you go a bit wild and think you can go back to old habits but you cant. On the upside 2lb is nothing compared to the massive loss! If you were a girl u would be getting these fluctuations every month. :) Good Luck and keep up the good work - PS sometimes a blow out is good just to eat what you like as long as you get back on track xx:flowerforyou:
  • jjdiggy
    jjdiggy Posts: 172
    Just start again tomorrow forget about the binge you just had and get back on track. Obviously you know what to do as you have lost so much already. Sometimes when I have got a lot of compliments and done so well for so long you go a bit wild and think you can go back to old habits but you cant. On the upside 2lb is nothing compared to the massive loss! If you were a girl u would be getting these fluctuations every month. :) Good Luck and keep up the good work - PS sometimes a blow out is good just to eat what you like as long as you get back on track xx:flowerforyou:

    Thank you for this! My family said previously it's okay to have a few cheat days so long as you work things off after - and this is my first proper cheat day in 5 months and if anything I thought I deserved it...how wrong was I!

    But thank you for the positive remarks, boosted my hopes a little! x
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    I think you pretty much answered your own question by detailing all the things you're doing wrong...

    As far as exercise goes, either go buy a new cross trainer or start running and find other things to do. There are hundreds of videos on YouTube to choose from as well as a multitude of body weight exercise resources online.

    How were you eating before? Cutting out all that pizza and alcohol and treats? How about this time you find a way to make things like that work so you don't end up having these kinds of binges? I know following that method works a whole hell of a lot better for me. If I try to cut all the yummy stuff out, it's all I can think of so I finally cave and go crazy.

    Look, the same thing happened to me starting in April. I had a vacation coming up so I was super strict (normally I'm not) to try to lose the weight before that. Then once vacation came, I went hog wild and then I came up with a bunch of other excuses to stuff my face and drink too much and not workout on the weekends. And I was in denial about the weight gain even - oh, it's just water weight.

    Be lucky you're figuring it out at about 3 pounds up after just a few days off track instead of being like me and waiting several months and being 10 pounds up.

    Start tracking again, start exercising regularly again. I'm sure the weight will be back off in no time.
  • mymodernbabylon
    mymodernbabylon Posts: 1,038 Member
    Weigh loss is not linear. There are ups and downs and the fact that this is the first time you haven't lost in 5 months is amazing. Don't let one week break your stride, accept that this is a journey and not a stop-gap and that life is never going to go exactly the way you want all the time. Carry on, my friend, carry on, and accept mistakes as learning experiences and note that for sometimes, you may want to still do some of the same things you did in the past (and as long as they aren't regularly done, it's okay).
  • shabaity
    shabaity Posts: 792 Member
    Here's the fun thing in all this gaining two lbs that's just natural weight fluctuation and may mean you had some extra sodium or whatever that day. I sprained my knee a bit over a week ago that first day I bounced back up 4lbs due to swelling issues took a week to go back down completely and when it did I'd actually lost a lb. I was monitoring my weight during that one for fun because I was curious as to what it would to my weight lol.
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
    Couple of links for you. I struggle with this, but have learned that fluctuations are normal. Hang in there.


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/the-path-of-success-631437

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/gypsy_spirit/view/graphing-predictablilty-680813
  • Palamedes
    Palamedes Posts: 174 Member
    Take a moment. Stand up straight. Take a deep breath. Fix your goal in your mind again. Log food and exercise. I would not worry too much about the 2lb gain. Minor set back and hardly worth additional focus. Now that you have focused, time to start moving forward again. You had some fun and now you need to buckle down. Get back in the game.

    A healthy life is a marathon and not a sprint. You got this. Now, move out and draw fire.

    (Many thanks to SGT Brown who taught me the phrase "Move out and draw fire.")
  • Anonycatgirl
    Anonycatgirl Posts: 502 Member
    You've already gotten some good advice about getting back on track, so I'm going to address another point.

    You mention anxiety getting worse. We all get twitchy sometimes, and maybe that's all this is, a passing case end of the summer blues. But if it's at the point where it's interfering with everyday activities on a regular basis, such as making it hard for you to get out the door and exercise, you might want to consider talking to a medical professional. It could be a chemical issue--why suffer when there are treatments available?
  • jillian_fan2425
    jillian_fan2425 Posts: 167 Member
    +1 on trying to incorporate treats more frequently into your normal diet and seeking some help for your anxiety.

    Get the cross-trainer fixed, if you can. At least for me, exercise is really helpful for managing stress.

    Good luck!
  • This content has been removed.
  • jjdiggy
    jjdiggy Posts: 172
    +1 on trying to incorporate treats more frequently into your normal diet and seeking some help for your anxiety.

    Get the cross-trainer fixed, if you can. At least for me, exercise is really helpful for managing stress.

    Good luck!

    That's something I shall do, so long as it fits into my MFP daily allowance! I used to loved doing exercise to relieve stress. If ever I had an argument with somebody or I felt perhaps angry I would go to the cellar and work my butt off on the weights or CV machine and I felt relived that I'd both calmed myself down, as well as benefited my health.

    P.S - Thanks for all the comments guys. Starting to feel much better about it now.
  • alfonsinarosinsky
    alfonsinarosinsky Posts: 198 Member
    I'm fairly new to this site (25 days) but I also had a "food breakdown" for 2 1/2 days. I thought it woud be hard to get back on track and it was but with all the encouragment here I was able to do it. 2 lbs does not a failure make. Some of us with food issues can lose 50 lbs and then if we gain a couple we want to give up. You got this. My own advise is to maybe take a week or so break from exercise without the guilt and then reevaluate it after the time to get back into it again.
  • divinedivasceo
    divinedivasceo Posts: 12 Member
    First of all, Congrats on your overall weight loss! Second, as far as when to start back on track, think about this scenario.

    If you were at the top of a flight of stairs and fell down a couple of steps and caught yourself would you then look at the rest of the flight of stairs and throw yourself down them? NOOO, so why do we do that with weight loss?
    You had a rough week/ day/ whatever. So the very next meal/BITE don't throw yourself down the stairs. Get back on your new way of eating and living healthy. You have sooo got this and you can do it. Don't sabotage yourself because you had a couple of missed steps. Everyone does and it's very natural to have these gains. It's the way of life. Super proud of you for a great job and for being good to yourself starting now! :)
  • penelopeyvonne
    penelopeyvonne Posts: 97 Member
    Yes, congratulations on what you've done so far :flowerforyou:

    But honest - it happens to all of us. I wish I'd only put on 2lbs recently. Somehow - don't ask me how because eating and exercise are as good as ever - I've put on 9lbs in a month. I feel soooo damn' disheartened but, I know, I lost it and more before, I'll do it again. It's just realllllllly frustrating losing that $)*$"$*)"$ 9lbs again and again. And again. :mad:

    Just don't lose heart and give up.:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
  • jjdiggy
    jjdiggy Posts: 172
    First of all, Congrats on your overall weight loss! Second, as far as when to start back on track, think about this scenario.

    If you were at the top of a flight of stairs and fell down a couple of steps and caught yourself would you then look at the rest of the flight of stairs and throw yourself down them? NOOO, so why do we do that with weight loss?
    You had a rough week/ day/ whatever. So the very next meal/BITE don't throw yourself down the stairs. Get back on your new way of eating and living healthy. You have sooo got this and you can do it. Don't sabotage yourself because you had a couple of missed steps. Everyone does and it's very natural to have these gains. It's the way of life. Super proud of you for a great job and for being good to yourself starting now! :)

    That's such a powerful way of putting things into perspective - and also hard hitting. I will definitely get back on track and begin logging again. Thanks for this! And thank you for the compliments! :)
  • andielyn
    andielyn Posts: 233 Member
    First and foremost, congratulations on your 52 lb. loss...that is fantastic! Secondly, you are turning this around after a 2 lb gain (which most is likely not fat) and not after a 20 lb gain--or worse. You already know what your pitfalls are. You are WAY ahead of the game.

    I'm reading a book now "Exercise for Mood and Anxiety" which talks about how to motivate yourself to exercise when it's difficult. It's part of their Kindle big deal and of yesterday it was still on sale for $1.94. Not a magic bullet but lots of useful information so far--haven't read enough for a full out endorsement but I'm finding it interesting. I recently to a few week hiatus because of stress and anxiety and it sounds like that's been something you've let go of also. The emphasis is not on exercise for weight loss, just so you know...it's how to motivate yourself to exercise and the immediate benefits of exercise to your mood, stress and anxiety.
  • ACrowsDay
    ACrowsDay Posts: 64 Member
    I don't think anyone mentioned this but previous you had been working out...maybe some fat turned (or was replaced) to muscle weight??? Just saying...
  • justcat206
    justcat206 Posts: 716 Member
    1) weight can fluctuate a few pounds in a day just based on what you've been doing and eating. 2 lbs will be pretty easy to take right back off. I've fallen off the wagon myself a little lately - but sometimes you just have to take a break for a bit to get yourself re-motivated to get back on track. Sounds like you know what you need to do from here - you've got this! the weight will come off again in no time. Best wishes!
  • jjdiggy
    jjdiggy Posts: 172
    First and foremost, congratulations on your 52 lb. loss...that is fantastic! Secondly, you are turning this around after a 2 lb gain (which most is likely not fat) and not after a 20 lb gain--or worse. You already know what your pitfalls are. You are WAY ahead of the game.

    I'm reading a book now "Exercise for Mood and Anxiety" which talks about how to motivate yourself to exercise when it's difficult. It's part of their Kindle big deal and of yesterday it was still on sale for $1.94. Not a magic bullet but lots of useful information so far--haven't read enough for a full out endorsement but I'm finding it interesting. I recently to a few week hiatus because of stress and anxiety and it sounds like that's been something you've let go of also. The emphasis is not on exercise for weight loss, just so you know...it's how to motivate yourself to exercise and the immediate benefits of exercise to your mood, stress and anxiety.

    Thank you so much for this. I shall look up that book now!
  • Adaniel65
    Adaniel65 Posts: 105 Member
    You know whats what and where to go from here.
    At least you caught yourself at the 2.8 Lb mark and not the 28lb mark... we all know how that is.

    One day at a time - do well today.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    It happens. My weigh in on here is Wednesdays but I weigh every day. For the week ending last Wednesday I had lost close to three pounds, which was incredible. By Monday had gained it all back thanks to TOM and having Chinese food Sunday night. Just keep doing what you are and it'll come back off!
  • NikiChicken
    NikiChicken Posts: 576 Member
    Weigh loss is not linear. There are ups and downs and the fact that this is the first time you haven't lost in 5 months is amazing. Don't let one week break your stride, accept that this is a journey and not a stop-gap and that life is never going to go exactly the way you want all the time. Carry on, my friend, carry on, and accept mistakes as learning experiences and note that for sometimes, you may want to still do some of the same things you did in the past (and as long as they aren't regularly done, it's okay).

    THIS!! Losing weight and getting healthy is for the rest of your life! You have to learn how to go to a party and enjoy yourself once in a while and then get right back on program. Your weight gain didn't happen in one day and losing it isn't going to happen that way either. Weight loss or gain is a PATTERN over a LONG time and your weight graph will likely look like a roller coaster given enough time. The key is if it is trending up or trending down!

    Just get back on the horse and keep going.
  • wannakimmy
    wannakimmy Posts: 488 Member
    Know how ya feel, I just had to log a 3 lb gain. I had a bad couple of weeks. I am back on track now, and you can be too! Don't let it get to ya. You can do this!
  • TiffieLand
    TiffieLand Posts: 159
    I had a 4 pounds gained after not strictly followed my diet. For me 1 pound loss per week so I felt terrible for a couple of days but I'm back now because I still have time and this is not the end. Nothing would change if I stop now, I know I will regret it even more and feel even more terrible than now. I decided to work even harder to makeup for it. The past cannot be change but the presence changes the future right? :) You Can Do It!!!