Help! Have lost all my willpower.

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ikeasnake
ikeasnake Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Started using MFP a few months ago. Got from 144 lb down to 121. (Am 5' 3" female.) Really pleased with the loss and had great willpower, keeping to 1200 cals most days.

Then I went on a 10 day holiday. Decided that although I would still try to log as best as possible, was not going to deny myself anything. Obviously I went over my maintenance cals (1690) but not horrendously, and was quite happy when I got back to find out I'd only gained 3lb.

So...am currently weighing 124 and would like to lose just another half stone. But all my willpower has disappeared. I'm fine during the day - I meal plan and pre-log, and by dinner have kept within my allowance. But the problem arises later in the evening - I feel peckish and think to myself, I can eat xyz and still be within my maintenance cals. Or only slightly over, and I'll start afresh tomorrow.

How can I get my evening willpower back?!

Replies

  • lemonlionheart
    lemonlionheart Posts: 580 Member
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    I'm not sure what it is you want to hear- either you want to be half a stone lighter or you don't. Maybe you're ok with your weight currently? Nothing wrong with that. Maybe 1200 is too few calories for you- perhaps you could set MFP to lose half a pound a week and slow it down a bit. Or add in some cardio to earn more calories.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    It's your willpower, not anyone else's. You are going to have to be the one to decide to use it. You might try telling yourself that you are going to have one perfect day in which you stay within your goal no matter what. You can do the maintenance thing tomorrow, but today you are going to do it right, just to have that one perfect day.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
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    You want to be verging on underweight for your height? Maybe your body and subconscious know you're already at the low end of healthy.

    Do you have any personal issues making you worried about your weight? My best wishes for your health.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
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    Orphia wrote: »
    You want to be verging on underweight for your height? Maybe your body and subconscious know you're already at the low end of healthy.

    Do you have any personal issues making you worried about your weight? My best wishes for your health.

    Legit question: that is considered near underweight? I would need to get down to near 107lbs to be teetering out of the healthy range for BMI, and I'm 5'4. 114-115 at 5'3 still has you within good parameters, just not dead center.
  • KateKyi
    KateKyi Posts: 106 Member
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    You said you pre plan you meals. Are you making sure you have enough protein/fats to last you from your last meal of the day to you breakfast time. Try switching up the calories for the night time meal to make sure you have longer digestion times. I used to eat just 1 meal a day at night. Thats what got me fat. Now I have 5 smaller food meals but make sure most of the calories are at main meal times. for example Breakfast 7-9.30 200-400 mid morning snack 100-150 lunch 12-2 200-400 afternoon snack 100-150 dinner 6-8 400-600. I feel I can control the snacking better this way.
  • fearnsey71
    fearnsey71 Posts: 65 Member
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    is it boredom. I find that keeping myself busy between 6 and 9 - either exercise (prep, walk, shower) and/or doing jobs around the house keeps me going for those 2 hours. I pre log my snacks so I know what I can have and then i turn the telly off, get my ipad out and do sudoku. I do that for an hour and then off to bed.

    My garden has never looked better, the house tidier, my wife happier (i now do half the cooking and all the washing up).

    I know if sit in front of the telly most nights I will end up standing up in front of the fridge looking for the wrong kind of inspiration.
  • ikeasnake
    ikeasnake Posts: 3 Member
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    I think I just want to hear that slumps are normal (especially after a holiday where you've relaxed) and it's possible to get your mojo back!

    I really don't think I'm currently at the lower end of healthy. I have a BMI of 22 and although I know I'm slim already, have big flabby arms and a sizeable "mother's apron". Nobody would look at me and consider me anywhere near underweight.

    Yes it definitely is boredom / habit - I eat in front of the TV.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
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    Slumps are normal :smile:
    Believe me, I am obsessive about my nutrition and fitness and I've had several slumps over the past couple years. It's easy when you take a vacation, it's easy in the summertime, it's easy when you work out a lot to convince yourself that you can eat whatever and/or have more calories because you've worked out or it's a special occassion or whatever. Once in a while that's ok but if it becomes a habit you have to stop it in it's tracks. The choice is you either stay where you are and keep doing what you're doing to maintain, or you clean it up and lose what you want to lose. It's hard to get that fire back in your belly once it's gone. Just remind yourself constantly about what you want to achieve, where you want to be and why you started in the first place. Remind yourself about the person you were before you started and think about how far you've come. As far as over eating at night, a lot of people have that problem and yeah I believe it just becomes a habit. There's a big difference between being hungry and just having cravings and/or snacking out of boredom. Make some small changes... As another poster mentioned, find things to do that replace "TV snack time" and eventually you'll create new healthier habits. And yes, willpower has everything to do with it. Exercise your will power constantly and it will get stronger. Eventually you'll get back on track... find some new exercises or group classes to re-light that fire. Maybe you're just bored with your current routines. And don't let anyone "thin shame" you. It's your body not theirs and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. If you get too thin/unhealthy you're the one who will have to deal with the consequences, not them. Good luck!

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