Motivation for getting back on track after injury...?

Hi everyone. I've been using MFP for a number of years now. I'm an emotional/binge eater, and most successful avoiding those issues, and with my weight loss and fitness goals, when I am tracking my food and exercise in the program. When I fall off the wagon, tracking everything in MFP is the first thing that goes, but I tend to get right back into it and continue moving forward.

At the beginning of this year, I was feeling awesome. Winters are usually the hardest months for me to get through, but this year, I was sticking with a gym routine and tracking my food in MFP. I wasn't really weighing myself, but I know I was around 10 pounds higher than my "ideal" goal weight... which was OK by me because I had gained a ton of muscle, my clothes fit well, and I liked how my body looked. Around the beginning of April, I hurt my left shoulder/trapezius muscle. I think I just overexerted myself in the gym, but the pain most days was unbearable. I got it checked out and the diagnosis from an urgent care center was a "muscle strain." I personally think it was more than that, since they barely took a look at it (no xrays or anything like that), but who knows. Because I had been doing so well, I became very depressed thinking about this road block, and completely stopped going to the gym and eating healthy. It was my mistake for not continuing to go to the gym and modifying activities just to keep active. My shoulder is feeling much better and I'm finally trying to get back into the gym, but I've gained a lot of weight since then. My clothes don't fit and I hate the way I look. I get upset thinking about where I was and how well I was doing, and how big of a difference my fitness levels are just a few months later.

Usually, I don't have this much of a problem getting back into using MFP, but I've been really struggling this time around. I'll be good about tracking for a week or so, then think the negative thoughts again, and have to start from square one. I'm worried that if I don't turn things around and stick with it, I'll be on the road to my highest weight ever and even more miserable than I already am. I know it's because I know I have a long way to go to get back to where I was, and I'm afraid because something always seems to happen to bring me down when I get to where I'm feeling content with my body.
Does anyone have any tips on a situation like this? Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • firie5205
    firie5205 Posts: 12 Member
    I am right there with you! I was doing so well about a year ago, and due to holidays, forced move and just plain not caring any more despite how emotional I was when I saw the changes in my body. I gained weight and then some due to all of those excuses.. I just take it one day at a time. That's my tip. If you go over your calories, don't dwell on it, just move on. Tomorrow is another day. Promise yourself that you will do better and do it. As far as the gym.. Don't kill yourself right out of the starting gate, take it slow and win back that happiness that you felt before your shoulder got hurt. It's not an overnight fix, you need to take baby steps until you have it underneath control. If you like, you can friend me and I am always willing to help! Also, there are plenty of people on this site that will spur you on to your goal. But those are my two cents, as much as they are worth.