I might be alone on this.....

You are definitely not alone! I've done the same countless times. My triggers come from different things. We have 4 children now, the youngest being almost 16 weeks and I think for me it's all the extra responsibility that makes it so hard. But it's a lot about finding a new normal I guess. Bottom line is we can't give up!!

I agree with logging the food you eat in the evening as well. It's not about shaming yourself, it's about picking up on your own patterns and what works for you and what doesn't. Maybe you eat a bigger breakfast or lunch than what you really need. Try smaller portions in the morning and save more calories for the evening.

Also, develop a new evening routine. Get out of the house at least 1 or 2 nights a week. Staying busy doing whatever you enjoy will make staying and home and eating much less appealing.

OMG I know the feeling! Can an old fart toss you out some thoughts that helped me?

Here's the biggie I needed to get into my head:
"This isn't a game. This is deadly serious. If I don't make getting in shape the ULTIMATE PRIORITY in my life I won't ever be healthy. Everything short of the health and safety of those around me is secondary. Family, friends, hobbies, habits, work will all take as much of a second place as possible."

Long before I lost a single pound I discovered there was a lot of work I had to do first. Literally hundreds of actions and attitudes needed to change before the scale started to tip my way. Oh sure, I could grit my teeth and drop a few pounds here and there but until I learned myself I could never keep it off.

Here's a few of my more important rules. I don't keep all of them as well as I'd like but I feel Im doing a pretty good job. Maybe they will speak to you.

1) I will log into MFP every day.
2) I will learn what it takes to log accurately and will do so.
(BTW, I think we all have the "I lie to myself and MFP" stage, don't sweat it - beat it).
3) I will read what people have to say and learn.
4) I will not let my biases, predispositions and ignorance prevent me from gaining knowledge
5) I will take the ideas that make the most sense to me and try them for myself, realizing that 95% of the advice I receive will probably not be right for me.
6) I will fail. A lot.
7) I will eventually triumph.

Just try doing my rule #1 for a week. Then add a rule.

I have a whole Self-control speech as well but based on my path I'm gambling that's probably not your first concern right now.

Just my 2 cents.

Focus on getting into the habit of logging now, even if you do go over. That will help you identify patterns you need to change in your eating habits. If it helps, think of a reward for logging for 30 days in a row or something. I had to bribe myself, and now it feels funny if I DON'T log what I eat! XD Using the app helps me because it's right there and it's easier to pull up previous entries on it. Since I eat a lot of the same things, that's useful.

Also, once you know what your trigger foods are, banish them from the house. For example, if you know that once open a bag of chips you'll finish it off, don't allow it in your house. Period. Now, that doesn't mean you can't have chips; if you're craving them go down to the local gas station and get a small bag. Yeah, those are usually 2 servings not one, but it's still better then eating a full bag with 15-20 servings! That way, you get to eat something you want, but don't end up going overboard.

My trick is to plan all my meals, even snacks, the day before. I then don't need to do anything except eat what was planned - there's no coming home and needing to improvise a dinner. I stick to it pretty well.

desweds wrote: »

OMG I know the feeling! Can an old fart toss you out some thoughts that helped me?

Here's the biggie I needed to get into my head:
"This isn't a game. This is deadly serious. If I don't make getting in shape the ULTIMATE PRIORITY in my life I won't ever be healthy. Everything short of the health and safety of those around me is secondary. Family, friends, hobbies, habits, work will all take as much of a second place as possible."

Long before I lost a single pound I discovered there was a lot of work I had to do first. Literally hundreds of actions and attitudes needed to change before the scale started to tip my way. Oh sure, I could grit my teeth and drop a few pounds here and there but until I learned myself I could never keep it off.

Here's a few of my more important rules. I don't keep all of them as well as I'd like but I feel Im doing a pretty good job. Maybe they will speak to you.

1) I will log into MFP every day.
2) I will learn what it takes to log accurately and will do so.
(BTW, I think we all have the "I lie to myself and MFP" stage, don't sweat it - beat it).
3) I will read what people have to say and learn.
4) I will not let my biases, predispositions and ignorance prevent me from gaining knowledge
5) I will take the ideas that make the most sense to me and try them for myself, realizing that 95% of the advice I receive will probably not be right for me.
6) I will fail. A lot.
7) I will eventually triumph.

Just try doing my rule #1 for a week. Then add a rule.

I have a whole Self-control speech as well but based on my path I'm gambling that's probably not your first concern right now.

Just my 2 cents.

YES!!!! This is spot on!! Excellent wisdom!!

Excuse or not I know only one or two women who didn't gain weight after getting married or cohabited with a man. Many will say "Oh they let themselves go" but it's really about the change in lifestyle. Some men eat a lot, and most eat more than a woman needs.

Many times there is dinner every night, whereas when you're single you might just have a light snack if you weren't really hungry. There may be snacks in the house that you didn't have before. Any way you look at it living with someone after living alone is a big change. It can take some effort to find that new sweet spot where you incorporate new eating habits and weight control.

I was recently stuck in the same rut and beat myself up over it just as u are. Accept that you've gained the weight and take control back. It's a mind game. I hit my breaking point 2 days ago and literally looked myself in the mirror and said IM DONE. There are too many things in my life that I CANT control but I am in control of what I eat. Get rid of the bad stuff in the house and restock with healthy options. Ask your husband to join you and keep focusing on where u want to be because it will lead to a happier u.

You certainly aren't alone! Lots of people have trouble losing weight! It's really not an easy thing to do.

I think the first step is to LOG. Log everything!! Until you can do that, you're kind of kidding yourself and hiding the truth from yourself and while you hide, you cannot get the control back. So, start logging everything!