Getting back on track?

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For various reasons I've gone a couple of weeks without logging or paying attention to calories *or* how my body feels, and it's becoming a bad habit. I want to get back into good practices, but it's hard to interrupt this cycle now. Does anyone have advice for how to get back on track after messing up for a few weeks? (I also have this awful mentality of just throwing the day out whenever I mess up once or eat more than I want to/something high in calories/whatever, which I need to fix. If anyone's changed their patterns of thinking with that, please tell me how you did it.)

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  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    edited October 2015
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    You just got to do it!! Make it a habit to log everyday, good or bad. Rinse and repeat.
  • Artemiris
    Artemiris Posts: 189 Member
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    Probably the best thing to do is to act as if these two weeks haven't happened. Just go back to logging, as if nothing changed. Obviously you need to still want to lose weight and you need to feel determined again.
  • debubbie
    debubbie Posts: 767 Member
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    I am just ending cycle of not logging or exercising. I find that telling myself that I will start back on a certain date and doing it can work for me. Sometimes, it is more effective if I make a pact with a friend that we both are going to start on a certain day and building each other up during the process works well too. I hate feeling like I am letting someone else down and I like to tell myself that if I am not there to workout with my friend that they may quit too and do I really want to do that to them?

    Also, I keep a journal that has my stats from week to week or at least monthly to look at whenever I get discouraged. This helps me to get back on track because I can see how much weight and inches I have lost, as well as seeing how my fitness has increased over time. I try to focus more on fitness goals and eating accurate portion sizes than solely focusing on losing weight because if I am more accurate and not eating to excess I will lose weight.

    If you make a bad decision try to think of ways you can salvage the day to minimize the loss. For example, if I have a donut for breakfast then I will bypass a pop at dinner, possibly choose a salad for lunch, or walk an extra mile with my dogs in the evening. These things may not completely negate a bad food day, but it keeps it from completely ruining the effort that I have put in for my week. I try to look at my weekly totals more so than my daily totals unless I see a trend of overeating occurring and then I start buckling down and making substitutions where I can.

    Try to pick a couple of small easy changes to start with and once you are back in your groove start with the harder habits that you want to change.

    Good luck!
  • MarcyKirkton
    MarcyKirkton Posts: 507 Member
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    I find when I want to reach a goal but can't figure out where to start, I start by the easiest and most obvious step. I would reset my weight, adjust my calories and start logging today.

    The motivation comes for me once I'm into action.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
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    Fake it until you make it. Just start with logging, and don't be so hard on yourself when you eat something you don't feel fits within your goals (it's not a mess up). Remind yourself that it wasn't the best choice, and then think about why you made it and how to change it. I find that my poor choices happen when 1) I haven't planned properly (didn't make my lunch the night before), 2) I am stressed out and frustrated (seems to lead to an overall eff it attitude, including the food choices), and/or 3) boredom eating. So for me, plan ahead, stress management, and finding better things to keep my mind and hands busy are what helps to reduce those tough days.
  • mmnv79
    mmnv79 Posts: 538 Member
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    For various reasons I've gone a couple of weeks without logging or paying attention to calories *or* how my body feels, and it's becoming a bad habit. I want to get back into good practices, but it's hard to interrupt this cycle now. Does anyone have advice for how to get back on track after messing up for a few weeks? (I also have this awful mentality of just throwing the day out whenever I mess up once or eat more than I want to/something high in calories/whatever, which I need to fix. If anyone's changed their patterns of thinking with that, please tell me how you did it.)

    That's me! I need a bit of guidance as well. I only have 10-15 kilos to loose but I stopped logging because I feel down and find it difficult to stay motivated. I'm going to make a wee timetable tonight (for example, cycle 30 minutes x3 times a week, etc.) and I'm going to try to meet these small goals.
  • rhawfax1986
    rhawfax1986 Posts: 25 Member
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    I'm trying to get back on track tomorrow...did really well at 1500 calories for about 4 months then slipped up and started binge eating at night....which turned to just eating whatever i wanted at all times (bad idea!)....my advice drink lots of water of course...try to log everyday and be accountable but don't beat yourself up if you're over a bit for the day...and just do your best!
  • Jmgkamp
    Jmgkamp Posts: 278 Member
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    Don't think of it as "failure" or "throwing everything away," think of it as living life. If you are going to reach your goal weight AND stay there you will have periods of eating more, and periods of eating less. So this was a period of eating more. The end.

    I've lost 75 pounds and am 15-20 from my ultimate goal. This past weekend I ate more than normal (camping), gained 5 pounds (maybe 1 is legitimate, but the rest is water weight). Not freaking out, looking forward to tomorrow when I can resume my regular routine. I had a great weekend and ate some great food. Now back to work.

    Join me tomorrow in getting back on track.