Always on a Monday

Rigibann · July 2016

Every week I say 'that's it, I'm starting afresh on Monday' and then usually by Wednesday I have fallen by the wayside - in fact this week I didn't even make it until Monday evening!

Two years ago I actually lost 35 pounds and although still another 20 to go I was feeling good about myself. Being in my 'twilight' years losing weight definitely gets harder so after years of being on 'a diet' I was really pleased the way MFP was working for me. Then a devastating family issue happened and I put back on 21 pounds. Things are back in control within the family but I am not - I just cannot get that motivation going, which is like a spiralling downward circle.

I know it's like making excuses and trust me it doesn't make me feel better but I need help in getting me past those first two/ three weeks. Any other similar peeps out there to share views and tips?

Machka9 · July 2016

Start on a Tuesday.

No, really, I'm serious. That's what I did. I refused to start on a Monday because that's so cliche ... and there are usually leftovers from the weekend. So I started on a Tuesday.

After 16 weeks, I reached my first goal and took a 1-month diet break while deciding what to do next. When I decided to resume the diet, once again, I started on a Tuesday.

These days I'm maintaining, but in order to do so, I take a diet break on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. And I go back onto "the diet" on Tuesdays.

newereveryday · July 2016

I had to stop focusing on the scale. It was absolutely killing my motivation to be doing everything so much better and yet not seeing results (or worse, seeing the dreaded gain)!

Now, I look at all the signs that this is a true lifestyle change as my indicators of progress. Did I accept a smaller portion more easily? Did I say no to dessert? Did I check nutrition labels more consistently at the grocery store? Did I use less butter on my vegetables? Did I drink more water? Did I push past at least my first urge to stop whatever form of exercise I'm trying?

Making healthy habits second nature is every bit as important as getting the number on the scale to budge and/or sticking to your calorie or exercise goal. Try to set goals that are about changing your life, not just your weight, to help keep you focused and less frustrated with yourself and with the scale.

I can almost guarantee you're doing better than you think you are and you're just measuring success with the wrong ruler.

MostlyWater · July 2016

Can you go lower on certain days if you see that you go out or eat more on others?

Machka9 · July 2016

Also, don't make it more difficult than it needs to be. I'm not sure where you're going off track, but a couple of the things I did which, I think, contributed to my success were:

-- I decided that if I was going to limit the number of calories I consumed, I was going to eat only foods I liked. I was not going to waste my calories on anything I didn't like. So my diet is full of food I look forward to eating.

-- I decided I wasn't going to eliminate a food group or anything like that. So I eat bread, dairy, chocolate etc. etc. I don't go crazy with those things, but I haven't eliminated them. That makes things a lot easier because I don't feel deprived and I can interact with others in social situations.

kendahlj · July 2016

"I'm starting on Monday..." became a joke in my house. Ultimately you have to commit to your goals. You're not ready yet, but you'll get there! Something will click within you...

lorrpb · July 2016

You don't have to make it all or nothing, in or out. It's a journey, s process. If you make a wrong turn, you don't have to end your trip. You just make an adjustment, "recalculate", and get back on track and keep going. Stop creating all the start/stop drama and get on with it! If you want to do it, you can!

greatatboats · July 2016

Here's the thing, though - whether or- not you start on a Monday, Monday is going to come and then Tuesday and then suddenly the whole week has gone by. Even if you mess up, even if it's not perfect, I would think a Monday where you put some effort in (watched what you ate, maybe get some exercise in) is going to yield better results than a Monday where you say heck with it and eat whatever because you've already gone off the rails.

Honestly, I've been doing this for like 10 weeks at this point and it's not that bad at all. I'm still eating most of the foods I enjoyed, I'm just making smarter choices. What kills me, though? Look at my weight progress over the last three months:

Like not to completely pat myself on the back, but it's not bad? About twenty pounds in ten weeks, completely respectable!

...but then look at my weight chart since I signed up two years ago:

All that time kept passing, even though I didn't really do anything with it. That's about two years worth of Mondays, right there.

Rigibann · July 2016

Gosh thanks everyone, you have certainly given me some 'food for thought' - see what I did there ha ha. And yes, this is a journey, a journey for life and I have wasted much too long on yo-yo ing - it's never too late to commit.

Always on a Monday

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