Trying to find motivation and ideas!

HaoKaren
HaoKaren Posts: 19 Member
in Motivation and Support
I started losing some weight last year around the same time. I was about 50 lbs over weight and I lost about 20 in 4 months. Ever since then I stopped losing that much weight, managed to stick with MFP and work out and lost about another 5 lbs, but gained all 5 lbs back in the last few months.

Logic tells me that I need to lose weight for my health, to look good, and to feel better day in and day out, but I can't seem to stop over eating and eating healthy. I stopped going to the gym regularly and now I'm kinda just baffled by my own actions!

Please share if you have similar experiences or have some advice! Thank you!

Replies

  • MsAmandaNJ
    MsAmandaNJ Posts: 1,248 Member
    Why did you stop going to the gym?
  • jadorade91
    jadorade91 Posts: 119 Member
    I have totally had that experience...over and over again for a few years until now. I lost 30 pounds back in 2012 and felt great! But over the last few years I kept saying "life is short" and overate&drank how I wanted (often) instead of doing it in moderation. Now I've gained it all back and am finally at the point where enough is enough, time to develop some lifelong habits that help me lose the weight and keep it off.

    Overeating is a hard habit to break. It's comforting. It feels great at the time. And it's hard to argue with that "But i WANT it" voice at the time you're craving whatever it is lol. BUT you CAN break the habit, even if it takes a while to fully break it. Every time you are able to stop yourself before you eat excessively, congratulate yourself! Be proud of yourself. Really feel that victory. Slowly you'll reinforce yourself enough to where it becomes natural to eat in moderation and know when to stop.

    For some people, completely cutting out the foods they overeat with is what helps them. Maybe that would help you. For me, I can't--it just causes me to binge eat after a few days/weeks of avoiding it. I've just practiced over and over how to only have a few chips/a few bites of ice cream, and just really SAVOR the flavor of it. Then I got to enjoy it but I don't have the guilt/discomfort of having enjoyed too much.

    And every now and then you'll overeat--but if you make it a habit to not overeat the majority of the time, you can easily make up for those few times you overeat.

    I ramble; sorry for the novel :)
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    I hear ya!

    You refer to the "logic" that tells you to lose weight for your health, but then being "baffled" by your "actions.

    Actions aren't necessarily guided by logic-- (at least mine aren't!) They're *informed* by logic, but *guided* by emotion, inspiration, intuition, and intentionality. "Knowing" isn't the same as "doing" and when I recognized that what I *DID* had more effect on my weight than what I *KNEW* about it ever had.

    Yoda was right: "Do or do not, there is no try."
  • HaoKaren
    HaoKaren Posts: 19 Member
    MsAmandaNJ wrote: »
    Why did you stop going to the gym?

    Honestly besides feeling lazy, it's also circumstantial. I went on a 2 week vacation and didn't work out while on the trip. When I came back I had a week long jet lag and my period came after (gave me bad cramps). Weeks turned into a month...
  • Sira125
    Sira125 Posts: 152 Member
    I've been reading Rewire. A strong theme is that when you do anything you then make it easier to do that thing again. Like wearing a path in the ground. It really resonated for me and I find myself thinking "do I want to make it easier to do this next time?". It is so easy to listen to the idea that it is just once and once won't hurt. But for me the idea that each choice starts making a path you are more likely to follow in the future is helping me make better choices.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,322 Member
    edited October 2016
    You have to have the conversation with yourself. That conversation where you take responsibility for your actions and stop acting like a victim of food and circumstance.

    You know what to do. Get your butt back to the gym and start eating right.. you'll drop the other 20. You did the first just fine. It is 100 percent up to you.

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