Struggling :(

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pandabeer76
pandabeer76 Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone, this is my first post. I've been struggling with weight loss. I lost about 30 lbs a little over a year ago and since then I've been slowly adding it back on. I've now gained about 20 lbs back and I'm so disappointed in myself. This past month I have made the resolution to lose 40+ lbs before the summer and so far I have not lost a pound. I've been waking up at 5 AM everyday doing Insanity and trying to keep my calorie intake between 1350 and 1400 but its difficult. The weekends are the toughest for me and I know that is what the problem is. Does anyone else work hard all week just to find that when the weekend comes it goes to waste because they have no self discipline? I want to be comfortable in my skin and I'm just not happy. I think it stings a bit more knowing that I've conquered my goal and let it go to waste.

If any one can offer any type of support, tips or anything I'd really appreciate it!!

Thanks for reading :)

Replies

  • kitten8u
    kitten8u Posts: 19 Member
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    yes, you may of put it back on, but you lost it in the first place and that proves you can do it again!
  • GemmaM_x
    GemmaM_x Posts: 324 Member
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    I get it. Weekends were always my downfall. I've worked around that by ensuring the first thing I do every weekend morning (after peeing and brushing my teeth) is work out.

    If I get that in early, it helps me all day as I don't want to undo my hard work.
  • Trish1c
    Trish1c Posts: 549 Member
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    I always gave myself the weekends off. For me that meant drinking alcohol -- lots of empty calories & no nutrition, not to mention the bad judgment that comes when you get drunk munchies. Sadly, weight loss (& for me nutrition) is something that you have to pay attention to.

    I also realized there was something to be said for my college model of drinking: I walked to the alcohol; I danced all night & I walked home so there was a bit of counter balance.

    I try to find filling things I enjoy. I keep low calorie treats around, especially fruit but I don't have a sugar problem. My favorite is Fiber One brownies. They taste like brownies but they are only 90 calories plus I get 5 g of fiber.

    Keeping busy helps me. Sitting around leads to stuffing my face.

    Keeping the bad stuff out of the house also helps.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
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    pandabeer76 wrote: »
    Hey everyone, this is my first post. I've been struggling with weight loss. I lost about 30 lbs a little over a year ago and since then I've been slowly adding it back on. I've now gained about 20 lbs back and I'm so disappointed in myself. This past month I have made the resolution to lose 40+ lbs before the summer and so far I have not lost a pound. I've been waking up at 5 AM everyday doing Insanity and trying to keep my calorie intake between 1350 and 1400 but its difficult. The weekends are the toughest for me and I know that is what the problem is. Does anyone else work hard all week just to find that when the weekend comes it goes to waste because they have no self discipline? I want to be comfortable in my skin and I'm just not happy. I think it stings a bit more knowing that I've conquered my goal and let it go to waste.

    If any one can offer any type of support, tips or anything I'd really appreciate it!!

    Thanks for reading :)

    Is it possible your weekly weight loss goal is too aggressive? If you change it to a more modest goal, it will of course take longer, but if your compliance is better you will come out ahead in the long run.
  • rs604
    rs604 Posts: 18 Member
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    Plan your weekend a head of time. Even if it's little things. Keeping busy helps me stay focused on my goals.
  • pandabeer76
    pandabeer76 Posts: 7 Member
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    I agree with all of your replies! I know that I can be much more active during the weekends, that's definitely something I'm going to work into my schedule. I've never thought of my weekends as a way to get an even better workout in because I'm so consumed at the idea that a rest day can only be a Saturday or Sunday! This is a great idea.

    I have to admit I do occasionally like to have a few drinks on the weekends but that does not excuse my lack of exercise or the fact that I am not eating healthy at the same time. I'd like to be able to be able to treat myself but in moderation so that my hard work does not go out the window.


    This was really helpful I'm glad I posted
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    My weekend workouts were born out of the desire and plain old need for BBQ and Beer on the weekends. The more calories I burn the less chance I fubar'd my goals for the previous week. It worked so well I just kept it up.
  • happysherri
    happysherri Posts: 1,360 Member
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    Get creative with your healthy meals! Pintrest is my friend, there are so many delicious healthy recipes out there. There are a lot of free fitness apps as well, utilize them, find one you enjoy and you will stick with it. Also as we all know, it takes time and there will be plateaus! Push through the difficult times and stay positive.
  • jodie5277
    jodie5277 Posts: 17 Member
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    yes weekends are the hardest... But i have found staying busy makes me forget that i want to eat bad.
  • szkodzt
    szkodzt Posts: 124 Member
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    I also agree that depending on how much you have to lose, that 40 lb by summer goal might be too aggressive. Maybe if you up your calories a bit each day you won't feel the need to go off track on the weekends.
  • CafeRacer808
    CafeRacer808 Posts: 2,396 Member
    edited January 2017
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    When I finally came to realization that I needed to lose weight, I made the decision of not going down the road of "cheat days", weekends off, etc. Weight loss is only one half of the equation. The other half is maintaining a healthy weight for the rest of your life. The way I look at it, the weight loss phase is the time during which I teach myself about portion control, moderation, etc. These are skills that will serve me well once I reach maintenance and will hopefully become lifelong habits by then.

    So, I treat this new lifestyle I've adopted as just that...a lifestyle. And in my view, you don't cheat on or take a break from your lifestyle, you just live it - everyday.

    That said, I do allow myself to eat at maintenance on holidays and special occasions, but those occasions aren't a weekly occurrence. If I go over maintenance on those days, I just log it and move on. We can't always be perfect, but we can always strive for it.
  • pandabeer76
    pandabeer76 Posts: 7 Member
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    I'm going to try to change my expectations, I may be setting myself up for failure as a few have mentioned. I do love trying new recipes and I do great all week it's really the weekends that are killers for me. It sounds like it's boiling down to my lack of meal and exercise planning for the weekend and my expectations being a bit unrealistic.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    without an open diary, all anyone can say is you are likely eating more than you think you are

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  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    edited January 2017
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    ^^ I don't think OP ever expressed confusion about why she isn't losing. She sounds pretty clear that she is struggling to stay on her plan on weekends and that is undoing her hard work during the week.

    OP, it sounds like you have a great attitude and I have no doubt you can figure out how to plan weekends and adjust weight loss expectations so you have a plan that is easier (and more realistic) to sustain. One thing that helps me (and this would be in addition to planning exercise, meals & fun activities to stay busy and enjoy yourself) is calorie banking -- eating 150 calories less M-F so I can have 750cal more on Sat&Sun. It gives me room to enjoy a few glasses of wine and a nice meal out with friends or fam.

    Good luck!
  • mgobluetx12
    mgobluetx12 Posts: 1,326 Member
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    I pre-log for the weekends and then stick to it. It often includes beer or nachos, but I have already logged it all, so I know when to stop. Don't undo all the hard work you're putting in during the week. Plan your weekends in advance as much as possible and you will find it easier to stick to your goal.
  • ActionAnnieJXN
    ActionAnnieJXN Posts: 116 Member
    edited January 2017
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    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »
    without an open diary, all anyone can say is you are likely eating more than you think you are

    Might want to review what the OP actually said.

    Anyway, lots of good suggestions here for you, OP. I especially like the idea of increasing your exercise on the weekends when you have more time. Just keep it simple and keep it rolling, it'll happen! :-)
  • LiminalAscendance
    LiminalAscendance Posts: 489 Member
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    I know exactly how you feel.

    The weekends for me are a time for reckless abandon. I get to have a brief reprieve from playing by the rules for the week. Excessive food consumption isn't my focus per se, but I certainly don't worry about what I eat or drink (and alcohol is definitely on the menu).

    I'm on a bulk now, so that doesn't currently present an issue. However, when I was losing, if someone told me to just "prelog" my meals for the weekend and stick to it (or, worse yet, become an exercise bulimic)...well, that wouldn't be sustainable for me.

    What I did was to pull a larger deficit through the week, which enabled me to have my cake and to eat it, also (no pun intended). Admittedly, this isn't for everyone, but it worked just fine for me. YMMV
  • pandabeer76
    pandabeer76 Posts: 7 Member
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    Thank you everyone! I'm planning to put myself to the test this weekend and focus on exercising more and finding healthy alternatives that will satisfy me and still stay within my calorie budget! I've lost the weight before and I know I can do it again and get to where I want to be!

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