Ways We Sabotage Our Success

mpkpbk2015 · February 2021

Lets talk about how we sabotage our success, I have identified 10 on my journey. I wrote about them in my blog and your welcome to read the details at the link but I will just list them here for discussion purposes.
1 - Good All day - but eat bad things at the end of the day
2 - Good all week but cheat on the weekends
3- Unable to delay food gratification
4- Not feeling Worthy of losing weight
5- Old habits of eating can't break
6- Fear of success
7- Not watching liquid calories
8-Snacking inappropriately
9-Skipping meals
10-not drinking enough water
How have these or others effected your ability to reach your goal or maintain your goal weight.

https://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/mpkpbk2015/view?id=ways-we-self-sabotage-our-success-989030

wunderkindking · February 2021

Over-restriction and trying to change my entire diet was my biggest self-sabotage. I decided to toss everything I liked that was 'bad' and eat a bunch of 'good' food I didn't much like, instead.

Yeah, that didn't work.

At all.

Oh, and forcing myself to eat breakfast. If I eat breakfast I eat the same thing but I'm not hungry in the morning and solid food usually makes me feel vaguely ill. WHY was I wasting calories on it?

mpkpbk2015 · February 2021

wunderkindking wrote: »

Over-restriction and trying to change my entire diet was my biggest self-sabotage. I decided to toss everything I liked that was 'bad' and eat a bunch of 'good' food I didn't much like, instead.

Yeah, that didn't work.

At all.

Oh, and forcing myself to eat breakfast. If I eat breakfast I eat the same thing but I'm not hungry in the morning and solid food usually makes me feel vaguely ill. WHY was I wasting calories on it?

Yea I am not a breakfast eater either , so I drink a protein shake so I have a meal without eating a meal but getting my protein. And trying to change everything at once is a big one for a lot of people, me to but it wasn't in my top ten. I probably had enough to write a book. thanks for sharing. Hugs.

Sand_TIger · February 2021

Oh this is an amazing topic. I have a few to add...

Not taking note of our issues in the past but still expecting them to just go away
Loosening up on logging
Getting in a "good, bad" mindset in the first place
Rewarding ourselves with food
When we hit a roadbump, quitting instead of starting again
Lowing weight for unhealthy reasons
Shorting ourselves on sleep
Not having a plan
Not setting new habits to replace the unhealthy ones

Nice thread!

Arralethe · February 2021

Working really hard and losing a good chunk of weight, but instead of maintaining when the *kitten* hits the fan, throwing my hard work and progress away, eating poorly and gaining it all back with interest!

*sighs heavily*

Jacq_qui · February 2021

Not getting enough sleep.
Not managing stress levels.
Still thinking of food as a way to manage emotions.

Two of those have been easier to fix than the other!

mpkpbk2015 · February 2021

Jacq_qui wrote: »

Not getting enough sleep.
Not managing stress levels.
Still thinking of food as a way to manage emotions.

Two of those have been easier to fix than the other!

Two out of three I say is a win in my book - congrats to you. I wish you much success with the one your still working on. Take care.

mpkpbk2015 · February 2021

Arralethe wrote: »

Working really hard and losing a good chunk of weight, but instead of maintaining when the *kitten* hits the fan, throwing my hard work and progress away, eating poorly and gaining it all back with interest!

*sighs heavily*

We are all on a journey my friend, so hang in there and do what you can when you can. and just keep moving forward. Take care and be kind to yourself.

tindavione · February 2021

Self sabotage...I am new on here but not new to this subject! How about adding "using food as a emotion regulator" ..anger , fear frustration, they all look better after a coke and chocolate bar "fix" ( that doesn't end up fixing anything in the long run I know !) ..or how about "too tired to cook " so eat out ( or the newest one was Hello Fresh..thought it would help..nope! Anyone got suggestions for simple meal planning strategies..?? I am soooo done with with roller coaster ride!

mpkpbk2015 · February 2021

Sand_TIger wrote: »

Oh this is an amazing topic. I have a few to add...

Not taking note of our issues in the past but still expecting them to just go away
Loosening up on logging
Getting in a "good, bad" mindset in the first place
Rewarding ourselves with food
When we hit a roadbump, quitting instead of starting again
Lowing weight for unhealthy reasons
Shorting ourselves on sleep
Not having a plan
Not setting new habits to replace the unhealthy ones

Nice thread!

Wow Sand Tiger you are awesome, what insight thanks for sharing. Really appreciate the input. We are all on the journey together and the more we learn the easier we can make the journey for each other. Knowledge is power and power can move mountains. Have a great week my friend.

Sand_TIger · March 2021

mpkpbk2015 wrote: »

Wow Sand Tiger you are awesome, what insight thanks for sharing. Really appreciate the input. We are all on the journey together and the more we learn the easier we can make the journey for each other. Knowledge is power and power can move mountains. Have a great week my friend.

Thank you!

I started this journey with a lot of self reflection and due to the wisdom of lots of fellow MFPers, have learned a lot. Always happy to share. Have an amazing week too!

walk4today · March 2021

Celebrating a weight loss with overeating.
Setting unrealistic deadlines for losing a certain number of pounds (eg. 50 lbs by May 1st)
Not recognizing that your body loses weight at a different pace than those of other people.

mpkpbk2015 · March 2021

walk4today wrote: »

Celebrating a weight loss with overeating.
Setting unrealistic deadlines for losing a certain number of pounds (eg. 50 lbs by May 1st)
Not recognizing that your body loses weight at a different pace than those of other people.

Your number one is a big one, it always struck me as ironic when I looked back at myself - I had a big lost and what do I do I go out and eat to celebrate and then gain some of it back. So I totally relate. Have a great week and thanks for sharing.

mpkpbk2015 · March 2021

Sand_TIger wrote: »

mpkpbk2015 wrote: »

Wow Sand Tiger you are awesome, what insight thanks for sharing. Really appreciate the input. We are all on the journey together and the more we learn the easier we can make the journey for each other. Knowledge is power and power can move mountains. Have a great week my friend.

Thank you! I started this journey with a lot of self reflection and due to the wisdom of lots of fellow MFPers, have learned a lot. Always happy to share. Have an amazing week too!

You are so welcome. take care.💖💖💖

mpkpbk2015 · March 2021

tindavione wrote: »

Self sabotage...I am new on here but not new to this subject! How about adding "using food as a emotion regulator" ..anger , fear frustration, they all look better after a coke and chocolate bar "fix" ( that doesn't end up fixing anything in the long run I know !) ..or how about "too tired to cook " so eat out ( or the newest one was Hello Fresh..thought it would help..nope! Anyone got suggestions for simple meal planning strategies..?? I am soooo done with with roller coaster ride!

You read my mind I plan my blogs out by the week and that's on the agenda for this week. I can't off the top of my head remember which day I am writing about it. But it's coming. Thanks for sharing and have a great week.

gionrogado · March 2021

stopped counting calories and weighing the week i reached my goal weight. did not stop lifting, but ate anything and everything like before. started to notice my pants tightening again. i weighed myself after a month, was already 5kg heavier, and looked a little softer. went back to calorie counting, now back at my goal weight

TendaiMa · March 2021

Awesome thread, thanks for sharing...great insights and I just needed to be reminded. We all know our "personal sabotage" tactics and we just need to remind ourselves about why we started the journey!

CameronWhittaker · March 2021

I have done 5 months of really clean eating and regular exercise and my results have been amazing (50kg loss), but since hitting the 5-month park I have been struggling.

Not fully blowing up calorie-wise and I have been logging fairly accurately. But just giving into temptation, I set myself hard rules like No chocolate, No lollies, No chippies, and No takeaways. I have been bending these rules a lot, little bits of lollies, chocolate, and chippies. and I have had takeaways a few times.

It's stupid because the small amount of chocolate I have eaten isn't even an issue calorie-wise.. but breaking my rules feels like a huge defeat after going 5 months with none.

Even today I kept under my calories, and most of my food was fine. But I had a bacon & egg McMuffin, I shouldn't have had that and it feels like a defeat even though iv kept it under my goal.

I haven't fully broken and bought a block of chocolate or a bag of chips but I feel like that slide is coming.

spyro88 · March 2021

Emotional eating is the big one for me.

However I prefer to try not to see it as "sabotage" because that for me frames it in a very negative way and makes it feel like my behaviour is bad or lacking, which only increases my descent down the spiral to failure and depression. Sabotage also makes it sounds very deliberate, when in reality, it is anything but. Nobody means to destroy their efforts at becoming more healthy.

Emotional eating is a coping mechanism which isn't healthy, but it is a coping mechanism and, in the moment, it does make me feel better. That's why it's so powerful.

It will take a lifetime's work and persistence to keep on top of it and I think I will always struggle at least a little bit. But what is important to me is to simply say "whoops!" and then get straight back onto the wagon once it's happened. Being kind to myself.

And that is where the progress lies - not in beating myself up for doing it - but in immediately resuming my usual habits and not guilt-tripping myself about it, not even making a big deal out of it, but just accepting myself. It's hard work, but I hope I'll get closer to it eventually!

callsitlikeiseeit · March 2021

Having been on here almost a decade at this point, I think the most common 'self-sabotage' I notice is the over-restriction of foods or food groups. This can be in the form of specific 'diets' - be it keto or low carb, or meal replacement shakes (or... whatever), or in the belief that (for example) all sweets are 'bad' and therefore off-limits. Or that carbs make you fat, or that 'whatever' is bad for you and will prevent you from losing weight.

We all have our demons and our battles, we all face different challenges, but if I had to narrow it down to a generic 'one item' that I see over and over again, that would be it. Oftentimes binging or even purposely 'cheating' (which is a term I hate) at night, on the weekends, whatever your vice is, is a product of over-restriction.

I know personally, that when I tried to eliminate foods that I perceived to be 'off limits' that I would inevitably binge on them and then feel guilt, and then give up, and then restart, and it can be a vicious cycle. One that far too many fall into. Once I gave up the idea of 'off limits' and instead focused on 'earning my food', my mindset changed. Yes, I can (and do) have cookies and sweets and eat out. Anyone can look at my diary and see that. I lost over 100 pounds eating them. I make room for them. If I am over a bit, its okay. not the end of the world. As long as I am under maintenance (for me, about 1800 before exercise), its all okay. And even when i have the random day or days where I am over a bit, its still okay. I dont have my deficit set so low that I can not fit in the foods I want, in an average day. I may lose at a lower rate at times, but life, and food, is so much more enjoyable, and I have developed good habits for life.

What I personally have to be careful about, is self-soothing with food (using food as a coping mechanism). For me, my 'bedtime cookies' can very quickly become a coping mechanism for my depression and anxiety. I will purposely go through periods where I do not buy (my favorites), to keep my mind in check, and prevent me from being ABLE to binge on 10 oreos instead of 3 (for example).

katie8032 · March 2021

tindavione wrote: »

Self sabotage...I am new on here but not new to this subject! How about adding "using food as a emotion regulator" ..anger , fear frustration, they all look better after a coke and chocolate bar "fix" ( that doesn't end up fixing anything in the long run I know !) ..or how about "too tired to cook " so eat out ( or the newest one was Hello Fresh..thought it would help..nope! Anyone got suggestions for simple meal planning strategies..?? I am soooo done with with roller coaster ride!

I made a binder with all the meals our family loves and print out a calendar for the month to put in the front. I pencil in meals throughout the month, knowing I can erase and rearrange as needed. But it helps take the guess work out of meal planning.
For breakfast, lunch, and snacks, I am trying something new and made a word document where I listed some of the snacks, breakfasts, and lunch that I like, with fat, calories,and protein listed for each. That way, I dont have to think about it, I just choose one of those.
Simplifying the decision process is important for me.
Obviously there will be days where I cant choose from my list, because I'm not eating at home, etc. But most days I think this will work.
Hope that helps!

springlering62 · March 2021

Not starting.

Excuses.

Lack of self control.

Easy availability of easy calories.

“I’ll start as soon as all the goodies in the house are gone”. They were never gone.

“It’s new! I have to try it!” (That one is still a problem.)

“I’m going to force feed myself chocolate until I’m so sick of it I’ll never touch it again.” Never reached that limit.

“I’ll start tomorrow.” Tomorrow was never the perfect day.

Even now, there are certain foods I can’t have in the house because I will eat every last crumb. Witness a trip to IKEA last week. I ate almost a whole “flat” of those crispy chocolate oatmeal cookies in an afternoon. At a 100 calories a pop. And why? They aren’t even that good.

I often let my husband do the grocery shopping now. He comes home with what’s on the list and his own snacks, which I won’t bother.

tuckerrj · March 2021

CameronWhittaker wrote: »

I have done 5 months of really clean eating and regular exercise and my results have been amazing (50kg loss), but since hitting the 5-month park I have been struggling.

Not fully blowing up calorie-wise and I have been logging fairly accurately. But just giving into temptation, I set myself hard rules like No chocolate, No lollies, No chippies, and No takeaways. I have been bending these rules a lot, little bits of lollies, chocolate, and chippies. and I have had takeaways a few times.

It's stupid because the small amount of chocolate I have eaten isn't even an issue calorie-wise.. but breaking my rules feels like a huge defeat after going 5 months with none.

Even today I kept under my calories, and most of my food was fine. But I had a bacon & egg McMuffin, I shouldn't have had that and it feels like a defeat even though iv kept it under my goal.

I haven't fully broken and bought a block of chocolate or a bag of chips but I feel like that slide is coming.

Having lost so much weight in such a short time, many dietitians and lipidologists/physiologists have recommended a "MAINTENANCE" phase in your weight lost efforts. Anywhere from 2/3 as long to the whole length of your diet so far (5 months) you would eat at maintenance, trying not to gain or lose any significant amount of weight. The increase in calories, which may only be 300 - 500 per day in some cases, will help reduce "diet fatigue" and prepare you for your next push into further weight loss. Dr. Mike Isratel, Dr. James Hoffman & Dr. Spencer Nadolsky have done extensive research into this phenomenon.

eromligyppah · March 2021

For me it's 6- fear of success that leads me to question myself, say I'm not good enough or deserve to be fit how I want to be, or people will just make fun of me anyways so why bother. Then that leads to the eating of junk and snacking when I don't need to be. Did it this weekend, I try to end the cycle but it sure is difficult. I am doing better than I use to be since I don't have 1 specific person taring me down all the time is helpful, but the struggle remains.

Sand_TIger · March 2021

Oh - I almost forgot this one - I've done it a lot, too!

A person can do a lot of prep work, like research, notes, analysis, meal planning etc, and it can give a person the false sense that they did something significant to achieve their goal. It gives that satisfied feeling while being just prep work and no actual progress toward the goal. Then that can make a person slack off and not do the actual work needed because they already feel like they did something about it.

Two quick examples I've done:

In the past I've blogged and written a lot about a weight loss plan and it has given me such a sense of satisfaction that I've not done as much with my actual plan.

In the past I've started out on a book idea and spent so long talking about it to people that I never wrote more than the third chapter.

This is able to be overcome, obviously, but it's definitely a way it's possible to self sabotage. The key is to make sure plans are carried out!

judefit1 · March 2021

Here's 10 that I know have sabotaged me since adolescence:

1. Evening grazing
2. Not taking time to prepare a daytime meal and "grabbing" something unhealthy
3. Excusing the fact that it's "easy" to lose that 15lbs anytime (it isn't)
4. Oh, today was rough- I'll start tomorrow
5. Food as comfort when stressed or sad
6. Food as filler when bored or tired
7. Seeing myself as "too"- too fat, too thin, too old... I need to just "see myself" as I am.
8. My great, self-disciplined partner, who's always been in shape, can eat what he likes-and likes food a lot!
9. Loving to bake and to cook as relaxation
10. A false idea of what "healthy eating" is. Remembering to make wise choices, even when rushed.

This is a great way to remember what "counts"- I'm writing these on a piece of paper by my refrig!

am00r · March 2021

I figured out that all of my success sabotaging issues is related to my mindset.

All or Nothing when cheating -losing weight - Muscles..etc,
I want it fast, and right now,
Emotional eating, specially when in H.A.L.T state,
Want it to be an easy ride,
Not comfortable of being Hungry,
Lake of Patient, Persistence, Consistency,
yeah, almost forget, and not having a strong WHY for losing weight...

these kind of staff...

ClearNotCloudyMind · March 2021

Great thread! My thoughts...

1. Seeing a goal weight as THE all-encompassing goal. When I was focused on that, I was eating too little (impatient) and feeling like a failure when it didn't all happen at once, or if my weight didn't fall in a week.
2. Not listening to my body re food. Eating should feel good, not bad! When I eat right then it tastes lovely, my body feels better and I look forwards to my meals. If at any point that stops, I'm not eating right and need to sort it out.
3. Not listening to my body re exercise. Exercise should also feel good! If I'm suffering days of crippling DOMS, making excuses to avoid exercising, or finding it painful, maybe it's not as beneficial as it should be and I need to find an alternative.
4. Forgetting to appreciate how much better life is now. Since I dropped the idea of a goal weight, it's all been about my body becoming a nicer place to live in. There are always going to be things I'm working for - maybe a new yoga pose, running faster or even hitting the next kg down on the scale. However I don't think I'm ever going to arrive at the point where I say "I'm done". So I need to enjoy NOW and keep living the life that makes tomorrow even better.

mpkpbk2015 · March 2021

gionrogado wrote: »

stopped counting calories and weighing the week i reached my goal weight. did not stop lifting, but ate anything and everything like before. started to notice my pants tightening again. i weighed myself after a month, was already 5kg heavier, and looked a little softer. went back to calorie counting, now back at my goal weight

I just got to goal and that's why I started blogging because I have failed so many times and came close and did just like you stopped and started over. This time I am facing all these behaviors head on. Thanks for sharing we are all in it together. Have a great week. congrats on getting back to goal.

mpkpbk2015 · March 2021

TendaiMa wrote: »

Awesome thread, thanks for sharing...great insights and I just needed to be reminded. We all know our "personal sabotage" tactics and we just need to remind ourselves about why we started the journey!

Thanks Tendaima I think we all need to be reminded and I need to keep it in front of myself constantly to stay focused and on track. Have a great week.

adadoran · March 2021

CameronWhittaker wrote: »

I have done 5 months of really clean eating and regular exercise and my results have been amazing (50kg loss), but since hitting the 5-month park I have been struggling.

Not fully blowing up calorie-wise and I have been logging fairly accurately. But just giving into temptation, I set myself hard rules like No chocolate, No lollies, No chippies, and No takeaways. I have been bending these rules a lot, little bits of lollies, chocolate, and chippies. and I have had takeaways a few times.

It's stupid because the small amount of chocolate I have eaten isn't even an issue calorie-wise.. but breaking my rules feels like a huge defeat after going 5 months with none.

Even today I kept under my calories, and most of my food was fine. But I had a bacon & egg McMuffin, I shouldn't have had that and it feels like a defeat even though iv kept it under my goal.

I haven't fully broken and bought a block of chocolate or a bag of chips but I feel like that slide is coming.

Cameron, your post, and some of the others, are so familiar. I just finished 5 months, and did well. But I'm still at war with myself. 92% of my being wants to stuff my face with fats, sugars and carbs. Its an addiction at least as hard to break as drugs and alcohol. One difference, however, is you can't go cold turkey with food. We have to keep eating. We just have to learn to do it intelligently. Try telling a drug addict or alcoholic to do that. "You can still have alcohol or drugs, just do it in moderation". That never works. But here we are having to try to do it with our addiction.

I don't have any particular wisdom to share. I just want to encourage you to resist and stay as disciplined as you can. That's what I'm trying to do. I have a long way to go, and if I get there, I know it will be one of the greatest challenges of my life not to eat my way back to a horribly unhealthy weight. But I really don't have much choice now. I'm not young anymore, and I simply cannot afford another yo-yo or two. Good luck. Stay strong. And remember, while its extraordinarily difficult, its still a choice you make.

Ways We Sabotage Our Success

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