How to keep on Track

I can relate. Last Friday I had planned a large lunch/cheat meal into my day...well, that turned into an entire cheat day, then a cheat weekend, then a cheat 4 day stretch. I'm getting back on track, but wow! It's so hard to stay focused with the food and so easy to fall off the wagon!
But, we can do it! :happy:

Becky

I think that the number one thing for you right now is that you have to stop beating yourself up! It's really a vicious cycle. You feel defeated, you eat poorly, you feel guilty, you kick yourself while you're down, you feel defeated, repeat cycle. I had to realize a couple of things (because I was in this cycle too). First of all, every second and every choice matters. You are one choice away from being "on track." Second of all, be kind to yourself! I'm a perfectionist and I'm MUCH harder on myself than I am on anyone else. Step out of your shoes, look at yourself for who you are, where you are, etc, and just forgive yourself. You are where you are, you did what you did, you can't change the past. You only have right now! Do something small to build your confidence up. Go eat a healthy snack, run up and down the stairs twice, do something little. Then add to that by doing something else. Realize that you ARE going to mess up. It happens, so plan for it. Decide ahead of time that you are going to forgive yourself WHEN you mess up. Then get up and keep moving forward. It might be two steps backward and one step forward, but just keep moving forward!! Hang in there!!!

P.S. As far as the late night snacking goes, remember that every choice matters. Choose to drink water instead, or choose a couple of celery sticks or some cucumbers.

we all find it easy to do some things, and more difficult to do others. but a couple factors also play in to the "struggle" --

are you being too soft on yourself? some people can self-discipline very well; others, not at all. and then there are those that fall in the middle. if you are completely, 100% serious about wanting a healthy lifestyle, then you have to quit being your best buddy and saying "it's ok"... and start being more drill instructor and get in your own face. nobody else can make you do it, nobody else will tell you to do it, and eating, just like any other habit, can be a day-by-day struggle, but it CAN BE DONE. and this goes for you!!! you CAN eat right every single day. you CAN make lifestyle changes that will affect you for the rest of your life, but you have to commit to it. if you feel you cannot stay at it 7 days a week, then give yourself some strict rules. make yourself eat healthy 6 days straight and on the 7th day, reward yourself with whatever you want for ONE MEAL. beer and wings, pizza, whatever it is, one meal as a reward for doing right all week long.

secondly, you can also help yourself by knowing what kind of situation you're getting into. if you're going to a get-together and you know the options will be "less-than-healthy", feed yourself something before you go and take it easy and as healthy as possible while you're there.

you can relearn your patterns, you can be healthier than you ever imagined, and we are all here to support you in that... but we can't get inside your heart, your mind, and your soul and make you want it bad enough to commit 100% to the lifestyle. only you can.... so will you??

i wish you all the best -- and hope that you do this for yourselves!!!

Hey

It's not easy, but you deserve to treat yourself well and to eat right and work out
All that aside, this is all such a mental game, IMO
I'm torn between allowing myself sweets (my downfall) in moderation or not having them at all...as sometimes having a bite turns into a binge
I know I eat when I am not hungry and I know I over eat at times for the wrong reason......I'm not a dumb person and u think this would be easy to figure out...but it's something i have to work on daily!

((HUGS))
You're not alone...we all deal with the same struggles and do the best we can
Kim

I know how daunting a task it can seem to "change your lifestyle". I was once there and every time I heard that, I would cringe, thinking it would be so hard and take so long. I was also so misinformed in things that I was constantly making the wrong choices while thinking I was doing the right thing.

It was finally getting to the root of my issues and educating myself that allowed me to see things in a new way. Also, don't put so much pressure on yourself. YES, it is important to hold yourself accountable, however..a lifestyle change isn't going to happen overnight and you can't expect your way of thinking to change overnight either. So give yourself a break. It's a process!

I personally think it's important to ease into it and take baby steps. Slowly make changes and learn new ways. Get the hang of something before moving on to something else. I started with just counting calories. Once I got the hang of that, I started to pay closer attention to where those calories were coming from and how my body responded to the food I ate. I started to realize that eating certain foods would keep me satisfied longer while others would leave me hungry in an hour.

One day I woke up and thought about why food is even here. To fuel us and nourish our bodies. That made me realize just how stupid I had been with food. I eat healthy and nourishing foods most of the time but I don't suffer. I eat very well!! I just learned a new way and truly enjoyed how my body felt with certain things compared to others.

Also, I had read in an article that one of the traits of "naturally thin" people is that they do go out and do enjoy fun foods and drink. The difference is they do it once in awhile. Not every day. And they get back on track the next day. It isn't one meal that made us gain weight or be unhealthy. It is allowing that one meal to become the norm. Realizing that it doesn't always have to be all or nothing was a big day for me!! I have enjoyed myself on holidays and birthdays and social outings...I am just smarter and don't view it as "the norm". MY norm is healthy eating, exercise and taking care of my body.

Treat your body well and it will reward you! :flowerforyou:

-Tam