Derailed :( Motivation please?

returningmyfatsuit
returningmyfatsuit Posts: 35 Member
edited October 31 in Motivation and Support
I've had a really bad... day? week? month?
I had a big slack where I stopped tracking and losing a month or two ago. I started back up and managed to get myself going! Christmas wasn't even hard...I lost a pound or two! :)

This last week between my birthday (CAKEEEE), the temperature dropping to -40, and some scheduling conflicts.. I have been over eating, getting no exercise, and I feel like a big failure. I have very little self control (cake, candy, cookies, ANYTHING SWEET REALLY). When I've eaten half a cake from safeway in the last 4 days and I feel like I've gained back 10 pounds in a week, I have a REALLY hard time motivating myself to "start over". Feel like a lost cause atm.

Is there any things that you have found to help you when you majorly dropped the ball? HELP!
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Replies

  • mumof5
    mumof5 Posts: 328 Member
    ohhhh....are you reading my mind?? this is just how i'm feeling after the christmas season. we have 8 weeks holiday over the season here so lots of friends drop in, lots of parties - its a very long season, i' a bad logger,when i do log i see the food i eat is mostly bad - feb is clean up mth - we did it before lets do it again!!! you know when you eat healthy and exercise you are less likley to have this slump so lets learn from our chrissy binges!!!! you can do it - back on track!
  • pinkdimonds
    pinkdimonds Posts: 3
    Oh god we're on the same boat! i'm trying so hard to figure out how to be back in the logging everything mode! but its soooo hard, specially when you lose interest. but i figured the only way to get back on track, is to start all over again, like in the beginning.. we gotta find motivation anywhere we can... and not beat ourselves up if we over eat once or twice.
  • returningmyfatsuit
    returningmyfatsuit Posts: 35 Member
    I agree with the starting over from the beginning. I feel like I have done this a lot lately. I'm running out of "start overs"!

    Need someone to take all my junk food away ;)
  • Hurricane_C
    Hurricane_C Posts: 806 Member
    If you're serious about getting rid of the junk food... just throw it away... I tend to binge on glazed doughnuts (omg... they're so good... especially after a bad night at work)... and I'll find myself just nomming away on them and then I feel disgusted and just throw the rest in the trash... I haven't done that in awhile (thank goodness)... but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and throw away the delicious treats....
  • dreambodin2011
    dreambodin2011 Posts: 166 Member
    be the 'someone' yourself and do a clean out of all the junk. Steer clear of it at the supermarkets from now on.
    I've been struggling too - just getting back into the swing of things - YOU CAN TOO! Come on! Remember this is a long term healthy lifestyle change....you can do it. Just do it! Be positive. Conjure up those empowering thoughts and they will become your actions and end in success.
  • psmd
    psmd Posts: 764 Member
    Remember things are not black or white, all or nothing....there's got to be some leeway in life and this is it for you...it's not a big deal to have setbacks here and there, overall you're doing really well it looks like ;)
  • Helenatrandom
    Helenatrandom Posts: 1,166 Member
    Forgive yourself, stat! I've dieted off and on for so many years.... If I had forgiven myself and started the next day fresh, I wouldn't be in the boat I am now. If I had a time machine, I'd go back about 20 years, smack myself in the head, and say "SO YOU'RE NOT PERFECT! WHO THE H-E- DOUBLE HOCKEY STICK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE THAT YOU EXPECT IT OF YOU! GET OVER YOURSELF AND FORGIVE YOU!"
    I don't have that time machine, so the best I can do is play the Jacob Marley and warn others.
    Forgive yourself!
    :flowerforyou:
  • livingaloha
    livingaloha Posts: 52
    I try to remind myself its not about perfection, its about my journey so I just have to pick myself back up and start forward again. The success of the journey is not in how perfectly you got there, but the strength you gained everytime you got back up. If it was about perfection I would have been done along time ago. Im beginning to learn when I try to be too perfect Im just setting myself up for a huge binge, trying to learn to love and forgive myself, and just keep going. Its not about all or nothing. I also like the person who shared about just throwing the junk food in the trash, it does work and kind of gives you a new start.
  • rebeccala25
    rebeccala25 Posts: 1
    1. Get back up. Yep, stuff happened, and that's in the past. What you can do/correct is today. Pick yourself back up, be gentle with yourself about the past, and know where you want to go from here.
    2. At least make the junk food harder to access. I get into trouble when the bag of potato chips is out on the counter and soooo accessible. Store it in the cupboard, and maybe next to the crockpot.
    3. I keep thinking of Michael Pollan's axiom - If you won't eat an apple, then you're not hungry. Mind you, I want lots of peanut butter with that apple, but yes.
    4. Drink your water. We can confuse thirst for hunger. Drink some water, eat a d&&n apple. Then, go for whatever you're jonesing for.
    5. You're fabulous.
  • MeechoXD
    MeechoXD Posts: 27
    I completely understand where you are coming from. I always overeat my allotted calories for the day and it's very hard to stay under for me. But you know what, just do your best! I have lost almost 40 pounds so far without feeling restricted. Remember, you're in this for the long haul(or ya should think about it that way). Even if you keep falling down, just think "Today I can do better." Keep yourself thinking about what today offers and what you can do today. Today is all that matters. Yesterday doesn't mean anything. So what if you ate several hundred or even 1k calories over? If you just keep doing your best today and tomorrow then those extra calories from before won't even matter.

    Also, if it takes you awhile to get back into a nice groove, just take it slowly. Change what you think you can do today and keep working on it. After all, it takes a long time to form new habits. And you definitely don't want to make this seem too overwhelming or frustrating or you might not stick with it or gain it all back when you're feeling like you succeeded (self-sabotage).

    I believe in you! <3
  • econut2000
    econut2000 Posts: 395 Member
    Be kind to yourself! We all eat junk food - the key is to not let one bad meal, day, week, month....get the best of us! Get back on the wagon and start tracking your food. I bet if you start writing it ALL down again it will make you realize what you are eating and give you a bit more motivation. Or pick something good to do for yourself - like make sure you get back to eating more fruits and veggies or if you enjoy exercising start doing that regularly. Usually for me if I start doing one good thing, it starts getting me more motivated to do the others! Good luck :flowerforyou:
  • returningmyfatsuit
    returningmyfatsuit Posts: 35 Member
    Wow! Thank you everyone for all your support and motivation :) It feels good, for sure.

    So, I actually don't really keep much junk food around. The downfall was I had 2 seperate people deliver me birthday cakes... o.o
    I'm pretty ok at keeping the junk out. But when it's here, I am terrible at control!

    I really don't get nearly enough exercise, but I'm working on it. I went from pretty much nothing to doing aqua fitness 3 times a week and it definitely helps. I feel more energetic. I want to incorporate more, but I'm ok with moving slow.

    I'm not /too/ hard on myself. I let myself splurge, I eat some junk. I'm not perfect. I never will be! But I want to be a healthier, stronger, leaner not perfect ;)
    I feel like if I let myself break some "healthy" rules and I try to add more healthy things into my diet without removing all the junk that I am used to (or maybe love, we will see...) then it will definitely be easier to maintain in the long term. That's what I'm looking for. It'd be great to lose 50lbs over night XD but I'm good with just slowly losing my rolls, and keeping it off for good!

    Anyways, thank you all so much. I really haven't posted or anything on here and it's nice to see how fast you have a bunch of other people in the same boat backing you up and telling you ITS OK :)
    <3
  • MeechoXD
    MeechoXD Posts: 27
    We got your back :D
  • TDGee
    TDGee Posts: 2,209 Member
    Just keep moving forward. Even two steps forward, one step back is forward progress. NEVER quit.
  • Nicolette1960
    Nicolette1960 Posts: 9
    FORGIVE AND FORGET: Don't beat yourself up if something tempts you beyond control.
    Try taking an honest look at the triggers leading you off track, and adopting an "I'm in control" attitude.
    Have an action plan handy, just in case you're tempted again.
    Above all, remember that by getting on a program that works, there's no need to worry or b discouraged.

    ONE SLIP UP/ONE WEEK OF SLIP UP'S DOESN'T WIPE OUT ALL YOUR GOOD EFFORTS AND INTENTIONS!

    OK, I copped this off a WW heat up meal I think.. Had to get it off my fridge. Hope it helps! Has helped me!
  • poisongirl6485
    poisongirl6485 Posts: 1,487 Member
    I could have written this! I am in need of a good kick in the pants in the worst way! I injured my tailbone back in November and it still isn't fully healed, so I'm still nursing it and am not 100%. I am eating okay and don't snack or eat junk, but am not losing either. I need to start back up with the elliptical or treadmill on break at work, but being exhausted doesn't help either. :(
  • kewwy1
    kewwy1 Posts: 41 Member
    It's all kind of just pushing yourself when you dont feel like doing it. Even if you don't feel like exercise once and you make some kind of deal with yourself to get it done. Then you feel fantastic afterwards and it goes on from there. :)
  • Munchi8175
    Munchi8175 Posts: 73 Member
    Try writing a letter to yourself in which you admit how you feel after this rough patch, state what your goals and your motivation for reaching them, and even lay down on paper a compromise with yourself. In this compromise you can lay out the guidelines that you won't budge on, and for areas of weakness, lay out a compromise.. (ie: I will permit myself to eat a doughnut every Friday morning, in exchange for a 45 minute walk or 30 mins of aerobic exercise.) This way you have already laid out some guidelines for yourself, and it's written down which for some reason makes it feel more like something you should stick to... Just an idea! Good luck!
  • nikeelee
    nikeelee Posts: 8
    When I drop the ball majorly...like I have the past couple days...what gets me back on track is coming to this site and getting support from others. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!! Friend me if you like :flowerforyou:
  • Starstell
    Starstell Posts: 22
    Ask yourself..what motivates you? You are obviously here on this site because you need motivation. Motivation is different for everyone. Are you ready to get back on and begin living healthier and feeling better? Think about what motivates...then take it from there. remember this your fitness is 100% mental. your body wont go where your mind doesnt push it.
    Good Luck!
  • eatlift
    eatlift Posts: 113
    "Stop waiting for the storm to pass, learn how to dance in the rain. " :)
  • mybeachpal
    mybeachpal Posts: 28 Member
    I am finding the book, 'Choose to Lose, - by Chris Powell - extremely inspiring. I found it quite by accident on Amazon.com. If you visit the Amazon website you can type in the book title, read a bit from it, and read the reviews. I am half-way into it....and it is truly amazing. It just could be the catalyst that you need, to empower yourself.
    (I'd be interested to learn if you find it helpful.) Good luck to you !!
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    I agree with the starting over from the beginning. I feel like I have done this a lot lately. I'm running out of "start overs"!

    Need someone to take all my junk food away ;)

    You know, the good thing is that you don't run out of "start overs". That's not to say it's good to have to start all over again every day, but as long as you are doing that, then you are making positive changes.

    My best suggestion is to identify small and achievable goals and work on them one at a time - eat a healthy breakfast for example, exercise for 15 mins each day, drink a cup of tea or coffee instead of a snack once a day.
    If you start some small things like this then you can experience success much sooner, and then it's easier to get motivated to keep going.
    If your goal is always "lose 40 pounds" then that is so big that's it hard to see or appreciate the progress you are making.

    Good luck1
  • sloanie1
    sloanie1 Posts: 276 Member
    Your not alone with this....everyone feels the same way when you fall off the wagon, the hardest part is getting back on track, I try to look at it like this, you can't undo what has happened BUT you can change things right here right now....just start small and remember why you started this...use this opportunity to learn from the experience and ask yourself how you fell back into old patterns? it's easy to do because it's so familiar to us, we feel comfortable eating bad food! take if from this food addict we all LOVE to eat!!!! relapse is part of the journey and it's the journey that matters not just the destination...xx
  • returningmyfatsuit
    returningmyfatsuit Posts: 35 Member
    I really wish I could "like" or vote up these posts. You guys are amazing!
    Back on the wagon today, then. :) Here we goooooooooooooooo
  • jram70
    jram70 Posts: 91 Member
    I have gained 9 lbs since December 1. I pretty much stopped logging during December until today. Really reduced the workouts, drank too much beer and ate awfully. The holidays make us all do that. I am not worried though because if I lost it before by logging, eating right and exercising I will lose it again and it will be easier this time because I know it works. Get back on your horse. Swimsuit weather is months off so there is plenty of time. You did it once you will do it again.
  • thepetiterunner
    thepetiterunner Posts: 1,238 Member
    I forgive myself. After that I look at today, this moment, and figure out what the healthy choice is for me now. I try to just focus on what's in front of me in the moment and not worry about anything else.
  • SouthernBeauty89
    SouthernBeauty89 Posts: 28
    Just get back on track & work hard! :flowerforyou: You got this!
  • princessjarvis
    princessjarvis Posts: 97
    You can do this....we all find it hard at times and getting back on the wagon after falling off and being ran over by it is the worst.

    Everyone on MFP will support you but you got to start believing in yourself! You have lost 18lbs to far and this is an awesome achievement.

    How about making this your last start over and we'll all help you make this time work?? :flowerforyou:
  • G30Grrl
    G30Grrl Posts: 377 Member
    A friend shared this with me yesterday. It's an article about how our problem often isn't lack of motivation, but rather, lack of follow-through. Here's the link:

    http://blogs.hbr.org/bregman/2012/01/your-problem-isnt-motivation.html?

    Also, I heard a quote on a movie recently that helps me. "There is no starting or stopping. There is only doing"

    I like that, because often after I mess up, I rationalize "starting over" at some later date (Monday is good, or maybe the first of the month....). But now, if I mess up, I don't say I am starting over. I just get up the next morning and ask myself : Am I going to DO this thing today or not?

    Answer: I'm DOING it.
    Now let's all do it together!
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