Emotional Sabotage

Hmm I've never really heard of it like that. I'm the opposite. I work my butt off, and in my head I always think that I'm never going to make my goals. So I usually end up stressing about everything I eat and how much I burn.

I think, if anyone can sabotage us, it's our own selves. If there really are underlying problems you're dealing with, a therapist can only help the situation.

I am doing the same thing! I started at 240lbs, got down to 175, and since October (my husband had surgery, and my routines changed), I have gained 15 pounds. You would think with my pants being tight etc, I could motivate myself. Nope,,I still feel like Im out of control, and like you said, its not from lack of knowledge!!! I need to get back on track, and find myself wanting to give up at times!!! I have a masters in counseling degree, and am always trying to take a step back and look at myself......we could be in this boat together.....!

Could it be that working on weight loss is WORK and takes energy.... and you're tired?

Or that one of the reasons you got divorced was because you got smaller, and you now feel uncomfortable when you think about being smaller still? (Would it be a fair guess that you got accused of infidelity, incorrectly?)

Or that you're feeling (rationally or not) like you failed somehow because your marriage ended?

I honestly don't know, and you do NOT have to answer these questions in a public forum, just tossing out theories. Any one of these could be the underlying reason that you aren't getting back on the wagon. It could be something else entirely. But for some reason, your brain knows what's good for you and you aren't doing it. Which means that the real barrier is emotional, and the emotional brain is currently in the driver's seat.

My advice is the same as the first person to respond: consider therapy. Work on getting your emotional brain back into balance with your rational brain. (You can do this without therapy, but it's a lot harder.) Maintain your weight (stop the gain cycle) until you feel like you have the energy and motivation to get back to the work of losing.

And good luck!

Concentrate of the fact that your mental, emotional, and physical health are a huge part of being happy.

10% of life we cannot control, the other 90% completely depends on how we allow that 10% affect us - you are in complete control of that 90% and it is this 90% that will make you or break you. No matter what the circumstances, situations you can choose to face it with a good attitude and be successful for yourself.

I get really depressed at time, haven't for a while, but when I do - everything goes down the drain. My destressor of choice is fast fatty foods. I have found the joy of loving myself as noone in this world can - by taking care of myself.

I suffered from this, and the only thing that managed to pull me out...well I had to do it. Food is a very BIG part of our lives, and many people wont admit that it becomes a comfort at some point. So when stress hits, it's easy to just grab whatever is at hand (regardless of if it's healthy or not) and chow down to make the hurt go away. Kick starting yourself has to be done by you, unfortunately there's nothing anyone can say that will make you do better, because words are words and can easily be blocked and/or twisted. But, you know what the problem is, all you have to do now is put one foot in front of the other and proceed with fixing it.

You have ALL the power to fix it on your own! But buddies have helped me a lot a lot a lot in terms of getting going. I started swimming with a friend and it kickstarted my motivation, and now I've found a few others to go with. It helps me tenfold to have people who I confirm plans with, because I'm a person who absolutely hates canceling plans I've made with friends. So! I'm sure you've heard that before, but it might help a little.

I self sabotage as well. I think I am afraid of succeeding at this part of my life. What happens next when I lose those last 15 to 20 pounds? Also, I look at my parents marriage and my dad had several affairs. I know there is a fear in me that if I look that much better that I might make some of the same choices he did- which ruined my family as a kid. I know this is inside my head, but now I am determined to lose the last part. I keep telling myself that I am not him, hoping to discontinue this self sabotaging behavior. I really think a lot of us that struggle with it are afraid of the "what now" issue. Good luck. We can do this. It is important to take care of ourselves on the inside. I am so sorry to hear about the issues you are facing. Hang in there.