I'm watching myself fall off the wagon...

LATeagno · March 2012

...and it's awful.

I don't know what to do. I've somehow lost the fire that kept me going for a year. I've lost my honesty with others, but more importantly, I've lost it with myself. I'm full of excuses. I've only gained a few pounds back, but i'm bound to gain it all back if I don't stop.

I started a new job last month and I sit. All day. Like-- ALL day. I don't really have the option of walking around. I can stand, but that's about it. I'm eating like crap. My low carb diet has turned into one filled with chips, cake and bread. I haven't fallen off so badly that I've headed to McDonald's or eaten a Blizzard or anything like that, but it's on the way if I don't stop now. I'm officially scared. I feel like I've forgotten how to do this.

Anyone else feel this way? I'm starting to feel my old habits sink back in. I don't know what to do. I know it's within me somewhere, but where do i find it? I was in a plateau for six months and then i just gave up one day. I kind of said, "well, this isn't working, so fu** it."

Where can I get my motivation back?

fatgirlslove · March 2012

Don't give up...remember how badly you want this!

honestlysweet · March 2012

Go to the success story threads on here and look at them. Say to yourself, "that will be me some day! I will post my before and after and be so proud!

Take a picture of yourself, front, side and back. This way, in a month when you feel yourself slipping again, you can take another picture and study them side by side and see a real visual of your success the past month.

Take your measurements. Retake them every week. Do not worry as much about the scale, as it fluctuates and can be very frustrating. Just take measurements and photos.

This one is the most important. Get a gym membership. Catch them when they have a good deal going on for new members. Go early in the morning, before dawn. I know, you are not a morning person, but force yourself. Because I PROMISE that if you do, you will get used to going in the mornings and you will cherish this time as your "me" time. At least, that's what happened to me. A few months ago, I was fat and lazy and hated myself and ate too much. I forced myself to the gym and after a few weeks, I started to feel amazing, to the point where if I didn't get my early morning workout, I felt like crap all day. It is addictive and it will help with your food cravings and you will look leaner sooner.

Get out of your funk. I know starting a new job is hard and stressful, but don't fall into those old habits because you will feel so terrible if you gain your weight back. I may be just a random internet person with no face, but remember that all of us random internet people are real humans going through the same thing you are. We are real.

Don't ignore my advice. It will work. It really will. Good luck, I know you can do this!

Jenph20 · March 2012

Hey! support can be hard to find. I have a ladies only support group on FB if you would like to join. Send me a msg!! we would love to have you!

Beezil · March 2012

You need to get a lot more pissed at yourself, stop making excuses, suck it up, and force your way back into a routine. This happened to me about a month or so ago and I had to do the same thing. It's very easy to give up and say yes to temptation, what is not so easy is coming back from a full on down spiral. Think about how long it took to lose the weight and get into a routine. Do you really want to do all that again?

luvtrails · March 2012

Get moving...kick in those endorphens (sp?) Celebrate little successes. It is not all or nothing!

Cal28 · March 2012

I've somehow lost the fire that kept me going

I started a new job last month

Anyone else feel this way? I'm starting to feel my old habits sink back in.

Where can I get my motivation back?

I could have written this. I seem to be all or nothing, I went from enthusiastically going 6 days a week to the gym and now I can only make two (due to new job) and I find it a real struggle to go at all. The less I exercise the less I can be bothered too. Soo frustrating, just want to shout at myself to sort my act out but really bleugh... x

dwtimeoutt · March 2012

Do you watch "The Biggest Loser". I've been watching it all season while they have gone through the excuses. I honestly believed I didn't fall into the group of people who made excuses. Then I had emergency surgery to get my gallbladder out. I met the dietician while in the hospital. I made up a few excuses about weight loss but most importantly told her "I could try". I went home for three weeks and tried and did lose 2.5 lbs but knew I could lose more. So last Monday she was trying everything she could to get me to commit to exercising. I came up with one excuse after another as to why I couldn't go for a walk. Too much wind, it rains a lot, too cold etc. At the end of the conversation she looked me in the eye and said, "so what are you going to do for exercise". She wouldn't let me escape the question. Finally it dawned on me that I have a treadmill. I see that thing every day. So I said, I can do the treadmill but..........it is so boring. She still didn't let me go. She wanted to know if I could watch TV or talk on my cell. I finally agreed I will call my daughter at treadmill time daily if I cannot go on a walk. So even though I just joined on Tuesday, I have kept me commitment and not made excuses which included getting on that darn thing at 9:45 pm tonight. So what I'm saying is, if you hold yourself accountable and commit, you can do it. It is hard. Rely on people here to offer you support. Pack your lunches. Shop for food on your days off. Know what you are going to cook each night. Make it simple on work days. Move whenever possible. Do housework during commercials. Just don't let the stress of backsliding set you back too far. You can do this. Find that part of you that craved the success and make it happen. Many of us are here for you. Friend me if you need encouragement. Denise

zoodalia · March 2012

I lost 14 pounds, and gained 24 back before I finally realised I was so uncomfortable with the way I felt I had to get back into it (I've lost about 12 again so far)... you'll keep going until you reach the point of no more. There's no point me saying 'you can do it', 'go on, I believe in you etc', it's about you and the choice you'll make. You'll do it when you're ready.

Good luck:)

prettytothinkso · March 2012

I lost 21 pounds and was a third of the way to my goal and Christmas happened. What? I have a weakness for ham! I told myself that I'd get back 'on the wagon' in the New Year like it was some magical thing. But I didn't. And I gained half that weight back. If you've only gained a few pounds back so far, count yourself lucky. You posting this is a wake up call. You WANT to keep losing weight. You get breaks at work. Have you thought about what you could do during breaks, or even stealthily during work? Like squats and lunges. Jumping jacks. Bring healthy lunches. Get addicted to MFP (it helps keep me honest), look at the success stories, see how others push through these tough times and believe you can do it too, because YOU are worth it.

FionaAnne22 · March 2012

the fact that you are aware you are falling off the wagon, and had the guts to post about it rather than just let it happen is a huge step, believe me!

You need to start at the beginning again, starting a new job will have thrown everything up in the air with your routine, you just need to accept that and start over.

Concentrate on drinking enough water, getting enough fruit and veg, and doing some exercise to begin with...if it was me I wouldnt even overly worry about calories, I would just go back to basics. You can do this! I know you can, so good luck

starblazing · March 2012

take it one meal at a time. next meal is breakfast. pick the good choice for breakfast. then lunch. pick a healthy choice for lunch. just one meal at a time. and i feel you about sitting at my desk, i have 12 hour shifts. i get up and walk around the perimeter of the hospital on my breaks. it can be done. one step at a time.

MakingAChoice · March 2012

Excuses are just a way to lie to yourself. So you sit all day, do you work 24 hours a day? No you don't, so stop making excuses and get off your *kitten*. I am not going to sugar coat this. You know you 'falling off the wagon' hell I have been there too, but I did not lie to myself or others about it. I used it to shame myself back on track. Make a plan and stick with it, if you fail to plan then you plan to fail. I have never failed at anything in my life and I do not plan on starting now. So suck it up and get back on track. You know you want to, you will feel better too (a big motivator for me).

Mammoth1234 · March 2012

I'm doing the same thing... And what's worse, at my new job every other woman is blonde and practically anorexic. No offence to blondes. Instead of motivating me it just makes me feel like there's no point in trying, because I'm never going to look as good as them! I find myself thinking "Perhaps I could just be the 'quirky chubby one' and be happy with my role", but lets be honest, I'd rather look good. If you find out a good way to motivate yourself let me know!

I'm on my way to the gym now actually, I do find reading these message boards helps because you see everyone else who's managing it, and you're like, MAN UP, if they can all do it why can't I?!

Hope it gets better soon! xxx

musclefat2k · March 2012

The thing about falling off the wagon is that you can always just get back up and start pushing again. It's your process and nobody can judge your how or when. Just START! EVEN IF ITS EVERYDAY! As long as you continue to JUST START, then your always a step closer.....

quelquun · March 2012

I am in the same boat. I was really pumped when I first started on this site. I had lost 15 lbs. Then the holidays happened, and up to this day I've gained back around 8 lbs of that. I'm pretty bummed out. My downfall is the food. I know how to eat healthy. I know what works for me, gives me energy, but I just can't seem to muster up the self-discipline to limit myself.

I started seeing a personal trainer, hoping that I could get a little more motivation... but now I'm discouraged because I'm not getting motivated!

pumalama · March 2012

Every time I feel overwhelmed or negative I take one thing at the time and concentrate on doing it very well. Often we look too far ahead and we panic. We forget that large goals are made of smaller ones and even these smaller ones can be decomposed into much smaller tasks. It is important to make lists of objectives, prioritized tasks and a plan of action. Once you are in control again you will start to feel better.

Find a goal for today, only one, and determine what tasks you need to do to achieve it. Write lists because the satisfaction of crossing items from them is a real positive boost! On some days I count how many tasks I do and I write the number on my calendar. After a few days I always feel good to see that I have done 40 or 50 tasks! This is mostly at work but i apply the same methods for personal and health goals.

When you start working on your tasks and reach some goals, you will start feeling better. It will also take you a while to get adapted to your new job too but you will get through your bad phase because you are seeking solutions right now.

A good book that could help you if you feel low is "Feeling Good, the new mood therapy" by David D Burns. It has chapters for everybody in it.

AnneMK5 · March 2012

I'm in the same boat and it sunk! From Jan to Aug last year I lost 60 pounds and since December I have put 30 back on. I did the same as you... watched myself fall off the wagon... telling myself the whole time that I should not be eating these foods and I did it anyway. I'm very very ashamed of myself. I've been struggling to get my self discipline going again.
DON'T let yourself do what I've done! It's not a good feeling.

kaypers1 · March 2012

The stress of a new job might be making you gain too. I find that 5-6g of fish oil/day helps with mood or depression. Keep supplementing and eat yummy fruits! Good luck!

foxbat2828 · March 2012

One thing that I did that keeps me motivated, even when I stall out, is a picture that my cardiac surgeon took of my heart showing my heart before and after my stents were put in last year. In the before, the whole bottom part of my heart is grey from where there's no blood getting to it and the after picture looks like an interstate highway map once the blood flow returned after the stents. Those pictures sit on my fridge and remind me daily why I do what I'm doing and is a constant reminder not just to skip over the bad stuff when I go to the fridge, but also a reminder when I don't want to go to the gym, when I say I "deserve" to go off of my health plan, when I get frustrated, etc. My stents recently clogged and I had to have open-heart bypass surgery, so I'm looking forward to getting those pictures from the doc so I have a second set of motivating pics.

Find a pic that motivates you and prominently display it on the fridge, in the car, on your dresser; everywhere you'll see it and remember. Could be a pic of where you were and where you don't want to return to. Could be a recent pic that shows how far you've come. A target pic that shows where you want to be, etc. Whatever it is that motivates you. I know that people often look toward others for that support and it's good to have others in your corner, but ultimately, the person that's going to make this happen for you is YOU ... so you've got to put those things in place that help you support and motivate you.

k2charmed4u · March 2012

I can so relate to this. I was going strong for almost 2 years (and lost 56lbs) and then back in January 2011 it kind of stopped. I'd just started a relationship with my now husband and I put all my time and energy in to the relationship and enjoyed being pampered and eating out etc. Since then i've put on about 30+ lbs! It's got to the stage where I keep saying to myself "I can't go back to way I was, I can't" but I can't seem to get back into the habits I had.
I had completely different eating habits then (as in) I didn't buy crisps. biscuits, chocolate etc Also I never had a freezer in my flat so I bought weekly which made me watch what I was eating more and planned my meals better. But living with my husband and his 17 year old if we don't buy these things we get a very pissed off teenager and it's not worth the hastle.
The Summer weather is coming so I hope it will spur me on to lose weight again and keep it off.

I'm watching myself fall off the wagon...

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