[Elladorine]

I'm feeling it right now, and I need to stop it before it turns into a real problem.

I was doing great with my new plan until last week, when my weekly weigh-in stated I'd gained. I know fluctuations are normal and that if anyone else complained about the same thing, I'd tell them it's not a big deal and that things are fine as long as the overall trend is going downward. I told myself not to cry over that piddly little gain (only 3/4 of a pound!) and to carry on. After all, it was following five whole weeks of losses. Sigh . . . I feel I've actually gained this week and it's bothering me that I can't officially weigh in (no TOPS meeting tonight). Yeah, I've got scales at home but they're not accurate enough for anything beyond a ballpark figure so I won't be officially weighing in again until next week.

Things struck me weird yesterday and I got the munchies really bad for the first time since restarting my healthier eating. I had no-sugar-added ice cream, 1/2 a serving of thin triscuits with one laughing cow wedge, six dark chocolate mint M&M's, and an extra serving of chicken chiletti (a whole wheat pasta/chili creation) . . . all on top of my normal plan. So unlike me since I started this plan, and I wonder if I'm in the early stages of being pregnant or something (been actively trying but it's way too early to test).

And today, I'm on day 45 of my plan, and still have the munchies. I feel more in control today, I swear. Well, except for those 19 M&M's, a whole serving of those triscuits, and two laughing cow wedges. The triscuits are gone now but I'm wondering if I need to throw out those M&M's before they do any real damage. Funny, but I've been keeping them in the pantry for weeks and have only occasionally grabbed three per day as an on-plan treat. Once again, I'm wondering if I'm pregnant, but come to think of it, I started exercising yesterday. Nothing major, as I'm very much a beginner all over again. But I did Sweatin' to the Oldies yesterday and a brisk walk, and today did ten minutes of beginner's Salsa and another brisk walk with a very short bit of jogging, so maybe that's why I've been extra hungry?

I really do feel like I'm whining over absolutely nothing. I know weight loss isn't linear and that there will be stumbles along the way, but I'm slightly nervous since I'm so near my typical plateau zone of 250, which has always been hard for me to break. I'm not happy about these weird hunger cravings and even less happy that I've caved into them (although admittedly not nearly as bad as I have in the past). I should be happy that I've recently lost half of the 20-ish pounds I regained late last year, but I guess I'm anxious to be back to that low point so I can work beyond it and actually feel like I'm making progress again. I'm just afraid with the overall way I've been feeling this past week in addition to possibly gaining more this week will make me just give up. And I don't want to give up.

I think I'm looking more to vent and even reassure myself than wanting to get advice, but that won't hurt either. I just need to get through this coming week in one piece somehow, assess where I'm at, and keep moving forward. The mindset I've been doing my best to carry is that I'm eating healthy to feel healthy, that I need to provide good stuff for my body in order to have more energy and feel better overall. I'm not sure where my mind is today, but the last thing I want to do is let myself fall off the wagon again.

Sorry for the rant. Sometimes I think it's been bothering me that I've been stuck at the halfway point of my weight loss goal for over two years now. I know I'm much better off than I was when I was 100+ pounds heavier, but it's been so long that it's difficult to see/remember/feel the difference from then to where I'm at now.

[swissy]

The scales and trigger foods were making me fall off the wagon because they were wrecking my mental energy, focus and how I felt, they made me feel bad.
I still weight but not as much and try not to take it so seriously, and now I will still eat junk sometimes but certain foods I have an emotional attachment to I just can't have because I won't be able to stop craving them.

[twinieten]

I've got some big time munchies and craving issues as well, my problem is going back about 3 months now. I'm finally back on track with food, but still struggling to keep a deficit. I'm hungry!!

I wonder if our bodies accept the weight loss at first, and then revolts when it realizes fat cells are emptying and not filling back up. I've heard it said that the body will struggle to keep fat cells full until forced to break them down. It seems to make sense because sometimes it seems like the hardest cravings come several weeks or months in to weight loss, and often cycle. You do fine and then you don't, then you do and then you don't......

I'm trying really hard now to focus on the overall calories because I'm not losing. I haven't gained more, but I'm not ready for maintenance yet.

I guess the best you can do is take it one day at a time. Try to fight the cravings. Drink water. Eat an apple. Exercise. The longer you can fight it, the easier it will be. So I'm told.

[Elladorine]

Originally Posted by swissy

The scales and trigger foods were making me fall off the wagon because they were wrecking my mental energy, focus and how I felt, they made me feel bad.
I still weight but not as much and try not to take it so seriously, and now I will still eat junk sometimes but certain foods I have an emotional attachment to I just can't have because I won't be able to stop craving them.

I'm really hoping I can learn to live with having trigger foods in the house, in addition to dealing with them in other every-day settings. Some days are better than others. I guess what bothered me was knowing that I was doing so well for all these weeks and then BAM.

Originally Posted by twinieten

I've got some big time munchies and craving issues as well, my problem is going back about 3 months now. I'm finally back on track with food, but still struggling to keep a deficit. I'm hungry!!

I wonder if our bodies accept the weight loss at first, and then revolts when it realizes fat cells are emptying and not filling back up. I've heard it said that the body will struggle to keep fat cells full until forced to break them down. It seems to make sense because sometimes it seems like the hardest cravings come several weeks or months in to weight loss, and often cycle. You do fine and then you don't, then you do and then you don't......

I'm trying really hard now to focus on the overall calories because I'm not losing. I haven't gained more, but I'm not ready for maintenance yet.

I guess the best you can do is take it one day at a time. Try to fight the cravings. Drink water. Eat an apple. Exercise. The longer you can fight it, the easier it will be. So I'm told.

Maybe you're right about our bodies! That might explain why I practically had a meltdown in the past couple of days. I'm feeling remarkably better and back on track again today with absolutely no reason. I'm sure there has to be some sort of cycling going on, as in the past I think those kinds of days would have just made me give up.

But thanks guys! Like I said I'm suddenly feeling a lot better.