I got back from my photo-shoot and trip - I had lost some weight in preparation- and since then I have been eating like a mad person - seemingly my body wants to gain everything back I lost - I haven't been able to stop the hunger. All the stresses - starting teaching, sick mother, etc - start piling back on - but I also got the taste again of junk food and I QUIT MY FOOD DIARY - which I know was lethal.
So I am going to start again - I don't want to get all the way back up again. Fortunately, exercise is not difficult - I like to do that to some degree, so I keep on with that pretty much.
So HOW do you keep yourself from getting the taste of junk, and then, like an addict, plunging full force back into your horrible habits? I fear that I will never be able to keep any weight off at this rate. Even when I lost 90 pounds once, after four years I started in again because of stresses and it was back again and more.
Welcome back!!
I don't know if I have the solution, since I am still in the middle of this, but will give some advice.
1. Get all junk food out of the house!! Restock it with healthy snacks, fruit , yogurt, Kashi TlC bars.
2. Do not buy something you know that you will eat more than one of, example, I just tasted a sample of Kashi chewy cookie, it was fantastic, but if I had these in the house I would eat the whole package,so I would never buy this.
3. Maybe you can do somethinge else when you feel the urge to eat. The other afternoon, I felt like going in the kitchen and eating and eating, so instead I grabbed the keys and took a 20 minute walk. When I came back I wasn't hungry anymore.
4. Don't give up. You did the best thing coming back here and admitting it.
I know it is hard, but it is possible
cheryl
As trite as it may sound, it's the realization that it will ALWAYS be a struggle that I think will make the difference for me this time. I had always hoped that I would fall into a good eating pattern, lose the weight, and then just always eat that way. Not so. There's just too much temptation and convenience associated with eating what will make me fat(ter). And though many days are much easier than the first day I started losing the weight, I have days that are much harder as well. So, I am committing to struggling for the rest of my life because I can't face the alternative. It's great that you've rejoined the struggle. That's the key, I think. It's not about being perfect or never slipping up - it's about recommitting after you've made the mistakes. And here you are, doing just that. You got this, and you've got us here to help make sure you keep it!
That's the key isn't it? To find a way to bounce back when we stumble. I wish I had a better answer than just to do it. Get back on the wagon doing all the things that you know work and your mind and emotions will follow your brain eventually. I think you just need a little success under your belt and the spark will return. You know what to do. Now just force yourself to do it. It'll get easier after a few weeks and the junk food is out of your system. Hang in there!
I used to be a big stress eater. When things got frantic or just too much too handle, I headed for the fridge. I finally figured out that when the whole world is going nuts around me, the only things I actually can control are the way I eat and whether I exercise. No outside force can make me make a poor decision. I just refuse to do it. It gives me a sense of calm that I wouldn't feel otherwise.
I would say first things first - start journaling your food again. It's absolutely key for me to be faithful with my food journal if I'm to stay OP. Then, you're just going to have to do it.
I went on a bit of a hiatus when I got back from vacation and came here when I didn't want to get back OP. The best thing someone said to me was "what's the alternative?" I can either stay off plan and gain all of this weight back or get on plan whether I "feel like it" or not and keep going in the right direction. I chose to put on my big girl panties and do what I know I needed to do, even though it wasn't what I wanted to do.
You can do it! You can get back on plan and start losing again. Keep on keeping on!
I am printing out these responses so I can reread them until they are firmly in my head- What a great amount of help you all have been. No one else, but someone who has been there can really give advice that means anything. Every one of you has given wonderful input - THANKS!!!
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