Okay so I was doing a wonderful job counting calories (approx 1200-1400/day), keeping a food journal and exercising 4-5 days a week. Felt wonderful, lost about 15 pounds, looked good. Then life got in the way.

For at least the last month I have been ignoring my healthy living lifestyle with the excuse that it's summer. You know... eat, drink, be merry. And I made the mistake of getting on the scale yesterday knowing that I was PMS bloated it wasn't my usual time and what do i read? 182. So regardless of what factors would have increased my weight, 12 pounds is not a temporary gain. I can see anything up to 6 as reasonable and not necessarily freak out time but 12? oh man. I feel cushy and clothes are getting tighter. That means freak out time for sure.

SO I have committed myself TODAY that I will get back on plan both food and activity. After reading through 3FC I feel the motivation bubbling and wanted to know what other people out there do to really get them back into the swing of things. Any feel good ideas?

Hmm.. When I get off track, I give myself a time limit. If it is really bad and I'm binging, I will tell myself, "Okay, fine, you went off track, it isn't the end of the world. Relax and enjoy the taste of the food and prepare yourself to get back on track soon because more than anything, you want to lose weight! But for the moment, don't worry about it.."
I don't know why but it really works for me. It is like, I allow myself to eat guilt-free knowing I will be on track in a day or two. It makes me stop binging too, because sometimes binging comes from feeling guilty... But when I accept at the moment that I'm going to eat stuff I want to eat, but I KNOW I will get on track, it becomes easier because I go into the diet with a positive mindset rather than going into it already feeling guilty and low about myself.
If I need extra motivation, I will get a nice long look at myself, and then tell myself that it is very possible to be smaller and it is within my control and reach. I know sometimes it is depressing to really look at yourself and sometimes we avoid it and instead eat... if you face yourself KNOWING you are going to lose weight, it is great motivation, it is exciting for me actually. I start to envision the size I want to be, the clothes I want to wear, and instead of beating myself up for not being at that side, I get excited because I know that I CAN achieve that ideal, and it becomes sort of a project.

For me, it's a combination of factors, but mostly, I do some seriously tough workouts. There's something about working out like crazy that makes me focus on what I'm doing and makes me realize how much I want this. Good luck

I tried to post this, but it went away! Anyway, I said that for me, a tough workout is the thing that gets me back on track. As much as I don't feel like doing it, a good workout makes me focus on my goal and it makes me realize how hard I'm willing to work to reach my goal...regardless of what the season is!

When it's happened to me, I just sort of sigh, accept it, and then get myself back on track.

Of course I feel disappointed in myself, and I'm not happy about having to lose the same weight again, but I know that if I do nothing about it now then more will come back.

Part of me always wants to just throw in the towel and say "The **** with it! I give up!" That's the part of me that would love to go back to being a lazy couch potato who sometimes orders two drinks with her fast food so they wouldn't know all that food was just for her alone.

So, I have to beat that inner lazy chick into submission, gag her, and stuff her into a closet at the back of my brain! Yeah, she escapes sometimes, and we duke it out, but I always end up winning in the end!



So, I can't really say I have any great tips, other than just go back to what was working before as soon as possible. Accept that you messed up, and now deal with it before it gets any worse. (I'm sorry if that sounds harsh--I don't mean it that way).

Thanks all! I'm a tryin'. I've done well for the last 2 days (woo hoo!).

2 days down, infinite number to go. It's a start!

Guess it really is as simple as just get back on the wagon and do what I did before.'

btw, apple cheeks: "So, I have to beat that inner lazy chick into submission, gag her, and stuff her into a closet at the back of my brain! Yeah, she escapes sometimes, and we duke it out, but I always end up winning in the end! "

Sounds violent. I like it! gotta teach that chicky a lesson not to come back. And no you weren't too harsh.

Usually when I wander off the reservation, it's due to eating out and drinking, so that's where I start trimming the fat, so to speak. The next big thing is getting into a workout routine, which can be really hard, but I just make myself do it. Then, without eating out, my food falls into place because I eat well at home anyway (even though going out is sooo much fun!). Then, I utilize the people around me, which includes 2 things:

1. Get DF on board. If I even mention wanting something off-plan, he will jump right on board! I have to tell him that he is to refuse any and all requests

2. Find a workout buddy. Usually, I know someone who wants to buddy up on workouts. I'm lucky because a good friend of mine is very gung-ho right now, which I need in these last few weeks before my wedding

I'm coming back from the same thing, so I hear ya bigtime...

I was down 47 pounds... then I got lazy... then my husband had surgery and has been whining for bad food... then I tried THREE times to get back on track and just kept being lazy (ordering out... and wasting a TON of money and calories)

I get on the scale wednesday and I'm only down 30 pounds. 17 pounds of hard work GONE.

And I was just so disgusted that I decided it's OVER. As much as the food was delicious... at NO POINT did I feel as good as I did standing on the scale for the past punch of months and seeing a smaller and smaller number....

I'm not going to hit my 100 pound goal in one year now... I know that... but that doesn't mean I'm going to QUIT. I've still lost 30 pounds... I keep saying that to myself--- "You''ve still lost THIRTY! Don't let it shrink anymore... keep going, you can do it like you did before"

I'm just not happy fat and stuffing my face. I know that... so I'm not going to let myself stuff my face, be fat, or be unhappy any longer.

well, I...
- re-read my list of reasons why I want to lose weight,
- make new plans of attack to battle the laziness; tables and diagrams of plans and records work for me *control freak*, but just to feel that you've only lose the battle not the war is great
- suck it up, have a long bath and sleep early, tomorrow will be a better day. visualize it if you'd like, how you'd eat well, drink your water and exercise.

these are great responses. They are helping me too get over a 'slump' Thanks