So three, almost four years ago, I lost a massive amount of weight (30+ pounds)...and now I have gained most of it back which is making me super depressed
A large part of this weight gain, I attribute to being a newly wed and pursuing my career. Nesting, lack of time, "happy weight", stress, and the comfort food that comes with it.
But instead of moping, I'm doing something about it. Instead of the crazy stuff I have tried the past couple of years (paleo, gluten-free, etc. - it might work for some people but not for me), I'm going to my old standby of calorie counting and exercising.
Fortunately, I have been exercising for the last half of 2014 and feel great even with the extra weight. I can run a 5k everyday and complete it great time so I am proud of myself for that.
But it is my diet and calorie consumption that is crazy. I will binge on the weekends, usually with alcohol and junk food and then control it during the week. And some weeks, the binging will continue into Monday and start on Friday. As we all know, that does not make weight loss possible.
Does anyone have any tips or tricks on how to not sabotage yourself during the weekend? When you go out with friends how do you deal with the pressure to drink alcohol? It was increasing my alcohol intake that started this weight gain so I really want to control it.
Anybody else experience this and conquered it? Any guidance would be appreciated!
i have been on Optifast for the past two weeks. So I am only having shakes and soup everyday. I gave up alcohol about 6 months ago except for special occassions. When I would go out and they'd say have a drink, i'd just get water and tell them that i can't feel like crap and go to the gym in the morning. my priority was my body and my health. now that i'm on liquids i have to pass up on all the good food around and they still offer it but i say no for the greater good of my body and my health.
you gotta find what motivates you not to partake in those things.
I'm new here so take my advice with a grain of salt.
I am not calorie counting (really stresses me out), but I have no snacks and only 3 meals with no sweets during the week. On weekends, I relax a bit. I have some snacks. I eat sweet things with my meals. At first, I totally binged and ate everything in sight that I was not allowed during the week. And I would spend the entire week trying to lose what I gained on the weekend. Not good!
What changed for me is that I started not feeling well. After eating pretty healthy during the week -- sticking with mainly home cooked meals, fruits and veggies and limiting portions to a single plate -- I couldn't eat the same junk in the "amounts" I was trying to eat on the weekend without really suffering. Massive stomach ache, headache, digestive issues, etc. So I had to limit. I've found that I can have my treats but not in such massive quantities. And if I limit to those quantities, I also don't gain any weight on the weekends when my diet is more free.
A typical Saturday or Sunday might look like this:
breakfast -- piece of toast, couple slices of bacon, starbucks mocha (which I don't have during the week)
lunch -- leftover meatloaf, veggie, couple chocolate chip cookies,
dinner -- go out. maybe steak, potato, salad, ice cream.
maybe a couple pieces of candy for a snack
If I'm really starting to feel full -- on the verge of uncomfortable, I stop eating. I've learned I will pay if I don't, especially when eating sugary things.
So three, almost four years ago, I lost a massive amount of weight (30+ pounds)...and now I have gained most of it back which is making me super depressed
A large part of this weight gain, I attribute to being a newly wed and pursuing my career. Nesting, lack of time, "happy weight", stress, and the comfort food that comes with it.
But instead of moping, I'm doing something about it. Instead of the crazy stuff I have tried the past couple of years (paleo, gluten-free, etc. - it might work for some people but not for me), I'm going to my old standby of calorie counting and exercising.
Fortunately, I have been exercising for the last half of 2014 and feel great even with the extra weight. I can run a 5k everyday and complete it great time so I am proud of myself for that.
But it is my diet and calorie consumption that is crazy. I will binge on the weekends, usually with alcohol and junk food and then control it during the week. And some weeks, the binging will continue into Monday and start on Friday. As we all know, that does not make weight loss possible.
Does anyone have any tips or tricks on how to not sabotage yourself during the weekend? When you go out with friends how do you deal with the pressure to drink alcohol? It was increasing my alcohol intake that started this weight gain so I really want to control it.
Anybody else experience this and conquered it? Any guidance would be appreciated!
I haven't conquered it yet, but I can commiserate with you. I had always been the chubby, but athletic kid. When I got to college, I joined their varsity sports team. Between senior year and September, I lost 30 lbs. By senior year of college, I lost 20 more. The last year and a half of law school through Christmas, I put all of it back on. Sucks. But we can do it! What's nice is that we know how to, and we won't let this happen again. Best of luck to you, you are not alone!!!
Hi there! My tips are based on how supportive your friends are, as well as your own personal willpower. A few of these have worked for me, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to suggest it!
Are your friends or whoever you go out with aware that you're attempting to lose weight? If so, I don't think they should make you feel pressured into drinking. (And if they are pressuring you, maybe you just need to have a light talk with them to reaffirm that you're serious about losing the weight.) However, if you find that in social situations, drinking and junk food MUST be involved...you MAAAY want to consider going out less often. Other tips that might help would be to study menus at home and decide on meals before going out and just allowing yourself to have a couple of drinks on one night.
Since you stated you're a calorie counter, another possible tip is that if you set yourself an allotted amount of calories per day and you don't hit that, maybe you can use the extra as a little "wiggle room" on the weekends? I mean it's not the healthiest idea in the world, but it does keep you within your weekly calorie range and you're able to freely use the calories in any way you please. I've never personally tried this because calorie counting just made me too insane and mentally I'd just see each new day as a new day, gave myself very little wiggle room, and then would cave in at the end. Now I just limit sugar intake and I feel a lot less deprived or crazy.
I guess ultimately, it's just about following a plan or idea that you feel most comfortable in! Best wishes in whatever plan you go with!
Offer to drive, I would never pressure a girlfriend in that situation. Or I'll have one glass of wine when I go out and then switch the club sodas with lime. A little white lie is okay too if they ask you what you're drinking, it's a "vodka soda"
For me it is remembering that food and alcohol do not necessarily have to mean fun. I used to do the same thing when I was on WW (be good during the week and binge on the weekends) and it always led to me gaining everything back. I am on a much stricter diet this time around and have started to realize that food is not worth it. If I am out on the weekends I allow myself a drink or two, a couple bites of something unhealthy, and then order something that I don't feel guilty eating/drinking (diet soda, sparkling water w/ lemon, a nice large salad). It was really hard for about 2-3 months, but I stuck with it and now it is so much easier to say no! It is nice not feeling like food controls me.
I also agree with talking to friends. It can be uncomfortable, but ultimately people who care about you want you to succeed. I find my friends are not only supportive, but are even encouraged to start eating better themselves now that they are seeing my dedication and success.
It is not an easy problem to fix (I would know) so good luck and if at first you don't succeed, let it go and try again.
For me it is remembering that food and alcohol do not necessarily have to mean fun. I used to do the same thing when I was on WW (be good during the week and binge on the weekends) and it always led to me gaining everything back. I am on a much stricter diet this time around and have started to realize that food is not worth it. If I am out on the weekends I allow myself a drink or two, a couple bites of something unhealthy, and then order something that I don't feel guilty eating/drinking (diet soda, sparkling water w/ lemon, a nice large salad). It was really hard for about 2-3 months, but I stuck with it and now it is so much easier to say no! It is nice not feeling like food controls me.
I also agree with talking to friends. It can be uncomfortable, but ultimately people who care about you want you to succeed. I find my friends are not only supportive, but are even encouraged to start eating better themselves now that they are seeing my dedication and success.
It is not an easy problem to fix (I would know) so good luck and if at first you don't succeed, let it go and try again.
Everyone, this weekend was a great success! No coffee or alcohol. We were visiting my in-laws and they made great food and took us out to eat. So what I did was just count the calories; and didn't eat certain things and limited sauces/dressings. and it went great! I lost a little bit and have officially lost a pound since starting this new "diet" last week.
I think you've already cleared your first hurdle: recognizing how you sabotage yourself and seeking help to stop it.
My biggest tips would be to stay home, at least for a few months. You don't need to be completely anti social, but instead of dinner with friends, maybe opt for a mani pedi, a walk around the mall, or going to a movie (hint: buy your tickets online so you bypass all the lines and can walk right by the snacks!)
If going out to eat is unavoidable, try to eat off a lower calorie menu if available, drink only water and take home half your food. Opt for salad instead of soup and if you want dessert don't indulge in bread and/or appetizers.
I think that if you keep it in the forefront of your mind that you need to be more aware because it's the weekend, that may help you.
Offer to drive, I would never pressure a girlfriend in that situation. Or I'll have one glass of wine when I go out and then switch the club sodas with lime. A little white lie is okay too if they ask you what you're drinking, it's a "vodka soda"
That's a GREAT idea! I really don't think my friends would care...but my tastebuds do
I think you've already cleared your first hurdle: recognizing how you sabotage yourself and seeking help to stop it.
My biggest tips would be to stay home, at least for a few months. You don't need to be completely anti social, but instead of dinner with friends, maybe opt for a mani pedi, a walk around the mall, or going to a movie (hint: buy your tickets online so you bypass all the lines and can walk right by the snacks!)
If going out to eat is unavoidable, try to eat off a lower calorie menu if available, drink only water and take home half your food. Opt for salad instead of soup and if you want dessert don't indulge in bread and/or appetizers.
I think that if you keep it in the forefront of your mind that you need to be more aware because it's the weekend, that may help you.
This weekend is going to be a big challenge. Having my friends over for a game night and there will be alcohol along with some delicious food (made by me so I get to control the calorie/health factor). I'm going to try and not drink because I kinda like the feeling of control I have; and instead use those calories for my friend's cinnamon Amish friendship bread!
Hi there! My tips are based on how supportive your friends are, as well as your own personal willpower. A few of these have worked for me, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to suggest it!
Are your friends or whoever you go out with aware that you're attempting to lose weight? If so, I don't think they should make you feel pressured into drinking. (And if they are pressuring you, maybe you just need to have a light talk with them to reaffirm that you're serious about losing the weight.) However, if you find that in social situations, drinking and junk food MUST be involved...you MAAAY want to consider going out less often. Other tips that might help would be to study menus at home and decide on meals before going out and just allowing yourself to have a couple of drinks on one night.
Since you stated you're a calorie counter, another possible tip is that if you set yourself an allotted amount of calories per day and you don't hit that, maybe you can use the extra as a little "wiggle room" on the weekends? I mean it's not the healthiest idea in the world, but it does keep you within your weekly calorie range and you're able to freely use the calories in any way you please. I've never personally tried this because calorie counting just made me too insane and mentally I'd just see each new day as a new day, gave myself very little wiggle room, and then would cave in at the end. Now I just limit sugar intake and I feel a lot less deprived or crazy.
I guess ultimately, it's just about following a plan or idea that you feel most comfortable in! Best wishes in whatever plan you go with!
I love studying the menus beforehand, especially to pick healthy options.
All of you! Thank you for being so supportive and encouraging!
Saturday night, I did have a cheat meal (spaghetti, lots of garlic bread, two beers and a vodka tonic). But I was very conscious of what I was doing and knew this was not a daily or even weekly thing.
AND what was even better, was that I didn't feel the need to continue binging. I kept counting calories and didn't do anything to sabotage myself.
Weekend Sabotage
