So I've been one of those people that yoyos around with my weight but usually when I realize I'm gaining I pull back on my eating habits and start really buckling down. Lately thought with a crazy work/school schedule I've just sort of given in to the whims that my boyfriend and/or I have in terms of food just because it's the easy thing.

We also recently moved, and the scale I have I have been avoiding unpacking because I know it will tell me a number that will make me feel terrible.

I want to get back on track, but I'm finding it increasingly difficult to motivate myself and say no to the things I know are bad for me. Anyone else in this boat? After going through the vast majority of my closet today and realizing I'm back to fitting into clothing I almost gave away because they were so baggy I know this needs to change.

I guess I'm here writing this because I'm hoping to find some support and people like me to talk this through when I'm frustrated. This place was an amazing place of support when I came here regularly a couple of years ago. I'm hoping it can be again!

Daily food temptations will always be there, a Friday night take out, a few beers sitting watching a game or in the sun with your friends and family. That dessert that someone made and looks delicious! There is no reason why you can't take part in all of these temptations, you just need to be mentally strong enough to stop when you are full, or stop at the limit that you set yourself. Yes, there will be slender people who can pack away any meal you give them and never put on weight, but the majority of people need to live a healthy lifestyle in order to enjoy the finer things in life. For example: My good friend who I met while working in the states (him being from Poland and me being from Scotland). He was fit and buff and ran every single night. Every time I asked why he would go for a run every single night, his answer was.... "Because I love Chocolate". Now if that isn't dedication, i'm not sure what is, he refused to give up chocolate, so he ran every night to burn off the chocolate he eats .

Sometimes we aren't as tough on ourselves as we should be, so we gain a little here and there. The important part is to catch it before it gets irreversible. So unpack those scales and find out the number, because only from then on can you make a plan to fix it. Only once you see the damage can you learn from your mistakes. You are not going on a diet, you are cleaning up you eating, you are focusing on a better you. Throw out all that junk so that you are less tempted to snack on it all, when you order take out, think of what might have the least calories.

It is all about the lifestyle change.... small steps make it more manageable and sustainable.

I've been yo-yo-ing for years. Unfortunately.

I was 203 lbs in 8th grade, got down to 180 by 9th grade,

Then gained weight and was 237, then got back down to 180.

Then to 215 and now I'm at 190 lol, and a senior in college.
I struggle every day but have been on the right track for a few weeks!
reality is setting in, I will have my first real job by next summer. I wanna get things under control by then.

Love to hear from you more!
Best wishes

Hey, I'm with you! I think everything that Scotsgal said is really important, and it's what I keep forgetting now that I've entered this stage of 'maintenance.' At the end of the day what we need to focus on is balance. You don't have to say no to everything you love, you just have to balance it and be mindful about it. I don't know about you, but I come from a long line of horrible dietary habits including (but not limited to) an abnormal relationship with food, i.e. binges and eating past fullness. Trying to reign that in after decades of reinforcement has been **** but you just have to try and be more successful than you are unsuccessful. If that means getting it right 4 days out of the week and not all 7, then I mean at least you're moving towards the right direction.

My lifetime room mate (sister) just moved out -- an hour away!! I am currently living alone for the first time in my life and my best friend who has always been just in the next room is an hour away from me. Last week I worked 70 hours, and not by choice. And I am salaried so I was not paid a dime of overtime. My boyfriend told me he wants to sign up for the National Guard which will take him away for 3 months, and then for one weekend a month and 2 weeks out of the year after that. Needless to say, I gave up my kind of good eating habits to stress. I signed up with a personal trainer at the gym, but then I started bingeing on chocolate every day. Like every day. And ordering take out, where I haven't eaten out in like months. I finally weighed myself and it was what it needed because it made me stare down what I already knew, which was that I was gaining weight.

I looked at pictures of myself before my weight loss, and I looked over my progress charts on MFP and I considered how long I have been working toward correcting habits, creating a safe and healthy lifestyle, carving out a healthy body..I worked hard!! I worked so hard for what I have, and it took a long time. Stress is just stress. Life gets hard but it takes only a minute of clarity to be able to move on and make a good choice, right? It's really a mental game. Not even a game, but a matter of strength. If we try to train our minds the way we'd train our biceps this would all be a cake walk. Anyway, I'm here to support you, and to support myself alongside you, because I am in your boat and I guarantee we are both strong enough to paddle out.

You aren't alone. We've all been there. The thing I find the most helpful when I fall into this rut is to just take life one day at a time. Don't think about how far you've deviated or how much work is ahead of you. Think about what you can TODAY, in this moment, to get you where you want to be. After enough 'one day at a times', you'll start seeing some results and that will fuel you to keep going. It's always that initial "oh ****, I've gotta climb this mountain" that freaks us out. Take the mountain one step at a time. You'll get there

So i eat two every week. THen i dont buy them anymore and i exercise. I also do IF and push breakfast back a little. Knowledge is power and learning how my body works is helping me. Good luck to you.

Listening to how your body works is a long process, but very rewarding and very beneficial. Its a mental journey as well as physical, because only then will you realise that the same diet won't work for everyone in your household. I love stir fry, I add spices to make it soo delicious, but ginger (which I always add, which is good for digestion) is too strong for my mum, she instantly within 5-10 mins of eating it will have a very bad stomach and need to go to the toilet. My body holds onto pasta for such a long time, so in the case of both me and my mum having the calories available for some lasagna, She may even be lighter the next morning, where I would be at least a lb heavier.

Like you said, knowledge is power.