When one bad day turns into a week, which becomes two weeks... - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

TaraLee · 10-01-2009, 11:05 PM

I've had a bad time staying focused and motivated since the middle of September. I could list a whole list of things I think might have contributed to this "back slide" but I really, really just want to get back on track; back to where I was three weeks ago.
So here's where I need advice. Has anyone else had a bad day turn into a bad (x amount of time) and how did you get yourself back on track? I've lost my momentum and now everynight I go to bed going, tomorrow, I'll be back on plan...then tomorrow comes and my motivation and enthusiasim is missing.
Any advice appreciated; even if its hostile.

phoenix · 10-01-2009, 11:24 PM

I had a situation recently where I had a lot of stress in my life, and I needed to cut myself some slack... and the easiest way I could think to do that was by neglecting my health for awhile. Seems totally stupid in hindsight, seeing as I probably needed the extra energy & stress relief that comes from exercise and nourishing food. But anyway, I reverted to a candy bar & fast food diet. Thing was, long after the original stresses had subsided, I had stuck with my old bad habits.

It took about a month of "tomorrowing" before I decided to actually take the promises out of my head and communicate them to someone else. As soon as I felt like I was accountable to that someone to keep my promise, I had incentive to do so. Even if it's just posting something on these forums about recommitting, I think it really helps to feel like there's somebody rooting for you.

By the way, I'm rooting for you

JayEll · 10-02-2009, 07:26 AM

It might help if you plan out what you're going to eat tomorrow--and I mean write it down--so that when you get up in the morning and you don't feel like you want to follow through, you'll have the plan to fall back on. And then just do it. Eat what you planned to eat.

Remind yourself that losing weight and becoming more healthy really is more important to you than a few moments' of mouth pleasure.

Those very appealing foods that you think you can't live without will still be there later--you don't need them right this minute.

Engage the Adult Within and ask for her help in taking care of the Child Within who wants the goodies all the time. The kid needs a time out.

If you were your best friend, what would you tell your best friend to do?

Jay

kasmin · 10-02-2009, 08:22 AM

I too am very interested in any advice in this area right now

Maybe it's something about fall which brings it on

Thanks for starting this thread, Tara!

angieaang · 10-02-2009, 11:46 AM

I have definitely allowed one bad day to turn into a week, 2 weeks, months, and then I look in the mirror one day and realize I should have stopped 3 months ago. Here's how I get myself back into the groove: I pick a starting day/date that is usually 3-4 days away. For example, if I realize on Thursday that I need to get back in the groove of eating healthy, I get together a solid/concrete plan to start Monday. I give myself time to do the necessary grocery shopping, to wash my workout clothes that have been hanging for months, to stock up on bottled water, and to write down my goals and plan. I also use this time to get in the right mind-frame mentally. I'm free to eat what I want during this "transition" time, but I kiss it goodbye once my start date comes. It's worked for me to stay in the groove for a long time.

DCHound · 10-02-2009, 11:51 AM

I had one bad MEAL turn into FIVE YEARS. I'm in this club, yeah. My advice is, there's no tomorrow. Get back on track RIGHT NOW, not tomorrow. Because tomorrow never comes. Get back on track with the very next thing you put in your mouth. Plan out tomorrow, and the next day. But get on track right now. Because it's so easy to say, wow, it's only 29 days to Halloween, I'll get on track 11/1. Or after Thanksgiving. Or after Christmas. New Year's Day. Well, we've got 3 months til the new year, and you can lose, gain or maintain for those 3 months. Why not lose.

Give yourself a big hug, forgive yourself, start over right now, then just keep on keeping on. You can either do it now or 5 years from now. Now is much, much better.

GirlyGirlSebas · 10-02-2009, 12:05 PM

Yeah. I just was able to dig myself out of a hole that I stuck myself in back in May. Those first 2-3 days back on-plan are tough! Really tough. Once you get past that point, it is much easier. My biggest way of making myself do this again was to pick a couple of easier goals....eating healthier, taking added sugar and HFCS out of my diet and taking my vitamins....and committ to this. I rid the house of junk and sugary substances and planned healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack options. As long as I stick with eating only healthy foods, no added sugar and take my vitamins, I'm on-plan! Next week, I'll add 30 mins of walking each day and drinking my water. The following week, I'll probably start counting calories again and increase my walking time.

Small steps and planning, planning, planning. Just commit for a week. I'm pretty sure you'll feel pumped up and ready to keep going for longer than that week.

FitGirlyGirl · 10-02-2009, 12:49 PM

Start now. Plan your food out exactly for a little while, starting with planning exatly what you will eat for the rest of today. Don't even just stop at writing down what you will eat the next day - portion it all out, put it in tupperwares or ziplocs or something and label it breakfast, a.m. snack, and so on. Stay out of the kitchen as much as possible when it is not meal time. Plan exactly what you will do for exercise each day too - write it down and check it off as you complete it. Do not beat yourself up over it. These things happen to everyone, be thankful because you caught it in 2 weeks. Mine was 3 months. There is nothing you can do about what has happened, you can only work on what is happening right now and what will happen in the future. Focus on that.

matt_H · 10-02-2009, 01:10 PM

I had a 3 month slide during which I gained back like 50 pounds during the end up 2008/early 2009.

I got back by making a promise with myself that I'd just have 1 good day. When I did that and was able to have 1 more good day, the momemtum took over.

Everyone is going to have bad days. The danger is letting the old habits replace the good habits you've been working on. You don't have to think you are always going to be perfect (nobody is) but everything starts with day 1.

Good luck! I'm also rooting for you

hpnodat · 10-02-2009, 01:43 PM

I really needed to read this today. I have been having a bad past few days. I'm still on plan and doing everything I should be doing but my heart isn't in it. I feel yucky, I just want to sleep all day, and everything and everyone is bothering me. This is the kind of behavior that can make me slide into a really bad day if I'm not careful. I've seen these signs before and I want to nip it in the bud before I go off and do something silly.

But as far as getting back on track goes, I think the best thing to do is not to wait till morning to get back on track. Go ahead and do it now. And read this thread for motivation. Especially post # 7. Good luck! You can do it!
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/100-...eads-here.html

matafleur · 10-02-2009, 02:54 PM

First up, forgive yourself. I think when we get caught in that sort of loop a lot of it has to do with being upset with ourselves and calling ourselves names like "failure," that sort of thing. It doesn't exactly make you feel energized when you're weighing yourself down with criticism!

Here's what I do, and it's the same as what someone else said above: Pick a day to restart. Give yourself a few days between now and that day to STOP criticizing yourself for everything you're not doing. In those 3 days (7? 10? whatever you need) take a minute to get over everything you haven't done, and start planning what you will do when you restart - that day in the near future.

I just feel like the criticism we heap on ourselves just creates a situation where we can't help but fail, because that's what we expect of ourselves. If you get caught up in that sort of self-criticism/self-defeat loop, then maybe this strategy will work for you.

Lori Bell · 10-02-2009, 03:30 PM

Gosh, I don't know about this giving yourself a couple days to "get ready"...lol If I would decide to give myself 3-4 days to "prepare", I'd be feasting like it was the last supper 24/7. I'd easily gain another 5 pounds just getting ready to start.

But that's just me.

Tara, you know what you need to do. You've done it, and have done a great job at it. Every single day you put this off is another crappy day of being fat and miserable. It's just not worth it to feel that way. Come on now, get off the pity pot and move your butt. Don't pamper yourself and get all prepared to re-do. Get out there and kick some butt. It's alright to be pissed at yourself. It's okay to be mad. It's not going to hurt you to feel bad about messing up...get mad enough to do something about it. This poo-poo crap is for sissies.