300+ Dropouts
 

Our group always has a long ways to go to get to goal. It can be frustrating and lead to dropping out. I started this thread in the hopes of letting myself and others know the signs of giving in to quiting.
I hope everyone will feel free to add to the conversation.
The signs for me that I need to be aware of are:
I won't check in at 3 Fat Chicks today.
I look and feel good at the weight I am at, maybe I don't need to lose anymore.
Life is too stressfull right now. I will come back in a month...

I post on weight loss websites less and less often (until I'm not posting at all, whether it be 3fc or other places I've participated in).

I weight less frequently (for me daily accountability is key).

I let the hopelessness consume me, let the fact that I can't invision a happy future win out over the knowledge that I SHOULD do this.

I start allowing a lot more 'treats' to the point where I start binging again.

When I miss a day here or there on MyFitnessPal the road downhill is starting. When I stop logging my food altogether, LOOK OUT! Eating whatever I want is not a good idea for me. :S

When I start to think what is the use, it is so hard to lose I my as well eat what I want and enjoy life.

When I stop tracking or exercising is a sign that I'm about to give up, especially if I've been consumed by thoughts of not being good enough to do this or that I'm a "failure." My biggest problem is not believing in myself and I tend to get discouraged when I don't see a loss in weight after a few days. It's something I'm working on, so hopefully this time is different!

I am glad I came across this post. I'm just starting AGAIN, but this helps me understand my warning signs for quitting. I totally agree with the myfitnesspal. My internet went out for a few days, and not logging my food started a horrible downward spiral. Of course that wasn't the only thing, but once I'm down its so hard for me to get back on track. I stop posting on 3fc, I stop looking at caloric content, I stop weighing... I eat whatever I want. I've gained 15 lbs back out of the 40 I lost and I'm frustrated.

I want to stick with it and stay accountable this time!!! I'm determined, I WON'T give up.

I don't have to lose 300 pounds but i can say all these signs are things that i have to deal with. I think it may be the same for all of us. so its a good thread for all of us. What may be different for 300+ people is how long the journey may appear to be. The journey to goal may be longer but the journey is for life really.

I'm currently aware that my mood is key. Motivation follows mood. Mood follows setbacks. Setbacks follow, well lots of things, mistaken choices for one, and who knows what else.

Sometimes setbacks don't seem to come from choices. And when that happens, its key to be able to find something positive.

Anyway, currently i'm dealing with stress but i don't think my diet is under threat because its sort of good stress.

But back to the question… if a day comes around and i don't want to weigh myself and that happens after i've eaten badly, then i know i am already in deep ****. That is to say, its already too late and i have noticed that i already cannot get myself out of that hole. Other people may be different.

I think its key to look for more subtle signs and prevent things escalating to the point where you feel so far gone you've lost the motivation and the wagon is long gone.

For me now, i'm eating for the rest of my life this way. I have been working towards this for some years with some major setbacks. But its part of my path. And this time i can see i have advanced further. This time i am just about committed to quitting sweets for life. I have some caveats where i may be able to eat sweets when it should be safe but i am not really certain if its safe or not to be honest, so i will put off testing the theory as long as possible. Suffice to say if you love baking and you are no good at moderation, then you have to decide to give up baking forever.

That last sentence was prompted by me reading about someone who likes to bake and who hasn't quite gotten the idea that baking is always going to be her downfall. For me baking is like that first cigarette. I gave up 17 years ago and have never had one since. I think but am not totally sure that sweets are like cigarettes for me. But if i was someone who liked baking , i am sure that you have you to find something else to do instead of baking cakes and biscuits and stuff like that. Its the beginning of the end. And if not forever and ever, then for a very long time, say two years. A long time anyway.

I've had two glasses of wine so i might seem a little off kilter. I am. But i mean what i say. I hope it doesn't upset anyone.

Thank you for posting this! A big one for me is when I stop writing down what I eat. It's like if I don't write it then it didn't happen

My signs:

I decide it's okay to buy a trigger food because it's on sale and "I'll be okay."
I decide not to step on the scale this week.
I say I'll be obese forever or that I can work on my weight another time.
I go down the convenience food aisle.

What a great thread!

I forget to have balance. I go too strict or think of trying a crazy fad diet. This can lead to burn out or frustration and giving up.
Balance is the key for me. Day in day out.
Stay focused and enjoy the journey.

When I start thinking "I can just have one more last supper/ big binge and I will start over tomorrow!"

ugh I am the queen of drop outs...

it starts slowly... not checking in daily... not gaining after one night of cheating, then another night... then not recording my weight... then giving up completely...

there are days when life gets super busy, but I find if I at least open a thread or two, even if I can't post it helps

Wow, nice thread. I've done this a hundred times! Sure I want to stick with it, but for now, at least I keep coming back. Well, I'm back again. I know I'm about to quit, when the exercise goes down the drain, I start having soda or sweet tea again, and I stop logging into WW or MFP (whichever plan I'm doing at the time). But it's over when I decide that my thyroid will be the reason I never change.

I needed this today. I've been dwelling lately on how depressing it is to have lost 100 pounds and still have nearly 200 to go.

I too, avoid 3FC. & Say "after such and such I'll start again"

I stop exercising, which leads to depression, which leads to wanting to order in junk food - something I'm struggling with today, because my bf is out of town and before I used to sneak in about $50 of take out on nights he was working or out of the house.

I was just saying in another thread that starting over and over again is totally fine. as long as you keep starting over.

It's HARD to have such a long row to hoe. But we can do this!