I am starting to lose traction girls, and I don't like it. I've lost about 30 pounds or so, but it's creeping back. I have not been going to the gym, and I am eating whatever I want...and I don't know why. Ok, may be I do....because I hate being always on a diet. Always watching what I eat, always turning down stuff....I am tired of it. Is this my life from now on? Either be fat or constantly watching every little thing....It's so frustrating and I hate it. Anyone out there with some motivation would sure help me along.
I'm getting frustrated with my stall too only I found out I lost a lb then discovered my scale weighs two pounds LESS than it should. GRRRR.
Anyway, what I find troubling about your post is the fact that you refer to your healthy eating as a diet. To me, a diet is restriction for a set period of time and then back to eating what you used to eat. Unless you're looking at it differently than I am, then that's a sign that you need to shake things up. If you're cutting calories, why not try veggies instead of carbs to fill yourself. I thought it would be such a pain to make sure I was getting my veggies in but it tastes GOOD if cooked well and with the appropriate spices. I look forward to my wraps and fresh fruit as my before dinner snack and I don't miss chinese food like I did before (dang, and I ate it once a week at least). Give it a chance and you'll start to lose weight again. Have faith in yourself!
Also, you don't HAVE to reject everything that's not boiled and skinless. Have a normal portion of the good stuff and cut back the rest of the day to stay within your limit. You can do this, hun!
I had to accept that I had bad eating habits. I liked junk. I didn't have to be hungry to eat. I could eat past the point of fullness.
Dieting always meant a terrible, restrictive eating regime that I hated. Plain salads with a squeeze of lemon. 1/2 cup of rice crispies with skim milk. Plain baked chicken with steamed broccoli. Lean Cuisines for lunch and skipping dinner. If I could cut some calories to lose some weight, I could cut MORE calories to lose more weight. Dieting meant being hungry. Dieting made me gain weight because I would always be WAITING for the diet to be OVER so I could go back to eating muffins for breakfast and pizza for lunch, M&Ms for snack and Taco Bell for dinner. I could lose weight, but I always gained it back, and MORE weight. I dieted my way from a 140 lb 15 year old to a 200 lb 35 year old.
I had to accept that I had to make a lifelong, permanent change to lose weight and keep it off. Because the change had to be permanent, it had to be something I could stick with, something I liked. I looked at the foods I loved and made some choices. I love chocolate, love it, I could never give it up AND it had some health benefits. As much as I ate it, I didn't love fast food, I could give it up AND it has zero health benefits. I made choices like that - emphasizing foods with high nutritional value over foods with low nutritional value.
I found healthy foods I LOVED just as much as I used to love a chocolate croissant. I don't feel deprived, I honestly love what I eat now. I love peanut butter toast. I love spinach salad with grilled chicken, dried cranberries and balsalmic vinaigrette dressing. I love blackened salmon and baked sweet potatoes. I love fresh guacamole, red wine, greek yogurt with berries and stir fry with tofu and vegetables.
I know this is taking me a very long time to say this - but my life, this style of eating, is NOT frustrating, it is very enjoyable. Yes, sometimes I say no to some foods/restaurants. That's because we are constantly, constantly, constantly surrounded by decadent temptation that no one needs to eat that much of (Last week, there was cake at my office TWICE, once for a birthday and once for a shower). I try very hard to stay flexible, if there is a healthy food option, I try to take it. If there isn't a healthy food option or if I yield to temptation - forgive myself and move on.
This is my life, I love food. I love restaurants. I love eating. I deliberately planned a way of eating that I could stick with for my whole life. Planning meals, food journaling, calorie counting, packing lunches, eating food I like AND the occasional treat.
Before, it was like I couldn't see the forest because of the trees. All I wanted to do was lose weight, lose weight, lose weight. I didn't care what I had to do, starve myself, don't eat, whatever. All that mattered was the number on the scale. But what price did I pay, a wrecked metabolism and a vicious cycle of restriction/binge because of what I did to myself. This time, I switched my focus to the "forest" - my health. I eat to be HEALTHY (and because I love food). I don't deprive, I revel. And it has made all the difference.
If you hate what you're doing, you won't stick with it. In my 20 year experience dieting, losing weight is NOT the hard part. I've lost 20 lbs, 30 lbs, 40 lbs over and over again. The hard part is keeping the weight off - it's a life time commitment.
I think I know what you mean. I had a feeling like that for the past couple of weeks but I think I am okay again. I dealt with it by letting myself ease up a little bit for a week or so.
How much (or little) ARE you eating when you "diet"? Are you really depriving yourself -- do you NEVER allow yourself a treat? Many people have an all-or-nothing mentality that they find they have to shift to do this for life...
So, yes, it can be frustrating when we feel like you do! I try in my better moments to think of it as not saying "no" to food but "yes" to a better life. That works better some days than others...
I will follow up on my own post to add that I don't feel that I am really depriving myself -- most of the time. Even now I am eating about 1800 cals/day and I also LOVE what I'm eating.
So I guess the question is, do you think you really ARE depriving yourself -- in which case you need to find a lifestyle you CAN live with. OR, is this just one of those temporary blips? (which I think is more what I had)...
One thing is that you have to stay positive. It is the pits when you are constantly 'dieting' watching what yu are eating, suffering through workouts etc...How about being positive about it. Be the kind of girl who enjoys working out, feels good after a good cardio session, hates to miss going to the gym. Be proud you think about what you eat before you eat it. You have the knowledge and the ability to be able to make smart choices. Never be jealous over people who just shove things in their mouth...I swear sometimes it just makes me feel sick when I watch people in restaurants just having at something that is enough food for their bodies to survive on for 3 days.
Sorry you are going through a slump...but don't give in. Don't go backwards. Don't lose your momentum...you've come so far and we are so proud of you!
Thanks all. For those of you who asked, I am doing weight watchers, and to be honest, it is something I can live with, most of the time. I do let myself have a day every week where I can eat what I want. But we have a boat and we go camping, wakeboarding, and out, every weekend...It's hard not to snack, and it sets me back, then I gain and then I think, well, whats the difference now...I am going to do some soul searching tonight...I need to get back in the swing of things....The alternative is 30 pounds back, and that is NOT happening. Thanks for your support.
Well, snack. I eat 4 snacks every day. Take healthy snacks with you - fruit, trailmix, cut up veggies, beef jerky (salmon jerky is pretty good too, heh), Odwalla bars.
Mental Road Block....ugh....
