[Angel33]

So let me just start by saying I'm not one to whine and complain, but for the last month and a half two months I have been really struggling.
I contemplating whether or not to post and ask for help/suggestions. But I figure what the heck. It never hurt to try. I have seen so many of you give some great support and advice to others that I could really use a push right now.

I joined 3FC back in February. From February until June I did great. Lost 30lbs and then it was like someone pushed me off the wagon and I have been dragging along in the dirt ever since. My eating has become the biggest problem. I am slowly slipping back into old habits and I don't know why.
It starts off as one bad snack or one bad meal and before you know it the whole day is shot.

So I guess what I'm asking is how do I get remotivated to basically start over again. Because right now I feel like I'm back at square one and I need to start from the beginning.
So do I try a different diet? (Calorie counter right now) Count different things? ie Carbs, sugars, fat
How in the world do I refocus?
Any advice and/or suggestions would be appreciated.
Anyone need a new buddy? Most of the ones that I had at the begining have already given up.

Thanks for much for letting me have a temper tantrum.

[n2luvnlife]

Angel33,

Well to start off with, congrats on losing 30 lbs. That is an emormous triumph. Summer is hard, sounds like you caved during the summer months. I have always during dieting, have a harder time during the summer than winter.

Don't beat yourself up. Start off slowly. Say, I am not going to have any fast food this week or I am not going to have any fried food this week. Start off slow and see if that helps. You can do this. We will always stumble and fall, but we can always pick ourselves back up and start over again. You can do this. Try to remember all the reasons you started this journey and maybe they will inspire you again. Honey, it's a little bump in the road

I would love to be your buddy. I am in for the long haul, even if I'm on my knees - I will continue to fight this fight. Would love a buddy beside me on my journey.

[Glory87]

Just based on my experiences, I would normally "give up" and return to unhealthy eating habits or even worse, binge uncontrollably when I tried to restrict too much. When dieting felt like punishment, when I longed for all the old foods I missed, when "diet" foods didn't satisfy me and I felt constantly hungry and restless.

For me, the following things worked:

• Eating every 2 hours
• Eating whole foods, limiting fake, diet "frankenfoods"
• Eating foods that I liked (no plain lettuce with a squeeze of lemon for lunch)
• Finding a way of eating that I enjoyed and could stick to for the rest of my life
• Changing my goal from weight loss (focus on the scale) to long term health (focus on energy, how I felt)
• Giving up sugar (one month without sugar and I kicked my sugar habit completely, cravings and weird binging stopped)
• No more crazy 800 calorie days, no more restriction, being good to myself
• No scheduled time to be "off plan" - in the past, that always seemed like a good idea, but I always got carried away. A weekend turned into a week, a month...years

In the past, I would restrict calories excessively and two things always happened:

1. I would binge and give up
2. I would reach a goal weight and return to the unhealthy eating habits that made me heavy in the first place

It seems weird to me, but I was only successful losing weight and keeping it off when I let myself eat.

[alinnell]

I started in January and have also lost 30 pounds. I have not really lost anything this summer that I can say is a real loss. Basically I've just maintained that 30 pound loss (of which I am VERY proud!!!). Anyway, I am not giving up either and I still plan on meeting my goal by the end of the year. I am still eating well, but haven't been able to exercise like I want to (I did a long walk this weekend and wow, am I out of shape!!!! Sore muscles!!).

I am basically a calorie counter but with the added twist of eating super foods or whole foods (instead of a lot of processed foods). I find that this makes it so I actually have fewer cravings. I make my own decisions on what to eat (I hate having diets tell me what to eat for every meal!!).

With that said, put one foot in the bed of the wagon and haul the rest of you back in as well. Check out the Whole Foods Lifestyle area and read some of the latest Goals Met to get yourself re-motivated!

[Angel33]

Thanks so much for the support. I really needed that.
I have decided to basically start over.
I am working on writing down a new commitment to myself as far as what I want to do and where I wanna be. I think that I have become to relaxed and I need to just buckle down and refocus on my goal again.

Thanks again!

[Delilah*21]

You know what always helps me?

I think 'Next year is going to come no matter what I do.... I might as well get in shape now and enjoy my successes then'.
Also, when you get a craving or feel like you don't want to work out, think about how good you will feel the next day knowing that you didn't cave or stuck it out and worked out really hard.

The worst time for me is at night because I love to eat after 9 or so. I've completely stopped eating after supper (around 7) and usually work out around 9 instead of eating. Every time I feel like eating I think 'my body is eating the fat off my thighs right now!!!!!'

Stick with it!!!!!

-D.