Five months in and losing motivation
 

This is my very first post. I started healthier living in January. (Yep, I'm a cliche.)
For whatever reason, this time it has worked. On Jan.7 I weighed 218. Today I weigh 187, which is great, but two weeks ago I weighed 181, which was better.
I kinda figured where I went wrong but now I can't figure out how to get back on track.
Two weeks ago, I won $200 from a little friendly work competition called The Biggest Loser, (yep, we borrowed the name). With my winnings, I decided to give myself permission for McDonalds. Since then, I have given myself far too much permission for everything. Each day I get more upset with myself.
So, I guess the big question is how do I stop the freefall??

You just have to stop. Cold turkey, no excuses. It'll hurt for a while, but it'll get better, and the scale will start being motivation again.

I got back on McD's a couple of months ago, and just had make a deal, that I'd quit for a month. And that month made me remember how much I liked feeling the way I do now.

Commit to going back on plan for a week. Nothing more. I'll bet by the time the week is over and the scale is moving in the right direction, you'll have more motivation.

Nip this in the bud now. You don't want to be back here in a year saying that you lost 40 pounds a year ago and gained 60 back. I'll tell you from experience that's what will happen. Commit for a week and re-evaluate.

I've learned that its the "never again" mentality that made me give up alot. So now I have a "free" day. When I crave something like that I tell myself that if I still REALLY want it on sunday I can have it. Sunday comes around and typically the craving isn't there anymore.

Hi and welcome to 3FC.

I agree with cherbear. You CAN do this!

Good luck with your goals.

Hugs
Michelle

Keep reminding yourself, you've been doing great! You are losing weight! You were commited and you can be again! Everyone is scared of change but change can be great. Fast food is just a comfort thing because you are changing your life completely around. Remind yourself about how you felt before you lost the weight and how great you look and feel now. It's hard to give yourself just a little because no one is there to stop you. My friend and I are working together on losing weight. We hold each other accountable each week. Keeping food journals, daily activities, and how our day was. Meaning, if we were stressed or happy or mad, we look at that to see how our eating habits changed and what we can do to change it in the future.
Keep up the good work and don't give up on yourself!

Welcome! First off, i want to say congratulations on your weightloss! Don't be so down on yourself for falling off track; it happens. Just pick yourself back up and look at what you already accomplished and start again. :) Best of luck!

~Jen~

I think that finding excuses ("giving yourself permission") is a huge red flag. Excuses are a slippery slope that lead to weight gain. If you find yourself making excuses, you are allowing your mind to subconsciously work on the wrong problems. Instead of "why should I be allowed to eat X?" or "Why should I be allowed to skip exercising?" (questions for which answers can usually be found) your mind should be working on questions like "How can I overcome this challenging food situation?" "How can I make this meal healthier within my calorie budget?" and "How can I squeeze a workout in on Friday?"

We are great problem solvers. If you focus your attention on the right set of problems, you will find the right answers!

Welcome! Good luck with your efforts!