So, i was going good for five months. 30 pounds lost, i was feeling good and looking good. I was so proud of myself for sticking and succeeding with my first attempt to lose weight. Then, I dont know what went wrong. I got so busy with moving and school and I just let myself go again. I've only gained 8 pounds back but I feel like the whole 30 is lugging around again.
I feel gross and uhappy and very disapointed in myself.
It's been scorching hot here and MT doesnt usually get this weather. I cant stand it. So I havent been going on walks because it's just too hot.
I dont have the energy to start this life change again but I have to. I cant give up. By this time in my journey i had such high standards set for myself. i should have been at 150 by now. I'm 19 pounds behind schedule....thats a lot! Seeing a gain on the scale the last four weeks has been very depressing.

I just dont know where to start again....and where to find the stamina to keep going. Help. Help. Help.

Hey newmala,

Gosh... things went off the rails, huh? Grrrr...

What were you doing before that was working for you? You must have had a pretty good plan to drop 30 pounds.

You can start again anytime, you know. There are always things that come up in life. The thing that seems to work is to come up with an eating plan that fits with those times when you've got challenges--like moving, etc.

Weight loss doesn't have to follow a schedule--in fact, it rarely seems to! Don't let missing a date discourage you! You made up your schedule, and you can re-figure it and start again!

Take a look at what you're doing now that's not working. Those 8 pounds didn't just fall out of the air. You probably know what you need to do. So--what can I say? Get your shopping list together! Get to the store! Today's the day!

Jay

Well you've taken a wonderful first step getting back on track by posting here! Isn't it strange how all those changes in our lives make us go right back to overeating again? We've all been through that and it is hard to get back on the wagon. You seem to really been concerned about lack of exercise due to the heat--maybe you could get up earlier to walk? If you can get up just 1/2 hr early you could easily get in a mile or maybe even a bit more--the way I see it every little bit helps! You can get through this and I know everyone here is going to post some great suggestions to help! Hang in there!!!!

Just put your head back in the game. You can do it. Look how far you've already come ! Just be glad you decided to make the time NOW and not after all 30 pounds crept back!

Just breathe. Don't panic. Take a moment to sit and breathe deeply. Think about your goals, and how hard you worked to get that 30 pounds off. Don't let the scale win. Take charge again. Remember why weight loss was so important to you to begin with. Find that motivation deep within yourself. It's obvious you are strong enough to do this. So go kick butt!

The hardest part is saying "I don't care what it takes, I'm going to do this!". Once you get that in your head, its kind of hard not to do it! You really get a lot of willpower from self-talk. It sure helped me when I was in the same situation you were in.

BTW, if life events or stress are really getting to be a lot for you, just try to focus on maintaining and NOT losing. Trying to do everything at once gets way too stressful, and that is where I have fallen off the bandwagon before. Just try to focus on maintaining until things get a little easier for you in the other aspects of your life!

Tough questions - what about your diet plan is tough to stick to when life gets busy? Life is going to get tough and stressful and busy. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you have to find something flexible enough that you can keep doing it no matter what. For me, I recognize that life occasionally goes off plan, but I have a rock solid committment to immediately get back on plan the next meal. I also help myself by planning meals and making regular trips to the grocery store to make sure I have healthy foods on hand at all times.

If it's too hot to walk, get an exercise DVD and bounce around your air conditioned living room in cool comfort.

I would also suggest not setting your weight loss goals around specific dates (for example - 10 lbs by August, etc). Your body's weight loss has no clue of your mental plan and probably won't align to your wishes. This is frustrating and can make people give up. Make goals that YOU can control. Trying 1 new healthy recipe a week, packing your lunch for work, getting enough water, working out 5 days a week, going to bed on time 5 days a week, eating 5+ servings of vegetables a day. YOU can control that and feel good about your overall health when you make your goals.

Make a plan for next week - breakfast, lunch, dinner snacks. Look up recipes, make a shopping list. Go get what you need. Make as much as possible in advance (pack lunches, cut up veggies for snacks, portion out blueberries for snacks, measure trailmix in baggies, make a big pot of pasta sauce so you just have to boil a serving of pasta every night, or a big patch of stir fry so you just have to make a serving of rice every night). Make it easy on yourself, not stressful.

Follow your plan for the week, then reward yourself (pedicure? haircut? cute sandals?) Repeat for week 2. Repeat for week 3. Repeat for life.

THIS TOO WILL PASS ~ forgive yourself for the slip-up. Get a note-book and write down what you are eating and keep track of your activities. See if you can find a buddy (friend, relative, collegemate, family dog) to exercise with you. Have you ever tried speed-walking or joining a walking club. Most Colleges and YWCA's have indoor tracks you can use for free.

You can do a mixture of indoor walking, sit-ups, lunges, jumping jacks, hand-weights, skipping, hopping, dancing, step-ups, or boxing, to make up to one hour or more of activity, as needed.

AS FOR FOOD; limit fast-foods to one item + a salad (ie one burger and salad; or hot dog and salad; or chicken & salad). Try making quick things like omelettes, soup, sandwich, bunwich, pita wraps or pockets.

Many of us have had slip-ups or plateaus; and yes, even weight gain. Some of it may be water too. Just go one step and one day-at-a-time and you will see results very shortly. GLORY has some nice ideas there too ~ ROSEBUD YOU CAN OVERCOME THIS ~ JUST KEEP GOING!!!

You can do it. You can get back on track. You know you want to, because you wrote that message. Sticking with the support of the folks here is invaluable. Through thick and thin make it a priority to keep yourself accountable.

What about maintaining for a week? Keep yourself from gaining and show yourself you can get back on track.

Then start with cutting a few calories or cut out a soda or one fast food meal a week or some small change that you can deal with.

Do you get exercise shows on your TV? Or could you go get a DVD at Target or something? Start with one exercise session a week.

I always find it easiest to incorporate lifestyle changes if I do it a little at a time. It seems less overwhelming to me and I'm not as likely to kick the whole plan out the window because it was "too hard". One thing at a time. You can do it. One pound at a time!

Kara

You can do this. Remind yourself how much happier you feel when you are eating on plan and working towards your goal. Imagine how much better you will feel when you jump on the scale and it's down instead of up. When I get in the mode that you're in, I just tell myself I have to make it one day eating on plan. That day, don't let yourself slip up, even once. It's so easy to fall completely off track if you eat a few crackers that you shouldn't have, or a cookie or few spoonfuls of ice cream. Stick to your plan for one day and then you will feel so much better and more in control and you will be able to keep going the next day and the next and pretty soon you will see the scale drop and that will spur you on even more.
Good luck,
Pam