So I began losing weight about mid-February and lost 15 lb over 2 1/2 months through calorie counting. I was going to the gym several times a week and had grand plans to start lifting heavier and start running as well so I could do a half-marathon in September... but then towards the end of April my clean eating/exercising just tapered off and since then I have gained almost 5 lb back.

The funny thing is that stopping my weight loss coincided with me becoming happier in general - I had been seeing a psychologist for several months and I have just recently stopped and am feeling much better about life. My boyfriend thinks I am happier and also (TMI) that our sex life has improved since I stopped calorie counting.

But the thing is, although I feel better about my life in general, I feel crap and guilty about not eating better. I am in my last few weeks of university for the semester at the moment (I live in Australia) and my eating is just getting worse and worse, and I know I need to stop because otherwise I'm going to gain ALL the weight back. But I just don't know how!

I have been saying to myself for over a month that I'm going to stop this and be healthy/work out again... but it's not happening. Can anyone help me remotivate myself? I need a big kick in the butt! How does everyone else get through this??

Sorry for the tl;dr. I really needed to vent!

For me, I really had to commit to a lifetime of eating better and not seeing weight loss/management as something I can stop. Maybe you tried to jump in with too many things so you got burned out. I changed my diet in January, but really haven't even started a rigorous exercise routine yet. I just wanted to focus on food first and add things on so I didn't feel overwhelmed.

I would suggest just start tracking again, whether you are eating well or not. Just get back into that habit and then start figuring out reading up on how you can still eat food with flavor without the calories. I hear good things about skinnytaste.com is great for recipes.

I find this process so personal. I track what I eat but I also keep a weight loss journal. With it, I have really been able to figure out the particular habits I have like not eating enough during the day, then eating a huge dinner with enough of a meat serving to feed 3 people. Recognizing my habits have really helped to develop healthier ones.

I agree it's more about commitment than motivation. I am certainly NOT motivated all the time. Actually probably nowadays, a few months into this, I'm not very motivated at all (maybe 25% of the time). But I made the commitment to changing my life, my lifestyle, my attitude. That has what has made everything different this time for me. I've gone through various phases of eating, exercising, and trying to figure this whole thing out. My conclusion is that motivation is more of a feeling that comes and goes, a certain excitement that CAN push you though a rough patch, but it's not needed.

When you are ready, make the decision to change, don't wait for the motivation to come. The danger in that, I've found, is that once the motivation leaves, everything stops.

I also agree with the above poster that this process is a very personal one. Not everything works for everyone. My advice may not really help you at all, but these have been my findings.

Good luck to you!!!

I do not always have motivation. I have to just go with Nike's slogan and just do the d@** thing. I say well "I'm going to have these boiled eggs and oatmeal for breakfast." Then I worry about lunch when I get there. And when lunch comes around I just remember that I made the right decision for breakfast, and if I do it one more time I have made it 3/4 of the way through the day by eating right! And when I don't feel like going to the gym, I just tell myself that I will just walk for 30 minutes, but the minimum is 30 minutes. And of course I hate cardio, so I usually lift weights once I'm there. And then I'm glad I did. And the next day, I start over with breakfast. And where is motivation? Usually not there. So here's a swift kick in the kiester. And just do it one choice at a time. It is not the last candy bar you will ever eat, and it is not the last bowl of pasta that will ever tempt you. There will be more good food to come. But now is the time to do something good for yourself, not just good for your taste buds. So JUST DO IT!!!!!!

Hi
Jennybee,
Get control over your temptation for food. I know its difficult but not impossible, its just a matter of 25lbs you will be on Top of the world. commit to your goal matter of few months, and rest is just to maintain 125lbs

keep going all the best.

When you calorie count do you eat lots of "diet" foods? Nonfat dairy, egg whites with no yolk, lots of lettuce, diet meals etc? This could be impacting your mood and make you unhappy while you are dieting. And if it makes sharing meals or going out to eat with your boyfriend difficult, this could impact your relationship.

Trying counting the calories of the things you love to eat anyway, and that you eat when you aren't counting. I have bagels and eggs for breakfast sometimes, avocado as a snack, i had a burger and fries and a beer yesterday. But I weigh them, count them etc. No one can tell and it doesn't become obsessive, anymore than writing down what I spend in a bank book is obsessives.

Your body and brain need healthy fats to function properly, so this might be what is happening when you diet.

I would hate to date a calorie counter, so I can see where your bf is coming from. Doesn't sound like CC did much for your happiness - what do you eat now vs. what you ate when you were lighter?

Wow, thanks for all the advice! seagirl and krampus, when I was losing I wasn't really eating super healthy and strict all the time - I ate massive amounts of fruit and veg, healthy fats and cheat meals at least every week. I was trying to make it a lifestyle change and I thought it was working! But I have been spending a lot more time at uni over the past few weeks and there are not too many healthy food options there - so I have gone overboard on chips/fried food/chocolate/muffins/etc. And once I got into the 'oh well, who cares now' mentality I got stuck

I was only eating at about 1200-1300 calories, and I have raised it to 1500 as I think it was too low. I think I need to calorie count as it keeps me in check, otherwise I sneak food in and end up eating way too much.

Every day I wake up and I'm like 'today I will be healthy' but it just never seems to happen! I know I need to just push through it, I'm just trying to figure out how. Just need to make healthy habits again I think!

Thanks for the help everyone, hopefully coming back to these forums will give me the push I need!