Its happened. I started my weight loss in Oct. 08. I did great until about 2 months ago. Since then I have been slacking in my eating. Im still working out 5x per week but im letting myself fall back into my old eating habits.

So girls for those of you who have been where I am right now how did you get back on track?

I keep saying im going to... that gaining a few pounds (ive gained 4) would be my wake up but its been a few weeks since the last gain and im still allowing myself to eat things I know I shouldnt be. Im hoping to get back on track before I gain more. I for sure did not loose almost 40lbs to gain it back.. but I cant seem to stop cramming food into my face.. .mostly sweets Should I avoid them altogether until I get back on track?

When I first started my new eating and working out I allowed myself a sweet treat on Friday evenings and that was it the rest of the time it was fruit if I really wanted something sweet. Now its whatever I happen to want ice cream brownies etc.

any help?

Im right where you are at this moment so I am excited to see the responses. I have only gained back 2 lbs...but I only lost 14 in total. I dont want to gain anymore of it back!

Sounds like sweets may be a "trigger" food for you.. so I'd avoid them altogether until you get back on pace with your eating. Stay strong. You've already come so far! Congrats on losing the 40, and good luck for losing the rest! YOU CAN DO THIS!

I agree. You need to avoid completely those off-plan foods for awhile. I have learned this lesson more than once myself. All the little lies, like "just one won't hurt" (it's never just one), "you're doing so well, you can have a little" (I'm not doing that well), "oh, I'm too tired to get a good snack, I'll just have X" (and that's just BS)... they make no difference when I get on the scale!

Jay

I'm in the same spot, I've started backsliding just a little (5 lbs). I'm currently digging in my heels and picking up my plan and ditching all the little treats.

Backslider here! I lost 120 pounds and gained back 30 over the past year and a half. What scared me most about the backslide was that on some level I stopped caring about what I was doing! I would eat crap, thinking, "You shouldn't eat this" and then do it anyway. I stopped tracking my food... I was spiraling out of control.

I seem to have broken the relapse cycle for now. At least sort of. I've lost a few pounds, am tracking my food again and much more in control.

Sweets was a part of the problem for me, though not all of it. And I have stopped eating them because they are a trigger. But that wasn't the only problem and I'm still working on figuring out how to make this a little more streamlined.

Relapses are VERY common. Probably more than most people think, especially when they are feeling so confident in their new eating and exercising habits. When I was in the weight loss zone, I felt I was living a lifestyle I could do forever -- no problem!!! But watch that moment of hubris, because if you feel you are immune from the problems virtually every other person encounters in this lifelong journey, then you are setting yourself up for failure!

I say all that to have you understand that this kind of "falling off the wagon" happens to everyone. And you have to come up with strategies for being able to get back ON the wagon again. I have found it VERY tough to get back on and STAY there. I think sometimes the only thing keeping me close is a long term commitment to a healthier life. I have stumbled, I will stumble later, but I'm going to keep struggling to get back on, because what's the option? If I give up, then before you know it, I'll gain it all back and then some, and weight over 300 pounds with mobility and health issues.... I choose to continue the challenge, even though I know I won't be up to it everyday.

For me, if I feel like I am being too restricted I rebel and have a harder time staying on plan so I get things like skinny cow so I can have a treat without it screwing me up. I just couldn't restrict myself to NO SWEETS or I'd just get mad at the diet and eat bad things.

That is exactly what I did. i started making excuses for the food I knew I shouldn't be eating or shouldn't be eating much of. Yesterday was a good on plan day and I hope to continue. I hope to nip this in the bud before it gets to bad. I knew this was all part of it but getting back on seems to be the hard part. I guess I should have wrote down a plan of action for things like this now i will.

I have a sister in law who lost about 150 pounds only to gain it back. She is now trying to loose again for the 2nd time. I cant imagine that really and its not an option for me. Im not gaining back this weight. NOT gaining back this weight period.

Thanks for your responses girls !

Wow only 4 lbs! Over the past month I could feel myself losing steam so I made a concious choice to go off plan for a week. I stopped counting last Tuesday and last night was my last notebook free night though I still weighed myself every day. Today I'm back on plan and happy to be here! I gained 3.2 lbs in 1 week (though most will probably be water weight since my weakness is salty snacks). Honestly I noticed even in the course of a week my energy levels dropping because I wasn't going out of my way to eat healthy food and especially vegetables. :P

I can relate. I was 5 lbs away from my goal weight and then I let an injury get me down, and I gained all the weight I lost plus more. I just didn't care anymore. Now, I regret that so much as I have to start all over again. For me what is working is just reminding myself how much better I feel when I eat healthy foods and exercise. When I feel down I tell myself not to give in to wanting that instant gratification. I know that I might feel better while I eat the treat, but after I am going to feel bad and the cycle will start again.
Good luck you can do it!

I have been there too.

My best advice is to try to avoid the trigger. But if that is not an option for you try to find a better replacement. I found these popsicle at the market that are sf and only 15cal. At first I was having one every night, then I went to every other night till the cravings started to fade. I haven't had one in over a week. Try to gradually remove the bad habits.

Another thing that might help is if the bad food is in the house get rid of it. For me half the battle is out of sight out of mind.

You can do it...Good Luck