I find that once I lose a little weight and start doing well, I get a little overconfident and start gaining it due to being more careless about what I am eating. I start to feel like, "Well, I've got this down, no need to be such a stickler." and then it creeps up on me.
The good news, is that I now realize that this is a way that I self-sabotage my efforts. It was unconscious, but now I realize what I have been doing -- and it's a big reason why I lose 2 lbs and gain 4.
I need some advice, because I just started back up again last week, and now show a 1.5lb loss, and I can already tell I am falling into it again. I'm sure this is not uncommon, so what have you done to counter-act this situation? How can I prepare myself so that I won't be tempted to loosen up and then wind up stumbling off plan?
I have the same issue. I get really cocky and confident in my ability to lose weight and before I know it, I've gained 7-10 lbs. Here's the thing, sure I can lose 7-10 lbs, unfortunately until I eagle eye everything I do in regards to food, it's ALWAYS going to be the same 7-10 lbs.
At the risk of repeating myself...I think I've said this twice already just today ...
I combatted this by giving myself a commitment of one year. Most people say they want to lose X number of pounds in one year...I just simply said I wanted to be on plan for one year. THAT's something I have control. And of course, when that one year mark rolls around, you know I'll be firmly entrenched in the behavior already. I don't know, but it's worked for me. This is THE most success I have ever had and there's no end in sight.
My plan a bit similiar to Eliana. I track my calorie deficit every day, and only get on the scale rarely (once a month at the most, 72 days before I weighed in when I started). This way I'm following a plan, not eating or exercising based on my perceived results of the weight that shows on the scale. Because my thought patterns weighing in in the past went like this:
Weight better than expected - woo hoo, I don't have to be quite so strict!
Weight worse than expected - boo hoo, if I'm not going to see results, may as well eat x (or skip tonight's workout)
Here's the thing, sure I can lose 7-10 lbs, unfortunately until I eagle eye everything I do in regards to food, it's ALWAYS going to be the same 7-10 lbs.
This is a great way of putting it! I got thru the same thing I find it is because I stop measuring my food and writing down the calories and just do a mental add up and gestimation... gotta stay strict with it.
Count me in on that as well. I think wow I can probably eat that rice krispy treat now and be ok - I don't have to really watch. Then I have another and the next week the scale is up a lb. Well go figure!!
This specific approach may be a little hard, and I suggest using it with kind intentions towards yourself if you do it (NEVER as punishment or in a mean way), but I've learned anytime I've gotten cocky, all I have to do is walk into a store and go try on a pair of jeans (for me, it's usually jeans or pants) to realize that if I can't fit into size XX, maybe I'm doing all right but need to rethink my perception. It's a reminder of why I started this in the first place and how I got to where I am (ex. size 22 to size 16). It's a very fast and effective way to blow to pieces the sense of cockiness that has overcome me. I've done it more than once when I needed to for it to really sink in. (Fortunately, it did ).
I'm glad you realized this. I've always found it's much easier, in a sense, to deal with things when it's out in the open. Of course, then we've got to deal with it, but you can do this and the result will be fantastic and worth it .
Last edited by beautifulone; 04-15-2010 at 06:34 PM.
ditto for the concept of weighing my food (and me!) every day, and tracking and logging my calories, and accepting that it does need to be every day for the rest of my life.
Some people may have a natural ability to eat properly for adequate nutrition and to maintain their weight. I am not one of them. I remind myself of that every day and log into Fitday. And I remind myself that getting fit and healthy is more valuable and important, by an umaginably large margin, than any less healthy food I might have a passing desire to eat.
Thank you for all of the advice! If anyone has something else to add by all means, keep it coming! I'm sure this will benefit other people than just me.
I do realize that this is something that I will need to do for the rest of my life, but again, sometimes the head and the heart are on two different pages. I can desire to do something, but actually do the opposite. It kills me, it really does.
I really need to buckle down and not even give myself room for (internal) debate. No choice. I'm still working on getting back into my routine -- like Robin said, continuing is easy, but getting off and then on again is hard. Ain't that the truth. But the good news is that the more you make the right decision, the easier it gets to make that decision.
My Trap...
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