I feel like all I've been doing lately is whining but here goes...
From October to mid December I went from 234 to 209. Great right? I know. I sat at 209 through the holidays. Got down to 202 by the end of January and plateaued. For what felt like forever. I finally got to onderland a couple weeks ago and now I'm like sabotaging myself. I've been eating pretty bad, probably 2200 calories/day. I've been very unmotivated at the gym. Junk food. My Sunday binge. Ugh, I'm so disgusted with myself but I just don't know how to get started again?
I'm used to eating more, and eating junk, and heading out of the gym early and I just don't know how to start being good again? I'm getting so far behind on my goals and I'm getting really frustrated and discouraged. I really don't want to go back to where I was but I just don't know how to get back to that initial frame of mind. You'd think all this weight loss would be motivating...I just don't know what my problem is?
Could it be you are afraid of something? Something about being thinner worries you? Or could it be you had such a goal to get to "onederland" that you didn't think beyond that?
Maybe you are satisfied with what you've done? That's ok, if that is the case. You are on this journey for yourself alone, not for someone else.
But if it is a hidden fear, maybe you should drag it out into the light and look at it. Figure out what it is that makes you keep self sabotaging and decide if it is a valid concern or an irrational fear. It could be something as simple as being afraid of failing or it could be something like fear that if you go too, low in your weight you'll never be able to eat some of your favorite foods again without fear of gaining it all back.
Or it might be a fear of certain types of attention. Or a fear of upsetting the status quo. A lot of times and for a lot of reasons we all find times when we fear change. We don't know what change will mean for the rest of our lives. Fat is a cushion that absorbs some of the hurts of the world (if only in a symbolic way).
If it were me, I would sit down with a piece of paper and decide what I want most. Decide what the "pros and cons" are of continuing the journey and losing more weight. Decide what is preventing you, and whether it is a good enough reason or not. Fears hauled into the light and really looked at as in the "worst case scenario" seem to lose their power. Ask yourself what is the "worst thing that you are afraid might happen" Then look at it. Ask youself "could I live with that if it DID happen?" or "what would I do if the worst thing happened?" Come up with an answer to those two questions and I bet you will stop self sabotaging.
I so hear you on this one. This is the girl who set 199 as her end of summer goal (US/English Summer) with 7 lbs to go I think that was like May last year, and I reached it just before the end of Australian summer. My weight comes off really slowly now, but that's ok, but at times its really frustrating.
I suggest having a goal for the week, and change it each week. Your first week might be an exercise goal, and set yourself minimum times for your workouts. The next week might be on eliminating junk food and having one treat day.
Make you goals measurable and achievable, and the weight will take care of itself.
Stacy you've done a great job so far! Sounds like you've hit a mental plateau, which is just as much of a challenge as a physical one!
Kykaree and Sherry have made some great suggestions! Analyze and make those Pros and Cons lists. I'm a big fan of Pros and Cons lists. Helps me sort things out. Then start on the baby steps back. It's probably just too overwhelming to try to just jump full bore back to what you were doing before. Maybe you just burnt out a bit and needed a break!
Now, you can baby step back in and, perhaps, before you know it, you'll be revved back up again!
Good luck, sweetie, you've done so well and you have to remember that!
Hi Stacy, sounds like you've had a rough week. I'm sorry for that. I think I remember from your other posts that you recently moved from friends and fam? I know not having loved ones around is hard during down moments. I was wondering if the gym you go to has classes. Maybe you could take one of the classes. I think it'd be harder to skip out of a workout early if you're part of a group class. Plus, if you try it and continue to attend, you'll start to meet other people thru the class!
I'm not sure that will help, but I know you have the power within you to get back on track. You've done so well and you CAN do this. I think the comments made previously will help you sort out your thoughts. Good luck.
Wow, I sympathize. This is something I'm scared will happen to me! I'll second and third the ideas already given. Also, you said you're far behind on your goals. Maybe ditch the deadline for some of the weight loss goals. Who cares if you lose that 12 pounds by Easter or not? You can't control the scale anyway, only your behavior (as I am learning).
Set goals for behaviors you can control, like time spent at the gym, or eating less "junk"
Also, celebrate how far you've come! You're in onederland! (It's just not always onederful!)
And think about some of the other great ideas here.
From reading the posts I think there are two things I need to work on.
1) The emotional part. I'm sure there is something to it becuase in high school I lost 40 pounds as well and the just stopped. And then gained it all back of course. (Maybe I like being invisible? I actually told my husband just a couple weeks ago the salespeople at the bike stores we go to finally ackowledge me!)
2) I need to make smaller weekly goals ie 1600 calories, only 2 restaurant meals, stick to me gym plan etc.
I'm still going to keep my weight goals just because I feel like it keeps me accountable a little more. But I'll try not to put tooo much emphasis on them.
Thanks so much everyone and hopefully soon I'll be posting my next success
How do I get there again?
