I'm ashamed to say, this entire year I let my diet go out the window. There's really no excuses, I know what to do, how to plan out my meals, I have a food scale, a ton of workout videos. When I joined here I was about 175lbs wanting to get down to about 140 pounds. I'm now inching (literally) up to 200 pounds. Someone kick me?

My mom has been sick, so I've been stressed. I just didn't care what I ate, I haven't had time to exercise, and when I can't exercise it's hard for me to care about my diet. Even when stressed and going through hard times, I know that's the most important time to stay focused on my diet... since it's not a diet, but supposed to a life style change. No excuses, right?

I was going to come here and ask for advice on how to get back on track, but I thought for a moment..no, I know what to do. I got out my food journal, looked through the kitchen, looked at the calories on the foods and planned out my meals for tomorrow totaling about 1500 calories.

I could still use some support from others who've been there, done that.. and are doing it again.

I'm sorry to hear about your mom and her not being well. I hope she has recovered.

DECIDE to do this, COMMIT to do this, be WILLING to do what's necessary to MAKE it happen and it WILL happen. You've got the power to do this. You hold the key, it's within your hands. You don't have to be fat if you don't want to. Losing weight is a doable thing for every one and any one - yourself included.

This is good, this is very good. Get YOURSELF back on track as you're the only one who can do it. Planning, food journaling, adhering to a calorie allotment - three vital components to weight loss. I'm glad to hear you're taking the plunge - and that's basically what you've got to do. Just jump right back in with two feet.

The hardest part is starting. Once you get into it - you get into it. I urge you to not dread this, but to look forward to and be excited about it. I think you will find that you are relieved to eat this healthy way again. It's no fun eating not well and being heavy. It's not enjoyable and it certainly doesn't solve stress - it brings on more, lots more.

And yes, this is a lifestyle change. You're changing your relationship with food and how you view it and use it. You're incorporating new healthy habits that are sustainable and will last a life time.

I look forward to hearing of your progress.

So glad that you posted. I hope your mom is doing better.

It's wonderful that you are wanting change your life to include healthy eating and all the things it takes to have a better and healthful life.

Robin always says it so well. You CAN do this. You need to plan, plan and plan some more. Planning sets you up for success.

Yes, somtimes we face stress with food. Now it's time for your to forgive yourself for gaining the weight. You can move forward to a healthier life.

I so relate to this.... I am just having trouble getting excited about weight loss like I was when I started. Maybe its because its actually been ages since I LOST any! Oh well. I will join you starting again ringmaster

You know, I lost about 70 lbs when I was 18 on a VLC diet: went from 205 to 135, my thinnest ever. I did it through sheer force of willpower, and, I thought, it worked--after all, it took off the weight!

Then I fell in love, which, as we all know, is a double whammy: it's a totally new lifestyle, for one thing, and old good habits disappear, and, for me, at least, hormonal BC is a killer. I put a fifty pounds on in a matter of months.

For the next TWELVE years, I tried to go back on that VLC plan because, in my mind, it "worked"--after all, I lost all that weight on it! Time after time after time, I'd lose 20-50 pounds and then snap because I just didn't have the willpower to stick with it. Every time I'd gain it all back + another 20 or 50 pounds. Every time I blamed myself for being weak, pathetic, not caring, unmotivated--I called myself every name in the book.

It never occurred to me that the PLAN was the problem, that a plan I couldn't stick to was NOT a plan that worked, however much I thought it should, or however well it worked for someone else. This time, after 12 years, it's been different. I've refused to follow any plan that I dread, that makes me sick or angry or resentful to think about. A plan needs to be EASY to stick to on "average" days so that it's POSSIBLE to stick to it on difficult days: if it takes all your willpower to stay on plan on good days, you have no chance of staying on plan when life happens.

So I would revisit your plan. It didn't work last time--even if it's a good plan for other people. That does NOT mean you throw out everything, but that you spend time thinking about what parts made it difficult to stick to and what you can do to change those things.

Remember, too, that the plan you start with isn't the plan you end with. My exercise this time started SO SLOWLY because I hated it so much. Now I exercise all the damn time. But I started with an amount I could easily make myself do, and increased it slowly over time--now, I can easily make myself do about 10 times more than what would have taken all my willpower a year ago. It's ok to build up to things.

i'm with you ringmaster! i too have had MORE than a difficult time re-starting. it's a horrible feeling to see all these cute clothes in my closet that i can't fit in. to know summer is here and i can't wear anything sleeveless...and EVERYTHING is sleeveless. you are SO NOT ALONE...we just have to remember not to beat ourselves up about it. everybody slips...let's pick ourselves up and just freaking DO IT! we know we can!

Your not alone! I am going through a restart myself. You can do it!

I'm here in the same boat. I'm getting back on track and I will be heading to the store later to invest in a scale. This week is time for Aunt Flo so I'm feeling all bloated and nasty but I'm going to try and avoid my boyfriends huge box of chocolate in the kitchen. Only time will tell and we will see what happens. Just looking for a few buddies to go with me on this journey that I know will not happen over night.

thank you for the replies... on day 2 and so far so good. I slipped up a bit with handful of nuts last night, but not too bad since they are healthy. I was tempted to have a brownie (the family gets them), but resisted, whew!

shoeluver67, I feel you on the clothes and summer. I was hoping to wear sleeveless this year. I try not to worry about it now, you know the whole crash dieting right before summer some people do. since that usually sets me up to go back to my old habits when winter rolls around and I'm back where I started.

Good job for getting back on track. I'm also in the process of getting back on track after regaining some. We all stumble, we just have to turn it around. Keep up the good work!

I have Spina Bifida...so if the challenge of losing weight isn't hard enough....I have this obstacle that makes it a little harder. I went to the neurologist yesterday and there scales said that I weighed 220...I freaked out. It was one of those old scales that I don't has been calibrated in 30 years. So I went over to my future mother in laws house and used her digital scale. It read 210 lbs. I thought, "that's more like it"...I don't feel like a complete failure. It's actually 3 lbs less than my last appointment with pain management and they have a digital scale.

As far as what I have had to eat today, I had:

Breakfast:
1 v8 v-fusion Blue Berry Pomegranate Juice
1 Waffle House Waffle with Butter and Strawberry Preserves

Lunch
1 glass of Sweet Tea
1 Hamburger with Swiss Cheese on a Crustini Roll

Thinking about Baked Chicken for dinner...I've gotten behind on my water today...But I'm working on it.

Sorry to hear about your mom. Stress is a hard thing to deal with, and it's easy to get off track. It's good that you are at a point that you are ready to get back with it.

I can really relate. I started back seriously last July, and did great for months, then started slipping up slowly. I ended up gaining 15 lbs of the 28 I had lost, and was so angry at myself. I was convinced by this time I would be maybe 100 lbs less, and feeling good and doing well. Instead, here I am.

Yesterday I re-committed to this and am possibly even more determined to do it right this time.

Everyone here is so inspirational and helpful. Between 3FC and some determination, you will get going again.

Best of luck in your journey!

I woke up this morning and had this feeling of complete contentment. I was relaxed, nothing on my mind (which is very rare) my boyfriend was cuddled up to me with his nose nuzzled into my neck and his arm around me. (6'6.5" and I'm 4'11.5") I felt very safe.

I've been up about an hour and going to start my day. I have started a myspace profile that I have posted pictures and blogging on there if you'd like to add me as a friend the link is http://www.myspace.com/healthyweightloss I'm not trying to pump my myspace...just thought you'd like to check it out

Breakfast:
1 v8 v-fusion Blue Berry Pomegranate Juice
1 Bowl of Special K with 1/2 cup 2% milk(it's all that's in the house)

I've been trying to recommit for a long time now, and it wasn't until I came here that I'm feeling good and sticking to my plan. The support here makes a world of difference for m.

We all struggle, and we all know what it feels like.

I hope your mom is feeling better and that you can work thru your stress. You can do this!