What do you do when you feel yourself slipping, or losing momentum?
 

For the last week and a bit, I have been struggling like heck to stay on plan...it's not working at all. I've been overeating/binging and having a tough time remember why I want to lose weight?? It's like I'm trying to convince myself I don't need to lose weight anymore (but looking at my body I know I do).

I got down to 166 (lowest weight I've ever been) and for some reason this triggered me to go off plan.

Help?

I've never understood why, but did the same thing when I got to my low of 143, and I started gaining and gaining. Some kind of fear of success, at least for me.

First off, congrats on hitting that low weight!

For a lot of people (myself included) hitting a low weight triggers some kind of response of "eat eat eat eat eat" - it's all psychological. I think it has something to do with wanting to rebel against dieting for so long, or perhaps some kind of deep seated roundabout fear of the future - since you can't pin your hopes and dreams on weight loss once you're "there," what next?

I have no suggestions, but I also seem to hit a new low weight, and promptly put back on 3-5 pounds - leaving me to have to relose all over again to get back to my new low. I'm not sure if
I feel like I deserve to ease up on my diet because of the new low weight, or I have a fear of success? I really don't have answers, but I feel you!

I did the same when I hit 170 and wanted to get to 160. Could never break through to 169. I decided to change from calorie counting to WW to see if I can get to a new low. We'll see.

One of my motivators is I get a tatoo when I hit goal. Looking and feeling good are great! And eating bad totally ruins the good feeling. But I really want that tat, so I keep thinking "I'm not allowed to get it until I lose, so keep going so you can get it!"

I maintained until I had my baby - so I was at least proud I never went over 180. But I'm ready to drop to the next level.

GL
C7

I'm in the exact same place right now! For me, it's a sabotage reflex. I try to find things to keep me going... sometimes it's having a friend hold me really accountable for a few days, sometimes it's searching for a milestone (like I actually got into my skinny jeans last night!). I'm really reaching out to my amazing support community and trying to also submerge myself in things that aren't food/scale related but will move me forward like yoga and cycling. I've been using the Beck Solution so I'm really trying to go back to basics and focus on all the reasons I wanted to lose weight in the first place. Can't wait to hear what everyone else is doing too!

Sometimes it helps me to try on a great piece of clothing. It reminds me of how fabulous I'll feel when I wear it to a social gathering -- IF I can maintain my weight.

F.

I was in the same place for like 4-6months. Not putting weight back on but just not being able to work at losing the rest when I was at 142-144. It was my lowest in years weight and it felt sort of comfortable. Atleast not bad, ya know?

Then I spent like a month and a half pretending to be on plan and working at it. I was in a way, but not really, too many calories I would just not write down. Exercise I did not end up doing. All these great plans, but no real commitment. Then beginning of april I was like "okay, dang it - if I keep this up it is gonna be July (when I started last year) and I won't even have lost 30lbs. While all these people on here are really workin' it and dropping like 5lbs a month atleast."

I realised it was perfectly possible for me to reach my goal weight before the year was up and before mt 27th birthday and that I either do it or stop pretending to be trying to lose weight and accept the weight I was at. So I got going. Was diligent on my foods again. And upped my calories a little bit because it is easier to maintain and still lose enough. Dropped 7lbs this month.

So. You can get it, but your mind just needs to click ya know? If you are comfortable at the weight you are at then you have to decide you are not gonna worry about it anymore otherwise you work at it. But hanging around in this place where you are basically just annoying yourself won't do you any good! Goodluck. ;) You'll figure it out.

While I'm losing weight I'm also trying to understand why I became overweight in the first place. I was reading a book called 'fat is a feminist issue' and it's basically about support groups for binge/over eaters and really understanding why we do these things.

Some of them that come to mind. Like:

Fat as protection (against unwanted sexual attention/abuse)

Holding being thin on a pedestal. I've always had it in my head that when I'm thin that everything will be ok. I know that might not make much sense but for me getting closer to my goal weight is making me think about every aspect of my life. I'm scared that if I get there it won't be what I imagined. So I'm trying to be more realistic about this and put effort into other areas so that I'll be mentally and physically healthy.

Being physically smaller, feeling like you have less presence

I don't know if any of these reasons resonate with you but I guess there's no harm in thinking about it a bit more. :)

I agree with what others posted too and well done so far, you're doing great and you can keep doing it!