As I'm back on the weightloss wagon and going through a rough patch in my life, one thing that is really present as the numbers decrease on the scale is....guilt.

Guilt that I let myself go, guilt that I did this to myself and related sadness that I didn't do something about this years ago! I'm not the fun-loving chubby friend, I've hated being obese for years and I've allowed it to hold me back from a lot of things in life which I could kick myself for.

I'm delighted I'm making a positive change now but this guilt is really the pits. Do any of you experience it and if so how do you handle it? I know I can't change the past and I'm moving forward to a positive future but I'm still so mad at myself!

I am trying really hard to get back on the weight losing train after a lot of failures and then a long period of just completely giving up. I'm angry at myself too, but it helps me to look at why I overate. For me, a lot of it was that I was afraid to try to lose weight so I would always blow any chance of weight loss before I could mess it up. I was in a kind of scary free-fall where I had just totally given up on myself and was eating about as much as I could because if I'm not going to come in first I'm going to come in last, darn it.

But eating like that is not mentally healthy behavior. If you had a friend who really wanted to lose weight but kept messing it up, against her best interest, but then she started to try, wouldn't you feel bad for the mistakes she has made but happy that she is no longer making them? Who you are is what you do today, and as long as you are making healthy choices, you deserve to feel good about yourself. Weight loss is really, really hard, especially when you have as much to lose as you (and I) do, so honestly, I think you should be proud just for trying.

This might help http://www.pixelthoughts.co/

I think most of us have been there at one time or another. I think it really helps to start with small victories and celebrate them repeatedly. And by that I don't mean weight loss goals (although those are ok too). I mean taking things you did right and reminding yourself over and over of that when the guilt hits. Take freaking pride in the 19 lbs. Take pride everytime you make a good choice. Finish a workout. Eat on plan.

I personally find anger so much better than guilt if I am going to have a negative emotion about it. I am ANGRY that I passed up my last opportunity for a bucket list item. And I am not going to let that happen again. But most of the time looking back doesnt help move you forward.

Thank you for that. I have been struggling with my marriage and this helped me.

I did then what I knew how to do.
Now I know better, I do better.

Simple as that. No regrets. I couldn't have lost the weight I'm losing now years ago. Because if I could, I would. I wasn't in the right state, mentally, I didn't want it badly enough. I don't know why. Now I know what I want and how I want to reach my goal. Step by step. Day by day. I drag myself along the path towards sustained weight loss. Don't be mad at yourself, you're your best friend. You were weak, now you're strong! That's why you're here.

AWESOME Thank you !!!

I do not know how people deal with guilt. I have that and shame. I have heard that shame is at the root of many addictions. For me food is an addiction. And shame is a core wound I hold. I can only suggest for myself and others that the goal may be to work on compassion. I once read that if we could see the seed of any imbalance, we could find great compassion. I believe it. Even though I am challenged at doing it for myself. I hope we all find deep compassion for ourselves, if this is something that is missing