Getting through bad times?

Hi,

I literally just started dieting yesterday and hopefully it will go well but I know that I've had a problem when trying to lose weight. I'm a huge comfort eater and I know that in the past I've had times when I will fall off the bandwagon because something will go wrong in my life or I'll get ill etc. For example, last time I dieted I hurt my ankle while axcercising and couldn't exercise for a little while. One thing led to another and I was back where I had started.

So how do you get through life problems/illness/injury without falling off the bandwagon? How do you go on when you really don't want to - is there a certain process you have to get you back on track?

I'm worried that I'll come up with a slightly adverse situation and end up giving up again (which I really don't want to do).

Jess x

I definitely understand your concern about staying on track! I would suggest that you tell people in your life about what you are doing so that they will be supportive and maybe even help keep you on track instead. Also, finding a weightloss buddy on this site would be a great idea because you can have weekly weigh-ins and have other people to talk to, support you and keep you accountable and motivated. Logging your food and weight on this site will keep you on track as well.

I have "tried" to diet before, but the motivation went away rather quickly and I would get discouraged extremely easily. However, once I found this website it changed everything. I've lost 13 pounds in 11 weeks and I am also dealing with an injury right now as well that I am actually in physical therapy for.

Original Post by jlpenfound:

I definitely understand your concern about staying on track! I would suggest that you tell people in your life about what you are doing so that they will be supportive and maybe even help keep you on track instead. Also, finding a weightloss buddy on this site would be a great idea because you can have weekly weigh-ins and have other people to talk to, support you and keep you accountable and motivated. Logging your food and weight on this site will keep you on track as well.

I have "tried" to diet before, but the motivation went away rather quickly and I would get discouraged extremely easily. However, once I found this website it changed everything. I've lost 13 pounds in 11 weeks and I am also dealing with an injury right now as well that I am actually in physical therapy for.

 I'm really sorry to hear about your injury. Do you mind if I ask how you are finding it - are you still able to excercise? Does it make you demotivated?

It's a shoulder injury so strength training and yoga is a little difficult but my physical therapist has given me exercises that I can do at home with free weights to work my upper body.

I'm still able to do cardio, which is what I like to do anyway. I do 45 minutes on my elliptical machine every day.

It's not too demotivating because I know that when I do exercise and eat healthy, I feel better than I do if I sit around all day eating junk food.

Hi Jess! 

I can soooo understand how you feel! In the past when I tried to lose weight I usually made it through 2 weeks and at the latest after week 3 I gave up. Even if I had some success! 5lb lost? Great! And that's when I stopped counting points, calories or whatever!

I think jlpenfound has already mentioned the most important points. Finding a workout buddy (in real life.. I mean 'offline') was really important for me too. And now I even found a weight loss buddy (my collegue) and I believe this will keep me from giving up! 

It's so important to have someone who is pulling you a little when you are slowing down or who is motivating you when you think this all doesnt work!

But it works! really! I have never felt so good on any other diet or whatever you want to call it before! I am never hungry. I can even eat more calories than I thought and I am still losing steadily!

I have a big sweet tooth and every day I have some chocolate! I really look forward having either a chocolate banana or some M&Ms at night. Those 200 cal are usually leftover for some treats every night and it really keeps me going. 

I just finished my 2nd week, lost 11 lb and giving up is not an issue at all!!! 

All the best to you honey and good luck!!!! 

Brigit

I think the key to not getting derailed for me has been making gradual, gentle changes in my lifestyle, rather than sudden, severe changes.  I make one big (or a few small) changes at a time, let it become a habit, then tackle the next thing that I know will make me healthier in the long-term.

So, back in January I started moving at least 30 minutes a 3 times a week beyond my "normal".  I am now up to about 45 minutes every day of some kind of extra movement (15 minutes of calisthenics and about 30 minutes of walking).  I just made it a habit, and now I don't feel "right" if I miss it.  Then in February I started controlling my portions, March I started logging all my foods, well, you get the picture.  If I had started in January with everything I am now doing, I would have felt overwhelmed, but now I am "in a groove", and steadily losing weight.

It seems that some who  make a sudden change in lifestyle (give up all carbs, go to the gym for hours at a time, limit calories too severely, etc.), get discouraged ("I can't live like this for the rest of my life!"), and quit.  As GI-Jane says, don't do anything that you can't imagine doing happily for the rest of your life.

dkenworthy--you have the magic ticket! Really--I can't think of anything to add. If you think of your eating habits as a DIET (a four letter word) you are already doomed to fail. If you think of your eating habits as a way to fuel your body for optimum health and energy.... well, everything becomes crystal clear. You can stay much more motivated if you know, hey, eating potatoe chips doesn't fuel me, eating ice cream doesn't fuel me.... do I ever eat those items, sure, but only at parties! (I don't waste my $$).

Small steps make huge leaps in the long run.... good luck. Take it slow and easy and keep on going.....

All of the above post have fantastic information.  Just make sure you also aren't too hard on yourself.  Give yourself permission to have an off day once in a while.  We are human-not perfect, for sure!  Once you decide to forgive yourself, it is much easier to get back on track the next day.  We all should be able to have those "forbidden" foods once in a while as long as the rest of our food intake is balanced.

You have come to a great place here at CC.  I wish you all the best!

I know where you're coming from!! I broke my back two years ago and the doctor told me I had to stop snowboarding and doing yoga. I never went to the gym, but I did go to yoga twice a week, and snowboarded maybe 3-5 times a week.

Eating kind of gave me something else to enjoy on and look forward to. I also ended up ordering a ton of take out because I couldn't get around without a lot of pain. It sucked, and I ended up gaining a TON of weight. It happened at exactly the wrong time; my body was changing from a teenager to an adult and it has now been impossible to get back to the weight I was.

Since, I have created small hobbies for myself that are unrelated to food that keep me occupied when I have a bad day emotionally, am physically impaired, or am just plain stuck in the house for a day! I love to scrapbook, paint, read, knit, bead, play scrabble online, or or pamper myself (facial anyone??) If your having a bad day, treat yourself to something nice other than food. Buy a new book or a ton of gossip magazines. Rent some movies. Treat yourself to a spa night and buy some new fuzzy pj's, bath salts, and cute nail polishes. When I'm sick, instead of buying a ton of creamy soups and doughy bread, I get some luxury cough drops, cute chap sticks, and bubble bath.

I think the best way to avoid downfall situations is to come up with a plan before they occur. Contingency planning so to speak :) If I get sick I will ____. If I have a bad day I will ___. Make your plan ahead of time. Good luck!!

I've been a comfort eater and it took me a while between realizing/accepting that I am one and actually doing something about it.

For me there are mainly two things that work (besides my very supportive husband): 1. not having any comfort food in the house; 2. finding something else that comforts me and doesn't involve eating. Hence I make fashion jewelry, cards, books, I do art journal, classes etc. This was the key for me. Finding stuff to do that involves me, is sweet per se, but no calories involved :D

Good luck, Kitty