Frustrated!!!!

So...I am one of those people that have an all or nothing approach to weight loss. Unfortunately, I am currently on the nothing side of things. I have not had time to exercise in weeks because it is the end of the semester and stress is piling up! I know that exercise is one of the best ways to relieve stress, but by the end of the day I am so tired that I end up doing nothing but eating and having a drink to relax.

Over the past couple of weeks I have been eating...a lot. I don't know why. Food doesn't even taste that great when I start eating too much at once. 

I need some advice! I have gained about 5 lbs and am afraid that if this continues the weight will keep creeping on. I am open to any suggestions at all! Please, please, please help!!!!

don't go shopping for me food

and just get up and go to the gym

cut out alcohol

You ask for help, but you know exactly what you have to do! :)

When I got really tired of putting on weight, I got to the point where I said "whoa- it goes no higher than this!" and when I got to that mental state, I started being careful with what I ate and started exercising.

It's been 2 months since my WHOA moment, and I have lost 6 pounds! It doesn't sound like much but to me it really is!

How much more weight are you willing to put on before you put on the breaks? My advice- put them on now! You can do it!  :)

Good luck!!

You don't need to be mega-motivated to simply decide to eat more healthily and be more active.  It's just a sensible thing to do... like brushing your teeth in the morning or looking both ways before you cross the street.

And if 'sensible' doesn't do it for you... healthy food is a very powerful mood-enhancer and stress-buster.   Good nutrition helps concentration.  Wholegrains, pulses/legumes, lean meats, fruit, dairy products...   Chopping up vegetables to make a stew or a stir-fry is therapeutic in itself!   Booze and poor food act merely as depressants, mess up your concentration and make stress worse.

Exercise often gets confused with 'going to the gym'.  Taking a walk outside is exercise.  Climbing the stairs is exercise.  Dancing, ironing, digging a garden.... anything that isn't 'sitting down' counts as exercise.

So make a plan.  Nothing drastic.  Just promise yourself that tomorrow you'll get your 5-a-day fruit and veg, take a walk outside and build out from there.  Your weight will take care of itself if you do.

sophiecore- i definitely have to cut out the alcohol. it will be tough because i feel like my social life is dependent on it, meaning that my friends always ask to go out for drinks or happy hour. 

queenmedia- you are right. i know what i should be doing but i guess i need someone else to tell me they have been there and that they have changed for the better. congratulations on your success thus far! losing six lbs is a fantastic achievement! keep it up! :o)

gijane- there is nothing that i love more than cooking. i am sure that if i manage my time a little bit better, even with the hectic schedule, i will be able to cook a few extra times during the week.

today is the first day of a new me. wish me luck! thanks!

Original Post by rw_designer:

sophiecore- i definitely have to cut out the alcohol. it will be tough because i feel like my social life is dependent on it, meaning that my friends always ask to go out for drinks or happy hour. 

you can still go to happy hour with your friends and not drink. all of my friends love to drink, but i don't drink at all. i just don't like the taste of the stuff. but i still go to bars, clubs, dinners, and happy hours with my friends. they all know i don't drink and no one makes a big deal out of it, and i'm not preaching to them about how they shouldn't drink, so we all just hang out and enjoy being together. the point of the happy hours et al really should be about spending time with your friends, not about "fitting in." they already like you, so don't worry about them not liking you!

I used to take the all or nothing approach to trying to lose weight.  If I couldn't go to the gym everyday, whats the point.  If I slipped up and ate a gallon of ice cream, what's the point...I would stop going to the gym. 

I am a stress eater too.  When I feel low on energy, I eat.  When I am anxious I eat.  But learning to handle my anxiety in a different manner helps.  I walk down six flights of stairs to eat lunch outside, that makes me feel better.  I treat myself to a chai tea with skim milk, and I feel better than eating a candy bar. 

Also, When out drinking with friends I would get OJ or cranberry juice (sometimes with club soda to add fizz)  and no one would think that it was "virgin."  Or you can drink one can/bottle of beer and fill it up with water.