Sabotaging myself...

I am so upset with myself after this weekend. I've been eating well for the past 2 weeks - then bam! Friday, Saturday, Sunday I was uncontrollable. The sad part is that I know what to eat, I know how to work out, I know the calorie count of practically any food....I just don't know how to make myself stick to it!

When I go to the gym I struggle with initially getting there, but once I am there I am fine. I burn 600-800 calories and feel great when I leave. I eat the food I cook and it's really delicious. But for some reason...it's so easy for me to not go to the gym and to feel depressed when I eat only my healthy food.

I just need to vent and admit to myself that this is a constant struggle that I am going to have to overcome...I just wish I wouldn't disappoint myself constantly!

Oh, man. I can relate. I've been doing so good for the past month and the last 3 days I went back to eating like the old me and I knew what I was doing but I had no self control. And then I realized I skipped 2 days of Seasonale and I almost want to blame it all on that but I have to accept things.

You're not sticking to it because you're not enjoying it enough.... the food or the gym.   You're looking at both healthy food and exercise as something as you have to do...  once you're there you're fine and once you're eating the meal it's delicious but it's a kind of grudging acceptance of the means to an end rather than a wholehearted buy-in.  

I'd suggest you find an activity you actually like doing.  One that you don't have to force and cajole yourself to participate in.   Maybe enrol a friend to do it with you?  Something you can do at home?   Or, better still, find ways to build more activity into your everyday life rather than exercise having to be some kind of separate 'event' that you do in isolation.

If the healthy food you're chosing is 'depressing' and causing you to binge uncontrollably why is that?  Could it be that you have a too restricted list of foods?  Have you decided certain foods are 'bad' or 'forbidden' leaving you feeling deprived?   It's delicious but is there just too little of it?... Is it unsatisfying?

The phrase I always like is 'don't start doing something to lose weight that you can't see yourself happily doing for the rest of your life'.   So have a rethink about your methods and see if you can inject some enthusiasm and flexibility.  Otherwise, even if you lose any weight, you won't be able to keep it off.

You're right....I do need to rethink this and find something that is satisfying for ever, not for the short term...both emotionally and physically. I have a gf that joined the gym that I go to as well - except, if she doesn't go I feel like I have an easy out. I also rely on my husband to push me - which I know is silly and I should be the determining factor behind my lifestyle changes. I am going to start adding in more variety into my diet - as well as my workouts. Thanks for responding...it helps just admitting my problems and working through them.

hey ameliaco,

you are probably not eating enough, thats why you have such sudden cravings, my advice is to eat when you feel hungry, reward yourself once or twice a week depending on your goals, and dont feel guilty about it. if you suddenly binge food, could be emotions or feelings, lately i have learned to fight my cravings with excercise, so basically if i wanna binge, i workout, it seems to work.

I love to cook and I decided a long time ago to make my own meals.  I experiment with everything.  Sometiime I get lucky and it's yummy; sometimes its not.   I persist!!  Tonight I'm having homemade chicken chorizo.  Dice up some potatoes, scramble in some egg beaters, wrap in a low carb tortilla or a flat-out wrap.  Salsa and fat free plain yogurt on top.  Almost forgot the green tabasco!  It doesn't get any better than that for me! 

I can absolutely relate! Gi-Jane is sooo right. Finding an activity that you enjoy is the key. I used to go do the treadmill and lift weights and kept finding myself struggling to get to the gym. I'd go for a few weeks and then find a reason to stop for a few weeks (or months, or years).

But, I got brave enough to take a bellydance class. I loved it. Then I thought, well- since I like dancing, Zumba sounds fun. Did that- loved it. I then decided to try a water class- and what do you know, I take water aerobics several times a week. It just goes on and on. Now i find that I postpone social activities until the workouts are over (also helpful since I am a social eater-this helps me focus on eating out less and makingbetter choices when I do).  My body is addicted to working out and actually craves it. If you find yourself struggling to get to the gym- that's your sign that you don't have the right activity for you. Good luck!