Sulking my way back to CC (new start)

It's been months since I've been here - and I've regained 15 lbs. 

I'm scared of the scale, and most importantly, my self-esteem is in the gutter.

I need to get back into a healthy mindset and body.

Anyone else 're'starting a program? Tips and/or advice for me in how to get back on track?

I'm also on a ridiculously tight budget this month so any cheap advice helps. :)

well it is a life long journey so I would give yourself a break.  I don't think your self esteem should be in the gutter because you gained 15 pounds.  Maybe part of your journey is stop giving weight so much power.  I am almost 50 and I had to really learn to love and accept myself regardless of size.  For many of us weight represents a symptom of things much deeper.  It is too bad our society doesn't get it.  Weight is just a number and can't define you unless you let it.  Of course, we want to be healthy but the whole weight thing is an ongoing process.  That has been my experience anyway.  Be kind to yourself maybe figure out what the food is doing for you and go from there.  Good luck!

I'm actually working on gaining weight but I imagine that you could apply this same principle. When I first started out I told myself I would eat something about every 2 hours. It worked, but constantly thinking about that 2-3 hour mark was a huge daily distraction, not to mention a little daunting. What worked for me was just flipping the mentallity a little bit. Instead of telling myself to eat every 2 hours, I told myself I had to hit at least 1000 calories by a given time (2pm if I slept in, 12pm if i didn't). So if eating small helpings every few hours doesn't seem to be working for you, perhaps it would help to look at your watch and tell yourself where you want your calorie goals to be at 10pm, 3pm, 9pm, etc. and tackle those goals individually.

Welcome back!  You've already taken the 1st step in getting back on track by coming back here, and you should be applauded for that.  Life happens, and sometimes our weight loss journeys get shoved to the bottom of our priority lists for many different reasons.  I think the trick is to ignore the guilty feelings you have about it because they're just altogether unhelpful.  You're dealing with it now, and now is what's important.  Be proud of your decision to make your health and well-being a priority again.

7 years ago I spent a year on weight watchers.  For months I put my heart and soul into following that program until I hit a very long plateau after losing 6 pounds.  I left because I just couldn't deal with paying week after week and not making any progress.  The meeting leaders just couldn't seem to figure out what I was doing wrong.  Well, 6 years later I found myself 20 pounds heavier than my start weight on weight watchers.  I just couldn't believe I'd let that happen.  I'm so grateful I stumbled across this website.  For one, it's free.  I don't feel like I'm subjected to other people's rules that may or may not work for me.  On WW, once you get to your goal weight, you don't have to pay anymore.  Well, that's lovely for people who can lose the weight reasonably quickly, but I've come to realize that I just lose slowly, and there's nothing I can do about that; it's just how my body works.  And everyone here seems to say that the slower it comes off, the more likely it is to stay off, so there's the silver lining.

I've found that counting calories on its own seems to cut down on my food bills, just because I have to watch my portion sizes, so I don't go through food all that quickly.  Don't skimp on the vegetables, though.  And meat and fish can be bought in larger quantities when there's a good deal and frozen in ziploc sandwich baggies in indiviual portions.

hey hun, I remember reading your journals before, glad to see you back on here!  No worries about the weight gain, it happens to the best of us.  I remember re- gaining 11 lbs last year.. you just have to break out the fat clothes and get back in the gym!  I'm back down now and feeling great, you will get there too and then just look back on this as a learning period :)

RE: cheap/healthy food - black beans, brown rice, tuna, broccoli and sweet potatoes come to mind.  :)  I buy frozen veggies and frozen fish all the time, pretty cheap. 

Friends - thank you for the lovely replies! You are so kind.

I agree - the first step is not being angry at myself or feeling guilty. That only makes us feel worse. I need to see this is a piece of the bigger picture and go after happiness in it's truest form.

Need to spend more time exercising and reading, and less time being angst-filled, stressing out, and drinking/socializing.

Now that summer is here, I plan to spend a lot of time outside. That should help.

Cheers,

H

15 lbs?  Celebrate that it wasn't more.  I regained more last winter, but am working on losing again and this time I SWEAR I won't regain it.

I read on here, that alcohol, besides the calories, hinders weight loss somehow.

YOU CAN DO IT!!!!

Welcome Back!

I was in the same position a few weeks ago. I was on this website about 2 years ago and was doing really well with tracking my food and working out a lot. I had lost about 30 lbs and was feeling great. I dont know exactly how to describe what happen other than I just quit for 2 years. So, I gained my 30 back plus another 20. I knew all along that I was gaining but my boyfriend keep telling me that I looked good to him... haha I refused to get on the scale and see what the dammage was. Well by the time I did get on the scale I weas in total shock. I never ever though I would see the scale go that high.

It took me a few weeks to get back on track but now I am tracking my food and working out 6 days a week. I feel so much better, even after this amount of time. I lose weight very slowly so I'm not expecting anything major after this period of time, but for some reason I cant have one without the other. If I'm not working out I can make myself eat well, and if I'm not eating well I cant make myself get to the gym. Once I have both piece together I work very hard.

I am also on a very tight budget. You can get a lot of fruits and veggies (apples, carrots, oranges, ect) for very cheap. And eggs are not expensive either. I have a poached egg on whole grain toast in the morning. I also do tuna with fat free italian dressing a lot and tuna is very cheap.

Hope those ideas help, and good luck!!