Uh oh...GAINING weight.

For the past few months, I've been really unmotivated and a little depressed, and all the holiday cookies and treats aren't helping one bit... I'm eating unhealthier and more each day, and working out less. I keep telling myself to just start over, but I end up eating a ton at the end of the day.
I've gained about 5 or 6 pounds...help!! What do you guys do to get back on track, and how do resist temptations?

Tis the season for weight gain and all but you have to stop this trend NOW.

So it's midafternoon, to get back on track first thing I do is drink a whole lot of water, lots and lots because usually when I'm eating badly I don't drink enough. Drinking this water makes me feel like I'm detoxing my system from all the bad stuff I've been eating. Next step, for dinner, I have a meal packed with fibre, lots of steamed veggies. All this fibre and water might leave me a little bloated, but when I wake up the next day I already feel much better. By this stage it will have been hours and hours since I last ate unhealthy and all of it will be out of my system. I feel fresh and consequently I want to continue this feeling so I eat healthy meals throughout that day, feeling good everytime I eat something healthy, knowing that the healthier I eat the more my skin will glow and the better I'll feel. Whenever I feel tempted by something like a cookie I ask myself if I really want to do that. What would I rather? Glowing health or a few moments of sugar?

Remember, being thin does make a person happy in the longterm, but neither do baked goods.

Nutburger, sunkissed has really good points. You may also have a little 'emotional eating' going on and instead of looking at your dieting behavior, you might have to dig deeper and find out what triggers your overeating psychologically. Dr. Phil put out a book about emotional eating and there are a lot of other books out there. I, personally, went through a lot of soul-searching, some therapy, revved up the exercise in order to find out what motivates me to overeat. Now I know I am ready to lose all the weight and keep it off because I understand my 'triggers'. Personally, I think that very determined people can lose weight but, in order to keep it off, you really have to have reached a balance emotionally and kick that depression to the curb. I am depression free after a LIFETIME of chronic depression and anxiety! It can happen. 

Good luck to you.

I struggled with depression for a few years and binged my way to a total gain of about 80 pounds!  I am still in the process of trying to lose it, but trust me when I say, that is not something you want to deal with!  Just remember that no one is perfect and every minute is another chance to start over.  If you ate a huge breakfast, don't continue to cheat all day, start over right away instead of giving up on that day and waiting until tomorrow.  We all fall off the wagon occasionally!  Just keep trying to get back on, and keep posting in the forums for inspiration and those pounds will come right off!

You all are so right....Just because you blow one meal doesn't mean you should throw in the towel and blow the rest of the day - week or month  (something I am guilty of) . I think sunkissedbliss has a good point.  Have a plan for when you get off track (because we all are a cookie away from getting off track.  Make this plan something you immediately implement - otherwise you will struggle with when to get back on track.... Good luck.

MJ. 

All these people have a very good point. Another thing you can try asking yourself if your tempted is, "Do I really wan't to deal with the post-cheating blues?" Also, don't allow yourself 'just one cookie.' Just one cookie can turn into just one more cookie, and then just one more, and so on.

To paraphrase Mollymouser:  If food didn't cause it, food won't fix it! (or booze either for that matter!) 

Don't think about the past, don't focus on the overindulgence of yesterday or the regained pounds. Just focus on today, and tomorrow, and the day after. Wipe the slate clean, wipe those negative emotions clean. "The rest is still unwritten."

I have been gaining weight as well. The more I work at accepting my body, myself as being exactly as I am supposed to be, I end up eating more. Accepting myself seems to give me a reason to binge, and I hate this. I hate dieting. I just want to eat like a normal person.

Nutburger,

Thanks for your honesty.  You voiced what has been happening to me too and I am so thankful to read the posts. 

 I am going to do the water and have a new resolve tomorrow to get back on my program.  This eating out of control is not doing anything to help me, it is only harming me right now.  I feel bloated, flabby, and miserable.  So why stay on the same path?  I know how hard it is to make progress and I don't ever want to go back to where I was a year ago.  If I continue on this path, that is exactly where it will lead.

Thanks again for posting. 

 Toniahayes

thank you sunkissed your wisdom is profound and useful, today my mother tempted me with pudding and I was tempted a lot but I thought would I rather eat one pudding or a large bowel of cherries and save calories and my heart in doing so.

 

cool, enzyme! Maybe that trick will work for me, too...have a healthy food ready to go all day long. Thanks for the idea!

All you depressed folks- Keep Working Through It! There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Don't put pressure on yourselves to be there already. Stay as focused as you can, but give yourselves a break. Answers will come but they'll come when you are ready to receive them. In the meantime, every day learn to LOVE YOU! You are worth it!

I most certainly know how you feel! I've gained about ten pounds and although people say they can't SEE it I can TOTALLY feel it and it feels horrible. I'm motivated now, but it's not the same fake motivation. I know that this time it's fer real.

Today was the first time I had Christmas and didn't hate myself after the meal. it's great:D

Good luck everyone and Merry christmas!!!!

Original Post by starkitty1969:

I have been gaining weight as well. The more I work at accepting my body, myself as being exactly as I am supposed to be, I end up eating more. Accepting myself seems to give me a reason to binge, and I hate this. I hate dieting. I just want to eat like a normal person.

This is how I feel too starkitty! I hate being obsessed with my appearance/ weight; but when I obsess less I just frickin' gain weight! Grrrr!

The only things that really help me to avoid the holiday pounds are staying physically away from food, working out like normal regardless of what I eat, and staying busy doing things other than those that involve food.  Seriously, lately I've been the type to eat it if its within arm's length.  Its bad, but I guess when the motivation lacks, avoidance is my last resort.  Unfortunately the last 3 days have been non-stop eating for me and I feel terrible, but I know that tomorrow morning things go back to 'normal' and that makes me feel optimistic.

laschndr, take heart! You are not alone. ; )

Please keep the suggestions coming! I am on the same boat and i dont if i can get past this, its been 2 months!

I second noemi21. This is a nice thread. I have gained about 18-20 pounds during this holiday season. I just can't believe it and I am trying to accept this and deal with it.

I have to say that I am with everyone here....I did so good at Thanksgiving and then all this stuff happend and I only worked out for about a week in the past month...I have only gained about 5-7 lbs back, but a few of christmas presents don't fit which is highly upsetting...Of course I noticed the problem, but i just couldn't stop eating...I ordered lasagna last night cause I didn't get home from work til after 7 and I ate the whole thing...I have no idea why i did but I did and I felt like a complete pig afterwards...I am determined to get back on track today...started with a good breakfast and my water close at hand...

I plan on getting back to how I used to eat, which was healthy. I am getting back to the gym and getting back to counting calories. I will not be buying any junk food at the store and I will be buying lots of fruit and veggies...i find if i just ignore the junk food isles all together i don't even think about getting the chips or vanilla waffers or cookies...

Oh and I totally understand what you mean laschndr, my moms house has all this food while my apartment does not have nearly as much so it is so much easier not to munch at my place then at hers...