Discouraged, need help

I was doing well for the first few weeks on here, and since then things have gotten out of control. My portions have gotten bigger and I've gotten lazy. Initially I dropped some weight but now I am just about where I initially started. I'm so frustrated by this cycle. I do well for the first 2-3 weeks and then things fall to pieces. I'm ready to give up. Does anyone have any advice/suggestions?

Sun. Dec 11, 12:01pm

DONT GIVE UP!!!!

PLEASE, dont give up on yourself! YOU can do this!
I am the same way- first few weeks are great then i slowly fall back to where i started.
I try to keep things in prespective.......one day at a time :) Really, how hard is ONE little day?? one measly day? And if you mess up and eat too much,....guess what? You have another day tomorrow ! There was a thread awhile back about "Just this one day, i can do this.....". It was really motivating! I wish i could send it to you!!
I ate like crap yesterday.....so im trying harder to watch what i eat today. I am also going to walk my dog a bit longer.......to "make up for it" . It makes me feel like im going foreward instead of standing still with my eating progess.
Hope this helps! DONT GIVE UP- YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!

Sunday, December 11, 2005, 12:49 PM

I was doing the same thing for years, I lose a little and go right back to old habits. My doc said something a few years ago about joining a program and how it works for a lot of people because it keeps them accountable and gives them support. I joined WW, course it took me years to join, but I have had success. He was right, something about knowing you are paying for it and people are watching you combined with the fact I was so tired of doing this yo-yo thing, I have lost 23 pounds in 14 weeks. Maybe something like this would help you. WW is not expensive either.

Sunday, December 11, 2005, 1:02 PM

this happends to me every month, I know this cycle, and I know when I rather have chocloate than veggies. I know the week that I will have no intrest in going to the gym, what I do is try to add workouts in druing the rest of the month.
The trick is accept it, go back to what you were doing, and move on. If you know that the third friday of every month you want a big fat cheese burger, then have one, but only eat 3 or 4 fries with it, and the day before have a wonderful choped salad for dinner, and the day after have some veggie soup and some bread.
You must become aware of your personal patterns, once you understand them then you can change them.
Here is my tip- go get a journal, and write what you are feeling, and what not in it, print peertrainer logs out go over it with a fine tooth comb and figure out what you have been doing, and what small steps you can change. Go down to skim milk from 1%, eat more soup, eat more salads. Workout for a few more minutes.
jennifer

Sunday, December 11, 2005, 1:28 PM

Motivation and enthusiasm ebb and surge, whether it be on a cycle of days, weeks or months. The trick is to find what pushes it into 5th gear for you and actively seek that out whenever your efforts start to flag. When you're in 5th gear, ride that crest with all you've got because the results might be enough to keep you up there longer and longer each time. And when you're in a slump, just work on limiting the damage (maintain rather than gain).

Sunday, December 11, 2005, 3:41 PM

You're not alone, babe. Keep doing peertrainer and posting on good days and bad days. We're here for you!

Sunday, December 11, 2005, 4:15 PM

Original Poster here..

Thanks so much for the encouragement. It helps to know I'm not alone and that there's so much support. You guys are the best. I'm going to try to get back on the horse.

Sunday, December 11, 2005, 5:41 PM

Every day is a new day, every day is a chance to start again. Remember to be loving to yourself, eating better is about health and loving yourself. It's something you do for yourself; it's not supposed to feel like punishment. You may be rebelling against yourself. Try something new tomorrow. Different strategies work for different people. You could try kick-starting your weight loss by joining Weight Watchers or a local support group like TOPS or Overeaters Anonymous, just for a few sessions to see if you like it for find inspiration and support there. Keep posting here are let us know what you're feeling! Best to you!

Monday, December 12, 2005, 5:58 AM

I find that if I mess up--and that's pretty often--I will do something small that day to make up for it. I'll take a 15 minute walk, drink more water or be more mindful of what I eat next. I find that writing down how I feel helps too. Remember, it's more important to focus on life-long habits, not an "all or nothing" plan. Eyes on the prize--you can do it!

Monday, December 12, 2005, 8:37 AM

I do that sometimes as well, I feel like.... what the hell I did, all that work and I gained weight!

THIS IS THE EXACT WRONG THING TO DO!

Now I wait 12 hours and weigh myself again and often times I have lost weight.

Monday, December 12, 2005, 10:38 AM

OMG

I have the EXACT same problem! I hate hate hate that! I get into a routine- then i get sick or work picks up or I miss a workout or two and then I am back where I started and feeling SO down. :( I am in the down cycle now!)

Monday, December 12, 2005, 11:37 AM

the soup and salad suggestion is a really good one. I know I overeat at the office so I have a salad for dinner most nights. That helps me sleep better, too, because my stomach isn't so full at bed-time. It's weird, because I keep thinking of dinner as big meals - pasta and sauce and chicken and bread and a vegetable, or pot roast, etc - but I actually feel better all the way around if I eat my biggest meal of the day at lunch-time and have something light for dinner.

Don't get down on yourself. The other cycle problem is the voices in your head that say bad things and make it all feel hopeless. Forget about one day at a time - try ONE MINUTE AT A TIME! Stay in the moment and you'll succeed!

Monday, December 12, 2005, 11:45 AM

What's TOPS?

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Monday, December 12, 2005, 11:56 AM

TOPS stands for Take off Pound Sensibly, a low-cost non-profit self-help weight loss organization. They have meetings all over and it's very inexpensive. I have a friend who goes and loves it. Check out www.tops.org.

Tuesday, December 13, 2005, 6:40 AM

Find workout you really like!

One of the best things to keep me motivated was to find something I really enjoyed doing for my workouts. Then I want to eat healthier and all too. I joined a gym and started taking boxing classes. There's a fun group of regulars (I'm becoming a regular now too!), I can tell that I'm progressing, there's a lot of variation in what we do each class, and it's really a fun workout! If you always dread it, it will be hard.

Other ideas: sign up for a hip hop dance class, go climbing at an indoor climbing wall, join a local group of runners or walkers, get some friends to commit to lap swims with you 3 days a week, etc, etc...

You can do it!!

Tuesday, December 13, 2005, 12:16 PM

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