Ugh! Weight gain, need encouragement

2012FutureMrsB

I don't usually post here, but wanted some encouragement. A few years ago, I Iost 30 pounds and have kept it off, but still have about 60 to go. After the initial weight loss, I lost momentum and went back to old eating habits. However, I continued to workout now and then, so I managed to keep the weight off and not gain it back. When I got married  5 1/2 weeks ago, I was still at my 30-pound weight loss and I felt great, despite not losing more weight like I had intended.

Anyway, I gained 3 pounds over the HM, but wasn't too worried about it b/c I figured I could drop those 3 pounds fast with some exercise. However, since I'm a teacher and have the summer off, I got lazy after the HM and now I've gained about 10 pounds total since the wedding! Ugh!

The 3 pounds wasn't bad, but the 10 pounds is making me feel so fat! But at the same time, I just can't seem to shake off my summer laziness and so I feel guilty everyday that goes by. I feel like I should be able to enjoy my summer and the foods that I love, but at the same time, I know I need to change my habits back to healthy ones like I did a few years ago so I can lose the weight and eventually reach my final goal. 

I think I need to stop looking at the whole picture and just focus on a few pounds at a time, but it's hard to train my mind that way. I just need someone to smack me so I can get back on track, lol. Any encouraging words?

Lobsters25

Well, it sounds like you already know what you need to do in terms of diet and exercise thanks to your previous loss.  

I think more than focusing on one pound at a time, you should focus on one workout a time.  It's so easy to slip into 'I'll start tomorrow' and just keep pushing 'tomorrow' to the day after.  You just have to decide to throw on those workout clothes and push yourself for even just 20 minutes that first day - anything counts!  

Once you've got your feet on the ground, head to the grocery and load up on the fruits and veggies, and lean proteins.  If you have it all in the house, then even when you feel lazy, your easiest alternatives are things like picking up a piece of fruit.  And, of course, those lovely healthy crockpot dinners that will always be waiting for you.

Again, it sounds like you know what to do, you just have to call yourself out on your excuse making.

joe&cassie

I ditto what lobster said.  I'm a special ed major in my last year and it was so easy for me to say that I had too much school work when the truth is that i was just too lazy.  I just decided that I would do it and that would be then end of it.  So far it's working.  I'm in my second week of working out.  I'm working towards 10lb increments.  I'm about 2 lbs from the first one.

2012FutureMrsB

Thanks! Your feedback def helps. I agree, I've just been making excuses, as if my "vacation" lasts all summer so I get to eat junk all summer, haha. That's a terrible excuse! I need to just make the decision to START and then keep doing that everyday.

dawnp917

It's easy to lose motivation. It has happened to me in the past. Last year i slacked off on exercising after training for a tri and quickly put on about 15 pounds. Im happy to say i now weigh less than when i did the tri last year. You just have to think that a little set back is not the end of the world set a small goal and go for it. The accountability threads here have helped me in addition to tracking what I am doing and planning my meals better. I knew today I wasn't going to get a workout in and was going out in the evening so I was very careful with what I ate for breakfast and lunch. Don't deprive yourself of the things you like, it's ok to indulge at times just be aware of the choices you make. You've done it before you can do it again.

entropicbeauty

Well you already understand the fundamentals of what you need to do to lose, it sounds like motivation is the problem.

I would recommend getting a FitBit or some other activity tracker. My FitBit keeps me soooo accountable because it tells me just how active I am being every day. Even on days where I don't go to the gym to work out, I still try to get 10,000 steps+ in and that has really helped me stay active. The FitBit also really helped me understand my overall activity patterns so I could know where to add some extra activity to meet my goals.

helleb

I ditto PPs   Especially just start & the accountability board

I am a school social worker and so I know how you feel when it comes to the summer lol we work SO HARD during the school year its like when summer hits its like couch + no kids = best time ever that we DESERVE lol BUT one thing I can say is that I had a goal to lose 2lbs a week over my 9 week summer and it took me the first 7 1/2 weeks to finally start to lose! Now I go back to school, the stress, and the exhaustion after work and I didn't meet my goals.... very depressing!  It makes me wish I had spent my time off when I actually HAD TIME to work out and get started.  Monday is my first day back and I know it will be tough to work and work out and eat right.  Don't be me Start asap so when you do go back your body has a better time with the additions of your school demands Hope this helps!

FINALLYtobeMrsM

*SMACK* :-D hope that helped! LOL

ok seriously now, congrats for keeping the 30lbs off for that long!  Even though you've gained 10lbs back that's still 20lbs you kept off so pat yourself on the back for that! :-D

I work at a community college (but no summer off for me), but as a student as well I know that feeling of wanting to laze your summer away, you are definitely not alone with that one!  That fat feeling after gaining back any amount of wait is definitely not a good feeling and I can sooo relate to that one. You lost the weight before so you can definitely do it again and continue on!

What I do to keep myself motivated is do goals by weeks, rather than months. What I mean by that is to make a healthy eating/exercising goal for the week and concentrate on that. It's much easier for me to focus on small incriments of time rather than think "I need to lose x lbs in 6mos".  That I don't give myself cheat days, I give myself cheat snacks (only 2 per week and only to be used Sat or Sun), this way I can indugle in something deliciously sinful, but not chuck all of my hard work out the window. I also enlisted FI to help me, but I know this doesn't work for everyone. His motto is "happy wife=happy life" and since I asked for his help (not as a food monitor, as a walking buddy, I hit the gym alone cuz he goes super hardcore in the gym and I always feel the need to keep up even though it would KILL ME). It's worked out good thus far, maybe something you might want to consider. It's hard getting back on the exercise wagon, but I know you can do it b/c you got on the first time! I hope some of this helped and I'll be here to give you another smack if you need it lol. Good luck and YOU CAN DO IT! :-D

2012FutureMrsB

Thanks for the encouragement! (and the SMACK, lol - I needed it!) I've never heard of fitbit, but just looked it up. . . hmmmm, looks really cool. Not sure if I can afford the price, though, but maybe down the road . . .

Thanks everybody! DH and I really want to work on this together so we need to hold each other accountable, but I think we might need a 3rd person b/c sometimes we end up enabling each other and both of us go off track

We're also going to focus on one-week intervals, instead of long-term. Thanks!