The very nature of a weight loss experience is one of starts and stops, pauses, holds and new beginnings. There are very few people who can determine in their head to lose weight, and lose weight the first time and keep the weight off indefinitely.
I am definitely not one of those people. I began my long and painful dieting career way back in high school, where although I was an average size, I felt that I should be smaller. I lost a few pounds and promptly put them back on. In college, I dieted inconsistently, although I still wasn’t medically or appearance-wise “overweight.”
When I married, however, the dieting train began in earnest, in response to rapid, continued and alarming weight gain. I wish I had kept a journal of the number of times I tried to lose weight, without success. It wasn’t the start of the diet that caused me problems, but rather the continuing to diet that gave me fits.
I have to confess that not one time did I ever start a diet, “fall off the wagon,” and get back on track. My falls off the wagon weren’t just a temporary problem, but rather ended up with me watching the wagon go into the sunset with me sitting on my behind in the dust. Instead of trying to start again, I allowed my mistakes to overwhelm me into quitting completely.
If this has ever happened to you, I’ve encourage you to learn what works for you in terms of getting back on track and continuing with your efforts to lose weight and get healthy. Here are some things that worked for me, and I’d love to hear what works for you.
In the beginning of my final weight loss diet, and when I had to diet to lose baby weight from the four pregnancies I had after I lost my 158 pounds, I determined within my own mind that a mistake wouldn’t do me in. No, instead of quitting, I told myself that one mistake didn’t have to compound itself, and that one candy bar, piece or two of cake, or extra large bowl of ice cream didn’t mean I was destined to fail.
When I did make a mistake, I just reminded myself that it was normal, and purposed in my mind to start fresh that minute. Most of the time that worked for me. There were times when the mistakes in food were exacerbated by difficult circumstances such as financial difficulties, extended family issues or tragedy. In those cases, there were times when poor food choices could be measured in a couple of days of bad choices rather than one incident. Even then, within those days, I still told myself that it wasn’t the end of my weight loss journey. And after a bit of time, I was able to start anew.
Allowing yourself permission to make mistakes it an important part of your weight loss efforts, because — let’s face it — none of us are perfect. I know I’m not.
What techniques have you tried to get back on track after a poor choice or difficult situation in your life? Diane
I like you no longer get into the “you fail” mindset. If I eat over one day, I hop right back on my plan the next.
What’s made it easier is by changing focus, changing my plan and workout. Maintenance can become stagnant and I noticed a bad trend where I was eating more and more off my food schedule. So, I picked myself up and started over rejuvenating myself. Its been great and so far seen a big change!
Sheri´s last fabulous musings ..Keeping The Pounds Off
Many things have been helpful to me in getting back on track, but since becoming a part of BlogLand, the thing that helps me most is to search out a brand new blog of a maintainer or very successful “loser” and reading it from start to finish as if I were reading a book. In the last year, this has helped me over many humps and the added bonus is lots of new friends who continue to encourage me.
Sharon´s last fabulous musings ..Beautiful Biltmore!
In the beginning of this journey, I did not allow myself any treats and that set me up for failure. Marcelle from Fitbloggers.ning told me that I need to learn to allow myself these treats. This is part of this healthy eating journey. So that is exactly what I did, I learned how to cope with the fact that if I do have a treat/cheat, then it is nothing to make me fall of the wagon. It’s part of life.
blackhuff´s last fabulous musings ..Winter months and exercise
I still struggle with this, but what works best is to really cut out all the foods that might be triggers for me until cravings go away again.
Karen@WaistingTime´s last fabulous musings ..Into Each Life a Little Zen Must Fall
as unusual as it may sound writing is ALWAYS what gets me back on track!
This might sound silly, but it does work for me. When I am having a tough time, I wear my tightest pair of jeans. I wear them non-stop, day after day, until I get my focus/effort back to a very dependable standard and that extra pound or two back off my body.
Vickie´s last fabulous musings ..We like to have our own way- and that doesnt always actually WORK
Interesting concept! I like your idea of wearing good-fitting clothes, and have noticed that my past impulses to slip into elastic-waist pants indicated potential issues with my emerging body image, in terms of learning to accept my new, much smaller size. So, not necessarily a “tip” for me in terms of what to do re: my eating, but a helpful tipoff about what may be going on for me emotionally.
RNegade´s last fabulous musings ..i am heart sick
Like you Diane – I just get back to it but these days I plan for my treats so very rare that this has to happen – but if the emotions get the best of me & I do go more overboard than planned, just back to my normal stuff the very next meal!
Jody – Fit at 53´s last fabulous musings ..Injuries and Change Happy Passover
Slips or mistakes in eating have often derailed anmy current diet. I have recently taken a new tact and planned for some type of a treat on occasion. That’s what normal eaters do. I’m not saying that I will ever be a “normal” eater, but if the shame and guilt is removed from eating a half a dessert or a candy bar, I know I can get back on track, because I won’t start the self-hatred cycle again. For me, shame has always led to overeating, because diving back into the food, with all of its discomfort and angst served as punishment for any food indiscretion.
First, ” It wasn’t the start of the diet that caused me problems, but rather the continuing to diet that gave me fits.” explains my problem perfectly in my weight loss history. Staying focused is where I mess up.
So, to get back on track I find that getting back to tracking my food helps immensely. It makes me take a good look at where I am and admit on paper (or iPod touch in my case) that there’s a really good reason the weight isn’t dropping.
I also remind myself this is a lifelong journey and I refuse to give up. I’ve decided deep down that I won’t quit this time. It’s not an option any more.
Leah´s last fabulous musings ..Weigh-In Holding
You know what is helping me when I miss a step? Detachment. I have learned to observe the problem without judgment. That makes it easier to just get on with it again.
Hanlie´s last fabulous musings ..The Invitation
Yes! Great summary of a complex idea. I too feel that detachment is crucial to learning about my own process, whether that process involves finding out what kind of eating pattern or foods seem most helpful for me, or discovering what I really hope exercise will contribute to my life. Observing “without judgment”, as you wisely suggest, brings empowerment rather than control. For me empowerment means liberation but control represents only an illusion of power or illusion of freedom.
RNegade´s last fabulous musings ..i am heart sick
Oh, we are so hard on ourselves, aren’t we? I know I’m hardest on myself, more than anyone else could be on me. So, I have to watch out for self-defeat. I’m like you were, if I find myself messing up, I’ll either forge ahead and ignore my transgression, or I’ll end up completely defeated. I’m working on positive thinking.
BlessedMama´s last fabulous musings ..Roasted Veggies
This was a lesson I had to learn a few times in my loss. I realized that splurging once in awhile was NOT the end of the world, that I could stay “on track” and still enjoy some things.
I had a good giggle at the first part of your entry, I could just picture the wagon passing etc etc….good words to describe a situation so many find themselves in.
I used to diet, lose the weight and then go back to the way I used to eat, cause now I was thin!!!!!!!! Only to gain….I was not educated…I’ve learned now that so many return to old ways not cause they want to but they know no better, its either eating or dieting…no middle road which I have learned now.
I am always watching what I eat, and weight….its an never ending journey this one.
Marcelle´s last fabulous musings ..Day 14 – 17 DD
You know I have struggled with this just recently, ss well as several times during my journey down the scale. I have never completely quit and given up, and I think viewing it as a continual journey I can never fail on unless I literally throw my hands up and quit is what helps me. Every day I can do better, no decision is irreversible, etc etc.
Also, focusing on what I want and who I want it for (being healthy for my family, beautiful for my husband, happy in my own skin) hes me keep it in perspective and not default to unhealthy behaviors on either extreme (no extreme, restrictive, dysfunctional diets and no libertine gorging for weeks on end, either!).
Finally, prayer helps so much. Realizing I am not alone in this and God is carrying me through the tough moments has been such a blessing, especially lately. Im so grateful for a healthy body and the ability to lose this weight, I am trying not to take it for granted and keep doing my part to work hard.
Taryl´s last fabulous musings ..60 pounds lost- Woohoo!
I started the fat journey when I was 14. My body was changing, becoming more curvy, and I was told I had thunder thighs. I weighed 115 pounds. She wasn’t trying to be mean, it’s just what she was told and she was passing it on to me. Thus started my fruitless time wasting desires to be ‘thin’. I look back at myself and am horrified that I ever thought I was fat but there you go.
I had a few successes along the years but always one mistake, ONE MISTAKE, ruined it all for me. I wasn’t perfect and thus the downfall began. Again. So this time my theme was never give up, never surrender. No matter what. I allow for treats, chocolate, whatever. I count those calories and add them to my day and move on.
Not waiting until tomorrow to get back on track is important too.
Looking forward to the day that I will get to learn how to maintain my weight loss.
Yes, instead of putting a judgment on the action (I just ate the entire sleeve of cookies! I’m weak and will never be able to lose weight! Why even try? I’m no good!), just state the action as a fact and move on (I ate a sleeve of cookies) and maybe look for reasons why.
Gina´s last fabulous musings ..Exfoliate the Scale
I think getting back on track after a poor choice, meal, day, or even week or month is key. I think this is one of the major reasons I haven’t been very successful in weight loss. After doing poorly, I don’t want to face that fact so I just keep on eating poorly, which is, of course, really not good. Getting back on track as SOON as possible is helpful to me. The less time I’ve been “off track” the easier it is to get back on.
Laura Jane´s last fabulous musings ..How to Cure the Munchies!
There is so much good information out there about weight loss and health now compared to years ago. If one wants to lose weight, they will.
I like to remind myself that a pound is 3500 calories. Unless you’re really gorging yourself, one slip up isn’t even 3500 calories typically (other than MAYBE Thanksgiving Day for someone with a large appetite!) so it won’t be a pound of fat.
On the other hand, DAILY slip ups add up.
I just went on vacation. I was with friends. I ate what they ate. I usually have a max of a glass of wine with dinner. We lingered for an hour and a half chatting so I had a glass and a half or even two–AND a bit of brandy after, AND dessert….
Guess what? I didn’t gain weight. For one thing, I didn’t stress eat at all, I ate when I was hungry. The other thing is that I would have felt deprived if I hadn’t enjoyed myself with everyone else so I did enjoy all the food. But my idea of chocolate bundt cake was a half inch slice, not a large slice and I don’t know what the normal serving is of tiramisu but I had what amounted to 4 bites of it. If you allow yourself to have stuff you don’t need to eat a whole lot either.
On the other hand, sometimes I do eat more than I want to and I just start over the next day. Instead of trying to eat less, I aim to eat MORE of stuff like vegetables the next day…. I also make sure I don’t go outside my range of 3 pounds or so fluctuation as I do NOT want to “re-lose” weight.
Staying healthy is a lifestyle not a “diet” for me, and I did get rid of all my larger clothes so when I slip up, I just get back to healthier eating.
And that includes treats. I just count my M&Ms instead of eating them out of the bag. I see how much something fills a certain bowl if it’s a “serving” and try to equal that level every time…
I’ve been working on letting it go. I also am avoiding “tomorrow is a new day.” I am trying to stick with “this minute is a new beginning.”
Shawnee´s last fabulous musings ..Hair Clips for Easter