Lost motivation falling into bad habits

[jenwriter]

Since last week I've fallen into bad habits. Yesterday I bought crisps and ate loads. Last week my boyfriend bought pizza. I can't remember everything I've eaten but I know I've eaten fairly healthy meals but the odd junk here and there means I haven't lost much weight this week. The downfall is the fruit juice and milk shakes and smoothies I've been drinking.

Also I usually exercise Monday mornings but I worked Monday and I haven't found the motivation to do it all week. I love doing yoga and pilates but the other exercises I was doing, HIT workouts online I haven't bothered doing, using the excuses that I'll have to shower after it, I haven't been sleeping well and being getting up late..

I know my mood has been very low lately and I think that's the main reason as I am an emotional eater, the problem is my mood is very hard to change. I have issues with worry and anxiety and I know I should be taking better care of myself I don't really know why I've slipped into a low mood I have a few ideas but changing them is beyond my control, I don't want to ramble on about my mind and it's concerns I just felt like sharing on here since I missed the weigh in.

I'm 10stone 3 now, so I haven't put on a lot of weight I lost under a pound last week went from 10stone3 to 10stone2.4 I've weighed today and I've gone back to 10stone 3. I want to get to 10 stone. I don't know how I'm going to maintain my weight at10 stone yet I just want to get there.

I guess I just want to get this off my chest really as I know how to get back on track but when it comes to my mental state that seems to take a while to return to normal. Anyway, thanks for reading.

[MW50]

Sometimes just offloading your feelings on this forum can make all the difference. I guess it's actually admitting to yourself and others how you actually feel, we are not very good at that - stiff upper lip and all that.

[jenwriter in reply to MW50]

Very true. I think I've been such a complaining in the past that either people don't listen anymore or maybe they really just don't know what to say to make things better so coming online and talking to people who understand is good

[Itsbab]

Hi jenwriter, I am sorry you are feeling so low at the moment, as I have said earlier before on the forum I am just coming out of a bout of depression something I have never had before but fortunately I can point to the reasons why I ended up that way. A single sentence from a close relative bought me to my senses and for the past 8 weeks I am on a mission to recover, firstly I took away or had taken away from me one of the problems I was dealing with, then I looked at myself, realised I had badly neglected myself and joined the forum, Do you keep a diary? Everyday I write in mine how I feel, what I am going to do next, how I am going to deal with certain problems etc.

My daughters friend although only 26 suffers from anxiety, she won't go out without her mum or boyfriend, stays in most days, she is such an attractive well educated ( to degree level ) girl to see her life like this is awful, she refuses to see her GP something I think she needs to do. Have you thought to visit yours? I think writing down our feelings daily and looking for patterns or events that trigger off low moods/anxiety helps then you can put strategies in place to deal with them.

Depression and anxiety affects our work, sleep, food and general wellbeing it is a vicious circle.

Try to focus on one or two of the activities you like maybe the yoga and Pilates don't push yourself into lots of different activities, go for a walk with your boyfriend, fresh air and no distractions and you may find you speak how you feel easier so he can understand how you are mood wise.

Try to swop at least some of the fruit juices etc for water and don't be too hard on yourself take it one day at a time, at the end of the day record your day either in writing or various symbols for quickness and look back at your recording on a weekly or monthly basis see if you can pinpoint anything.

Sorry for the long essay but I hope there may be something to help you, good luck keep us posted on your progress.

[jenwriter in reply to Itsbab]

Thanks for the reply. I'm 27 and I've suffered with anxiety for years. I'm sorry to hear about your daughters friend. I never had help from my gp I got over panic attacks using cognitive behaviour therapy techniques from a book, after finding out what a panic attack was from GMTV I was in yr 9 at school and had panic attacks for another year or two and the doctors didn't have a clue what was wrong. And to this day they don't offer any help, it's a long story.

It's only the last year or more that my anxiety has improved as I've realised how much is in my head! I know that worry is my problem and I have read many books on how to ease all my worries and anxiety, I learnt a lot. There are many helpful books out there but the general thing is you just have to get out and carry on, staying in and avoidance makes the anxiety worse it's a vicious cycle. Mindfulness helps me now and yoga. But I never really have looked at my low mood and don't really want to go into details here since it's not the place. I don't know what is troubling your friend's daughter (or more accurately what causes her anxiety, mines worry), but there are books and website with information and I do recommend mindfulness. And it is possible to recover, feel better and (as I don't think it ever leaves some of us) live with it and manage very well.

I have tried keeping a diary but I've never stuck to it. I am much better at dealing with this now than I was and know I'll be fine. I'm making the same mistakes by letting my mood dictate my day. But I know if i keep on with mindfulness and other things I'll be fine. I think I often over exaggerate how bad I feel but that is because when you feel bad it feels like the end of the world (I'm sure you understand). Sometimes it passes and then may come back.

Sorry to go on about this on this forum, it's about weightloss not anxiety.

[DartmoorDumpling Restart Feb 2024]

My way of dealing with life's problems is to find a high point somewhere - walk to the top (the exercise always helps) and look back at all the tiny houses, all those little tiny people in their little tiny cars, scurrying around below you, all with their own important lives and their own share of problems - it does help to put things in perspective!

By the way - I am just a little envious - I would so love to weigh 10st 3lbs .....but then I am 5ft 7" and that would be such an excellent weight for me. Hope you have a better week ahead and reach that elusive target!

[Itsbab]

Don't say sorry, yes it is a weight loss forum but what happens with your anxiety will affect your food intake. I agree my daughters friend is not helping herself at all by staying in but her mother is a stay at home mum, she herself has never interacted with others much and in a way I think she aids her daughter not go out because she them has company at home.

I used to worry about all sorts especially when my kids were young, if something went off in the world 9/11, gulf war, etc I used to google everything, will this happen? will that? what if It escalates? I used to get myself in such a state. Now I don't have a newspaper avoid them like the plague. I hardly ever watch the news anymore and I am now so much happier as I used to blow everything up out of proportion.

Some people have a tendency to over think things and I know if I am not busy I can be one of these people. Now I have little motivational phrases around me, a diary to keep me in line and lots of lovely people here to help with my weight loss journey and if I can help a little too then that's brill. Part of my depression was life events that were very unsettling and a forced change in my lifestyle (job etc). That's in the past. I am more than twice your age, finally now looking after me instead of everyone else, you are young, you have found a strategie that is working for you, sure it is hard each day, but you are a fantastic person with a lot of life to live, go forward and live it with your boyfriend, make plans, look forward with his help. I know it is easier said than done but try not to waste your young years, you will be my age before you know it and think " why the hell did I let all those stupid things bother me". Good luck have a fantastic day because you deaerve it!👍😊

[jenwriter in reply to Itsbab]

Thanks! I really appreciate your kind words, you have no idea. It's good to hear people who don't know say these things, I guess it helps me to be kinder to myself.

I am the same, I used to avoid the news because it used to put me in a bad mood. I overthink things. I have realised recently that I've wasted so much time since I've left school worrying about work and things, being anxious and stressed, I couldn't help it then but it's encouraging me not to be like that anymore. I don't want to feel like that again. I also worry about wasting my life and that makes me anxious about all the things I want to do and I try and do too much. I need to find a balance I guess and live in the moment.

All the best

[Venusflytrap]

Every time I got near to one of those significant weights, like down to the next stone, I had a little wobble too. So I bet most of us recognise what is happening here. I may have gotten used to dieting and be wondering how maintenance would work. This worries me, as I am so near my goal. So I put off the worrying change by putting on a few lbs, then I can continue losing! You are doing better than me. I managed to put on 10.5lbs last time I got to goal and it took me a little over a year to get back down to goal. And for some of that time, I was dieting and going up at the scales! Now I am trying to get 5lbs below goal, so that I have an allowance for manoeuvre! Also it means I am still trying to lose, so can't give up the comforting diet yet! I am going to outwit that saboteur that lives somewhere inside of me! Good luck for your next weigh in. You don't seem to have done much damage yet. A couple of good days might see a loss.