Brenda.nana's Journal, 12 Mar 22

I would like to thank everyone and I have talked to my husband and family and they have noticed me getting stressed about this and I decided to take a break but I will be back in a few day 💕 

Well - Brenda - I read all of the good advice given by so many FS people - I am struggling today too - but this FOOD PLAN - not a diet is not so restrictive that I cannot eat what I want at any point in time ---One pound ??? I gain one pound by drinking a couple glasses of water ---- I am eating over my RDI today --- I am eating every thing in the kitchen --- a bit here and a bit there --- I am forging - and do not get in my way - or I will eat you ---- lol ---- we all have those days - No Biggie --- I am seriously taking the advice of JudyRose 1997 --- I inhaled and I am going to go and take a bath ------ there is no food in the bath.  

Jergens sometimes those soaps smell so good though...... 

I am going to go outside Brenda - I am going to get dressed in my winter clothes and go for a walk in the cold rain and listen to music on my ear plugs - it gets me away from the kitchen and the computer - and I can breathe. Did you want to go for a walk with me ? The granny slow walkers - there are lots of us here in this community - do want to walk with us Brenda ? 

I would take a maintenance break when I felt like this. I slowly raised calories each day until a couple weeks later I was at my maintenance calories. Then I would eat at that level for a week then back to the ‘diet’. Sometimes I would just add in one treat a week to break it up. But if you gain a full pound from one meal or one day then that’s probably not a good suggestion. 

if I may, look at the terminology used. when you use the word diet vs life style. in other words think of shifting the paradigm of you are to what you want to be. if you think tired stressed you will get stressed and tired. if you think of things you do to be pleasant and lifestyle change then you will get that. I trust this helps. Ultimately, the choice is yours. Best wishes. 🙏🏻🙏🏻 

I have felt that lots of times Brenda. 

Lots of good advise here! Thank you Brenda for posting something very personal! I also feel this way. In the past, these feelings have caused me to get off my program and gain all the weight back (and more each time) I DON'T want that to happen this time! I will use the advise I have read here to try and stay on track - FOR LIFE!! Brenda, you and I are the same! We are doing this for life! Take a break - enjoy some extra calories..... but don't lose your desire to stay fit! You KNOW how to do it - you HAVE done it! We will miss you! Looking forward to your return! Have fun! 

Just stand up and just go outside --- carry something outside and then carry it back inside --- stand up and put your coat on and go outside and then come back inside and take your coat off --- if you make yourself stay outside for first 5 minutes - then 10 minutes - then 15 minutes --- Cause you have been "Bad" -- lol sooner or later you will get bored with standing around outside and you will go for a small walk --- remember to take a walking stick - it gives us Grannies support. 

I haven't been on this site long but I'm certainly not new to making lifestyle changes for the betterment of my health and well being. I've really moved away from focusing too much on the number on the scale and more on overall positive changes such as feeling better physically and emotionally because of healthier food choices and movement. The number on my scale may not match my efforts but the health payoffs are great just the same. I may have starts and stops. That's OK. I accept that. Life keeps happening. There can be stressors. I try not to use food to cope but I always have safe food choices on hand just in case, thing a person can literally binge on without much weight gain. At such times, it's the act of eating more than what I am eating. But honestly that happens rarely. I will go out for a walk to clear my head, de-stress, change my thinking. Since coming here, I've read people's profiles. Some have overcome obstacles and kept going. I've done the same.That inspires me to keep going but also to be mindful of what's important. It's really not getting to that "ideal" number on the scale. It's more about finding joy in every day I'm given. Practicing yoga, I begin with focusing on my breathing. In yoga class with others. my teacher suggests we let go of competition. She reminds us that all of us are moving in a positive direction. I take that to ❤  

It can be tough but stick with it! I feel you on this for sure! I’ve finally come to the point where I’m not looking at my nutritional choices like a ‘diet.’ Its too easy to get sick of a diet and give myself an excuse to cheat and completely fall off. I’m looking at my nutritional choices as just the way I eat now. I have had some food that isn’t something I would eat often as treats here and there, and immediately get back to it the next meal. Using methods to control sugar cravings helps me so much and makes it easier to eat right. 

Just such a wonderful reminder that we are all fighting a battle. So grateful for being a part of this awesome group.  

Funshine59 is so right 

Good Morning Beautiful! It's a New Day! Pom Poms up! We've Got This! Diets fail us in the end, but champions win every time with New Lifestyles! I Love your Heart! Even when you don't feel it you are my Super Hero! I am cheering and praying for you ALWAYS!  

It sounds normal to me. I'm trying to stop thinking that I'm dieting, that I am eating how I should. A few years ago I lost 50 pounds (I've gained it all back) and I'd give myself a 2 day "break" about every 10 days or so. During that time I would all kinds of bad things like chips and dip. I would then get right back to it and start losing again. Those 2 days usually cost me about a week though because it would take about 5 days to get my weight back to where it was. So I stopped doing that. My hope is portion control will really make a difference. I never eat a whole sandwich, just a half, sometimes a quarter. Different things work for different people. You've been successful, don't give up on yourself now! 

I hope you enjoy your time creating wonderful memories with 👪 family and the break from FS. 😊 Looking forward to seeing you again. 

It’s a constant battle, but try not to be at war with yourself. Concentrate on mindful eating and not obsessive behavior. It’s all a fine line we are trying to stay on the right side of. Hang in there, God bless. 

I've been there, too. I give up and for a while, I don't gain a ton of weight so I think, "Okay, I didn't have to be that vigilant." But slowly, I slip into eating whatever I want whenever I want and I gain back everything I lost plus some. One thing I've tried in the past is to set aside one meal a week when I can have anything I want. There's a limit to how much I can eat in one meal, and then I have to go back to the diet for the rest of the week. Then it doesn't feel so arduous to do all that counting and balancing and craving all the rest of the week. The more I read about obesity, the more I understand that we will never be able to not diet. Our bodies are constantly trying to get back to that maximum weight, studies show, even after five years of maintaining a healthy weight. So I do advise not giving up and losing all you've struggled so hard to achieve.  

When someone has a lot of weight to lose, it might be helpful to split it into smaller goals and break up the fat loss phases with periods at maintenance to allow you to get used to a lower weight, recover a bit and have more energy.  

Find a plan you can live with and stick to it. About once a year, I got off plan for a while and I am always amazed at how fast the pounds come back on. Good luck with your journey.