Post Christmas Encouragement Please

Ann2shoes

Ann2shoes
OK - I hold up my hands. I lost 57lbs last year and ceased abstinence on 21st November. Held my weight until (you guessed it) - Christmas. Boxing Day to be precise. I `lost it` then and I know, I just know I`ve put on quite a few pounds. Will find out for sure this Saturday when I have a quick pop-in at LL.
I now have that slight sinking, `I`ve failed again` feeling which I know I must not have if I am to change the way I think about eating.
So - help please. Unfortunately, I`m probably not the only person in this position today. I just have to convince myself I can do it. :( :mad:
 
Ann you have lost 57lbs!
You cant let all that go to waste over a couple of measly pounds :(
 
Hi Ann,
You're right, you aren't the only one ... infact the whole country gains an average of 7 lbs during the festive season! And another thing, the avarage adult consumes 8000 calories on Christmas Day! Food for thought?
Now, I'm not entirely sure how badly you blew it but let's just say that you put on that average figure of 7lbs ... Ann, you have still lost 50lbs this year and let's face it, that 7lbs will be off again in less than two weeks!
You have made a fantastic achievement in 2006, don't let that get knocked by the first 'real' test that you've given yourself. It's far harder to limit your intake to a 'sensible' level than to SS ... (and I didn't even manage the SSing on Christmas Day).
Your weight increase won't be as bad as you think. and at the very worst you'll be starting the New Year with 2 or 3 lbs to lose, whereas this time last year you had 57 to shed!
You're fantastic!
Your story is inspirational!
Now go and read over your old thought records and write down your new goal ... no! don't think about it ... actually write it down!
Now, doesn't that feel better?
Caro
x
 
Oh Ann,Im putting the tears in my eyes down to the fact that the caffeine hasnt kicked in yet, but I know exactly how you feel.
I lost 5 stone in 2006 (4 with LL, and 1 myself)
If fell off abstinence 4th November and cant seem to get back on for long - I keep playing a game of catch with the same 7lbs.

Its hard, but you can do it and so can I! We need to remember our achievements, and not stress too much over our mishaps. Treat them as a learning experience, hold your head high and walk proudly into 2007.

Im sending you good thoughts and huggles.
 
Ann,
You want convincing that you can do it. You can, you have ! You will again ! Christmas can be a very difficult time and people eat for all kinds of different reasons.

As has been said, even if you have put on 7 pounds, you have still lost 50 ! That's the work of a determined woman. Celebrate your success don't listen to the critical parent in your head that tells you that you have failed again. You are far, far from having failed :)
 
And even if you've put on more than 7lbs, I guess you haven't put it all back on.

Sometimes we have a few hiccups on our way to maintaining. Imagine you are trying to visit someone and you get a little lost on the journey. That's not failing...just viewing different scenery for a while there ;)

But it is important that you get back on track now, and there is a possibility that it may be a tad harder this time around.

Diva posted a great post about why it's harder 2nd time around. It's in the 'Bring your head inside' forum. Have a read...and best of luck. You can do it...you've done it before, you can do it again :)
 
Thank you all so much for your encouragement. I presume my `Borderline Personality` keeps telling me `you have failed` (an on going surprising voice for a successfull business and family person like me!). I am going to keep focussing on my achievements and not my lapse. I will get back to my pre-Christmas weight and I will look at the Bring your Head inside forum.
Many thanks once again.
 
Hiya Ann

Just want to say, like everyone else, that focussing on your achievements is the way to go....If Boxing Day was your only blow out then prepare yourself to be surprised when you get on the scales on Saturday.

You have lost 57lbs of FAT! Fat is not so easily or readily replaced - despite what we may think! Any gain will be glycogen which is made up of sugar and carbs and, of course, water!! Yes, glycogen is very easily gained but it also very easily lost so do not be surprised if you do not see the gain that you are expecting to see on Saturday!

Relaxation is the key Ann....nobody's weight goes down and stays there...it is normal for our weight to stabilise within a 3 to 7lb fluctuation. You've done amazing and don't forget that...:)
 
You have not failed at all!

Its normal to allow yourself to let go a bit at this time of year, the failure would be to not then deal with it which isn't the story with you!

You are already on the case for recovery and you will get back to the place you want to be!

Stop worrying this is just normality thats all!

mags
xxx
 
Ann, there is loads of common sense written on this thread - it's wonderful. How often have we thrown in the towel over one 'blip' and said 'screw it, I may as well give up'. But not this time Ann.

You know that this is in fact a learning experience that you will have to face many time over the rest of your (very long and happy) life. Do a thought record - sit down and analysis exactly what happened and how you felt. Think it through.

Then draw a line over it and face the future with confidence in your fabulous abilities. You HAVE done it and you WILL continue to do it!:D
 
Gah, Im really struggling right now, I fell off the wagon for a duration and only just got back on - its been 3/4 days, im in Ketosis but I want something now!

I just met up with family for the very first time, so it was lots of aunties, cousins etc. Very emotional. Plus the fact that when I am in Ketosis my stomach makes the loudest noises nonstop, The cousin at the other end of the room could hear it! Bless them they kept trying to feed me.

Tomorrow I am meeting my dad, for only like the 5th time in my life - Our relationship is a fairly new one, and I dont feel i can explain LL to him. Last week I had to break abstinence to have a meal with him, because it meant such a lot to him. Tomorrow Im staying at his house so I know Im gonna have to break it, plus he wants to buy me a drink, gah.

Part of me right now is feeling lots of the need to comfort eat - due to having had a really emotional day, but also the fact that I know I will probably have to break it tomorrow means I kinda have permission to break it now. Crooked thinking I know, but its my mindset nontheless. :(
 
Artemis, you haven't gone into the details of your Dad, I understand as its a personal thing. Don't you think though as you two are getting to know each other he is probably really pleased to know you, possibly regretfull of the past and would quite possibly do anything he could to help you now? I am quite sure if you chose to explain to him how much this meant to you he would understand, and at the end of the day a father/daughter relationship doesn't revolve around food.

However just incase this post sounds pushy I don't mean it to, obviously I don't know your history and if you really don't feel you can tell him thats fair enough!

As you have already told yourself though..... you don't need to break abstenance until he feeds you, and even then you don't have to eat very much to be polite.

It does sound like you are having a really stressfull time at the moment, cut yourself some slack, allow yourself to 'feel' whatever emotion it is you are feeling. Try to give yourself some proper chill out time, even if its just an hour in the bath or something.

mags
xxx
 
Thank you for your support Mags!!
Im in two minds whether or not to tell him, on one hand I'd never have got in touch with him if it werent for where I am in my head due to LL, on the otherhand its a difficult situation because im staying at his (where his partner + 2 young children are) and I really dont want to make it uncomfortable. - You know how people can react sometimes to LL. The other thing is that he's very poorly, so I really want to make the most of any time I spend with him and we both live in different countries so we wont see each other often.

I was good last night and didnt fall off, I think my plan will be to play it by ear and to stay abstinent until I really have to break it and then as you said, just have a little. I can claim I am a lightweight wilth alcohol (not far from the truth :) ) and stick to 1 or 2 glasses of wine.

I have been being gentle with myself though, my counsellor did tell me not to stress to much as she knows what all is going on in the background.

Your post wasnt pushy at all :)
Thank you for your support, I'll let you know how ive got on when I get back tomorrow.
 
hey Ann, Mags, Artemis et al.

This is THE WORST TIME of the year to keep on the straight and narrow and January is the BEST TIME of the year to get back on.

No-on eis saying that they have gone back to where they wer - they stalled and inevitably the stalling at Xmas involved drifting back up slightly.

This is a journey and it is clear that if a hurdle is tumbled at, you pick youself up (with the help of others here at Minimns and elsewhere), refocus the mind (again withthe encouragement of us here) and start the journey to the next hurdle - because there will be one.

Some you will jump over gracefully (after all, you have lost so much weight) hitting the floor with more momentum the other side and some you will run through and have bumps and bruises from (but basically still going with momentum) and some will make you stumble and momentum will need to be rebuilt.

The one thing I am sure, is that poeple here can help you/cheer you on/pick you up for all of these.

So get back up - start checking other threads aand posting more - not only does this get you really back into the frame of mind, but you get to see loads of other people going through exactly the same thing, sailing over/running through/stumbling and all dealing with it.

The cardinal sin is to not try to make the jump - it is clear you know that, so sorry of this sounds a bit preachy - but sometimes others have to be positive for you when you are not in that right place 'in the mind'.

Keep us informed please so we can help and of course - Cheer - as appropriate and needed

Mindless
 
This is THE WORST TIME of the year to keep on the straight and narrow and January is the BEST TIME of the year to get back on.

The advice quoted above is really helpful, thank you so much. In fact, all of the advice is helpful so thanks to everybody.
I went for my pop-in weigh-in this morning and I had gained 6lbs - however I am not going to `eat my way` through this Christmas lapse. I am not going to say I won`t eat or drink alchohol on News Years Eve because I will but as sure as eggs is eggs (or packs is packs) I will be back on the straight and narrow through choice on 1st January.

 
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