No More Ms. Yo Yo
Please, please, let this stick.
I’ve lost a decent amount of weight since the fall, and kept it off for a few months. I feel great.
And I want to keep feeling this way.
But I don’t know how.
I’ve yo-yoed in my weight for years. Not from following fad diets – just from going on and off with binge eating.
I’ll be eating well, with daily indulgences and no restrictions, but being careful with seconds and too much snacking then I just… stop… caring… and start binge eating again. I exercise the same amount, but you can’t run your way out of a poor diet. And the weight comes back.
I can’t pinpoint what makes me stop caring to anything.
It’s so frustrating.
I’m determined for that not to happen this time. I am sick of being Ms. Yo Yo.
I know it’s going to be hard. I think it will come down to getting out of the moment and seeing the big picture – which, of course, is something I am not so good at in most facets of life. But I need to get better about making decisions for the future and not necessarily for the moment. And not making such rash decisions. I’ll get there.
Notes like this in my office are my attempt to remember what’s ahead!
Themocracy
You can do it!!!! I really have no advice because I’m in the same boat but you’re the strongest person I know and I know you’ve got this!! Look at all of the people you inspire (me) so maybe use that as motivation?
Thanks for the support 🙂 And thanks for saying I inspire you 🙂
Good for you – I have noticed in your pictures! As you know I struggle with the same issues so I am really rooting for you to make it stick this time. I wish I could figure out the “not caring” cycle too – sometimes I think it has to do with this underlying feeling I have that, while I really want to maintain at a healthy weight, that wanting that isn’t a “valid” goal, that it’s vain or superficial or something and there are far more important things in life… So I kind of discount my own desire in my mind as not important enough. Does this make sense? I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about all of this. If you figure it out, let me know!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it! I can see how you would feel that way, but I know for you it’s totally NOT vain or superficial – you probably just want to feel healthy and strong, like I want to feel! That’s an okay goal, right?! I will post if I figure anything out! 🙂
You can do this Kim!!! Just keep reminding yourself that you want it as a constant! Also, yo-yoing your weight is horrible for your health, allow that to also be a driving force. The habits that lead to the ups and downs of your weight have a lasting effect on your heart, most importantly, as well as all of your other major organs.
I’m so proud of your determination and succes!!! Wishing I could give ya a big hug 😘💗💞
I know it’s horrible for my health, and the horrible part is that I don’t seem to care about it, despite knowing people who’ve been unhealthy and it’s lead to their death! WTF is wrong with me?!?!?! SERIOUSLY! Maybe I need to keep that in mind too as part of my big picture work 😉 Thanks for the hug 🙂
You can doooooo it! For me, I rationalize that one binge eating day is ok which then makes me feel like crap for a few hours but then I’ll convince myself another large indulgent meal is ok the next day and then I spiral down that rabbit hole and soon I’ve strung more binge days than healthy days. And subsequently I feel like crap and don’t want to work out. What’s worked for me these last 4 weeks is remembering how awful I feel after binging and how I don’t want to go back to that place where clothes weren’t fitting well and running felt awful. I also bring all my food to work and now rarely go out to eat- and try to make good decisions when at a restaurant. And cutting alcohol way back has helped too.
I find it interesting you mention long term would be better for you than in the moment decisions. When I think “long term” its so much easier for me to make binging decisions because all the other days will balance it out- or so I tell myself.
Thanks for the encouragement!
How do you remind yourself of that awful feeling, when you are in the moment of wanting to eat a lot of something you won’t feel good for eating? Or are you constantly reminding yourself so it’s in the back of your head?
That is interesting how different we are – I need to think long term like you do, as in reminding myself I will feel horrible, and that I need to focus on feeling good for the long term… if that makes sense!
This is the hardest thing for me too and I think it will forever be my battle. Right now I am stuck where I am yo yoing even within a single day. I’m super motivated for most of the day- and even logging everything in My Fitness Pal. But then by night, I just don’t care any more. I’m tired, I’ve had a long day, whatever. I just don’t care enough to try not to go back for seconds. I don’t care enough to not eat 2 desserts. But then in the morning I care again and feel bad for what I did the night before!
But this isn’t about me, it’s about you! You look great and you are running so well. You’ve done the work already to get the weight off. You CAN keep it off.
Thank you for sharing that you are struggling too. That sucks that it falls apart at night! Do you need a hobby to keep you from overeating after dinner (knitting helped me with that)… or do you need to eat more during the day? Or is it just a mental hurdle you have to get past?
Thank you for the encouragement! I hope you figure it out for yourself – I think you can! 🙂
Ugh, I hear you. I’ve been Ms. YoYo pretty much since college. Every time I lose a big chunk of weight, I think I have it all figured out and won’t ever let it get out of control again… and then it creeps back on. It’s so easy to backslide, unfortunately, and it’s pretty easy for me to justify falling off the wagon.
I think your big picture approach is a great way to look at it. I try to keep that in mind too (and as bad as it sounds, seeing some of my unhealthy family members helps because I don’t want my health to get to that point). I also try to remember how much better I feel when I’m eating right and exercising regularly – the opposite just feels terrible!
I know you’ll get there, and hopefully I will too!
It’s just so much damn work to think about it all the time! And I don’t even count calories or log food or whatever! I just get sick of caring! There! I figured it out! And all that is to say that I agree it’s easy to get the weight back up.
I am just going to keep telling myself to look at the big picture and think about how I want to feel OVER AND OVER so it’s ingrained. Because I do feel so good and have been really happy, despite the house and work stress, and I think it’s because I feel good.
And I think it’s okay to have a… hmm.. negative role model(?) inspiring you to stay healthy.
We can do thiiiiiiiiiiiiiis!
Yes, it’s that. It’s annoying that we have to be so aware of what we’re eating all the time. I’ve always been envious of people who can eat anything (or say they can, ha ha), since that will never be an option for me.
I think anything is easier to take on if you’re feeling good and healthy 🙂 I’m glad that’s helped with all the stress as of late!
I feel ya, I’m battling the same demons. Once I stop getting results or decide I’m happy with where I’ve settled, I stop caring and bam, I’m back to where I was.
Ugh! I hope you find a way out of the cycle, too!
I hear ya loud and clear!
I know the fear, I have been on yo-yo train for the past several years now and every time I get close to my goal, I can’t hold on.
You got there, you look great, you can do this 🙂
have you thought about what your biggest changes were the past few months?
Ugh, I hope you figure it out, too!
Hmm, biggest changes… I’ve been much happier, after we moved out of our townhome 🙂 I’ve been exercising the same amount… work’s been a bit more stressful. Hmm. I wonder if my overall happiness plays much bigger role than I thought? Thanks for making me think about it!
Story of my life. Over the years the swings in my weight has gotten smaller but the battle continues
🙁 Let me know what works for you. Most of the time i really have to think about how miserable I felt when I was really over weight but even then its hard to keep on track.
Keep up the good work!
Ugh, sorry you are dealing with it too! I will let you know what works! I think it’s something like that – I have to remind myself how much better I feel when I eat healthier most of the time 🙂
I’ve noticed that you are looking much thinner in your pictures – and extra fabulous, as well! You are right to be concerned about keeping the weight off…honestly, losing it is simple (well, fairly simple, anyway) because all you have to do is eat less. But with maintenance, you aren’t trying to lose…and that’s where the whole balance thing comes in. Hmmm, food for thought – haha, literally. But now you are making me ponder this, and the hows and whys of making maintenance stick.
Thank you for noticing! 🙂 And I totally agree that losing the weight is easy, and fun! Any maintenance tips for me? Even as I was losing weight, I wasn’t restrictive with what I was eating. At all. I really think it’s just a matter of HOW much 🙂
I have no advice to offer here, but I hope everything works out such that you don’t stop caring and start on the binge-cycle again. I like that your “Focus on Frosty” sign focuses on the positives, rather than just saying “DON’T BINGE!!!!”
Thank you 🙂 I really hope so too! I feel like I am in a good spot! Like I’ve had a few days of eating more at a meal or whatever then I get right back on track (which is how life SHOULD be, ha!).
Yes! Positive reinforcement! I am going to mess up and I don’t need to be harsh about it.