Going backwards - any words of wisdom to get back on track?

[MojoMoon]

I started losing weighed in early 2015 and by November had lost two and a half stone, bringing me to just above normal BMI and back to a size 12. Was feeling good, buying new clothes, aimed to another half a stone but has started plateauing

But it has all gone very wrong in the last three months and I have put a stone back on. Yes, this period involved two holidays both of which were food and booze heavy.

I suddenly feel quite embarrassed at having assumed I would be this new sized person and having splashed on on new clothes but been stupid enough to start putting it back on again.

I know what I need to do but somehow it seems a lot more daunting this time around. Does anyone have any words of wisdom or alternatively can give me a stern talking to?

What worked last time: teetotal, measured every meal, had one night "off" a week where I could sensibly eat out with friends. But it was dull and my social life definitely took a hit.

I'd like to lose the stone that suddenly appeared in the last three months plus the half stone I still had aimed to lose. Does September sound realistic? I may go away again then so it could be a good mental target.

[Moanranger]

I am afraid you are going to have to look at what worked, and change your mindset.
Learn how to enjoy life sober. This is a mental re-framing issue: you are defining eating in a sensible way as dull. That is your view. Figure out how to make your life not dull in a way that doesn't involve over-indulging in food & drink. Perhaps if you approach this as a mental challenge rather than as dieting, you will be more successful. Good luck!

[MsColouring]

Do you count your calories? I'm currently losing weight and trying to work out how to work in a social life into healthy living. One thing I have read is to count your calories over a week rather than each day so if you know you have a big night coming up then save up a few calories over the week to allow for this.

Another thing I am trying to do is learn when to stop. Saturday night I was out for a meal with friends and stopped eating when I was full which was unheard of before. Still drank wine but that was the only wine I'd had all week. I am not touching fruit ciders now as they are around 300 calories each. In terms of life being dull, I am trying to make my meals more interesting that if I wasn't trying to lose weight.

[AuntieStella]

You can do it!

You have done it, you can do it again and it'll be no harder (really, it won't, whatever people say about deranged metabolic rate).

Cut out the booze as a first step. Empty calories, and leads to nibbling and other 'oh a bit more won't hurt' type food indulgence.

Find a way to go out with friends and have a life that isn't dull, but is still portion controlled. A pattern of thinking of healthy eating as a barrier to enjoyment is bound to make it harder.

Then do the maths bit of working out your BMR and likely TDEE and set a target intake just below TDEE (OK, do one week to begin with much more strictly than that, as a good loss at the outset can make it all feel much more achievable). You can lose a stone by the time the schools break up at a rate of a bit over one lb a week.

And finally, browse this topic, and the other weight loss topics and see what other approaches people are using and saying about them. I'm doing fine on 'eating less and moving more' supported by MFP to log, and by occasionally weighing/measuring ingredients to check what size I'm really consuming.

[tabulahrasa]

I've lost and regained the same weight a few times...well actually regained more the last time.

What's finally worked for me is slimming world - not because it's magically different (it's still low calorie, low fat eating) but because it's stopped that cycle of being on and off a diet, I cannot eat and drink how I prefer to without putting on weight and I sure as hell can't stand to live the rest of my life measuring my dinner and having to track everything I eat or drink.

Yes you need to look at your habits around food and alcohol and change them - but it also needs to be something that you can live with longterm.