Put it all back on :(

[happygirl87]

I've been lurking on these threads and following this WOE since end of Jan, and was so happy in late March as had lost 10lb. But got weighed at the drs this morning (don't have scales) and have put it all back on, plus my blood pressure's really high.

I have 2 stone to lose, and I know that will help the blood pressure too. But I am prone to depression (and when I'm depressed I medicate with sugar) - in late March I had an upset in my personal life, which kicked off a relapse, and was just getting over that when found out am likely to lose my job at end of August (temp contract ending and v v unlikely to be renewed) and although I've been applying for other jobs am getting new rejections everyday, and am due to get married next year but now may not be able to afford it....its SO hard not to comfort eat. Sometimes I feel so strongly that I have failed at everything, and everyone I know would be better off without me, that a bottle of wine and take away pizza seem like the only thing to literally get me through the evening.

So I know exactly what am doing wrong- am not sticking to TDEE on 5 days. But I have a bad relationship with food, especially when depressed, prone to binging/starving myself, so want to avoid obsessively counting calories if I can help it on the 5 days, as otherwise my whole life becomes a food-related reward/punishment cycle. Was doing ok till the depression kicked in, really hoped I'd found a WOE that worked for me without feeling like punishment.

Please tell me not to give up!

Tried to name change for this, which obv didnt work- irony not intentional!

Don't give up happygirl. Unless you went to to the Drs at the same time on the same day wearing exactly the same clothes then the reading is unlikely to acurate. If you have no scales then use a tape measure instead. If you don't have one then use a belt.

And think not about how much you haven't lost doing 5:2, but how much you would have gained if you weren't.

Sorry you're having a tough time.

Don't give up. As frenchfancy said, witnout5:2 you are likely to have gained much more.
Also your body will have benefited from the periods of fasting.
You don't have to count calories on a NFD. Try to think about nourishing your body and avoiding too much crap. (easier said than done).
Does your GP know about your depression?

Jump back on. We're all just doing our best.

Definitely don't give up!

I've found the 5:2 one of the best diets for emotional/disordered eating. I know it's hard, believe me it feels like the hardest thing in the world sometimes, but, just for today, I will not eat. I will not have the wine and popcorn (my personal downfall). Tomorrow, I will eat what I like, but, just for today, food will not be my comfort. Just for today, I will find something else to make me feel good, whether that's exercise or just sitting in front of the couch being grumpy at everyone until I can go to bed, wake up in the morning and eat.

I hear you, happygirl, there have been many times in my life when I have had exactly that sort of relationship with food. I wish I could say it's never going to happen again, but I have to accept that years of habit of that emotional response is not going to be fixed with a 'quick-fix' of any diet or woe until it's firmly established as a new habit. That takes time.

I think you need to concentrate on what ff rightly says ("think not about how much you haven't lost doing 5:2, but how much you would have gained if you weren't") and stop punishing yourself for feeling low under pretty crap circumstances. You may also want to talk to your GP about how you're feeling as - if you have a good one! - they can recommend counselling or support groups for emotional eating/depression.

The most important thing is not to give up. You've done so well to stick to the discipline of 5:2 even when you've been feeling low and you know where the issues lie. Slowly, slowly catchy monkey! Fingers crossed for a bit of luck your way!

No idea what you do at the moment, but would some additional or different exercise help? Might kick start your metabolism - I find running a great way to de-stress. I'm not very good at it, but did the couch25k last year and run 5k most weeks.
Otherwise I don't have much to offer but sympathy. I really hope things get back on a more even path soon.

Once you have started comfort eating, you do not have to carry on.

Its one of the problems with many diets that once you have "failed" in a day there is a mental incentive to "REALLY fail"

if you are stressed, calm yourself down for that hour, and once calm, reward the calmness with ONE square of chocolate (or your fave equivalent)

so that you are rewarding yourself calming down and taking control, rather than reinforcing the lack of control.

and the time periods sometimes will be an hour, sometimes a day, sometimes a week
but get yourself feeling good before you eat
rather than eat because you feel bad : as overeating will never make you feel good.

Thanks so much everyone, it's nice to hear from people who understand!

French (and others), it hadn't occured to me that I would have put on (at least) 10lbs over and above my start weight if I hadn't been on 5:2- sounds so obvious now!But that realisation def cheered me up.

EATmum, I hate exercise (always had a bad relationship with it, seeing it as "punishment" for bad eating/being fat, never really experienced endorphins even through trying a wide range of activities, from cycling/gym/classes/swimming/dance, etc, and associate the feeling of rising heart rate/struggle catching breath with anxiety, which means that I sometimes have a panic attack just as I get into it) but in light of my blood pressure issues am trying to force myself to do 30 mins cardio 3-5 times per week (managed 5 last week!) and just see it as something I need to do as part of basic routine, the way I do brushing my teeth or similar.

Anway, thanks all for keeping me on this WOE- weighed myself at the gym on Fri and am 2lbs down on my first post, so here's hoping that the trend will continue!

Hi happy

Please stick at the 5:2! It will have already done you heaps of good (see notes above about how bad things would have been if you hadn't...).

I actually have an awful relationship with food. I know that I'm addicted to sugar as once I start, I cannot - just cannot stop eating sweet stuff. Long term, that might be worth looking at, but meanwhile, get yourself out for a good 'old fashioned' walk.

Walk for as long or as fast as you want - keep it level or find some hills. Even better - find a walking buddy or offer to walk a friends dog. Its not exercise then, it could be considered either a good catch up with a friend or a job in the fact that a dog needs walking!!

I promise you, you'll feel better...

Stick with it happy