Sliding back into bad habits & weight gain :-(

[DalaHorse]

I was 9.5 stone before having kids. Went to 14.5 stone after first baby. Lost a couple of stone and then plateaued for years, feeling sluggish and overweight at 12.5st and a size 14.

A year ago, after my third baby I managed to lose all the extra weight and get back to my pre-prefer weight. It felt great to be slim again and wear different clothes etc. Kept my weight and dress size the same for 2 years with not much trouble.

Just recently I have been slipping back into old habits. Over December and Christmas I put on half a stone so was 10st at the end. Fine, I'll lose it in January I thought - but I didn't. In the last month alone I have put on another half stone so I'm now 10st 7lbs. To be honest my motivation seems to have gone out Of the window and I am snacking on rubbish a lot. My self control is slipping every day.

What can I do to get back into it? If I carry on like this I know I'll soon be 11st and beyond. I really want to nip it in the bud and try to get back to my preferred weight, but nothing is inspiring me at the moment - not my new summer clothes (bought hopefully in my slimmer weight size), special occasions coming up - nothing.

Any words of encouragement/tips/kick up the backside welcomed!!

Come and join us on the 1st may thread

Thanks, will do

Just wanted to say that you are not alone, I have recently lost weight but am already slipping back into bad habits and I hate myself for it. I had lost the weight by steering clear of sugar, eating more healthy lunches and breakfasts and then at dinner either skipping carbs or having half the carbs I used to have. But lately I just feel bloody hungry all the time! My portion sizes of mashed potatoes etc are sneakily getting bigger, even breakfast I am struggling to keep up the small portion size I have been having. And Easter nearly killed me, we were given soooo much chocolate and cake by well meaning friends and relatives and I just fell right off the wagon. Now I can't seem to get back on it. And I know I will loathe myself if I pile the weight back on, but the lure of comfort food is so strong. And just to demonstrate how shite my willpower is I decided to go cold turkey on diet coke and cut it out altogether - I lasted 5 hours!!!!

I think the only way to re-motivate is to really step back and have a long long think about what you want to do and how you want to look and feel, and try to get excited about eating healthy stuff as a kind of novelty (I know - easier said than done). And above all chuck out snacks which are lurking in the cupboards (although I appreciate this is difficult when others in the house aren't dieting). I also think food is a really social thing and it's really difficult to stay off the treats if you get invited to dinner somewhere etc

I promise you won't be the only one who gives in to temptation, so don't beat yourself up too much, you are only human. We live in an age where it so easy to get hold of anything you fancy eating, temptation is everywhere, and frankly I think the reason most women were slim 50 years ago is because there wasn't so much food available. Nowadays you can pop out and buy a chocolate gateaux at the drop of a hat if you feel like it. Food is a very powerful thing. This cold weather snap doesn't help either, I think everybody craves stodgy food in cold weather and salad when it's hot!