This summer was truly a test of my level of motivation to sticking with my healthy eating & exercising! I really did not pay close attention to a healthy diet the majority of the day nor did I commit to exercising every day (although I did exercise say 4-5 days out of a week). Since last November, I have gained 10lbs -- I was at my lowest weight last November. Saw it once and have not seen it again. Once November came last year, I started paying attention to all my macro nutrients, and more on ST and started to see my weight go up by 4lbs (and that is where I stayed until summer came)!
So now here I sit going "through the motions" and exercising because I HAVE TO, not because I want to. BUT once I get to the gym, I love it and I'm glad I'm there.
Why is it that life gets in our way? I use to be so healthy and knew the right decisions to make.
I also found that I was trying to be like "others" with my body -- a few close people that have become mentors to me and the way they changed their bodies. I think once I realized that is NOT ME (and that I did not want to stick to the same old foods every meal) I think I lost a lot of my motivation and goals.
I'm grateful that I have not gained the 30lbs that I have lost BUT I cannot take this for granted and need to find a happy-medium.
Sorry for the babbling.....

Life does get in the way. Sometimes there are more important things than having a perfect body. You have a healthy, strong body and mind, I would be proud of that!

Good for you! That's probably the hardest realization to come to. At least it is for me. People around me are doing so much more than I am and I realized :
1) they have husbands to support their effort (meaning husbands who can be home with the kids during the early morning runs and work outs)
2) they have older children who do not need child care
3) their kids are in school all day
4) they are runners, I am a runner wannabe


I am trying to find something I can challenge my own self with and I think it's the duathlon. I will be taking spinning classes this winter (starting next week) to get in me in the groove and we'll see what happens. Hopefully in January I can buy my own bike and get using it more on the roads instead of in the gym.

But it's something I WANT TO DO versus what others are doing and that takes a TON of pressure off myself

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I have read your blog and am so impressed with what you have done.

A simple suggestion would be finding a new activity. Something out of the norm...something to get you pumped up again. Just an idea.

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Just remember, you've still come a long way. Everyone falls off the wagon now and then. Just jump back on! You can do it!

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Thank you both!

Thank you!!!

I could have written your post - word for word - except the dates are a little off for me. I was down to 115 this past spring which is my lowest weight I think since high school (I am almost 38 so that was 20 years ago!). I didn't know how to stop losing. My body couldn't stay there though and as soon as I stopped being so obsessed it shot right back up to 120. I stayed there all summer and when school started in August I started struggling. My schedule was off, I was so much busier, my dh has been working crazy hours and is totally stressed from work so by the time he gets home and I feed everyone dinner it is 7 and we have to do homework and baths and by 8 pm I am not dragging my exhausted self to the gym. I have still been exercising, but not nearly like I have been for the last couple of years. My weight crept up another 5 pounds to 125. Once I saw that number I realized I had to get it in check, so for the last couple of weeks I have gone back to my journal and have been paying really close attention to what I eat. I have only lost 1 pound in 2 weeks which is very frustrating. I haven't been able to get excited about the gym again yet. I am like you - once I start exercising I am so glad I did it - but it is so hard to get started.

No advice, but just know I am struggling with it too, Debi.