Fell off the bandwagon & am having trouble re-gaining control of my health page

[Christina*]

Hi guys. I need some help re-gaining control over my health.

For the past several months I've been on a downward spiral with respects to my nutrition and exercise. This has included:

-missing workouts for weeks at a time (even though I have found a workout plan that i love)
-eating terribly. making very poor choices. i know i feel best with a primal way of eating and am happy eating that way, but i have been doing a lot of stress/emotional eating and social eating and pretty much using any excuse/opportunity to eat poorly.
-i keep planning my workouts around everything else (social stuff, etc.), when it should be the other way around. i'm not even that social, so i don't know what's happening.
-i feel compelled to add that i have some major sleep issues and some anxiety issues that i am working through with my doctor but that haven't been fully resolved yet. but....it's really no excuse for me to not be working out/eating well, though i think sometimes it's all tied together.

Give it to me straight, guys! I need to regain control of my health. I want to move toward my goals, not the other way around. I know that working out regularly and eating healthily are critical to my physical and mental health, but I feel lost right now. I know it should be a matter of "just doing it" but I am struggling.

Thanks so much.

[BrittUnzipped]

I'm in the same boat here. I find I start off my day eating pretty well, but by dinner-time I start snacking and craving carbs and I'm finding it really hard to stick to my guns with this diet.
I'm also getting pretty lazy with the gym, but I find even on days when I really don't want to go, I put on my gym clothes, drive there and tell myself that even a quick 15 minute work out is better than doing nothing at all, and usually after 15 minutes it's easier to stay another 15 minutes.
I also lost 5 lbs the first 2 weeks trying to eat Primal, and now I've gained it back plus 2 more lbs.
I need a will-power boost!

[jammies]

Isn't odd how we eat crappy food in response to emotional stress when primal food is what we need? I've never understood that.

Don't be hard on yourself, eating to self-sooth is so common. But you need to break that cycle. I suggest starting with a trip to the grocery. Get some good quality meats, veggies, fruits, dark chocolate, full fat yogurt, grass fed butter - foods that you look at and see the amazing bounty before you! Foods that you will love. Commit to having your next meal be perfectly primal and then really enjoy and savor it. Then commit to your next meal. Make sure to keep plenty of healthy foods that are quick to grab for now. ... Hard boiled eggs, nuts, etc

Also - do you know what your VitD levels are? And are you taking Magnesium? These can really help with sleep and overall wellbeing.

[FairyRae]

Jammies, love your advice, esp the commit to having your next meal be perfectly primal.

I also think its esp. important that if you decide to eat something non-primal, eat something primal right after--get right back on track! The night is not lost if you indulge in one non-primal item! (I know this was always an issue for me--I felt like once I ate something 'off plan' I might as well throw in the towel for the night and start fresh tomorrow. Not a good idea! Each bite is a new opportunity to make a better choice, yk?!)

Good luck! If you are dealing w/ evening carb/sugar cravings the following threads may be helpful (but as always, YMMV!):
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread19847.html
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread32223.html
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread32345.html

[ElaineC]

I'm in a bit of the same boat myself. Bad habits are creeping back in, good habits I'm not sticking to, even though it makes me feel worse. Last night I went out for dinner and had pasta (which was delicious), this morning I felt like I'd eaten a bag of nails.

Restocking the kitchen is a big help for me. Making sure I have things I can grab quickly, or eat on the go. If I come home super hungry because I've let myself fall into bad habits, I need to make sure I have something on hand thats healthy that I can just eat to tide me over until dinner. Bringing interesting foods into the house helps too, today I spoiled myself a bit and bought some marinated pork loin (which I usually never do), because now I *know* I'll cook it and eat it rather than waste it.

I've found the heat a real hardship. I'm not feeling the heat as bad as I used to, but its enough that I really don't want to cook. I find myself stopping at the 7-Eleven and grabbing a Gatorade, instead of water. I've been letting ice cream back in, and its not staying as just a treat but becoming a major meal component if its in the house. Ok, the entire meal :\ I just need to make sure I have ready alternatives until the weather breaks and begins to cool down.

[innadoom]

When I have a bad period, then start eating good one day, in the evening I end up binging on junk anyways. In my experience fasting for a day is the best way to get out of a period of carb addiction.

[camel]

Tell yourself that you are doing it for YOU. You deserve to have good health!
Try to mix social with workouts! See if any of your friends is willing to be a workout buddy. Or invite a friend to go for a walk, instead of for lunch.
Read a book that inspires you to make healthier choices.
Remove all tempting off-plan foods from your pantry, fridge and freezer - donate to food bank or give away. Set yourself up for success!
Visualize the life you want to live, and then make it happen. Its YOUR life, make it what you really want.
Don't forget to PLAY and HAVE FUN and not by eating.
Make sure you are getting your vitamins and minerals. Consider supplementation.