The 7-month slump?

Nikke posted on here the other day about being in her 7th month post-op and how things are getting more challenging.  Is there really such a thing as the 7-month slump?  Because I'm feeling it...

I don't know if it's the holidays or diet-fatigue but I have had some serious struggles with food the last month.  I've been messing around with the same TWO pounds for the last month and it's frustrating.   And then last week (gulp!) I gave in to temptation and flirted with recreational sugar and diet soda - something I don't ever do because I'm a sugar addict.  And then I proceeded to do a full-faced bellyflop into the damned stuff - UGGGHH!   

So, I've spent the last two days de-carbing and coming to grips with the fact that diet soda is as much of a trigger for me as anything else that has sugar in it.  I'm also wrestling with what my goal weight should be.  When I started this journey I thought that 145 was "reasonable" for someone my age and height (5'3" and 52 yo in a week).  But then I decided 135 was where I wanted to be because it would put me into the "normal" BMI range.  Lately, I've been thinking that I should shoot for 130 and make 135 the danger weight that triggers me to go back into WL mode.  Or maybe I'm just over-thinking the whole damned thing.  

I should also add in here that I made a huge job switch in the last 3 weeks.  Left a very secure job where I had worked for 7 years to take a new job with a much bigger health system.  I've been there two weeks now and I'm just starting to find my footing.  

Willing to take any feedback and insight that anyone has to offer....or a swift kick in the ass, which I may need too!  

Don't fret, but do try to refocus.  Accept that you are in the midst of some major life stress due to that job change and be gentle with yourself.  You recognized that diet soda is a trigger and that is brilliant!  Decarbing is a good choice too!  When I was experience weight loss fatigue I would infuse some novelty in.  During the winter I did the pricey gym membbership during the coldest months only.  When June rolled around I bought a fitbit and had fun running the numbers up on that.  I would take the time to try and find some new recipes to add variety.  Other times, I would revert back to shakes for 2 meals, 1 "regular" meal, and fresh veggies for snacks.  Just mixed it up in other words.

It is only a few pounds.  You will get there!

thanks for the ideas and words of encouragement :-)

You've done great and are almost at your goal. Yay!  I imagine now that you are close to goal it will likely come slow. That along with a big life change is enough to make me eat my trigger foods. I'm, thankfully, staying put for a while, I hope, but before not quite two years ago I'd done tons of moving from city to city because of school, then grad school, then job changes. I did not handle any of those things well. It can be so hard to adjust to new things without the right tools. I'd focus on de-carbing, and getting back to the basics. Once you do that for a while I'm betting those last pounds will come off and you'll hopefully gotten used to your new job being the new normal.

Good luck!

Thanks for your kind thoughts, Sarah :-)  Getting focused back on exercise and de-carbing the last couple days really cleared my head.  And it even appears the scale is my friend again (we'll see if this sticks - ha!).  Today I'm committed to staying back in my little cubicle and not wandering up into the sugar-laden-minefield that is the front office area.  

The next two weeks will be a challenge but - damn it! - I want to be 135 by New Year's Eve!! 

It's a good question - and as you know I'm feeling it too! I don't know what it is for me either. I actually had some quiet time last night where I tried to really reflect on the past week and a half to try and figure out why I'm mentally struggling so much. I'm not under any additional stress... the scale has been moving consistently without a stall for a month (big for me) and I just couldn't really come up with anything concrete. 

I think for me it's just a little "diet fatigue" or whatever we want to call it. I think part of it is the holidays. I also think that I've been getting a little bit less sleep lately and it is catching up to me. I'm getting SO close to being "overweight", weighing less than my husband, and ONDERLAND..... so I have a lot of things to look forward to and I don't want to start in with the self-sabotage!

Stay strong!!!! We both have to make it through the slump... I know for me personally there is no food worth the way that I feel these days - happy, confident, energetic, etc! Hang in there!

Thanks for the encouragement, Nikke!