# <insert typical newbie hello here :)>



## a_girl (Apr 20, 2004)

Hiya folks! New to this forum, but I've been lurking here and on other fitness sites for a few months now.

A question I have that might not necessarily pertain to what is the norm for this forum, but it's very important as I am a complete newbie in experiencing this.. Lately, I've had to deal with a TON of stress in my life, the biggest being the postponing of something very important to me by about 4-5 months (marriage ). The result is I've felt somewhat depressed and started to slip back into my old habits of eating very poorly.. Chocolate, and lots of it. My motivation for working out disappeared as well, when before I felt so energized and looked forward to each day at the gym.

My question is as follows; What do some of you do when you "fall off the wagon" so to speak while going through a stressful/difficult point of your life, and how do you keep from taking the easy ay out and going for the instant gratification?


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## supertech (Apr 20, 2004)

welcome


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## Vieope (Apr 20, 2004)

_ Welcome _


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## a_girl (Apr 20, 2004)

Thank you for the welcomes.  Much appreciated! From what I've seen so far, this looks like a great place with a very mature atmosphere (I'm sure you guys get this a lot, heh..).

I look forward to finding new information and learning from the many experienced people here, hopefully will get back on the wagon after reading a few more inspirational threads.  Some great stuff, keep up the good work!


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## tryintogetbig (Apr 20, 2004)

welcome to IM


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## PreMier (Apr 20, 2004)

Welcome to IM


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## PreMier (Apr 20, 2004)

Hrm.. What to do when stressed.  Basically you need to just buck up and work through it.  Hitting the gym keeps me sane.  No one knows what hardships you face, or how you feel inside but yourself.  YOU need to make the decision to return.  Why are you allowing yourself to slip?  Do you want to not go to the gym, do you want to sit and eat chocolate all day?  If not, then you need to do something about it.  The people here at IM are here for support, and they are extremely excellent at what they do.  But you are the one who makes that final decision.  Best of luck, and keep your head up


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## Arnold (Apr 20, 2004)

a_girl welcome to IM!


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## Mavs (Apr 21, 2004)

Welcome to IM a_girl!  Something that I always keep in mind is "action leads to motivation leads to more action!"  Schedule those workouts and I can almost guarantee that you'll feel more motivated to keep it up after each workout!  Also, something that helped me stay motivated on my eating was putting it to the numbers.  I did this on www.fitday.com.  It's free and you just log the foods you eat each day and it'll tell you your calories consumed, macronutrient percentages, etc...  Take care!


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## Mr.Attitude (Apr 21, 2004)

Hi and welcome  

You come to the right place


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## Var (Apr 21, 2004)

Welcome a_girl!  

Working through tough times and staying motivated is a thing we ALL deal with at some point.  I think its part of what makes a fitness enthusiast stand out from the average person.  Just keep at it!


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## butterfly (Apr 23, 2004)

Welcome


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## DrChiro (Apr 23, 2004)

I try to look foward and not back...tomorrow is a clean slate..what can you do to make tomorrow a happier place?

I guarantee that if you are eating right and working out you will put yourself in a better mood...if you eat like crap, you feel like crap and the cycle continues.

put down the candy...pick up the weights....down the protein shake....smile.....and eventually you will have no choice but to feel better.

oh yeah...and hang out here...lots of good people!


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