resolve completely fell apart post-tri

I made it a goal to do a HIM next year which well would be huge for me.  Weight is a huge factor for me.  I keep a picture of the finish line of the Racine HIM (the one I want to do) on my fridge.  It helps.  

This worked for when I quit smoking to - I made a list of why I wanted to quit smoking and kept it in my wallet.  When I had the urge to smoke I took it out and looked at it, it gave me motivation to not light up. 

Don't worry about a slip up, it happened, it's in the past.  That is not to say you shouldn't learn from it.  I think it is important to learn why you did it, but don't dwell on it, I don't think that helps at all.

Ah you have what I call PTRD - Post Traumatic Race Disorder.  The inevitable, the race is over, now what. It is ok to slip, no big deal.  Set a new goal and work towards it.  Does it have to be triathlon related, not necessarily.  If you were unhappy with your bike, work on that and sign up for a local charity ride and just focus on getting faster.  

I want to finish my next tri in June, and start focusing on my running.  I have a goal of a 50 miler by January or Feb of next year.  So I will just be running like Forest Gump.  I will continue to train on the bike and the swim, but I don't want to get frustrated or focused on one thing.  

I still have quite a bit of weight to lose before I am at where I will feel comfortable about gaining some speed.  I know carrying around some extra weight is not helping my speed chances right now, but I agree with the poster above, make a list of why you are motivated and just give yourself a daily reminder!  

Refocusing usually entails remembering what your goals are. You finished one race, is that all you wanted to do? For the bucket list people they're done, and they go back to who they were before. For the lifestyle people this is just a drop in the bucket, no pun intended.

Just remember what the reasons were for getting into triathlons in the first place, make a list of all the things you like, actually write it down - it makes things so much more concrete. You will have this list to refer to when things get rough, keep it handy and preferably visible on a daily basis so it is easy to add to.

And give yourself an attainable fresh target. A new target weight, a new race, a particular time goal, or something else that will work for you.

Thanks for all the input, gang.  No, this isn't a once and done race for me, I am signed up for 4 more races this year.  I enjoy triathlon even though I am not the best at it.

I do need to reset my focus on the next race in July, and even further out on the race in Oct. which is pretty hilly.  The hilly races are one of the reasons I want to lose weight: it will be much easier to climb hills and run without dragging all this extra weight around.  And of course the general better health reasons, too.

I LOVE the picture thing.  I keep a picture of a "goal body" next to my alarm clock.  It helps me get up to workout in the mornings!

It could be that your "healthy" diet wasn't terribly healthy or ideal after all.  When you hit your dietary HOME RUN, it satisfies you and there really is no falling off (maybe a cheat now and then, but not a huge shift).  So look back at your "good" diet, and make sure it contained a healthy balance of proteins, fats, and carbs, that you felt satisfied and satiated for a good 3-4 hours after eating meals, and that you had no cravings at all.  If you missed on any of these fronts, then it's no wonder you lost focus.

You need all of these things to be in place in order to stay the course.  Our bodies are chemistry labs, and proper fueling triggers the right hormonal and metabolic response that tells us we are satisfied and well fueled. 

Miriam