[JenMusic]

(I need this for ME, but I thought some 3FCers could add on and benefit!)

When I go off plan, I . . .
- feel sluggish and lethargic and cranky.
- am moodier and more likely to be blue/pessimistic.
- get bad heartburn or indigestion and need to take antacids, which I never need on plan.
- feel swollen and bloated.
- get uncomfortably, ahem, gassy.
- get aching joints.
- have terrible morning breath. (Weird!)
- have to detox from sugar overload all over again.
- dislike getting dressed in the morning, because I'm not sure what will fit.
- don't want to weigh in.
- become mad at myself, because I should know better by now.

BUT, when I go off plan, I also remind myself that I'm down but not out. Right now is a new moment and what's past is over. I just need to remember all this from here on out.

[FiftyFive]

Great thread!!!! Reminding ourselves of how we feel when going on plan is the best way to avoid it...
When I go off plan I feel awful physically, but what´s worse is that I feel like a failure and getting back is kind of hard for me!!!!

[freelancemomma]

To be perfectly honest, when I go off plan I feel great physically -- well fed and satisfied. I feel bad mentally, though, and berate myself for my lack of willpower in an arena that SHOULD be relatively easy.

Freelance

[Jesserz]

When I go off plan I feel depressed and like I've just cheated myself out of something I've been working so hard for. That leads to moodiness.

I also feel really slow and sluggish.

But when I keep to it I feel invincible (maybe a slight over exaggeration but so be it.).

[Belly Belle]

I feel like a failure and like I have to start all over again from scratch, not just in dieting, but in the emotional coaching I give myself. It's like I pressed delete or something on everything I've been telling myself.

[Lecomtes]

Wonderful reminders! Thank you for sharing them!

[Arctic Mama]

I'm more like Freelance - when I go off plan, unless it is some epic blowout (I can count the number of those I've ever had on one hand) I usually feel pretty good physically, too. But mentally is a different story.

My bigger issue is if I persist off plan, in small ways, for a long period of time. Then I deal with increasing inflammation and lethargy, symptoms of regain, and that awful feeling of not being fully in control of my weight anymore. That sucks, and I have no desire to go back there (I was there in Aug-Nov 2011, NEVER again. Thankfully I got it back under control with just ten pounds coming back on. Whew!)

[Ferny1730]

I feel out of control and scared because I feel like I can't trust myself. I usually overeat at some point, and that causes acid reflux, as well as bloating and discomfort.

I feel lighter and more energetic when I am on plan, since I eat more vegetables and fruit.

I am trying to not get discouraged or mad at myself when I am off plan. I am trying to accept that I will not be able to be perfect, because I think the guilt and shame pushes me further off plan.

[NightowlAnnie]

Yup..yup..I totally feel like a failure til I get back on track

[kk2323]

I like this thread! I also feel bloated and my feet hurt when I walk. My IBS symptoms kick back in, so I just feel awful. The worst thing is that it takes about a week or sometimes more to get my body back on track.

[Lolo70]

When I go off plan, I do it deliberately. Either to enjoy a meal with friends or, like now, because I am facing a ton of deadlines and huge stress, conditions where i focus on work and not dieting. I don't feel bad about it and just try to maintain weight and get some exercise in. I have jumped in and out of dieting a couple of times now and feel I can do it successfully.

[krampus]

I don't have a plan, so I don't go off it. I try to avoid eating to discomfort or to drown out emotions.

I know all too well all the symptoms you've listed, down to the awful rabbit-y post-sugar-binge poops and gas and not being able to wear my own clothes.

[newleaf123]

When I go off plan... I feel confident that I will get right back on the next day and keep moving forward. The one day is really just 1 of the next 15,330 that I expect to be on plan (ie, assuming I live to be 90). In the larger scope of things, it's not a big deal, it's barely even a blip.

[berryblondeboys]

I'm like Freelance and Arctic mama - I feel fine when I go off plan. Actually, initially I feel great as the food tastes SO GOOD. And eating a bit like that is no problem, but it's a slippery slope and soon I'm finding the stuff the OP mentioned.

Now, I feel bad mentally when I go off plan, but not until after I've done the damage. Only afterward do I think, "Man... it's going to take me all week, all month, 2 months (however long) to lose the weight from going off plan!"

[MandarinX]

Oh, lawd.

In just ate some cheesy fries with ketchup and mayonnaise
and I feel horrible. I was hungry TT~TT