I was so excited that last week I saw 256, down from 273 that I relaxed a little. Okay, I relaxed a lot. I haven't been journaling, planning my meals ahead of time or staying 100% OP. I'm all talk around here, handing out advice that I'm not following. I guess I needed to fess up as I am feeling like a jerk, saying "close the kitchen-brush your teeth" to stave off pm munchies, or "eat a big salad at lunch" to fill up on healthy food instead of bingeing on crap.

I have a fair bit of stress going on in my life that has in the past lead me to over eat big time (and apparently I slipped right back into old patterns): child with ADHD, just moved in with b/f, still trying to unpack, attempting introduce my 46 yr old childless by choice b/f to the joys (really!) of part-time parenting a 9 year old ever noisy, ever in motion, ever emotional 9 year old, blending pet children into the household....and then there's work stress! Oh boy!

I want this weight loss more than anything in the world but really let my resolve slip when the stress added up. Instead of turning my back on my health when the going got tough , I needed to reign in my whims and put effort into the 1 thing I could control...what I put in my mouth!

Yesterday, as I was rushing to get my son (imagine the tazmanian devil, cute as a bug with blond hair, blue eyes, in motion, not angry but whirling and making noise for 45 minutes straight) out the door to school and get myself to work, I forgot my lunch. I skipped breakfast too and then got busy at work, so all I ate yesterday was a 6 oz yogurt at 2pm, then when I got home from work, (son is back at Dad's for his week) the b/f and I just ate left overs from the weekend for dinner, I ate and ate and ate. THEN, ate 3 oreos, a handful of Chex mix and a handful of dried sugar encrusted Mango. UGH! I didn't eat so much that I felt sick, it really was just a little bit of every thing, so I wasn't fighting the nausea and self loathing of a binge but I was mad at myself. Darnit! I don't need to do this anymore. I have tools to prevent it.

Okay, rant done. Thanks for listening. Here is the plan:
1. Grocery shop today on lunch hour to replenish healthy food stash at home and at work.
2. Cook chicken breast and boil eggs for lunches. Chop veggies and pre-portion salad/spinach baggies for easy to grab lunches.
3. Take a Valium when son visits to calmly handle to busy-ness (Just kidding!!)
4. Track 100% of what I eat. Make friends with my Daily Plate account again.
5. Eat breakfast no matter what and don't forget lunch.
6. Mentally imagine I am back at square one with my almost militant attitude about what I eat, tracking food, being motivated.
7. Really really re-double efforts when son visits to stay OP. Uber-preplan healthy eating and activity.

2 people have signatures here that read , "Fall 7 times, get up 8" (Marigrace is one of them) I need to keep that in mind.

Just because you weren't 100% OP doesn't make your advice and tips any less valuable so don't feel like a jerk for it! We all have our mess-ups. And we all have everyone at 3FC to be accountable to.

You've got your plan set so get at it!

Well, you've fessed up and have a good plan to move forward. Good for you!

Make sure you forgive yourself!

Oh boy, you just described my little noise maker! He's 8 and he never stops moving or making noises. Grandparents think he does it just to annoy his older brother, but he doesn't! I watch him when he's alone and he doesn't know I'm watching and he just sings, and buzzes and smacks his lips. It's just constant! He amuses me to no end. It's definitely a self-stimulation behavior.

Anyway, what you just described sounds like a classic set-up for over eating at one sitting. You've got to make time to eat nutritious, filling meals throughout your day. You were ravenous by the time you sat down to eat. When you're ravenous, you just want to eat until the hunger stops, but we all know the shut off valve for our hunger is quite delayed. You must try your best to never get to the point of ravenous. I try not to be hungry if I can avoid it. If I am hungry, I'm never hungry for more than about a half hour. I personally like to eat six small meals a day spaced out about every 2.5 hours. This works great for me.

With that said though, it doesn't sound like you failed miserably! You're still on plan, you just had a rough day. You DO give wonderful advice and probably could have advised yourself of everything I just said. Keep it up! You're doing a great and a marvelous asset to this board!

I've got a boy like this at home too - he's 5 and was just diagnosed with ADHD a few weeks ago. I guess the good thing is that aside from the stress, he does keep me moving! For some reason, he LOVES to watch me exercise on the Wii. Not that he doesn't like to use it himself, of course, but he also likes to watch me (this is for Wii Fit and other things that you can only do individually, we play some things together too) so that gets me using it more. I've tried to explain - on a level appropriate for a 5 year old who doesn't know what "being on a diet" is - that I'm trying to get healthy and smaller. Maybe you can enlist your son as an ally?

I think the bottom line is we all KNOW how to lose weight, we just have to keep focused on DOING the right things. So just stick to your plan of action and you'll be fine!

I agree with Natalie!!!!

I have a 13 year old with ADHD (inattentive) so I completley understand how that can me on top of everything else. I say 13 but with the ADHD he's really about 10, so just IMAGINE the daily homework scenario - oy!

The great thing is MICHELLE - you cant jump right back on it TODAY - and you know it and caught yourself.

Also - in this last week I have really realized HOW IMPORTANT breakfast is, I was always a breakfast skipper (except for Saturday breakfasts).

YOU CAN DO IT!

Don't beat yourself up. Dust yourself off and move on just like you planned. We all have bad times.

Hang in there Michelle! You are an inspiration (and have been since I started here at 3FC) NOT because you are perfectly on plan 100% of the time, BUT because you are so truthful and thoughtful about this process. Hang in there...you are doing great!

Thanks for the warm feedback ladies! It helps me to not feel like such a fraud! Also, I knew I had read that there were other people here with kids with ADHD...did I mention, I have ADHD (inattentive) too and the combo of the two of us together can be very very hectic, especially if I haven't taken my ADHD medication? One of the things that makes my brain turn off when I am having a particularly rough ADHD moment (I get stuck, can't think....) is random noises or distracting behavior of others. I have little filter for distraction. In that sense, I have sympathy for my son as he is not on medication (his dad's choice). If I get particularly crabby at my son or unable to focus when he is around, it is a cue to me to ask myself if I took my prescription. I try to take weekends off of it as it a fairly serious medication.

It's a struggle but all of life is a struggle. I just need to "improvise, adapt and overcome" like my b/f tells me. Plan ahead and be kind to myself.

Keep focused I know it soundseasy in concept ... but I have to remind myself of that day in and day out my husband is thankfully a big motivater and I have a few colorful charts hung around the house as visual reminders... I do this to help my kids ((both medicated)) and myself to keep on track...

no one is perfect that would be boring ....

just keep getting back up ....

My son is unmedicated (and undiagnosed) as well, but he himself just asked for medication the other day because he feels so stupid. That was the only sign I needed and now we're pursuing it. And I am ADD (no H) so I understand how he feels.

Michelle, How is it going today ? It sounds like you have really had your hands full. Just an idea...when it gets overwhelming like that, I have a mantra that helps..."I may not be able to controll alot of things in my life right now, but eating isn't one of them."

I think everyone has days like that, and many people are under a lot of stress. You're doing the right thing, when you notice a slip, stop it and get right back on the horse.

Today I am doing well. (Ha, ha...it's only 8:23 am!) I stayed 100% OP yesterday, packed a lunch last night and remembered it this morning and have breakfast ready to eat.

It feels good to be back in the structure of the work week. Again, thanks for all your great feedback and advice!