hello everyone! i am a newbie to this site starting today. i have been yoyo dieting for the past two years, and i originally lost 20 pounds but i gained most of it back since last summer. i know that i can lose the weight again if i try, but i have been having some difficulties in the past few months. i tried the atkins diet for a week but i didnt lose anything and i am not sure if it is the healthiest for me because i am on a sports team. so starting today i think i am going to try to stick with the low calorie diet, and i plan on having 1200-1500 calories a day. i really want to lose this weight, but i need support!
my main problem is that when i break my diet i feel guilty and just think to myself "well i broke it anyway so i should just pig out for the rest of the day and start tomorrow" and this happens over and over and i actually end up gaining weight instead of losing it as i had originally wanted to with the diet. does anyone have any tips for not breaking diets and going on binges like this?
My best advice for a "binge" episode, is to FORGET IT. Pretend it didn't happen. People usually deal with a binge by doing one of two things:
~Saying "heck with it" and eating everything in the house, because they "blew it" eating those 5 cookies anyhow...
or
~Deciding to make up for it-by restricting their calories WAY too low the next day or two, and overexercising to make up for it.
Neither is a good thing to do. If you do the first one, then you turned a molehill into a mountain. You messed up and did maybe 400-600 calories worth of damage-and dealt with it by making it 1,000 or more.
The second choice sets you up for ANOTHER binge later-because you are going to end up too hungry.
The best thing to do, is pretend it didn't happen-forgive yourself, and go on. If you mess up and have a piece of cake at a birthday party-don't let that piece of cake turn into 3 (plus nuts and candy and what have you...). Pretend it didn't happen, and have the chicken and salad that you originally planned on having for dinner. Just "go on".
Location: Lyin' in a puddle of sweat on the floor.
Posts: 2,296
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Syncrosweetie, welcome!
I've only been calorie counting for a little over a week, but it's working for me, and very easy to stick with, since I don't HAVE to give up all carbs or sugars or caffeine. I'm choosing more veggies and salads, less meat, leaner meat, etc, because I learned I can really fill up and eat frequently on that stuff, without going over on the calories. You'll find what works for you.
Wow. My head is spinning from all the information. I have been reading for the last 30 min. Everyone here know so much. I hope one day I will be able to be as helpful as you all have been to me. I dont know much about calorie counting. I am starting tomarrow. So I have been reading a lot about it today. I also signed up for fitday. I saw a lot of people recomend it. The only thing I don't understand is how many calories I need. There is a lot of conflicting information out there. Some say I need 1200 some say I need up to 1600. Does anyone know for sure? Do I call my Dr? Do I just fiddle around until I lose weight? Well thank you ladies for all the motivation!
Yes, basically you fiddle with it, and see what works for you. Try 1600 for a week, and weigh in and see what happens-if you have a loss of 1/2-2 pounds, then stick with it! If you don't see anything at all, go down to 1500 the next week, etc.
And I'm back. I know that I can lose weight and never be hungry if I eat 1200-1500 calories a day. Apparently this can't include chocolate or Cheez Its or this 1500 calorie nonsense goes right out the window. Bah!
So:
Breakfast- Cereal with skim milk
Lunch- Bagel and whipped cream cheese
1/4 cup trail mix
Dried fruit bar
Dinner- Red beans and rice
Salad with light mango poppyseed dressing
Got hungry- Banana
~1450 calories. And I swam for about 40 minutes and it felt SO GOOD!
Location: Lyin' in a puddle of sweat on the floor.
Posts: 2,296
S/C/G: 235/201/175
Height: 5'7"
Betty, great job today! That all sounds so good to eat.
As for me, I got suckered into helping out at the skating rink this afternoon and evening, which I normally don't mind, but there was nothing good to eat there, just rink food...ack! I had a burger for lunch, and a half a corn dog for dinner. Don't know the calories, but it wasn't what I wanted to eat today. I did get in a little over 4 hours of actual skating, including 2 hours of dance practice which was a good workout, and walked around a lot, so hopefully that did something to burn some of those calories. I'm SO packing a cooler next time I go to the rink early in the day like that, in case I get stuck there.
jamsk8r, packing a cooler sounds like a great idea!!! It will help you to avoid those burgers and the such.
Diva, I hope you are feeling better. That does not sound like fun.
Welcome syncrosweetie. I feel the best way to look at a binge or a slip up is to just move on. DON'T look at it as an all day invitation to pig out. It's history. Over and done with. Move on. Each and every meal/snack IS another opportunity for a good choice. One slip up does not have to turn into a whole/day/week/ month affair. It's really about changing your perspective. Not easy, absolutely doable.
Okay, having said that I will put those words into action today. Yesterday just might have been the worst day I've had since I started this venture back in September. I kind of knew it would be and am not freaking out. Yesterday we celebrated the holiday of Purim. It's where you give out and receive all kinds of food baskests full of decadent stuff. Not an easy day. And then to top it off you celebrate even further with a huge, huge family meal. I was waaaaay better then I have been in past years, but not perfect or even close. I have no idea what I consumed calorie wise yesterday, I'd venture to say I kept it under 2000 calories. Whatever. I did though manage to workout 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the evening. On to today. Yesterday is history, over and done with. We start today with a clean slate.
Have a good day everyone.
Edited to add: I just weighed in. I'm down 3 1/2 lbs for the week. Not too shabby.
Last edited by rockinrobin; 03-05-2007 at 06:57 AM.
Once in a blue moon, I buy a bag of frozen shrimp and divvy them out into 4oz baggies. It is a nice treat ... different protein. And the only one who might steal them is Max the cat
Calories came in under 800 yesterday, I felt really sick after lunch so I decided to take a nap, didnt wake up until this morning. I am going to stay home from work today although I am feeling better, so I will have some time to get in a workout today.
FYI-Red Lobster has a dinner sized shrimp cocktail on their lower calorie "lighthouse" menu. 
