Hi all. I have done well lately, but have been "off the rails" for a few days (like 3). Feeling bingey, though not so much in sheer quantity of food (I simply can't physcally do the big binges anymore - my stomach just won't hold what it used to when I was bingeing frequently, so thankfully, a binge for me is a fraction of what it used to be). It was more in my mindset, and the jonesing for sugar. So, it wasn't anything major in terms of pounds regained, but it's messed with my head. So now I'm trying to re-focus and get back on track. But I keep craving sugar, and I'm arguing with myself that "what's one more day, you can get back on track tomorrow". Thing is, if I keep this up for too many days, it will end up as weight gained back, so I want to get back on track NOW.
What do you guys do/tell yourselves, to stay strong and get back on program after a bit of a slip-up?
I'm back to answer my own question....I just spent the past hour reading different threads, and I'm now feeling completely empowered and confident that I can stay on track again. Robin's story was particularly inspiring. But I'm still open to any other tricks you guys use to prevent a little slip from turning into a huge faceplant....
I don't know, my usual "solution" is starvation and over exercising and heaven knows what else, BUT also, I know the following help when I feel OK enough to do 'em-
-Keep busy. With positive activities as well as the chores is the key here, try and make life a bit more...fun, really!
-Plenty of exercise. Offsets some of the extra calories, and releases endorphins that lift mood and should, theoretically at least, help you to not want to binge
-Write down - you may well be doing this anyway if you're trying to lose weight, but I'll mention it as it has helped me on occasion - everything you eat, as you eat it. Somehow, seeing everything in *black and white* helps whack it home that whilst you COULD wait *until tomorrow*...mmm, do you really want many more food diary entries like that?!
-Develop a mental image of what you'll look like, in your head, if you eat and eat and gain and gain. Shallow scare tactics, sure, but it terrifies me to think of me...etc.
I'm with you on reading here Janie! And reading my old fitday logs and rereading the BFL site and wondering where I put my copy of Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle.
Let's try filling our heads with good sturdy knowledge.
-Develop a mental image of what you'll look like, in your head, if you eat and eat and gain and gain. Shallow scare tactics, sure, but it terrifies me to think of me...etc.
The same would work for motivation to lose--think about what you'll look like 10 pounds lighter and go for it!! I must do this myself! (I already KNOW what I'd look like if I gained!)
Thanks for the suggestions. I do keep a food journal/calorie log on an online program. Problem is, I let myself off the hook, and if I'm having an "off program day" (which I hadn't really had for 6 weeks, until this past weekend), I don't log everything. In fact, I completely "forget" that I have a food journal. Which totally defeats the whole purpose, I know. But I get self-conscious that my "support buddy" (she can see my totals, but not the specific foods, I think) will be horrified if she sees the big numbers - cookies add up so darn fast! But that's just dumb, and food journals only work if you use them. So I now pledge that EVERYTHING goes in the journal - the good, the bad, and the ugly. But I'll make sure it's mostly good, just a wee bit of bad, and hopefully no ugly!
Alright Susan! I am officially back on track as well.... did awesome yesterday, and today has been great as well. Got up early and worked out, and have eaten on plan, with a healthy dinner about to go in the oven. Just have to watch for the evening snacking - will make a pot of green tea.
It's weird, I feel SO much better when I eat well, and so crappy when I go badly off (bloated, gassy, over-full, fat, lethargic, disorganized, unproductive - it's not just the physical, my whole brain goes when I'm eating badly) , you would think I would remember that, and use it to thwart future slip-ups. I wish there was some way to preserve that yucky feeling for when I need to remember it.
Last edited by Janie Canuck; 10-18-2007 at 04:34 PM.
I hit the scale every morning. Every single morning. No matter how badly I've binged I hold myself accountable by stepping on the scale to see how much damage I've done. That's how I've always gained weight in the past, but hiding from the scale and not facing my actions, as if not getting on the scale meant that I didn't gain anything. Now, when I see it start to inch up again, so far that's been enough to get my butt back in gear...at least until the next binge.
Hi Goingforthegold - I used to do that, step on the scale no matter how bad I knew it would be. But I've kind of discovered over the years that for me, that just puts me in a black mood, and I walk around feeling furious with myself. If I do have a bit of a binge, I now try to give myself a few days to return to program and get the weight back to normal. I don't think I'm kidding myself, after all, I can tell from the way I feel that I ate WAY too much, and would certainly be up a couple of pounds if I weighed. Don't need the scale to tell me that. I just find it easier to get back on track if I'm in a positive mindset, not feeling like a loser because of what the scale said. That said, I NEVER go more than a couple of days without weighing myself, I'm a bit compulsive about it, so I would never go without weighing for a long enough period to truly, permanently, gain any significant weight.
So I had my official weigh-in this morning, and I was the same - 140. Given that I had a bit of an off week, that's the best I could have hoped for, so I'm feeling pretty good about it. Goal is to drop one and get into the 130's (for the first time in years) by next Friday.
Getting back on track
