Well Sunday has started a downward spiral for me. I can't believe this is happening to me. I am trying not to panic, I know it's normal and slip ups occur and we just have to get right back on the wagon. I've given that advice soooo many times. I'm just having a hard time putting it into play for me. I feel like such a hypocrite. Why can't I get it together. What has happened to the girl who was SO in control for 6 long months? Where is she and how do I get her back?

I haven't been terrible, awful, horrendous - just not great or even good. Sunday we had a big family meal at my SIL, I think I kept it to about 2000 calories which is waaaay high for me. I mean I kept it under that during the holidays. Monday and yesterday, who knows I nibbled all day long, I even skipped dinner last night because of it. I still know I kept it under 1800. At least I think so. Still waaaaaay high for me. I also have been exercising like a lunatic to try and make up for it. And today I was all gung ho, all ready to get right back on track. I just don't feel so strong right now, I just don't understand how quickly I can go from feeling so strong and in control to feeling so weak and out of control. This is not good. I am in the middle of making oatmeal cookies for my daughter to bring away with her on a school trip this weekend. Last week I made them for a different reason, didn't touch them. So far today I've eaten some dough, not much, and 1 entire cookie. Why last week did I not want them and now I do? What if I can't get this under control and be back on my merry little LOSING way? I have not had this feeling since before I started my journey back in September 6 months ago. What if I can't gain control again? OMG.

I'm trying to not panic here, but, but, but .... I just don't know.

Whoa, whoa, whoa .... you're not out of control. 1800 cals is a zag that's all. Hold up, start new. Read, read, read. Post, post, post.

Whew, i know that feeling.....but you WON'T go backwards because you don't want to....it's very obvious from your post.

breathe, chew a piece of gum and relish your self-control and progress....I'm impressed by your exercise motivation to keep the calories burning, you've probably gained no extra wt. from the last 3 days.

Look at this as practice for your "after weight loss" life - you're going to face situations like this ALL THE TIME. One of the best tools I ever taught myself during my journey was to forgive myself for eating "offplan." One meal, one day, did not make me heavy. I was heavy because I ate too much of the wrong foods MOST of the time.

Be careful about the urge to skip meals after a feeling of eating too much, the "binge" restrict binge cycle can be ugly and hard to break.

Baking cookies, surrounded by dough, the smell of baking cookies - that would tempt a weight loss saint. I wouldn't trust myself to do it, and most of the time I have iron control over food. Don't beat yourself up over yielding to incredible temptation like that. It might be time to start sending packaged cookies to your daughter's events (Pick a cookie you don't like). It is time to start taking care of YOU and traumatizing yourself with cookie dough is not helping you on your journey.

Life is messy and complicated, you are going to eat off plan, and it will be okay. Take a deep breath, plan a good day for today and just work on today.

Robin, I felt like that last week (5th week into plan) and I panicked too and also wondered how there was such a shift in myself (though I know basically why) . You have been doing super and even though you had a few days which did not go as you wanted foodwise, you still did your workouts, etc. There are going to be times like that I suppose, special dinners or events or even extra hunger or eating...I agree with the other posters on all counts. Don't worry , you will get right back on track.

I love that quote you put in the bottom of your post by william Durant. That's one of the major things I did, or practiced, when starting my plan and it is alsooo how I got out of that slump last week and am on track again! I woke up one day and instead of thinking how i went off plan and spiraling into that ugh not fun place mentally (don't let your mind catch you in that cycle), I said well, that's history now. Old news! Today is a new day and I am going to make it a great day, great week. I agree with Marble too, You'll get that mindset back or feeling of control (it's obvious from your post) and I bet as I am writing this you already have! hang in there and start a fresh new day, your past few days is history now. (except for all the exercising you did, thats super .

ok, I have to run, have a great day ladies

Okay, thanks girls. I think I feel a little better. I have said sooo many times that slip ups are PART of the plan. They just have to be, because they're just gonna keep on happening. But looking back over the past 6 months, I really think this is my first one.

The cookies are done and packed away. I took marbleflys advice and popped a piece of gum in my mouth. Good idea. I escaped havng eaten just one little one and a bit of the dough. But you're right, I mean how many times can I keep avoiding them. It's enough. I gotta get it back together here. I am by no means perfect and especially if I know I'm in a weakened state, I really have to avoid triggers. I don't know why I thought I could handle it better.

I like what you said Glory about one day of bad eating did not make me heavy. And I suppose neither does 3 days.

And I am trying to look back on what I've accomplished these past few months and how darn happy I am with myself. I think it's time to go look at my journal and see what I started this venture in the first place.

Thanks again.

All I can say robin is record record record...even when I am having a bad day/week recording and staying accountable keeps it both in perspective and on track.

think of this as maintenance practice and move on

skipping meals and exercising to make up for it is a dangerous way and only contributes to the out of control things arent normal feeling.

There was a time about 2 months ago when I had a bad afternoon binge--the best thing I did for myself that day was make and eat my regularly scheduled dinner..that gets things back to normal as soon as possible. My blood sugar was happy and the next morning I felt normal.

stop

breathe

work the plan

We all feel that way sometmes whether we have 5lbs, 50 lbs, or 100lbs. to lose. You have already accomplished so much! You should be incredibly proud of yourself. It's really a control issue. If we let our guard down just a little, we feel completely out of control. You have already proved you arei n control of your eating or you would not have lost all the weight you already have. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and continue towards your goal.
YOU CAN DO IT!

Ennay, you're 100% right. I think the extra exercise and skipping dinner is just making me feel MORE out of control. I could deal with the slip up, it's the FEELING that was scaring me. That old out of control feeling.

Robin, You are doing awesome. I see this as a life lesson. Learning how you will react when things like this happen. I know for me, caramel is my weakness, when I eat it I am like a crazed woman and I want to eat everything in sight. Now that I realize this I don't have caramel in my house. One day I was at my friends and had a some caramel and I thought, oh I am going to eat her out of house and home. It is a trigger for me. I took deep breaths and realized since they won't ban caramel any time soon I will need to journal when I get this feeling. It made me realize that it is a trigger and causes me to be an emotional eater. so if I write how I am feeling it will help me not to eat everything in site.
Here is a big Hug for you and I want to tell you that you have helped me so many times when I felt like giving up, your posts have made me want to be successful on this journey. I thank you for that.
Take Care of yourself oh and thanks for your post about exercising, I have tried the dancing around my house, they all think I am crazy but was it ever fun.
Have a great day.
Ann

What time of the month is is? You could have had a whole different set of hormones last week I know that some times of the month I am hungrier and less in control than others. One cookie and a bite of dough isn't time to panic...that's just living life! Just plan it into the rest of your day, and you will be fine. (Now eating a whole bowl of dough..that's another story )

Robin-
I've said before that you are one of the people who inspires me here. Your definitly not a hippocrit for slipping up. You are actually pretty brave to come hear and admit you've slipped up the past few days.

You are doing awewsome. Maybe your body/mind just needed a little break for a few days. Your still going to get healthy and get to your goal. Don't be so hard on yourself. Sounds like your getting back on track already. You will do it! Keep up the hard work! You are a big motivator to many here!

Hey Robin,
You can't go back, you've said it yourself. This journey is full of slip ups, we can't be perfect all the time. You've done the right thing, you've sensed the panic, you came here and you held yourself accountable for it. Now it is time to not dwell and stress on it. Slow down, close your eyes, count down from 10, take a really deep breath and get back to what is normal for you, you know you can do it and so do I. I mean you have lost over 100lbs, that is incredible! This is just a bump in the road...so toss it into 4wheel drive and plow on over it!

Okay, so you've helped probably 89% of the people on here stick to their plan with your determination -- so pass it back on to yourself!! I think the extra exercise and obsessing over what you've eaten will only hurt you. Obviously what you did before you slipped up works great for you -- so don't change it now! So, have you found someone to eat all the extra food left from the holiday? Send it with your daughter for her friends, college students love free food!! Remember how you feel now -- good for the next time the urge comes up to just "go a little off track", remember how wonderful you feel when you stick to plan and how it rainbows into all areas of your life! This will pass and unfortunately occur again as part of life -- yet another learning experience. Good luck.

Robin, thank you for being brave and posting your fears. I seem to be in one of my 1-2 week plateaus right now (lose for 2, hold for 1-2) and I have been feeling anxious about it in spite of it being part of the normal pattern!

The feeling of being out of control without it visibly manifesting—that always worries me too. You had a couple higher-cal days but you knew the cals being highish wasn't important. The feeling of cravings or mindlessly eating or eating when not hungry, those are the scary/important bits. Because none of us has a problem or freak out when we plan to zigzag a bit. But even if it fits in the plan, if it's eaten outside of being hungry or past being full, there's a nagging feeling that it could escalate.

Ya done great and look, you expressed what was going on and you're back on track now!