oh, i am feeling horrible about myself tonight. i was doing really, really well all day - i only had a little over 300 calories up until dinner, so i figured that i could go a little extra for supper to make it to 1200 cals today. but i think i went TOO overboard. i had some fried mushrooms and 9 bbq wings ( i swear, those are the 's foods, lol!) do you guys think i went way over my 1200 limit today?
i am feeling really horrible about myself, like i am so bad and that i can't control myself. i did do my yoga tonight, which only burned about 180 calories. i just need to vent! thanks!!!
gabrielbeth

In my experience, if I ate too little...well, the body reacted by sucking down as much food as it could whenever it got the chance. Body wants what it needs. You ate THREE HUNDRED calories all day before dinner (I have about 400 for BREAKFAST). Really, what do you expect a starving body to do when given food? When prehistoric men brought home a mammoth, do you think the prehistoric women said "no thanks, I'm going to gnaw on this root?"

Don't beat yourself up, it's a blip on the weight loss radar. Definitely do not overexercise or severely cut calories tomorrow to "make up for this" - that can lead to a nasty restrict/binge cycle.

Definitely do NOT beat yourself up. Be grateful to your body that your will restrict is less powerful than its will to survive. In this case, it is NOT about will power. Feed yourself well, nourish your body, the binges due to real deprivation will subside (emotional eating is another matter).

relax...drink some water and get good sleep. one meal isn't going to kill all the weeks efforts. i know its hard when youre being so good but just jump back on that wagon, thats the hard part. you'll be fine girlie

Sorry, but 300 calories up until dinner is not "doing well" -- it is very unhealthy and setting yourself up for failure and a binge at dinner. Try some balanced, healthful meals and you will do far better. Just a thought.

300 calories up until dinner is not doing "well". I totally agree with that. If you are aiming for around 1200 calories a day-then 300 calories should be BREAKFAST-not everything up until dinner.

Your body binged because it was FREAKING HUNGRY.

For a 1200 calorie diet-aim for about 300 for breakfast, 300 for lunch, maybe 400-500 for dinner, and 100-200 for a snack or two-to get around 1200 a day. Basically-SPREAD THEM OUT. Don't "save up" for one huge meal. Your body needs fuel throughout the day, and you were not providing it.

Please do not equate eating with "being bad," it's how so many of us got here in the first place, it makes me cringe when I her it from anyone. The "being bad," part was starving yourself and feeling "good" about it. Food is fuel, and we all need it. Even at my weight, I cannot stop eating and wait to be thin, it doesn't work that way.

Also, while there is nothing terrible about eating the occasional bar food, you have to remember that when you restrict calories it's harder to get all of the nutrients you need, so you should try to eat foods that give more nutritional "bang for the buck." I'm not saying your diet isn't balanced, since you're only describing one meal, but like the others, I agree that you have to spread out your calories into at least three meals spread over the course of a day.

oh, i don't want you girls to think i only ate 300 cals on purpose b/c i am trying to starve myself. i know that doesn't work. i just skipped a meal during the day b/c i was busy and couldn't eat. i had a bowl of cereal for lunch and a snack later in the day, which was a little over 300 cals. i didn't do it on purpose, lol!
BUT, NOW I FEEL LIKE A LOSER B/C I DIDN'T GO TO THE GYM this morning like i was going too. i just feel sooooo tired. being depressed b/c of my widowhood status is catching up with me. i swore to myself last night that i was going to get myself and the kids up to go workout, but i just rolled over and didn't. i KNOW things will be easier starting next monday when school starts again and i HAVE to get out of be early. oh well. sorry this has been so long! thanks girls!!!
gabrielbeth

Gabrielbeth - Please, know that you do not have to change a single thing about yourself for God to love you today. You are a perfect child of your Creator, and you do not have to change anything to be worthy of love and respect.
This will still be true if you gain 100 lbs and never go to the gym again.

When you're ready to go the gym, you will go, and when you can, you will eat balanced meals and lose weight.

What you have been through is very hard and very unfair, but calling yourself Bad and a Loser isn't the answer.

And your weight (which, by the way, I would LOVE to be at), isn't bad. It's not what you want, but you have 2 little kids, and most women eat when emotions hit.

Do you have a support group you can talk to about this - I've lost family members, and, even after 20 years, it still hurts.

And your post wasn't too long, either.

Sue

Behavior change is really hard, and so you need to look at the progress not the pace of the progress. Don't feel like a "loser" for not going to the gym. Punishing yourself for your failures is far less effective than rewarding yourself for your successes. Don't dwell on not being perfect, look for little ways to make progress. It really does help to break the weight loss steps into very small manageable successes. Always have something to be proud of - whatever is most maneageable for you - even if it is drinking your water, or journaling your feelings and food choices for the day. Baby steps, and focus on succeses not failures.