Started the week well and went downhill... need encouragement!

  • I am really not happy right now. I started well this week, I went to the gym regularly, and when I skipped that I dragged myself to the park to get some exercise in anyways... I ate well, I had my menu planned and I resisted the snacks.... but then I had a dinner out on Thursday, I kind of went a little overboard and was unhappy about that, but I kind of figured I could make up for that.... but yesterday was a total disaster. I got a last minute invitation for a dinner with friends, and I was baking a cake for that. Which theoretically was good - I had not baked that particular family recipe in two years, and I only do it when I can share it because it's a total diet killer but it's so good... so I figured that this way I could have one little slice only, get the taste but not the caloric binge... But somehow it all started going wrong... I trim the cake to a more regular shape and taste the trimming to see how it's come out... and some more... and the cream to cover the cake... and some snacks from the fridge... I was already feeling uncomfortable and unhappy by the time I drove to my friend's house. Then my stomach had (unfortunately) settled down, so I was ready to eat with them... and boy, they had cooked up a storm! The food was good and the chatter flowing, and I kind of lost touch of it all... so I really don't want to even try tracking down how much I ate. Apart from the fried stuffed olives (a traditional southern dish) the rest was quite healthy stuff... but LOTS of it... in addition to what I had in the afternoon... I'm not going to count.
    SIGH
    I'll try to be good... next week I don't plan any more nights out (but even yesterday's one was not planned!) so hopefully I can give myself a mini-goal of being good for a whole week... then we'll see....

    I had planned on trying stepping on the scales tomorrow to give me some numbers to look at, but right now I don't know if I have the courage....
  • I think that if I gave up after I lost control one day, I'd be back to weighing 300 pounds!

    Really, the best choice you have now is to own it, figure out why it happened (to prevent it in the future) and move on! This is a lifelong endeavor, and life is full of such pitfalls.

    I think the mini goal of staying on plan for a week is a great one! And you can start TODAY!!!
  • Yup, just keep starting over. Sometimes it's hard. Sometimes getting through one day on plan takes effort. But you can. You'll see. Just keep trying.
  • I agree with Heather. Don't give up, just start fresh. Figure out shy things went wrong and go from there.
  • I agree with the other ladies. Life is always going to throw events in your path, and you have to be ready to celebrate the people and not the food. Figure out why you went overboard, plan to have a plan to eat some but not everything in the future, and then let it go and move on. It happens, it's over, today's a new day!
  • Homemade baked goods is without a doubt my very hardest thing to resist. It's that first bite that gets me every time. One bite, one lick, one taste - turns into 2 and 5 and and and......

    In fact during the losing portion of my journey, I decided from the very beginning - to do away with it. No matter what. I mean, why torture myself?

    I found for me, especially in the early stages, that "you bite it, you write it" - NO MATTER WHAT - to be really, really helpful. It is a proven effective method. Sounds like a pain, or a bit silly - but it "works". It helps to put the brakes on. Forced accountability.

    I would use this as a learning experience - and indeed LEARN from it - and move on. It's over with. Done and finished. This WILL be a better week.
  • (((alh))))

    I know how you feel and, unfortunately, you'll feel that way until you get a few good days behind you. It happens to us all. All you can do is your best and the more you beat yourself up about slipping, the more likely you are to ditch the whole thing and go back to old bad habits.

    Try to chalk it up to experience and know that it's likely to happen again. Just keep reminding yourself that this weight loss journey we're all on is for our health and peace of mind, it's not (I repeat NOT) about perfection.

    Then sing that "Pick yourself up...dust yourself off...and start all over agaaaaain" song in your head while you're walking an extra 1/2 mile on the treadmill. (big smile - you'll have to imagine it 'cause I can't figure out how to post smilies dagnabit)

    Shea
  • My advice? Buy a cake (or pastry or dessert) from a store ON your way to the friends' house the next time and then choose a healthier snack alternative instead of the cake, thus helping you to resist a possible binge

    Just start over again healthy at your next meal and start your exercise as you would have as if the cake binge never occurred!

    Keep your chin up, you're doing good!

    ~ tea
  • Don't beat yourself up over this. I used to live in Italy and I absolutely get how challenging the whole traditional family recipe/friend get-togethers can be, and don't even get me STARTED about my local gelateria (Stratiacella, here I come!!!) The best thing to do is just get back on the diet train with the rest of us, and ride it out. Things will only get better!
    Hang in there,
    Kira
  • Remember it is a life journey...not a day or week journey...keep moving forward and you will be fine!
  • Just being on this site has helped me to learn that you have to make a lifestyle chg. You cannot "diet". I tried everything and the only thing working is counting calories. I mean cake isnt good but if you want the cake eat the cake but have one piece and make sure you dont eat over your calories.Also be careful with the scale because if you retain water your going to feel bad.