Sometimes it seems like everyone on 3FC eats a healthy range of calories between 1200 and 1800, exercises regularly, and rarely or never snacks "off plan". Except for some of the posters just starting their weight loss journey, you dont really hear much about the "bad" times when we're eating totally or partially off plan. Are you out there? Or how in the world do you manage to stay so strict with your plan?

As for me, I've somehow found myself totally off plan the last few days..having had 2500, 2600, and 2400 calories Thurs, Fri and Sat. Not sure how this happened and it was by no means intended. I was eating pretty low for the prior few days and so on Thursday I WAS really hungry so I ate a lot. Fri I munched on a few pieces of DH's cake and some cookies, and yesterday I didn't really eat anything unhealthy like cake, but somehow managed to consume 2400 calories when I had planned to have 1800. Luckily I burned an average of 500 calories per day on my elliptical to somewhat make up for it. If this wasn't right in my home believe me I would have been too lazy from all that food to get to the gym so lucky for me.

I'd been doing so well and had gone down to 140, only to go up to 144 yesterday though down to 143 today. I certainly expected the upward fluctuation with all that food, but even if its water it will take me longer to get down to my next new low. Sometimes once I get going not eating that much (say 1500 - 1600 calories) I lose my appetite and then eat even less the next day, though I feel hungry food just starts tasting like cardboard after a few low days (low for me is under 1600). But once I get going on a few good meals and get my appetite back in gear, I go overboard. At those times I really dont have much will power at all (like the past 3 days). I know I should be eating more evenly, but it is such a struggle for me to keep my appetite down sometimes or up when I've been "good".

I've been able to maintain a healthy weight doing this in the past (eat lots on the weekend and probably around 1700 calories Mon-Wed), but it does get in the way of weight loss! I do this quite often and I wish I could just stick with things so much more consistently, like it seems most of you are doing.

Claudia, I can honestly say that once that *click* happens in my head, I become very aware of what I'm eating at all times, and if I DO go off plan, as you say, it isn't in the range of a thousand calories. I haven't been on this eating plan - "new lifestyle" - or whatever you want to call it for as long as you. Only three weeks. So, maybe you were still gung-ho at three weeks, and after three months, I'll lose some steam, too. I dunno but I DO know that in everybody's story here on 3FC that I've read - especially those who have accomplished really amazing weight loss, like a hundred pounds or more - DO say that from time to time they have gone OP, but that they don't waste time agonizing over it, but jump right back on the wagon and keep on keeping on. I think maybe that you get a little defeatist once you've gone off, and that's what keeps you off for two or three days in a row? I think what I have had to do is really and truly eat CONSCIOUSLY - that is, being aware of every calorie that I put in my mouth. I think most times it's the unconscious eating - just eating whatever's there to eat, and telling yourself you'll deal with the consequences later - that leads to major slips. And, with me, I have to COMPLETELY avoid sweets altogether, because when I eat anything sweet (chocolate, especially) I know myself well enough to know that a little is not enough, and that eating something sweet can trigger one of those unconscious eating binges for me, where I eat everything in sight.
Maybe, too, it would help to read some more of the success stories - another consistent thread is that we can't be "on a diet" and think that we're depriving ourselves of the "good stuff", and that going off-plan means we get to eat "good stuff". We have to rethink "good stuff", and see it in terms of good stuff being good for our bodies, leading to fitness, good health and attractiveness.
Again, I've only been "eating healthy" for about three weeks, but I have a LONG (too long) history of DIETING, and DIETING never works over the long term. A lot of us have taken the weight off through DIETS, only to gain it back again.
Listen ....this is DIFFICULT. I think you should feel good about yourself because you're doing it, period, you know? I know I do. None of us are perfect here, but we just keep trying, and sooner or later, we get where we want to be. For some it's sooner, for others it takes a little longer, but we're all here for the same reason, and we have the same struggles.
You are NOT alone. Hang in there, okay? You CAN do it!!!!! (and will).

TTFN,
Ella

I Go "off plan" every single Saturday and every 8 weeks on the day I donate blood. I also go "up plan" on Wednesdays eating my maintenance amount of calories. I have been doing this since day 1 and will do this for the rest of my life. I know there are people here who disagree with my method but it works for "me". I cannot and will not live a life of deprivation for the sake of a faster weight loss or a size smaller jeans. These off plan days keep me ON plan for the week. They are the reason I can say no to foods. Just knowing I CAN have them on certain days, keeps the motivation strong. Usually when those days come along, I forget about them anyway. It's funny that when I go off plan on Saturdays and blood donation days, I get more excited about not logging foods than the eating part. lol

A couple of months ago my weight loss stalled. I was eating 1600 calories and was refusing to go lower. So, I decided to maintain. I did that for a month and then came back with renewed energy. I cut calories to 1400 for my 5 days of dieting a week and to 2000 for my Wednesday maintenance day. I started March 1st and, to date, I have lost another 5.50 pounds. I even had sciatica for a week or so and was so depressed I ate a whole bag of M&Ms...gaining two pounds in the process.... lol I am sure this downward trend will end and then I will, once again, make a decision about whether I am willing to go lower or not. I also have made a deal with myself that, regardless of my weight at the time, on July 1st, I am going into maintenance for the summer. I need a break from the tediousness and the practice is good for when real maintenance begins.

My advice to you, would be find a "lifestyle" you can live with. For me, I simply cannot live a life where foods are banned and I feel guilt whenever I eat a cookie. After all, health is important and I do love my size 6 jeans, but in the end we still die and we only get one chance to enjoy life. I enjoy it on Saturdays.

Good luck to you and remember that it doesn't matter if you are the tortoise or the hare because they both ended up on the finish line.

Claudia, we are all just so different and our journeys are therefore so different. For me at this point, I am like a woman possessed. I can't explain it. I just am. I am just not tempted the way I used to be. Even if I am, it doesn't matter, I would rather do without because I am truly a woman on a mission. I know if I eat something off plan that I will not lose weight and I'm not WILLING to go without a weightloss for the week. Or a gain. Each and EVERY time I put something in my mouth, or DON'T put something in my mouth I am AWARE of the fact that it will either get me closer to my goals and or take me further away. It is a decision that I am making all day long. And then of course there's the fear factor. I can never go back to where I was. I just can't let that happen. But keep in mind I was coming from being 287 lbs at only 5 feet tall. With a bmi of a whopping 56. For me it was literally life or death. My quality of life was greatly diminished. And not to belittle your situation, because believe me I think if someone is unhappy with an extra 5 lbs on them, well then that is majorly important. There were just so many things I could not do. So I HAD to do something. You, again, not to belittle your situation, but your quality of life will not drastically change. You're already looking FANTASTIC, you're already at a healthy weight, your life is not in danger, and you are able to do all kinds of physical things and "fit" in places that I wasn't able to. You've always been able to shop in regular sized stores, again something that was out of the question for me. So naturally my MOTIVATION and therefore my DETERMINATION, for the most part has got to be greater then yours. At least I think so. Quite frankly when I'm down to 142 lbs, I'm not sure if I will have the same motivation and determination. I will have already accomplished so much and changed my life so much and will have such great improvements, I will be in your exact situation. Who knows if I will still have such will power. I have no way of knowing. I certainly would like to think so, but again, I don't know that for certain. I really think it's got to be harder on you smaller girls.

I also think you are very hard on yourself. You have lose 25 lbs girl. 25 lbs!!!! That's not to be taken lightly. That is NO EASY FEAT. And of course WE ALL struggle. I suspect I always will, I suspect we ALL always will. I am sure there is not one person here who can not relate to what you have just posted. You are by all means not alone. I have no doubt you'll get yourself back on track because I really do think that you're determined, very determined. So you veer off from time to time. It's your journey and if that's what you need to do from time to time, so be it. You'll get there. It's not a race to the goal line. The goal line will always be there for you. And you'll make it. *hugs*

.........and I'm sure responsible for a lot of them.

Claudia, I do know what you mean because it does seem like everyone's doing better than me and frankly I'm amazed to learn that you struggle. It's like Jillybean just said, just cos someone posts amazingly great advice it doesn't mean that they're on plan. You always post great advice I think and yet you obviously sometimes struggle.

Anyway, to actually answer your question. **** yes I struggle. I've just calculated that I ate off plan for 17 days in March and on plan only 15. this has been a wake up call for me. But at the end of the day you are getting there mami, that scale is going down and look how far you've come. And if you need any extra inspiration just look at your own signature pic - you look fantastic and it's really not that far off. Keep going

Here's one of those confessions threads Claudia. I'm there a few times.
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=106483
Check peoples fitday links too .... sometimes, I very quietly .... um .... go off plan.

Christina7806, I wouldn't dream of arguing with your plan, because look at the results you've gotten. Way to go! You have found a way to do it that works for you, and that's what we all have to find.

Mami, I stay strict with my plan because I pretty much know what I'm going to eat every day. That doesn't mean there are no deviations, however.

A couple of weeks ago I went out of town and stayed with friends overnight, and there was Thai food involved and lunches at Boston Market. I did my best, but it was still more calories than I had wanted to eat. The result was a quick weight gain (probably water imbalance) and a couple weeks of stalled weight loss. I've only just yesterday gotten back to where I should be according to my FitDay chart. Now, I'm older and I have slower metabolism, so that may not apply to you. It's just an example from my experience.

So yeah, those deviations really play heck with my weight loss. The only thing I know how to do is get back on the horse, so to speak. What helps me stay consistent is having been through a few of those rebounds that just don't go away for a couple weeks after I get back on track.

Also, I'm really aware of portion sizes these days. When I see a piece of cake, I start thinking in terms of cubic inches, for example. Do I really want to eat 9 cubic inches of cake for 235 cals?? Heck no! A 2-by-2 square is just as satisfying.

So, don't feel like you're unusual in this--you just have to work with it.

Good luck!
Jay

Heavens yes, I go off plan at least 1 - 2 times a month. I think that very few of us, especially those who have been doing this for a substantial length of time, can say we never go off plan. I don't post about them much, I also don't post about my "great - on plan days". I just assume that everyone has some off plan days and if they are getting really frustrated they will post and reach out for help and commiseration.

Also want to say that I always have the same reaction to "getting my appetite back in gear". I had an off plan meal at my sister's last night. I ate too much, ate dessert afterwards, then came home full and stuffed and rummaged around here to see what I could find in the cupboards. I didn't do too much damage, but I recognize that appetite rearing its ugly head. I can already tell that I am going to have to watch myself today to get it calmed back down. It happens everytime I go off plan. I'm not sure if mine is really appetite or head hunger, but I know what you're talking about.

AND I want to tell you that you are already looking so great. I love your new avatar of you and your baby. I know you want to be back to the bikini avatar, and I'm sure you will get there, but I wanted to tell you how fantastic you already look.

For the last 6 months, I've been off plan more than on plan

When I'm in the right mindset, I really don't go off plan. That doesn't mean I eat 100% the absolute best things but I watch my portions and don't stuff myself. I think mixing in a few higher calorie days is ok and part of my "plan".

I guess it really depends on what your plan is on whether or not you go off plan.

I have slip ups, too...I just try to get right back on track, instead of letting a day of bad eating or skipped exercise turn into a week.

same here. After having a bad day I get back in the saddle. I get miserable and then have to turn my thinking around and tell myslef, ok so you had a bad day, tomorrow is a new day. I wake up the next day with a focus to make it a very good day and just having that one good first initial day again makes me feel good again an d is enough of a reinforcer to motivate me and bring me into the positive. Last month during TOM, i had a really bad time and one bad day spiraled into several bad days. I was soooooo miserable, I just couldn't stand it! It overwhelmed me! I did as you mami and reached out for help, we are so lucky to have each other here. Anyways, that week was painful for me emotionally and such a negative reinforcer that I simply DON'T want to go there again! so now when i have an off plan day or a little something extra, I am extra cautious!

Mami, I know what you mean about the weekends. I used to do that a lot and have done it many times before. I would be good all week long and then go off plan on the weekends. THe result would be no loss, just a maintenence. For me, only way I can lose is to take it through the weekends. What is helping me now is that I start thinking before the weekend what I am going to do, where I am going, where going out to eat and what I am going to have for dinner. I pre-plan it as I pre plan my meals a few nights in advance during the week and that really helps a lot.

You mentioned also your apetite changes. I have experienced the same thing too! I can be fine for dayssss with a set appetite and then all of a sudden hit a phase where my apetite increases. I analyze it to death (TOM, emotions, blood sugar, etc. etc.) Sometimes I know the reasons and other times, I don't have a clue!!!!! then, suddenly my apetite would go back to normal.....I am very hard on myself too when I go off plan and it sure isn't a fun feeling, just get right back to it, today is a new day. Put it behind you, brush right past it and keep going...you'll be feeling better in no time

Well I must run ladies, hope you all have a super day

claudia,

I'm seen many posts where a member confesses to slipping off the plan. Way more of these than members posting that they've always been ON plan!

Yes, I'm guilty as charged for this as well.

I generally go offplan in two situations:

1. Planned treat meals (like my fabulous dinner at Daniel's Broiler steakhouse on Friday night). Technically, I'm not sure if this is "offplan" because I plan to have a treat meal. This generally happens once a week and includes wine, dessert and a nice entree (I used to never eat out of the bread basket, but lately I've been dipping into it,need to stop doing that again! mainly because it contributes to that "overfull" feeling I hate).

2. "Surprise" food. A meeting at work has cheese and crackers and little desserts. Someone brings something in, someone offers me truffles. I plan to go to a party at someone's house and only nibble on a few appetizers and eat more than I had expected. This usually happens about once a week too, and I tend to beat myself up for it.

Otherwise, I am very similar to Jayell and RockinRobin - I am a woman on a mission and I plan every meal, every week. I really don't get a lot of cravings anymore and I am very firm with my "no" lists - no chips, no packaged cookies, no fast food, no soda.