Well - I've been plateauing for a week. Not long, I know, but still frustrating. I've been eating well, upped my walking, watered down the Crystal Light but kept drinking at least 4 liters of water a day, and am doing well.

<cue ominous music > UNTIL TODAY.

In fact, today was fine, too - until I came home and looked at my chart and my calories and thought - come on! So I ate some snacks (too high in sodium) and TWO Jell-o puddings (60 calories each)...

See where I am going? Okay - so I overate. Shock! Gasp! My calories today total... wait for it... 1745. It's like a joke. I was feeling SO badly about overeating this evening, and then I had to take a step back and think: wait a second... that's NOTHING. Okay, I might be the same weight tomorrow as I am today, but probably not more... and I've been this weight for a week. Which is STILL more than 20 pounds lighter than I was six weeks ago...

SO. I feel full, and as if I have been 'naughty' - but I am also laughing. Two months ago, had I tracked my calories, I bet I would easily (EASILY!) have topped 3500 in a day of 'overeating'.

I just wanted to come on here, before I head to bed, and share these thoughts with my support group on this site.

How quickly I have changed. And how wonderful I feel about it!!

Take care all -
Heather

Hi Heather!

Sounds like you have arrived at a plan you can LIVE with, and that's why you are OK with being just a little naughty! (I LOVE to be naughty and that's the TRUTH!!!) Great goin' on that attitude, girl!

Cheryl

Nice and quick change. You most certainly SHOULD feel wonderful. It's pretty cool to think that your "bad" day was only 1700 something calories. Gosh, if we all had "bad" days like that, well there'd be no more Fat Chickies. Keep up the good work!!!

Good thinking, especially if the feeling of having overeaten used to send you into a "I've blown it, might as well eat the whole cake now" mentality.

It's funny because I've thought of something very similar when coming back from friends yesterday, late in the evening. I was a bit miffed because I've eaten two cookies, a dessert and a 'tarte flambée' at their home (don't know if you have these in the USA or elsewhere, it's like a very thin pizza with some cream, some lard and onions on it). Then I had to remind myself that I what I had eaten were TWO cookies, while PACKS of them had been on the table, right under my nose, for nine hours in a row, and while I was very hungry. Yeah, I've been naughty, but compared to a few months ago, what I did NOT wolf down was actually amazing.

Anyway, be careful of not growing complacent about that. But if it allows you to find a right enough balance when it comes to how to consider food and 'good' and 'bad' days, I think it's pretty positive!

And you're right, it's a wonderful feeling.

As long as you don't eat above your "maintain" calories, it's ok to splurge once in a while. But HeatherAngel, you and I are the same height, and I have been *losing* at 1800-2000 calories/day. Slowly, but still losing. As long as you don't go above 2300, you don't splurge often, its ok to relax occasionally. If you make your choices with your eyes wide open, you don't need to feel guilty.

Thanks for the feedback, everybody! That's why I LOVE this site!

Kery - you hit the nail on the head - 3 months ago, I WOULD have thought: "Oh, well, now I have blown it - might as well eat the whole street and my arm while I am at it!" But I feel very differently now. Why 'start over' when I'm already doing it?

Baffled - thanks for the input. I am still learning, but I'll tell you something I am learning right now (and it is HARD to get my head around): if my calories dip below 1200 (VERY rare, believe me, but possible when I am very busy), I lose NOTHING. And it all makes sense, but it is hard to train myself not to think "I am eating less, shouldn't I be losing MORE?" In fact, I can honestly say that this past week's plateau has almost certainly been a result of too few calories.

Incidentally, I am the same weight today that I was yesterday It's all downhill from here!!

Cheers,
Heather

YIPPEE for HEATHER . . . go girl go . . .