So I have just drastically changed my eating habits this last week & in the last week & a half I've lost 7lbs! but the thing is Ive been bringing my lunch/dinner everywhere I went or eating at home- but today I wasnt home for lunch (did really good (had half a sub & lots of fruit) and then to a huge family party for dinner (ate a tonnn of ruffles & ranch dip & then a burrito & some enchilada cream soup) I feel like CRAP and like I have to start alllll over & loose those 7lbs all over again! ugg!
So how do you guys do it?? What do you do in those situations when you cant really bring your own sack dinner? Do you just learn how to control yourself? I dont know... I didnt have any dessert, but I think the key for me is planning ahead everything I'm going to eat, and obviously that didnt happen tonight & I ate wayyy too much.
Yeah, I'd just try to control myself. Maybe have a few bites or get whatever looks the healthiest. I guess a good habit I picked up is I don't like eating alot in front of people (I used to like to binge and pig out all alone). Just don't let one meal or day throw you off plan, there will always be slip ups, how we deal with them is part of making this a lifetime change.
getting back up is the most important part. and do a redo in your head. picture over and over, what to do instead. our subconscious is like a 2 yr old. we tell it, no chips. it says, hey let's have chips. just like when you tell a kid no running. instead you say it POSITIVELY.
like at this party i'll have lots of veggies. or a few peices of cheese. or bring your healthy dish.
just keep trying. it's all learning experiences too.
^^ Right! You may see a temporary sodium gain, but just drink your water and it will go away in a few days.
I know exactly how you feel, it's not really a hard process when you eat at home and have everything controlled. It's the times that are out of the ordinary when we have to really buckle down, dig deep for that commitment we made to ourselves. For me, I will try to eat before I go somewhere like that, then snack very slowly on the healthiest choices while I'm there.
There are bound to be slip-ups along the way, but what I tell myself is that in the long run, like in a year, is that little slip up going to be significant in the least? Only if I don't get IMMEDIATELY back on plan after the event. If I keep right on going and use it as a learning experience, then no damage done.
Don't beat yourself up too much about a slipup, they happen. Deal with it and move on. You did not gain 7 lbs back overnight. I found from experience that stressing over the scale on a daily basis is counterproductive so pick one day a week that you are comfortable with and only weigh on that day. Remind yourself why you are doing this and accept that you are not going to be perfect. Also as time goes by (for me at least) it gets easier to resist some of those foods that seem so tempting at first. Even if you don't avoid them completely you will find that just a few bites will satisfy you if you want it at all and if you overdo it your body will rebel and remind you that it doesn't want to be fed that way. I read somewhere that it takes 6 weeks to change a habit and I believe it.
I think alot of us have gone through the "how do i handle eating out the first time or even the hundredth time"
Some people say no to everything, or only snack on the health things offered. Others adjust their eating for the day so they can indulge. Some indulge and deal with the fall out. Just consider this another put stop in your journey. You learn what to eat, about exercise and how to deal with situations out of your control.
Don't beat yourself up, think about what you would have changed knowing what you know how, and incorporate that into your plan. You'll be prepared for the next time.
I think we all have those days, these are the days that teach us how to handle maintenance.
I'm feeling a little bit bothered by my fall out this weekend - so many bad calories and so many salty things. Feeling like lard today.
Have drank 2 litres of herbal tea today trying to flush the system out.
Well I may have not worked out today but my kidneys certainly have.
I think one way I plan to get through the over eating problem is to either order a salad, don't touch the free bread, drink water with lemon (a lot) and eat approximately half of whatever is on my plate. The rest can be eaten in 3-4 hours or the next day. These days sticking to sushi places and whatnot seems better for someone like me.
Fill a plate with tons of healthy stuff and a small portion of whatever it is I'm craving most (even if it's something crazy high calorie like cheesecake), because I know from experience that if I try to avoid it entirely, I'll probably just keep nibbling on other things to avoid it, until I cave and eat way more than I should.
Focus on enjoying the even that I'm a part of, instead of on eating. I hate being at a party and trying to balance a plate in one hand, a cup in the other and trying to carry on a conversation at the same time. So I'll visit the food table once and then focus on spending time with people instead.
Keep everything in perspective. So what if I overindulge on occasion? I'm only human - there's no way I'm going to be on plan and healthy 100% of the time, and I shouldn't have to feel guilty about that. Maybe I'll add an extra workout the next day or try to eat on the lower end of my calories, but if this is really going to be a lifestyle change, then I have to be okay with slipping up from time to time.
Wanna know what I ate yesterday? Well, I ate some candy in the morning. Went to lunch at McDonalds and had a ranch BLT chicken sandwich and a medium fries. Oh, and we got a free Mocha Iced Frappe thing, so I ate that too. Some more candy. Went to a movie and got some butter popcorn. Then we went to Chinese buffet for dinner where I had two plates.
Did I enjoy throwing caution to the wind for the day and eat whatever I wanted? You betcha. Did I have a tummyache? HECK yes. Am I up on the scale from yesterday? Yep, by about two pounds. Am I guilty? Nope. Am I concerned that the one day ruined my weight maintenance? Nah, not at all.
Truth is, I PLANNED to have a free-for-all day. About once a month, I have planned ahead and given myself a day to eat whatever I want. I did this all through the weight loss phase and now while I'm in maintenance. It didn't slow me down much, if at all. I still lost around 60lbs in about seven months. I have not gone out of my weight maintenance range once yet. I go crazy, eat all I want for a day and don't give a hoot. It's fun, but it gives me a killer stomachache and I can't wait to eat clean the next day and get back on plan. I'm up on the scale for a few days from the sodium and while the junk food <ahem> passes through. But it never significantly affects my weight, say, a week later.
So my advice is to not fret about it too much. You're doing an awesome job with your plan, and I promise, one day isn't going to ruin your progress. But the guilty, all-is-lost despair mentality can knock you off the wagon pretty quick. You had a bad night, it happens. If you're like me, and you feel like you would benefit from having a *planned* free-for-all, do it. It'll give you control. It will also help you in situations where you COULD go overboard because you'll think "Eh, I don't need those ruffle chips and ranch tonight...I have a cheat day coming up. If I really want them, I'll eat them then." Most likely, you'll have forgotten all about them by then.
Yeah, I'd just try to control myself. Maybe have a few bites or get whatever looks the healthiest. I guess a good habit I picked up is I don't like eating alot in front of people (I used to like to binge and pig out all alone). Just don't let one meal or day throw you off plan, there will always be slip ups, how we deal with them is part of making this a lifetime change.
This right here. If I'm going to a family event with lots of food, I load up my first plate with salad and whatever else looks healthy, then get a second, smaller plate that I put some chips onto. Seeing what I can have helps me ration them. If I kept reaching into the bowl I'd eat the entire bag by the evening.
Just remember: first plate big plate, second plate small plate. The big one has to be the healthy food, too
For me it's just total and utter will power. I tell myself no, then I say it aloud and I follow by action — not eating it. This morning I weighed myself and apparently gained about 2lbs. Not sure how that happened because I'm super tight on what I eat. I don't have a problem with binging so I'm especially upset that this has happened. All I can recommend is to dust yourself off, try to have a little better self discipline and when you goof up, maybe do something to help reverse what you've done. Go for a walk or jog etc etc. And whoever said sodium will add a couple pounds of water weight is right too. It does. So I just stay away from that stuff all together if I can help it.
the free day would never work for me. very likely i would be in a tailspin for weeks or months afterwards. but on a normal day, i don't think i'm strict. and alot of the unhealthy stuff and candy just doesn't appeal to me anyway. i try to just make a rule for myself to eat healthy and STOP when i get full. i guess i'm 'recovery' for binging. planning a 'free' day for me just to have anything is just completely the wrong mindset for me. i think it's important to not be too strict with your daily plan. friday i ate a sliver of frozen pizza and extra crust. this isn't some big deal. it was enough to taste it. and i have no opprotunity to eat more bc my family eats it quickly.
Aghhh I was doing SO good!
it's all learning experiences too.
