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arabiagypsy

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honeybee_kisses

If I know I'm likely to go over on a certain day then I'll plan for it or work out hard that day to 'earn' the calories. Well, I usually do this but nobody's perfect so sometimes I just go over and have to deal with it! Other times (like tomorrow, Mother's Day in the U.K.) I just accept its going to happen and it's just one day, that's life. I log it and move on.

debubbie

I have moments where I eat more than my calorie goal, either by design because I am eating out with friends for a cheat meal or craving foods and eating over my calorie goal. Last week I had several days that I was 1,000 calories over and I know it was because I was not feeling well and was eating chocolate because I was craving it. Two days this week I have been about 100 calories over my goal because I didn't exercise those days. Yesterday, I had pizza and pop and was over my calories by a bit, but I definitely paid for it because I was sick as a dog for hours afterwards. Needless to say, that will help me not to eat that stuff again for awhile!

I don't feel as guilty about it now as I did before, I have come to the realization that I am going to get out of this what I put into it. If I don't eat at a deficit or exercise, I am not going to get the results that I am wanting. But, for me I am coming to a better place with food where I am seeing it more as fuel for my body than something to do when I am stressed, bored, or emotional. I have went from eating around 3,000 - 4,000 calories a day of fast food and junk food to eating 1600-2700 calories a day of about 70% veggies, fruits, fish, and lean meats. If I have time during the day, I will try to exercise at a higher intensity (maybe couch to 5k instead of riding the bike) to burn additional calories to minimize some of the overeating.

I know that I still have a lot of work to get where I eventually want to be, but I don't feel as stressed out about meeting a low calorie goal or frustrated with myself for not meeting those expectations. I am trying to slowly replace bad habits with better habits that I can sustain for the rest of my life. I try to focus on other factors than the number on the scale to provide encouragement and motivation to keep on this track too. For example, today I was able to jog longer and farther without taking a walk break than I ever have before!

I think you may need to see what factors are contributing to your overeating to help you overcome the overeating and the guilt you feel afterwards. For example, are you upset with your family and eating potato chips to avoid saying something to them about hurting your feelings? Are you eating because you are bored and it is something to do? Are you cramming for final exams and feeling stressed to the max and eating to feel less stressed out?