MFP take two!

kimmylyn55

Hi,

I’m back after several years hiatus thanks to some major life changes (divorce, death of immediate family members, moving a bunch of times, getting remarried...). The first time I did MFP, I lost 86 pounds in about a year. I’ve put about 40 of those pounds back on, and it’s time to get them off again! I did Weight Watchers for a bit, but it really wasn’t working for me, so I’m hopeful that just going back to what worked before will work again.

My weakness is always the weekends... relaxed schedule + alcoholic drinks don’t help the scale. How do you balance nutrition and drinking?

ryando

Weekends kill me

Kathryn247

Hard liquor + diet soda is the best choice in terms of buzz per calorie, just log it like anything else.
Sometimes the real problem is bad food choices made while drinking. That takes planning ahead, serious determination, and/or not going out so much.

steveko89

Welcome back!

After I spun my wheels for about 6 months (thinking I was doing everything right) I took a hard look at my logging and found that I was only consistently logging for 4 1/2 days each week. M-Th was always fully accounted for, I'd leave off dinner on Friday and have a smattering of entries across Saturday and Sunday. There were other factors at play (too much trust in HR monitor for calorie burn while lifting for one) but getting my logging on lock down (with the use of a food scale) has made a big difference for me. I pre-log as much as I can, even on weekends and I've been on here so long (since 2012) it's so routine it never feels intrusive to me; it's something I need to do to help support my goals.

In general, having a broader mindset helps as well. I see too many users that want to beat themselves up when they have an off day (whatever they define that to be). To an extent, you need to have a short memory; don't let a less-than-ideal choice turn into several or allow yourself to throw in the towel completely, like some many of the serial re-starters here do. Allowing yourself some latitude to indulge in a treat, skip a workout when you're tired, or celebrate a special occasion with a night out is fine so long as you come back to plan.

Over time I find I've developed into a more scrutinizing eater. It may not be the healthiest way to approach food but I won't necessarily jump on a cookie in the break room or an extra piece of pizza if they're not going to be really good. The other day I grabbed a small two-pack of peanut butter cookies out of a basket of sweets our admins keep near their desks (luckily at the other end of the floor). I cracked them open when I got back to my cube, took one bite of this cookie and determined the requisite calories the rest of the cookies contained was too much for the lacking quality and freshness so I threw them out. My inner fat kid was appalled (and frankly still is). All-in-all you have to find that balance that works for you in terms of what's "good enough" or "worth it" in terms of calories, and sometimes lifestyle.

lnorman0888

I am so opposite weekends areeasy for me its the office candy and junk food that gets me!