Lost the plot

valeriewhydall4527

Got to my target weight 4 months ago but this last week totally lost the plot. This showed on the scales earlier this morning, put on 5lbs. Just eaten a very large chunk of cheese because I was upset about the size of the gain. 😔😔😵‍💫😟

cmriverside

It's okay. It was a holiday week here in the U.S. and I'd bet 95% of people over-ate.

Back at it. It's not the one week, it's more important to just get back at it. I've had lots of weeks where my food was deliciously out of control. You know what to do. That five pounds will drop back off in a few days of eating at your weight loss calorie level.

AnnPT77

Depending on the details of the timing, some of that 5 pounds may still just be extra water retention (to digest/metabolize more carbs or sodium than usual) or waste still in the digestive tract.

Get back on your normal healthy track, and give it some time to settle out - week or two. Big drama about it doesn't help anyone, least of all you. Guilt and self-recrimination burn zero extra calories, and feel icky. Why indulge in them? It's profitless.

This isn't an epic battle between good and evil, it's just you trying to find some new eating and activity habits that will keep your health where you want it long term. Obviously, you feel that your past week isn't in line with those long term goals. So, while the memory is still fresh, spend no more than 10 minutes thinking about why this happened, and how you can change your healthy plan to reduce chances of it happening again.

Have you been over-restricting calories trying to lose weight unnecessarily fast? Putting all your favorite foods - even ones you could've moderated in portions/frequency - off limits, so they became tempting forbidden fruit? Were there social events where you focused more on food and less on the non-food social interactions with friends/family? Were there food gifts that you just started eating when you could've planned first and put parts in the freezer for later? Did you go to special events hungry and under-hydrated so that diving into the buffet felt more necessary?

Maybe it was none of that, I dunno. But I'd bet there were triggers, and I'd bet there were alternative ways you could've handled those triggers more in line with your goals. So brainstorm a few of those alternatives for each problem scenario, rehearse the most promising one(s) in your head vividly like a mini-movie so they stick in your head as part of your new and improved plan, then forget about it and get on with life. You can't change the past, only plan for a more productive future. (Even if your new plan doesn't work ideally next time, repeat this process: Improve your plan, go on with life. Don't give up that approach, and eventually you'll succeed.)

Right now, just log the cheese, go on with your day. If the cheese had a lot of calories, just keep today under maintenance calories: Don't try to punish yourself or "make up for it".

It's gonna be OK, as long as you don't give up.

Best wishes!

ddsb1111

Are you giving yourself a maintenance range? Mine is 5 lbs so I can live a little and not stress about regular human fluctuations. You’re in maintenance land now, this is part of it. Reel it in and repeat.