Getting off-track

savvidavvi123

I know this seems like a bit of a dumb question but I am a new MFP user and I began two weeks ago. I loved the way the app was going and I've lost around 4 pounds already! However, yesterday I went to an outdoor music festival with my friends and ate tons of unhealthy food. I didn't want to waste battery on my phone and frankly I just wanted to avoid thinking about the fact that I was eating too much so I didn't track yesterday. Because of that I felt like I had given up and haven't tracked today either (this seems to happen with even diet I try, I get off-track once and think the whole thing is over).

Anyway, what I am basically wondering is what should I do now? should I go back and add all of yesterday's food, or should I just forget about it and move on as if nothing ever happened?

Thanks

xhecate

I understand your frustration completely! I totally had waaay more pizza than I has originally budgeted yesterday and felt like poop. It's hard to let go of the past, but it's really the only way to move forward. For you to muster up the strength right now to forgive and forget would be amazing. Just remember your VISION and continue tomorrow like nothing ever happened.

Good luck!!

beccadaniixox

Log today and move on! :happy:

Yesterday already happened and is done with, unless you REALLY want to log it all...
(Personally, for yesterday, I would quick add '2000' and write "Music Festival" in the comments and that's about it)

agrafina

Log as much as you can from yesterday, and pick yourself up and log today. The only way to get back on track is to make a conscious decision that you are accountable to yourself and that you will do things differently today. I recommend going back and logging what you can from yesterday for accountability, and because it is easy to forget that we ate really badly and then wonder in another week why we gained weight, or didn't lose.

bajoyba

Log today and move on! :happy:

Yesterday already happened and is done with, unless you REALLY want to log it all...
(Personally, for yesterday, I would quick add '2000' and write "Music Festival" in the comments and that's about it)

Good advice. Personally, I do my best to log everything, even when I over eat, but having my own diary incomplete just kind of bugs me. Quick adding and making a note of it at the bottom sounds like a good suggestion.

As for what to do now, just start logging again and move on. We all have high calorie days here and there. There's no reason why you have to let it affect your long-term progress.

riffraff2112

You are going to have days like that in the future, it is completely unavoidable. Do not worry too much about it, and enjoy life for all its rewards. Going over you calorie limit isnt the end of the world, and you have plenty of time to make it up by getting right back on track and ensuring that it doesnt happen again today! Some great advice is simply that you should try to eat healthy 80-90% of the time, and allow for that 10-20% of overindulgence. That usually means eating well 6 out of 7 days.

I will tell you from my experience with 'dieting' and losing weight in the past....the single most important thing for me has always been maintaining a journal/log. As soon as I stop writing my journal, being accountable to myself and thinking...'I screwed up..so why bother" or worse yet "I know what I am doing now....so why bother"....within a year i fall back to my old habits and regress. my approach this time (as I have gotten older my attitude and goals are way different) is to find a method that I can do forever. Not just for a month or two. I want to find a healthy way of eating, working out, running etc...that isn't dependent on perfection, and will be something I can do when I am 60.

MFP works, and it works well. You are not shooting for a 'diet', you are striving to live a sustainable lifestyle that allows you to snack, pig out and have crappy days, without sacrificing your general healthy life. It is totally ok to eat a bag of nachos, or three chocolate bars as long as that is a rarity and not the norm.

To answer your specific question..."should you go back and log, or just move on?"....I don't think that matters as much as what you do today! Log today, and log accurately...yesterday is done, its no problem...just make sure today is a good day....if you have more good days than yesterdays....things will take care of themselves..

I am certainly no expert, but your question really spoke to me and I have made those mistakes that have totally derailed me in the past. This time, nothing will keep me from logging. I know that when I log (even lousy days), I make better decisions and am way more likely to also try to workout, run etc.. It all goes hand in hand.

good luck

bingo_jenn

I usually try to log the bad day anyway. The day of that bad day, I'll ignore it, but then the next morning I decide to face it.

If anything, just start now. Your current meal is a new meal. Start logging and move on.

Dnarules

Log today and move on! :happy:

Yesterday already happened and is done with, unless you REALLY want to log it all...
(Personally, for yesterday, I would quick add '2000' and write "Music Festival" in the comments and that's about it)

This is what I would do. You probably wouldn't be able to log yesterday accurately anyway. Another poster has already said this....What matters is what you do today. Just get right back to it.