How often do you slip up?

hedean

I apologize if that subject line comes off as negative. I wish that once I said I am starting a diet, I could stick with it until the end, but the truth is I always slip up. It has been one week since I decided to be a dedicated logger, and I just went far over my calories tonight (knowingly, but not caring). It was a mistake, but the difference this time is that I am here, and I'm looking to head in the right direction tomorrow.

Is it terrible that I've already lost focus after only a week? I have heard people say "oh, it happens to us all!", but what exactly does that mean? Every couple weeks? Months?

strivingfor130

I slip up constantly. usually within a day or two.

Camo_xxx

If your definition of slip up is knowingly overeating but not caring , then never. Sure I have eaten a few incidental calories over my goal but never just blatantly piged out on purpose. That would be counter productive to my ambition and goal.

VelveteenArabian

Weightloss is based off of averages, so as long as your average is within your goals, you're okay!

It does happen to everyone. Some people every week, some people only once a month, some people less. It all depends on WHY we're 'slipping' up and the ways we're eating and the total calories consumed.

For example, someone on a very strict 1200 calorie diet with a lot of food elimination is more likely to slip up more often than someone eating at 1800 calories without eliminating anything. Someone with a problem bingeing is going to struggle more than someone who doesn't.

Don't think of this as a diet - because it can't be a diet. Your previous eating habits are what got you here. By thinking "diet" you are putting the notion in your head that it's temporary. If you go back to your old ways of eating, you will end up back here again. Think of it as a lifestyle change leading to a better you.

unapologetically_crystal

first, i dont diet. i eat whatever i want in moderation within my calorie range. so then if i "crave" something i can have it.. but then i need to have less calories later. if you are too restrictive, then thats why you "slip up". also make sure you are actually getting enough calories in. (if you use myfitnesspal calorie goals you are supposed to be eating exercise calories). you can also use www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator or www.scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator to get a better idea.

having said that, every 3 weeksish i usually have a few days of needing a few extra calories (like 200 more a day).

vismal

Almost never. This is not to say I don't have days where I eat over my calorie goal, or days where I don't log at all and just eat what I want. I do. But they are ALWAYS planned ahead for. Sometimes I reduce calories throughout the week to compensate for one of these days. In this case there really is no slip up to speak of, it's just calorie manipulation. Other times I don't do anything to compensate, but because I do it with premeditation I do not consider it a "slip up". If your overall plan doesn't involve flexibility then it's doomed for failure. Life happens, but if you plan ahead you tend not to get into the guilt driven binge/restrict cycles. So many people remain extremely strict, then binge, then either go back to extremely strict or eventually give up all together. I feel like a more moderate approach simply works better.

I also think most people need a free day every now and then too. Again making it pre-planned helps reduce guilt and anxiety associated with it. You just can't make it a regular thing. In a calendar year I probably have 10 free days or less. That's a little less then 3% of the time. I save those for birthdays, holidays, and special occasions. Other instances like going out with friends or family dinners I simply steal calories from the rest of the week.

The slip ups are not even really what matters, it's what you do after they occur that counts. If you do your best to attempt to figure out what caused you to deviate from your plan, then make corrections to hopefully avoid doing it again, the whole experience can actually be a positive because you are learning how to make your plan work better for you. If instead you let guilt take over or you become so discouraged that you quit, then your doomed to keep repeating that process over and over.

shifterbrainz

Once a week, at most.

You're concerned so that's a good thing but I'd say try to relax. It's not that you're "losing" focus, I think your focusing on the wrong thing. It's kind of like driving a car and focusing on the hood ornament to keep the car exactly in the middle of the lane at all times. You can do it but you're constantly making adjustments resulting in a herky jerky, unpleasant drive. But when you shift your focus down the road to where you are going, adjustments are smoother and the drive is much more pleasant. Your goal when driving is to get where you are going, not necessarily to stay exactly between the lines at all times, right? And isn't the goal here to manage weight rather than eat exactly to plan?

1. Put eating plan on paper.
2. Log food intake in Food Diary (detailed, reasonably accurate, judgement-free recording only)
3. Weigh yourself once a week.
4. Compare current weight to previous week's weight.
5. Evaluate whether eating plan accomplished weight change goal.
6. Adjust eating plan if necessary, as necessary.
7. Rinse and repeat.

And, on weigh-in day, be sure to celebrate yet another week of successful "stick-to-itiveness"!!!!

Good luck

BTW, how does one add the smileys? *quizzical look on face

arditarose

My first two months, almost never. After getting to my second goal...a bit. Never enough to gain wait but definitely don't reach my one pound a week goal anymore.

FletcherSymons

I truly believe that it doesn't matter how much you slip up, as long as you continue eating better the next day. In my experience the reason most people give up on dieting is because they eat rubbish and then think "whats the point" and continue to eat rubbish the next day and the next.

I slip up once or twice a week (Always evenings) but im right back on it the day after.

Juliarosemary66

I find my slip ups happen less and less! But they aren't as big! My stomach just feels too full now if I really overeat. I don't buy my trigger foods, I've never been the sort of girl who can eat a moderate amount of chocolate, one piece sets my cravings going so I try to avoid it! When I do slip up I just log it and move on! Like others i try to plan in for occasions when i know i'll eat more and generally look at the bigger picture. my odd slip-up used to be my regular daily food intake!

JVClubs

i schedule my slip ups

1 drink once every other friday,and the last two days of the month i cheat and eat whatever i want (2 meals a day max).

sometimes, very rarely ill be too tired to go to the gym, almost happened today but i hung in there and went

sino19

I slip up constantly. usually within a day or two.

:drinker: :flowerforyou:

KevHex

If your definition of slip up is knowingly overeating but not caring , then never. Sure I have eaten a few incidental calories over my goal but never just blatantly piged out on purpose. That would be counter productive to my ambition and goal.

^ what he said ^

Liftng4Lis

Um, since I'm not dieting I have nothing to slip off of. How often do I go over calories?? It's not happened yet.

MelodyandBarbells

I apologize if that subject line comes off as negative. I wish that once I said I am starting a diet, I could stick with it until the end, but the truth is I always slip up. It has been one week since I decided to be a dedicated logger, and I just went far over my calories tonight (knowingly, but not caring). It was a mistake, but the difference this time is that I am here, and I'm looking to head in the right direction tomorrow.

Is it terrible that I've already lost focus after only a week? I have heard people say "oh, it happens to us all!", but what exactly does that mean? Every couple weeks? Months?

I think you're doing this exactly right. This is a strategy that Ive seen described once or twice but may not be adopted by many - that when you start up to focus exclusively on just logging, learning the skill and building the habit for the first two to three weeks. Go over? Who cares. Just log it. Then after that you have all this data in front of you and can make realizations like, well I would have enjoyed this salad just fine with only one tablespoon of ranch, etc etc. And of course, the less aggressive of a goal you have, the easier it'll be to make small modifications and voila! You're coming in under

I used to "slip up" all the time until I realized that slipping up was my plan. The app shows a weekly summary of calories where I can see how many calories I have left for the week. My target is now 1460 and some days may be 2400 due to wanting a burger at the last minute (I can't get into logging in advance - I just can't), and some days may even be negative due to a lot of exercise. So long as at the end of the week I'm under cslories, I know I'll lose weight.

annietud

I get it wrong. Most weekends!!! Meals out, wine etc. I look at it long term. I'm always playing with the same 10lb. I drop it go on holiday and it comes back.
I log my meals/drink and forget about it. Half a pound a week? 26lb A year, happy days!! Look long term and don't worry. Refocus and plan what you want for 1 or 2 meals. Then do the next one. Baby steps! And no pressure.

_Zardoz_

I apologize if that subject line comes off as negative. I wish that once I said I am starting a diet, I could stick with it until the end, but the truth is I always slip up. It has been one week since I decided to be a dedicated logger, and I just went far over my calories tonight (knowingly, but not caring). It was a mistake, but the difference this time is that I am here, and I'm looking to head in the right direction tomorrow.

Is it terrible that I've already lost focus after only a week? I have heard people say "oh, it happens to us all!", but what exactly does that mean? Every couple weeks? Months?

I don't slip up. That's not to say I don't go over calories I know that consistency is the key the majority of the time I am within calories but I know that at times I will be over but that's life. The idea is not to make myself suffer or feel guilty but live in a way I can for the rest of my life. So there will be days I eat a wee bit over the same way there will be days when I have a ton of exercise calories left at the end of the day I don't mark these down as bad or good days I just keep going. it all evens out. It's looking at the big picture. Micro managing is fine but the whole is the sum of it's part. I know in my mind if the reason I've gone over is the start of a trend so I don't lie to myself if that happens. My goal is to live and be healthy and part of being healthy is addressing the whole thing not just one day, or one minute

schle009

I do usually once every couple weeks and it generally depends on the time of the month (you know...). It also really depends on my mood. I've been better at keeping up since being on anti-depressants. Generally if my weight gets to a level I don't like, it kickstarts me back up. Thankfully the weight I don't like decreases every few weeks so it's not like I'm gaining twenty, losing twenty, gaining twenty, losing twenty, etc.

Capt_Apollo

"Gentlemen, we are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we will not catch it, because nothing is perfect. But we are going to relentlessly chase it, because in the process we will catch excellence. I am not remotely interested in just being good." Vince Lombardi

What does that mean to you? Nothing is perfect. To pursue perfection is a a worthy goal, and you might have some perfect days, but most days you'll fall short of perfection.

Allow yourself to be perfectly imperfect.

thessdayton

Well said....

Snip8241

I don't think of this as slipping up. I don't do it very often but I think of it as living my life. To have a day that I have gone over and then getting back on track immediately is something I have put in my habits now. That mindset takes time to establish. I did that here.
Life will go on, I believe the key for me is to understand that and adjust my calories and exercise accordingly.

I only mention the exercise here because I will earn lots of calories exercising if I know I am going to have a calorie heavy dinner, lunch, party etc.

My friends and I laugh because we refer to this as " wiggle" room.

Good luck to you

let1179

My first goal on MFP was just to log, no matter what I put in my mouth, for the first 30 days. It brought the awareness I needed to make adjustments, I was over by a lot every day. I am aware now, if I go over by X amount of calories, I just adjust the next meal, or next day. I have been able to eat whatever I want with an ease that I have never had before. I do the best I can to make good choices but sometimes I just want a greasy, or sugary item! I don't see this as a slip, a slip for me would be being too strict and then binging.

rosebette

I have one day a week when I go over when I go out to dinner with my husband. This is my "cheat day"; I don't eat everything in sight, but I do allow myself a meal where I can have something I enjoy. It has not caused me to put on weight, but possibly kept me at a plateau. The cheat should not be so many calories that it undoes the deficit for the rest of the week. As my eating has changed, though, I have found that I am not as able to eat as much on those days. Yesterday, we went to the 99 on a cool autumn day, and I had the chicken pot pie; I could only eat half of it and brought the rest home for my son to enjoy. I ended up going over only by 400 calories or so. However, if I had eaten the whole thing (which I could have done a couple of years ago), I would have consumed 1400 calories in one meal. So, I guess the other admonition is to have what you enjoy, but in moderation.

You are going to have special occasions, holidays, or social events where you may end up eating unplanned things. My own feeling is to keep those extra calories for meals and events you really enjoy, not for fast food or "mindless eating."

Snip8241

If I am going to intentionally have something as a treat....my policy is to find the best treat I can have.

No run of the mill food.

Best pizza, best brownie etc. you get the drift........

MscGray

I try to look at my overs/unders for the who week rather then just one day. So I can "slip up" a few times a week, but by the end of the week I try to stay as close to even as possible (ie: Monday under 500 - thanks to lack of appetite and zumba, Tueday over 250 , Wednesday under 400, Thursday over 100, Friday under 100, Saturday over 300, Sunday over 200)...after everything plays out I still ended up the week 150 under my recommended calories....so the slip ups through out the week don't derail me. Or if I know I have an event coming up that might challenge me, I will build up little "stores" of allowed calories for the week, 100 here 200 there and by the end of the week when my event hits, I have built up at least 700 extra calories that I can enjoy. Hope that helps!!

SLLRunner

I apologize if that subject line comes off as negative. I wish that once I said I am starting a diet, I could stick with it until the end, but the truth is I always slip up. It has been one week since I decided to be a dedicated logger, and I just went far over my calories tonight (knowingly, but not caring). It was a mistake, but the difference this time is that I am here, and I'm looking to head in the right direction tomorrow.

Is it terrible that I've already lost focus after only a week? I have heard people say "oh, it happens to us all!", but what exactly does that mean? Every couple weeks? Months?

I don't see what you describe as a slip up, but as a learning experience. I just spent two weeks in Ireland, and I enjoyed every bit of the delicious food i ate that i know is just a once in a lifetime, and I ate over my calorie goal quite often, but I also did a ton of walking (my cousin and I did not rent a car), and my clothes are not too much tighter anywhere, so I am okay. I also did not log on this trip but a few times because I was so busy, but that' all just fine.

I am glad to be back home and am right back on track with calorie goals, exercise, and logging.

themotherboard

I probably slip up all the time, unknowingly. That is why early on, when I could eat a lot more calories, I always gave myself fewer than what I "could" in case I forgot to record something, or in case I measured incorrectly. Now that I have fewer calories I can eat in a day, I do every now and then make a decision that takes me 100 (or under) calories over my daily goal. But never go totally out of control. I think different things work for different people. And I agree with an earlier comment that looking at a weekly average works.

Also agreeing with what an earlier post said, most important is what you do AFTER that matters most. We're in this for a lifetime, so get back on the horse.

nomorefatjuu

Lately, onde a week, feeling like I am losing focus and self control

bwogilvie

Don't think of this as a diet - because it can't be a diet. Your previous eating habits are what got you here. By thinking "diet" you are putting the notion in your head that it's temporary. If you go back to your old ways of eating, you will end up back here again. Think of it as a lifestyle change leading to a better you.

From the horse's mouth to your ear!

There will be times - holidays, celebrations, vacations, and the like - when you eat more than your average daily need. Food is a source of pleasure. But if you've made a successful lifestyle change, there will be relatively few of them, and you'll adjust accordingly.

In his recent book _The Diet Fix_, Dr. Yoni Freedhoff suggests asking yourself the following question when you're confronted by something that looks tempting: "How much of this do I need to eat to feel satisfied?" That's a useful mantra. My wife has chocolate every day, but it's usually one or two small squares of rich, intensely flavored chocolate, after dinner. Her weight is fine and always has been. On the other hand, my tendency to mindlessly cut off another piece of cheese, or scarf down another handful of chips, led me slowly but surely to obesity.

JoeCWV

Since I eat what ever the hell I want I NEVER slip up. I do occasionally exceed my calorie goals. I almost never go over including workout calories though (I usually only eat half back at most). This is a lifestyle change so if you "slip up" occasionally It is really no big deal. The more accustom you get to this lifestyle change the easier it is to fall within your goals. I suggest that you set you goal to lose .5 pounds a week. Once you can reliably do that you can further restrict your calories if you have a lot to lose. I lost about 70 pounds and have maintained since January of this year. I set my goal to lose .5 a week and never changed it. I ended up averaging 1.5 pounds a week.

Kalikel

This is very stupid, simple, self-help hogwash, but it view the weight loss journey as walking a path in the woods. Sometimes you trip on a tree root, but you get up and keep walking.

Most people who lose a lot of weight have setbacks. That's all it is: a setback. A blip. One little moment. Move along, more prepared for what's coming.