What's a good consequence for cheating ?

O2Bslimagain

Hello, I am a week old and I am very much enjoying MFP. My question is- I have a strict meal plan that I follow- what is a good consequence be for me when I fall off the wagon? Example: Today I went on a brisk walk for an hour and then came home and instead of eating a decent breakfast I ate 2 sweet and salty granola bars and 5 poptarts. I am totally depressed now (sugar depression). Luckily the poptarts are gone (my mom brought them when visiting).

sandhillcrane

I add some extra exercise if I ate something bad. Works for me;))

nani726

nothing! dont deprive yourself of things you like, once in a while is totally ok! enjoy and start over tomorrow

billsica

I just hold my self personally responsible, and move on to the next day. If you feel the need to punish yourself, I suggest getting a hair shirt.

megz4987

I don't really think you should punish yourself for cheating. Just move on. If you feel you need to, work it off.

mabug01

the consequence is no weight loss. plan your meals ahead of time so you know exactly what you are going to eat. drink a glass of water after you exercise instead of eating right away. when you jump off the wagon, get right back on. you can do this!

NancyAnne1960

Consequences..... get back on track tomorrow and work especially hard on exercise for a couple of days. Don't beat yourself up, we all slip ..... but 5 poptarts??? :laugh: :laugh: Been there, ALMOST done that!

NotGoddess

Absolution for 2 granola bars and 5 poptarts is 20 pushups, 12 full-on planks for 1 min each, and 25 chair dips.

Seriously, just ask yourself: Were the pop tarts worth it?
Remember that feeling for the next time so you won't be quite so tempted.
Then go to bed and start over tomorrow.

livinghcglacey

i don't know that there is any worse consequence than the weight you gain and the health you jepordize when you eat wrong.... just try to keep that in mind when you pick up an unhealthy choice of food!

jarrettd

The way you feel right now is your consequence. Don't beat yourself up, but remember how awful you feel, physically and emotionally. Live and learn. Just whatever you do, do not consider it an excuse to destroy your entire day. It's a slip. It probably won't be the last. Move on.

Seesha

I find that if I make myself follow a strict diet then I'm just setting my self up for failure. It has to be a life long change if you want to lose weight and keep it off. I don't go crazy and eat unhealthy daily, however I know I'm not going to be able to live off lettuce and chicken for the rest of my life. If I have something that is high in calories I just make sure I burn off however many calories I consumed, mind you I don't make it a daily thing? Wish you well in your journey

Artemis_Acorn

First, you need to have a heart to heart talk with mom about not sabotaging your efforts. Five Pop-Tarts is hard to overcome in one day - I would do your best to eat healthy the rest of the day, get in a little more exercise if you can, and start with a clean slate tomorrow.

Guilt feelings are not going to have a positive effect in any case. One day here or there is not going to defeat you. The important thing is to get back on track as soon as possible.

nani726

oooooooo become a hair cutter, give yourself a mullet, that'd teach ya! lol jk

btw, bill, love the new pic!! but wheres the stroller? home? or is it going down a hill and you're chasing it?

sleepytexan

you already had your consequence: you said you were depressed.

However, I don't think negative reinforcement is effective with regard to a healthy lifestyle . . . or anything for that matter.

If you want to be healthy you need to have a healthy mindset, and that includes realizing that eating is not to be associated with punishment. We have to eat, and we are entitled to eat things that we like.

I eat WHATEVER I want, and I never, ever feel guilty. Neither should you.

edit: that being said, poptarts are cardboard with melted crayons on top. gross. I would also bet that they contain partially hydrogenated oil. You might want to skip those on the next shopping trip. A homemade brownie would have been a lot more delicious.

blessings.

Pebble321

Not losing weight is the consequence if you do it too often!

I think it might be more constructive to start trying to work out why this happenned, and some strategies to stop it happening again.
- Maybe you need to eat before you walk so you aren't starving when you come back.
- Or have the healthy brekky on the bench ready to eat so you aren't distracted by the unhealthy options.
- Or get those unhealthy choices out of your house. If they are there for someone else in the house, tell them to eat them before they bring them home. That stuff isn't essential food for anyone!

I think I have finally realised that not eating enough in the morning leaves me hungry and more likely to eat rubbish later in the day. Having a bigger breakfast and a morning snack seems to mean that I have much more "willpower" in the afternoon.
Of course, this might just be me, but you need to do some work to find out what is best for you.

trelm249

weigh yourself in the morning. :-)

Be good to your self the rest of the week and work on the improvements. Keep the big picture.

realme56

I agree that you are already suffering.... toss the crap food! Do not keep it in the house!! Start a new day tomorrow.

sandhillcrane

that's a good one! If ya lived near me, you'd fit in!!

LycosNyctereutes

I do not suggest using exercise or food deprivation as a punishment, that will just set you up for failure. IF you have an exercise that you love to do, like Zumba or something on the wii, use that for "punishment" to get an extra workout in, but don't do anything that will make you dislike exercise (especially if you already don't like it)!

Like others have said, your guilty feelings and any stall in weight loss are consequence enough.

NancyAnne1960

weigh yourself in the morning. :-)

Be good to your self the rest of the week and work on the improvements. Keep the big picture.

Love the "Keep the big picture" A good rule to live by. Thanks!!

moonflower09

I also think it is a good learning op. I just would ask myself what I would do differently. I know for me I cant make it work unless I plan my meals the day before. From the time I wake up I am on auto-pilot. I know what I am eating and when.

sandhillcrane

For me, the added exercise is not for punishment, it is simply to offset the added calories. Why punish yourself? Just forget it and move on.

ChelseaL618

Instead of punishing yourself when you slip up, reward yourself when you do a good job! For example, If I workout 3 times a week for a month, then I am going to let myself join a real gym. My second reward will be $10 toward new clothes every time I work out.

MIMITIME

I don't know if this helps or not but I enter my food on mfp before I eat it so I can see what the damage is. By doing this, if I mess up, I immediately enter that info and then try to make up for some of it on the other meals. For example, when I entered a baked potato for tonight, it put me over so I switched to green beans. As for the Pop Tarts - if I was naturally skinny, I would eat Pop Tarts for every meal. I absolutely love them and miss them so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sounds like you are human to me. Tomorrow is another day.

victoriashea

48 hours in the stocks, a round of thumbscrews, and a trip to the iron maiden.

billsica

oooooooo become a hair cutter, give yourself a mullet, that'd teach ya! lol jk

btw, bill, love the new pic!! but wheres the stroller? home? or is it going down a hill and you're chasing it?

Don't want to steal the thread. my pic is of my first race. I know you can't see the numbers. I didn't run with the stroller.

Lot of good points. Just don't beat yourself up. If I mess up, I usually end the day with a beer, if its anything to you.

LisaKyle11

don't beat yourself up... just move on. try to work in extra exercise if you still feel awful and can't let something like this go. the fact that you had so many poptarts leads me to think this was emotional eating (not completely hunger). i may not be correct, but if it is, try to sit back, breathe, and figure out what is really bothering you... then try to move forward (without food) and address your real concerns. i know, a lot easier said than done.

another tactic would be to not have 'junk' available in the house. even if you do really want/need it, it wouldn't be available to you.

jessicapaquette_120709

When I have a cheat day I just add some more excersize and I usually do the excersize I like the least!

aclark41

work for the carrot rather than trying to avoid the stick...makes for a more successful life in general...positive rewards as opposed to negative sanctions...

brianward81

If you play a game of basketball, do you quit if you miss a basket? No, you keep playing till the game is over no matter how many fouls you make. Over-indulging and going over your calories happens but it shouldn't deter you, just remember it next time the temptation comes and tone it down a little. Like many people have said, don't deprive yourself of what you like because you need to reward yourself for all the hard work you put in. Think of your calories like your budget; once in a while if you want to splurge on something fancy, make sure you can afford it. If you have to use the credit card (going over you cals), just try to pay it back over the next week or so.

O2Bslimagain

Thank you! You all had really good responses and I thank you so much for taking the time to come to my aid. I am going to do better- and were the calories worth it? Nope! There are many changes I need to make to my lifestyle and exercise has been my number 1, so now I will work on planning out my meals better- I loved the idea of putting inputting my food I will be eating, so I can see where my numbers will be. Thanks again. I wish you all well in your journey to success. Tomorrow is a new day- Be of good cheer!