Question for those Success Stories out there!

ahmpierce1

First of all, I see all of you and how amazing you look and it inspires me to get up and move. For this, I thank you guys so much...because honestly, before MFP, I was searching for an outlet to help me get out of my funk and get back on track. This place, and all you...are that outlet I have been looking for.

But my question is this... along your journeys, I am sure you were met with days where dieting and exercising were impossible (i.e. Thanksgiving, Birthdays, Weddings, ETC.) I am curious to hear how some of you handled those days...did you work out extra long on another day? Did you chalk those days up as a loss and eat whatever you wanted? Did you deprive yourself of that thanksgiving dinner and eat tofu instead?

I ask this because, I have a slew of weddings, rehearsal dinners, birthdays, thanksgiving, etc, etc, coming up. And I want to know how the success stories handles these days!

Thanks!

sc1572

BUMP!

LaComadreja14

bump because I wanna know too... great topic

Acg67

I never let my diet stop me from enjoying social situations. i'd enjoy it and get back on track the next day. i never did lots of extra cardio or starved myself prior to or after to make up for those cals. What weight you initially put on is water and will subside in a day or 3. So i say don't stress it and enjoy

and here's Martin Berkhan's tips for those type days

http://www.leangains.com/2010/11/cheat-day-strategies-for-hedonist.html

jmruef

II've had my days where I haven't bothered to log my daily calories because it would just depress me. :laugh: I really think those days are essential in order for me to make this work for a lifetime. As long as I'm eating healthy and working out the *majority* of days, a bad day or even string of days isn't going to throw me off. I'm committed enough now that not eating well takes a toll on my GI system, and that's unpleasant. I also miss working out because I want to see results (like abs, or toned arms), so that's enough motivation to get back to it after a few days of not doing it.

The thing is, I got into the habit of eating healthy and working out *before* I started taking time off. So the days that I take off really *are* the exception, not the rule...and they truly feel that way.

noturninback

bump

MikeSEA

I did not gain an extra 80lbs over night. I will not reverse my progress with one day, or even two.

Huskeryogi

I tend to view calories on a weekly basis. I try to average 1700 cal/day, but during the week I usually eat 1200-1500 Sunday-Thursday so I have more calorie freedom on weekends. For big events I generally still log everything, but I don't pre-log it I wait til the day is over.

CarlydogsMom

It's hard, but I still don't chalk up the entire day to a bad food day. I'll eat a sensible, if not maybe lower calorie breakfast, make sure I work out a bit, i.e. exercise bike for 45 minutes. On Thanksgiving, I'll allow myself some appetizers, mostly focusing on veggies or shrimp (proteins or low-carb). For the "big dinner" I'll take a selection of nearly everything, but just take a spoonful, not a big heap. Then usually don't have anything after that, I don't need pie or whatever. If so, I make it small.

For the most part, on days where I know it will be hard, I try to stick to low-carb, or at least minimize my carb/fat combination of foods. If you eat both carbs and fat at the same meal, your body utilizes the carbs first for energy, and sends the fat to your fat cells. I try to stick to low-carb when traveling, at big meals/events, whatever, then eat a bit more balanced (but i still tend to minimize carbs to some extent in general) the rest of the day/week/month.

sweetNsassy2584

Honestly it depends on the situation... If I can't get my workout in then I will workout the next day hardcore. If I choose to eat something not so healthy I feel guilty for about a minute and get over it. Its not the end of the world. I'm a very busy FT Mom and I work FT. You do what you can, when you can, with what you got.

nel0311

I think that you should enjoy the food, just dont over do it. there might not be a reason to go back and get a whole second plate of food on Thanksgiving.

in any case, log it and work it off later. Spend that extra time doing a run. Take a nice walk after a dinner

And just say NO to the second slice of wedding cake.

having a heathly lifestyle is about dicipline. I am not say you cant....just dont over eat.

juliapurpletoes

I didn't have alot to lose but when it came to those days/events that were challenging, I simply had to make hard choices. Never would I say 'what the heck' and just eat whatever, I always looked over what was being served and chose the best of the foods offered. If I had control (like bring a dish to a pot luck), I brought what I wanted to eat!!

In the end, losing weight and getting in shape and therefore being happier is all in your control, no one elses. If there is an event where you know the food will be bad for you, then eat before and make excuses at the party. "Just finished a huge breakfast", or "oh my tummy's a little funny today so I'm holding back" have taken me a long ways when needing to politely refuse an unhealthy food.

Being kind and gracious - always!! Sacraficing my health goals and sanity - never!

Best of Luck!

tararocks

depends on what else is going on in my life....for example, i had a wedding a few weekends ago, but it was a later wedding, plenty of time for me to make it to the gym in the morning to get a great workout in, other times i work out the day before or the day after to try and make up for it, sometimes despite my best efforts i go over (although i will tell you that sometimes the eating over seems to jumpstart a weight loss the following week), however, i NEVER miss out on these events. Being healthy has made me a happier person for sure, but i will not maintain that happiness if i am not out enjoying life and the food events that come with it. Other times i just try to make the best decision, again at the above wedding, there was fried chicken, corn, green beans, roasted pork, rolls, mashed potatoes, salad...i ate the roasted pork, green beans, salad, small mashed potatoes, and 1/2 roll. at thanksgiving, i now bring steamed veggies and a salad, i still eat the mashed potatoes and other yummies, but i balance it. you can do, but dont deprive yourself:)

BeautyFromWithin

I handle them like any other day in my journey. I enjoy myself and indulge in places here and there, but I also really put my healthy lifestyle skills to the test. When I'm eating a Holiday dinner, I limit myself to a plate and if I want to try a little of everything, then I do, but I try and stay away from things I know aren't good for my body and load up on vegetables and fruits! I would never recommend depriving yourself of the foods you love because the next day odds are you'll end up binging on the leftover pumpking pie because you tell yourself that you had a great day the day before. If you really want those few extra glasses of wine, then exercise longer that day and enjoy them!

In my experience, you can't succeed in your journey if you don't treat every day with the same outlook. If you allow yourself full out cheat days because its your friends birthday, well the next days a holiday and the next day after that there's a baby shower or etc, and soon enough everyday is a cheat day, so I just look at every day as it's own day and make wise choices and go with healthy options and alternatives as much as I can.

I've been on my weightloss journey for 6 years now and I lost 61 pounds, before going into the "everyday's a cheat day" slump in high school, then took the initiative after my freshman year of college to change my eating and fitness habits again and have lost about 25 pounds and over 23 inches since May of this year!

Spitfirex007

I never let my diet stop me from enjoying social situations. i'd enjoy it and get back on track the next day. i never did lots of extra cardio or starved myself prior to or after to make up for those cals. What weight you initially put on is water and will subside in a day or 3. So i say don't stress it and enjoy

and here's Martin Berkhan's tips for those type days

http://www.leangains.com/2010/11/cheat-day-strategies-for-hedonist.html

Couldn't have said it better myself! Exercise and eating healthy is important! But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy yourself. Everything is fine in moderation.

bcattoes

For occasions I do not deprive myself, but I do workout on those days. I just get up early enough to get a good workout in, then I don't sweat the rest of the day. Next day, I get back on track.

Lets_Do_It

Well, to be honest, I never have the time to exercise so, for those days, I eat a looooot of veggies. Like, lettuce is soo low cal, so I eat a lot of salads on those days. You get full and you eat sooo many great nutrients that you are stuffed without going over!

matthewballard

A day of bad eating will not pile on the pounds or undo your progress. Allowing a day of bad eating to mentally affect your long term eating strategy will. In other words, don't let guilt over a day of bad eating lead to 5 days of bad eating. Enjoy the food in moderation and then let it go the next day. You will be fine.

One tip - eat some healthy food before you leave for a party. Fruit, a salad, a healthy snack, etc. You will feel less hungry and will not be as tempted to dip into the sea of carbs awaiting you.

CarolineSuzanneSmith

Bump. Great topic...really helpful!

bzmom

As other have mentioned I have had those days that I preplan for it meaning I had a light breakfast and so on so I would save my calories for the event. And then I have had the ones that I dont even bother logging or I do log but know I have gone way over.

Cold_Steel

No matter what situation you are in, healthy choices are always present. If you are vocal about your healthy lifestyle change your family will just have to deal with it.

I have only been doing this for 100 days and I have been hit with many of those days. Particularly with my in laws, they are somewhat healthy people but when they go out they go all out. It is disrespectful to them when you turn down food so I simply play the game - stay away from the unhealthy choices and bulk up on the good ones. For example at my cousins baby shower, they had artichoke cheese dips, mini hot dogs, wings, chips, candy, cupcakes, deli sandwiches, fruit and vegetable platter

I ate - two pieces of deli beef, 2 slices of turkey and a piece of provolone. No bread, I had a handful of chips and I try of the dip and tons of fruits and veges. This was throughout the course of lunch and dinner... I split a cup cake with the wife. I still managed to get under my calorie goal for the day by like 100 calories.

Its always about moderation and healthy choices -

Thanksgiving - Take the skin off the turkey have the veges, fruits etc. Skip the pies, dressings and sugary foods. Load up on it, you will get full but ate a lot less of calories.

CaptainGordo

Eat, enjoy, workout, move on.

BobbyDaniel

Eat, enjoy, workout, move on.

Don't think I could have said it better!
I try to make sure I workout when ever I can when I'm out of my food element, and portion control (though hard) is what I try to keep in mind (doesn't always work though!).
At the end of the day I don't beat myself up and remember that tomorrow is a new day and a fresh start and I have the tools necessary to get back to where I need to be!

twinsanity

All things in moderation! For those days, at least when I know the event is coming, I'll have a lighter breakfast, do my normal workout for that day, and just enjoy myself at the event. I don't tend to gorge on the food at those types of events, and you get to know what your healthier choices are, so I stick mostly with those. I just have smaller (for me) portions of the not-so-healthy stuff. Thankgiving, I have a little more turkey rather than a little more mashed potatoes with butter and gravy. At weddings - my husband's family is Mexican, so the food is plentiful and loaded with yummy goodness (aka - calories and fat!)...so I just get a little less of everything than I would have before I started MFP. Pretty much, just stick to serving sizes, and then the next day, do what you normally do and get back on track.

I'm a rebellious person, so I refuse to tell myself I CAN'T have something. It just makes me want it more, then I binge on it. Works so much better if I just have a smaller portion, satisfy the desire, and go on about my day. Hope that helps.

secostley

For me, I just eat. When it comes to certain holidays (e.g. Thanksgiving, birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, etc.). I eat. My philosphy? If I'm staying in shape and watching my weight for 340 days out of the year, eating extra calories for the other 25 days is not going to kill me. Mind you, I make plans for eating those calories ahead of time, so I do take some pre-caloric precautions. However, for the most part, I just go for it.

Shawn

SixCatFaerie

II've had my days where I haven't bothered to log my daily calories because it would just depress me. :laugh: I really think those days are essential in order for me to make this work for a lifetime. As long as I'm eating healthy and working out the *majority* of days, a bad day or even string of days isn't going to throw me off. I'm committed enough now that not eating well takes a toll on my GI system, and that's unpleasant. I also miss working out because I want to see results (like abs, or toned arms), so that's enough motivation to get back to it after a few days of not doing it.

The thing is, I got into the habit of eating healthy and working out *before* I started taking time off. So the days that I take off really *are* the exception, not the rule...and they truly feel that way.

This! Also, If I do have a bad day & I just try to do better the next day. :ohwell: It is so true that things that I used to love & had no problem eating now make me feel sick & really don't taste very good anymore. :sick:

Usually, I take little tastes of things now instead of full servings of everything like I used too! :blushing:

bethdris

I started my lifestlye change in March...so following that I had 4, birthday parties, 5 bbq's , and a few other higher cal lunch/dinners thrown in there.

The advantage you have is these parites are preplanned...which mean you CAN work it into your cal goal without going over. In the time I was losing, not once went over my cal goal. I worked everything I ate into my daily cals, usually by longer more intense workouts. I could then enjoy the cake, cookie, etc I was having that night.

I am now maintaining and still work my "extras" into my cal goal for the day. Everything in moderation!

tross0924

Eat, enjoy, workout, move on.

This and maybe some temperance. No need to have 2 pieces of wedding cake, but 1 is fine. Personally I still logged everything and just didn't stress over the big red number for the day.

docshar

As some others have said, I try to plan for those days and "budget" my calories. I make sure I get in a walk or run in the morning if it's possible (and for me, it usually is), but I don't go crazy with the exercise that day or subsequent days. I try to go lighter on the calories earlier in the day so I've got more "in the bank" for whatever the event is later. I DON'T deprive myself of something I really want. For me, that's counter-productive. I DO pay attention to portion size and limit the amount of unhealthy food I eat. Another thing about the way I approach this is that I don't think of myself as being on a diet. I'm not. I've just changed the way I eat. So nothing is absolutely off limits, but I'm much more mindful of what I'm eating, how much of it I'm eating, and why I'm eating it.

jlanab

i know some wont agree with me but I do the half (1/2) cup rule for holidays. 1/2 cup of dressing, mac-n-cheese, sweet potatoes, and my vegetables add that with a piece of turkey and a drizzle of gravy and I'm stuffed. Until dessert. Choose 1... and eat a half cup of it.:bigsmile: . I did the same for Easter and surprisingly was satisfied and didnt even eat everything i platted. I also try not to starve myself throughout the day. I remember growing up when holidays came around we would eat very little all day and scarf down as much food as we could during the family feast.

There are days (like when i visited my family last month) where I'm sure I ate 3,000 calories.Those days are far and few so i didnt beat myself up about it. As long as you maintain consistent with your exercise. Even a walk in the evening (which is wonderful to suggest because my lazy family doesnt view it as exercise), or find a DVD you enjoy and take it on trips with you just in case.

As always view restaurant menus before dining out so you can be aware of your options and skip the refillable beverages (waste of calories and adds up quickly in that big glass), and skip the free chips, dips, breads and butter and you should be okay.

Cosmic_Unicorn

On Thanksgiving or Christmas or my birthday or whatever, I will eat whatever I want until I am full. And then desert. I will especially do this this coming weekend, as I am cooking and hosting my own Thanksgiving dinner for the first time. I am not going to spend all day cooking a delicious turkey to just eat a few veggies.

But for day to day stuff, like going out to the pub or something, I just hit the gym and eat lighter all day. Or not. Whatever. I don't cheat very often so I don't worry too much about it.

Gotta enjoy life while you're still living.