Downward spiral, help!

cathomer

Whenever I eat badly, even just one meal, it sends me spiralling. Luckily I've kept the exercise up and haven't missed a running session, but it's not enough to counter the bad food. I've done really badly today but I've just entered it all in to my diary and I still have calories left for dinner, so I just need to eat only a little and I'll be ok - I can't quite believe what I've been able to eat though tbh!

Do you have any tips for stopping the spiral? I think perhaps making sure I always complete my food diary is a good one, it really seems to help knowing that I haven't blown it as much as I thought. I just don't want to feel so out of control!

Springfield_Rocks

I think you are right on track with the diary, it keeps me accountable. I have decided to keep my diary open to friends as well, this will hopefully help me to stop that awful downward spiral too. I am so bad for that.

cathomer

Mine was open, closed it today lol, too ashamed! although writing it down didn't look as bad as it felt.

LeeM86

I suggest you to open your diary and always enter all the food you eat. I have come to realize that it does helps me when I'm tempted to eat something I shouldn't.

It's easier to keep eating what you shouldn't when you only have to "answer" to yourself, especially if you don't enter the food in your diary and don't realize what exactly you ate (calories wise). But once you track everything and have other people check on you, it's easier to resist temptation.

SuziQueue

Yeah - open the diary to friends. We all succumb to cravings and we stumble, but our friends keep us from hitting bottom. Make today an amazing day!

curtnrod

What's triggering your decisions to make bad choices? For me it's stress and depression because I'm not dealing with something in my life. Before you make that choice to eat something that's not healthy for you, ask yourself why you are engaging in this behavior and deal with the core issue that is behind your action.

Works for me

d3mon4ngel

Make sure you fill in your food diary every day, and don't "forget" about the little snacks you may have had - it's surprising how much these can add up sometimes.

Also, what I do is fill in my diary in advance. I'll enter what I think I will be having each day, at least two meals worth, and this then lets me know what I have left to play with for the third meal and / or snacks. It also lets me know if I have any left over for the occasional glass of wine

Of course what I put in isn't always set in stone, and I do change it around during the day depending on how I feel, but it gives me a sense of control to see at least some kind of plan laid out, even if it does get tweaked.

I also have my diary open to friends, but whether anyone actually looks at it or not, I'm not sure. I stopped pressing the "Complete for the day" button a while ago as it didn't seem worth it, so I think people assume that I'm not filling it in.

Good luck!

caramkoala

Congratulations on being able to recognise the downward spiral phenomenon.
I suggest you write a list of the reasons why you chose to 'get healthy' and keep them close by (in your handbag or something) to read when you feel yourself going down this spiral, and maybe making yourself a playlist of favourite/inspirational songs to listen to on your MP3 player when the feeling hits.
Other things can be making a cup of tea to enjoy outside in the sunshine and have a quiet moment to yourself if it's convenient, or other 'little pleasures'.
I have a list of 'little pleasures' on my fridge for quick reference in these moments. Other things on my list include switching on the Wii to do a bit of JustDance and 5-10minutes of stretching in my room. A bubble bath and a book, or a game with my kids.

jonesdav254

Here is my best advice. I can't take credit for this as the advise comes from Dr. Steve Covey (author of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People). While the advise was perhaps NOT intended towards nutrition and dieting....it works (at least for me).

The advise is to plan your day. Here is where some flexibility in applying the concept comes in. This advise was about being more effective and efficient as a business person. However, the advise can apply to business meetings equally as well as eating and nutrition.

So how to apply this to your situation? Don't just let your meals happen by chance. Plan them carefully. Then eat exactly what is on the plan. Nutrasystems and other companies have been making a fortune with this concept for years.

Plan each meal (and snacks). Find a menu that offers some variety and has foods that you like and will look forward to preparing and eating.

When you have your menu (plan) in place....follow it. You'll be pleased with the results.

ixap

I've done really badly today but I've just entered it all in to my diary and I still have calories left for dinner

Well you didn't do THAT bad then. I've eaten enough for two days when I've been in a bad place emotionally. Don't be too hard on yourself. You stayed within your calories for the day AND got your exercise in -- that's actually a pretty darn good day. Sounds like you caught yourself very early on in this spiral -- great job. Tomorrow will be even better.

dovek11

Never let yourself get hungry. Doing so triggers our mind to want us to eat more than we should. That isn't your fault, its the imbalance in our bodies, the starvation mode of them, its biological. that takes control and rules what it going on with us. If that happens, its a very hard urge to fight.
Don't look at your diet as doing without. You are not doing without, you are making healthier choices for yourself, and loving yourself deeply for making healthy choices. The feeling of doing without makes us feel bad. Looking at it from the place of making good choices for the benefit of a great outcome with huge rewards, makes us feel empowered, not helpless and tortured.

For me, the minute I feel I am doing without, is the minute I desire things I don't really even want! My mind tells me ... go for it. You deserve it. No, I don't deserve to eat things bad for me, I deserve a healthy mind and body.

If one meal, or one day of eating, sets you to spiraling, you have to look at your mind and find out why. Why would you feel one small moment in your journey should ruin it all?

I used to strive to be a perfectionist in everything. I thought I had to be.... perfect. When I would mess up one little thing and I would immediately decide I was good at nothing. That was just silly thinking on my part, but its who I was.

Accidents happen, even when we try hard not to let them. Life situations come along to change our plans, even as we are making them. Some things are out of our control. For instance, the actions of others we cannot control.

If you were driving in a car going to your dream vacation destination, and had a flat tire, would you let that tire ruin the whole vacation? Would you turn the car around and go home and forget about your entire vacation?
Or would you change the tire, and continue on to the destination of your dreams?

One bad snacking moment or even one day of bad eating is your flat tire on your destination to your dream. Why let that ruin the entire trip?

Forgive yourself. Try to figure out what, in that moment, derailed your journey, and keep that in mind in case it comes up again. Just giggle at the fact you are human, and not quite perfect. Really who is perfect? Who WANTS to be perfect? What pressure comes with that!!!! Who wants that pressure?
You took a little detour. Its not the end of your journey. Just one little flat tire... but oh, that destination is going to be so great when you get there!!!