Combating blowouts?!! Help!

aaaanni

I get so frustrated with myself. 90% of the time I feel I'm strict with my diet, eat really healthy and am exercising 5 times a week but find that every time I lose a kg or two I get to the weekend or go to a dinner party and it's all over. Like one step forward, two steps back! As soon as I let my guard down - mostly when super tired, after a few drinks or in social situations - I just lose my control and feel I am constantly sabotaging myself... I want to lose 5-10Kg but feel I'm never going to get there at this rate! I also seem to 'mindlessly' snack - and all those little bits add up, clearly as I'm not losing weight given the exercise I'm doing!! I am a park ranger and we work long shifts (10 days straight) often with lots of night work, meaning I'm always tired and consequently grabbing for food to give me energy. I just wish I could turn food off in my brain so it wasn't an issue! Does nyone have advice On how I can stay in control and avoid these blowouts?! Without them I'm sure I'd be a waif! Haha I hate how u can undo hours and hours of hard work in just minutes! It's not fair!! I'm 28, 169cm and 70kg.

Help me!!

jenneal89

Open up your diary so we can see what you're eating

What do you have your activity level set to?

Eat healthy snacks at work like nuts, fruit , and veggies. It's ok if you have a day here and there where you stop being so strict but don't let that effect the rest if your week. Just get back on track.cant really say more without seeing tho

mllst18

Plan your meals out and shop for them ahead of time so that you have plenty of good food ready and you already know what you will be eating so this type of thing doesn't happen. I have the same problem, and that's what I do to avoid eating "whatever"

skinnergy

You have nailed it on the head....it's the blow outs with the "mindless" snacking. Your snacks should be natural as in vegetables or fruits....these type of snacks with stick with you longer give and you the energy you need. Additionally, your water intake should be decent (have a goal up to 90 ounces per day) If you go to a dinner party on the weekends eat a healthy something before you go, so when you get there you are not starving for the yummy things the host has prepared. Regarding the alcohol, try to stick with 1 glass of wine or 2 at the most. It is going to come down to you to turn things away.....however it will be much easier if your snack foods were of what I have suggested. My name is Glenna Skinner you can find me on FaceBook, and I also have another site on there that covers health and fitness, Skinner Fitness Solutions... I am a Certified Personal Trainer through the Cooper Institute and a Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant. Should you have any questions please let me know.....Health and Fitness is my passion and if I can guide anyone in the right direction, then ....YAY!!

5pmsomewherenow

As in any change of lifestyle, you need to plan for your new healthy, lighter lifestyle -- DO YOU plan out what you're going to eat during the work day, and bring the healthy stuff if it's not available? In order to succeed you have to set yourself up for balanced success: plan out a early AM snack, a healthy breakfast mid-morning, a balanced nutritious lunch, a great natural afternoon snack, and then a lite, well-rounded dinner. Society and "work" aren't going to help you, or make it "easy" - that's why more than half of people are overweight.

About the "after work beers" and after-trapping-drinking -- once and for all, you've got to get yourself a healthy drinking plan: The low carb beers are a good start -- how about one regular beer, followed by a diet sprite or gingerale or another non-cola, and then ending with a low carb beer? I bet you can get a good plan together, still relax with your wild-life peeps, and be all the more healthly for it.

YOU CAN DO IT! Believe in yourself and work the plan. Create new habits and reap the benefits!

nxd10

Everything you say is true, but it is NOT hopeless and you CAN do this.

Drink water when you're tired. It's really helpful for me. Being a ranger is a lot of work and I could see what you're describing happening. Get snacks around that you can eat and be happy eating. Apples don't squash. I eat nuts in little tiny quantities - lots of energy and very satisfying. I just eat them 3 at a time.

First, it kind of sounds like you're feeling a little deprived normally, so when you let your guard down, you overdo. Try to get rid of that feeling. Give yourself small treats within your allowance every day, so it's not so tempting to overdo. I often have a 1/4 cup of ice cream or a bit of chocolate at night. But it's less than 60 in each case. No big deal.

Second, when you're at a party, put the snacks on a plate. Go over to the snacks, get a small plate/bowl, choose what you want - maybe a few chips (6 or 12) and things a bit healthier or lower calorie and WALK AWAY FROM THE TABLE. Have anything you want - just not that much.

And don't drink so much. Have one drink and then lots of seltzer water. Or mix your drinks half strength. Or pour a beer half at a time. It's better for you anyway and you won't lose control.

One step at a time.

bulbadoof

I spend a day eating totally terrible foods about once a month (most often because I'm out with friends and I don't want to make them feel self-conscious about their own choices) and it doesn't set me back as long as it's just one day.

Don't beat yourself up; keep moving forward. You cannot undo weeks' worth of progress in one night. If you want to set up a cushion for these things, you can try to push yourself to add 5-10 minutes onto your workouts and not log it - if you exercise at a 5-7 cal/minute pace 5 times a week, that can easily add up to over 1000 free calories a month.

aaaanni

Thanks so much everyone for your suggestions. Definitely a lot in there i will be trying! I know its my diet that is the problem, for me exercise is the easy part!! I wish it was the other way around!! haha Because its so much easier to burn off a blow out if you didn't have it in the first place!

Thanks again, will see how i go!