Apocalyptic Dieting
FitandFab33
Posts: 718 Member
After years of off and on "dieting" and periods of severe calorie deficit and excessive exercise, I have finally figured out that I'm an apocalyptic dieter. It's all or nothing.. complete "success" or end of the line total "failure". I either eat completely clean, follow the "rules" to the letter, never straying, or I go off the deep end completely, eat nothing but junk (though I still stay within my calorie goals) and want to curl up and do absolutely nothing having to do with exercise.
I know cognitively that there is no getting THERE. "There" does not exist. It is a lifelong decision... or series of decisions made all over again every day. There is no magic number or magic body that will signify the end of my efforts and that encompassing "I did it" feeling. But how do I translate that cerebral realization into daily life and my outlook on healthy eating and exercise?
Have any of you gone through this.. and if so, how did you change that mindset?
I know cognitively that there is no getting THERE. "There" does not exist. It is a lifelong decision... or series of decisions made all over again every day. There is no magic number or magic body that will signify the end of my efforts and that encompassing "I did it" feeling. But how do I translate that cerebral realization into daily life and my outlook on healthy eating and exercise?
Have any of you gone through this.. and if so, how did you change that mindset?
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Replies
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i would love answers too!! thanks!0
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Have any of you gone through this.. and if so, how did you change that mindset?
I reassessed the importance of the "rules."0 -
I thought this would be about zombies eating brains. :indifferent:0
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I thought this would be about zombies eating brains. :indifferent:
Me too; I'm disappointed.0 -
I thought this would be about zombies eating brains. :indifferent:
Lol'ed so hard...0 -
I thought this would be about zombies eating brains. :indifferent:
It seems like zombies are usually in fairly good shape.. maybe THAT's what I'm doing wrong! Not enough brains! I suppose it is full of protein...0 -
let me start by saying welcome to life, it's good and bad.
after about 20 years of working out and TRYING to eat right, the times I've gone more then a month without working out I've felt like *kitten*
some cycles I woorkout a lot harder and watch everything I eat.
then I take some time off and eat Ice cream0 -
I believe it's finding that place in between eating all the junk food and eating all the clean food.
I do it by giving myself one day where I can eat what I want, and I do, and I have lost 26 lbs. and inches.
You have to find your own balance, it's different for everyone
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I thought this would be about zombies eating brains. :indifferent:
I sort of thought it would be about how to lose weight while eating rations/canned food/whatever you can find. I was about to share my secrets for stockpiling! lol!!0 -
Or at least cannibalism.I thought this would be about zombies eating brains. :indifferent:0 -
I thought this would be about zombies eating brains. :indifferent:
It seems like zombies are usually in fairly good shape.. maybe THAT's what I'm doing wrong! Not enough brains! I suppose it is full of protein...
Actually it's very little protein. Brains are almost pure cholesterol.0 -
I changed my 'definition' of success.
I stopped being unrealistic.
I worked on bettering my relationship with food.
I stopped comparing myself to everyone else.
I figured out that it is not all about eating lettuce and refusing myself food.
I read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
I made goals and stuck with them. (Woot! Two half marathon's this year!)
I focus on things that really matter, not just the number on the scale. Yes, I want it going down, but I also want to be healthy, physically, mentally, emotionally, etc.
I found people on here that are supportive, and inspirational.
I kept the promise I made to myself.
I measure and track progress - BEYOND the scale.
I've learned to be patient.
Never give up.
(Edited to add: No, I don't always feel like it. No, not every run/workout/exercise is great. But, I'm plugging along. One day at a time.
And, also - I feel I can now outrun any zombies - which is step one for surviving the potential zombie apocalypse. Haha... )0 -
I thought this would be about zombies eating brains. :indifferent:
It seems like zombies are usually in fairly good shape.. maybe THAT's what I'm doing wrong! Not enough brains! I suppose it is full of protein...
Lol. There it is. The Brain Diet FTW0 -
I believe it's finding that place in between eating all the junk food and eating all the clean food.
I do it by giving myself one day where I can eat what I want, and I do, and I have lost 26 lbs. and inches.
You have to find your own balance, it's different for everyone
This is what I have a hard time with- balance. If I have a day "off".. it gets crazy and turns into a week.. and then I want to give up altogether. I know it is one choice at a time, but I'm actually afraid to take a day off working out and taking a day off "clean" eating because I'm scared I will never start again.0 -
I changed my 'definition' of success.
I stopped being unrealistic.
I worked on bettering my relationship with food.
I stopped comparing myself to everyone else.
I figured out that it is not all about eating lettuce and refusing myself food.
I read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
I made goals and stuck with them. (Woot! Two half marathon's this year!)
I focus on things that really matter, not just the number on the scale. Yes, I want it going down, but I also want to be healthy, physically, mentally, emotionally, etc.
I found people on here that are supportive, and inspirational.
I kept the promise I made to myself.
I measure and track progress - BEYOND the scale.
I've learned to be patient.
Never give up.
(Edited to add: No, I don't always feel like it. No, not every run/workout/exercise is great. But, I'm plugging along. One day at a time.)
Also, this because I have nothing better to say.
Except, braaaaiiiiiiiinsssss.0 -
What is your new definition of success, if you don't mind sharing? (I know it's an individual thing, but I'm curious to know how you changed it)I changed my 'definition' of success.
I stopped being unrealistic.
I worked on bettering my relationship with food.
I stopped comparing myself to everyone else.
I figured out that it is not all about eating lettuce and refusing myself food.
I read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
I made goals and stuck with them. (Woot! Two half marathon's this year!)
I focus on things that really matter, not just the number on the scale. Yes, I want it going down, but I also want to be healthy, physically, mentally, emotionally, etc.
I found people on here that are supportive, and inspirational.
I kept the promise I made to myself.
I measure and track progress - BEYOND the scale.
I've learned to be patient.
Never give up.
(Edited to add: No, I don't always feel like it. No, not every run/workout/exercise is great. But, I'm plugging along. One day at a time.)0 -
I changed my 'definition' of success.
I stopped being unrealistic.
I worked on bettering my relationship with food.
I stopped comparing myself to everyone else.
I figured out that it is not all about eating lettuce and refusing myself food.
I read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
I made goals and stuck with them. (Woot! Two half marathon's this year!)
I focus on things that really matter, not just the number on the scale. Yes, I want it going down, but I also want to be healthy, physically, mentally, emotionally, etc.
I found people on here that are supportive, and inspirational.
I kept the promise I made to myself.
I measure and track progress - BEYOND the scale.
I've learned to be patient.
Never give up.
(Edited to add: No, I don't always feel like it. No, not every run/workout/exercise is great. But, I'm plugging along. One day at a time.
And, also - I feel I can now outrun any zombies - which is step one for surviving the potential zombie apocalypse. Haha... )
LOOOVE IT! Well said :bigsmile: Thankyou cause you've just inspired me!0 -
After years of off and on "dieting" and periods of severe calorie deficit and excessive exercise, I have finally figured out that I'm an apocalyptic dieter. It's all or nothing.. complete "success" or end of the line total "failure". I either eat completely clean, follow the "rules" to the letter, never straying, or I go off the deep end completely, eat nothing but junk (though I still stay within my calorie goals) and want to curl up and do absolutely nothing having to do with exercise.
I know cognitively that there is no getting THERE. "There" does not exist. It is a lifelong decision... or series of decisions made all over again every day. There is no magic number or magic body that will signify the end of my efforts and that encompassing "I did it" feeling. But how do I translate that cerebral realization into daily life and my outlook on healthy eating and exercise?
Have any of you gone through this.. and if so, how did you change that mindset?
I definitely have gone through this, having several past significant weight losses only to end in more weight gain, I had the same "all or nothing" mindset.
I too have had your epiphany - I have to do this FOREVER, not just a few weeks, months, or years. So I am taking it slower this time. I have a lot to lose, but I'm doing what I can sustain. I have my MFP set for 1 - 1.5 lb per week (I switch it up week to week), so I am not being as restrictive as I have in the past. I am still enjoying dinner with friends, splurging during vacation, having birthday cake, and relishing holiday treats. If that means I lose an ounce every week, so be it, but I have lost pretty steadily since I restarted in June. There are days that I completely stray, but I track it, and move on. In the past if I had one or two bad days - that was "diet" suicide. This mindset definitely helps me recover more easily from these stumbling blocks. I have heard it my entire dieting career, but I am really coming to the realization that moderation is *key*.0 -
What is your new definition of success, if you don't mind sharing? (I know it's an individual thing, but I'm curious to know how you changed it)
I used to think success was eating a very low calorie diet, and seeing the scale reflect it. To me, the only 'success' was seeing that scale go down. I didn't give any consideration to becoming a healthier me, improving my stamina, endurance, overall health and wellness.
Now, it pains me to think about all of the yo-yo'ing I have done in the past. The mindless focus of eating very little to move the scale - when in reality, you are only setting yourself up for failure. Losing only water-weight and mostly muscle (the very thing that helps you burn calories and lose weight long term!)
Honestly, it was reading the information in the link that clicked finally for me. I had gotten stuck on a plateau and was sick of where I was. It was finding people like LorinaLynn (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/752778-how-wrong-i-was-600-days-of-mfp-lotsa-pics) who made me realize that I didn't want to be just a number on the scale, I wanted my body to look good.
So, it was a progression from focus only on eating less - to learning and understanding what my body needs and feeding it appropriately. After all, if I can eat 1800 calories a day, move the scale, and reach other goals, it is a no brainer. Why would you want to train your body to expect less, if you didn't have to?
So, the short answer is, today success to me is:
Feeling good about myself
Improved running speeds
Bettering my PR, for my half (or training for a full)
Losing inches from weight training
Focusing on better choices - not creating a list of MUST NOT's. Moderation is the key.
Reducing the risks for long-term health issues (diabetes, heart disease, etc.)
Keeping up with my sons (and hoping to run a mother/son race with them someday!)0 -
I have this 'all or nothing' attitude towards everything, its taken a lot of therapy and hard work to change.
Essentially I have to be very conscious of it and force myself to drop something (even a small something to start with) however uncomfortable it makes me feel.
I try to stop and reassess whenever I begin to struggle - what is completely essential? and then everything else in order of priority. As long as I do the essential its fine and everything else is a bonus. But I am not allowed to do 'everything'.
When I drive myself too hard and start getting exhausted I force myself to have a break. I have a rest from any exercise other than walking and SHORT bike rides. I make sure I am eating an extra 200cal per day on top of the 1500 or so I usually eat. Plenty of sleep and cutting back on any non-essential household chores. I can start adding things back in as I feel better.
There's no real easy answer, its something you have to force yourself to do unfortunately.0 -
I got comfortable with doing this very, very slowly. I've only got 8 pounds left to lose, but it will probably take me a year or two to lose them because of how I'm approaching this.
-This isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. You'll be maintaining your goal weight for the rest of your life, hopefully, which means you have to learn how to be comfortable with food along the way. It's calories in and calories out every single day whether you meet your macros or not, so if you eat that cupcake and screw your daily carbs up, it doesn't mean you get to binge on pizza and beer so you screw your calories up too. Remind yourself of that every day.
-If you reach a busy time in your life (like the holidays), it's ok if you don't lose weight for a week. For two weeks. For a month. Just maintain, and when you can breathe again, get back to dropping the pounds. After all, some day you'll reach a point where you have to maintain every day; might as well practice now.
-Have goals associated with being fit and healthy and that don't relate to the scale, like "I'm going to meet my macros with lean protein and veggies this week" or "I'm going to drink ten glasses of water today" or "I'm going to work to chop a minute off my mile time" or "I'm going to go up 10 lbs on my squats".
-Figure out where your self-worth comes from. Make sure it's not rooted in your physical appearance. Your value as a person doesn't come from if you ate well or not, if you lost 10 lbs this month or not, if that stranger on the street thinks you're beautiful or not. You might be going off the deep end because when you fail a little by eating a cookie, you feel worthless and like there's no reason to even try. Change that. Tell yourself all the things that make you who you are besides your weight and what you eat.
-Log your food, every single day, even the bad days, and let your MFP friends see your diary. Let them hold you accountable for your bad days instead of just praising you for the good ones. You'll find yourself working a lot harder to have good days, and you'll find ways to incorporate treats without going overboard.
Success isn't being a size 2. Success isn't eating perfectly every day. Success isn't being the fastest, strongest, most magazine-cover-ready person in the room.
Success is being happy with yourself and with your lifestyle. Success is feeling strong and capable. Success is knowing you'll have a long, healthy life to spend with your loved ones.
Good luck on your journey...0 -
This is how I used to be too, but I've finally found a happy medium. My husband and I are doing this together, which makes it A LOT easier, and really we've just tweaked our mind set to be in that lifelong aspiration. This is our new life. We are changing for the better. We are making healthier food choices and exercising. We have realized that if we want to live a long life together and be healthy, we need to make that change. A diet is an awful way to look at your journey. People fall off the wagon or get sidetracked or they beat themselves up completely if they cheat. We incorporate 1 cheat meal per week into our new lifestyle. This keeps us sane and still allows us to have a splurge. We do not eliminate anything from our diets. We just eat "bad" things in moderation. We switched our grains to whole wheat when we have them. We don't eat as much pasta or bread. The key really is consistency so that you can get yourself used to the change. It's definitely tough in the beginning, but if you stick with it it DOES get easier and becomes more of a habit. Some people on here don't believe in cheat meals and all that happy stuff, but if this is a lifestyle change then you bet your butt I'm having that cheat meal. You cannot expect to live forever never going over 1200 calories. Those people are on diets or are trying to lose weight fairly quickly.0
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This thread is great. I have never been good at moderation either. I have always been an all in sorta gal. That is exactly why this WHOLE thing is such a challenge. I want to hop on the scale EVERY day and see a change. I want to restrict my diet in the ways that I know will have an immediate physical response. I am also wicked bad about saying oh, when I get to ___________day or __________weight I will reward myself with ______________(carbs, sugar, grease, etc) and then that spirals into this APOCALYPTIC binge and I hate myself but keep eating crazy anyway. I know you aren't supposed to just watch calories, but that is all I am doing right now. It helps me feel like it is hyper controlled, but it isn't, because I can eat ANYTHING if it is within the calorie range I have set. I know everyone may get on me for it, but for right now, this is helping me feel like I am doing something. When I get used to this, I will begin really working within my daily calories to add the right amounts of stuff. I don't know HOW to really shift my thought process to the healthy in-it-forever mindset that is necessary either! Try to just day by day it I guess! I am pulling for you. EEK! The psychology of food and weight and self image is such a treacherous web!0
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This thread is great. I have never been good at moderation either. I have always been an all in sorta gal. That is exactly why this WHOLE thing is such a challenge. I want to hop on the scale EVERY day and see a change. I want to restrict my diet in the ways that I know will have an immediate physical response. I am also wicked bad about saying oh, when I get to ___________day or __________weight I will reward myself with ______________(carbs, sugar, grease, etc) and then that spirals into this APOCALYPTIC binge and I hate myself but keep eating crazy anyway. I know you aren't supposed to just watch calories, but that is all I am doing right now. It helps me feel like it is hyper controlled, but it isn't, because I can eat ANYTHING if it is within the calorie range I have set. I know everyone may get on me for it, but for right now, this is helping me feel like I am doing something. When I get used to this, I will begin really working within my daily calories to add the right amounts of stuff. I don't know HOW to really shift my thought process to the healthy in-it-forever mindset that is necessary either! Try to just day by day it I guess! I am pulling for you. EEK! The psychology of food and weight and self image is such a treacherous web!
I used to do the saaaaame thing with the "reward" of hellaciously crappy food. I even caught myself saying "oh I can't wait until my birthday- I'm going to get chinese takeout!" And then I stopped, heard myself, and asked WTF is wrong with me. I am looking forward to my birthday (which is in 6 months by the way) so that I can eat crappy chinese takeout and feel like garbage? Seriously? THAT is what I'm spending half the year looking forward to. I finally realized my priorities and values needed some serious tweaking. Now my "rewards" are feeling good.. and occasionally a completely superficial treat like a manicure or fancy haircut.. and my GW accomplishment (or goal SIZE really) is a trip to the beach to show off my hard work. But none of that will ever happen if I don't stop committing lifestyle suicide with my all or nothing DIEt mentality!0 -
It's called Black & White thinking - all or nothing, complete success or complete failure. Hardly anything in life is that cut and dry. Life is full of various shades and lots and lots of colors.
Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint.0 -
I think this is a very useful thread as it goes beyond the calories in and out. Thank you for posing the question.
When I was in my late teens and early twenties, I had a very unhealthy relationship with my body and with food. I dieted constantly, developed bulimia and though I could 'successfully' shed pounds for any upcoming event, I always put my weight back on. I was never overweight, but I was at the high end of the 'recommended' weight spectrum and definitely very unhappy with it.
It was only when I learned to love my body, not just to accept it, but really love it, when everything changed. I lost over 20 pounds without any intentional effort and have kept them off for over 20 years.
The best way to be truly meaningfully successful on this journey is to understand why you are doing what you are doing. Not just cognitively, but emotionally. If you love your body AND yourself, you are not going to abuse it by binging, starving, putting it through yo-yo dieting. You are honoring your body by nurturing it and taking good care of it every single day. You allow yourself an indulgence here and there, without beating yourself up or making it into a daily habit. A good analogy for me to make sense of it all would be treating your body like a good responsible and loving parent would treat their child.
Now that I am in my mid-40s, I have realised that I have to step up a notch and that's why I am here. I had put on a couple of pounds and instead of going back to my old habits from 20 years ago, I take a slow, gentle and loving approach and it is working wonderfully.
Best of luck on this wonderful journey :flowerforyou:0 -
I believe it's finding that place in between eating all the junk food and eating all the clean food.
I do it by giving myself one day where I can eat what I want, and I do, and I have lost 26 lbs. and inches.
You have to find your own balance, it's different for everyone
This is what I have a hard time with- balance. If I have a day "off".. it gets crazy and turns into a week.. and then I want to give up altogether. I know it is one choice at a time, but I'm actually afraid to take a day off working out and taking a day off "clean" eating because I'm scared I will never start again.
Then this is something you need to work on yourself, there isn't anything that we can say here to make you or help you change. This is part of self control.0
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