What happens if you have a bad diet day?

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meggwtw
meggwtw Posts: 95 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Today was a bad day for my diet, but I'm not sure what caused me to steer off course. I feel ashamed and annoyed with myself. What should I do tomorrow, or what can I do in the future to not have a bad diet day?
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Replies

  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Today was a bad day for my diet, but I'm not sure what caused me to steer off course. I feel ashamed and annoyed with myself. What should I do tomorrow, or what can I do in the future to not have a bad diet day?

    Bad days will happen from time to time. If the "time to time" becomes "all the time" then you've REALLY got problems.

    That being said, take a step back and see if you can figure out why you had a bad day. Maybe that information will be helpful?
  • metacognition
    metacognition Posts: 626 Member
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    It's normal. Don't worry about it. I have bad diet days all the time. Yesterday, I had four brownies and an extra thousand calories. But I am still losing over a pound a week. I have never plateaued. I cut out the next day or two to 1200 or 1300 calories and add exercise, until the excess is used up by my body. Within a day or two at most I am back to losing weight.

    Think of it this way: in the future, you will have thousands of days and choices that will determine your weight. If you have a normal life, there will be lots of junk food, birthday parties, holidays, and restaurant trips. As long as those are counterbalanced with exercise and eating less on some of the days, you will never gain an ounce back.
  • NocturnalGirl
    NocturnalGirl Posts: 1,762
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    Every day is not going to be perfect and as others mentioned, it will happen once in a while. If you try to compensate for it, it can become a horrible cycle so tomorrow just go back to your normal routine.

    Do you have any idea of what the cause may be? Were you stressed? Hungry? Tired?
  • Natihilator
    Natihilator Posts: 1,778 Member
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    I agree, bad days will happen time to time. BUT if your bad days are happening back to back, for weeks on end, it's time to take action.

    I ate really well for most of this year, but for the past month I've been ruining healthy eating days by snacking a lot on calorie-rich food late at night. I would be ashamed and not log these late night snacks, and was frustrated because It was obviously halting my weight loss.

    But I decided that my body doesn't lie about what I put in it, so I why should I lie to myself. I started logging those late night snacks in the next day's food diary. It meant that I had less calories to eat for the next day, but if I was really feeling hungry then I would just eat something, despite going over my calorie goal. So far, I haven't been hungrier and this is working for me. I find that doing this is helping me stay under calories, even if I have an unplanned late night snacking session.
  • isitsororo
    isitsororo Posts: 116
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    Don't give in. I had a bad day today as well, as you can see in my diary. Don't get into the mentality of "well, I messed up once, doesn't matter if I mess up now, so I'll just eat what I want to eat." I know it's tempting, but you must carry on and pick up where you left off. Make sure to reflect on why you had a bad day. Me, I had a bad day because for lunch someone bought a pizza for the two of us, and the past couple of days I have been rather hungry.
  • Belinda658
    Belinda658 Posts: 181 Member
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    Get over it and don't let it turn into a bad diet week etc..
  • xxloveiswarr
    xxloveiswarr Posts: 124
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    Normally I feel guilty for a while, but that passes because it's useless and a waste of time. So, I think constructively. How can I make up for this? Kill it at the gym. Commit more to the diet. Realize bad days happen and I've just got to move on and limit them as much as I can.
  • megleo818
    megleo818 Posts: 595 Member
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    Start again tomorrow. Don't beat yourself up.
  • wjniii
    wjniii Posts: 110 Member
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    First, don't beat yourself up. Just get back on track tomorrow and try to keep bad days to a minimum. They're going to happen now and then. Remember one bad day doesn't have to make a bad week. Hang in there.
  • gramacanada
    gramacanada Posts: 557 Member
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    We don't have to be right on all the time.
    We just have to be right on enough that we don't become right off.
  • WildAngelJoy
    WildAngelJoy Posts: 140 Member
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    Just jump back on the wagon tomorrow!! You may want to figure why you went of course if that will help in the future. I know I tend to be an emotional eater so if I have an upsetting day or problem I know that can be a trigger. And don't beat up yourself...one day is okay, in the coure of a week it will most likely balance out calorie-wise. Hang in there, sounds like you are doing well overall :) Joy
  • eatrainsmile
    eatrainsmile Posts: 220 Member
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    Move on. Is there anything else to do? Whats the point of throwing the baby out with the bath water?

    Bad days happen to anyone. Who says I never ever have a bad day is the biggest liar on the earth.
  • WildAngelJoy
    WildAngelJoy Posts: 140 Member
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    nuclear-explosion-atmosphere.jpg

    LOL...it CAN feel that way but it is only one day :)
  • Chewster001
    Chewster001 Posts: 201 Member
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    I got you beat. I just screwed up two days in a freaking row. About a thousand calories over EACH DAY. Looks like I might have to be forced to go dancing tomorrow night to burn it off. ;)
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
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    nuclear-explosion-atmosphere.jpg

    LOL...it CAN feel that way but it is only one day :)

    asteroid-impact.jpg

    warmer?
  • minsooky
    minsooky Posts: 59
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    To be blunt, get over it ;) We are human, eating more than you wanted to will happen, and should be expected to happen.
  • REDI4CHANGE60
    REDI4CHANGE60 Posts: 170
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    'Ashamed' is a really strong word. It's one day. We all screw up occasionally ... but I understand where you are coming from. I am a bit of a perfectionist myself, so when I screw up I get a bit 'intense', but I always TRY to remember that the next bite I do or do not take makes the difference between continuing on with my diet or failing. (Previously I would decide to begin again the next day, but now it's next snack or meal lol ... simply because you can do alot of damage if you screw up early in the day!) Anyway, there may or may not be a 'good' reason as to WHY it happened, just work hard and have a good weekend! Make it happen and leave yesterday behind.
  • sapphireswi
    sapphireswi Posts: 583 Member
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    This

    i]mg
  • JustANumber85
    JustANumber85 Posts: 644 Member
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    It'll be ok. We all have bad days.
  • piratesaregrand
    piratesaregrand Posts: 356 Member
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    I just try harder the next day.

    The way I look at it, at least I'm aware now. Before I'd sit down and eat a 3000 calories packet of biscuits without batting an eyelid.

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