One bad day...so what do you do?

Yesterday was a bad day- i had burger king for lunch and 6 squares of Ghiradelli chocolate with the mindset of " Oh, ill be ok" until it came time for dinner and snacks in the PM......i wasnt ok and i had to change some things up. The lesson i learned? I cant just have a cheeseburger anymore and think " its ok" because it really screws up the rest of your day!

On to tomorrow and better choices!

Replies

  • jennyrebekka
    jennyrebekka Posts: 626 Member
    what a familiar struggle this is for me.......i am this way with pizza.......but i think the real problem is in our attitude. Like, for me, once i eat one thing "bad", i spiral downward....like mentally i just say to myself- - Well, i already screwed up this day, so...when it comes time to make other food choices later that day, i just go with the flow.

    sorry - - not exactly any kind of suggestion about the "right" thing to do.....just jumping on the topic and venting a little bit. I think people who are successful would say to not beat yourself up about what you did today - - just start new tomorrow....there...how was that..?! lol
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    On to tomorrow and better choices!

    That's what you do!

    But next time you want Burger King, plan for it and make your other meals lower calorie so that it fits into your calorie allowance. You might not be able to fit the chocolate in as well, but the burger should be fine.
  • ynotcycle
    ynotcycle Posts: 121 Member
    Don't beat yourself up over it :)

    An indulgence every now and then is healthy imo. Just don't make indulgences a habit
  • AprilRN10
    AprilRN10 Posts: 548 Member
    If I can, I plan in advance for things like that. If I can't then, I just go about my day normally the rest of the day and then do better the next day. One day isn't the end of it all.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Don't beat yourself up over it :)

    An indulgence every now and then is healthy imo. Just don't make indulgences a habit

    this!

    i am eating out twice this week... so i make good choices the rest of the time and keep up with my exercise!
  • there is no point in being down, everyday is a new beginning :)
  • LexyDB
    LexyDB Posts: 261
    Self restraint would be a good place to start.

    Eating to excess is what produces excess body fat in the first place.
  • JustANumber85
    JustANumber85 Posts: 644 Member
    Self restraint would be a good place to start.

    Eating to excess is what produces excess body fat in the first place.

    The BK was a last minute decision while out with the kids. I have a nutritional menu now so i can choose better next time.

    FTR- im not upset or beating myself up. Just realized how 1 bad choice can make a difference so you just have to make better choices the next day. :)
  • LexyDB
    LexyDB Posts: 261
    Could you not of just had a coffee and grabbed something later on?
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    Could you not of just had a coffee and grabbed something later on?

    OP isn't asking for advice - she's just making a comment about her experience. That's allowed isn't it?
  • Flixie00
    Flixie00 Posts: 1,195 Member
    For a lot of people on MFP, the weightloss journey is a marathon not a sprint. You will have days where it doesn't go to plan, its normal, just put it behind you and carry on as if it never happened. I would also advise not to try to make up for the excess calories by undereating or over exercising the next day, as this just makes matters worse.

    Good luck on your journey.
  • IrishHarpy1
    IrishHarpy1 Posts: 399 Member
    Hey, it happens. Unplanned stops for a quick bite to eat are *part of life* -- not something to beat yourself up over, and by no means are you forced to sit there with just "a cup of coffee" while others eat. If you're hungry, you eat and move on. Make up for it later in the day by taking a walk if you can, but one meal at BK isn't going to make you gain back every single ounce you've lost. It probably won't even set you back at all.

    The important thing is that you recognized what happened, and are better prepared to deal with it next time. Sounds like a good thing to me! :smile:
  • NicoleR1980
    NicoleR1980 Posts: 66 Member
    tomorrow is a new day and you start again:smile:
  • LexyDB
    LexyDB Posts: 261
    Could you not of just had a coffee and grabbed something later on?

    OP isn't asking for advice - she's just making a comment about her experience. That's allowed isn't it?

    Obviously not by your reply.
  • Kap10
    Kap10 Posts: 229 Member
    I have been on MFP for 340 days today (Yipee, fireworks, crackers) in that time I have had a few bad days and a lot of good days. So what if you had a bad day, get back on the horse the next day - just don't eat it. Ignoring self restraint every now and again can help you focus on your goals and your next days and build your self restraint for the future.

    Live Love Laugh and Be Happy
  • ChadB74
    ChadB74 Posts: 128 Member
    Last week I ate a whole medium Dominos Pizza. I thought to myself, I'll stop after a couple of pieces....was I wrong! I felt bad, knew I can't do that again and put in an extra 30 minutes of cardio the next day. We all slip up or get caught up in the quick fix meal. A once a month thing...OK, a daily thing....not OK

    Thanks for sharing :)

    It helps others who slip up to know that they are not alone......
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Could you not of just had a coffee and grabbed something later on?
    I'm sure OP is well aware that she could have "just had a coffee", or even avoided Burger King altogether. Helpful advice though. I'm sure she, like most people trying to lose weight, is also aware that eating to excess causes weight gain. Perhaps you're not aware that some people struggle emotionally with making good food choices all the time? Or that sometimes people make choices they regret because of poor planning?

    OP - what I do is just move on and do better the next day. One day is a drop in the ocean. Learn from this, and plan better next time so that you can either fit it into your goals, or avoid it altogether if that's what you want. Having the menu is a good idea. Looking at your diary, if you logged everything, you didn't go over your calorie goal anyway. So, it might not be how you wanted to eat yesterday, but it's not a disaster. Even if you go over a bit, remember that you have a calorie deficit built into your goal, so that does give you some wiggle room. Onwards and upwards! :smile:
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    relax, LExyDB's having a bad day - just place on temporary ignore :bigsmile:
  • Bronx_Montgomery
    Bronx_Montgomery Posts: 2,284 Member
    We all make mistakes or take in foods that we shouldn't. Sometimes its ok to have a "cheat" day just to cleanse that sensation of wanting something bad. Do not beat yourself up. Just do not make it a habit.
  • Spokez70
    Spokez70 Posts: 548 Member
    Bad decisions and moments of weakness happen, nobody is perfect. Just move on and go right back to your plan as soon as possible without using it as an excuse to derail until the end of the day or Monday or New Years or whatever. And don't try to overcompensate tomorrow by no eating or doing hours of cardio to make up for it- just move forward business as usual.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
    One thing I think that helps after a really bad day (not that yours was THAT bad) is to make a plan for what I will eat the next day, in advance, and carry all the necessary items with me so I don't make poor choices the next day. The biggest thing is not letting a slip-up become a pattern, which is totally possible without a plan.
  • If I go over, for whatever reason, I try to compensate so that by the end of the week, on average, I am back within target. If I am only over a little and I have time I will try and burn some of it off by exercising. Otherwise I reckon that this day was hard, for whatever reason and don't let one or two items lead me to thinking what the heck and go wild. Even a few hundred calories over will often be below maintenance level anyway.
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    Even a few hundred calories over will often be below maintenance level anyway.

    That's true - good point.
  • Kiramia
    Kiramia Posts: 2 Member
    I am so sick of people calling it a cheat day, when you eat unhealthy foods. As far as I'm concerned there is no such thing as a "CHEAT" day. Who are you cheating? You know full well you didn't eat healthy, the scales tell you if you ate over the required calories for the day. There is no hiding from it whether you record or not.
    MFP is a great tool to help you make choices about what you consume during the day. Eat the burger live with the calories or choose something healthier. For me no food is banned, if I want it and if it fits with my calorie count for the day, I have it. I have a weakness for coffee milk and often I will have coffee milk instead of a sandwich for lunch. Some days I go over my calorie count but it is a conscious decision to do so. When my day is done, so is the good, the bad and the ugly. Tomorrow is a new set of calories for me to make choices with and do better. So enjoy the burger, tomorrow you have a whole new set of choices to make.
    There is NO CHEAT days!!! :smile:
  • zombilishious
    zombilishious Posts: 1,250 Member
    It happens. I went to a networking happy hour last night ... had tapas and mojitos. Tons of cals, and I didn't even know how to begin to log it. I'll just get back on track with breakfast, drink extra water, and get to the gym today.

    Not every day is perfect, and we're not perfect. It's only when the bad days are more than one here or there that we find ourselves with a problem ... the scale shows it, and so do our clothes.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    relax about food - its not a priority
  • lovechicagobears
    lovechicagobears Posts: 289 Member
    I log it, cringe a little, and then check my net calories for the week. Chances are, it will balance out since I tend to be under most of the time.

    Tracking daily is just to help keep you balanced; your body doesn't work like that. If MFP had you track weekly, though, we'd all have maybe 300 calories left for the weekend. ;)
  • rebeccap13
    rebeccap13 Posts: 754 Member
    Get back at it today. One bad day isn't a big issue. Bad days back to back to back. That's when its a problem. If you're telling yourself everyday that today is the day you get back on track, well, just isn't very productive.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Yesterday was a bad day- i had burger king for lunch and 6 squares of Ghiradelli chocolate with the mindset of " Oh, ill be ok" until it came time for dinner and snacks in the PM......i wasnt ok and i had to change some things up. The lesson i learned? I cant just have a cheeseburger anymore and think " its ok" because it really screws up the rest of your day!

    On to tomorrow and better choices!

    Get in a workout and don't make one day become two or more.