I'm scared to fall back into old habbits

I think we have that feeling every once in a while - I definitely have it more often than I want to. Chin up girly - you're beautiful and you can do this!! It's not gonna be easy and there are going to be days like today when you order that pizza for dinner, you just can't let those moments defeat you.

I am so bad about freaking out if I go over be even a little. One day (around Thanksgiving actually) it suddenly clicked for me that it is the week that matters. If you are shooting for a 1 pound loss (and you should be so that the lifestyle change is manageable), you are trying to eat 3500 calories less or burn 3500 calories more each week. That means every day you need to eat 500 calories less, burn 500 calories more or some combination of the two. Before, whenever I would blow my day, I would just lose all hope. Now I just take those calories I went over, log them on other days that I have extra or I haven't eaten yet and just make sure the week evens out.

Also, keep in mind you have to eat 3500 calories on top of your minimum of 1200 calories to gain a pound. Did you eat 4700 calories today? If you did, I would seek some professional help, perhaps a dietician to coach you on the right path. Otherwise, just spread those calories out over the next few days (so you don't eat them) and just move forward. Beating yourself up will not help. Also, I highly recommend some sort of activity tracker (I use a fit bit) to see how many calories you are burning. You may not be as far over as you think.

Now just channel the energy you spent crying and punishing yourself into doing what you know darn good and well you need to do. Poor me thinking is what led to the 1000 previous failures. Basic behavioral psychology: if you want to change the outcome, change the initial behaviors. If you want it bad enough, you will be successful.

Also, keep in mind you have to eat 3500 calories on top of your minimum of 1200 calories to gain a pound.

Just wanted to say, it does not take 3500 calories on top of the minimum 1200 calories to gain a pound. It would take 3500 calories on top of whatever her maintenance is, which, trust me, it's most likely a lot more that 1200.

That being said, OP, it's just one meal, log it and move forward. It happens.
If it happens a lot, you might want to look at your daily calorie goal. When i first decided to lose some weight I had no idea how to do it, so i started like pretty much everyone else,1200 calories a day and lots of cardio. My deficit was huge and by the 3rd day i'd be so hungry, i ate everything in sight.
So make sure you don't eat too little on a regular day.

I have been on maintenance for 4 months and wonder sometimes if this is all there is. I think about NOT eating too much way too much!!! I know that I need to be disciplined most of the time and every now and then, I can go out, eat a "normal" meal and have a couple glasses of wine. I just wish I could stop at that as this usually starts a binge. I end up doing this about once per month. I am now able to control these emotions and actions most of the time. My next goal is to go out, have fun and STOP there. No binging.

If this happens, get right back on track. One thought I saw and liked:


If you're heading somewhere in the car and wanted to get there by 5, but realized you were going to be a few minutes late, would you just give up and swerve into a bridge abutment?

Your mum sounds like a great role model - if she has lost 100 lbs then she is doing something right. Listen to your mum, you can do this is you really want to. Just step by step, day by day. It takes time to learn new habits, and time to lose the old ones. Good luck :-) :flowerforyou: