How do you stay on the wagon after a bad day? Help!
mazmataz
Posts: 331 Member
So I have been tracking, being good with my food choices and working out (consisently, minus tracking on weekends!) for almost two weeks now...but now I've come to the point on this heavily trodden path where I usually fall off the edge...the first bad day!
Yesterday was just a complete fail. First off some of the ladies in work were selling band/guides candy for their kids, and being the charitable soul that I am I bought some chocolate almonds (protein right?). As much as I would like to convince myself otherwise, I cannot have sweet treats within my reach without polishing them off. My will failed and the 70g box of chocolate almonds were no more.
I had planned to go to our local climbing gym with some of my roommates after work, but I get home and one of the guys has to work late. I decide that if the climbing plan is off I'll go for a run. Meanwhile my other roommate is baking the most awesome cupcakes you ever saw. It would be rude not to have one right? I mean I'll be running/climbing it off later anyway. But I didn't climb, or run. I didn't get a great sleep the night before, so after my cupcake I had a nap, woke up had a healthy-ish dinner and watched a movie with my roommates...whilst another serving of cake and ice cream was served.
600 calories over my daily goal....arghh! And don't even get me started on my macros!!
I can't workout today as I have a volunteer gig after work, but I'm going to try and eat 500-600 calories less than my goal today. It might sound extreme, but I know how my brain works and if I don't kick myself up the *kitten* today it's a slippery slope back to the land of the lard!
So I guess my question is, how do you pick yourself up after a bad day? Any advice is greatly appreciated!!
Yesterday was just a complete fail. First off some of the ladies in work were selling band/guides candy for their kids, and being the charitable soul that I am I bought some chocolate almonds (protein right?). As much as I would like to convince myself otherwise, I cannot have sweet treats within my reach without polishing them off. My will failed and the 70g box of chocolate almonds were no more.
I had planned to go to our local climbing gym with some of my roommates after work, but I get home and one of the guys has to work late. I decide that if the climbing plan is off I'll go for a run. Meanwhile my other roommate is baking the most awesome cupcakes you ever saw. It would be rude not to have one right? I mean I'll be running/climbing it off later anyway. But I didn't climb, or run. I didn't get a great sleep the night before, so after my cupcake I had a nap, woke up had a healthy-ish dinner and watched a movie with my roommates...whilst another serving of cake and ice cream was served.
600 calories over my daily goal....arghh! And don't even get me started on my macros!!
I can't workout today as I have a volunteer gig after work, but I'm going to try and eat 500-600 calories less than my goal today. It might sound extreme, but I know how my brain works and if I don't kick myself up the *kitten* today it's a slippery slope back to the land of the lard!
So I guess my question is, how do you pick yourself up after a bad day? Any advice is greatly appreciated!!
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Replies
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Slipping up once and a while is just fine. We are not perfect; just works in progress. I had a whole cup of almonds in one sitting the other night. And, last night I ate a bunch of steamed shrimp. So many I felt ill. But, I'm back on track today and determined.0
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Just keep going girl, after my first two weeks I thought being a cow at the golden corral wouldn't hurt... and truth is. It didn't really. It maybe set back the pattern that arose in how many pounds i loose every few days, Its when you do it every day that you get to where we are
It takes 3-4 thousand calories over what your burn to gain a whole pound. My boyfriend and I have even discussed having "fat kid days" after every time we loose 10 more pounds. 0 -
Own it, log it and move on!0
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Thanks for the responses guys, it really helps to hear other people's stories! I think I might just have shut up the little voice in my head that says 'you're obviously no good at this, may as well give it up!'
- I love that!Own it, log it and move on!0 -
Been there numerous times!! I have been maintaining for 9 months and this happens. I look forward to an event or something, try to eat right and poof - over eat I usually gain 3-4 lbs overnight from water weight gain. I feel like crap the next day but... I get right back to it!! I weigh myself, log food and exercise and no matter how bad I feel (due to weight gain, depression, mad at myself or what) I do it!!!
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?0 -
Just keep going! We all have slip ups, just make sure you get back on track after!
I find experimenting with new meals and exercises keeps me motivated and interested!
And of course, lovely people on here give you that final push!
Keep going + good luck!
x0 -
Bad days are necessary if you ask me. I've only been on this site for 3 days now but in the past I have tracked on my own in a VERY similar way and would allow one "free" day per week and I still lost. On those "free" days I usually would make myself sick and that made me WANT to be good the rest of the week. I'm not doing free days just yet this time around, though. Too much to lose and I know elminating those or only doing them once a month instead will help me for the moment. However, i also called them sanity days because I hate not being able to have certain things and having a day to sort of binge gave me something to look forward to. I would just save up what I wanted that week. But lately, when I've had a bad day, I'm like you, I have given up. Which is why I am trying this site brand new for a change and new motivation. So no free days for me because I know to be successful it has to be a lifestyle change, not a diet. So I try to make the best choices for that moment and I move on.0
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azmataz, this one's for you -
When you've eaten too much and you can't write it down,
And you feel like the biggest failure in town.
When you want to give up just because you gave in,
and forget all about being healthy and thin.
So What! You went over your points a bit,
It's your next move that counts...So don't you quit!
It's a moment of truth, it's an attitude change.
It's learning the skills to get back in your range.
It's telling yourself, "You've done great up till now.
You can take on this challenge and beat it somehow."
It's part of your journey toward reaching your goal.
You're still gonna make it, just stay in control.
To stumble and fall is not a disgrace,
If you summon the will to get back in the race.
But, often the struggler's, when loosing their grip,
Just throw in the towel and continue to slip.
And learn too late when the damage is done,
that the race wasn't over...they still could have won.
Lifestyle change can be awkward and slow,
but facing each challenge will help you grow.
Success is failure turned inside out,
the silver tint in a cloud of doubt.
When you're pushing to the brink, just refuse to submit,
If you bite it, you write it....But don't you quit!
--- MFP member Better4Summer0 -
I have a 'naughty day' once a week on a Saturday, helps me to keep on track planning on what I'm going to treat myself too. But falling off for a day is nothing to get yourself down about, just restart the next day and try to push it out of your mind. Plan something for yourself for staying good for a planned time or losing so many pounds, it will help you attain your goals. 0
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Own it, log it and move on!
Exactly. And one day of 600cals over really is not that much.0 -
Life is gonna throw some curves so just take them in stride. So you messed up today just jump right back at it tomorrow. You could maybe cut out an extra 200 calories for the next few days to make up for them if you feel the need but I wouldn't cut out 600 at once. We all have off days but the main thing is we don't give up. Hang in there0
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I have hit plateaus in my weight loss before and then fell off the wagon. It actually helped me get started losing again when I got back on track. May NOT work this way with everyone however. Your body seems to get stuck in a rut so to speak and needs a boost of something different once in a "blue moon." You do not seem like the type who would keep this up for long anyway. You sound so motivated. Keep up the good work!0
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Focus on an overall healthy lifestyle, not one day of "bad" eating...not even sure what that really means. Everybody has days where they over indulge...even "naturally" thin people...they don't get back on the wagon, they just have an overall lifestyle that is conducive to maintaining a healthy weight and BF%.
Don't focus on an isolated, singular day...there are 365 of them in a year...take a bigger picture approach to your journey or you're going to go insane0 -
Just keep going girl, after my first two weeks I thought being a cow at the golden corral wouldn't hurt... and truth is. It didn't really. It maybe set back the pattern that arose in how many pounds i loose every few days, Its when you do it every day that you get to where we are It takes 3-4 thousand calories over what your burn to gain a whole pound. My boyfriend and I have even discussed having "fat kid days" after every time we loose 10 more pounds.
I love the idea of sharing a planned "fat" day with your significant other. I'm going to set something like that up with my hubby. He's been wanting a gyro and this way we could share in the meal together with a fun attitude!!!0 -
"Dont give up cause you had a bad day, forgive yourself and do better tomorrow"0
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I also find logging BEFORE you eat is a great way to stay strong. It's a reality check and deleting entries because you CHOSE to not eat something is a wonderful reward.0
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Own it, log it and move on!
Exactly. And one day of 600cals over really is not that much.
Yep. Eating over by 600 calories is more than likely just a maintenance day - nothing lost, but nothing gained either. The only failure is if you let it send you into a spiral of despair and binging.0 -
It's what you do next that makes the difference. What has just been cannot be changed! You've had plenty of great days so this one day can be treated as a reminder of the you that you no longer wish to be. That's how I look at days like that anyway.
Moving forward is the only option.0 -
When I have a bad meal (or day), I remember this: One cupcake (or two, or three) isn't going to make you fat. Just like one salad (or two, or three) won't make you skinny.
It's about consistency. Just do better the next day.0 -
I like to think of it this way.
If you're putting a container of eggs into the fridge and one falls and breaks, do you throw the rest on the ground? No, you clean it up and put the rest of the eggs into the fridge.
Dropping one egg is okay, as long as you clean it up. 0 -
Own it, log it and move on!
I couldn't have said it better!! Be honest with yourself. If you wanna continue on your journey, then make conscious, precise choices and 'own' them. You'll have bad days, as we all do, but learn from it and make better decisions the next day. 0 -
There are no bad choices.
There is no wagon.
It isn't a race.
Look at your choices over a week instead of a day and strive to make healthy choices that fit your life 95% of the time and hit your exercise goals as much. You will always win. You can make choices for fast food, sugary stuff....whatever. Just compensate during the week.
You didn't get overweight in a week.
You won't get skinny in a week.
One day isn't that big of a deal out of 7 anyways.0 -
So I have been tracking, being good with my food choices and working out (consisently, minus tracking on weekends!) for almost two weeks now...but now I've come to the point on this heavily trodden path where I usually fall off the edge...the first bad day!
Yesterday was just a complete fail. First off some of the ladies in work were selling band/guides candy for their kids, and being the charitable soul that I am I bought some chocolate almonds (protein right?). As much as I would like to convince myself otherwise, I cannot have sweet treats within my reach without polishing them off. My will failed and the 70g box of chocolate almonds were no more.
I had planned to go to our local climbing gym with some of my roommates after work, but I get home and one of the guys has to work late. I decide that if the climbing plan is off I'll go for a run. Meanwhile my other roommate is baking the most awesome cupcakes you ever saw. It would be rude not to have one right? I mean I'll be running/climbing it off later anyway. But I didn't climb, or run. I didn't get a great sleep the night before, so after my cupcake I had a nap, woke up had a healthy-ish dinner and watched a movie with my roommates...whilst another serving of cake and ice cream was served.
600 calories over my daily goal....arghh! And don't even get me started on my macros!!
I can't workout today as I have a volunteer gig after work, but I'm going to try and eat 500-600 calories less than my goal today. It might sound extreme, but I know how my brain works and if I don't kick myself up the *kitten* today it's a slippery slope back to the land of the lard!
So I guess my question is, how do you pick yourself up after a bad day? Any advice is greatly appreciated!!
Here is what I do:
1) I only try to balance out over the week, not each day. (Takes the pressure off). You can't get a weekly view online, but if you have the phone app version of MFP, you can go to Home, the Weekly to see your calories/fat/carbs/protein etc. for the whole week. So you can make up the extra calories over several days.
2) I PLAN to have days like that. It's called a holiday/birthday/party. What you just experienced was a typical "special day" for me. Where I *plan* to have extra calories for a party and *plan* to have a cupcake to celebrate. And then *plan* to adjust the rest of my week so that my calories/macros end up perfect. If it happens without planning for it, just consider it "impromptu practice" for a "special day." The fact that you had a sensible dinner shows that you didn't lose control, you just had a perfectly NORMAL variation from your norm.
Its all about attitude: I believe that my weight and health are based on my habits, not on a single meal or single day. I EXPECT to have a meal/day once in a while that varies from my normal, and I look at it as a normal and healthy variation. You did not fail. You succeeding in living a normal healthy life. Normal life has good habits with variations and occasional treats. Remember, you are not on a DIET. You are creating a new healthy LIFESTYLE that you can maintain.0 -
When you've eaten too much and you can't write it down,
And you feel like the biggest failure in town.
When you want to give up just because you gave in,
and forget all about being healthy and thin.
So What! You went over your points a bit,
It's your next move that counts...So don't you quit!
It's a moment of truth, it's an attitude change.
It's learning the skills to get back in your range.
It's telling yourself, "You've done great up till now.
You can take on this challenge and beat it somehow."
It's part of your journey toward reaching your goal.
You're still gonna make it, just stay in control.
To stumble and fall is not a disgrace,
If you summon the will to get back in the race.
But, often the struggler's, when loosing their grip,
Just throw in the towel and continue to slip.
And learn too late when the damage is done,
that the race wasn't over...they still could have won.
Lifestyle change can be awkward and slow,
but facing each challenge will help you grow.
Success is failure turned inside out,
the silver tint in a cloud of doubt.
When you're pushing to the brink, just refuse to submit,
If you bite it, you write it....But don't you quit!
--- MFP member Better4Summer
bump0 -
We all have bad days as a previous person wrote just log it and move on I have bad days but i log everything I put in my mouth and I think it keeps you honest with yourself. Do not beat yourself up about it just move on from it and do not let it weigh you down.0
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sometimes I tell myself I have come further than I really have, I say "you have lost 20 lbs!" when I really have only lost 2 so far. It does wonders for your mindset though...try it!0
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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?
LOVE IT!!! New Mantra!!! Thank you!!!0 -
I weigh myself frequently so a bad day is never going to be more than a few pounds before I take action. That's how I've managed not to become overweight.
I usually say, "Yesterday is gone forever and today is a new day. What can I do?"0 -
If you're putting a container of eggs into the fridge and one falls and breaks, do you throw the rest on the ground? No, you clean it up and put the rest of the eggs into the fridge.
Dropping one egg is okay, as long as you clean it up.
I love this!!! I needed this today as last night I lost it!! I ate too much and know I will get back on track today but... it helps to read all this. I can do it!!0 -
"Do not be discouraged by who you are at present. Be motivated by who you WILL become in the future"0
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