Does one mistake ruin it?

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Why after one mistake do I automatically want to throw in the towel? Do I think I have to be perfect? Did I think I wouldn't make any mistakes on the journey? Am I that upset with myself that I posses no forgiveness? Wow I guess I do. That needs to stop! I'm so accepting of others imperfections and have plenty of patience. I need to apply all that to myself. Blah Blah Blah but what does that look like in real life?
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  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
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    What was your one mistake? If it was eating too much, pick yourself up, dust off and start again tomorrow, one day makes very little difference in the larger scheme of things.:flowerforyou: If you have too restrictive of a diet plan, you can always look into setting your calorie goals for a moderate deficit and eating a bit more. And if you enjoy foods that you are thinking of as 'bad' and are unsuccessfully trying to eliminate them, maybe start a plan to incorporate them in moderation. There are no bad or junk foods, some are just more nutrient dense than others and all can be incorporated into a successful weight loss plan. I've lost 123lbs in 15 months and I have ice cream everyday. This is an excellent thread if you haven't read it yet:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    Edit for spelling
  • DanIsACyclingFool
    DanIsACyclingFool Posts: 417 Member
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    If you think about it, all you really need is more good days than bad!
  • cevalid
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    With every 'diet' I have tried, I had the 'throw in the towel' mentality as soon as I broke one rule so I understand completely.

    I've now been logging and working on this for a month, which isn't that long- but a long time for me personally. Despite overeating the same week that I started (the first Saturday I managed 4000 calories), I'm still here and getting better every single day.

    The way I managed to keep it up despite my days over was to initially make it about a commitment to logging, rather than dieting. I wanted to see two whole weeks of an honest food diary, regardless of what was IN that diary. I achieved it. Then I decided I wanted to see a month of an honest food diary, and I wanted to get that food diary showing a few more healthy, low calorie days.

    Don't know if it will work long term, but for the first time I'm just doing it week by week and it has had me going longer than anything else.
  • Jewlz280
    Jewlz280 Posts: 547 Member
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    It can be hard at times. You get frustrated and think, "I might as well say screw the whole day and do whatever I want and start OVER!" But the truth is, there are 365 days in a year. If that picture is too big, go to there are on average 30 days in a month. So, you messed up a little bit on ONE DAY out of 30. That means you have another 29 days to make it right. Because in weight loss, life changes, and getting healthy it is all about long term. So, if you went over calories, what helps me is to think of that big picture. And I don't know if you have noticed it yet, but from your 'Home' page there is a tab up top that says 'Reports'. Click on that and then check out you cals over 30 days. I add the cals up and then divide by the number of days and then you have your average. This helps because you see that hey, I went over by a few hundred this day, but over the next week I was under and the average came out to where you wanted to be! It REALLY helps you to see the bigger picture and not freak out over the days that aren't where you would like them to be. :smile: And it's even a suggestion I've made to the MFP suggestions page to be able to have the function of checking your average over the last 7, 15, and 30 days.
  • Colorburst29
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    I was running5 miles a day everyday, then stopped in September. Haven't run until this last week. It's hard to get motivated again, but mind over matter so to speak. I forced myself to do it again and so far so good.
  • arianadawn
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    And I don't know if you have noticed it yet, but from your 'Home' page there is a tab up top that says 'Reports'. Click on that and then check out you cals over 30 days. I add the cals up and then divide by the number of days and then you have your average. This helps because you see that hey, I went over by a few hundred this day, but over the next week I was under and the average came out to where you wanted to be! It REALLY helps you to see the bigger picture and not freak out over the days that aren't where you would like them to be. :smile: And it's even a suggestion I've made to the MFP suggestions page to be able to have the function of checking your average over the last 7, 15, and 30 days.

    I was just about to come on here to make a post about the exact sme thing. Yesterday and today I seriously screwed up. I wanted to give up yet again. However, i am sticking to it, it has only been a week and a half since I have been starting over once again in trying to lose weight, and I was set to give up.
    I am really glad you told us about the reports. I am going to last through this for the month and will look forward to see how much weight I have lost and how I did with tracking food and exercise!
  • JaxDemon
    JaxDemon Posts: 403 Member
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    Just one of those things that happens when your mind wants to give in. Here is some quotes from Kai Greene that help me get back on track



    People spend too much time finding other people to blame, too much energy finding excuses for not being what they are capable of being and not enough energy putting themselves on the line, growing out of the past and getting on with their lives.

    If you think the pain of making a necessary change is too much for you to endure, wait until you one day experience the pain of having not changed, and when there’s not enough time in your life left to take back control of where you are, how you are and what you are.
  • lambchoplewis
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    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. :)
  • alisonlynn1976
    alisonlynn1976 Posts: 929 Member
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    I think some people have that all-or-none mentality because they want an excuse to quit.

    If this is about food, I think that moderation works much better than restriction. Forbidding yourself something you want gives the forbidden thing power over you.
  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
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    Unless the mistake is fatal, no it doesn't ruin things.
    I've gone over, under and sideways multiple times through my weight loss / get fit regimen - underate, overate, missed workouts, snapped something in the weight room, totally blown days, and in some cases weeks...
    And yet, here I stand in quite literally the best health and fitness in my life at the age of forty six.

    Change is hard. Your body and mind will rail against it. Tell them both to shut the hell up.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    It's the old "diet" mentality. This is real life. We are not always perfect and birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, office parties and life happen and we need to keep living. Yes I will have that piece of cake or stuffing or whatever maybe I will exercise away the calories or maybe I will be a little over one day. As long as I am following the plan most of the time I can get over the little obstacles without a glitch.
  • richardheath
    richardheath Posts: 1,276 Member
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    I used to be 50 lb overweight. I was eating all the foodz, and drinking all the beer.

    Then, one day, I had a salad and a glass of water.

    Boom - all that fat, that I had been working so hard on for years - GONE! That hard won beer belly undone by one day's healthy eating.

    One single day!!! That's all it takes people. Be ever vigilant!
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    i remember failing a test pretty hard freshman year. i still managed to graduate.
  • starrylioness
    starrylioness Posts: 543 Member
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    No one is perfect. Pick yourself back up and do better the next day! :smile:
  • openskybeach
    openskybeach Posts: 294 Member
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    i remember failing a test pretty hard freshman year. i still managed to graduate.

    That's a cool way to look at it.
  • beckizzle
    beckizzle Posts: 118 Member
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    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. :)

    Good analogy.

    Walt Disney and Henry Ford all went broke before they made it big. Imagine if they threw in the towel after when they were bankrupt...

    Don't give up!
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    Don't try to be perfect, just try to be good enough.
  • jfrankic
    jfrankic Posts: 747 Member
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    I strongly recommend that you sign up for Nia Shank's eNewsletter and read this blog: http://www.niashanks.com/2013/04/break-free-ocd-eating-build-better-body/ .

    But to answer your question, no, one mistake won't ruin it. This is a very, very unhealthy mentality to start. Break free from it now and you'll be much happier and successful, I promise.
  • RipperSB
    RipperSB Posts: 315 Member
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    Why after one mistake do I automatically want to throw in the towel? Do I think I have to be perfect? Did I think I wouldn't make any mistakes on the journey? Am I that upset with myself that I posses no forgiveness? Wow I guess I do. That needs to stop! I'm so accepting of others imperfections and have plenty of patience. I need to apply all that to myself. Blah Blah Blah but what does that look like in real life?

    It looks like you making choices, logging those choices and accepting the choices you've made. It's called living your life.
  • mikeykhan2003
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    OP, you need to get sassy with yourself and get back on it!