How do you stop beating yourself up?

Seeking_Balance_And_Joy
Seeking_Balance_And_Joy Posts: 13
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been doing well for the last 3 days, but today, I just blew it... I went over my MAINTENANCE calories by 1000. How on earth do I even make up for that? Any words of encouragement and advice would be helpful!
Oh, I am so mad at myself!

Replies

  • lgrix
    lgrix Posts: 160 Member
    Log it and move on. Tomorrow is a new day. This is a lifestyle change, not a race. So you blew it today, oh well, that's going to happen, it's not the end of the world. Try to do better tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. Before you know it, you will be on track to a healthier you.
  • silenceinspace
    silenceinspace Posts: 142 Member
    I agree with the above poster. I always try to remember, "I didn't gain all the weight in a day. One bad day won't suddenly undo my progress up until now."
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Yup. Log it and move on.
  • EricMurano
    EricMurano Posts: 825 Member
    If you know how many calories was in your blow out then you're doing better than me!

    I find that if I can log it, even if it was the thing that pushed my day over the limit, then I feel a lot better about it. It still slows your progress but at least you have 100% accountability to it. Unlike me who gorges and has no hope of knowing how many calories I gorged on then not log it and not complete my diary for the day :/
  • sjbtiger
    sjbtiger Posts: 105 Member
    I always try to remember, "I didn't gain all the weight in a day. One bad day won't suddenly undo my progress up until now."
    This. Try to accept you're just human and move on :)
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
    Here is a ginormous brain dump... I'm sure all the other MFPers are sick of seeing this already, but it's what helped me so I like to share it....

    The good news is you don't have to be perfect, you just have to be better.

    ++Track for a week or two before worrying about losing. This way you'll see where you really stand, odds are it is different than where you thought you were, which is actually good news...

    ++Be scrupulously honest... you can lie to your friends, you can lie in your diary, you can lie to yourself, but YOUR BODY KNOWS EVERYTHING YOU EAT. So you might as well be honest in your diary (keep it private if you like) but you need that info because you can't get where you are going if your are not honest about where you are right now.

    ++See where you can make small changes on things that aren't so important to you.
    (Don't even think of taking chocolate out of my diet!!!)
    --Reducing quantities
    --Swapping out things instead of eliminating them.

    ++Focus on what you should eat not what your shouldn't.
    Eating your nutritious foods first. Your body will be more satisfied and have less cravings.

    ++Small sustainable changes.
    If you completely revamp your diet, it's way easy to revert to old ways in times of stress.     (and who doesn't have stress?)
    If you make a series of small changes, food still offers you some sense of comfort, sort of a comfort continuum, and after a while the first small changes will seem comforting in themselves. Also rather than having to think about everything all the time. You only have to think about a 2 or 3 new things to focus on.

    ++Rather than being uberstrict with the target MFP set for me. (I swear this saved my life.) I was happier once I gave myself a range:

    ROCK BOTTOM: 1200 cal
    TARGET: MFP Calories for lose 1 lb a week (when that hit 1200 I changed to lose 1/2 lb per week)
    TOP OF RANGE: Maintain Calories for my GOAL Weight.
    (SAFETY VALVE: Maintain Calories for CURRENT Weight - remember to keep updating this number as you lose)

    ++Only worry about it 1 lb at a time.
    Forget I *NEED* to lose 20, 30, 50, 100 lbs. I'm only worried about 1 lb the next one. I'll worry about the others later.
    Once I found ways to lessen the stress, I found it way easier to focus on the process and let the results follow. (It's what worked for me some people need the stress to get them motivated. Me I get scared and overwhelmed and don't see the big goal as achievable. )

    ++Think of losing weight like the stock market. Yes, there will be fluctuations but as long as the overall trend is the the right direction don't worry

    Food is not the enemy. You need nutrition to fuel your body and make it strong. and healthy just feels so damn good.

    Most vitamins are fat soluable... so remember to include plant and fish based fats (HAPPY FATS) so you can access the nutrients in your food.

    All of your foods fall into 1 or more of 3 macro nutrient categories
    FATS • CARBS • PROTEINS ... I personally think it's unwise to severely restrict any one of these categories.
    Instead of eliminating or limiting quantity focus on the quality...

    HAPPY FATS (Plant and fish bases)
    COMPLEX CARBS (un or minimally processed)
    LEAN PROTEINS

    Oddly enough, on my journey here I've reduced guilt over food.
    I have the occasional treat and I fully enjoy it with no guilt involved.
    The thing is since I'm not eating crap all the time, now the occasional treat is just that a TREAT it's special and I enjoy it so much more than when I was unconsciously shovel junk food into my face.
  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
    Log it and move on. Tomorrow is a new day. This is a lifestyle change, not a race. So you blew it today, oh well, that's going to happen, it's not the end of the world. Try to do better tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. Before you know it, you will be on track to a healthier you.

    This.
    You're on a journey to making a lifestyle change. You're going to slip up and make mistakes along the way. But you'll also be learning to avoid the pitfalls and, in the end, you'll be successful. It takes awhile to change the old habits and learn new ones.
    Log it and move on. Learn from today.
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
    It takes a sustained lack of concern to get the kind of fat I got. LOL
  • jmkmomm
    jmkmomm Posts: 3,247 Member
    By just getting up the next day, swinging your legs over to the floor and saying that this is a new day. Yesterday is gone.
  • jaya_lakshmi27
    jaya_lakshmi27 Posts: 50
    No ammout of food can completely undo all your work. You're trying to change your life. Nobody is perfect; we all make mistakes. Log it and push it out of your head.
  • Areneholmes
    Areneholmes Posts: 46 Member
    Everyone needs a break every now and then. Logging everything and keeping the numbers low is very structured and can be boring if not depressing when you realize that to keep that up 24/7 you can't have that slice of cheesecake really ever. But that's no fun, and really that's not living, and if you're not LIVING then what's the point in any of this?

    The above posters are right. You're not going to undo your work in a day. You can easily decide to spend 10 more minutes a day walking or on the elliptical and you'll make up for that 1000 calories in no time, so it's really nothing to worry about. Just keep your overages in moderation- set goals and give yourself treats for reaching them.

    You can't keep beating yourself up over numbers, and you have to realize that the change is a process, so you're not going to start out 100% within your goal all the time. Just keep striving for better and you'll see improvements.

    Sometimes you want dessert, and that's fine. Just don't overdo it all.the.time and you'll be fine. Moderation. Breaking the rules occasionally is what keeps me sane and happy. Your mood and mental health are just as important as the physical side of you, so don't fret indulging occasionally.

    Life is good. :)
  • sk_pirate
    sk_pirate Posts: 282 Member
    Here is a ginormous brain dump... I'm sure all the other MFPers are sick of seeing this already, but it's what helped me so I like to share it....

    The good news is you don't have to be perfect, you just have to be better.

    ++Track for a week or two before worrying about losing. This way you'll see where you really stand, odds are it is different than where you thought you were, which is actually good news...

    ++Be scrupulously honest... you can lie to your friends, you can lie in your diary, you can lie to yourself, but YOUR BODY KNOWS EVERYTHING YOU EAT. So you might as well be honest in your diary (keep it private if you like) but you need that info because you can't get where you are going if your are not honest about where you are right now.

    ++See where you can make small changes on things that aren't so important to you.
    (Don't even think of taking chocolate out of my diet!!!)
    --Reducing quantities
    --Swapping out things instead of eliminating them.

    ++Focus on what you should eat not what your shouldn't.
    Eating your nutritious foods first. Your body will be more satisfied and have less cravings.

    ++Small sustainable changes.
    If you completely revamp your diet, it's way easy to revert to old ways in times of stress.     (and who doesn't have stress?)
    If you make a series of small changes, food still offers you some sense of comfort, sort of a comfort continuum, and after a while the first small changes will seem comforting in themselves. Also rather than having to think about everything all the time. You only have to think about a 2 or 3 new things to focus on.

    ++Rather than being uberstrict with the target MFP set for me. (I swear this saved my life.) I was happier once I gave myself a range:

    ROCK BOTTOM: 1200 cal
    TARGET: MFP Calories for lose 1 lb a week (when that hit 1200 I changed to lose 1/2 lb per week)
    TOP OF RANGE: Maintain Calories for my GOAL Weight.
    (SAFETY VALVE: Maintain Calories for CURRENT Weight - remember to keep updating this number as you lose)

    ++Only worry about it 1 lb at a time.
    Forget I *NEED* to lose 20, 30, 50, 100 lbs. I'm only worried about 1 lb the next one. I'll worry about the others later.
    Once I found ways to lessen the stress, I found it way easier to focus on the process and let the results follow. (It's what worked for me some people need the stress to get them motivated. Me I get scared and overwhelmed and don't see the big goal as achievable. )

    ++Think of losing weight like the stock market. Yes, there will be fluctuations but as long as the overall trend is the the right direction don't worry

    Food is not the enemy. You need nutrition to fuel your body and make it strong. and healthy just feels so damn good.

    Most vitamins are fat soluable... so remember to include plant and fish based fats (HAPPY FATS) so you can access the nutrients in your food.

    All of your foods fall into 1 or more of 3 macro nutrient categories
    FATS • CARBS • PROTEINS ... I personally think it's unwise to severely restrict any one of these categories.
    Instead of eliminating or limiting quantity focus on the quality...

    HAPPY FATS (Plant and fish bases)
    COMPLEX CARBS (un or minimally processed)
    LEAN PROTEINS

    Oddly enough, on my journey here I've reduced guilt over food.
    I have the occasional treat and I fully enjoy it with no guilt involved.
    The thing is since I'm not eating crap all the time, now the occasional treat is just that a TREAT it's special and I enjoy it so much more than when I was unconsciously shovel junk food into my face.

    A big +1

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