How do you deal with an "off week?"

JessicaLSpinder
JessicaLSpinder Posts: 14 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been doing very well with eating better, working out, and I've lost weight as a result of that. But this week was not that great. I over ate on some meals and I had sugary treats that I promised myself I wouldn't touch. I do have my period, so I'm a little more emotional this week and I think that could be the reason. I've haven't been drinking that much water or doing my nightly walks with my dog. It has not been a good week for me. I just don't want to feel like I'm getting back into old habits. How do you handle this?

Replies

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    All you can do is do better starting today.
  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
    You just need to get back on the wagon. Everyone slips from time to time. I've had countless days where I over ate by 1000 calories or more. But every time I got back on track and logged everything I ate.

    You might want to also reevaluate your goals if you find it too difficult to stay on track. Promising yourself you won't eat a sugary treat is going to make you want that treat more. So maybe you can allow yourself the treat, just schedule it in and fit it into your calorie target, or maybe just a little over.
  • kristen6350
    kristen6350 Posts: 1,094 Member
    You don't have to be perfect all the time. You will have days where you will fail. The next day you get right back up. The more good days you have, the easier it will be. Sometimes it's your mind over your stomach.

    I know that time of the month is hard to push through, but you have them every month. It can't be something that derails you each and every time. You'll need to push through it if this is REALLY what you want.

    Good luck!
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Periods will wreak havoc with cravings.

    If you pay attention, you may find that there a couple of days toward the end of it or just after when you're really not very hungry at all. That happened to me and I've seen other post here who had the same thing happen. So, I'd eat more before (especially pasta) and less after. It worked out for me. :)
  • HikeCyclist
    HikeCyclist Posts: 153 Member
    When I PMS I let myself eat at maintenance if I feel that I need to. It's not worth the stress and anxiety for me to have to worry about staying at a deficit. Letting myself eat at maintenance is much easier on my mind. I feel less bad about it if I make those allowances for myself.
  • jjmariposa
    jjmariposa Posts: 9 Member
    I just had that experience - doing well before I ate all those crackers. Now I'm just back to looking at today and what I can do now.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Log today and move on. Tomorrow is a new day.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I'm always 1500 calories over maintenance or something the week before my period, because I'm just ravenous.

    I just get back into it as soon as the hunger gets manageable again and try to keep a good deficit the next 3 weeks. I'm in maintenance pretty much though, I never had such hunger while I was losing thankfully.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    JessicaLSpinder wrote: »
    I just don't want to feel like I'm getting back into old habits. How do you handle this?

    If you don't want to get back into old habits, then don't make this a habit. Stop worrying about what is done and start focusing on what needs to be done.
  • amwoidyla
    amwoidyla Posts: 257 Member
    Just try your very best to get back to your routine. We all have off days or weeks and sometimes motivation comes and goes.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
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  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
    I am a number-driven person. So I actually keep a running spreadsheet where I enter the daily number I went above or below my goal, with the desire for it to add up to 0 or more(in the green) for the week. If I have a few "red" days, I calculate exactly how much I need to cut back the rest of the week to get to my goal...or close to it, it's not always perfect. This also keeps things in perspective...a couple bad days over a period of a whole week might only put me 200 calories above my goal for the whole week...that averages less than 70 calories above goal per day, which is really nothing in the long run.

    Good luck, get back to it!
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    In addition to getting back on the wagon, maybe take an analytical look at the last week and see if there's something you could have done differently to avoid having a bad week or that could have helped it not be as bad.

    But don't worry, we all have those days (or weeks). Yesterday I made a batch of rice pudding and ate the whole thing (plus some cookies and a popsicle). Looking back, I've not been netting enough calories. Probably why I felt the need to eat even after my stomach was stuffed, not a problem I usually have. Lesson learned.
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
    I dunno - give up?

    There are really two basic options, right? Give up or keep on keepin' on.

    Choose.
  • Kimo159
    Kimo159 Posts: 508 Member
    Just try not to beat yourself up about falling off the wagon a bit, you're human, we all do it. So just let go of any guilt for what has happened as it's in the past, you can't change that. Just start back into your good habits again. Another thing that I've learned through the years is that one cheat bite, meal, day, week, whatever, doesn't have to lead to a continued string of bad habits and weight gain (again). When I learned to forgive myself for that bite, or meal, or cheat day I found it easier to get back on the wagon and not let my cheats turn into a relapse.

    Good luck!
  • zombiemusicgirl
    zombiemusicgirl Posts: 98 Member
    You can't expect perfection. Just get back to it. It's a whole set of skills to have a day or a few days of imperfection and then get right again.

    I assume you don't live on a weight loss ranch, so just get back on track. Make a plan for the next week and stick with it.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    *kitten* happens, keep moving forward.
    When I used to get my period I'd be starving and eating everything in sight the week before! Just couldn't eat enough or get full no matter what. The moment I'd get it my appetite would be gone and I'd go two or three days without being able to eat at all. It's all a wash in the end...
  • Btico
    Btico Posts: 2 Member
    For me, it's being kind to me when I feel I've not done my best, or been too hard on myself. Put the "off" week behind you and go forward. Jump back on your track...meaning what's working for YOU. We all have those days when we don't feel as successful, hang in there and get back at it. :)
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    I'm having one of those weeks but I'm not letting it stress me out. I didn't net enough overall last week and consequently I'm hungrier this weekAND it was my TOM on top. I just ate at maintenance a couple f days with some meal consisting of peanut butter ice cream! It's life, learning how to manage my calories within life's happenings is what matters to me because I will be all over the place mentally (due to mental illness) and so I have to get a grip or go under food wise.

    We're all learning, this is an opportunity for you to learn too.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    What's done, is done. Start again.

    Or don't.

    Up to you.

    What you cannot do, though, is "make up for it".
  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    What's done, is done. Start again.

    Or don't.

    Up to you.

    What you cannot do, though, is "make up for it".

    Well, it depends....if you only go over the weekly goal by a few hundred, I assure you, you CAN make up for it by simply creating a larger deficit over the next few days. I go over on the weekend and save about 100 calories each week day, give or take.

    If we're talking about 1000s of calories over goal, probably not gonna happen. That's why it's important to take the emotion out and analyze the numbers.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    The starting premise was "It has not been a good week for me". That generally means considerably more than "a few hundred" excess calories for the week.
  • 218Beth
    218Beth Posts: 34 Member
    I'm having one of those days right now. The last 2 days I had calories to spare. Today, not so much. Tomorrow might not be good either. But if it's bad, like others said, I just pick up and move back to being more watchful/mindful/better. It took me time to gain the weight, it's going to take time to lose it.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    Make up for it the next week. Nothing done which cannot be undone.

    The key is your awareness. Log it and move one.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Log it and move on.
  • daniwilford
    daniwilford Posts: 1,030 Member
    I had a tough week last week or so I thought. I have had to eliminate my cardio workouts and I just couldn't seem to control the hunger. Several days I was in the red by a few hundred calories, image my surprise when the scale was down 2 lbs. Either way, I have adjusted my loss per week goal to manage my hunger until I can go back to full workout. The worst thing to do is to say, "I am over so I may as well go on a big binge." Cowgirl Up!
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    All you can do is do better starting today.

    This.

    One day at a time.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    The starting premise was "It has not been a good week for me". That generally means considerably more than "a few hundred" excess calories for the week.

    Maybe for you, but that is not necessarily true for anyone or everyone else. It can mean many things.
  • R1rainbows
    R1rainbows Posts: 129 Member
    I am in a war with myself at pms/period time. I feel that all I can think about is yummy foods in giant portions. I have dreams about garlic veggie pizza and nachos and spaghetti, and general deliciousness during, lol. On top of feeling unnecessarily hungry, I also lack energy and motivation to workout! Like someone else said, allowing myself to eat at maintenance has made a world of difference. It really fixed my problem at cycle time all together. Don't let the one week get you discouraged, just pick back up again and try maintenance calories for next time, it might just work for you too :) good luck :)

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