What have I done? Should I feel bad?

CamdenHerlihy
CamdenHerlihy Posts: 13 Member
edited April 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone,

Let me start off by introducing myself. My name is Camden. I am 21 years old I'm 5 feet 2 inches tall. I currently weigh 116 pounds. I've lost 22 pounds sense the middle of March. I got my 6-pack back my muscle definition and lost a ton of fat. It took over 20 weeks.


When I finally reached my physical appearance goals and
weight goal, I decided it was time for a cheat weekend. I felt like I had earned it at this point. I said I'm going to eat whatever I want and now I feel absolutely terrible. I love Dunkin Donuts,
And wanted to treat myself to Donuts that I haven't had in a long time. I had about five throughout the course of the day. I also have some split pea soup for dinner some chicken nuggets and a large coffee with sugar.

I feel like all of my hard work is lost now. I feel like I'm going to have to start all over and when I look in the mirror I feel like I can see the fat coming back as I was psychologically a mess. What are your thoughts on cheat days like this? What are the ramifications? Am I going to gain a ton of weight?

Replies

  • pebble4321
    pebble4321 Posts: 1,132 Member
    I think you are being a little melodramatic here.... Obviously one day of overeating isn't going to negate the changes you have made in 20 weeks (I'm assuming "since middle of March" is a typo, that's only 4 weeks).

    Anyway, what's done is done, you can't go back, but you go get to choose how to go forward.
    - You could choose to throw your hands in the air and say "see, this proves I can never lose weight, I'm a failure" - though I don't recommend it!
    - Or you could say "yum, I enjoyed those donuts, back to my regular healthy eating now".

  • pinggolfer96
    pinggolfer96 Posts: 2,248 Member
    Your chest day sounds like it was less than 2500 cals...

    Theres nothing you can do now, just move on. I highly doubt you did a lot of damage (if any). Probably water retention
  • vespiquenn
    vespiquenn Posts: 1,455 Member
    No you are not going to gain a ton of weight. Do you plan on restricting or eating the way you do now for the rest of your life? If the answer is no, I think you need to develop a better relationship with food. To say "that you see the fat" after one day is alarming and indicative of body dysmorphia.
  • CamdenHerlihy
    CamdenHerlihy Posts: 13 Member
    pebble4321 wrote: »
    I think you are being a little melodramatic here.... Obviously one day of overeating isn't going to negate the changes you have made in 20 weeks (I'm assuming "since middle of March" is a typo, that's only 4 weeks).

    Anyway, what's done is done, you can't go back, but you go get to choose how to go forward.
    - You could choose to throw your hands in the air and say "see, this proves I can never lose weight, I'm a failure" - though I don't recommend it!
    - Or you could say "yum, I enjoyed those donuts, back to my regular healthy eating now".


    Yes it is a typo I'm sorry I am currently driving using the text to speech app for Android I don't know how it thought I said that. Thank you for your response :-)
  • pwillis20
    pwillis20 Posts: 30 Member
    Try to have a cheat meal instead of a cheat day. Yes you deserve to reward yourself, but not by binging on food that sets you back from your hard work and goals. Don't get discouraged or stress though, stress-cortisol will only add more weight. You shouldn't gain a ton of weight, you would need to be in a 3500 calorie surplus for a 1 lb gain. Chances are your body blew up on the carbs-glycogen and the sodium content. These are related to water retention as well so it makes you appear softer and less defined. Judging from your credentials and 6 pack you've worked hard and have produced a nice package so trust yourself and just keep doing what your doing.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    Do you honestly think that one day will change 20 weeks work?

    No, thought not.

    No drama.
  • smotheredincheese
    smotheredincheese Posts: 559 Member
    The title of the thread makes it sound like you've committed a murder :o
    You definitely shouldn't feel bad, 5 donuts is pretty mild compared to what a lot of us can plough through on a cheat day.
    The 22 lbs you've lost aren't going to come back overnight, it would take a lot of donut eating days for that to happen.
  • lemonlionheart
    lemonlionheart Posts: 580 Member
    Did you eat 77000 calories over your maintenance? Because that's what you would have needed to eat to gain back the 22 pounds you lost. You ate 5 donuts and some chicken nuggets, that barely counts as a cheat for many of us around here. :) Have you logged the calories you ate? It takes 3500 calories over maintenance to gain back one pound.

    At most you'll probably gain a couple pounds of water weight, this should be gone after a few days. And no, you definitely shouldn't feel bad or guilty, just enjoy your treat day and move on. Maybe instead of restricting all the foods you love you can incorporate them into your diet more often so you're not tempted to go overboard again? If you fit a donut into your calories once or twice a week when you feel like it you'll be less likely to eat 5 in one sitting down the track!
  • CamdenHerlihy
    CamdenHerlihy Posts: 13 Member
    vespiquenn wrote: »
    No you are not going to gain a ton of weight. Do you plan on restricting or eating the way you do now for the rest of your life? If the answer is no, I think you need to develop a better relationship with food. To say "that you see the fat" after one day is alarming and indicative of body dysmorphia.

    It's so hard to convey over text ahaha. I was driving using a text to speak app but I'm stopped at the moment ( I drive taxis) I didn't want to make it sound like that, more so that I'm worried that such a huge intake of sugar and fats would add on weight quickly. I'm certainly not torturing myself by thinking the moment I eat something my body grows an inch. I'm new to the science of getting healthy and am just worried that maybe I did too much despite how much I thought I earned it. You know what I mean?
  • CamdenHerlihy
    CamdenHerlihy Posts: 13 Member
    pwillis20 wrote: »
    Try to have a cheat meal instead of a cheat day. Yes you deserve to reward yourself, but not by binging on food that sets you back from your hard work and goals. Don't get discouraged or stress though, stress-cortisol will only add more weight. You shouldn't gain a ton of weight, you would need to be in a 3500 calorie surplus for a 1 lb gain. Chances are your body blew up on the carbs-glycogen and the sodium content. These are related to water retention as well so it makes you appear softer and less defined. Judging from your credentials and 6 pack you've worked hard and have produced a nice package so trust yourself and just keep doing what your doing.

    I appreciate your response. I never knew that 3500 calories equaled a pound that's so useful to know thank you! I cut dairy and grains out of my diet in February and did a 3 week bone broth fast in March and that's where a lot of my weight burned off. It was the best thing that ever happened to me.
  • booksandchocolate12
    booksandchocolate12 Posts: 1,741 Member
    I don't think that one "cheat day" will have that much effect on your weight.

    But maybe look at why you feel you needed that day. Sounds to me like you lost weight being way too restrictive, depriving yourself. Maybe learn to incorporate a treat into your daily plan, so you don't burn out again.
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
    CamdenHerlihy wrote: »
    Hello everyone,

    Let me start off by introducing myself. My name is Camden. I am 21 years old I'm 5 feet 2 inches tall. I currently weigh 116 pounds. I've lost 22 pounds sense the middle of March. I got my 6-pack back my muscle definition and lost a ton of fat. It took over 20 weeks.


    When I finally reached my physical appearance goals and
    weight goal, I decided it was time for a cheat weekend. I felt like I had earned it at this point. I said I'm going to eat whatever I want and now I feel absolutely terrible. I love Dunkin Donuts,
    And wanted to treat myself to Donuts that I haven't had in a long time. I had about five throughout the course of the day. I also have some split pea soup for dinner some chicken nuggets and a large coffee with sugar.

    I feel like all of my hard work is lost now. I feel like I'm going to have to start all over and when I look in the mirror I feel like I can see the fat coming back as I was psychologically a mess. What are your thoughts on cheat days like this? What are the ramifications? Am I going to gain a ton of weight?

    Sorry, but I can only picture someone dramatically sobbing surrounded by half eaten donits. "WHAT HAVE I DONE?!"
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    As others have said I doubt you ate enough to gain a pound.
    But it could be a sign that you need to eat in a more sustainable way if you are feeling the need to eat a lot of stuff you haven't had for awhile. Start eating portions of the foods you like more frequently that fit your maintenance calories. Log it and see that it isn't so bad. Split pea soup and 5 chicken nuggets is just normal meals. Coffee with some sugar is normal. 5 doughnuts may be a bit much every day... but 1 or 2 should be fine.
    Are you logging food at all? Start logging and stop feeling bad for eating normally. Eat the way you want to for the rest of your life just the right amount of calories.

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