Self-sabotage - a fun way to ruin your diet!

fileshiny
fileshiny Posts: 149 Member
in Motivation and Support
Anyone else find themselves doing this?

I'll be chugging along on my diet, a little up and little down, but generally moving in the right direction. Then one day I weigh myself and discover that I am at a substantially lower weight than I had been before, and instead of giving myself a pat on the back and continuing on, that day I will end up having a huge meal that is absolutely not in my diet, ruining weeks of work.

I'm not on a low-calorie diet and don't usually experience cravings or feelings of deprivation. This seems to arise entirely from my reaction to having lost weight.

I am clearly trying to self-sabotage, but I'm not really sure why. Perhaps I fear the attention that comes with substantial weight loss and being more attractive? I'm sure I'm not alone in that.

It makes a diet difficult, these competing motivations to lose weight and to stay as I am.

Suggestions?

Replies

  • Tattoos_and_Tea
    Tattoos_and_Tea Posts: 529 Member
    Yup, all the time, we are only human after all x
  • Tattoos_and_Tea
    Tattoos_and_Tea Posts: 529 Member
    I try not to be too hard on myself about it. so what, I binged, no big deal, just stop bugging and carry on the day being good, that's what I try and do anyway!
  • elsielorpu
    elsielorpu Posts: 15 Member
    I do that so much, but know It needs to change. :-( Can't progress if I continue at that rate.
  • Shawshankcan
    Shawshankcan Posts: 900 Member
    One meal will not ruin weeks of dieting.
    It is not self sabatoge
  • fileshiny
    fileshiny Posts: 149 Member
    Shawshankcan wrote: »
    One meal will not ruin weeks of dieting.
    It is not self sabatoge

    It is, though. And by one meal, I mean a 2000 calorie meal! It's the timing that I find so odd. It's not that I think binging is all that strange or unusual; it's that it seems to happen only when the scale dips low.
  • spicy618
    spicy618 Posts: 2,114 Member
    Don't weigh yourself. Gadge your loss by how your clothes fit. I do the same thing and I beat myself up about it all the time. I remember when I was successful at losing 30 lbs. I never weighed myself once in the entire time. I just kept making sure I had my deficit and kept doing the right thing. Now that I have less to lose it seems impossible. :(
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I don't do that. I have dinners planned out for the month. I only shop or eat out once a week. I pretty much stick to my plan.
    What is a "substantial loss"? How much do you have to lose and how long have you been at this? What is your rate of loss set to?
    Maybe plan out a maintenance calorie day in advance for those occasions, or take a break and maintain for a few weeks or set your rate of loss for slower if seeing big drops freak you out. Plan a fun non-food reward. Weigh less often or not at all if the number on the scale messes with your head. Focus on different goals like improving fitness.

    If you have an emotional issue about change or getting more attention maybe therapy could be valuable to help you work through your feelings.
  • MermaidAmanda10
    MermaidAmanda10 Posts: 63 Member
    Going thru this too. I think i have wanted this so long and im afraid to fail so i sabotage myself. We just gotta fight it!!
  • hassankarimi82
    hassankarimi82 Posts: 153 Member
    Long term goals vs short term satisfaction. Just stay consistent. One meal isn't going to make you massive just like skipping a meal isn't going to make you slimmer.
  • 2011rocket3touring
    2011rocket3touring Posts: 1,346 Member
    The weekends are tough for me. During the weekly routine I can regiment my food easily, but since weekends are pretty topsy turvy I tend to sabotage a bit.
    Perhaps we can scale back on the crazy.
    I'm also more afraid of being attractive, the wife becomes very, very jealous.
  • Shawshankcan
    Shawshankcan Posts: 900 Member
    fileshiny wrote: »
    Shawshankcan wrote: »
    One meal will not ruin weeks of dieting.
    It is not self sabatoge

    It is, though. And by one meal, I mean a 2000 calorie meal! It's the timing that I find so odd. It's not that I think binging is all that strange or unusual; it's that it seems to happen only when the scale dips low.

    You said substantial weight lose. To me, that would be more than 10lbs in a month. You had one poor meal that would add less than a lb on to you IF it went directly to fat. You'd still be down 9 lbs over all. You're fine.

    If, however, you mean down a single pound in a week, then has this meal, then you would have issues.

    Your weight lose wil be define by the sum of your actions, not a single meal.
  • triflerose
    triflerose Posts: 4 Member
    Hang in there! Most of us go through this! I was down 57 lbs last year and have regained 30. Wish I could get a visual of how much I have gained and lost over the years! Would probaly fill a tanker truck! Read this post! Helped me today. Add me for support if you want! http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10376506/success-or-self-sabotage/p1
  • HazyEyes93
    HazyEyes93 Posts: 89 Member
    I would bargain that a self destructive pattern is was got a lot of us to where we are now.
  • mommamia30189
    mommamia30189 Posts: 82 Member
    I do this all the time. Once i almost get to where i want, I eat like a pig. I dont understand why i continue to do this to myself day after day.
  • llaurenmarie
    llaurenmarie Posts: 1,260 Member
    I learned to view the word diet as a 4-letter word.

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