Need support/validation

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nichell88
nichell88 Posts: 364 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Guess I could've posted this in the support forum but regardless, I transitioned to maintenance about 4 weeks ago. I've been doing very well to follow my food plan but have also started to loosen up a bit which is good for me. However, I'm just feeling anxious this week. I had a planned cheat of McDonald's on Wednesday, then today (Thursday) my coworkers showed up with pizza which was just so much more appealing than the salad I brought for lunch, so I had a slice of that. Then I also have a pop tart as another mini cheat for this week today. And lastly, we're going out for Chinese food tomorrow as a going away party for a coworker. It's so much junk! This is the first week I've had that looks like this, and I'm not going over my calories and I am hitting my macros, but it's so difficult seeing all of that junk food together on one week. It's all mental; I think I've just worked so hard to lose the weight I have lost that seeing it all there really gives me pause. Again, I know logically it's ok, but has anyone else gone through this? Please only encouraging responses. I'm hoping others can empathize with what I'm feeling and not tell me I'm crazy/illogical haha

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  • RebeccaNaegle
    RebeccaNaegle Posts: 236 Member
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    1 lb of fat is around 3500 calories. Having a "junky" week wont throw away all of your progress. you will however, put on some water weight, and if you will just get back on track after these few cheats, things will even back out for you. Life is too short to punish yourself over a few days of treats and junk food. Just get back on the saddle and your body will go right back to where you were! Don't beat yourself up over this! I know that's easier said than done but youre only human!
  • nichell88
    nichell88 Posts: 364 Member
    edited June 2017
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    RebeccaNaegle wrote: »
    1 lb of fat is around 3500 calories. Having a "junky" week wont throw away all of your progress. you will however, put on some water weight, and if you will just get back on track after these few cheats, things will even back out for you. Life is too short to punish yourself over a few days of treats and junk food. Just get back on the saddle and your body will go right back to where you were! Don't beat yourself up over this! I know that's easier said than done but youre only human!

    Again, I know all of that logically. Im certainly not punishing myself over it by any means. I'm just struggling with the mental aspect of seeing all of that and wanted to see if anyone else has gone through that or gets it. Doesn't seem to be the case for you but was hoping someone understood what I was saying
  • BZAH10
    BZAH10 Posts: 5,710 Member
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    You've done a fantastic job of physically transforming! You look great! The mental aspect takes a while longer, sometimes. For me personally, changing my inner dialogue helped the most. Food is fuel and to be enjoyed. Remove the emotions from it. Remove the labels of good, bad, junk, cheat, etc.

    You can eat all of the things you mentioned just in the proper portions, which it sounds like you are. Be consistent and keep working on the mental aspect of food. It will get easier!
  • nichell88
    nichell88 Posts: 364 Member
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    @BZAH10 thank you so much! That is super helpful honestly. I can tell you understand exactly what I'm trying to say and get my feelings. It's definitely going to take time and work, maintenance is still so new to me
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    You're hitting your calories... You're hitting your macros... enjoy your week :smile:
  • RedSquadronLeader
    RedSquadronLeader Posts: 84 Member
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    Look no further than your before/after pic for validation -- you know what you're doing! If you're feeling crappy about having less healthy foods all stacked up in a week, that's good because that says you've made a huge mental shift over the course of the weight loss, and you now feel good when you're loaded up on nutritious stuff. It sounds like you're doing well with incorporating little treats now and again, so I'd say don't let your feelings now lead you to a super-restrictive phase where you don't plan these in - just get right back to doing what you've been doing. Try to think long-term: you're bound to have a few off-days and off-weeks over the course of a lifetime of maintenance and healthy eating. As long as you're wanting to get back to your usual routine, you're doing great.
  • nichell88
    nichell88 Posts: 364 Member
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    @RedSquadronLeader thank you! That makes sense
  • CJ_Holmes
    CJ_Holmes Posts: 759 Member
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    It will take a while to wrap your head around maintenance! It seems totally normal to have a lack of trust and a fear of going out of control. It's also a weird feeling to let go of the constant thought many of us have had for most of our adult lives- "I need to lose weight. I must be doing something wrong." Remind yourself that you have the tools and skills now. If you commit to being honest with yourself and logging everything, you will know exactly why if you start to go off track. It can't sneak up on you if you keep your good habits and accountability. Be patient with yourself. What you're feeling is normal.
  • nichell88
    nichell88 Posts: 364 Member
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    @CJ_Holmes thank you. I knew deep down I wasn't crazy but it's really nice to hear someone else confirm that haha
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
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    What has helped me is to have a maintenance weight range. If I find I'm creeping up to the upper limit of that range, it's time to tighten up my logging again.

    Having a range has taken the pressure off of maintenance for me. Allows me to live life in all of its spontaneous deliciousness without guilt while remaining accountable to myself.
  • ContraryMaryMary
    ContraryMaryMary Posts: 1,649 Member
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    Maintenance is hard. Harder than losing weight in my opinion. But you know how it works - the maintenance range idea is a good one. I give myself a couple of kilos grace, then panic when I get to a particular number. Otherwise it's swings and roundabouts. Good luck.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,752 Member
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    I would really work on your relationship with food - food is not something to be anxious about, or scared of, or something to separate in to good or bad. You aren't cheating by eating MacDonald's, or a pop tart or pizza. You are just eating. You are tracking. You are making food (and life) fit your goals.

    I was a obsessive clean eater to the point of being orthorexic. I realised, luckily, how unhealthy I was becoming despite how much "healthy" food I consumed. There is more to health than what you eat - embracing IIFYM was the best thing I ever did for my dietary habits!
  • jhnbwh1014
    jhnbwh1014 Posts: 3 Member
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    Because you slipped don't quit
  • nichell88
    nichell88 Posts: 364 Member
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    snickerscharlie wrote: »
    What has helped me is to have a maintenance weight range. If I find I'm creeping up to the upper limit of that range, it's time to tighten up my logging again.

    Having a range has taken the pressure off of maintenance for me. Allows me to live life in all of its spontaneous deliciousness without guilt while remaining accountable to myself.

    @snickerscharlie I have a maintenance range. I actually haven't heard of too many people who have an exact number. I don't think I've heard of any. I don't think that's a thing, haha. Logically, I'm not really worried about gaining weight directly
  • nichell88
    nichell88 Posts: 364 Member
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    jhnbwh1014 wrote: »
    Because you slipped don't quit

    @jhnbwh1014 I wasn't planning on it...? I would also argue I didn't really slip
  • nichell88
    nichell88 Posts: 364 Member
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    @livingleanlivingclean this is all logic that I understand. I know that I'm doing well and I'm in control. I guess I was just looking for validation of my feelings around this, that it can't be too atypical to feel that way. Not so much needing acknowledgment that my thought is less than logical
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,752 Member
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    nichell88 wrote: »
    @livingleanlivingclean this is all logic that I understand. I know that I'm doing well and I'm in control. I guess I was just looking for validation of my feelings around this, that it can't be too atypical to feel that way. Not so much needing acknowledgment that my thought is less than logical

    I'm sure it is normal, but learning to let go of the negativity around foods and anxiousness is going to help. I guess the longer you control your weight (for whatever goal you have, whether that's losing, maintaining or purposefully gaining) the easier it is to just go through weeks like you are without question or doubt
  • STEVE142142
    STEVE142142 Posts: 867 Member
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    First of all your big mistake is referring to it as a cheat day or a cheat meal. By referring it to as a cheat you're implying you're doing something wrong which you're not. For this to work you have to enjoy the journey.

    You will have your update she will have your down days. I'll give you my situation January 1st 2016 my weight was 288 lb I've been maintaining around the 208-pound area for the past nine months. During my losing face I went on vacation and for 4 days ate too much drank too much. Got back from vacation and got back on track and lost weight. September 2016 started to go into maintenance when on vacation for about a week in October and went on vacation in January for about a week. During both those trips ate too much drink too much there were probably a couple days I drank my calorie limit. I wouldn't have traded it for anything if I had to give up beer on the beach pizza or the occasional Wendy's hamburger which I've done a couple days in a row I could have never succeeded in my journey.

    What I'm trying to tell you is yes it's not paranoid to be concerned but don't let it dominate your life remember this is a long-term Journey it's not some kind of short Sprint and most importantly you have to enjoy the journey. If you don't it will not work

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