A plan for failure or a plan for success?

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SisterSueGetsFit
SisterSueGetsFit Posts: 1,211 Member
edited June 2018 in Health and Weight Loss
I’ve been back in a calorie deficit for approximately the last 6 weeks with varying degrees of success (about 5-6 pounds lost). The last couple weeks have been tough, but I’ve pushed through and am back to being positive today.

So next week is the 4th of July. I will spend it at the lake with family. I will go Tuesday and return Sunday. The food will be plentiful, and the drinks flowing freely. I’ve got a few options floating through my head. One, given the disappointment and self-loathing I go through after a bad week of eating I’m considering just going into a maintenance week and putting in a few extra steps to off balance anything extra that may be consumed. My goal being, obviously not to gain any weight. I also understand the scale may show a slight up-tick due to retention, but I’m okay with that temporarily. The problem? It’s just one more pound I will still have to lose.

Two, put on my big girl panties and stick to my deficit the best I can. My fear with this is that if I DON’T stick to it, I’m going to be so disappointed in my lack of self-control and fall back into that self-loathing rut. But if I am able to adhere to it, I lose a pound.

So, my questions is, do you think I’m setting myself up for failure by knowing I’m going to probably not stay on track or am I setting myself up for success by just maintaining? My plan is strongly leaning toward just eating at maintenance. While somewhat weak, I think it will be the best result.

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  • SisterSueGetsFit
    SisterSueGetsFit Posts: 1,211 Member
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    My vote is for maintenance too. Take it as rehearsal for "the rest of your life". Oh, and enjoy yourself :)

    This is definitely where I could use some practice! I'd successfully lost about 55-60 pounds and gained about 10-15 back over the course of a year by not managing maintenance well. I've now lost 6 of those pounds and am aiming for about 25 more. Although frustrating sometimes, slow and steady wins the race.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    My vote is for maintenance too. Take it as rehearsal for "the rest of your life". Oh, and enjoy yourself :)

    Yup.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Maintenance, definitely. I did it in April when I went to New York. If I tried sticking to a deficit on vacation I'd be miserable.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
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    Yep. Maintenance. Go easy on yourself if you endulge. Come back and get back to your deficit.
  • SisterSueGetsFit
    SisterSueGetsFit Posts: 1,211 Member
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    Thanks all! I guess I kind a new what I was going to do all along, but it’s nice to have some positive reinforcement.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,902 Member
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    Another vote for maintenance.

    Are you a swimmer? Swimming exercise calories taste the best!
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    edited June 2018
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    +1 Maintenance.

    I would worry I would come back resentful (at myself) if I wanted to join in and didn't. Feeling deprived might leave me with worse repercussions mentally than a week delay of a weight loss.
  • SisterSueGetsFit
    SisterSueGetsFit Posts: 1,211 Member
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    Thanks everyone! There are some really good points here.
  • The_Weaze
    The_Weaze Posts: 512 Member
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    I think aiming for maintenance is a good idea. This is life, you need to live it.
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
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    Overall health is so much more than what you eat and the exercise you do. You need to enjoy these occasions and these times are worth it even if it adds an extra week or two to reach your goals. In the scheme of things that little amount of time is irrelevant. Because of this, I am another one for maintenance while you are away but trying to add some extra exercise is also a great idea.
  • tess5036
    tess5036 Posts: 942 Member
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    I'd eat at maintenance, enjoy the time away, them go back to a deficit once back, that way you only delay reaching your goal by a few days
  • HeyJudii
    HeyJudii Posts: 264 Member
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    Maintenance!

    Went to Disneyland in April. Had myself a blast. In moderation. Nothing like a nice glass of wine, and a delicious slice at the end of the day at the parks (so much walking) and I felt so self-indulgent. (In 4 days, there was so much food, and I had a little bit of a lot of it.)

    And, renewed interest in returning to normal deficit when I returned. It was a relief as a matter of fact.

    One caveat, if you can, avoid weighing yourself for a week or so after you return and restart deficit eating. This will give your body time to return to "normal". That way, you will avoid the psychological punch from seeing any possible gains.
  • SisterSueGetsFit
    SisterSueGetsFit Posts: 1,211 Member
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    HeyJudii wrote: »
    Maintenance!

    Went to Disneyland in April. Had myself a blast. In moderation. Nothing like a nice glass of wine, and a delicious slice at the end of the day at the parks (so much walking) and I felt so self-indulgent. (In 4 days, there was so much food, and I had a little bit of a lot of it.)

    And, renewed interest in returning to normal deficit when I returned. It was a relief as a matter of fact.

    One caveat, if you can, avoid weighing yourself for a week or so after you return and restart deficit eating. This will give your body time to return to "normal". That way, you will avoid the psychological punch from seeing any possible gains.

    Super good advice on the weigh in, I will definitely hold off. I really need a diet break. Not the kind where I over eat and then feel bad, just a real break from it all. It’s been mentally exhausting as of late for some reason. Thank you for the solid advice!

  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    One more bit of advice.

    If this is an outdoor type event(heat and sun) expect more than "a slight uptick" due to water weight. You can mitigate some of that with extra hydration and electrolytes, but some of it will simply be unavoidable due to exposure. Don't sweat it.

    Last summer I got almost a 10 lb bump from being outside for the first BBQ of summer. Granted, I'm a bit bigger than you, but just know that it's a possibility and don't worry about it. It could take up to a week or two for the sun/heat related water retention/recovery to fully subside.
  • Scottgriesser
    Scottgriesser Posts: 172 Member
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    The whole point, at least in my perspective, of the "lose weight, get healthy, look better" thing we are all doing here is to better enjoy our lives.

    Not allowing yourself to indulge during the holiday is not bringing pleasure to your life. Do your best to get in a bit longer of a workout, or try your hardest to log the things you can, but absolutely do not deny yourself what will make you happy simply because you are afraid of what the scale may tell you at the end of it.

    You can lose whatever you gained. You aren't permanently punished for a week of "bad decisions". All it'll do is add some time to your journey. Not great, but not the end of the world.

    All that being said, don't go *kitten* nuts either. You don't need to morph into a 400lb trucker for the week. Be a bit more selective in your food choices. Do you really need the 5th hot dog or are the twenty beers telling you that you do?

    Plenty of people (myself included) have days where we just want to eat and drink the "bad " stuff and are able to do so without "falling off the wagon."
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
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    Maintenance.
    It is only a few days.
    Even if you do gain, you can get right back on track.
    Life happens. Birthdays, holidays, vacations, parties.
    All we can do is try our best.
    Most of us can relate to beating ourselves up because we had a lapse. It happens. All we can do is try to overcome the lapse, and continue on from where we left off. The key is to not get discouraged, or let it become habit. We are in this for the long term! Enjoy your time at the lake with your family! Happy 4th!
  • SisterSueGetsFit
    SisterSueGetsFit Posts: 1,211 Member
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    Thanks again everyone, I appreciate all the kind words and encouraging advice!

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