Stepped on the scale has sent me bawling

I ate lots of McDonald's when I lost over one hundred pounds. You can look up the science teacher who ate nothing but McDonald's for six months and lost over sixty pounds.

mybigfat wrote: »

What how

Calories in, calories out.

You aren't disgusting lol. Who doesn't like fast food? 220 isn't that large. Tons of thin men eat more than 2 sandwiches, large fries and a coke. I think to be happy and successful in weight loss, you should probably accept that you are a normal human and not the worst person on the planet.

If you did great every week and had McDonalds once a week, you'd still be trending downwards, but you just give up. Just because you ate some junk doesn't mean you failed. Maybe if you allowed fast food once or twice a month you wouldn't feel like you need a forbidden affair with it lol

What about planning on having 1 sandwich, a small fries and a diet coke? Log it in to your day in the morning and work everything else out around it. Thinking of your weekly calorie goal might make it easier for you to fit it in as well.

Perhaps you're trying to be overly restrictive with your food choices? I find that if I tell myself I can't have something I want it, if I remove the restriction and know I could have it if I really wanted it I could, I don't want it much.

Hello. I came to a stunning realisation about three weeks ago:
Nothing is off limits.
The key is moderation. You can factor in a McDonald's meal once a year, once a month, once a week or once a day if you want, but if it was once a day you would just end up being disappointed in yourself and the cycle of feeling bad about yourself would continue. Once a week is slightly better if you can swap two sandwiches for a Happy meal or chicken nuggets, swap fries for salad or a fruit bag etc. Once a month seems a good compromise if you can have one sandwich, small fries and a salad. It's a nice treat that isn't going to interrupt your weight loss journey, and you can use it as a reward for staying the course. In time you learn that delayed gratification can become a useful tool to keep yourself steady. I think you could do with talking to someone about your low self esteem, because I get the sense that that will be the thing that most affects your weight loss goals. You can find a therapist, or a trusted friend, and people here have said some very helpful things. You're not the worst person for not eating as optimally as you want to; you're just human, prone to the same setbacks everyone on the planet is. Try to be a bit more gentle with yourself. Instead of beating yourself up about having a bit of food you've told yourself you can't have, try telling yourself you can have any food you want, but you are choosing to make different choices that will help your health, not hinder your self esteem. A slight blip is not the end of the world, and it takes time to make course corrections. Even a toy car can't turn on a dime. The more you make small corrections, the easier it will become to make different food choices. In the meantime, treat yourself with a bit more kindness.

@mybig fat. Consider changing your user name. We're all dealing with a brain that likes the path of least resistance. Deep grooves in the brain that enjoy running on autopilot. Have you ever driven down a long straight stretch of road or a long, lonesome highway and can't remember much about arriving there? The brain was driving on autopilot, in the zone.

Between dream weight back in the past and today's weight, the brain doesn't alert you one single time to STOP. Not one time. The brain waits until a person is at their highest weight before it sounds the alarm. The brain is like that. Silent, completely silent during the eating or eating it all back cycle. The brain does not care.

When the alarm is sounded or the wakeup call comes the brain acts like a bratty child. Not me, don't look at me, I didn't do it. The brain lives for massive rationalization, it will make up all kinds of excuses and point the finger in every direction. Don't blame me. It ain't my fault.

That's what we all have to deal with. When we dig ourselves into a much deeper hole with food we have to focus, focus, focus. Laser focus. This is going to take focus and consistent effort. Consistency and going slow for the permanent WIN.

On a one meal at a time, one day at a time basis, you will eventually look back in the rearview mirror and see how far you've come. Do not dial it down. Give yourself permission to eat the foods you enjoy. Track them and budget for them. Pay as you go.

We must all pay the toll booth for the use of the highway. Stay wide alert out there and focus every day.

Mari22na wrote: »

Boom. @Millicent3015

All or Nothing Thinking is the recipe for eating it all back. It says that you do everything perfectly or go down the rabbit hole. Moderation is everything. Don't believe anyone who tells you that you cannot moderate yourself or your food choices. You can.

All or Nothing Thinking will keep you in the dieting/rebound weight gain food loop for the rest of your life.
If you've been an All or Nothing Dieter, has that changed everything for you then? I'm not talking temporarily but I'm talking for the rest of your life.

Moderation is real and it works.

This is so true and personally I think I have finally conquered all or nothing thinking when it comes to weight loss. In the past if I had one bad meal I would turn it into a day of feasting because in my mind I already ruined my diet. I would also skip my scheduled workout if I happened to eat poorly earlier. Now I will still go to my scheduled workout, even if I slip with my eating and will resume with the program at my next meal. At the end of the year this all adds up to a bunch of pounds lost and calories saved. I also make room for tasty things like burgers and fries, however I will have one burger, not two and a small amount of fries, not a mountain. I think key to success is definitely moderation and changing your thinking patterns in line with that moderation.