How Do You Bounce Back From "Ruining Your Diet"?

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BrianK2893
BrianK2893 Posts: 4 Member
in Motivation and Support
This is a concept I go back and forth on with myself, and I'm curious how others approach getting back on track right after you ruin your diet? I've noticed a pattern where if I go way overboard on calories for a day after being consistent for weeks, it's enough to put me in a slump and it becomes a mental struggle to find peace with the next day. Would love to draw inspiration from others who have experienced this!

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  • gpanda103
    gpanda103 Posts: 189 Member
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    I wouldn’t think of what you’re doing as a “diet”. A diet just consists of what you eat, that is it. Calling something a diet just implies you are only doing it temporarily. Compound that with the fact that you are seeing food as “good” and “bad” you are going to be in a rough time

    If you feel like you are ruining things by eating food, you are being too restrictive.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
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    It's taken a long time to realize that I needed to give myself the same kindness, compassion, and forgiveness that I would give to anyone else. Doing it can still be a struggle, depending on what the issue was.

    As for following my eating plan, I've gotten pretty good at accepting that I'll have a rough day now and again. I handle stress by eating. I've spent more than a week dealing with two sick cats. It wasn't easy to drive past all the fast food drive thrus between home and the vet office. Had I stopped, I would have started again with the next meal. Being angry at myself for being human is pointless. I was born human.

    I wouldn't tell my friend she's worthless and deserves to be fat and miserable because she stress ate a Big Mac last night. It isn't fair to be saying that to myself. It's counterproductive. Log it, go to bed, and just keep going tomorrow. At the end of the week, month, year... it will make very little difference in your overall progress. The only time you lose, is if you give up.
  • Anniesquats100
    Anniesquats100 Posts: 3,039 Member
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    Sometimes I have to remind myself what my true goal is. It helps to read success stories here on MFP, or even the motivation and support stories. The more time I spend learning about diet and exercise the more likely I am to get right back on track. Because I want to be strong and skinny all day more than I want a thirty second taste of chocolate.

    Another saying I heard: if you fell down one step would you throw yourself down the rest of the staircase? So why if you overeat one meal would you abandon your plan?
  • neffybetty
    neffybetty Posts: 26 Member
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    Start again at the next meal!
  • LiveOnceBeHappy
    LiveOnceBeHappy Posts: 432 Member
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    I went entirely off my plan tonight. Indian food with appetizers and then chocolate cake and two glasses of red wine. It was my husband’s birthday. All good. Back on track tomorrow. I logged everything as best I could. Just keep going tomorrow.
  • Bex953172
    Bex953172 Posts: 4,071 Member
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    Couldn't agree more with everyone else!

    You just need to change your mindset, one bad day doesn't ruin your whole diet. Like Annie said "If you fell down one step would you throw yourself down the whole staircase?" (Love that btw Annie you should post it in JFT)

    Me personally, I don't strive for perfection, just progress. I'm going to make mistakes. I'm going to have bad days. I'm gonna have "F it" days.
    But, I can look at them bad days and see how I can make progress the next day. Even if it's only a small thing. Aslong as I did better than the day before, it's a win. Even if it's only eating 50 less calories. But then you try beat that day, then the next day and the next day until you're back to where you were. And then if you "ruin" it again, start again :)
  • JaysFan82
    JaysFan82 Posts: 852 Member
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    One day isn't going to ruin your day but it's mentally hard to get that. Been a long time struggle for me. I'm paranoid to eat anything bad.
  • JessiBelleW
    JessiBelleW Posts: 815 Member
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    I think I’ve cracked it for myself. Recommit to eating well, and throw in some extra calories (more of the food that already fits my plan) to help my body bridge from holiday / over eating mode back to calorie deficit mode
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,088 Member
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    Good advice above, from all.

    I'd add this: Food isn't a sin, so guilt and shame about eating are 100% optional. They also feel icky. Weight management doesn't need to be a melodramatic, epic battle between good and evil, a quest where we triumph every second or fail totally.

    Food is just food. We need some. Ideally, it will be calorie-appropriate and nutritious, on average over a day or few. The rare meal day that isn't on-point is a small drop in a huge ocean. The majority of our days determine the majority of our body-weight outcomes.

    So, yeah, if you eat in a way that doesn't support your goals, just go back to your normal healthy daily habits, learn from the experience, and then let it go. Don't beat yourself up - it's pointless.

    You can't "ruin your diet". A diet is just eating patterns over time. It's not a project with an end date.

    You can gradually improve your routine eating patterns without being perfect every single second. In fact, IMO it's easier to improve your eating patterns if you don't try to be perfect every single second. You're trying to find new habits of eating/movement that you can continue long term - ideally permanently - to not only reach a healthy weight, but stay there. Perfection is unachievable. Better, evolving toward good enough, will work.
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,464 Member
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    Do you keep a food diary? What do you do when you go over your number?

    Keep your food diary going no matter what and you’ll never be off your plan again. Yeah, you’ll go over your number. There are lots of things that can put us over our number. Bad or inadequate planning, diet fatigue, life emergencies, even simple math mistakes and misread NI can mess up our numbers. But the process is to have a plan, try to execute the plan, record the results. The process is more important than the numbers. If you’re plan doesn’t work out, try to figure out why and fix it for next time.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    Big picture...one day doesn't ruin anything. What you do most of the time is what matters.
  • goal06082021
    goal06082021 Posts: 2,130 Member
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    Make the next right choice.

    Next time you have the opportunity to make a choice, choose the option that better serves your goals. Progress over perfection; you are what you repeatedly do.
  • BeYourBestSelfDeb
    BeYourBestSelfDeb Posts: 64 Member
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    Brian, your not alone. I have fallen off the wagon in the past more times them I can count.
    First thing I do is Forgive myself
    Secondly I look at all the progress I have made
    Thirdly I think where I might be had I never started in the first place.
    Then I forgot about the past and the day before and I say Today is a new day. Or if today is the day I messed up I commit to doing better tomorrow.
    You can always change What You Acknowledge!
    Don’t let anyone or anything rob you of your dreams. You Can Do This I know you can!!
    Hope this helps

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