getting back on track after a bad day

worej
worej Posts: 108
edited November 12 in Food and Nutrition
I've done really well since I started tracking a few weeks ago, and generally I did reasonably well before then, too. But last night and this morning I made some pretty bad food choices, and ate way too much. (Why did I agree to help my boyfriend bake cookies last night, and why on earth did he want to make doughnuts this morning?!) I feel awful. Now, I know, today/tomorrow/whatever is a fresh start, and one bad day won't ruin my hard work. I'm not beating myself up emotionally about it, but my body just feels disgusting! I'm bloated by at least a few pounds, my workout was exhausting and dragged out, and I just want to sleep.

What do you do to get yourself back on track after a bad day? I'm thinking of trying to make myself a couple of meal smoothies over the next couple of days, skipping heavy things and just downing a lot of blended strawberry/spinach/blackberry/protein powder smoothies instead for some of my meals. Drinking a ton of water. What else do you do to physically feel better after a bad food day?

Replies

  • worej
    worej Posts: 108
    bump
  • shaycat
    shaycat Posts: 980
    I just realize that it is a new day to make better choices. I might try to eat 100 calories less if I can, but not more than that.
    I also try to get a really good workout in. If I do my best today, I can forget yesterday.
    Good luck!
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    On the heavy eating day, I try to drink a lot of water, and just get back on track the next day. If it's early enough in the day, I go for a good walk. And the next day I get back on track, and remember how awful I felt the day before after eating too much! :tongue:
  • AmyM713
    AmyM713 Posts: 594 Member
    FORGET IT! Its the best advice I can give, its over and done with and you can't uneat what you had so just move on and go back to making the good decisions you have been. Drink water, work out a little extra. We all have bad days but we can't let them rule us or we will be doomed to fail!!
  • amykathleen2005
    amykathleen2005 Posts: 79 Member
    Absolutely log it and forget it. It is over and done with now.
  • wurgin
    wurgin Posts: 241 Member
    yeah, i try to flush it out with watet and excersize and really mindful eating... but the guilt persists for a few days for me.
  • Josie_lifting_cats
    Josie_lifting_cats Posts: 949 Member
    Back to my usual.

    2 cups of coffee with creamer, a light string cheese, and a 0 calorie energy drink for my morning. (Approximately 160 cals)

    Lunch is often on the lighter side, either a salad from the nearby bakery/cafe or a protein shake from the protein bar near my office.

    And dinner is when my husband pounds down most of his calories, so then I just focus on eating within my allotment. (Plus whatever treats I think I need that night.)

    I think it makes a difference when you've been at it for a while and have a "normal" day to fall back into. I know I went nuts today at the sushi bar... so tomorrow I'll try to stay under. Sometimes you have to work on looking at balancing the entire week, or a few days at a time, and it will all come together for you. That seems to be the only way I can get the pounds off - being all over the place, but over a week's time being consistent.
  • Dimplybutt
    Dimplybutt Posts: 123 Member
    FORGET IT! Its the best advice I can give, its over and done with and you can't uneat what you had so just move on and go back to making the good decisions you have been. Drink water, work out a little extra. We all have bad days but we can't let them rule us or we will be doomed to fail!!

    ^^ This :smile:
  • coraliethomas
    coraliethomas Posts: 336 Member
    Drink lots of water to flush it out... and start again tomorrow! Thats the wonderful thing about this lifestyle change thing... one bad day isnt going to ruin it all :)


    Dont over correct though and go nuts tomorrow... just keep at it like you have up to now, and congrats on the 20lbs!!! :D
  • Mummsy
    Mummsy Posts: 347 Member
    Just get RIGHT back on track, maybe up the water. That should help flush things out, make you feel like you are doing SOMETHING to help and rid you of some sodium. :)
  • ruthkate
    ruthkate Posts: 3 Member
    Caffeine can help speed up the digestive system, lemon juice in the morning is great for digestion, grapefruit juice can help speed up fat metabolism and chilli is also great for speeding up metabolism. Peppermint or ginger tea can help with that bloated feeling.

    My PT says one bad day or cheat day a week is actually good for your metabolism. It 'shocks' it back into working so you don't go into starvation mode and end up slowing your metabolism right down.

    I try to be really good all week and then on Saturday eat whatever I want without worrying too much about calories or portion sizes. I find I am not tempted for the rest of the week as I have had my 'fix'.

    Don't worry about a bad day as long as it is only one day :)
  • fabulous1955
    fabulous1955 Posts: 2 Member
    Don't feel bad. I had a bad day too. Family drama and It could have been much worse. I ate something fried, that I shouldn't. Thank God I had the sense to talk myself out of doing much damage. I have lost 45lbs, and I dont want to put them back on. I know that I am an emotional eater. You can do it. Just start over like its the first time you began journey. Put onefoot in front of the other. That's it take baby steps, until your back in the swing of things. Have a great day tomorrow!!!! :happy:
  • myogibbs
    myogibbs Posts: 182
    I put in an extra tough work out as soon as I can the next day. I am slowly learning that most foods that I thought I couldn't live without are really not that hard to skip. There are much less foods that are worth the extra calories, fat, etc...and worth giving the caloric deficit up... to me than I realized. We have a saying in our nutrition class for sugary empty calorie foods...direct deposit....there are just not that many foods that are truly worth the direct deposit to me, so I can stay away from them. I have also come to realize that I subconsciously sabatoge myself with food that makes me feel badly (physically and emotionally) when I feel like things are out of my control...so I have to learn to let go of things. I don't know if that helps, but maybe it will give you the moment of reflection you need to avoid that cookie or doughnut or whatever. Feel bad...feel really bad...then remember how it feels for next time...then go kick some butt at the gym :)
  • chani25
    chani25 Posts: 7
    I try and give myself a day off per week, so I don't end up depriving myself from the foods I onced loved becaue we know that will just result in a relapse. So, I don't think you should feel too bad about having a bad night/ bad morning. However, I think drinking lots of water, like you said is a good idea. When your bloated, water is the answer! Also, if I decide to indulge in sweets or salty foods, I just eat smaller portions and work it off. I also think if you just cut down your calories for the next couple of days, maybe by 100 or so calories, you'll start to feel better. Eat foods that give you lots of energy. Here is a list I fond from Medicine.Net:

    Here are a just a few of the energizing foods that will do your body good. As long as you don't eat them in excess, these foods will make you feel lighter -- and more inspired to move around.
    Blueberries
    Beans
    Cantaloupe
    Strawberries
    Mango
    Spinach
    Salmon
    Nuts
    Tea
    Tomatoes
    Soy
    Low fat dairy products
    Oatmeal
    Whole grains
    Citrus fruit
    Peppers
    Sweet potatoes

    http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=56767...here is the link. I hope this helps girl :)
  • TrinaCanDoThis
    TrinaCanDoThis Posts: 115
    I treat it as a new day, a fresh start. I let yesterday's mistakes go and make a decision to stay on task! That's really all you can do! :) Hang in there, you are human and we all go through this...it's a process! BTW, congrats on your weight loss! Great job!
  • Ecomama09
    Ecomama09 Posts: 31 Member
    I treat myself to a gorgeous salad....lotsa color! And a workout. I just realize it is a new day...forgive myself, but make sure I don't forget! :)
  • chani25
    chani25 Posts: 7
    Lots of great info! :)
  • Lolli1986
    Lolli1986 Posts: 500 Member
    In regards to -physically- feeling better after eating high sugar/high carbs/high fat foods.... I would suggest using that energy very soon after you put it in your body rather than waiting until you've reached a comparative 'sugar low' and feel tired. If you've gotten to the point where you do feel tired, rest a bit, then get up and do your workout (just as you did).

    Fruit, fibre and lots of water should help with the bloating. I like to go for whole grain savoury biscuits with some hommous and lots of tomato, with some grapes on the side. (I did this yesterday, actually... i ate curly fries and icecream and just felt sleepy and yuck).

    The following day continue with the fruit, fibre, lots of a water and add some protein, not heaps. Push yourself a bit in your workout and it should feel good.

    This is what I do to physically feel better. It obviously helps emotionally. :)
  • mugsisme
    mugsisme Posts: 127 Member
    Hugs. I gorged on cookies today and now I feel sick. blech. Hopefully we will BOTH have good days tomorrow.
  • worej
    worej Posts: 108
    Finished the day yesterday with a big berry/spinach/protein smoothie, made myself another one for breakfast, and brought a third to work for a snack. :) Big healthy bowl of soup for lunch, pushing the water and green tea all day, personal trainer appointment after work... and I think I can count myself as back on track! Thanks for the support, guys!
  • hiker282
    hiker282 Posts: 983 Member
    Bad days are just part of the learning curve of managing a healthy lifestyle. I don't look at them as bad days, but days where my body needs a little satisfaction in order to keep me going. I'll eat what I want in probably a larger quantity than I should have, log it, and move on. No sense in getting upset about it because I know that my life is changing for the better and that every now and then, my old self will emerge. But then it's put back in the box and the 'new me' is back in control.
  • Julzanne72
    Julzanne72 Posts: 468 Member
    I give myself a free day every week, I still log, but if I am over never sweat it and the next it is back to business. I feel like I am human, and depriving myself of things only sets me up for failure. So I don't call it a bad day, because I give myself permission to take a day off a week and it works, I have consistently lost weight since starting in January. I drink tons of water and just know that one day is my day to eat what I want with no guilt.
  • rubygarcia86
    rubygarcia86 Posts: 73 Member
    Back to my usual.

    2 cups of coffee with creamer, a light string cheese, and a 0 calorie energy drink for my morning. (Approximately 160 cals)

    Lunch is often on the lighter side, either a salad from the nearby bakery/cafe or a protein shake from the protein bar near my office.

    And dinner is when my husband pounds down most of his calories, so then I just focus on eating within my allotment. (Plus whatever treats I think I need that night.)

    I think it makes a difference when you've been at it for a while and have a "normal" day to fall back into. I know I went nuts today at the sushi bar... so tomorrow I'll try to stay under. Sometimes you have to work on looking at balancing the entire week, or a few days at a time, and it will all come together for you. That seems to be the only way I can get the pounds off - being all over the place, but over a week's time being consistent.

    this!

    you need to just go back to what you normally eat and what you find enjoyable/filing in order to get back on track. Ive been bad all this week but i KNOW that i need to make an effort to just say NO to sweets and going out to eat...since thats what kills me the most. Dont beat yourself up for one day but dont let the rest of the week pass you by!
  • kanmuri
    kanmuri Posts: 112
    Bad days happen. I usually just start over the next day, as if nothing had happened. Feeling guilty is useless.
  • decerva
    decerva Posts: 11
    After eating badly for a day (or two, sometimes), I just start over. I look forward to the next day, knowing that I'll feel better once I'm eating healthier foods again. I try not to beat myself up about it either; that'll make it worse.
  • decerva
    decerva Posts: 11
    I've done really well since I started tracking a few weeks ago, and generally I did reasonably well before then, too. But last night and this morning I made some pretty bad food choices, and ate way too much. (Why did I agree to help my boyfriend bake cookies last night, and why on earth did he want to make doughnuts this morning?!) I feel awful. Now, I know, today/tomorrow/whatever is a fresh start, and one bad day won't ruin my hard work. I'm not beating myself up emotionally about it, but my body just feels disgusting! I'm bloated by at least a few pounds, my workout was exhausting and dragged out, and I just want to sleep.

    What do you do to get yourself back on track after a bad day? I'm thinking of trying to make myself a couple of meal smoothies over the next couple of days, skipping heavy things and just downing a lot of blended strawberry/spinach/blackberry/protein powder smoothies instead for some of my meals. Drinking a ton of water. What else do you do to physically feel better after a bad food day?
    It does feel really awful going to the gym after you've eaten something not-so-healthy...been there,done that!
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