How do you stay disciplined?

MissDelilaaah
MissDelilaaah Posts: 3
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone,
I've been eating clean all week and pushing myself at the gym in my weight lifting program. Today, I felt like I deserved a cheat and had like 10 Hershey's Kisses. I feel completely awful now, eating those chocolates has made me EXTREMELY depressed. I've been in the strangest mood for the past 4 hours, I've never felt this low about a cheat before. All is feel is regret and I'm usually an optimistic person.

So my question is, how do you stay disciplined to eat clean? What do you do or tell yourself when you crave something??

Replies

  • Spanaval
    Spanaval Posts: 1,200 Member
    I don't deprive myself. That never ends well. I'll eat a small portion, andd get it out of my system. If it's really bad, just workout longer/harder. No point in wasting time over small indulgences, really. Your 200 calorie splurge is minor in the grand scheme of things.
  • CricketWhiskers
    CricketWhiskers Posts: 64 Member
    "There's always tomorrow"
    Anytime I've have a "spike day" as I call them, I remind myself that tomorrow I have to be back on track. One spike day won't set you back too far and some professionals even think the random spike day can be good for you. If you try to deprive yourself too much you'll just keep falling off the wagon but if you keep logging and hold yourself to only the occasional treat you'll do fine!:happy:
  • linnyrhea
    linnyrhea Posts: 105
    I allow myself to have those treats, once in awhile. For me, its the only way I can stay focused, I dont want to cut everything out of my life that used to make me happy (food wise) but I'm learning to eat those treats in moderation.

    Go ahead and treat yourself once in awhile. Eating clean and healthy doesnt mean you have to drop those treats. Its just one day, you probably deserved those chocolates anyways :)

    Remember, tomorrow is a new day :)
  • thepetiterunner
    thepetiterunner Posts: 1,238 Member
    Forgive yourself. It's just 10 hershey kisses. It's not like you went around kicking puppies :)

    In the moment I tell myself what the exercise equivalent would be. For example, if I ate a piece of cake for 300 or so calories, I agree to make the exchange to run an extra 4 miles (that's my equivalent) to burn it off. If I'm willing to make the trade or cut back on calories the rest of the day, I do it.

    It takes focus and you have to REALLY want it. I keep old pictures of myself and look at them from time to time to remember what I used to be like and how uncomfortable and unhappy I was. I never want to be that person again. And that's enough to keep me on the straight and narrow.
  • agentscully514
    agentscully514 Posts: 616 Member
    all I can say is ... be kind to yourself. I understand feeling bad. But I have a rational little conversation with myself, explaining to myself that one blip isn't going to hurt in the big picture ... what hurts is bad HABITS.

    you are ok. you had a little blip, that's all!
  • smplycomplicated
    smplycomplicated Posts: 484 Member
    Once i decide to do something i stick to it. I'm pig headed and stubborn like that..that and i'm very competitive..even with myself..so i just don't let myself fail. and i allow myself a cheat day. i work hard..so i reward myself once a week.
  • SmashleeWpg
    SmashleeWpg Posts: 567 Member
    If I crave something, I allow myself a little bit.

    This whole journey is a lifestyle change, and it's about moderation. Depriving myself, and getting upset with myself for indulging a little is how I got to where I am right now! I've learned that it's all about taking it one day at a time and maximizing my possibilities on a daily basis. If I indulge a little, I make sure I push a little harder the next day. But don't think you're a failure - you're DOING this! Remind yourself why (I like to visualize all the bikinis I want to be able to wear again, at any given time of day), and keep on trucking! One step after the other.
  • KeepOnMoving
    KeepOnMoving Posts: 383 Member
    bump
  • lls0521
    lls0521 Posts: 13
    I allow myself to have a small portion of something that I hve been craving on sunday's. I have the whole week to think about it and often I end up making healthier choices about my craving. I don't over do it but I don't kick myself for it either. I just pay close attention to the rest of my calorie intake and generally walk 4 or 5 miles to help burn the extra calories. Don't tell yourself that you can't ever have things that you crave because then you will cheat bad. Just be concsience of what you are eating and enjoy the moment but then get back in sink. It works!!!
  • MissDelilaaah
    MissDelilaaah Posts: 3
    Thank you everyone for your advice :)
    I feel a bit better now and looking forward to making tomorrow a better day, and not dwell on it any longer!
  • WVprankster
    WVprankster Posts: 430 Member
    I look at the gains I've made in learning about my body, fitness, nutrition, etc...and I stay disciplined because I want to see where the road to self-improvement leads. Once there's no longer thirty extra pounds of me, how much can I lift? How far and/or fast can I run? Those kind of questions keep me focused.
  • MarincicS
    MarincicS Posts: 265 Member
    If you think that if you want to stay healthy and fit you can never have Hersey's Kisses again, you will NOT stay disciplined. You will fall off the wagon because you are on an unsteady wagon. But instead, if you focus on eating healthy and make little treats now and then a part of that overall healthy eating plan, then there is nothing to fall off of. You must have Hersey's Kisses once in a while. But now instead of eating a whole bag, or eating them every day, you think of them as what they are meant to be, treats. Not really sustaining food, but treats you have once in a while.

    You didn't do anything to feel guilty about. You needed a treat, you had one. You are STILL on your path.
  • masterofktulu
    masterofktulu Posts: 151 Member
    Food rewards are what I give my pet for behaving or doing a trick. Cheat days are for the weak minded.
  • kelika71
    kelika71 Posts: 778 Member
    I disagree with some posters. I don't say tomorrow is a new day. Just start now. Put what's already done behind you and just get back on track now. Don't beat yourself up. It serves no purpose.
    Cheat days aren't for the weak. Some prefer to have a 100% clean lifestyle. That's a choice to make for the individual. If you want to cheat, cheat. Treat, splurge...whatever term you choose to use. It's just a word. There is nothing wrong with having it if you want. If you choose to do it, do it and then make your mind up to get back on board. It's constantly telling yourself, "I'll start tomorrow or Monday..." then that day comes and it's a fail. Just choose to reset now.
    Btw, I "cheat" because I care to not restrict myself. MY choice and I won't deviate because someone says not to do it. It's your choice. :)

    Good luck!!

    ETA: When I do cheat, I set a limit...whether it's a cut off time, calorie limit, etc. Do what works for you.
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