Day 4 - Boundaries, not diets.
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Fattack
Posts: 666 Member
The word "diet" has such negative connotations. It seems restrictive, and, consequently, hard to stick to.
Try to view your eating and exercise plan as a road. The boundaries of the road are equivalent to your calorie allowance, and your goal is to stay on the road, and not go out of the boundaries. Now, these boundaries are flexible - some roads are wider than others. When you're committed and strong on your diet, the boundaries are closer together and make the road narrower. When you take a break from the diet, or move to maintenence you can widen the boundaries. But, even on bad days, you never eliminate the road, or get off it.
TODAY'S TASK:
There are two roads. The "Narrow road" for your stricter plan to follow whilst losing weight / getting fitter, label the other "Wider road" for maintenance / alternative eating & fitness plan (when you want to be more relaxed). Under these titles, define your eating and exercise plans for each road. Then decide on ways you can be flexible with them without losing sight of the healthy road you want to follow.
Try to view your eating and exercise plan as a road. The boundaries of the road are equivalent to your calorie allowance, and your goal is to stay on the road, and not go out of the boundaries. Now, these boundaries are flexible - some roads are wider than others. When you're committed and strong on your diet, the boundaries are closer together and make the road narrower. When you take a break from the diet, or move to maintenence you can widen the boundaries. But, even on bad days, you never eliminate the road, or get off it.
TODAY'S TASK:
There are two roads. The "Narrow road" for your stricter plan to follow whilst losing weight / getting fitter, label the other "Wider road" for maintenance / alternative eating & fitness plan (when you want to be more relaxed). Under these titles, define your eating and exercise plans for each road. Then decide on ways you can be flexible with them without losing sight of the healthy road you want to follow.
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Replies
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I will follow the narrow road most of the time, apart from birthdays / celebratory events / holidays, where I will journey along the wider road.
NARROW ROAD:
Between 1200 and 1350 calories NET
Avoid RAPping (refined sugars, alcohol or processed foods) where possible. I can't give up my caffeine.
Exercise at least 3 times a week, at least twice at the gym itself.
Limit white carbs, opt for brown where possible
Weigh in every week
WIDER ROAD (also Maintenance)
Eat upto my maintenance calories (NET).
Alcohol is allowed provided it is accounted for in terms of calories
Exercise doesn't have to be at the gym (can be walks etc.)
Weigh in weekly (I think if I don't weigh in weekly, I'm more prone to losing accountability, maybe this will change once I'm into maintenance - but that's a long way away!).0 -
I will stick to the Narrow Road day to day, while I'm trying to achieve my goal weight. The Wider Road is for special occasions only (and eventually maintenance) - it is not an excuse to forget the Narrow Road exists!
NARROW ROAD - -
+ Keep to 1200 calories.
+ Keep an eye on my macros: make sure I'm taking on more protein than carbs.
+ Plan my day's food and exercise out in advance, so I know what I'm in for.
+ Religiously stick to my weekly exercise plan: don't make excuses, just do it.
+ Progress pictures weekly - however gross!
+ Weigh-in every Sunday, whatever the weekend has been like
WIDER ROAD - -
+ Eat back exercise calories - so a fancy meal / alcohol is fine, but wherever possible, I will try to counter e.g. with a morning run.
+ Keep logging, no matter how bad the day was. Just be honest and work on ironing out the overkill later in the week.
+ Not feeling guilty about enjoying food and celebrating special occasions with it! I never want to be that awful 'girl on a diet' making everyone feel miserable about eating birthday cake at a party
+ Agree with Fa, still need to weigh in weekly - I need the accountability...0 -
NARROW ROAD - -
+ Within 5% of 1400 calories.
+ Keep Fat and Carbs within macos
+ No crisps or chocolate, or at worst one but not both
+ Scheduled exercise, no excuses
WIDER ROAD - -
+ Within 5% of 1500 cals
+ Room for less healthy choices, if the ocassion warrants it
+ Crisp and/or chocolate, as long as within calories
+ Incidental exercise - school run, cycling to the shops.... but still doing something every day.0 -
NARROW ROAD:
- Net between 1200-1300 calories each day
- Avoid diet drinks
- Cut down on carbs, cut out bread/pasta/rice etc
- No alcohol
- Gym 5 days a week
WIDER ROAD
- Still net between 1200-1300 calories a day
- Not being afraid to eat out with friends, or celebrate birthday etc
- Alcohol in moderation
- Gym at least 3 times a week
- Carbs in moderation - brown rice, wholemeal bread etc
- Pizza sometimes 0 -
I´m all or nothing so for me the narrow road is 1200 calories. 30 min of exercise at least 5x weekly and not eating my exercise calories. In July I´m trying running 3x weekly and focusing on at least 70 g of protein per day.
As for the wider road...I do allow myself to indulge once a week. BUT I log my indulgences and try to still keep my day under 1200 - or at least exercise so I stand equal on burnt/eaten calories :ohwell: The same for going out (which also provides a challenge because of my celiac - so I often bring my own food anyway). I assume maintence will be the same, but I should probably log for several months anyway - being all or nothing 0 -
I have kept logging eventho i have been on maintanance for 3+ months just to keep me accountable and make sure i reach my macro's. Also to help me keep momentum going, however it failed a bit on exercise atm.
Narrow road
- Stay under calories every day
- Exercise every day
- No more than 1 unhealthy treat a day
- Reaching exercise goals and healthy eating goes before anything else
- Meet my bodymedia fit goals every day.
Wider road
- Ok to go over calories for a day as long as im on the calorie target for the week
- Exercise often but its ok to skip a day
- 80/20 rule for healthy and unhealthy eating
- Its ok to put other things ahead of staying fit and healthy as long as its temporary
- Its ok to not reach bodymedia fit goals every day
Rules to follow on both roads
- Drink 2,5 liters of fluids every day
- Try to stay under sodium target
- Make sure i hit my macros every day
- Keep track of weight and if i go over the upper limit do something about it0 -
Hmm....I am going to be better about logging regardless of my day...and I have made a point of not buying sweet snacks, to keep indulgences to a minimum... much less likely to eat cookies when I have to go out and buy them.
Narrow road
don't eat back exercise calories
try to keep under 1400 calories a day
Exercise (walk, workout or swim) every day....more than one if possible
Wider road
eat up to exercise calories
allow up to maintenance calories
exercise 3x a week0 -
NARROW ROAD:
- Eat at or under 1200calories each day
- Exercise at least 30 minutes per day for 5 days a week
- Limit one diet soda per day
- Cut down on processed foods
WIDER ROAD
- Eat maintainence calories a day
- Exercise at least 3 times a week
- Focus more on anything in moderation
- Continue to watch processed foods0 -
Narrow road.
Monday -Wednesday Normally well within goal calories + exercise cals= 1200-1500 calories, leaving up to 600 calories spare.
No alcohol.
Wider road
Thursday- Sunday Still under calories but closer to goal calories with fewer spare
Alcohol permitted.
Every road.
Lots of exercise. Normally up to 60 minutes every morning high intensity, plus between 1-3 hours in the afternoon walking at various intensities.0 -
Narrow Road
1,200 to 1,800 depending on how hard I train.
Wider Road
On lady days, I think I am allowing myself to eat to maintainance so long as I keep an eye on my macro's0
