Abandoning diets after bingeing

This is a topic that is close to my heart, and I think many other people - how often do you try to diet, then something happens, you go over the to with eating for a couple of days, and then figure 'oh well, I've mucked up my diet, no point continuing it - I might as well go back to my old habits'.

This is the most dangerous way of thinking, and is silly too.  It's not the dieter's fault - it's the fault of how people are made to think of eating: you're either 'on a diet', or you're 'eating normally'.  I know that most people here realise that dieting is a lifestyle change, etc, rather than a short term solution, but I still see posts with people being upset about having binged on food.  That's understandable, because we all want to stay on the right path all the time, but let's look mathematically at it.

Suppose you REALLY went over the top for two or three days. You've been eating well for a couple of months, and this really upsets you.  Say you eat a large pizza two days in a row, along with some other junk.  Look at the calories - you might have gone over your limit by 4 or 5 thousand calories - quite a few.

BUT - we know that 1 pound = 3500 calories.  If you shrug your shoulders and get back on the right track, those 5000 calories will only really put you maybe a week and a half or two weeks behind schedule.  If you're in it for life, then that week or two is pretty insignificant.  Your lizard brain tries to tell you that you've broken the diet and should now keep eating pizzas every day to atone for it (sounds silly, but nobody accused the lizard brain of being logical; only cunning).  No need to starve yourself or spend eight hours at once at the gym to try to get the weight straight off (both of which will fail badly and leave you feeling less confident than ever).  Just get back on track, look at what you've achieved, and know that you can achieve it again.

I just had this floating around my head last night, and wanted to share it.  Thanks for reading, if you've reached this far :)

We share the same philosphy...but you explain it so much better!! I didnt gain an extra 50lbs in a couple of weeks..it took 4 years of stuffing little debbies in my mouth..lol..I know Im not going to lose it all in a couple of weeks or regain it in the same! I see this is the rest of my (hopefully now) looooong life so Ill not be misreable or miss out on parties ect I just get back on board the next day ..Although Ill make it a point to never hang out with Little Debbie again

Oh man Im so glad you posted this becuase i just had one of those "binge days", i've been on a 1100 calorie a day diet so i can lose some weight by summer and today i racked up a total of 2500 cal!!!! but im glad i read your article cause it makes sooooo much sense, its just wat i need lol, thanxs!

Wow--Your so right.  I myself would not call what I have been doing a diet.  I had pizza just the other day. The only thing is not so much of it at a time.  Thanks for the insight. 

Bethy-I hope things are better for you soon.

I tell people I'm currently on two diet plans:

Quit Eating So Darn Much!

and...

If You're Not Hungry...Don't Eat, Stupid!

I'm also on an exercise plan:

Get Offa Yer Butt and Do Something!

^_^

excellent writing, david!  i hope everyone reads your post.  that's exactly the way we are all trying to think of it.  

"lizard brain!!" love that!!!

Nice post  but... what if you can't shake the fact that the scale went up? How do you get over this hard spot when you are doing it alone? So many of you have great support I am alone in this, and it is getting harder everyday!

:(

caroleanne  you aren't alone!  you have us!  we might be just little boxes with comforting words in them.. but we are real people behind them and we are here for you!  that's why i think this lifestyle change can work.. becuase you'll get more support here than you can imagine! :)  it's awesome!

"Lizard brain"- LOL!

chocorific, have you been reading my diary?!? :)

carolanne:  you feel like crap for a day, you tell yourself over and over and over again that it's just water weight. you come on here and post a new topic and rant/vent a bit and have ppl throw encouragment at you.  then you keep at it, and you see in a week or so that you're back to where you wanted to be and it's really worth it.  that's how it happened for me and i think for other ppl too.  

LMAO tracymarie-now I'll have to read out of curiosity! ^_^

Not only was that encouraging but it was hilarious as well!

David, what a great post!  I hope everyone here gets a chance to read it.  You really nailed it!

What I like to do, to keep myself sane, is have a cheat day once a week.  One cheat meal and one cheat treat.  I used to go all out and have whatever I wanted on that day; but, it seriously hampered my efforts and recently I've cut back.  Now, one day a week, I'll eat sensibly for breakfast, etc; but, at lunch I'm allowed a burger and fries (I usually kid size it) and some chocolate easter eggs later for a snack.  Then it's back to eating sensibly again. 

It helps me when I crave the "bad stuff" on non-cheat days...atleast I'm not telling myself I can't have it...I'm just telling myself that I can have it; but, will just have to postpone the craving a few more days until cheat day.   Works wonders for me!

Perfect timing!  I was just realizing how hard its been to be good
on weekends but came to the conclusion that if this is going to be a
life style and not a quick fix I'm going to have to learn that a couple
of bad days will not kill the long term plan.  Thanks for the post!

I'm glad that people got something out of that post. 

Caroleanne, I want to reinforce what Obsidyan etc said - the people here are your support, because we need you and you need us - the scale is only useful for its trend.  If you do the right thing with eating and activity, there is no doubt that at worst, you will feel better in one month time than you did a month ago. 

At best, the trend will show your weight is coming down.  This will be even more evident in six months time, as opposed to six months ago.  In ten years, when you have reached your goal long ago, and are happily eating enough to maintain your goal weight, every day of your life, these difficult times will make you feel happy, as they were a challenge you overcame, with our support, but with your strength.

well said!

daivd

great post. Thankyou for the inspiration.

Ditto to avantslot.

Carolanne - I have went over for two days now as well. It is frustrating. Just keep plugging away with me, we can make it. I thought today, "will I make this 'diet' last?" as I have not done with others many times before. And I had to remind myself - I want to be thin! I am tired of not feeling good about myself! Sure, I can eat and eat, and eat cookies and fatty foods and whatever else, but what will I feel tomorrow?

The scale has not moved for a week now, wavering between the same two pounds. I think that has a lot to do with my motivation right now. It is like a catch 22, you know, I would be more motivated if I were seeing more results, conversely I need the motivation to see more results. The first two weeks, the extra weight was falling off the scale...it is a shock to switch to actual fat loss. I guess that is why weight loss is so hard....

Oh you're so right meredithgonzalez!  When I initially lost my 72 pounds it was great and I was so motivated to see the scale going down.  Now, 6 years later, I've kept the same weight (with the exception of 10 lbs due to weight gain from medication); but, it's been WAY harder to keep it off!  The motivation I get now is from the panic I feel when I see the scale go up a pound or two.  I think it's harder now than before; but, since I've learned so much about eating and exercising it makes it easier to make the right choices and stick to the habit of my healthy lifestyle.

Hi david,

 Great post. I like the way you just flat out told it. I know i have them days when my nutty brain say to me. Eat one more bite.. I know i don't want it. But the good old  Lizard Brain as you called it. Tells me to get and eat more.

That is a battle you feel you can't win sometimes. It is like mind over matter. And the matter is food. What you love- what you yearn for. Then all at once. You hog tie your Lizard Brain up. You tell yourself, i am no longer going to let this food control me. You have a bad day at the job.... Get you a beer and add 2 slices of bread in your calories you are counting. Before you know it. You done had yourself a 6 pack and gained 1 pound in the morning.

Or, you tell your best friend. You are on a diet, and you can't have this and that when you are out to dinner. They say. Just have a bite. But you fight that bite.. Because you know what they are having is 300 more calories more than what they are having. The old Lizard Brain is like. I want a taste. Give me that bite. I can take it. You can work it off when you get home. Just do five more of this and that and that bite calorie will be gone.

We all have a roller coaster of fat on us. One day it is up and the next day it is down. We call it water weight to make are self feel better. But then you start to think. Could it be them 6 cookies you ate when you only can have a serving of 3. Or could it be that  chicken you had from KFC. You start looking at all the facts.

Then you beat yourself up. For that roller coaster pound. You slap yourself around for a whole hour. Not looking at what you could have done to stop that from happen. You just sit there and fill yourself up with junk and say it is all over now. I don't know how to get back on track.

Then your best friend call you one day with the news of getting married. You jump start again, just because. you know she is going to ask you to be in the wedding. So , you go back to counting calories loging your food. Making sure you don't sit down and over eat.

That Lizard Brain can make you want some things you never thought you would want before. Like Pickles and icecreme. What will want something that taste like that. That was what my Lizard Brain wanted for 9 months.. I had it. I loved it. I got fat..

Life is not easy either. You no longer look for people to say. You are doing a good job, you learn how to do that for yourself.

Making sure i keep my Lizard Brain in check is going to be another one  of my goal. Good post.. Love it..

Good luck to you and your weight loss.....................

Lynn