How do you recover from a really bad diet day?

I really blew it today..I'm on day 45 and I have not cheated even one time..I haven't gotten off track or even been tempted..I went to work to weigh and after a week of keeping my calories under 1200 all week - I only lost 1 pound.   I have only lost 21 pounds now in 44 days of keeping myself right on track calorie wise..I guess it just triggered something, that it was useless trying to lose weight.. So I ate very very poorly today..I had 2 McDonald's breakfast burritos..A chicken taco salad for lunch (and ate the shell) and then if that wasn't bad enough - I went to Wendy's and got a cheeseburger and plain baked potato..I could only eat half the cheeseburger and I didn't put anything but one pat of butter on the potato, but I meant to eat it all..I just totally lost my mindset of what was healthy.

There - I've had my rant and I'll go log all this up and see what the damage is.  I guess I was expecting to lose faster..About what is the average weight loss per week for you guys?  

lyntex, I understand how you feel. Some days I completely blow it and just don't know what to do. To get back on track I drink a couple glasses of water (to flush all of the junk out of my system) and start again the next morning. It's the only way to proceed. Also, you might want to up your calories to at least 1200 calories, any less than that and your body thinks you're starving it and will hold onto everything. I hope this helps and please stick with it. You owe it to yourself.

I know how you feel. Completely. I have been logging the exact  same amount of time as you - going to the gym almost every single friggin day. Month of September I averaged 1000 calories a day, month of October I averaged 1247. Doctor said 1200-1500. Middle of August they weighed me at 223.5 The scale yesterday? 210.4 and I absolutely didnt gain any weight from August to starting CC mid September (221.5)

I bitched about this before too. Such calorie restriction doesn't seem that bad - except on the days when I don't want to count. I messed up a couple times, but never really bad - above my burn meter one time by 200 calories. Barely over 1500 calories but a handful.

I printed my food log since I started and gave it to him (hoping he would go, damn this is all you have been eating? you should be losing weight much faster)

Yesterday the doctor said a few things: that is completely normal - any faster and you are at extreme risk of that fast weight loss coming back. Starvation mode is crap; you would have to have no body fat, eat less than 500 calories a day, every day for several weeks and then maybe. He doesn't recommend anything more than 4-5 pounds per month, for anybody, any size.

I would have felt exactly how you felt, had my doctor not been SO IMPRESSED by my food log. He couldn't believe how well I had been doing. He wrote down this site for himself. the nurse, who I love, surely didn't remember my weight from 3 months ago, but asked me (1st person!!!!!!!!!) "you have lost weight haven't you? I can tell by looking at you."  she also wanted to know the site, and the doctor kept my food logs to show other people! My foods logs will be used to get other people to lose weight and/or eat healthy!! Mine!

I know i told myself when I started this and CC said 2 years - pff I could do it in one; and honestly I still completely think that. In 45 days I'm at about 17lbs less. Ok, ya know, when I type it out that way, it seems like more than it is.

We are getting there slowly, can't give up, can't give up on the fact we are getting there slowly. We gained this weight slowly. We didn't pack on 100lbs in a year. We didnt pack on 20 pounds a month. I know this is all true, and it still pisses me off to not lose faster - but it is what it is. We are healthier and closer to our goal.

Hang in there girly, we are here for you :)

Lyntex,

Am I counting wrong or is that about 0.5 lbs per day?  That is so good.

I am moaning over a horrid weekend and am struggling to get back on my program.  I did so good during the day yesterday then munched like crazy just before bed.  I've put 8 lbs back on almost overnight.  I realize a good percent is water weight, but gee!

Oh, well.  We'll just go again today.

KDH,

That is a good report!

Hi Lyntex -

I'm sorry you had a bad day yesterday. But you have been doing so well... 21 lbs in 44 days..WOW! Congrats!

I just started this "lifestyle change" (I resent saying that EVERY single time) 3 wks ago and just weighed myself for the first time on Sunday. So I don't know what my average loss per week is yet. But I have lost 55 lbs 2 separate times in a very short time frame before and gained it all back + some rather quickly. So even though I want to loose a pound a day, I'm going to try really, really hard to be happy even if I only loose 0.5 per week.  

Hey Lyntex, 

As you can tell from the what i ate yesterday thread I've been struggling with this too.  The only way I know to get over a bad day is to just get back on the horse and log everything you ate on the "bad" day.  I'm a big believer that you have to be honest with your self to lose the weight. 

You're doing great anyway 21 lbs in 44 days, that's pretty kick ****.  

Just go back to your regular goal the next day - don't try to overcompensate and starve yourself.

Lyntex,

Your post made me go back and think.  I started CC on 9-14 and as of 10-31, 46 days on this, I lost 21lbs too, which I thought was grand, a lil slower than I wanted, but I still thought it was grand.

Just think, 4 months from now, over 60lbs will be gone if we keep up this rate of loss. And in a year, over 120lbs...I think the first 20, are the hardest.  Because to me, with what I need to lose, 20 is barely a dent. 

Keep up the good work!!!!!

I figure everyday the sun comes up and every day I get to start over - whether its the way I eat, something I am stressing about, or anything else.  You had a bad day, learn from it and move on. :)

You guys are so right - I have been working 4x10 shifts this week so I am getting home later and haven't been able to see what ya'll wrote until now.     I  didn't do very good again today..I was really getting into my pattern of starting off strong, then giving in to the feelings of being overwhelmed by the huge amount of time this is going to take..I ate dinner  (not a good one - I stopped at KFC ) and came upstairs with a handful of chocolate Halloween candy..I had already popped 2 snicker minis and a hershey miniature in my mouth with plans to eat the other 5 I brought up with me....

Then, I started reading what ya'll had to say..I put the candy down and I am NOT going to eat it..If you guys are going to stay on the plan to get your weight off and your lives back - I am right there with you !

Tomorrow - I will have a good post of my food intake - I promise you and myself

Thank you all so much!!

I love these posts because I am always relieved when people can see that you are a real person and real people make mistakes. I know with myself, I have to be honest about myself....I LOVE food! There is no way around it, I LOVE food. I just have to learn to love different foods, I have to learn to love MYSELF more than food....I will have my days or even my weeks, but as long as I know how to get back on track I will reach my goal slowly but surely.

You have been doing excellent, I am about 45 days in as well and I haven't even lost 20 lbs. yet. So be thankful for that 21 lbs and keep moving forward. Once you're 80 lbs lighter, who cares if it took you 10 months to get there --- you will be 80 lbs. lighter! I am glad you put the candy down, but realize that there will be candy to come and you will be able to push through.

Good luck!

Christina,

I don't think I've said hello to you before.  Hello!

And I agree.  I had a REALLY bad weekend.  And Monday I was trying to recover my day, which I did til just before bedtime when I went beserk.  So started again Tuesday.  Same.  Wednesday...I did better.  Only a few bad mouthfuls.   Today is Thursday and so far so good.   Somehow, I feel in better control and I am confident I can make it thru the day.

One other thing I would say is  perhaps allow yourself some extra calories on the next few days as you are making your comeback.  Kind of like walking up a ramp to where you belong instead of jumping down.  Helps me.  You will take off that weight you gained back a little slower...but then we are in it for the long haul, right?

Shaylese,

Just a note for you.  I think you don't have to give up the foods you love (I am a food lover, too) you just have to be careful to eat it is the correct portions and not everyday.

Example.  I LOVE blizzards from Dairy Queen.  OK.  Small oreo blizzard = 570 calories.  That is HALF a day's calories!!!!!   But I can have half a blizzard if I plan it in (285 calories).

I just have to eat only 915 calories the rest of the day. 

I know you know this, and I won't be using my calories for blizzards anytime soon (I can eat like 3 apples for the same amount of calories), but I CAN have it.  Reasonably.  Sensibly.  And planned for.

HI..my name is Samantha and I am food love too!

And yes, i still eat the foods I like just in moderation. Instead of two hot dogs, I have one.  I still eat my french fries, but they are baked, not deep fried.  I eat more salads instead of other crap and I have elemitated alot of the snacking.

I feel like I need to have something fun so I don't go crazy one day and eat it all.

So this weekend, I will budget something into my day so I am not feeling deprived.

Keep up the good work!!!

Texmom,

You're right about not giving up all the foods you love..That's what I was doing,   thinking I could never have anything to eat that I really loved again..And I went berserk!  I was wanting to eat everything in site...I am back on track today..Yesterday, my workplace took my little group out to a really nice restaurant..And I ate - I surely exceeded my calorie goal for the day, but today I am back on the plan to reach my goal..I had to realize that eating in those kinds of restaurants is not going to happen everyday..It was special, but just that once..So I am going to accept it as that and get back on track.

We all have to have a blizzard in our life once in a while.

Hello texmom! No you haven't said hi yet because I haven't officially introduced myself...I tend to be shy (yes even online). I've been lurking for a little while and always enjoy reading what you have to say.

Glad to have you here Christina!