The Day(s) After

Getting back on track is a tough thing to do, especially after a long period of letting (insert habit here) go.

Being disciplined is a good thing, but it's that mental struggle that makes the
day(s) after such a challenge.

My questions to you are:

How do you approach that first day back in the saddle?

Do you struggle that day or a few days later?

Do you obsess for the entire first day or does it just happen for you?

How can you turn it around, if you struggle and obsess, or how did you get to the point where it just happens?

I also weigh daily. It is the best form of accountability I know. It works. I have been at my maint. weight for some time and find it pretty easy to manage.

Not weighing lead to a 12 pound gain for me. The whole time I was gaining I was telling myself that I was not gaining. I could not figure out why my shorts were getting tight. I was sure that once I hit the 120's I deserved to stay there forver as long as I was sort of careful. Joke was on me. Now I weigh and keep a food journal even though I've "graduated."

Coming back from vacation or some other food time, I have a hard time coming back. It takes me a day or two of mediocre eating to get back to my normal pattern. During this time I do not really pressure myself to workout much as I know that when I am coming back from a slippery place, I have to put all my energy into the food part. Too much self inflicted pressure leads me to more off plan days.

I’ve been thinking… about years gone by and WACKO plans to get back on track.

Here would be my answers in 1977 or 1998.

How do you approach that first day back in the saddle?
I plan a fast day, to “cleanse my body” … plus I won’t eat any calories… and the scale will go down like 7 pounds over night… (which truthfully is my REAL motivation.) I’ll drink one glass of water every hour, on the hour. And exercise 2 hours.

I plan a day of lettuce and sugar free Jell-o. And three hours of exercise. While wearing two sweatshirts.

I plan a day of a baked potato for breakfast, a baked potato for lunch, a baked potato for dinner, and a baked potato for snack. With mustard. That should be about 500 calories and I won’t be hungry.

Do you struggle that day or a few days later?
Well YEAH!!!! Duh!!! Well, I don’t always make it thru the first day, it is such a struggle.

Do you obsess for the entire first day or does it just happen for you?
Well YEAH!!!! Duh!!! Look at my plans… is it possible to NOT obsess??? I don’t think so!!!! Yeah the obsessing just happens for me, alright!

How can you turn it around, if you struggle and obsess, or how did you get to the point where it just happens?
Originally posted by Coaster Girl:
Being disciplined is a good thing, but it's that mental struggle that makes the day(s) after such a challenge.

You are so right. I am so &&^%$# undisciplined and such a *&&($# failure. If I was a better &*(()%$ person, I could do this and turn it around and it wouldn‘t be a (%$&^ struggle. I just have NO will **&&$# power and I’m probably always going to be a &*#@$ failure. Ugggghhhh!!!! What’s the *&^@#$ use?!?!?! I’m a (*&%$ pig. And a **&&^ moron. (me talking to self in past).

I totally agree with D about not beating myself up… either physically (with stupid food/exercise plans) or mentally or emotionally. It just doesn’t work.

How do you approach that first day back in the saddle?
I think it's taken a lot of years, but I don't view them as "days" back in the saddle...it's a different hour, and another opportunity.

Do you struggle that day or a few days later?
When I approach it as a daily thing, I struggle. When I approach it hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute, it's not that hard for me.

Do you obsess for the entire first day or does it just happen for you?
It just...happens. I can make a decision with every meal and every snack and even with every errand I run. Do I park close or park far? Do I eat an extra helping or slowly savor what I have in front of me? Do I get a handful of Wheat Thins or the whole box?

How can you turn it around, if you struggle and obsess, or how did you get to the point where it just happens?
I stopped looking at it as a "daily" or weekly struggle...and even try to get the word "struggle" out of it. I'm in charge of any number of things, and I pretty much refuse to berate or belittle myself any more. I already have trouble with depression, so emotional self-flagellation isn't helpful for me. It doesn't motivate me or make me think I need to get back on track; it makes me focuses on how awful I am and what a horrible life I lead (neither of which is true).

I didn't want to go to the gym this morning. We've been remodeling all weekend and I'm sore, tired, and exhausted. But I did, because...it's my decision. I also slept an extra hour, and don't feel guilty for that at all. I'm home now and think I'm hungry, but my decision is to drink more water and see if that's the cause. If it isn't, and I AM hungry, then I'll eat, and won't feel guilty for it.

I don't know how to explain it, other than I should probably write my therapist a thank-you note. I realized how exhausting it is to feel bad and shoulder the blame about everything. I'm happier, and I'm taking care of myself and those I love. Those two things are far more important than anything I might eat, and I try to keep it in a perspective that works for *me*.

I'm back to this homework after more thought.

Like Denise, I weigh in every day, good or bad.
I do have to say that the scale number can motivate me. For example, this morning the scale said I gained 5 pounds from yesterday. We did eat a salty lunch and left overs for dinner, drank too much wine and got into the last of dd's Easter chocolate. Did I eat 5 pounds worth of extra calories? No way but I did certainly over eat and the scale shocks me back into the reality that I just can't eat that way on any kind of regular basis.

So today, I go back to my "norm" - no wine, no sweets lots of water, veggies and fruits and hit the gym extra hard.

If I do it now, the weight comes off easily. If I don't address it, the pound or two of "real weight" after a weekend with company will stay on and then more will accumulate on to that the next time we have this kind of weekend. Before I know it I'm 10 pounds over range and working for an entire year to get it back off.

Like Denise, I've been doing this for so many years, it doesn't feel like obsessing to eat right. However, I will generally start to struggle around dinner time when I will want to a glass of wine and dessert to "finish" the meal and will probably white knuckle through at that time today. By tomorrow it will be easier and then it will just be.

With that said, this will be a stressful week for me. Saturday, my son would have been 8 years old. His anniversary dates are always tough for me but I have non food plans to cope with my grief.

How do you approach that first day back in the saddle?

a) I get up and weigh myself. No matter how bad. No matter if I’ve been mainlining soy sauce and ham juice and chocolate frosting. I weigh myself and log it.

b) If I have “leftovers”… like say I have leftovers from Easter (or Halloween or a birthday or Xmas or whatever). Let’s say I have some cheese and crackers and chocolate eggs and 1.5 slices of cake. I throw it away. I tell it goodbye, I love you!, see you next year, my Love! And put it in the dumpster.

c) I plan out what I’m going to eat that is on track.

d) I go to the grocery store and buy fruit and vegs and milk and such so I can follow the WW Health Guidelines… since that is what is in the house… that would be what I eat.

Do you struggle that day or a few days later?

I’m not sure “struggle” is the right word any more. I used to “struggle” or white knuckle it or hang on by my fingernails. I’ve done it enough times that I KNOW the first day isn’t perfect. I also know that I AM going to find some lovely chunk of cheese or a nice piece of chocolate or something that got missed on the trip to the dumpster and I’m probably going to eat it.

The first day is OK. Like I might eat 2 servings of vegetables/fruit and one of dairy. And 7 slices of toast.
The second day is better. 4 fruits/vegs, a couple dairy, 3 bowls of cereal.
The third day… I’m usually back on track 100%.

I used to freak out about my lack of perfection the first couple of days… but now I know that I’ll be ok with semi-perfection.

Do you obsess for the entire first day or does it just happen for you?

At this point, I don’t really obsess. I’ve gotten up and made oatmeal with berries HUNDREDS of times now. It is pretty much autopilot. I no longer stand in the kitchen debating if I should drive to Pete’s for a scone or McDonald’s for the #3 McBreakfast. I just make the oatmeal.

How can you turn it around, if you struggle and obsess, or how did you get to the point where it just happens?

If it doesn’t just happen… the scale WILL go up. Laws of thermodynamics. If I take in more calories than I burn, I WILL gain weight. I am no exception to the laws of thermodynamics.

I can do a holiday and eat as much candy as I want for 36 hours… If I stay in holiday mode for 36 DAYS… I’m looking at gaining 5-6 lbs. I do NOT like losing weight. I REALLY, REALLY do NOT like gaining and losing the same 5 lbs over and over again. I learned that lesson when we moved. I gained 5 lbs in about 15 days… and it took me all of July and August to lose the stupid things. Not worth it. I get up and eat the oatmeal, now.

I'll try to let you know. I have been in Indiana for the past several days and out of most habits. Let me see how the next couple of days go.

Dawn

[quote]Getting back on track is a tough thing to do, especially after a long period of letting myself eat whatever it was I wanted go.

Being disciplined is a good thing, but it's that mental struggle that makes the
day(s) after such a challenge.

My questions to you are:

How do you approach that first day back in the saddle? I plan for the next week by creating meals and making sure t hat I have everything on hand and nothing goes to chance.

Do you struggle that day or a few days later?
The first week is great, planning, it's the days afterwards that are harder.

Do you obsess for the entire first day or does it just happen for you? Because I have planned or over planned, that first day is much easier, it's the second week that is tougher.

How can you turn it around, if you struggle and obsess, or how did you get to the point where it just happens? I have to keep the planning up and working my plan.

quote:

My questions to you are:

How do you approach that first day back in the saddle?

Do you struggle that day or a few days later?

Do you obsess for the entire first day or does it just happen for you?

How can you turn it around, if you struggle and obsess, or how did you get to the point where it just happens?

It depends.... Some times, it's really easy for me to get back on track and other times, it's really a struggle.

I'm not sure what determines why that is though.
My emotional state at the time? My level of determination?

I think I need to give this more thought ; )

I had a weird experience yesterday. I was craving a bunch of comfort foods, but I really wasn't looking for comfort. It was almost more a build up of "deprivation" thoughts that I struggled with for 3 days before I lost the battle last night to a bunch of really salty stuff.

I thought getting back on track today would be hard, but so far, not so much. Although every single thing I ate today seems really, really salty.

The mental end of it is where I am kind of surprised. I'm not obsessing over yesterday, I even shrugged off the 1.5 # of weight gain from yesterday.

I can't figure out what triggered the "need" for the really "bad" foods, the mac & cheese (which I had planned for), the combos, the cake, and the candy. Because I don't deprive myself of what sounds really good, I just eat it in moderation. But it was out of control last night.

I guess I've just decided to let it go and focus on today, which has been very good, just like normal. (Very un-me, but leaves me in a good mental place.)