Pep talks from OH

I posted:

I Ate Too Much Yesterday and Now I Feel Like Dirt

Yes, this is silly, but I’ve been in a funk all morning. Yesterday, I ate too many calories (about 900 instead of the 600-700 I shoot for). I managed all of my protein, but I just feel so guilty. It was the first day I let myself eat because I wanted to eat, not because it was time to eat. I felt hungry (all in my head, I’m sure). I wanted junk and I ate those foods that were the junkiest I was allowed. 

I did go to the gym and burn off every excess calorie, but I still feel awful. I’m just so disappointed, and I think scared. Because if I can let myself do that 2 months out, what will happen in a year when I’m allowed to have some junk food? And how will I ever keep going for the rest of my life when I can’t even be good now – when I’m not even hungry!

To top it all off, the scale didn’t move again this morning. I’m 2 pounds from 50 pounds lost and have been for days. I know that’s still good and that stalls happen, but I can’t help feeling that I may not be trying hard enough.

I think I just need some encouragement and cheering up. I hate feeling like this!

 

Response #1: 

Ok, I am a firm believer in letting go of the “good” “bad” “guilt” aspects of eating. You ate food. That doesn’t make you a bad person or a moral failure. I say again: Food is not good. Or bad. And you are neither good or bad by eating it.

I really believe you need to get past that. You are probably right and battled head hunger. You are getting to the point where you can eat more and different things and it’s hard. Forgive yourself. And then get it that you will never have to forgive yourself again because you didn’t do anything wrong. 

Just read what you wrote, “Yesterday, I ate too many calories (about 900 instead of the 600-700 I shoot for).” OMG you ate 900 calories!!!   I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be hurtful. Trying to point out some humor here. You won’t be able to sustain you loss on 600-700 calories a day for much longer probably. Very often, especially with those who work out, your body will really start trying  to hold on to the fat because that’s what it does when you aren’t getting the required calories and expending too much energy.

You’re going to be ok. You deserve this. Take this tool, use it and be happy. It’s work but I think it is worth it in the end.

Hugs.

-Jazzycat

 

Response #2:

You know I’m not real good at cheering folks up, sorry ’bout that.  But I can offer you some realistic encouragement (well my kind of encouragement is more about a reality check, then rainbows and butterflies, okay?). 

My first suggestion is to accept that this is a journey for life, not for the moment and not a rush to a goal.  You’ve undertaken a transformation to a better you, and it’s a learning process, a long-ass journey to forever, right?  So give up (or work really diligently at giving up) the guilt.  It serves no earthly purpose except to make you feel like dirt, right?  So stop that!  Consider yesterday a learning touchpoint.  So you ate 300 more calories than you were allotted, but you burned them off, why does that make you feel guilty?  Rather I would think you would feel empowered that you acknolwedged your stumble and righted the “ship” and were actually very successful in balancing the whole kit’n’kaboodle.  Kudos!

Now as for the scale, drop that issue like a hot potato, please!  You know very well that the scale is going to do what the scale is going to do regardless of what you want it or think it should do!  The number the scale reports well it’s just a snapshot of a moment in time (could be that you haven’t had a good bowel movement in a day or two, or maybe you ingested a bit more sodium than normal, or you looked at a food ad in a magazine and through the power of suggestion your body decided to hang on to a few pounds).  You see where I’m going, right?  Do what you do (and what you’ve done so well at for two months now) and the scale will eventually do what it does.  No amount of frustration on your part is going to get that number lower, just perseverance and dogged determination, plus a bit of an attitude adjustment will help you smile a bit more and not be so frustrated. ~grin~

As for projecting what your actions may be at a year out, don’t go there.  Work really hard at developing good skills and good habits now and at one year out, you can rely on those habits you’ve mastered to see you through the challenges.  You’ll have slips and spills and days when you’ll have to pull your head out of your ass, but that’s ALL part of the journey — and it appears to me that you are making this journey very well so far.  Even writing this post is acknolwedging that it’s not all happiness and sunshine.  We all are dealing with our own weight histories and pratfalls and pitfalls and bad and annoying habits.  Know that you are doing what should be and are making this journey yours and learning so much along the way. 

Kudos (again!)

-christinalee

 

 

I cried a little reading them in class (no one noticed, thankfully!) Then I took a deep breath and felt better. I know they’re right, but it’s hard to make all these changes and not feel a little out of control.