Diet mistakes

[thealbatross]

At the moment I feel rather disappointed with myself as I ate a whole Boston Market rotisserie chicken family meal with a couple extra sides. It’s almost like those old Hungry Man dinner commercials, where the guy who works in the supermarket offers to come home with the single guy buying the TV dinner because they are too big for one just person. Well, finishing the chicken wasn’t hard but I certainly feel ashamed about it now. Have you even grossly broken your diet in such a way; and if so did you find a way to use the ensuing guilt to motivate you to be more disciplined in the future? I cannot say this is the first time I have gone overboard like this and I find it hard to be hopeful that it will be the last.

 

[Impulse155]

yes, july 4th i ate a shitload, just excercise more. To me it feels like it balances out

 

[faustian bargain]

that's partly why programs like 'body for life' have a free day built in.

 

[Bradford]

You can have a free day every now and then, but if you're constantly making mistakes like this, perhaps you need to reevaluate your motivation for being on a diet.

 

[LA Guy]

I generally eat in moderation and allow myself treats when I want them (generally some baked good. I love brownies). Very infrequently, I get an extreme case of the munchies, and eat a whole extra large pizza or a family size bucket of KFC, for example. Sure, I feel a little gross afterwards, but I don't ever beat myself up about it. I don't even change my exercise schedule. Unless you are OCD, you are going to eat more some days, less others. No biggie, as long as you generally eat decently and have a good exercise regime and are consistent in following it.

 

[lawyerdad]

I second what LA Guy said. If you use it as gentle motivation to be a bit more disciplined in the future, great. No big deal, you'll have good days and bad days in a long-term program. If you overreact and get yourself discouraged about it, that's what will do the real damage.

 

[Udo]

I don't know what diet you are on, but actually one cheat meal every now and then helps more than it hurts. If you stay on the same strict diet for some time your thyroid becomes dormant. That's why most diets only work for so long, first you loose weight quickly, but then your body adjusts to the diet and you don't see much progress anymore.

 

[saajuk-khar]

almost every diet used nowadays that i know of has a day (mostly weekly) when you can ease the diet a little bit.

there's a diet doc where i live who advises his patients to eat the whole cake instead of eating just a bit. wonder what's the point, though...

 

[stach]

If you start getting feelings of shame around eating habits it might be worth a trip to OA and check out their philisophy, or a couple of sessions with a threrapist that handles eating disorders. It's easier to recognize and avoid triggers once you understand why you get tempted to binge.

 

[mr_economy]

Originally Posted by Udo

I don't know what diet you are on, but actually one cheat meal every now and then helps more than it hurts. If you stay on the same strict diet for some time your thyroid becomes dormant. That's why most diets only work for so long, first you loose weight quickly, but then your body adjusts to the diet and you don't see much progress anymore.

That really depends how strict of a diet we're talking here. If we're talking one of the lemming "buy my book and products and you'll lose 500lbs every week!" crap diets, then yes this is true. These diets are inherently (and intentionally) unsustainable. Think about it, the diet industry thrives on people's inevitable failure.

Diet is a poor word anyway. Diet is a negative term, which connotes excluding certain items from what you eat. As social scientists have seen over and over again, thinking about a goal in negative terms (will not, should not, cannot, etc.) becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and essentially guarantees failure.

When one is looking to eat healthier, focus on what you want to include, rather than what you want to avoid. The first thing to avoid is any program that has you eliminate or severely limit an entire group of food. Low carb? Trash. Low fat? Absolute garbage from the 90s, which actually is responsible for bringing on the low carb fads.

Sure a cheat meal here and there won't hurt, but think about it another way. If you are thinking purely in positive terms, "wow these blueberries are mighty tasty, I should eat more of them," about the right foods, you should not even need a cheat. It should be about splurging on almonds, or berries, or delicious smoothies, rather than about avoiding cakes and cookies.

Think positive folks, it's the way to be successful.

 

[jimbob]

A more beneficial eating pattern:

Breakfast like a King!

Lunch like a Prince.

Dinner like a Pauper.

If you wake up hungry and ready to eat, you will lose weight. Much easier said than done however.

 

[Associate]

Originally Posted by mr_economy

It should be about splurging on almonds, or berries, or delicious smoothies, rather than about avoiding cakes and cookies.

Sound advice, though I don't know about the splurging on smoothies part - kinda high on sugar, no? Always crakcs me up to see the yoga moms at whole foods downing 20 oz smoothies and feeling all righteous.

 

[VMan]

Originally Posted by Associate

Sound advice, though I don't know about the splurging on smoothies part - kinda high on sugar, no? Always crakcs me up to see the yoga moms at whole foods downing 20 oz smoothies and feeling all righteous.

Depends on how you make them.

The 650 calorie monstrosities from Orange Julias are one thing.

If you make them at home with low-fat yogurt and some fresh fruit, and add some nutritional suppliments, you should be fine. They can double as a meal when eaten with some low fat granola and some nuts.

 

[mr_economy]

Originally Posted by Associate

Sound advice, though I don't know about the splurging on smoothies part - kinda high on sugar, no? Always crakcs me up to see the yoga moms at whole foods downing 20 oz smoothies and feeling all righteous.

Oh I agree, in fact I don't count the crap places like Dairy Queen sell as real smoothies. By smoothie, I mean something made with the following base ingredients:

Skim milk
Fat free, plain yogurt
Old Fashioned Whole Oats
Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries
Natural Peanut Butter
Whey Protein

Throw in some ice cubes, blend it together, and you have one heck of a macro-, and micro-nutrient profile.

 

[Associate]

Originally Posted by VersaceMan

Depends on how you make them.

The 650 calorie monstrosities from Orange Julias are one thing.

If you make them at home with low-fat yogurt and some fresh fruit, and add some nutritional suppliments, you should be fine. They can double as a meal when eaten with some low fat granola and some nuts.

Absolutely right, of course. I meant the jamba juice variety, with scoops of sorbets, etc.