This is a story about far too many Girl Scout cookies and a winter snow storm, and many sticks of gum and being hungry. And what to do about all of that combination to get back on track with my eating.
Crazy weekend!
J, my oldest daughter, came home from Ohio last weekend, and we ordered steak tacos for that occasion. She brought chocolate bars from a chocolate factory in Ohio. This was the same time that my husband purchased even more Girl Scout cookies (14 packages in all). (I had persisted in ignoring the first 6 or so boxes of GS cookies, but eventually caved because there were too many for my limited patience! My husband who eats virtually anything in front of him told me to insert more willpower! And that he could buy as many GS cookies as he wanted--it was his choice!) A friend brought Cheetos straight off the assembly line that were less than a week old. Besides that, our weekend was not typical in all of its busyness. My normal routine was severely disrupted, with no weekend housework getting accomplished. Mostly, I visited with people, which was good.
Normal Eating Patterns Went Out The Window!
My normal eating went out the window! I do have an eating formula that works perfectly. It has tried-and-proven rules and foods that always work. However, none of my eating formula happened and I ate all sorts of things that cause cravings, including about 1000 calories of cookies (meaning about 10 cookies). This is the first week that I thought I had perhaps gained weight since October 2, 2012.
Scared Of The High-Cal Consequences!
I was kind of scared of this gaining prospect by Sunday night. I ate only about 800 calories on Monday. And on Tuesday, I was obnoxiously chewing gum all day (perhaps 10 or more sticks in all), while I was quite hungry. I was at least going to try to balance out all of that weekend overeating.
If Only I Had Not Overeaten In the First Place!!!
I find it is better to never do that much overeating in the first place. Eating 500 less calories in a day is so much harder(!!!) than not eating an excess 1000 calories in the first place. And the extra 1000 calories in one day usually takes 3 days of repair. Sigh!!! And my pride sort of left me, and I was truly concerned about starting a terrible food habit. And, oh, I really like the clothing size I am now--and I don't want to screw with that!
TOPS Meeting/Weigh-in Cancelled Due To Heavy Snow
My TOPS meeting was supposed to take place on Tuesday night, but we started having heavy snow fall about 3 hours before our meeting time. Our meeting was canceled. I was both disappointed about not resolving this week with a weigh-in, but also relieved that I didn't have to face any unknown weight gain either.
The Plan To Get Back On Track
So what should I do? Get as normal as possible again--right away!
Ignore all of the high calorie foods in the house--put them away somewhere! And keep putting them away when husband and kids keep taking them out! Over and over! This is going to be a huge test for me because this week my family is definitely being the opposite of helpful. Lately, my husband is bit resentful when I want his high-cal foods out of my sight. We used to be eating buddies. Still, I need to be relentless about getting that high-cal food in a place that doesn't keep pricking my thoughts and changing my mind that would otherwise be more sensible.
I should quickly get back to foods like scrambled eggs, tea, bananas, oranges, and apples. People don't get fat off of oranges. I should buy some more oranges tomorrow, after shoveling all of the sidewalks. Get back to normal as fast as possible, so this weekend of overeat is a tiny blip in the bigger picture of my life. <<That's the plan. My goal is to have a good weigh-in for next Tuesday. It is up to me to ignore my family sometimes to do what is best for me.
If nothing else, to all of my friends who are struggling with weight, my own struggle continues every day! Sure, there are much(!!!) easier days than I've had lately, but the struggle is never over for any of us. We all have to face cookies, and family members who have terrible eating habits, and the fast food society in general. We have to face disruptions in our life formula and bounce back as quickly as possible.
What do *you* think? Do you have these issues in your home or life? What do you do to quickly recover from a bad eating weekend? And, of course, anything else you want to say.
Have a good plan toward your goals today!
:-) Marion
These are definitely issues I deal with on a regular basis to one degree or another. Oranges have become my recent go to fix for something sweet and soothing.
ReplyDeleteAs you said, you've got to make yourself a priority. Even if it means hiding cookies from plain sight over and over again all day. Getting back on track immediately is definitely the right plan. As always, you've totally got my support :)
Hi PlumPetals! Yes, an orange is delightful. I need to make sure that I have good alternatives around me when others pull out lots of high calorie treats. Coincidentally (or not), all of my apples and oranges are generally gone when I have these issues. Often, I just go up to my room and ignore family members eating for half an hour. But I will persevere and I know what I want--which helps a lot!
Delete:-) Marion
I was there as well until my family eventually realized that I will not be eating what they bring into the home and that it will go to waste = dustbin. This equals money in the water. So they stopped this. Now they only buy a chocolate, packet of chips or biscuits for themselves and not in abundance anymore.
ReplyDeleteIn the meanwhile, I also learned that this kind of things do not bother me anymore. I can sit and watch someone eat sweets, chocolates, tarts and more without feeling the need to eat.
Hi Marleen! I think you must be tougher about this than I am. It still does bother me when family members exult over the wonderful taste of high calorie treats--right in front of me. I definitely still have a internal brain fight about eating the treat or not. And my family would keep buying treats even if I dropped it in the garbage in front of them. So I have to deal with those circumstances as they stand. :D
Delete:-) Marion
I have always said that when life goes well, eating well is no problem for me. If I have enough time to plan and cook meals and a doable schedule, I do well. I am pretty good at ignoring the cookies and other things in the house that I don't eat.
ReplyDeleteBut when things get hectic, and it's tough to make time to plan and cook, there can be trouble.
If I do eat too much, I try to get back to my regular way of eating as soon as possible without punishing myself. That's what I used to do in the past, and it didn't work...
I'm sure if you eat the way you normally eat, you'll have a good weigh in next Tuesday!
Hi Andrea! I thought about what happened. I usually eat scrambled eggs after my workout. But my oldest daughter said that eggs make her feel sick. And then my concern went off good eating and onto what the daughter wanted. What I should have asked: Would it bother you, daughter, if I made scrambled eggs for myself? Maybe it wouldn't have bothered her at all.
Delete:-) Marion
Great reflection! And it shows how easily we sometimes don't eat what we know we should eat because we don't want to hurt someone's feelings, etc. And often it's all in our head...
DeleteMy biggest advice is to not beat yourself up over the weekend. That is only self destructive. You KNOW what to do. You have your formula....get back to it. Look at what happened and learn from mistakes. As for the weekend...you have to decide next time.....is it worth it? Some weekends you may say yes it's worth it, you may eat the food and the knuckle down and eat clean to compensate for it. Sometimes you will say "not worth it" and be able to resist! It's life and it's going to happen.
ReplyDeleteThat said, sometimes I turn around and think about the food I'm eating in terms of how long I would have to exercise to burn it off. Seriously, when you think about a piece of cake at a restaurant that is 500 or more calories....and then you think...that's a however long of running...or so many minutes on the exercise bike....or a full class of whatever. It really puts it into perspective.
Hi MaryFran! Thanks for the comment and support! Yes, I'm trying to look at the situation and figure out where I veered off path, and what I could have done to keep on path. I'm thinking I should have been cooking my typical food--even if others didn't want it and told me that. I also should have had more fruit that I liked around me. And I should quit thinking of kids coming home as some sort of overeating holiday.
DeleteI overate for 3 days, probably an extra 750 to 1000 calories per day--so it should ended up to be less than a pound gain if I did gain. <<But I told myself I'm *not* doing that anymore, and must re-pledge to this goal. :D
:-) Marion
I'm sorry you are being faced with so many temptations right now, Marion! I have every confidence that you will continue to reel it in, and even if you are just veering slightly off course, it will be short term. You are too wise to fall completely off the wagon.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently in the same state of mind as BlackHuff. None of the sweets are tempting me. I've seemed to have developed an aversion to them, actually, because I finally see oh so clearly how counter-productive they are, and that their taste is far too short-lived. It's a really awesome place to be. I know you'll get back here too, soon!
Hi Gwen! I'm so glad that Marleen and you are staying tough. Yes, taste is definitely short-lived and I'm not even certain that I cared about the taste when I ate this food. Funny how the not-exactly-perfect food still has all of the calories but none of the satisfaction. And I really hated the feeling of loss of control. Feeling in control is perhaps my favorite part of watching my calories. So I hear you, and I'm listening. :D
Delete:-) Marion
Okay, so it goes..
ReplyDeleteI NEVER buy GS cookies! The last time a GS came to the door selling them, I just gave her the money, and told her to do whatever she wanted with the cookies, lol!
Hi Dr. J! If it were up to me, we would have bought 2 boxes (not 14 boxes!!!) of GS cookies. I could have given one box to each teenager of the household and been completely done with it.
DeleteBut today is a new day--with no cookies in it yet! And its going to stay that way!
:-) Marion
Thankfully, I don't have this issue because I am the gatekeeper of food in my house (in other words, I do the grocery shopping and the only things that go in my cart are things that I know are good for the fam). If there is junk food in the house, it's because I had a moment of weakness and probably went to the store starving.
ReplyDeleteWe have bought ONE box of GS cookies this season and it's because we felt guilted into it. We ate one sleeve of thin mints and then put the others as cupcake toppers for a neighbors family.
The message I try to make to my husband is that it is more than just fitting into a certain jean size when it comes to losing weight. It's about being healthy and feeling good! I tell him he could be the fittest man in the world and an indulgence is fine occasionally, but it's not good for him or our family to eat like that all the time and keep foods like that around the house. He is usually very supportive of this (I think that he also likes to be fed, and he knows that he's on his own if he complains). In my house we are a family of "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy", so he usually complies!
Hi Carrie! Well, when my kids were young, they ate whatever I fed them. But my husband never did. He has always been an indulgent eater. Now the teens, seeing both role models, go back and forth. So I just worry about myself.
DeleteI very much appreciate and like(!) how your husband is supportive of healthy new eating habits for the entire family. My situation is different than that, so I adjust accordingly.
:-) Marion
My husband and I are usually on the same page as far as what we eat, but it is more challenging when I'm around my youngest daughter. She is able to eat small amounts of anything and everything. When I am not here, she keeps her many snacks out in the kitchen. When I am here, I keep asking her to take them to her room. Only occasionally does she get a little miffed with me. Too bad and so sad. :(
ReplyDeleteHi Caron! I guess everyone has a challenging person in their life. At some point, I decided that I have to separate myself from others enough to make my own decisions about eating--because as soon as I walk out the door, the food industry will challenge me, high-cal society will challenge me, someone or another will provide an excuse to eat too much--but only if I let them. It doesn't truly matter if it is family or some other entity's excuse.
Delete:-) Marion
This past month has been a total bust eating wise, and without G.S. cookies. Portion size has gotten the best of me for the past 27 days. I have lost this month's bet. Time to get the train back on track and moving forward.
ReplyDeleteHi Marc! Well, it sounds as though you know the exact problems, so it will be easier to get back on track.
Delete:-) Marion
I appreciate so much your commitment to practicing "truth in blogging" as it makes you all the more real to me and that is such an ongoing encouragement. As much as we'd like to be, none of us are perfect and we will all have less than stellar times like you've just shared. Some try to hide it or ignore it thinking it will make them seem "less than" to those who read their blogs. I totally disagree. It makes us REAL! And then we help each other past those times. Thanks for your honesty. You will be fine and I suspect that by next weigh-in, GS cookies will be a distant memory!
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon, I do try to be honest, but also reflect the reality of how a person would view it if they talked to me in person. If I have a fleeting negative thought, it does not get expanded on my blog, because that would be grossly disproportionate to the thought.
DeleteBut if I have a weight/fitness issue that really matters to me and might help others to elaborate on it, then I do. More and more, I put on my blog what will help *me.* Working through problems helps me.
When I think I sound too goody-goody, I toss in the fact that I used to wear size 18 jeans. I think that fact shows I'm not a very perfect person at all. Nobody needs to be perfect to reach most fitness/weight goals.
:-) Marion
Well, I doubt eating extra calories on a few days can have a big effect on your weight - unless you continue the habit of course! The weather must have been on your side when you got a big snow fall just before the TOPS meeting! :-)
ReplyDeleteI hope those GS cookies taste very good. It would be depressing to gain weight on something that doesn't even taste delicious.
I went to a store and tried on several pairs of sports bras today and was traumatized by my own body fat...
Hi Satu! Well, yes, overeating over one weekend could only probably net a 1 pound gain. However, I've had consecutive losses since October 2, 2012 and still think I could keep it going longer. Maybe this is a pride matter more than anything. But the pride element has actually helped me refine my eating over a long period of time. Since October 2, 2012, I learned how to eat well on a long-term basis. That is the first time in my entire adult years.
DeleteThe GS cookies don't taste remarkable. Usually when I overeat it is just food being around too much.
Ah, you're so funny about your recent traumatization. I'm often traumatized by my back fat, especially when I try on clothes with many mirrors in the dressing rooms. Who even sees all their fat in detail unless they are trying on clothes in a clothing store with mirrors that reflect from several directions?! :D
:-) Marion
Hi Marion, Getting back on track asap is the first thing I usually do when I eat a little more than required, I'm addicted to adding everything I eat to MyFitnessPal, so even before I put something in my mouth 99% of the times I add it to my diary and then the next bite is usually difficult after seeing the calories...
ReplyDeleteThe other thing I do is depending on the extra calories I add that much time in the gym for a week. so if I have eaten 600-1000 calories extra I will workout 12 minutes extra on the step machine for 5 days (I know I burn around 200 calories every 12 minutes if I do HIIT)
I generally donn't reduce my calories intake too much (1200 is my minimum)because if I do I don't have the energy to workout.
Hi Tanvee! I'm already back on track! The speed of getting back on track matters most, don't you think?!
Delete:-) Marion
yay!!! for getting back on track so soon...the speed is all that matters when you lose focus for a bit :)
DeleteI think there are always going to be times when we have minimal control of our environment or occasions which mean we overeat for a range of reasons, but think the key is getting back on track as soon as possible and not continuing to be less-healthy when we have the opportunity NOT to be.
ReplyDeleteDeb
Hi Deb! Well, I have quite a few friends who don't overeat, regardless of the circumstances. They tell me that better mindset and planning can help me have control in any situation. :D
Delete:-) Marion
I used to let a day of overeating turn into months of overeating, negative self-talk and punishment. Now it's right back to business if I slip up. I try to keep the negative messages at bay because one mistake or indulgence does not have to be the end of the world. Though, like you Marion, I would like these indulgences to be far and few between because I really like how my clothes are fitting and how my body feels.
ReplyDelete