Have I ruined the week?

[Tootsieroll]

I started calorie counting on Monday and have done really well sticking to 1400 a day - today I've fallen off the wagon a bit and I've had 356 calories of 'unplanned' goodies (hot x bun & some jaffa cakes !!) - If I reduce my intake over the weekend so that my weekly total doesn't exceed 9800 (1400 per day) will I still lose as much weight as if I'd stuck to the 1400/day? Or have I sabotaged my efforts already?

[bunblebeaz]

Hi tootsieroll (nice name btw),

My way to deal with unplanned goodies is either:

a) choose better options for meals later on and smaller portions on the same day

b) do some more intense exercise or a longer session

You may have had some unplanned extras but exactly how much over the 1400 will you go? I've not had a week where I haven't gone over 1400 on at least one day but still lost weight every single week.

Also, you're only on your first week. Don't worry about what you could have lost but what you have lost when you weigh in and be happy with that. From there you can adjust your diet and exercise to suit and learn how to deal with unplanned food. There's always going to be times when people will offer you things, occasions to go to, meals out etc and the key to this plan is that its a lifestyle change rather than a diet.

Now a calorie is a calorie now matter where it comes from. So a 1400 cal diet of fruit, veg and lean meat etc provides exactly the same energy as a 1400 cal diet of fast food. The difference between the two is that, the volume of food you consume will be much less on the second diet, which also provides a lot less nutrients than the first one. A well rounded diet will give you all the vitamins, essential fats, energy, protein etc that you need, whereas the fatty diet will give you the calories but a lot less of the other good stuff and quite a bit of the bad stuff too.

So yes it would be better if you had ate a little better for your general health but in the long run....... probably doesn't matter.

What matters is that you don't stress out and decide "oh well, might as well have a takeaway then". And have a binge or whatever and undo even more of the great work you have done already this week.

You've stuck to the plan so far this week...great

You've asked for help on what to do now that you've had a blip... great

You seem committed to your weight loss journey... great

Either reduce your calorie intake, increase your exercise, or just let it be and don't let it stress you!

And have a good weekend, see you at weigh in on Monday

[Tootsieroll in reply to bunblebeaz]

Thanks - that's really lifted my spirits. I am off work today with a throat infection (which is why I think I was craving some 'comfort food') ... your comments have made me realise that all is not lost and there's no excuse to over-eat even more! I'll just put it behind me and carry on as I have been all week.

[bunblebeaz in reply to Tootsieroll]

Nothing wrong with craving comfort food (and indulging moderately) when you're ill!

[Diana in reply to bunblebeaz]

Well as all calories are not equal, burn differently, a calorie is a calorie, our bodies prob use healthier ones better!

[Bkkbull]

I wouldnt reduce your weekend calories, just stick to your 1400 intake, take it on the chin and learn from it, its all a learning process

good luck

[Tootsieroll in reply to Bkkbull]

Thanks Bkkbull .... just going to forget it and carry on !

[Hidden]

Hi Tootsieroll,

If you go over your calorie intake, or have a bit too much 'naughties', then the next day or two become 'pay the account back' days.

I guess you could do that in advance, but that might encourage you to over indulge on your indulgent days / weekends.

You can eat 'naughties' - but just eat very little of them and do it only very occasionally. And that way you'll probably actually enjoy them a lot more. (Absence makes the heart grow fonder, or so they say!)

Remember, there are things that some people will tell you they REALLY love to eat. But it's usually not because those things are oh so wonderfully tasty. In a big part, it's because they're just oh so familiar and that the people are just oh so used to eating those things.

Human beings can be right creatures of habit, which is why this is all about changing your habits.