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Getting a grip!

Old 12-03-2010, 12:07 AM
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Default Getting a grip!

Hi Fitday Members,

First let me say that I am really happy to be back on the forum. I just spent the last 2 days getting caught up and am so inspired by so many of you. There is an amazing group of people here. Wow!

Now this is the first time I start a thread and I feel a little self indulgent but I just want to come clean. I have been absent from the forum for over 2 weeks. I got an amazing opportunity to travel because of my job and it was an incredible adventure high up in the Canadian Arctic where the sky and the land are so stunning you can't believe your eyes. On the down side, my coworkers and I were fed by a hired cook so we had to eat what we were given or not eat at all. Going elsewhere was not an option. Needless to say, the food was not exactly low calorie or low fat. It was pizza, lasagna, pasta and lots of meat... oh an always a dessert. I tried to leave food behind at every meal but I lost my grip on self control early on and it has been a downward spiral ever since.

Upon my return, instead of getting right back on track it has taken me a full week but here I am and I have mixed feelings. On the one hand I feel like a total failure because I gained 3 pounds and on the other hand, I feel so grateful for this forum because after only a 3-pound gain I am back on track. In the past, I probably would have kept gaining until my whole 20-pound loss would come back on but today I am here and really motivated to right this wrong!

I obviously I won't make my Christmas goal but and I am feeling sooooo disappointed in myself. I just have to find a way to not totally lose control when I am forced off my routine by a vacation or holiday. How do you all do it? How do you bounce back so quick after being thrown off course? I think I have some major control issues!

Anyway, for those of you reading this. Thanks. I'm so appreciative of this forum. I'm back to logging my food and exercising and it's all because of you guys!
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Old 12-03-2010, 02:13 AM
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Welcome back! In the grand scheme of things, 3 pounds is not a big deal, and it sounds like the adventure was worth it! The great thing about Fitday is that it gets you in the habit of thinking about your food choices and focusing on yourself - if only for a few minutes a day. We've all had setbacks - the important thing is to congratulate yourself on getting back on the program - and BEFORE New Year's - many people would've just told themselves "I'll wait until after Jan 1..."
Be nice to yourself! You have to spend a lot of time with you.
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Old 12-03-2010, 02:45 AM
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I agree with Nottango. I know it is discouraging but 3 pounds after so much food is not bad (and you did have an amazing adventure) nor is the week you were home that it took you to get back on track. The important thing is you didn't just quit; you got back on track. Good for you! I say try to readjust your Christmas goal and be proud of all you have accomplished so far, which is quite a lot. Sometimes not giving up can be the biggest accomplishment of all.
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Old 12-03-2010, 03:25 AM
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Hang in there, Rose! I just typed a huge response and Fit Day ate it, but I will post it later when I get a chance.

Just wanted to let you know I was thinking about you and I'm so glad to see you back!
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Old 12-03-2010, 03:43 AM
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Thank you so much for the responses! It really means a lot... it feels good to be back and Canary, you're right, I was actually kind of surprised it was only a 3-pound gain. We did a lot of walking but it was so slippery out there that I fell twice and have a couple of bruises to show for it! I think trying to stay vertical on all that ice actually burns a lot of calories so maybe that's why it was only 3 pounds. I read somewhere that you burn 30% more calories walking in very cold weather and it was pretty chilly up there!

Thank you so much for the great advice, Nottango. I really am trying to focus on the fact that this step backwards could have been a lot worse and that I nipped it in the bud. It's pretty amazing what a difference logging and this forum make for me!

Cassie, I'm so sorry you lost your post! It has happened to me a couple of times too. Thanks for the sweet thoughts and I'm glad to be back too.
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Old 12-03-2010, 06:59 AM
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Default Some adventures are worth a couple of pounds

Off topic: CJ I have to say the my biggest problem with FitDay is its tendency to send posts to electron heaven. Usually the longer and more thoughtful the post, the more likely it is to go bye-bye.

On topic: Rose what a great opportunity. I've been lucky enough to have a couple of experiences like yours (though not the to the artic - yet) and boy-oh-boy is it hard to maintain the diet. Among other things you don't want to look like some whiny, ungrateful tourist. The dinner table is when you get a chance to bond with your fellow travelers, get to know folks, and just share the adventure. Dissecting everything on your plate or announcing that "I can't eat this, or that" is just plain rude (I've seen it a number of times with fellow travelers and it ain't pretty) And in the cold it is important to maintain your calories, as you noted you burn a bit more just keeping warm, and as many have observed when they are on a restricted diet, we tend to get cold faster than others.

Besides, I have found it pretty easy to lose those 2 or 3 vacation earned pounds, as I am sure you will too. Somehow they just don't seem to get held on to as firmly as the pounds you've been carrying around for a while.
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Old 12-03-2010, 07:27 AM
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That's true. I was thinking that vacation or trip weight tends to come off quicker than other kinds. Boy, you guys with your exciting expeditions, I'm jealous. What incredible experiences!
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Old 12-03-2010, 07:54 AM
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Hey mtlgirl, These guys are right -- you're not far off track at all, and from what it sounds like, it was totally worth it! A measly three pounds is nothing compared to an amazing life experience. Like RunbikeSki, I've spent time on trips (entire seasons in the Alaskan bush anyone?) where there's nothing for dinner but SPAM and Snickers bars. On more gourmet nights it might be re-hydrated spaghetti. No matter what everyone eats the same things, or they don't eat at all. You can't really be picky when the options just aren't available to you like they would be at home.

On a side note, just out of pure curiosity (and no worries if you don't want to go into detail), I'm wondering where you went/what you did up there in Canada-land. I'm interested in the arctic myself, and my dream job assignment would be working on Ellesmere Island! So, I'm always curious about what others' experiences have been...

In any case, welcome back!

Last edited by SailorDoom; 12-03-2010 at 07:56 AM. Reason: spelling -- yikes!
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Old 12-03-2010, 09:28 AM
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Okay, so let's try this again!

First, as I said, really glad to have you back, Rose! And I echo the others with saying that 3 pounds is not as bad as it could have been, so keep patting yourself on the back for not staying off the wagon.

I have the exact same pattern you do. Vacation, holiday...boom...3-5 pounds. Usually I do great for the first half, then snowball downhill. Still trying to figure out why. But I found a couple things that work for me afterward, even if I haven't figured out how to stop it yet.

First, I don't weigh myself for about a week after I've been back on plan. That way I know for sure that the weight gain is real weight and not just water or other artifacts. It also helps because I can tell myself that I am on track and heading downward, instead of, omg...look at that...I gained X and I'm still out of control.

I also try to stay on my exercise routine even if I'm eating like crap. This is hard because I feel less fit and things begin to jiggle that didn't jiggle a week ago, but I am less likely to sabotage myself if I know I've put in a lot of effort to working out. You've always seemed so athletic to me, I hope this works for you.

I also really try to replace the negative messages with positive ones. I can get really down on myself as a result of losing control. So I will say things like, "Okay, you're in your fat jeans this week, but your fat jeans are size X, and before you started this, you were squeezing into size X+1 or X+2."

Sometimes when I'm in the process of getting back on track, I'll just do maintenance calories for a couple days, or maybe cut off a hundred or two, but not go all the way down to restricting enough for a quick loss. First, it's too much of a contrast, and I'm more likely to binge on something; second, I really can't restrict too much given that I'm so short and at a normal weight now anyway. It doesn't mean that I don't want the pounds I gained to come off, but it does mean being realistic about how soon that will happen. Sometimes I tend to panic at the extra weight, restrict too far, and then I rebound, making the probem worse than it was.

Other things I do to get back on track are to go grocery shopping and get really healthy stuff...sometimes try new healthy things as a treat. And I read articles or books about health and healthy eating and fitness to get me motivated again.

This is definitely not "total failure" time, chica. There are so many shades of gray in the weight loss/health realm it's not even funny. If you make a list of things you've done well and things you want to improve on, it may help you see how much success you've had, so beware of tunnel vision on the negative side.

Okay, think that covers it. Remember, it's not a straight shot of steady improvement over time. When you drive a car, you don't hold the wheel straight all the time; you make small corrections and sometimes larger ones depending on where the road takes you. We've both had detours lately (Thanksgiving and the four days following for me ), and we're both in the driver's seat again. Here's to a great, on plan weekend!!

Last edited by cjohnson728; 12-03-2010 at 09:30 AM.
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Old 12-03-2010, 10:00 AM
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Okay, I definitely am with what everyone else - 3# is not so bad, and now you're back on track, so be good to yourself! Believe me, I know it takes work to lose 3#, but in the big scheme of things, you've come a lot farther than those 3#, yes?
I also wanted to wish you a welcome back from me - I'm glad you had a great adventure - that's so cool (literally so, by the sounds of it)!
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