Roller Coaster Gut.

[JLo]

I feel like the biggest, fattest, greediest, bloated pig right now.................

Why is it that I do SO good for SO long, and then I completely go crazy and eat like a cow????????????

I ate WAY too much for lunch today...........a WHOLE chicken with BBQ sauce, macaroni salad, AND crab salad (about 2 lbs. total).

I will never get where I want to be as long as I keep "binging" right when I start to see progress. I just don't understand this.....sometimes I am so "GUNG-HO" about losing weight and eating right, and then I just fall off track in the blink of an eye. It's like my stomach craves tuna one minute and breakfast tacos the next!

 

[Sassy69]

Welcome to the world of will power. Bottom line -- if you want the results, you will make the lifestyle changes. OTherwise you dont' want it enough. Do you enjoy the feeling of a flat stomach more than the momentary taste bud satisfaction of 2 lbs of potatoe salad? The goal is moderation in everything, and gettign your body to the point of optimal fuel processing.

Think of it like this --- you spend $$$ on a hot show car, you get all the best chrome, detailing, wax it every other day with loving attention. You pay for the expensive gas to run it, and then put mud in instead of changing the oil regularly. It aint' gonna run too good and all the other work you put into it is completely wasted.

BTW -- this is what I keep telling myself anyway - its logical but sometimes just doesn't compute....

 

[JLo]

You are so right.........its not worth it just for a temporary "good taste" in my mouth.

I guess I just needed to hear someone make me feel like shit to kick my ass out of this rut.

 

[Sassy69]

I hear ya! It is definitely management of habit and expectation. Also prioritization of your goals. I also find that if I set myself up to feel deprived, the whole effort will fail. You want to avoid the extremes (e.g. strictly clean, boring diet) because they result in extremes (ever binge on a 1 lb bag of m&ms when you never used to touch the things??).

Another way of looking at it is to schedule in a cheat meal or cheat day to all some slacking and you also need that to stimulate your metabolism. Otherwise it will adjust to the strict diet and either not respond optimally (get stagnant) or think that it is in starvation mode and actually slow down to accomodate an expected limit on available food).

Another way to think of avoiding the sugar binges is think of the resulting insulin spike you will feel -- you want to keep your insulin levels fairly consistent for optimal fat burning and also to avoid that crappy "crash" after the sugar rush -- like falling asleep at your desk by 2 PM after lunch at the Italian buffet.....

 

[JLo]

So that's why I am so sleepy right now..........

It's not worth it. I am miserable.

You know what I have noticed as well? When I eat bad and feel like shit, I tell myself, "Well, no sense in going ot do cardio today.....I already made a pig of myself".......so, in addition to eating horribly, I also cut back on the cardio - and it just goes on and on from there.

Luckily, it ain't happenin' this time ! - all the more reason I SHOULD run my ass off tonight at the gym............

 

[Cheetarah]

...
Another way of looking at it is to schedule in a cheat meal or cheat day to all some slacking and you also need that to stimulate your metabolism. Otherwise it will adjust to the strict diet and either not respond optimally (get stagnant) or think that it is in starvation mode and actually slow down to accomodate an expected limit on available food)...

Hi JLo, she is right, excellent advice. I recently redid my diet to make it more of a cycling diet where I go strict, low carb for just 2-3 days at a time then I give my body a break every 2-3 days and eat clean but pretty much as much as I want. So every few days I eat maintenance calories and lots of slow burning carbs. Oh, and my once a week cheat is a Cookies and Cream Bio Protein bar, mmmm, I so look forward to that! It is working very well so far, keeps me sane and free from binging. And in 3 weeks I'll see if it has helped in my body fat loss efforts as well. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Hawkx9]

As I and a few other members of this board have been insinuating within a different thread, don't worry about counting calories. Stop trying to be perfect in what you eat, especially if you're not competing or anything. Counting your calories will drive you insane, at least it does me.

I suggest eating clean, balanced meals (whatever carb/pro/fat ratio you choose) throughout the workweek, with little "treats" for desert if you like. A piece of fruit or no-sugar Jell-O works very well for this, etc. Then on the weekends, don't worry about it. Now, since you're not trying to be perfect (by counting every calorie or eating tuna and veggies at every meal), you won't have mad urges or feel the need to binge at any time. On the weekend, eat healthy, but eat whatever you want and don't worry about it. Now, when I say healthy, that means, if you'd like some ice cream, have a 1/2 cup, not the whole quart.

Keep lifting hard and doing cardio in the mornings 3-5 days and week and you'll be fine. Now, if you reach a plateau after 6-12 months of the above, then it may be time for a few tweaks and specifics, but until then, enjoy what you eat, stop worrying so much, and enjoy life.

Hey, just my opinion.