Welcome.
I was on a diet for 40 years. That’s no typo. Four decades of up and down, up and down and down, then up and down, and up, up, up, down. Just days short of my 50th birthday in 2012, I reached my goal weight, and I’ve maintained it since. I feared I’d jump back on that yo-yo, and I might have if I hadn’t learned and implemented my new understanding of facing my stuff rather than stuffing my face.
That doesn’t mean I never toggle 2-5 pounds; it just means that when I do, I analyze what got me there and return to my good-for-me choices.
For example:
Baking French Fries: They are a delivery system for salt and ketchup, right? Even if I bake them, moderation is important. I have to balance out the excess calories rather than coating them with guilt and giving them a food chaser.
Holiday meals: Yes, holidays are typically feast days. So feast. On. The. Day. Not for the entire five week food orgy we know as Thanksgiving to New Year. Enjoy the DAY, and manage the time in between. Balance out the calories/exercise/macronutrient of your choice in the days leading up to and following. If you gained 5-10 pounds during the season, your balance will follow in January, February, and such. It’s okay.
It’s part of the process. Don’t give up and pad that further. You can do this.
Never mind, we’ll get there: This was new for me. I’d been doing the “D” word for a long time with all the attendant self-sabotage and beating myself up with guilt. Why? What did it do for me? It usually sent me running to the cupboard to soothe myself. Giving myself a little grace stopped the cycle. I could settle back into my nutrition and exercise routine without even more to sort out. That extra will go, and so will that other one, and in time, we’ll get there.
If you’re making good progress toward your goal, yea!!!!!
If not, take a deep breath and plan for later. As we follow the plan, we’ll get there. Imagine the number of calories you’re saving by not eating to soothe yourself after a beat down session. Be gentle with yourself. It saves calories.
A little grace is a blessing. Don’t be stingy with yourself.
