What Upsets Your Plans ?

This topic contains 3 replies, has 2 voices, and was last updated by TracyJ 10 years, 9 months ago.

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macloud

11:52 am
17 Feb 14
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We all know we have to stick to our diet/exercise project to get maximum benefit. However, being human, we slip up occasionally – even frequently perhaps. But what are the main tripping points that send us off piste ? For me it is definitely change in routine. I am happy with a steady 5:2 routine and, provided it is not interfered with, I can plod on rhythmically in the knowledge that the end target will be mine eventually. (Oh yes it will !). However, here are my disasters-in-waiting :

Christmas : far and away the worst period for maintaining control of one’s project. For example it is irritating to open your first present on Christmas Morning, like I did, to disclose a large box of delicious Liquorice Allsorts ! Eat them sparingly then ? Don’t be silly !

Holidays : it just does not seem like a holiday if you have to ‘watch what you eat’ all the time. Full English Breakfast already included in the price ? I rest my case.

Birthday celebrations : we have 3 here in 4 weeks in the Summer. Potential disastrous cake-fest !

Meals out : TBH I am most reluctant these days to go on these outings, especially to self-service carvery establishments ! I have absolutely no self-control whatever. ‘Twas always thus.

With regard to exercise outdoors, continual poor weather (as now) is a right downer. In fact I am sat here writing this instead of getting out there, even though I am already changed for action ! But I am nearly finished …

Sound familiar ? What derails you lot out there ?

TracyJ

1:20 pm
17 Feb 14
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Nowt really.

Christmas: It’s Christmas give yourself a break, forget about calorie counting on non-fastdays during the ‘festive period’ (but don’t go mental and eat an entire Xmas pudding on your own in one sitting – half is fine 😉 ). Sacrifice 1-2 days during Xmas & new years weeks to normal fasting days (your body will thank you for the rest and it’s not THAT hard to find 1-2 days that you can do this).

Holidays: I just don’t bother with breakfast and maybe lunch too and eat whatever I feel like for dinner on holidays. No point trying to fast on holiday but travelling days are fair game and I never find it difficult to fast all day on ‘flying’ day and just have a small (hopefully) 500 calorie meal on the first day there and again when I get back home. Yes, you’ll probably put on a couple of lb but, as people have reported on various ‘Holidays’ threads over the last year, it goes pretty quickly when you get back.

Birthday Celebrations: Yep, my family and friends are all quite bunched together over summer too but unless you have 7 birthdays on different days of the same week, it’s not really an issue on 5:2. Just organise your fasting days around the ‘special’ day and save all your ‘normal’ calorie intake on that day for the celebratory dinner and or cake. You should have lots of fasting experience from your fastdays – just use them on a non-fastday and save your calories for where they’re needed.

Meals out: see Birthday Celebrations. All you can eat buffets are probably not the best idea (I’ve done that to myself a couple of times & my stomach can’t really take the punishment anymore, although that never stops my mouth so PAIN ensues). However meals out can be great as, depending how many meals you’ve already had that day (none in my case), you can have the a drink, starter, main and desert and still be reasonably confident that you haven’t totally destroyed your TDEE. You might go over slightly but as long as you don’t do it every day it’s not too bad and if you stick to 2 courses you’ll definitely struggle to bust your TDEE in one sitting.

Re exercise: I’m a swimmer, so although I may not feel like leaving the house to get to the pool I can’t really say “It’s raining.” and use that as an excuse, it’s not like I wasn’t going to get wet anyway 😀

I just started a thread about the importance of goals & something to aim for myself. Maybe you need something to aim for to inspire you out of the chair too? http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/goals-support-and-something-to-aim-for/

macloud

3:38 pm
17 Feb 14
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Hah ! Excellent !

Well, I sure set myself up there, to be shot down in flames, didn’t I, TracyJ ! Don’t get me wrong; I appreciate your comments. All very logical tactics and clearly indicating your extensive 5:2 journey experience compared with myself, still struggling 7 weeks in.

What I forgot to mention, with regard to derailment at the micro level, is that traditionally it has always been myself that ‘finishes things off’ in the fridge or food cupboard. For example, the 2 spare roast potatoes sitting there, friendless, in the fridge since the weekend. Nobody will touch them except myself. Same for stuff past its ‘best before date’. I am originally from Yorkshire also and, especially being brought up there immediately after WW2 with rationing etc., am loathe to throw ANY food away. So I don’t (unless it has gone green or furry) !

However, it is good to see that you have developed a strategy for disruption and I have taken it on board. And I did get out for a 5K run this morning after all !

TracyJ

4:05 pm
17 Feb 14
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Good for you!

I don’t like to waste food either. I made today (fastday) very difficult for myself by over eating (not by much but still) yesterday, as I had half a family sized (but only a small family I stress – if there were more than 4 people they’d be rather put out) cheesecake that needed finishing off.

These things are sent to try us. It put me (probably) a couple of hundred over my TDEE and made this morning difficult (hunger increases when you overeat on non-fastdays) but it’s not the end of the world as long as it’s not something that you do all the time.

Flexibility and adaptation are the unique selling point of this way of life after all. You just might have to do some creative thinking to get those potatoes used up – they’d be useful as the base for a soup (just sayin’). Soups freeze pretty well (just sayin’).

😉