Making poor food choices

I'm 27 months out from surgery at this point and am pretty solidly in the maintenance part of all of this, where I'll be for pretty much ever hopefully.

Most of the time I do great with food choices - I took the honeymoon stage of my weight loss and learned everything I could to completely change the way I eat.

But every once in a while I just make crap choices and I beat myself up over them. Friday I was stressed because I was going to have to have a hard conversation with a friend - on the way I picked up a bag of m&m's and ate them in the car. Saturday, I ate half a donut.

Those aren't accidents, or oops. I consciously made those decisions and as soon as I ate them I was like DAMMIT why did I do that!? Even when I was buying them I was thinking I shouldn't be doing this.

I just find it frustrating when I make those decisions in the moment.

It's hard to change lifetime habits. You're conscious of it, though, and that's essential to changing the behavior. Keep at it!

Jen

Hugs. We are humans. I am 9 years post op.

I learned not to give myself hard time about some food choices. I try not to call them bad or good.

As long as I am below my personal weight goal ,- I give myself permission to eat anything - and only feel bad about it when that makes me sick - physically ill - or in pain.

One of the foods I need avoid - are veggies. They hurt me more than candies. Ironic...

But I still try to make better choices - wants sweets ,- I would pick up berries...

When I absolutely want candies ' I try to pick some that are less "sugary" - i.e peanuts M&M, vs regular ones.

As long as I don't make it daily habit and my eating is 95% good- I don't get to much about my choices.

Fyi- I had some bread last night... But everything else was "WLS" finely and my overall carbs, proteins and fats were great.

Great response. Changing our language when it comes to food is so important. "Good" "Bad" "Naughty" ... food should be nutritious but we are allowed to enjoy it too.

Well, I will be the asshat.

WTF are you doing friend?? NO! NO! NO!

I know you already know this, but just in case you need to hear it: When we eat because we are stressed, it doesn't help at all. In fact, it makes things worse. We will still have the original stress, plus the added stress of having used food (that contributes to our obesity/addiction) to cope.

Love you, and I love your success -- and while I don't want you to beat yourself up -- I also would hate to see you start down that slippery slope, too. I love the fact that you don't call it an "accident" or an "opps" --

Glad you see it, glad you take culpability and SO glad that you rein it in. Hugs friend!

LOL, I totally posted to be accountable and didn't expect anyone to say that it's okay to eat those things. I don't want to beat myself up over it but I also am completely aware that it's so NOT OKAY. I know i'm in that scary year 2-3 when it gets hard. I did realize on Saturday that the donut was unacceptable and adjusted what I ate the rest of the day to fit more closely in the calorie totals I aim for.

And I also know I'll be weighing myself daily for the next week expecting those m&m's and that donut to show up there. It's so not worth it! I've been addicted to food my whole life. I just don't want to give into it so easily.

Right there with you.

Every day is a work-in-progress.

I totally believe in you!

No surprise I am with Kat on this one. You know better, but at least you are calling it like it is... We are struggle to make good choices day in and day out. We don't always make the best ones, all of the time :/

Emotional eating sucks hairy tea bags. I have to fight too as it is my fall back coping skill. I will say that you likely won't see those M&M's on the scale this week because you don't make that a habit, nor are you putting your head in the sand about what triggered you to eat them in the first place.

Sometimes things go pear shaped. You have been through things that are 100x worse than whatever you are stressing out about these past few days. You know that at the bottom of that bag of M&M's is nothing but the bottom of the bag. No stress relief, no happiness, no good feelings. Tomorrow is another day. You know what to do!

I've been struggling lately also. ate a crap ton of PB last 2 nights. luckily it is all gone and now i won't buy any unless I need to bake for a reason.

I talk to the therapist about this and she said I needed to find out WHY it is happening and put some controls in place so that it doesn't happen or at least doesn't happen often.

Something emotionally is happening at least with me. It is almost like I just can't 'get enough' food and that is my feeling when I'm reaching for something else to eat.

hugs

If you'd have said I feel guilty for eating M&M's and a 1/2 donut I'd have told you that your being to hard on yourself. You're in maintenance and doing amazingly well- reality is even thin people indulge occasionally.

My concern about your post is the stress eating response. Doesnt matter if you ate chicken breasts or carrot sticks instead- we know stress eating is a slippery slope. It's excess calories- period. I'd focus more on the angst you had over the pending conversation over what you opted to put in your mouth. That way, next time a similar scenario comes up- you'll have a non food related response. Maybe sketch out on paper your thoughts to organize your mind? Or Role play in front of a mirror.