Overeating: Falling Into Food Temptations and Sticking to Your Diet

by She FIt on August 5, 2009

Why is it that when we mess up once on our diet during the day, we allow ourselves to mess up not just once but for the rest of the day… or months if that?

I have had those days where I end up eating a few cookies for a mid-morning snack and then find yourself at the end of the day allowing myself to have eaten a few bags of chips at lunch, a slice of cake, a burger with fries for dinner, and a huge bowl of ice cream for a late night snack . . . just from that one cookie!!!!

I like to call this the snowball effect. One bad decision leads to a multitude of bad decisions. Have you ever experienced those snowball days in your diet? If so, do you end up throwing the diet out the window for the day or do you find yourself working harder towards your diet?

When times like these hit, don’t freak out! One mistake is not going to make or break your diet. IMMEDIATELY pick yourself up and start over. Don’t allow one mistake of eating an extra 300 to 400 calories lead to an extra 2,000 calories by the end of the day. Why let everything your worked so hard for fly out the window because of that one mistake? If you find that you gave into temptation throughout your day, forgive yourself and continue to stick with the game plan you already mapped out!

The reality is, we are humans and it’s easy to make mistakes, but it’s how we respond to those mistakes that will determine our success.

Vacation Tips by Jillian Michaels

Eating Healthy at Burger King

Tweet What You Eat- A Twitter Food Diary

Tagged as: bing eating, binging, Diet, Eating, Food, food nutrition, healthy eating, Healthy Food, indulging, overeating, temptation

{ 42 comments }

1 MizFit August 5, 2009 at 3:37 am: I used tosay to my clients:

IF YOU FOUND A HOUSE ON FIRE WOULD YOU ADD WATER OR GAS?

they’d laugh.
then we’d segue (awkwardly ) into how it is the same, IMO, with food.

If youve set your diet house on fire DONT ADD GAS (hello oreos! cake!) add water (water, sure and some lean protein and good fat).
2 Gina August 5, 2009 at 5:33 am: Oh man, I know that situation too well. I used to eat a “bad” food and then try to make up for it the rest of the day, which ended up in me under-eating. Then I stopped doing that, and started over-eating after “cheating” on a healthy diet. Currently however, I am able to eat a “bad” food and not let it bother me, or effect the rest of my day’s eats. I’ve come far my friend!
3 Pam (Highway to Health) August 5, 2009 at 5:59 am: Great post! This was the story of my life for a while. I’m definitely getting better at not letting one cookie ruin my day!
4 Carolyn August 5, 2009 at 6:24 am: I’ve been doing a lot better about eating those things in moderation. it’s hard right now because I don’t feel well and want comfort food.
5 lindsay August 5, 2009 at 6:29 am: oh man i do this all the time! “oh well i already ate this crappy food, the whole day is already screwed anyway” totally not a good mindset… i also find that (somehow) it’s easier for me to want to eat healthy when i’ve worked out that day vs when i don’t! not sure how the junk food cravings increase when i haven’t exercised.
6 Robin August 5, 2009 at 7:13 am: I’m actually part human/part bagel.
7 Linda August 5, 2009 at 7:15 am: Hey you!! I love your Blog, it’s GREAT!! I tried to comment on it before, but would never go through. I hope this one does…fingers crossed

Yup, been there done that snowball effect….way too many times. It’s like one screw up gives me permission to screw up and chuck the rest of the day. Like a free ride, a get out of jail (eating clean) free day. Why oh why do we do that to ourselves? That’s one of my biggest challenges….learning to forgive myself for messing up in the first place, then holding myself accountable for not letting it go any further then that one instance.

Again, great post!

PS.. Thanks so much for visiting and commenting on my blog, I love you being there Also, thanks for recommending the fitness omelet at Mimi’s cafe…I’m going to have to try that one out.

You have a wonderful day!!
8 Linda August 5, 2009 at 7:24 am: Hey it went throgh! Yay!

I see you are a Nursing Student? That’s great! Now you’ll be a fellow Arizonian AND a fellow Nurse…how cool is that?

And you have a degree in Kinesilogy? You have to tell me more about that one…so interesting!
9 She FIt August 5, 2009 at 7:47 am: Oh wow! I love this analogy. You are so creative MizFit !
10 Erica August 5, 2009 at 8:58 am: Great post and overall point. I like to use Bethany Frankel’s theories when it comes to this- your calorie expenditure is like your bank account. Its ok to spend big at one point, but you just can’t continue to spend and spend or you’ll go broke. If you have a big treat- no biggie, just make sure you lighten up the rest of your eats a bit.
11 Special K August 5, 2009 at 8:58 am: YES! Why? Because we feel like failures, and for some, eating calms that anxiety…post up the link on allowing yourself and the challenge (free cetaphil! It ROCKS!) because YOU ARE ALLOWED TO FEED YOUR CRAVINGS. this is NOT failure. It is a powerful choice. And then you choose to honor your body by NOT eating when you are NOT hungry. But you are allowed to eat.
12 Dawn (foodnfit) August 5, 2009 at 9:18 am: I definitely used to be one to throw it all away if I indulged too much one day. I’d end up saying oh well, since I already messed up…
Now I try not to do that because I’ve realized that I shouldn’t be depriving myself of yummy food. By allowing myself to have a little bit of everything I like, I find that I don’t over-indulge as much!
13 Alison August 5, 2009 at 9:25 am: I definitely use to do this. I always thought “well, I’ve blown it, might as well go nuts now.”

But then I always think of what Jillian Michaels says, similar to MizFit. If you blow a tire on your car, would you pull over and fix it or would you slash the other 3 tires? I always think of that and it motivates me not to blow my whole day just from one little cookie or treat.
14 Mari August 5, 2009 at 9:27 am: I had that mentality in the past, I always thought “well I already messed up so who cares”

I am huge fan of Jillian Michaels and she said something that stuck with me. If your car has a flat tire do you fix it or slash the other three?

BTW thanks for stopping by my blog =)
15 Kailey August 5, 2009 at 10:34 am: I think this is a great post – the snow ball effect is what always seems to cause people the most grief.
16 Faith August 5, 2009 at 10:34 am: Great post! This is so true! I think for most women, the perfectionist mentality comes along when we slip up on a diet…we figure all or nothing. You’re right, we’re all human and what matters is how we respond to our mistakes.
17 Quix August 5, 2009 at 11:42 am: Great post. Yep, I used to be in that boat too. I would feel guilty that I “messed up” so I’d eat to console myself and then feel more guilty and thus starts the vicious cycle. I guess it’s the perfectionist instinct rearing it’s ugly head. I know I’ve just wanted to toss out art projects and writing projects and start over instead of salvaging them, when usually all it took is a few tweaks…

The best thing I learned losing the weight this time is there is no place for guilt. I give myself enough planned indulgences and wiggle room in what I do that worst case, I go overboard one day, and I just need to burn a little/eat a little less, and viola, I’m back on track.
18 Andrea@WellnessNotes August 5, 2009 at 12:15 pm: Great post and great comments! It’s so important to remember that with almost everything in life, the outcome largely depends on our response to the situation. Thanks for the reminder!
19 Keri August 5, 2009 at 1:44 pm: Just stumbled on your blog and wanted to say hi!

I totally have had those snowball days… they definitely don’t make you feel good, but learning to pick yourself back up after is also a really good thing to try for. Although avoiding it altogether is great too. But, recognizing that you’re probably restricting in some other area and then overcompensating by overeating “junk” is important. There’s endless angles to this issue, so finding out the cause and effect for YOU is probably the best!

Hope to get to know you better!
Keri
http://hopskipleap.wordpress.com
http://operationbreakingglass.wordpress.com
20 Mitri August 5, 2009 at 1:48 pm: Thanks for the comment on my blog

A cookie every now and then is no bad thing, but you’re right– don’t let it be an excuse to eat anything all day!
21 Tay August 5, 2009 at 2:05 pm: This is so true. I used to completely have this mentality. but then I would think about my eating in terms of “miles ran”. Not the greatest way to think about it, but it kept me from binging on another 500+ calories!
22 Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope August 5, 2009 at 2:10 pm: I couldn’t have said it better myself. It’s better to eat a few treats in moderation than to deprive ourselves of what our body is craving. However, overdoing it is never a good thing. But what’s important is that we don’t get overwhelmed by our mistakes and learn to get right back on track!

xxoo
Heather
23 Dave Fannin August 5, 2009 at 2:14 pm: I like the phrase “always do the next right thing.” It works everything, especially this situation. Great post!
24 Jody - Fit at 51 August 5, 2009 at 3:45 pm: I preach the same thing & great advice! Get back to it RIGHT AWAY!!!! Not even tomorrow but the next meal, the next drink.. meaning water, Anyway, I used to do this snowball effect but have managed to not do that anymore.. thank goodness. I may have a “downfall” but I can limit it 99% of the time & the 1% I don’t, it is right back to it the next meal. Time teaches you this.

By the way, I love cinnamon rolls! I almost ate that pic!
25 Sagan August 5, 2009 at 4:49 pm: Well said. This is such a big deal- and I find that often when I eat a really healthy breakfast, it gives me more incentive to eat well throughout the rest of the day!
26 Sophia August 5, 2009 at 5:27 pm: Well said! We all make mistakes, no use crying over spilled milk and freaking over it. Just pick yourself up and move right along!
27 South Beach Steve August 5, 2009 at 5:33 pm: The snowball effect is a great way to describe it. This is why I cannot let myself eat certain foods. I know they will induce the snowball effect.
28 Beth August 5, 2009 at 5:51 pm: when I was lowcarbing the snowball effect totally hit me, every time. Now that it’s calories, I feel like I can cut back later in the day to make up. Of course, occasionally I do have snowball days…
29 jaime August 5, 2009 at 6:29 pm: ive definitely had that mentality before!! i think its great to mindfully indulge but once it becomes more ‘emotional’ and you have that ‘what the hell’ mindset– its not exactly the healthiest thing good post!!
30 Nutritioulicious August 5, 2009 at 6:35 pm: Such an important topic! So many people fall into this cycle. That’s why it’s so important to be mindful about what you eat. Check out my latest post, which happens to be about mindful eating.
31 Dee August 5, 2009 at 6:48 pm: WW gave me so many wonderful things, and one of them is clichés!

If you tripped down one step, would you throw yourself down the rest?

If you had one flat tire, would you run around slashing the others?
32 Crabby McSlacker August 5, 2009 at 6:53 pm: Great point!

I think that’s really the key to long term success–not whether you make mistakes (we all do) but how you recover from them.
33 JB August 5, 2009 at 7:31 pm: hey, girl! i actually already have the apartment, but thanks for the comment!
and i don’t diet, but i totally know what you mean about the snowball effect. back before i went vegan (and even farther back…when i actually enjoyed junk food) i would eat one junky thing and then just go all out and be like “oh screw it, i already ruined my health for the day anyway!” haha. i think so many people just have that “all or nothing” mentality, when in reality we should all be more moderate with ourselves and forgive our mistakes, then move on!
34 Christina August 5, 2009 at 7:40 pm: I still do this every so often. I’ll mess up my healthy eating ways at a party or something special like that and then I end up just eating crazily the rest of the day. I don’t know what it is, but I can never bring myself to get back on track right away!
35 Lara (Thinspired) August 6, 2009 at 2:23 am: The new site looks great! This is a great post because so many of us fall into the trap of thinking “Oh, I ate that cookie, I “ruined it”, I’ll eat 10 more and “start over” tomorrow.” Lame! I am realizing that when I say that, I’m just making an excuse to keep up the bad behavior.
36 Emily Eats August 6, 2009 at 2:42 am: Good call on the last line! Nicely put. I try to plan on treats so I can have them when I know I’ve got salad for dinner. Eating fresh foods always puts me back on track again
37 Baylee August 6, 2009 at 4:11 am: I used to be HORRIBLE at this! I think ive gotten better over the last few years..but still! Just one little thing would mess up my diet – and then I would just COMPLETELY mess it up,thinking, okay get it all out of my system, and start over fresh tomorrow! SO silly right, when in reality, after that one thing, I could just return to normal right away, instead of feeling totally guilty the next day? I also have an issue with not wanting to eat something thats good for me (like, lets say even just like a can of veggies or soup or something) because i feel as if ive already eaten too much that day. so ill have a sf popsicle – which turns into 6 or 7 or 12. so, i wouldve probably been better off just eating what i wanted in the first place!
38 Robin August 6, 2009 at 4:59 am: I really hate the snowball effect!! I used to use it as a way to punish myself. If I screwed up, well, then I’m going to make myself really screw up! Those are good tips you gave
39 healthy ashley August 6, 2009 at 7:16 am: I have had too many of those snowball days! But we really do need to remember that more important than the slip is how we bounce back!
40 holly the healthy everythingtarian August 6, 2009 at 8:35 am: we are all guilty of this, but i agree – just gotta get right back up and move on!
41 EatingRD August 6, 2009 at 11:23 am: So true! I myself have experienced the snowball effect and I find if I let myself have a little bit here and there it doesn’t get out of hand. But sometimes I do better with having none at all because, based on what’s going on, I’ll want more! Thanks for visiting my blog and I’m so glad you’ve found your balance!
I just posted another pretty heated topic this morning and I normally never say this, but I would love your opinion on the topic? Thanks, you have great info!
-kristen
42 Diane, Fit to the Finish August 6, 2009 at 1:21 pm: You’re exactly right. It’s really important to not let one mess up ruin our whole plan!