Should I feel Guilty?

[MarceMonster 161]

So my husband and I were camping for the past 4 days, I did my best to eat right but I cheated a few times. We found this amazing little Breakfast place and I ate half of an egg sandwich two days in a row. I also had two s'mores over the course of the trip with Sugar Free Chocolate . I keep telling myself that this is the one vacation we take together all year and I shouldn't feel guilty, because I never cheat when I am at home, but then I wonder if I am just justifying my bad behavior. It's been two month since I got sleeved and this was the first time I "cheated" or ate off plan. I don't want to feel guilty, but I do. What do you guys think? Any advice?

[_Kate_ 2,224]

No. Just start again, each day is a new day and yesterday isn't worth the bother worrying about.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

Protip: Guilt never improved any situation. Ever.

But honesty with yourself is a good thing.

As long as you don't let your vacation behaviors continue during your best weight-losing phases, it shouldn't deter you.

Finally ... I don't know that you've assumed this, but in any event don't assume that your smaller stomach's restriction is sufficient to control what you eat. (I guess that should be obvious after your smores, eh?)

Just because you can eat it doesn't mean that you should. Over the coming months your restriction will ease. By the end of Year One you'll probably be able to eat or drink anything in the world. Yes, you won't be able to eat as much as you used to. But you can eat / drink enough to start gaining weight back. So you better have built some major other tools to support your new, healthy lifestyle.

Very best to you!

[joatsaint 2,814]

Don't feel guilty, unless you consistently fall off the plan. Then use that guilt to get back on track. A setback is just that, a setback, unless you let it become permanent. Don't ever beat yourself up, just learn from your experience and put that knowledge into action! :-)

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[glitter eyes 1,398]

Glad you enjoyed your vacation!!

I think we are all different, but I don't think that you should feel guilty at all. As long as you get back on your plan of healthy eating you will be fine.

I am 13 months post op and doing maintenance and I never feel guilty when I eat poor choices. I was on vacation for the last nine days and ate very poorly. I too had smores, candy, biscuits and gravy, some roasted potatoes, and even had some Pasta one night. These are things I never eat at home. I did gain a few pounds, but now that I am home I quickly began eating according to my plan this morning. I was up early at the gym and back on track.

It's all about balance. I feel that this way of living is my new normal and life happens; which means there are times I am going to indulge in high calorie high carb foods. I just track everything and get back on the wagon!!!

You can do it!!

[jane13 2,256]

@@MarceMonster - if you are honest with yourself, which it seems you are, then just remember what @@VSGAnn2014 said just because you can eat doesn't mean you should. I personally think that once in a while a small indulgence of an old favorite is okay. Key phrases "once in a while" & "small indulgence"

[Elode 8,093]

Your allowed to live a little. Keep it in Perspective.

[AvaFern 3,516]

Nah, don't feel guilty. Think about it this way...what would you have eaten this time last year and if you had eaten what you ate this year instead last year would you have not totally felt like a diet rock star? Every once in awhile it is ok to indulge and really your indulgence does not sound bad at all. Every November and December I enjoy Cookies and chocolate and I did this 4 months after surgery and again last year. January 1 I am right back on the healthy eating train and because I know that I get to enjoy it all again at some point, I really don't crave it much. Feeling guilty never helped anyone...enjoy your little break and get back to work when vacation is over!

[Babbs 14,681]

A healthy relationship with food shouldn't make you feel guilty. If you are eating right and feel good about what you're putting into your mouth the other 95% of the time, little indulgences here and there should not make you feel guilty.

Shame and guilt after eating is the old us. The new us loves the fact that we are eating healthy most of the time, and we don't associate food with guilt anymore.

[tjstark 74]

I don't think, based on what you say, you should feel guilty. If you're keeping on track 80-90% of the time, enjoy yourself the rest of the time. Remember, it's not just about the immediate weight loss goals -- but long-term lifestyle changes! You're sticking to your new lifestyle and everyone is allowed to indulge a little.

Think of it as a bank account -- you're paying in 90% of the time with exercise/healthy eating so that you can afford to enjoy that 10% of freedom.

[MarceMonster 161]

Thank you guys so much. I am trying not to beat myself up about it, but it's hard. I just got home and I will make sure to get back on track. I am trying to be as honest and accountable as I can. I do understand that I have a limited time to get the best results. Vacation is over, I will go back to fallowing my plan to a a T

[JamieLogical 8,727]

I don't think you should feel guilty. Expecting yourself to be perfect 100% of the time is just setting yourself up for failure. And I think when it comes to food and dieting, people use one "failure" as an excuse for more failures. I know that on past diets, I have beaten myself up for eating off plan and then felt depressed and ate even more as "punishment" or thought to myself, "well I blew it for today, might as well give up for the whole week!" I have worked VERY hard to avoid that sort of mentality post-sleeve. I have eaten LOTS of bad things in the past 11 months. The key is that I have done that MUCH less frequently and in much smaller quantities than I ever have before. So I am still losing weight and still working toward my goal. Don't let "perfection" be the enemy "good enough".

[MarceMonster 161]

I never thought of it that way. I do eat right 95% of the time and I work out 5-6 days a week. Also, on my vacation we went on a 4 hour hike on day and a 2 hour hike the next day, so I got my exercise in too. I am just still kind of a newbie and its hard to break your old way of thinking. I felt so guilty pre surgery about what I had done to myself. Then for the past two months I felt proud and happy and then crash... I eat of plan and the guilt slips through. But you guys are right, no reason to sit and feel sorry for myself, I just need to do it right tomorrow. ????

[wantingabetterlife 364]

Feeling guilty doesn't help. I felt guilty my whole life for eating the wrong things! There will always be special occasions, events, etc that you may eat something you shouldn't. They should be the exception, not the normal! Keep up the great work!

[MarceMonster 161]

So just to update, it looks like I dodged a bullet with my poor eating over our vacation. When I got home I weighed myself expecting to see a little bit of a gain, or at least stay the same, but I was actually down almost 2 pounds!!!! It makes me feel slightly better to know that I didn't sabotage myself. Regardless I will keep to plan at least 95% of the time. Thank you all for your help and kind words.