How do you react to success?

[emilycat]

Kim's last comment on the HLSG thread sparked an interest -- are you more likely improve on or maintain your good eating and exercise habits if you've been doing well lately, or if you've had a reality check on your not so good behavior?

I guess what I'm wondering is, do you respond more to positive or negative feedback?

I for one, tend to make much better decisions about how I eat and exercise if the scale's steady and I've been training well. I suppose a setback is relative for everyone; a morning of following up breakfast with a couple of cookies I would have had for lunch won't make me break a workout or pig out all day, but I might put off my run until the afternoon instead of the morning because I'm feeling crappy.

So I was just curious about how you all handle your blunders.

[kwormann]

Well, you are asking the right person, since I am an emotional eater..when I get upset, I tend to eat (preferably triscuits and cheese and peanut butter) and lay in bed and hide...all bad things....when DH upsets me (thank god not very often) I tend to eat to get back at him...real rational, huh?

When things are going well, it is a nice cycle...I am on a high, I exercise, which makes me want to eat well, which makes me want to exercise..etc. But when things upset me, or I have a bad day then the bad cycle occurs. You know, Im glad you posted this...it feels good to be able to talk to someone about this http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Kim

[SusieO]

I think good behavior begets good behavior. It's easier to maintain a healthy lifestyle when you have a healthy momentum going.

The important thing to remember is we make lifestyle choices for a lifetime, and we're going to have our ups and downs. So when I've had a bad day and I find myself eating chocolate chips out of the bag in the freezer, I try to give myself a break and get the momentum back the next day.

[hhcowgirl]

Am I the only one who does not vary my eating habits according to success/failure/emotions, etc.? I feel as if I am a failure as a woman or something. When I was a freshman in college, I used to do that (i.e., get ignored by my crush--go have somefrozen yogurt) but as soon as I stopped, I got skinny. Now I literally just eat to live (instead of live to eat) and don't even think about food--just feed my furnace when it needs it, and I don't have to worry about my weight in the least bit. Granted, I do run about 4 miles most days, but I truly feel that it is my eating habits, not my exercise, that do the trick. I don't mean to sound self-righteous here at all, it's just that I get really sad seeing people eat because of depression/other emotional triggers, when we were created to just eat when we are hungry. I mean this to be helpful, not preachy, and I am sorry if it came off that way.

[LGBurns]

I agree that "good behavior begets good behavior." I also know that a goal keeps me motivated better than anything else. When I was getting ready for my wedding, I was better about exercising and eating right than I ever have been in my life. Since my wedding, it has been really hard to be motivated to exercise. In fact, I paid for a locker at the gym at school this semester and then only used it ONCE. I am feeling really depressed about how bad I've been about exercising lately (and about how tight my pants have been getting). Actually, I've just started checking the HL site hoping it will motivate me to get back "in the game" (yesterday I did shovel snow for 40 minutes, which I think counts for cardio and some strength exercise doesn't it?) Well, sorry I rambled but Kim's right -- it does feel good to talk to someone about this. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[kwormann]

LGBurns...Growing up in the north I can definately say shoveling snow counts!

hhcowgirl..good for you. I whis it were that easy for me

emilycat, as always, so impressed by you!

Kim

[Jessica]

hhcowgirl--I wish I could do that. When I was younger, I ate when I was hungry and stopped when I wasn't. I was thin back then.
Somehow, IN college, I began eating out of stress, depression etc. It took me years to realize what I was doing and why I was gaining weight. Now, I realize the problem and correct it when I can, but it is a daily struggle. Any tips would be appreciated.

[Gina O]

Jessica- I can relate to your comment about weight being a daily struggle. I am in the same situation. At this point I will be so relieved when the holidays are over.

I have looked at this thread several times and was not sure of my response to Emily's original question until this morning. As I have mentioned in another thread, this has been a hard week for me exercisewise... time, weather, and the Baymont Inn made it very difficult. I finally made it back home last night, which meant I got to step on the scale this morning. I had actually lost the couple pounds I had gained recently. That was so totally movitating!! I immediately went over to my step-mom's to use her treadmill! So, I guess I REALLy do respond best to positive feedback. Gina

[lindrusso]

I've been pondering your question for some time and I think I respond best when I'm seeing some success. When I'm gaining, I feel bad about myself and tend to wallow in self-pity. I feel sorry for myself because I can't eat whatever I want - I have friends (many, many friends) who exercise very little or not at all and can eat whatever they please!

So, I have to break out of my pity party, accept my body such as it is and get to work. Once I see results, I get more encouraged and tend to keep going. What ususally ends up breaking my healthy routines is a trip or vacation - it's very hard to keep up with exercise and eating healthy when away from home, familiar routines and my own, well-planned meals.

I am trying right now to keep going to the gym, even if it's only twice a week during the holidays, so that the exercise cycle is not completely broken. The hard part will be on our next trip in a couple of weeks - that will REALLY put me to the test.

That said there was one time when I saw a picture of myself and was flabbergasted. I was at the heaviest I had ever been and could barely recognize myself. I took this picture and posted it to the folder I used to track my diet/exercise progress. In this one instance, negative feedback got me motivated. I never want to look like that again!

[Gina O]

Alysha-

I can relate to so much of what you said... the self-pity part especially. Sometimes, I make minimal effort, then get on the scale and expect maximum results and get bummed and discouraged when I do not see them. It is as if I have forgotten the real amount of conviction and self-discipline it takes to lose weight.

I keep several of my "fat" pictures around. Brian, especially, does not understand that at all (he did not meet me until after I lost the weight)... considering I was at least 55 lbs heavier and wearing a size 20, he is just amazed that I would want anyone to see them. But, I keep them to remind me of what I never want to be again. I also occassionally take them out to show them to people who say "oh, you could never have been that heavy".

Good luck staying motivated during the trip. Gina