Over My Calories By 916

I am going to assume you wanted to post this because A. you wanted to be accountable and B. you wanted feedback.

My takeaway for me is that it is probably not a good choice to attend an event like this if not in maintenance and if you will feel as though you will choose to eat and drink things not on plan. I am sure you had to give a very rough guestimate on your food and drink because you didn't make and measure it. So you don't even really know for sure that 916 is an accurate accounting. Could have been more, could have been less, could be right around 916. You can't be accountable when you don't know what you are counting during weight loss. That being said, it is not a success buster and you have been successful. You can ask yourself how could you have handled this differently for a better outcome during your weight loss phase.

Yes on both accounts. I do not have any of these events planned and I turn down 99% of the invites I get.

My personal opinion is that maintenance is no different than the loss period. I will still plan and track and think about everything I eat. Just because I will be down 70 more lbs doesn't mean anything. This is a marathon not a sprint. These are lifelong changes not stages.

Yes the calories are an estimate but I was very generous with my estimate so really I am probably 700 cals over but I would rather err on the side of caution. The reality is 900 cals is less than a 3rd of a pound. I fluctuate a pound to 2 pounds weekly even when I lose. This didn't hurt me but I need this feed back.

I have no doubt you will make it to goal Keith. I think goal for many of us is not just a number on the scale or a percentage of body fat. Its a great many other things and feelings and the whole journey in fact is one big goal. And we can get there by many a different road.

Yes my goal is actually in the mirror the scale is simply the quantifier. When I think I look good I will be at goal. I will make my goal. I will.

I've got many thoughts going through my head right now...

Part of my mind is saying... "Well good for him! He tracked it, he admitted it, and isn't planning to do this often."

Part of my mind is saying... "WOW! And I got my ass reamed out over 4 dark chocolate almonds when I was PMSing and about to kill the entire world... and those only put my daily calories to a whopping 721."

I just don't like the way you tried to "justify' your actions. You did! You truly tried to make it seem like this was "OK" for everyone.

1. Your comment about "I will see on the scale tomorrow"... No. Not really. Anything you see will be skewed. You had wine... Alcohol... It dehydrates you and is a high caloric liquid. I don't know that your fluid balance will adjust that fast... Granted you were under 1000 extra calories according to your tracking.

2. You tracked the wine and the food... AWESOME! Did you over estimate for hidden sodium (water retention), and how do you know the exact portions of everything you ate. Seriously... I estimate to the best of my ability and add 10% when I am out. 10%! I don't think you do it this way.

I think you are acting like you can weigh, and measure, and be 100% accountable when you are out. I'm fantastic at eyeballing it... Hell I managed to estimate how many ounces of wings to put on my plate (when made at home) to get 3.5 oz of protein. Weighed the bones, and skin after and I was bang on to the decimal point.

BUT!

In public... I do not have control over the cut of the meat, how lean foods are, what ingredients are in a sauce. I don't even "pretend" to think I do!

You didn't go to an event where everything should be nicely packaged and such with nutritional labels on the back. Let's be real here.

You had an EXTRA 916 calories... In that... I can have a pretty good clue as to how many carbs you had (based on the wine, and 1/3rd of a piece of pizza). I don't limit my carbs to 40 or less and even I am going... Whew... We're talking 120-200 g of carbs for your day... WHEW!

You are going to do what YOU want to do. Just like I am... I am not perfect by any means and I am sure people would be pissed to know when and how much I stepped out of the lines... But I am not here going... "I DID THIS AND IT IS OK!"

I really hope that makes sense.

Shell

I guess it does sound like an attempt to justify it but the reality is I don't need to justify this to anyone. I am responsible for my own actions and the consequences are mine to suffer.

You make some very good points here about the food but in reality I overstated what I ate in the calorie estimation so I would err on the side of caution.

The situations you described here is life. That is the way it goes. You can't control everything. Labels are not 100% accurate because the laws give them wiggle room. Even if we were 100% accurate in our measures our bodies do not play by the rules. I can burn enough extra calories to lose 2 to 3 lbs a week and show a gain because of metabolic reasons or water retention. So if I am off a bit it's not going to make a significant difference.

I guess it does sound like an attempt to justify it but the reality is I don't need to justify this to anyone. I am responsible for my own actions and the consequences are mine to suffer.

That right there is exactly it.

I am glad you over estimate also... I've found it keeps me more on track to do that. I was doing it in the 6 months pre-op (hence the lost inches) and I still do it now (hence the lost inches and pounds). I err on the side of caution with my protein and under estimate a bit. over estimate calories, carbs and fat.

As for it making a significant difference... You're correct. 1 time won't. How many of us said... just one time... just one piece... just... one... It is really hard to not go over. Even if we "think" we're on top of it all.

I can take or leave most foods but I had a wakeup call this week with something totally unexpected. I know I love meats, and cheese and I am content to live within the lines on those but who knew my "trigger" food to want and crave more was beef patties. You know... The Jamaican Patties. 

Like I said. I am not perfect. I hunted for one I could "live with" the stats of for 6 months. Found one... had 1 1/2 on Tuesday and then last night on a "perfect" stat day for me I sat there... Not hungry but I wanted one. I sat there for an hour having the "great debate".

11 g protein. 5 g fat. 240 calories. I ignored the 36 g carbs because I don't feel the need to keep them extremely low 7 days a week... Not awful compared to most but not exactly ideal.

"Ok" on a day my fat is low, my calories are low, my carbs are low... but not on a day where I hit it all bang on for where I aim. 90.6 g protein, 56 g carbs, 29.3 g fat. I do have days where I am low on the carbs, and the fat... and I need about 10 more g of protein. Those will be the days where I stray.

 

 

I don't care how much you think you know, you are still a baby sleever.
Frisco is right. This is for maintenance, not for weight loss.
Each time you make the decision to eat off plan, it sets you up for the next time. And each time you eat off plan, guess what? You will be able to eat one more bite of food.
If you continue to rationalize your behavior, you will not get to goal.
Take it from someone who has been there & is fighting her way back.
I remember you asking me why I had major surgery to have most of my stomach cut out in the first place.
I hope I will not be asking you this same question two years from now.
Joan

Why does everyone here think maintenance is any different from loss? Because you can eat a few more carbs/calories? Do the stages make people feel better? I will still have to do the same things in maintenance as I do in loss.



I think people who hit maintenance and stop doing these things are the ones who wake up 6 months late 35 lbs overweight. This isn't a thing for maintenance. Maintenance does not mean you can eat desert and guzzle wine. It just means you hit a number. I think having the segmented mindset is very dangerous and threatens the long term viability of WLS.

I've actually never thought too much about maintanance and loss phase being the same. I pictured myself hitting goal and then slowly adding things back in to find my bodies target threshold. In loss phase, I'm still taking things out to lose. So for me it is a different type of planning. However, I still agree that it is all planning.