Diet Quid Pro Quos

Let's be real here. There are some days that are not normal, do not go with the flow and are a struggle to get through and stay on plan for one reason or another. Let's talk about that today. I posted a day of pics where all my meals were nice and planned out and pretty much within the calorie count that I am trying to keep, but not every day is like that for me.

Sometimes I will eat the same meal more than once during different times of the day. If I'm trying to boost my loss I might have 2 shakes in a day, or if I'm running errands I might grab a bar to take with me and have 2 bars that day. If I have too many of one meal on hand, like my bars have been in my fridge too long or maybe there is something I don't like so much and I decide to just eat it more often to get it out of the way. If I'm starving at night I might eat an extra salad or snack or meal. I just do what works for me depending on my day, my needs, etc. 

If I am having a rough day physically or emotionally (I deal with occasional unexpected anxiety/depression) I might change it up a little. Last week I had a day where I had an awful headache for more than 24 hours. I'm a bit hypoglycemic so if I don't eat quickly enough the headache just grows worse and turns into a migraine and then I can't function at all. So on the day of my headache I ate more meals and snacks than normal and ate every 2 hours or less as needed. I went over my normal calorie intake, but still didn't go over the allowance per myfitnesspal app. (I actually aim for a number below the allowance the app gives me.) I also had a few ounces of cranberry juice 2 times that day when I was feeling sick and nauseous and continued to eat this way until the headache receded and I felt normal again.

What I am saying is, it is important to listen to your body. You know your body better than anyone else and even though you may be trying to lose weight and sticking to a meal plan and a certain caloric intake, sometimes it's okay to waiver from that a little, as long as you don't abuse it or take advantage of it, you know? This doesn't mean if you are having a grumpy moment or a bad day you can go off plan because you deserve it. This is for those times it's absolutely necessary to go beyond your normal plan. And always, always, ALWAYS pay attention to your body. If your body is telling you something isn't working for you or you need more or less or whatever, make some adjustments. Talk to your doctor. Monitor your blood sugar, your blood pressure, your salt intake, etc etc etc. Take care of YOU!

I'm not going to punish myself for days like the one I had last week with the headache. And on days when I am dealing with crushing grief and anxiety, if for some reason I can't stay on plan, I will allow myself to do what I need to do. And I will go right back on plan, or stay as on plan as I can and log every thing I eat and not feel guilty but be proud of myself for getting through a tough day, a sick day, a challenging moment and not derailing. Life isn't perfect and sometimes our best laid plans fail and things don't go as you had laid them out. And that's okay. 

Don't beat yourself up. Just keep going! Keep moving forward! You can do it! Be your own best cheerleader! Encourage yourself! Tell yourself how great you're doing! Remind yourself this is part of life and take one day, one moment, one meal at a time. And don't forget to drink your water. :)