Falling off the Dieting Wagon

Jimmy Swartz

Administrator
Staff member
Falling Off The Diet Wagon

by Jonathan Bowden, M. A.

"One of the most discouraging aspects of weight loss are the inevitable slips. Everyone has them. For some people, an occasional slip engenders an all out binge...followed by guilt, self-recrimination, a sense of powerlessness, and a feeling of "What's the use?"

Sound familiar?

I call it "falling off the diet wagon," and if you can change how you think about it, you don't need to be victimized by it anymore.

Let's start by looking at a simple children's game called "Chutes and Ladders." Here is how it works: you use a spinner to advance from space to space toward the winner's spot. Along the way there are ladders-which leapfrog you over a lot of spaces-as well as chutes-which send you back in the opposite direction.

chutesandladders.jpg
Some kids play this game with a laissez-faire, "whatever" attitude, taking life as it comes with all its ups and downs, pitfalls and triumphs. They learn the wonderful moral of Chutes and Ladders-half the secret of life is just showing up. Keep playing the game, and eventually you will get where you are going.

Some kids, however, get very upset when they land on a chute. They are ready to quit the game, pick up their proverbial marbles and go home. For some reason, they believe that life isn't supposed to have any chutes. When they land on them, they are very disappointed and feel like giving up.

Weight loss is like a huge game of Chutes and Ladders.

In dealing with hundreds of clients over the years, I've discovered that the biggest difference between the winners and the losers in the weight loss war isn't whether or not people have "slips" and go off their program. It's not really a question of "if" they have them, it is a question of "when."

What really makes the difference is how you deal with the slips when they happen.

Here's an example. You have been absolutely wonderful on your plan for three weeks. You've been sticking to your exercise routine and feeling pretty terrific. You go to your best friend's wedding and have a glass of wine. Before you know it, someone is insisting that you try those delicious little canapes, and before the wedding singer can say "Tanta Elka Cuts The Cake," you've managed to down about 4,000 calories from stuff you wouldn't have been caught dead looking at during the past few weeks...pates, desserts, breads, stuffings, you name it.

Most people think that's where the action stops. Actually, it's where the real action begins.

First, a reality check. Have you done a lot of damage? Not really. You may have put on a pound or two. Big deal. You can knock it off in no time, and go right back to work on yourself.

So what's the problem?

The problem isn't what we did, but what we make it "mean." We tell ourselves that our "transgression" means that we have no will power, that we will never succeed, that our efforts are in vain.

Let me suggest something more empowering.

Suppose, instead, that we learn to see life's occasional "chutes" as just that-stumbling blocks that everyone hits on their personal path to personal power, nothing to be afraid of and certainly nothing to give a lot of meaning to.

So you had a chute. On your next spin you might hit a ladder.

Most important of all, you can't win the game unless you keep on playing.

And every minute gives you a new chance for another spin. Take it.

And don't look back. smile.gif
 
This is something I definitely need to remind myself of. I tend to get disheartened when I slip up, and often have an "all or nothing approach". Either I'm eating perfectly and giving it 100%, or I slip up and then feel like I've totally ruined everything. I need to get rid of that mindset and understand that everyone is human, and recovering from the setbacks is really the important thing!
 
When your trying to lose weight or to maintain your weight you realize that slip-ups are part of the journey. Like everything in life you need to have systems in place to deal with this.The best way I have found and that works for me is to get back right on the wagon.Just continue with your diet like you never stopped. Also for 3-5 days I go on an extreme protein diet where I eat only eggs and steak or eggs alone. I lose a lot of weight on this and it helps me to get back on track.
 
This was really inspirational, I know it will really help me on my weight loss journey, Definitely slipping is inevitable because of sometimes free meals at our disposal, it could be from a coworker to a friend taking one out or family celebrating a get- together and mouth -watering dishes will be staring one in the face,well,we slipped but the sure bet is pulling ones self up instead of beating it up and retrace the steps and get back on being on the tract and get going with the diet.
 
For me, it helped that I wasn't really a binge eater in the first place, but I just ate more than 3 times a day with normal servings but with minimal physical activity, so when I was starting and still not used to OMAD, I would give myself 1 day a week where I can eat normally just to avoid getting tired immediately of the diet.
 
I think motivation and ones psychological and emotional temperament are big factors in dieting. Whenever a person dieting becomes emotionally disturbed or problematic then slip ups usually happen, this is the same when one is trying to quit smoking or drinking. OMAD diet would be easier in a controlled environment rather than in an open environment.
 
Thanks for the write-up for it is going to serve a way that I remain focused on my goal on taking the needed things that will ensure that I have the body shape that I really desire so much.
 
Thanks for this as I feel like I've been needing a bit of a motivation boost after having been on this diet for over a month now. I have had some cheat days but they were scheduled so I don't consider them slips. However, I am starting to feel like there hasn't been much of a difference since I started so I am feeling a bit discouraged, but I do know that I am at least eating way less than I used to so at least even if I don't see any physical effects I know my intake or routine is healthier and I just hope that the process pays off someday or hopefully soon.
 
Thank you for the motivation. there are really times when I feel like my efforts are being wasted especially since temptations are really hard to resist. Let's just keep moving and with hardwork + discipline will lead to success.
 
This
Falling Off The Diet Wagon

by Jonathan Bowden, M. A.

"One of the most discouraging aspects of weight loss are the inevitable slips. Everyone has them. For some people, an occasional slip engenders an all out binge...followed by guilt, self-recrimination, a sense of powerlessness, and a feeling of "What's the use?"

Sound familiar?

I call it "falling off the diet wagon," and if you can change how you think about it, you don't need to be victimized by it anymore.

Let's start by looking at a simple children's game called "Chutes and Ladders." Here is how it works: you use a spinner to advance from space to space toward the winner's spot. Along the way there are ladders-which leapfrog you over a lot of spaces-as well as chutes-which send you back in the opposite direction.

chutesandladders.jpg

Some kids play this game with a laissez-faire, "whatever" attitude, taking life as it comes with all its ups and downs, pitfalls and triumphs. They learn the wonderful moral of Chutes and Ladders-half the secret of life is just showing up. Keep playing the game, and eventually you will get where you are going.

Some kids, however, get very upset when they land on a chute. They are ready to quit the game, pick up their proverbial marbles and go home. For some reason, they believe that life isn't supposed to have any chutes. When they land on them, they are very disappointed and feel like giving up.

Weight loss is like a huge game of Chutes and Ladders.

In dealing with hundreds of clients over the years, I've discovered that the biggest difference between the winners and the losers in the weight loss war isn't whether or not people have "slips" and go off their program. It's not really a question of "if" they have them, it is a question of "when."

What really makes the difference is how you deal with the slips when they happen.

Here's an example. You have been absolutely wonderful on your plan for three weeks. You've been sticking to your exercise routine and feeling pretty terrific. You go to your best friend's wedding and have a glass of wine. Before you know it, someone is insisting that you try those delicious little canapes, and before the wedding singer can say "Tanta Elka Cuts The Cake," you've managed to down about 4,000 calories from stuff you wouldn't have been caught dead looking at during the past few weeks...pates, desserts, breads, stuffings, you name it.

Most people think that's where the action stops. Actually, it's where the real action begins.

First, a reality check. Have you done a lot of damage? Not really. You may have put on a pound or two. Big deal. You can knock it off in no time, and go right back to work on yourself.

So what's the problem?

The problem isn't what we did, but what we make it "mean." We tell ourselves that our "transgression" means that we have no will power, that we will never succeed, that our efforts are in vain.

Let me suggest something more empowering.

Suppose, instead, that we learn to see life's occasional "chutes" as just that-stumbling blocks that everyone hits on their personal path to personal power, nothing to be afraid of and certainly nothing to give a lot of meaning to.

So you had a chute. On your next spin you might hit a ladder.

Most important of all, you can't win the game unless you keep on playing.

And every minute gives you a new chance for another spin. Take it.

And don't look back.
smile.gif
ne motivates us to keep on. Never giving up is the slogan. We may fail on the way or climb up but we should keep going.
 
Thanks very much, this is exactly what I need to remind myself of when I ever get stuck in my diet routine in order to live a healthy life.

We will fail in one or two of our daily plans but we can still get back when we really want to change. But my question is what if we cannot get back to our former glory, what should we do?
 
The first three paragraph was so relatable, I felt guilty. I have been battling weight management for 8 years now after I gave birth to my second child. The exhaustion from being a Mom again plus the pressure on losing weight, sometimes takes its toll on me and I just see my self binge eating. My weight management was like a rollercoaster of losing 10 pounds then gaining it again. But since I discovered OMAD diet, every thing felt easier and not a torture.
 
One reason that this diet works so well for me is that it is flexible as to what I can eat, and as long as it is only one meal a day that you actually eat, it is not the same as going on a binge and falling off of a regular diet.
Some people do eat anything that they want for their one meal, and the diet still works for them, and other people stick to some sort of meal plan, like having a low carb diet, or keto, along with OMAD.
Basically, I have low carb meals, and strive to stay keto-adapted; but when something special does come up, then I know that I can enjoy it, as long as I am staying within the parameters of only having one meal per day.

Also, because I only have food once each day, it makes it really special, and fasting for all of those hours is worth the reward of getting to have a great meal. When you are on a regular calorie-restricted meal, then you might get to eat 3 meals a day, and even snacks; but most of the food you are eating is not satisfying, and you feel hungry all of the time, and thisis why we eventually can’t stand it any more and binge.
Now, all I have to do is wait until my mealtime, and then I know that I can have a meal that I am going to enjoy . It is such a simple plan, but it works really well for me.
 
Thanks very much, this is exactly what I need to remind myself of when I ever get stuck in my diet routine in order to live a healthy life.

We will fail in one or two of our daily plans but we can still get back when we really want to change. But my question is what if we cannot get back to our former glory, what should we do?
Falling out is not a good idea though error is to man. When one begins ona journey they should not think on accidents. We should reach our destination and so it is with OMAD.
 
I have tried a variety of diets and I always fail and I only have myself to blame. Sometimes I think that I am a slave of food that I couldn’t control the craving. That is the reason why I am taking it slowly in going OMAD. Having skipped dinner for a week already, I am still doing good and my determination is intact. What I need now is to skip breakfast but I am observing my body if I can really control the hunger in the morning. It would be devastating if I would go on full OMAD and quit after a few days.
 
I have tried a variety of diets and I always fail and I only have myself to blame. Sometimes I think that I am a slave of food that I couldn’t control the craving. That is the reason why I am taking it slowly in going OMAD. Having skipped dinner for a week already, I am still doing good and my determination is intact. What I need now is to skip breakfast but I am observing my body if I can really control the hunger in the morning. It would be devastating if I would go on full OMAD and quit after a few days.
What you are doing now is intermittent fasting, @Corzhens , and just doing that has also worked for many people. Some people use a 16:8 schedule, which is where you would have a 16 hour fasting window, and then an 8 hour eating window. That is basically what you are doing right now by skipping dinner.
This is how I started, too, and I just did that for a week or two to see if I could actually do this intermittent fasting thing that I was reading about. It proved to be doable for me, and actually, easier than I expected it to be. Once my body was used to that, then I cut my breakfast to coffee and a protein drink, and then went full OMAD and dropped the protein drink.
If you just keep doing what you are doing, your body will tell you when it is ready for the next step, to go from IF with 2 meals down to one meal.
 
I am like this...before. Once I got to eat tons of calories, I feel like I'm giving up just like kids when playing chutes and ladders. I felt like as if I don't have any chance at all so the result was, I just continue to eat more and have no motivation to workout.. I do have a lot of failures when it comes to losing weight. It's really hard for me to do it before but now? I can't keep myself thinking of exercise and work out. I am consciously looking at my body at the mirror and ask myself, "Is this enough? No! you need to work more hard" That's the first thing I do every morning. To motivate myself. I also thought of things about harsh words thrown at me by my friends and cousins before when I as still obese. I find it really annoying that I want to push more hard.
 
I really like how it described life's struggles. I can totally relate with what's being said. It's as if our lives are on a constant game of chutes and ladders. Changing your meal plan can feel that way. That's why many of us slip from our diets and go back to binge eating. But through OMAD, I've developed a sense of confidence in pushing through such obstacles.

I can keep at it no matter how many times I binge eat. Because sometimes you lose, but it's not the end. It's all about being persistent with your daily eating habits despite minor setbacks.
 
This is really encouraging and very well explained. I did play this game as a kid and have never looked at it this way, but now that it's been presented to me in this perspective I could really see how well such a simple game can relate to life and also more specifically to this diet or lifestyle/routine.

I have also kind of been getting a bit more loose with my OMAD rules in the recent weeks because I felt a bit exhausted after a few months straight of being so strict with my diet and I've always been worried that I was getting too relaxed.
Whenever I start to eat just once a day again I feel a lot more at home; so perhaps it has become a lot more natural for me now, which has helped me not to give myself too hard of a time for the small slip-ups.
I know I will definitely snap back to what is now my normal diet which is OMAD.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Top