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**DISCIPLINE, NOT MOTIVATION**
To put it simply, dieting - specifically, calories - works more on solid math than anything else. At the end of the week, your body has kept a running tab... kinda like balancing a check book (remember those?). If you are under your caloric needs one day, you have more to spend the next.
Your body doesn't work on a 7-day cycle, but it's a small enough number for adjusting within yet big enough that micromanaging isn't necessary as would be the case with daily.
You have your caloric goal number. Now it's time to apply discipline!
Lots of folks treat it like a credit card though: "I over ate today, so I'll eat less or exercise more later" ... and as is sometimes the case with credit, LATER NEVER COMES, sadly. It starts a trend of negative ramifications that lead to throwing in the towel (like filing bankruptcy). When the make-up day doesn't happen, then it turns into "I'll eat A LOT less to make up for a couple days and do A LOT more exercise today!" then "Okay, okay... I'll just eat 200 calories and workout for 10 hours and fast for a whole day!"
Once you've started down this path, it's a tricky one to get on top of. Motivation deteriorates quickly as the challenge gets harder as the debt builds. It's an incredibly viscous cycle. Don't let it get started in the first place. Correct it the same day (assuming it wasn't your last meal of the day).
THINKING and DOING are totally different beasts! You can WANT to do something - even NEED to - but all it takes a slight crack in your plan's armor and it turns into a massive opening that allows for a quick downward spiral.
See, our brain is VERY good at getting what IT wants. It is super manipulative. It so cunningly tells you to not worry; "you can always make up for it later". We think, "yeah, I'll just be stronger tomorrow"...C'MON FOLKS! It's the same battle we've waged a million times and continually lost! "But this time it's different - I'm motivated as heck!" ...but by morning, you may not be. *enter depression and regret*
If you're in maintenance, this is especially dangerous because if you give it a tiny of of freedom and it will drive you right back to where you were and you'll need to lose weight again. It also may trigger you to lose control, give up, then need to start all over after spending all this time! Don't do it!
We think we have willpower and it sounds like a good plan to put it off and have the "it'll be fine" mindset. DON'T! Put your foot down (or fork in this case) and don't go over your calories. And if/when you do, DON'T DO IT AGAIN until you're back on track for your weekly average! Keep the overages SMALL to allow for a quick recovery.
If this sounds like you, just remember that MOTIVATION IS NOT WILLPOWER! It fades fairly quickly... so don't be tricked into believing you can get away with it!
And this, friends, is why dieting is far more of a mental challenge than a physical one.
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62.6 kg
Lost so far: 9.1 kg.
Still to go: 0 kg.
Diet followed: Reasonably Well.
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2341 kcal
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Fat: 87.79g | Prot: 145.45g | Carbs: 239.88g.
Breakfast: Kroger Vitamin D Whole Milk, Coffee (Brewed From Grounds), Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder, Nature's Best Perfect Low Carb Isopure Whey Protein Isolate - Dutch Chocolate, Bananas, Wal-Mart Lemon Loaf Cake, Sunny Farms Jumbo Egg, Ground Beef (70% Lean / 30% Fat, Patty, Cooked, Pan-Broiled). Lunch: Concord Foods Strawberry Smoothie Mix, Kroger Vitamin D Whole Milk. Dinner: El Monterey Beef & Bean Chimichangas, Daisy Sour Cream, Nissin Top Ramen Chicken Flavor Oodles of Noodles Soup. more...
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2366 kcal
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Exercise:
Resting - 7 hours and 30 minutes, Motorcycle Riding - 1 hour and 30 minutes, Watching TV/Computer - 5 hours, Cooking - 15 minutes, Housework - 1 hour, Standing - 30 minutes, Sleeping - 6 hours, Driving - 30 minutes, Grocery Shopping - 30 minutes, Walking (moderate) - 3/mph - 15 minutes, Sitting - 1 hour. more...
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Gaining 2.4 kg a Week
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