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The Food Guilt

The Food Guilt

Lisa Eirene

About Lisa Eirene Lisa lost 110 pounds through calorie counting and exercise. She swims, bikes, runs, hikes and is enjoying life in Portland, Oregon. Her weight loss story has been featured in First Magazine, Yahoo Health, Woman's Day and Glamour.com.

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14 Comments

  1. Lisa

    try and think bigger picture. Is this one day going to matter in a week? In a month? In a year? I bet the answer will be no πŸ™‚ xx

    1. Lisa Eirene

      Aw Lisa, thank you! You make a good point. The answer is no. I don’t think a month from now I’ll be beating myself up about yesterday’s food.

  2. Dr. J

    I don’t feel guilty, I make other people feel guilty πŸ™‚

    I’d like you to think about your calories burned workout numbers. 961 calories is a big workout. I don’t care if you are getting this off a devise or machine, it’s a large number and those devices often vastly exaggerate. . Running a mile uses about 100 calories. Do you feel like you ran over nine and a half miles? If not and you are not getting the results you want, I’d sure look into the calories burned part of your equation.

    1. Lisa Eirene

      The 961 was two bike rides and a 2 mile walk. Yes, that’s a high number and I’m not unhappy with my exercise levels or frequency. You make a good point that I sometimes forget: I should factor in the fitness and not just focus on the food. I do think the apps and websites also exaggerate but it’s as “close as I get” when I count my calories. I think being close is better than not trying to count them at all. It was just shocking to see that number.

  3. Jane Cartelli

    Lisa,
    Breathe in deeply and breathe out the fear, the angst and the guilt.

    What is done is done. Not having the donut (despite a loved one pushing you to have it) was a big step in the right direction.

    You do not need to continue the behavior today tomorrow and the next day. Allow the evidence to naturally clear from your body and let your mind retain what will help you the next time you find yourself having one of these days.

    I am not worried about you. You’ve got this.

    Hugs~
    Jane
    Keepingthepoundsoff.com

    1. Lisa Eirene

      I definitely got this Jane! I did not beat myself up the next day. I made better food choices the next day and I realized that one day is not the end of the world.

  4. Samantha

    Oh Lisa! I hear you girl! I think more than anything (learning to love exercise, losing 110 pounds) letting go of food guilt is the biggest challenge. One bump in your freedom from food guilt is not the end. It’s just trying claw at your psyche cause it knows you are finally getting rid of it for good. Laugh in its face and keep moving. Wake up this morning with a smile on your face and try your hardest not to feel it today!

    I second what Jane said above, “You got this!”

    XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
    Sam

    1. Lisa Eirene

      Thank you for your support Samantha! And your tweet this morning. It’s appreciated. πŸ™‚

  5. Penney

    I think occasion food guilt is an okay thing – helps me return back to healthy eating quicker I think. The trick is not to let it be a big deal. I think Beck Diet Solution would say that “normal” eaters sometimes feel food guilt and there eat lighter on their next meal and its no big deal – no mental gyrations.

    But reading your story I wondered if Michael felt guilty about the donut and was therefore pushing you to have one? I say congrats for resisting that push.

    1. Lisa Eirene

      Penney–that’s an interesting way to think about it. I like that. It’s kind of like a reminder that food needs to be mindful, that I need to not slip into old habits. Sometimes food guilt is a good reminder–I agree.

      As for Michael, he’s normally not really a food-pusher. Sometimes he does get that way when it comes to going out to dinner. If I don’t want to go out he’ll talk about it until I give in.

  6. Jennifer

    You really shouldn’t feel guilty about what you ate! You exercise regularly, usually every day, it seems. You also watch your calories and food choices 90% of the time! Allow yourself an indulgent meal once in awhile. And while I’m talking a good game, inside I’m thinking, even if I did exercise every day and eat well 90% of the time, I’d feel guilty if I over-indulged too. I think it’s the way we’re wired and we have to work on changing it mentally. Even if we KNOW it’s OK, we still beat ourselves up.

    1. Lisa Eirene

      I workout 5 days a week with 2 rest days. But yea, it was a fleeting thing and I’m trying not to let it get me down now.

      Thanks for relating Jennifer. πŸ™‚

  7. Tina @ Faith Fitness Fun

    That always sneaks up on me sometimes too. Some days it doesnt hit me but others it will get me down. I just try to think of what I would tell a friend…and it usually helps put it into perspective for myself.

    And for the record – beer and cheese sounds totally worth it!

    1. Lisa Eirene

      Beer and cheese were kinda worth it. πŸ˜‰

      It’s been awhile since I’ve had The Food Guilt. In fact I think it was back in July when Michael’s family was visiting and we were eating out a lot! It’s funny how it shows up when I least expect it.

      Thanks for making me feel better. πŸ™‚

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