NOT the right mentality!
The "right" thing to do would be to follow J's advice: get right back on track. My mind doesn't operate that way, though. I take an all-or-nothing approach to most things in life, and while this results in some impressive successes, it also contributes to some equally impressive failures.
With failure weighing on my mind, I decided to just scrap a diet plan and just "eat intuitively." Easier said than done!
My Fitness Pal
A few of my friends are using My Fitness Pal to track their food and exercise, so I figured it would be a good opportunity to try it out with my new non-plan eating plan. The last time I tracked my food with an online tracker, it was 2006, and I was prepping for my first show. I didn't keep up with it because I felt it was a pain to have to be near a computer to log all my foods. My Fitness Pal has a corresponding phone app, which is oh so convenient!
After I entered all my information and goals into the program, it gave me a target calorie count. That calorie count is NOT for weight loss though; it's for maintenance - which was NOT my goal! And here's the really weird thing - for every calorie you burn exercising, it adds that calorie back into your daily caloric goal. Say what?! My Fitness Pal is NOT my pal anymore, since it's not supporting me in my weight loss goal; it just wants me to look the same!
With the caveat of disregarding the additional calories that I'm "allowed" to have, the program is actually rather interesting. I distrust the actual numbers for calories burned for exercises, but they're at least a semi-guideline. The coolest feature is the bar code scanner! I just have to activate the scanner, hold up a bar code in front of my phone, and it scans the item into the database. So slick!
Intuitive Eating Fail
So I was using the Fitness Pal app, and happily entering in all the various foods I was eating ... when I suddenly realized I wasn't making ANY progress. My weight was staying the same, and if anything, my arms were actually losing their shape! Not okay!
I decided to be really honest with myself. I was using "intuitive eating" as an excuse to eat whatever the heck I wanted to eat whenever I wanted to eat. That'd be great and all if I didn't have a goal of staying tight! Plus, some of the foods I was eating definitely made my body go into storage mode.
I discovered that I'm not very good at intuitive eating, and it doesn't really work for my stay tight goals. So, I switched back to keto for awhile (with the exception of last weekend) until I reach a target look, and then I'll add some carbs back in.
I'm still using the Fitness Pal app, but moreso for just fun now. Since I'm following a meal plan again (sigh), I don't pay much attention to the calories consumed count. I'll continue using it for awhile, since it's also fun to connect with my friends on it.
Do you use a food tracking app? Which one do you use? Have you tried intuitive eating? Does it work for you?