Is ONE day off a good idea?
 

I have been stuck at the same number since 11/26 - 7 days... and nothing. I'm working my butt off at the gym and not cheating at all with food. So... I'm beyond frustrated.

I'm off from work today, and I'm thinking about not going to the gym... just relaxing, and so far today I am on plan... I plan on having a sensible lunch (a salad probably)... and then I was thinking of letting myself be somewhat bad for supper.

The new pizza hut commercials with the cheesy bite pizza's are driving me crazy.

So... I thought... since the scale isn't moving... maybe a day off? Then back to business tomorrow?

What do you guys think? Mistake? Or deserved? What's your opinion?

I think a day off exercise is always good for the body. I think if you don't schedule in some rest days, you'll end up injuring yourself (speaking from personal experience.....).

I don't think eating something bad once in awhile is horrible, but do plan for it. What type of program do you do? I'm a calorie counter, so I can generally work anything I want into my calorie range. And honestly, there have been days where I just want something, and I end up going a couple hundred calories above my range. I can usually tell the next day on the scale ;), but sometimes it also helps to shake up my metabolism!

I think the "right" answer to this question depends a lot on the person's specific characteristics and also on where he or she is in his or her weight loss journey.

One comment: at some point, you may have to get used to seeing the same scale weight for weeks at a time--weighing the same thing for 7 or 8 days isn't a plateau.

While I think there's a place for occasional splurges/deviations, my gut says that giving into the siren song of the cheesy bites pizza would be a Bad Thing. Even in one day, there's potential for undoing lots of good that you've already done; in addition, some people might have trouble getting back on plan right away. I think there's value in learning to tell yourself "no". Perhaps you could reward yourself with a healthy treat of 200 or 300 calories rather than go down the rabbit hole of potentially 2000 or 2500 extra calories.

Once someone has been on a healthy food plan for months or years and feels as if their body needs a little break, they're already in good habits and less likely to go completely off the rails. I just feel like opening the door here is asking for trouble.

I think a rest day is necessary. I workout 5-6 days a week, never 7.

As for splurging, sure. But I would never do it on non-workout day. I tend to drop my calories on my rest day, not increase them. Also, I try to "splurge" within my calorie range.

And like Oboegal said, seven days is not a plateau. :D I'm working on two months myself.

It doesn't sound like a good idea to me at all. For me, junk food is a slippery slope to wanting MORE junk food. The more I eat good, healthy foods, the less I want junk. When I eat junk, I want more and more junk. Plus, there is the convenience factor. It's easy to get food from Pizza Hut, it's more challenging to prepare a healthy meal. If you get pizza once, it's easy to get pizza again.

7 days really isn't that long, it might be salt related or period related. I would drink a lot of water and seriously commit to what you're doing. Not letting a commercial from the food industry (wicked people - read the End of Overeating to see how they manipulate us!!) tempt you from your goals. Eating a bunch of salty cheesy pizza bites isn't going to get you closer to your goal.

I don't think the scale moving UP is the change you want to see! If you're frustrated by the scale not going down, why make it more difficult to see a loss? Eating excessive, salty, crappy calories is going to make fat loss a lot harder, not easier. Not to mention starting down that slippery slope of off-plan eating that Glory posted about.

The best way to break a plateau (not that you're in one :) ) is to stick to your plan like glue. Journal every bite, lick, and taste. Weigh and measure everything. Plan. Eat healthy, filling foods. The scale WILL go down!

Thanks guys... you're right... the scale going UP is NOT the change I want to see. That's the sentence I needed... Thanks Meg :)

Don't know about exercise, I only do walking.

Is one day off healthy eating deserved? No.
A mistake? Yes.
Both these answers are just MHO.
If I get to the place of "deserving" to eat off plan, then tomorrow and the next and the next I'll deserve a little sumpn sumpn too. Plus, it sounds like On Plan is a temporary thing that you can quit some day - you can't, we're On Plan for life.
:hug:

I think a day off from the gym is perfectly fine to rest your body. But what about having a Lean Cuisine or WW pizza to fulfill your craving for Pizza Hut? Just a thought :^:

I think that it depends on you because we are all different. I don't think that a day of rest from exercise would hurt. If you think that you need a day of rest from your plan, you don't have to have a binge fest. You could give yourself 200 extra calories for one day and have an extra healthy something. I never recommend junk because one bite of junk just makes me crave more. An extra honeycrisp apple is another thing. :)

I will echo the people who said BAD IDEA! I know there are a few people who can handle occasional bad days (but in all honesty they are probably not members of these forums as they most likely know when to stop and not get fat) but I think it is just like Glory said - it is the first step on a slippery slope. One bad day leads so often to more, and all of a sudden you have set yourself back possibly months of hard work.
You deserve better than gross Pizza Hut in all honesty

There's nothing wrong with craving some pizza. Why not make your own yummy version? try a tortilla, flat out wrap(these are loaded with fiber, 120 cals and twice the size of a reg. tortilla), or already made boboli or other type of whole wheat crust at the grocery store. you could make it with your family, or just some for you. everyone gets their own healthy toppings. Even your own personal pizza if you use the tortilla or wrap.

toppings ideas
red onions
mushrooms
pineapple
roasted chicken
spinach
roasted tomatoes
roasted peppers(yum!)
basil
sprinkle of lowfat or FF cheese
roasted garlic
possibilities are endless, and won't make you feel bloated and guilty. All YUM! and all totally on plan. :D

like rockinrobin always says, make your on plan food sooo delicious, you won't want to eat off plan food.

and when i see those comercials i think about how much oil and fat is dripping off it and maybe they didn't wash their hands when they made the pizza. ewww. true story, at a local pizza delivery, the same person handled the cash register and the pizza making. We never ordered from that location again. take a look at the pizza hut or other delivery menu and calories. my fav. papa john's has 14g. of fat in 1 slice of pepperoni pizza. O.M.G. Who eats just one peice? I often ate 2 or 3 myself, there's breadsticks or chicken... and if you do, it's not satisfying at all.

We're all so proud of you. Yes! You are making the right choice. You can do this!

Oh, I have to tell you, I have started making THE best pizza! I truly love it more than franchises like Pizza Hut, Dominos, etc. (And I'm a BIG fan of "real" pizza.)

I brush olive oil on one side of a WW tortilla and sprinkle it with just a little onion salt. Flip over. SKIP THE SAUCE at this point. Add just a little cheese. It doesn't take much. Load it with desired toppings. I'm fond of green, yellow, red and banana peppers and onion and maybe pepperoni. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. After it's baked I spoon on and spread a little sauce. This is the only way I've found to keep the tortilla from getting soggy.

Have you ever made homemade pizza? Make it once and you will never want Pizza Hut again. Plus, you can control the amount of cheese, no sugar or oil in the crust, wheat flour, etc. And trust me, tastes at least ten times better. If you're going to "splurge", go for quality.

Going off plan for junk foods even once is a recipe for disaster for most of us. It's a lot harder to fall off the wagon if you don't try to hang out the back of it. :)

I believe that's very wise. :)

In my experience, having a whole day of being off plan completely sabatoges the whole week when you're staring at a number that has gone up.

I balance it out by having one meal that is off the beaten path maybe every couple weeks but I fit it into a respectable number of calories and pack it full of healthy stuff. If everyone is having pizza, I'll have one small slice with a heaping side of veggies done differently then what I normally do to change things up.

The main thing is to not get discouraged by the number you see. If you keep being good, it'll come down. Weight loss is a roller coaster. You can do it! :hug:

Absolutely, rest up. We dont realize it be stress hormones (Cortisol) can be building up in your body and you need time to relieve that stress hormones and allow your body to recover! Enjoy your day off *wink*

Sorry, but I just don't agree with all the naysayers! In my opinion, it depends on your goal. Is your goal to lose weight as quickly as you possibly can? Or are you okay with taking time to do it? I have 'cheat' days in my eating plan, and don't feel one bit guilty about them, even if I go up a pound or two. I know that for me, weight loss is lifelong, NOT a sprint. I have my 'cheat' day or meal and then get right back on track.
That said, I have a lot of self control, and can eat a reasonable portion of a 'cheat' food, without going overboard. If you don't, then you need to evaluate from there.

I went back and read all your post, I would think that you can add a little extra to your normal calories if you are looking to enjoy a maybe not so healthy meal. Everyone keeps talking about making it realistic and a life change and it is........so long as you know that you cant go crazy, order the pizza, have ONE slice and forward the rest of the pizza over to a neighbor or family/friend. You can always make a home-made pizza super healthy and get fuller off of that. That's me, I eat really healthy, calories in and calories out = weight loss. Have to be realistic and just enjoy yourself with once a week with an off meal or an off desert. Also I pay close to attention to the emotional connection to this 'relaxation day' I tend to not eat unhealthy choice unless I have in fact burned calories that day, that way I'm not associating rest and reward in the same day.

Now, my family and I manage to have a weekly pizza night without any problem, but very few losers are like this! I either make homemade pizza or do a take and bake and can weigh out a slice, eat it, and not beovely tempted by more. That said, these are not fatty chain pizzas, even Papa Murphy's is fairly sensible on the calories of many of their pizzas, and lacking that extra salt and fat seems to work to help me not crave more. It lacks the cracky quality of normal pizzas ;)

When I first started out losing weight, two years ago, we did NOT do pizza night. That was added in as our family's one quick, non-homemade meal after I had already established good habits and could easily choose not to binge on a food. Early in your weight loss, it's likely a temptation you just don't need. The scale needs to go down and temporarily or long term, pizza is one of the worst foods for achieving that end.

Great to hear. It'll come off if you stay on plan, and the fact that you're not seeing the scale go up is a good thing, it'll go down eventually ;)

Calories in 1 (one) slice of Cheesy Bites Pizza, cheese only: 360.

It only goes up from there.

I disagree with those who say go ahead and do it. I think if you're like a lot of folks here, you won't stop at 1 slice. In fact, you might not stop for days... :no: Don't do it. Find an alternative that will be healthier for you. Some of the homemade recipes here sound good and not hard to make.

Jay

It's not about getting it off as quickly as possible, I don't think that is what people are saying. I think it's about her state of mind. Is a cheat day when you're going out on a special date a good idea, and you're feeling great, maybe, is it a good idea when you feel like giving in? Probably not.

A day off? Oy. If it's steady, consistent weight loss you're after, you'll have to be steady and consistent sticking to your calorie allotment.

Back to business tomorrow? You've got to do what needs to be done TODAY. Pushing things off till tomorrow is something I did for years. I tomorrow-ed away decades. Decades.

That bolded sentence - Or deserved? is what scared me the most.

Deserve some calorie, fat laden, carby, junky food that can't help you reach your goals? Why would you deserve that? Why?

What you deserve is to be the best you possible. You deserve to know what it's like to walk around in a slim, trim, health-iest for you body. And everything that comes with it.The added energy, stamina, fitness level, self confidence, self worth, self respect, fitting into each and every chair this world has to offer, including restaurant booths, roller coasters and airplanes. You deserve to shop in any store you want and have a smokin' hot enormous wardrobe. You deserve to feel great in your own skin. You deserve to be the very best you.

Stick to that plan of yours, tweaking it if need be. Going over every thing with a fine tooth comb to ensure that you're not going over your calories so that you can get that scale moving in the right direction - downward - so that you can get what you truly deserve out of life. :hug:

One thing I would add to what others have said: if you plan is so hard that you really crave a "free day", you may need to change your plan. If you feel like you are constantly forcing yourself to exercise, forcing yourself to not eat, starving to death and you'd give anything to just have it go away for a day . . .that means you need a new plan, not a day off from a plan that isn't working.

I used to diet like that--super super super tough, deny myself everything, push myself to the max, no exceptions, and after a while I would desperately, desperately need a day off. But after a few months, that day off would spiral into weeks and months off because I would dread going back on plan so much.

This time, this successful time, I made the plan livable. I ate few enough calories that I lost weight, but I ate enough that I wasn't hungry all the time. I exercised, but not until I collapsed. And that urge for "cheat days" went away. I might day dream about a free-for-all, but I don't need one, crave one, fixate on one. That's what is meant by "sustainable".

Someone said to me once: If every day you run as far as you can, you'll end every day with a failure. But if you run what you planned to run every day, you'll end every day a success. And you'll end up going just as far. In that spirit, I think it's best to adjust a plan SLOWLY. If you planned to exercise today, exercise today. Live up to your plan, it will give you pride. But maybe think about changing your plan to include a rest day on Thursdays from here on out. There's certainly nothing wrong with a rest day--the fact that you want one so badly suggests that you need one--but do it in a way that makes you successful.

In the same way, I crave junk food when I am hungry. My body wants me to eat, so it tempts me with images of the most delicious food. But I learned that if I eat 100-200 more healthy calories a day, I don't crave the junk food nearly as much. It might still look good, but I can put those thoughts aside. So I'd stay in your calorie limit for today--after all, fulfilling the plan is what makes us feel successful and powerful--but consider adding another snack or whatever to the plan starting Monday.

Well, yes, a stuck scale IS frustrating.

But this makes no sense to me.

Stay on plan if you're losing, but go OFF if the scale ISN'T moving. Which just makes the scale LESS likely to move, or at least to move in the direction you want....

I know that lots of people have planned treats. But this doesn't sound like a planned treat. This sounds like saying "I deserve a treat because I've been working so hard."

I agree. You should go ahead and treat yourself. A day off of workout, a bubble bath, a manicure, a relaxing moment with a hot cup of tea?

When we feel like we're working hard but not getting somewhere it's fine to pamper ourselves. But for a lifestyle change to truly work, we can't pamper ourselves with food when we feel bad, IMHO.

I used to work at Pizza Hut. They put crack in the food. I would chew up breadsticks just to taste the toppings and spit it out in the trash can all day.

I understand your frustrations but if you MUST cheat (which isn't a good idea...keep putting off your "cheat day" and eventually you might not want one --> steady losing in the long run) don't make it fast food/Big Pizza.

If you still want pizza, they have 200 calorie Dijorno pizzas that are roughly the size of a dollar bill. I know frozen pizza isn't the same as a big greasy pizza from pizza hut but it's still pretty tasty and not going to screw up your plan.

Shmead, I hear you loud and clear about the fact that maybe the OP hasn't chosen the right plan if she's looking for a *free* or *off* day from it.

But there is something that has to be kept in mind - there IS a transition period, an adjustment stage that one must work past. Very few people can go from eating french fries, pizza and ice cream one minute to eating cottage cheese, salads and chicken breast the next without a bit of *discomfort*. It does take time to lose the wants and desires of the old lifestyles' foods to the falling in love with the healthy stuff.

What worries me is that the OP feels that eating the *bad* stuff is reward for eating the *good* stuff for a period of time. If that's the case the transition period will be very difficult and lengthy and so may this weight loss journey. I think there will have to be an adjustment in the way of thinking.

Sorry, I hate speaking as if the OP isn't here and we're talking about her behind her back, but I know of no other way to get this across with the written word and over the internet My apologizes to the OP.

I had to switch what I wanted. I stopped settling for foods that merely tasted good. They had to taste excellent and be excellent for me, long after I was done chewing. I raised my standards; required more from myself.

I also didn't focus on what I was giving up, but on what I was GAINING. And man oh man did I stand to gain a LOT (and I did!!) by NOT giving into my every whim and desire, especially in the early stages. I had to man up and learn to tell myself no! I think it's Rhonda who has one of my favorite signatures - losing weight isn't for sissies! I love that. And let's face it, in the early stages, there's some uncomfortable moments. But you've got to push past it. There is no other way to grow and improve upon yourself.

OK girls.... so... I really appreciate all of the great advise. I wanted to come back and tell you about my day.

I sort of have the urge... to lie about it, but I understand that is only detrimental to me... and does me no good at all. I understand that you all are here for support and advise, and I need to be honest here...

So...

Here's what my day ended up being....

Breakfast
2 scrambled eggs (cooked with pam)
1 bagel thin with 1 tbs low fat cream cheese

Lunch (mom and I went out shopping and to lunch and ended up at a place I had never eaten)
Spinach burger (this I think was one of the best choices, however... it was on a hamburger bun and was mixed with bread crumbs to stick it together.. although... I couldn't detect the bread crumbs too much so I'm not sure how much was there)
1/2 order of steak fries.... I know this is horrible... they had NO veggie choices... should have just left off the side.
a pickle spear

Supper
(sooo my husband... who is no help to me whatsoever when it comes to trying to lose weight had heard me talking about wanting a pizza bite pizza... so... guess what... he brings one home)
1 slice of pizza (with cheese and hamburger meat)

90 calorie cappachino

No real exercise other than walking around shopping.

I don't feel completely devastated by the day... I do feel somewhat good because I didn't eat ALL the fries... and I only ate ONE piece of pizza...

I feel the most guilty about not exercising... BECAUSE... I forgot that tomorrow night is my company Christmas party and I won't be able to have time to go to the gym tomorrow either!

However... I have recorded an exercise show on TV and plan on doing it when I get home from the party.

I ordered grilled trout for the party btw.. which I think was the best choice I could have made.

I also want to say that I appreciate the comments about me thinking I need a day off is more like saying I can or will one day be able to end this journey... or that it's more that I have a mental thing I need to get over and quit trying to reward myself with food.

I really haven't thought of it that way... but you are right. I should NEVER be rewarding myself with food! Actually... after eating that 1 slice of pizza... my stomach is KILLING me... so... it's not only non beneficial... it's harmful!

I am going to start setting small goals for myself... with small non food related rewards.

Maybe that will help.

Thanks again for all your support and thoughts, I appreciate it!

Gidget, you' need to stop viewing adhering to a healthy lifestyle, eating well and exercise as some kind of punishment. As some kind of terrible thing to be on. Leading a healthy lifestyle is nothing to fear and loathe. Eating those other foods? - that's what's to fear and loathe. Remaining super morbidly obese - that's what's to fear and loathe.

There's nothing boring, dull, restrictive or uncomfortable about eating well. What's boring, terribly uncomfortable and restrictive is being obese. Nothing was more uncomfortable than than.

Eating well is no prison sentence. It's a key to freedom; one that will open up more doors than you can possibly imagine. Ones you didn't even realize were closed.

I'd be curious to see what a typical on plan day looks like for you. Maybe we can help you tweak your menu to make it more palatable for you.

But honestly, I believe your way of thinking needs to be tweaked a bit. And it sounds as if you're up for it!

There is no deprivation in turning down fattening, unhealthy foods. The deprivation is eating them and remaining obese.

You need to not focus on what you are giving up, but on what you are gaining.

You need to become passionate about this lifestyle. Don't dread it. Become excited about it. Embrace it. Celebrate it. Look for the joy in it. Because it's an incredible, incredible way to live. It's a joy and a blessing.

As far as your lunch, I gotta ask you, why didn't you bring some healthy foods with you? For me the key is planning. And then planning some more. And then planning some more. You've got to plan out your foods in advance, knowing where each and every bite, lick, taste and crumb is coming from. No surprises. It's much easier to stay on plan when you've got one. You decide ahead of time exactly what you're eating - and than you stick to it like glue. Like glue.

Once you make that plan, the thoughts of all those other foods will stop spinning through your head. You need to let your love of those foods die down and atrophy. But each and every time you let them in, they remain and become fresh again. You need to distance yourself from them. You do that by working past the discomfort and pushing through it, not giving into it. You make this process soooo much harder by giving in. You don't allow the good habits to become ingrained in you; but worse you re-enforce the bad behaviors and keep your wants for those foods alive. Work past those uncomfortable moments, stop giving yourself permission to veer off. Because again, then those thought of those foods are always around you. Stop making it an option TO eat them.

But by all means, add in other foods. Really, really delicious ones that taste good and are good for you. Be creative. Think outside the box. There's a whole world of delicious, exciting yet healthy foods out there. I feel like I've found the secret to weight loss - I'm eating fabulous foods and lots and lots of them, they just happen to be lower calorie. Who knew?

You need brutal honesty to do this. No excuses. None. Require more from yourself. Raise your standards. Challenge yourself. Conquer some new skills. Master something new - and wonderful.

As far as your husband, my dear, its your responsibility. You need to speak with him and tell him that you need his help and he needs to not enable you by bringing home fattening foods. But again, the bottom line will always be you.

You spoke in another thread about not getting so far in 6 weeks time and being impatient - use that impatience to your advantage - and kick it up a notch. Take this baby home. Discover just who and what you are made of. Amaze yourself. :)

Don't know about anybody else but.... Robin ~ you got me fired up! Fired up to fight the good fight! Thanks! I never tire of hearing/reading the words to inspire great things.

Words to live by Lottie ~ Is a cheat day when you're going out on a special date a good idea, and you're feeling great, maybe, is it a good idea when you feel like giving in? Probably not.

My visual for this journey is a bowling lane with bumpers - I have free rein within my boundaries. Those boundaries are not giving an inch for any kind of celebration, rationalization or excuse. They are made of iron and I will not fall in the gutter again. There is A LOT of room (WW points/calories) on the lane for most anything I want to eat in small portions and a lot of room for different activites (swim, walk, lift, bike and yes even bowl). Right now mostly I want to stay right down the middle and throw a STRIKE!

As far as the lunch place not having any veggie sides? It's a burger place. Ask for some tomato slices. I like to sprinkle a little salt on tomato slices and eat them plain.

I mean, not that you're necessarily going back to this place any time soon, just trying to share some of the "off the menu" ordering techniques I use when I find myself in a place like that.

You were with your mom, it would be great if you could say to your mom "Mom, I am on a personal journey to a healthy me. I MUST go to a place where I can order a healthy lunch." For the first year or so of my journey, I just said NO to places that weren't on plan. I was completely inflexible - I gave myself permission to stick to my guns. So many of us are "people pleasers" we don't like to make waves, we don't like to make situations difficult, we go with the flow.

When it comes to food, I do not go with the flow. For example - fast food, I don't eat it. For quick meals out, I will go to Chipotle or a sandwich place (Subway, Panera, whatever). That's pretty much it. Has it been occasionally awkward with other people who want to get something fast and easy? Yes. Is my slim, healthy lifestyle worth it - yes!

And I know some people might be thinking "how can you live your life as a food freak where you make social situations awkward" (because that is what I would have thought 6 years ago. I would have thought jeez, get over yourself, just EAT the food, it's not going to kill you, don't inconvenience other people!) Of course, I try to plan well enough so these situations don't happen, but I'll tell you how I live with myself - a slim and sexy size 6 with a closet full of adorable clothes and doctors that oooh and ahhh over my perfect bloodwork results.

^^^ yes, yes and more yes^^^

That's it.

But I can hear it now, "ahh, but you gotta LIVE"... well, ummm , yeah, that's EXACTLY the point. I gotta live. And live well ... and long...

Love the following quote -
"They laugh at me because I am different; I laugh at them because they are the same"

I remember years ago, I had this friend. she was always running to the gym, playing tennis and taking walks. All us girls would eat out and she'd be so choosy and particular, ordering custom this and custom that. We'd be talking about recipes and she was always tweaking them.. She was eating veggie burgers without buns and piles of salad, and I used to think "Gosh, I want to be like her SO badly. I'd LOVE to be someone like that". And then one day it dawned on me - well, ummm, then BE like her. Ta da.

If you want to be your best, well then you'll have to DO your best.

Oh and read the second quote in my signature (the first one too actually).

[QUOTE=EvilGidget;3592458]I also want to say that I appreciate the comments about me thinking I need a day off is more like saying I can or will one day be able to end this journey... or that it's more that I have a mental thing I need to get over and quit trying to reward myself with food.
QUOTE]

I agree that NO one should reward themself with food, nor be a prisoner to it.
HOWEVER, I really dislike that other peoples FEARS have to become your own. Just because you didnt eat the right choice or do enough exercise one day DOES NOT = QUITTING! If that was the case, Almost ALL of those that had unwise choices would still be obese! You make a bad choice, you find your emotional connection to it, learn from the error and move on, let it go, it does not equal failure. To feel this way only make you feel like you should just give up if and "when" you do make an off choice! Especially around the holidays!
I'm just saying, I think some people here are being a tad too unrealistic to me,IMO.

I'm a little confused, as I didn't see one person who equated having an off day as quitting or failure. Not a one. :?:

Sometimes it's tough to shoot the gap between beating yourself up for a bad choice and giving yourself permission to do it again, but that's what you're aiming for. Punishing yourself won't do any good and depending on your psyche can be very self-defeating. On the flip side, you definitely don't want to start thinking, "I made some poor choices today, but tomorrow I won't" only to find that "tomorrow" comes next week, next month, or maybe never again. We can't give ourselves permission to repeat our mistakes indefinitely.

What's kept me on the straight and narrow this time--and I believe that this time is indeed my last time losing these pounds--is resolving never to make the same mistake twice. So far I haven't gone off my plan, nor do I intend to, but as life sometimes interferes with that, I have an emergency-screw-up-preparedness plan in mind.

What I will do:

- ask myself why I went off my plan--every detail of why it happened
- look at what I could've done differently that would've kept me on track
- pare my next few days' calories down slightly
- take the necessary actions to prevent a repeat

What I won't do:

- Beat myself up, literally or psychologically, because that never worked for me in the past anyway
- shrug and give up because I've "already blown it" and might as well inhale a cake, another failed "strategy" from my past
- cut my next few days' calories drastically; starving myself is only another form of punishment that sets me up for future failure.

I agree with others who've suggested that you may want to look at your plan more closely. If you're feeling a strong need--not just a want--to get a day off, it may be time to tweak it. It's got to be sustainable over the very long haul.

I QUOTED HER, DID I NOT? I don't have time to go through and read all the responses from other people. It seems she certainly has more than an earful and what checking back to see what she had to say as an update. I quoted her, so if you feel this way then ask her! :dizzy:

Even if she is stating her own sentiments, my own are still the same, she should learn from her mistakes with her eating and move forward and not quit.

It's also possible to just go to a restaurant and just NOT EAT. This was a hugely powerful discovery for me. Order a diet soda or a coffee. If people invite me out to eat, I say "I don't need a meal, but I'd love to sit and talk to you and enjoy your company while you eat". If anyone is really pushy and you don't want to go into your dieting, suggest that you are feeling "delicate" because you ate something bad earlier. No one asks for more details about bathroom problems. And they don't have to know you ate your planned, packed dinner in the car on the way over.

It's amazing how many times I used to stress about which bad choice was the least bad, until I learned that "none of the above" was always an option.