This is actually what I do, and haven't had any issues with it. When I know I am traveling out of town or have some sort of other special occasion, I throw it all out the window! I don't binge, but I definitely end up eating and drinking more than I really need to, and for me, that's okay. I allow myself about 2 days of any given vacation to just forget it all and eat what and when I feel like. For me, this does two things; 1 - It prevents me from feeling like I have to eat 12 times the amount of everything to feel satisfied, and, 2 - I DO get right back on plan because I want to make sure that by the time the next special occasion rolls around I am able to enjoy it again guilt free because I'm not holding onto any excess pounds from the last time.

I know some people can do things more moderately and always make the smart choices, but sometimes I just want to eat a huge burger AND fries AND have a shake instead of choosing just one of those things.

It breaks up the mental fatigue that "dieting" can cause me, it allows me to really enjoy some indulgent treats that I can't normally re-create myself (I don't 'waste' my treats on low-quality run of the mill foods), and it usually ends up fueling me up for some awesome workouts and giving my metabolism a kick!

What I'm trying to get at is, at the end of the day it's what works for ME. I find that moderation is not my strong suit, so my personal motto is; "Everything in moderation, including moderation" - Meaning, sometimes I just toss it all out and go with the flow. I've never had issues getting back on track and if nothing else, those induglent days remind me of how good eating healthy makes me feel and how much I really do enjoy my fit lifestyle... most days.

Amen, Sistah!

F.

Yes it has, but not to this extreme. I had been like a machine for most of the past 49 weeks, very focused and rarely faltering when faced with a challenge. But two things have happened. First, I went on vacation three weeks ago, and I screwed up. Having also messed up on two previous vacations but not to the same extreme, I am nervous about leaving town again so soon. The minute I got back I was back to plan, but I can't keep doing these things every time my schedule changes.

Second, I think I'm just tired of this whole weight loss thing. I'm going through the motions but seem to be uninspired right now. I am being a petulant 2-year-old, wanting to be slimmer AND eat like a pig and I know I can't do both. Just grumpy, feeling like things are sooo unfair!

So leaving town and facing another challenge is why I am asking for help and ideas now. I have been getting my attitude back on track a bit. I am starting to think about skipping the pastries, since I don't think I can control myself, and letting the petulant child in me whine. I am thinking about how to incorporate more exercise into these days. Instead of going to my favorite sandwich place (1000 cals easy), I will go to the favorite bagel place (300 cals for sesame bagel). I chose a hotel with a fitness room. I plan on getting in early and have even requested early check-in with an additional charge so I can work out that day. And I see some rather healthy seafood options on the room service menu.

On day 2, I have decided to go hiking at Point Lobos nature preserve. There are about 8 miles' worth of trails there. Rather than stuffing my face with a delicious pancake breakfast, or calamari and eggs. (yum), I will get another bagel and perhaps some fruit and take it with me for a picnic. Maybe I can find a place that sells salads to go for dinner. I sure wish I had a hotel room with a kitchen though...

On day 3, I plan to walk from my hotel on Cannery Row all the way to Asilomar state beach and back. And maybe even from my hotel to the wharf and back later on. That would be several miles of beautiful, scenic walks, with benches along the way to stop and admire the view. Then in the afternoon, i will treat myself to a trip to my favorite shopping center and buy a new outfit or two, and maybe even go to a movie. I am hoping my cousin will come visit that evening, and we can go to a great restaurant that has grilled seafood. I am uncomfortable eating alone at a restaurant, but am contemplating going there and eating at the bar if my cousin doesn't come...

I just need the emotional strength. And if I don't have that, then I need the determination to keep up with the exercise plan so I mitigate the damage.

Completely agree!

Is this food you've ate there before and know you enjoy? Since you'll be away for a few days would it be possible to just order one of each pastry for each day? This way you get to have all of them, just spread out. With the breakfasts, one day have the bagel the next have the one to go. I guess I think since it's not an everyday thing and a special occasion it's ok to try and treat yourself, but then again maybe that's why I'm still overweight.

I think this strategy with what you eat sounds exactly right. Eat the stuff you want, then make bigger compromises with other meals. I think one day last week I ate 2,700 calories - so, I just shaved 900 calories in total over the next few days to bring my average back down to 1,800ish. Lost 2.6 lbs that week. It's an extreme example, but I would also do that on a daily basis if I ate a bigger lunch / treat - I'd just eat less later (or less the next day if it was in the evening.

I tend to view exercise as distinct from weight loss, so don't really factor that in - I think it's easy to make excuses to eat more by saying you'll "burn it off" when you probably won't. People really overestimate how much they burn exercising.

Just my two cents, but I am not an experienced dieter by any stretch of the imagination, so others may have more informed advice.

One thing that I have found to help me is to look up the calorie/nurtional information before I even enter the restaurant/food establishment. For example, at work we were having a good bye lunch for someone at a restaurant famous for its amazing cheesecake. I had already decided to indulge a little in the meal and make up for it by eating light the rest of the day. But I really wanted that cheesecake. I decided to look up the info and found out that one piece of the cheesecake was over 1500 calories - and that turned me right off. Even when we were there and others were eating it right in front of me, I had no desire to have any.
It's helped me when I'm able to plan in advance. It's not fool proof obviously since you can't find the info for everything, and you don't always have the luxury of planning ahead.

I do like looking at the menu, and the nutrition info, if available, ahead of time. You're right, it's a big help. I wish more places posted the nutritional info. When I see that a sandwich I would like is actually 900 calories, it does make me not want to eat it. To prepare for the trip, I am looking online to find stores and take out places that have lower calorie options. There is a Whole Foods there, so I could grab some good produce and possibly some healthy deli items. Whole Foods is expensive but I love their organic fruits and veggies.

And I do find that exercise helps me tremendously. I don't factor calories burned into my calorie consumption because it is hard to pinpoint calories burned accurately. But exercise does burn calories. I do believe exercise can mitigate damage done by overeating to some degree. Even if you disagree, one thing for certain is that I always control my food intake better on days that I exercise. I won't usually overeating on exercise days because I think, why did I waste my time exercising if I was just gonna fall off the wagon?

For me, breaking up meals into mini meals works for me. At my best, I try to ready around six meals a day. I feel as though if I eat frequently, I ask not as apt to binge in one meal because I feel like I am eating all the time. If I want a small treat, I have it and try to drag it out into a long affair so I feel satisfied

All of this, 100%. I set limits for myself and eliminate some foods altogether, except for special and controlled occasions. That is what saves my rear from growing very, very wide . It gets easier and more automatic after awhile, which is nice, but it still takes mindfulness. My food issues are only cured so long as I am being wise with my maintenance behaviors. If I eat like I did when I was fat, I'll get fat again.

Yes---I think this is typical of many people. A while back, I was listening to some radio interview on NPR. The woman being interviewed was someone who had written a book about willpower or self-control or something (can't remember her creds----it was a while back). Anyway, she cited some study done that showed that most people engage in this "magical thinking" about their futures selves. We tend to somehow imbue our future selves with much more self-control than our current selves. Our future "self" will exercise at 5 a.m., 5 days a week; our future self will resist those chocolate chip cookies, etc. One strategy she felt was helpful when we're about to give in to temptation and tell ourselves we'll "start tomorrow / Monday / Beginning of the year" is to tell ourselves, "Whatever I do right now, I WILL do tomorrow." She felt it was important to think of our current self as the same as our future self. After all, when we tell ourselves perpetually we'll "start tomorrow," how many times do we know deep down that we're lying?