OK - so I was doing pretty well - almost two pounds a week - then my son comes to town and we had to stop at IHOP on Saturday- I first blew it there (apple pancakes - not the whole thing), then when he left that evening, my husband bought a chocolate cake (and because I was sad I didn't stop him!!). So needless to say I ate the cake over the next few days - but tried to exercise more and eat less of other good food. I rode my bike for almost two hours yesterday and kept on my diet, but got up this morning and had gained a pound and a half (the cake wasnt that big and I did not eat it all myself!!). Every pound is so hard won (especially when you are over fifty) that it is especially frustrating.

What is the lesson here? I guess it is patience even in the face of temporary failure - and the reminder that it is much harder to take it off than to put it back on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am going to my son's place in Cal for four days weekend after next - there will be a big birthday party for him and my waterloo will be the cake again. So I have to figure out how to deal with that. I don't want all the good I have done to disappear in a weekend.

Take yourself some Reduced Fat Hostess Cupcakes, or buy some when you get there. Then when they bring out the cake, eat one of your cupcakes. Maybe that will help you stay from the fatening cake.

My son's B'day was a 2 wks ago, and he didn't want a Bday cake,so I was safe,lol. I love cake, so I would have ended up eating at least 3 slices that day( has happened in the past alot), so I try and keep this out of the house. My Bday is next, and I will probably not have a cake either. Now my daughter will be `10 at the end of October and she will definetly want a cake, I am hoping to get a healthy cake from TCBY maybe ? so I won't be so worried about calories, and also maybe my desire for cake will decrease by this time.
cheryl

Hugs, cake is definitely a weakness for me too. I'm trying to rebound now from a day of unhealthy eating yesterday. (the scale was not forgiving). But,we can overcome these minor setbacks and move forward. This is life.

Yep. I fell into the cake trap on my son's birthday. Good thing that it was for his birthday - I craved it so much in the middle of the night the night before his birthday that I might have eaten it all myself before anyone else got a chance. But you do have to know that it's one of those challenges that you can overcome. Concentrate on how hard losing those pounds was and how important this goal is to you, then plan a way to avoid the trap. The Hostess cupcakes sound like a good strategy. Maybe enlisting the help of your son and husband could help as well. Just let them know how important it is to you to avoid eating it, then maybe find someplace else to be when the cake is served and ask them to keep it out of your sight for the rest of the visit.

I so feel for you. I know you can do this, though.

I hear ya! I am recovering from a couple days of emotions today. My body is not sure what to think anymore. I'm avoiding the sugar once again! I feel for you because I am up 2 pounds from my loss last week. Man.. I have cake in my near future as well. It is a coworkers birthday next week and the office always gets a cake for every birthday! I can't do it. I know it will set me off on a couple day binge. I think I will take a piece of the cake as they hand it out.. return to my desk.. and discretely throw the cake in my trash can. This way I can join in the festvities without drawing attention to myself.. as being the fat girl in the office not eating cake. Sadness...

We'll get there yet!

Cake is killer, isn't it!?
Hang in there and get back on plan. You can't look back, just keep looking forward and try to do better next time. I've seen quotes on other 3FCer's signatures to the effect: Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.

Something like that anyway. That's a powerful statement!

mmmm chocolate cake!! Yeah that's a downfall of mine for sure. I agree with whoever said to eat the hostess cupcakes.. they're pretty darn good and they'll give you that chocolate fix ya need but without too much harm to your intake.

Cake is bad!!

I went to an anniversary party on Saturday and had two different kinds of cake after eating way to much of the huge buffet that was there. I was up 3 pounds Monday morning, but after seriously watching it and exercising I have lost those 3 pounds and 3/4 of a pound more.

Get back on track and don't beat yourself up.

Thanks so much for the ideas and encouragement. It is so great to have a place I can go to where people understand what I am talking about and I don't have to be embarassed!!

I will definitely consider the hostess cupcakes - great idea. And I think I will print out a large banner that says

NOTHING tastes as good as skinny feels.

I have read that before here and I agree that it should be a mantra.

Y'know, Kae, I've been thinking about your situation. I had a similar situation recently. A root beer float party. I knew it was coming for a week, and I think I thought about it almost daily. I could just have it. I'm not perfect, and I've learned that I don't have to be perfect. Yet, I want to choose what and when I eat, and I just did not want that root beer float to sabotage my efforts elsewhere because of social pressure, especially because I knew that no one there would intentionally want to sabotage my weight loss efforts. So, I thought about saying that I was lactose intolerant. I thought about saying I had a toothache. I considered saying that I was declining for the nebulous "medical reasons." Yet, the interesting thing is that when I was offered it, I looked at the woman, smiled, and said, "No thank you." It was just not a big deal at all, even though I'd built it up in my mind for so long. In my case, at least, NO ONE CARED whether or not I ate a root beer float. And I worry about you with your cake at your desk. I know that having cake at my desk would be very dangerous for me. Just a thought.

Since starting the diet, I have given in to cake 3 times. The first, I didn't even want it! I went to my step sisters graduation party, and a piece was handed to me. They had bought such a big cake and so few people showed up, I didn't have the heart to turn it down. So I ate the half with the least frosting and tossed the rest. The other 2 times were just a complete lack of will power.

So I definitely understand. I love cake, and even more than I love cake, I love frosting. But I didn't feel good about myself after having it, it was not worth it. Stay strong and focus on what you are working towards because that is something far sweeter than cake!