Thats what I just told myself in the mirror a little while ago! I went to a BBQ today so I decided to eat a very light breakfast and then skip lunch so I wouldnt have to worry about having a few extra calories at the party. Biiig mistake! By the time we finally got there after stopping to my dad's house first, we were an hour late and then we didnt actually eat until 4pm. By then I was starving and what was on the table? Nothing but heavy salads full of mayo and hot dogs and hamburgers! I took a burger with no bread and a spoonful of waldorf salad because at least it had apples and nuts in it. LOL....I totally fell off the wagon after that. The burger was burnt so I didnt eat it. I then justified to myself that I was starving and I was going to eat some salads. And since there was only fattening stuff there, I was just not going to stress over it and eat what I wanted and then would go back to my lowered calories tomorrow. Of course that meant that I gave myself permission to have dessert too! And boy, did I ever!

So...another lesson learned for me today. No sense in beating myself up over it. I screwed up, did the wrong thing and knew it! The only difference is that this time, I am not going to call myself a failure and give up, assuming that I will just keep on doing the same thing over and over again. Tomorrow is a new day and i'm letting go of today.

I was going to stay away from the forums. I felt a bit ashamed of myself. But it happens to people a lot and I never think any less of other people who do it and I know that no one thinks any less of me for it either. Hopefully, if it ever happens again, I can come back to this thread and post about it again! lol....and if I post too often then I will look back and see the pattern and it will serve as a good reminder to me of how often it happens!

Hey...i'll do anything to get me through each day until I have established a good lifelong habit!

grats to you for not letting this destroy your goals... we all fall off, its what you do after that counts

Don't beat yourself up over this just get right back on plan. I don't think one day will cause any harm.

Things like this happen. What's important is how you react and what you learn. Sounds like you're moving on and not letting it be an excuse to quit. When you suspect you may have poor choices, it's good not to be real hungry. One BBQ's not going to hurt you in the long run. And it's all about the long run.

You know what .. yesterday I went to a pool party and did the same thing. I swam with the kids and by the time food was served, I was STARVING. And then the only things that wre served were high-fat, high-cal things ... burgers, dogs, potato salad, etc.

So you eat what you ate, and you move on. Drink some extra water, eat some extra veggies, and remember that it's just one day and one day won't kill you. Just don't make it two or three or four days.

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Good for you for not beating yourself up over it. I know exactly how you feel because I find myself screwing up every weekend when my husband is home.

Thanks for the extra encouragement everyone!

Photochick: Looks like you and I are very similar in our weight loss goals. And yes, you're right...I need to make sure that my "fall from grace" doesnt turn into a 3 day binge, lol! Thats happened plenty of times in the past too!

Actually, I admire most the people who can fall off the wagon then get right back on! I'm generally able to stay on program, but when I do fall off... (last time it turned into five weeks ).

There will be a next time, so I'm hoping I manage it properly then. Congratulations to you!

Valley, I'm so glad you posted about your BBQ adventure! It made me feel better about the graduation party I went to. I hope yours was as much fun.

Like yoyoma this was the sort of thing that used to make me throw up my hands and give up for a while. But not today. Thanks to these forums I feel supported and able to put one day's indiscretions behind me and go forward!

Hi Valley and Everyone

I'm about 1 month new to 3fatchicks and Calorie Counting. I wrote a really long post last nite and gave my opinion. Then i decided i was too new to the journey to be giving out advice, so i deleted the post. It was nothing drastic, just pretty much agreeing with everyone else and suggesting a snack instead of nothing-like a yummy low calorie soup-to sustain you until the special dinner. Just sharing stuff i've read that makes sense. A really neat book i read over a year ago, and used as my guide for my first attempt at logging foods, is called "Thin for Life" and is basically a case study of a number of people that the author found who had lost weight and maintained their loss for 5 or more years. The thing i liked most about it was the fact that there were so many different ways that people had found to lose weight and maintain their loss. There was more than one person that described watching and planning food carefully and taking a break on the weekend or on one day. I just found the book so refreshing in that it stressed the life-longness of this journey and people finding what works for them. There was even a section that addressed "slip-ups". These successful people approached them the same way you all are. Accept and move on.

I mean isn't this the approach we employ or strive to employ with our children? A mistake is made. It's acknowledged. Parent and child explores together what can be done differently in the future to prevent a reoccurrence. None of us would think of beating up on our friends for their mistakes either. So, it seems to me that a big part of this journey is changing how i treat myself, how i encourage and motivate myself.

So it seems i just couldn't help myself after all, and had to add my thoughts. I'm a bit embarrassed that i find the need to pipe up so often but i guess that's why this site is here. And thank God for it. Many blessings to 3fatchicks and all the people who post here and are so supportive of one another.

Ailey: you should add your thoughts more often!

Honestly...it really is comforting to know that others really understand what you are going through while you are trying to lose weight. All of the advice and little tips here and there help a lot!

Looks like! We'll have to keep each other on track here!

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Ailey -- thanks for "piping up"... I'm going to see if the library has a copy of "Thin for Life" .

Yoyoma

I hope you can find it. It's a really encouraging resource. I got the most recent edition from the library then later found an older edition at a library book sale. What a find!. The only difference i could find was the newer edition had more research cited. Really a good book!!

How did you decide on your Member name? Are you a fan of yoyoma?

Later,

Well, I'm not too plugged into the music scene; I just picked it cuz of my unfortunate excess of dieting experience (up and down). Also, one of the reasons I want to get off the yoyo roller coaster is so that I can become a better role model as a parent. So, hopefully I will be able to focus on the long term and actually commit to maintenance instead of just dieting and maybe that book will be helpful. Thanks again!