So on Wednesday, my b/f and I went out to the local pub for green beer and dinner. The place is a little hole in the wall but they have great real food (not just wings, burgers, nachos, etc). I had planned on ordering the steak salad I usually get, factored that and my two green beers in my daily count. We got there and they had a special on Corned Beef and Cabbage. I had never tried it so I thought what the heck and ordered it.

It was pretty good. It came with the meat and cabbage, baby potatoes and a roll. I ate about half of all of it. I didn't think I stayed OP so much but didn't think I did too bad. The next day, I was up 3lbs!! I am assuming from the sodium, the meat was super salty and from the beer.

I was so disgusted with the extra 3 lbs, no matter where they came from that I ate a totally off plan dinner last night, plus had cookies for dessert. Not a binge, but definitely ate like I used to on a regular basis. I woke up this morning with another 2lb water weight gain. I know I didn't eat enough to gain 5 lbs of fat in two days but I'm dangerously close to throwing in the towel.

My plan is to eat super carefully this next 5 days, include some walking, drink plenty of H20, in hopes to get back to the 17 lbs loss I had. ((I've not changed my ticker as I'm sure it's not a fat gain just the pesky water weight.) Then next week I'm headed on vacation to Las Vegas and then Disneyland. Where I plan to keep my wits about me in regards to meals. My goal is to come back from vacay with the scale staying even. I will be so mad at myself if I fall completely off plan and gain a ton back. It.just.can't.happen. I won't let it.

Thanks for letting me vent. Reading CFMamma's (Tammy) post about eating off plan and then getting right back on plan reminded me that two days off plan does not make this all worthless. I am back OP, as of this minute.

its deff not fat ... maybe a pound of it but 5 pounds is ridiculous ... corn beef is WAYYYY Salty its probably water retention it is not solid weight gain and will leave as quickly as it came... i bet youll see a woosh fter like 3 days of eatting right ... DO NOT THROW IN THE TOWEL other wise when summer is in full bloom you will kick yourself you CAN get back on plan ! <3

Don't throw in the towel! We need you here! I'm positive if you drink TONS of water you'll get back down. And I'm pretty sure you realize that too!

Las Vegas and Disneyland will be a true test, that's for sure. Just make sure to limit yourself on those buffets. I'm sure you'll be doing a lot of walking though, so that'll be helpful. Carry your water bottle around with you! I know, I know, I'm telling you everything you already know...

OK, Michelle. I'm here to give you a big huge KICK IN THE BUTT.

Seeing the scale bounce up is not a reason to throw in the towel. There is NO REASON to throw in the towel.

Look, the scale bounces up three or four pounds sometimes EVEN WHEN WE ARE PERFECTLY ON PLAN.

If you really want to lose weight, you don't get to be the pretty diva who stamps her foot and pouts every time something doesn't go her way.

You ate off plan, the scale went up. Whether you parse it and think about sodium or no sodium, you still chose to eat off plan. If you choose to eat ON PLAN, the scale will go back down, eventually, on its own term, when it feels like it.

The really incredibly hard lesson that we have to learn on our journey is that we are in this for life. You make a mistake, you get back with the program. The program doesn't seem to be working, or not as fast as you'd like, you still stick with it.

When you really and truly are doing something permanently then quitting is not an option. We don't quit breathing because we get tired when we run. We don't quit going to work because we had a bad day.

Put it behind you and just keep going. Period.

... is now scared and delighted ..... next time i fall of plan i will make myself welcome to PM you ... now thats a kick in the pants uber girl ... lolz

Have you peeping in on the last 42 years of my life?? I really am a brat! The sad thing is though, in this journey, there is no one who can step in and fix it if I mess up! Just me!! Me, me, me...ME! I will put on my big girl pants and do the right thing.

Thank you for the kick in the azz. I needed that!

Period!

This has to be one of the best "kick in the pants" quote I've ever seen on this site. I may have to print it out and tape it to my bathroom mirror. I'm not in need of a kick in the pants right now, but it strengthens my resolve to stick with this.

everything that ubergirl said, ditto.

and I'll just add that it didn't start with the corned beef and cabbage, it started with the choice to not stay on plan and have the corned beef and cabbage.

It's going to be a challenge to stay OP while on vacation, but the positive thing is that you'll also be walking a LOT and that should help, as long as you make good choices with what you eat (and drink!). You need to plan for that and WORK for it, as if there were no alternative. Going completely off plan and moving backwards is NOT an option, and being on vacation is not an excuse (it may be an explanation for why so many people go wild with food and alcohol, but it's not an excuse to do so!)

ahh Michelle - GREAT JOB for getting right back on.

You have made some AWESOME progress, don't forget that.

YOU CAN DO IT! Just remember how much you have lost

I was trying to be witty. Of course it wasn't the corned beef! It was a choice I made. I owned it and I have a plan to re-right the wagon. I definitely make bad choices from time to time but do generally own up to them.

I know you've been kicked already, but I can't help myself

Do you see the irony in this? You were disgusted with the extra 3 lbs - so you decided to eat totally off plan for dinner and dessert... Like THAT is going to make you feel LESS disgusted with yourself?

You have got to, got to, got to, GOT TO learn to make "off episodes" SINGULAR EVENTS. Singular. One time, solo shots (and few and far between). I think this is Jay's line - "if you trip on a stair, you don't proceed to throw yourself down the whole staircase". No. You pick yourself up. RIGHT THEN AND THERE. You MINIMIZE the damage.

Okay. What's done is done. This journey is most certainly a learning experience. I'm sure you've learned some valuable stuff through all of this.

We are all works in progress.

ubergirl rocks. Listen to her.

as for my advice? *big hugs*

No kicking from me - uber did a good job - but think like this on vacation: I'm not being denied anything. I'm choosing what I WANT.

A girl at work the other day said to me, "you eat the most amazing foods" and she's right. I don't eat diet food. Or 100 calorie packs. Or Lean Cuisine. I eat shrimp and scallops and roasted vegetables and homemade blueberry muffins and little pieces of amazing cheese. Salads full of organic tomatoes and cucumbers that smell like summer. Beautifully marinaded salmon. Perfect nectarines. My calories are never empty anymore. So while you're on vacation, look for the best stuff. While everyone else is having a burger and fries have a great shrimip cocktail. Enjoy the new way you eat and you'll find it's easier and more fun.

Your plan sounds good. Definately don't let two days determine the outcome for the rest if your life.

Just adding my - glad you are back on plan and didn't give it up!