So I traveling today to a conference in Tampa. It is just me and my grad advisor at this resort for the conference. I did great traveling..got fruit and a salad with grilled chicken for lunch in Chicago...drank my HNS, took pills with each meal....then she picked the Italian place for dinner.

No biggie, I thought. Until I ordered what was on the menu as "Lobster and roasted vegetables in a garlic olive oil sauce." I thought, great! I can have lobster, get my veggies, it will be fantastic. Well this all came over CHEESE TORTELINI! I tried to only take a few bites...but I ended up eating like half the bowl of pasta!

I did take a carb/fat blocker before the meal anticipating extra fat in restaurant food....but I am sad that I blew it. I am planning on working out tomorrow and the rest of the time, and I'm drinking water like I'm a fish. I just hope it will even out. I am here until Sunday and hope to make better choices the rest of the time. I will keep you updated. Any words of encouragement? Advice?

Focus on the exercise rather than the carb/fat blocker. Unless you plan on taking these for the rest of your life...I don't think they are safe. I learned there are vitamins we can't absorb unless we have some fat in each meal. Won't the fat blocker prevent the absorption of particular vitamins?

Don't let it get you down. This is about the journey of losing weight as much as it is the weight itself. There will be bumps and we all progress differently.

Let it be a lesson in how to advocate for yourself. We are so used to just eating what's in front of us and we need to start practicing advocacy. You'll start thinking this way naturally, but it takes a few months. For instance, the sauce was an immediate red flag. You might ask a question such as, "Are any of your dishes available without the added sauces?" or "Can I get this dish with no added butter or oil?" and "What does it come with?" I know that I won't be able to resist, even 60lbs and near goal, so I ask them not to even bring it to the table. You are the ONLY one who can make choices for your health, so advocate for yourself and make it easier!

In regards to carb blocker, I've taken it 3-4 times in 6 months in just those situations you describe...BUT, it may have tempted you to eat more pasta than you would have if you would not have taken it. My counselor told me that it only blocks the equivalent of about a slice of bread - it's not a cure-all.

GOOD NEWS: You're doing the right things now, you're drinking your water, and you will eat completely on plan today!

Woo Hoo Deb, LOVE your PIC! And this is "spot-on" advice. CONGRATS!