Wow. What a weekend. I had a non-calorie counting weekend, and boy, did I make it count. I have been pretty faithful to calorie counting since January 3rd and I think this was me playing catch-up for the past 14 weeks. I don't know what the heck happened, but I don't feel guilty about it at all which is weird. If I had an "off calorie" day in the past I would feel horrible and beat myself up about it, but today I just woke up, shrugged my shoulders, and moved on (back on plan, of course). I gained 3 freaking pounds, though, and I'm really hoping that I didn't eat 10,500 calories and gain 3 pounds of F-A-T. I tried to guesstimate how much I ate Saturday and Sunday and on the high end I came up with 6,500 calories (yeah, I munched out on a lot of good food)...yowsa!

I don't know why I'm posting this, but I guess it's just weird that I'm not in shambles, crying and berating myself for eating all of this great food that I haven't had in a long time. It was one of those weekends where it was family party after family party, and I just had fun. I guess you have to do that every once in a while...well, I guess I do at least.

Emme maybe you just came to the conclusion that this is a LIFESTYLE change, and in your new lifestyle, sometimes there will be days or weekends where you are off plan, and you enjoy yourself, then move to get right back on plan?

I know that's where I am anyway.

Good for you for shrugging it off! Good to hear that it can be done.

Emme with how far you've come, you deserve a day or two where you just say "to **** with it!" and the fact that you are picking yourself right back up, well that's not falling off the bandwagon, that's just letting your foot touch the ground for a little while, then pulling it right back up into the wagon...

I like that!! That's a really good way to look at it.

OhMyDogs ~ yes, it has been a big lifestyle change counting calories, but I enjoy it...it was just kind of nice to have a break from it for a day or two!

Congrats Emme on picking yourself up and moving on!

Two very well put posts. Must remember them the next time it all doesn't go exactly as I planned.

I 100% agree with this. I never say I'm 'dieting'. I'm eating healthier and taking care of my body.

The weight loss is a great side effect!

Every day is a NEW day. Many fit people occasionally overindulge too. What is different for them is that they stop....they say "Hey, I had a bad day, that doesn't make me a bad person." They get back to making mostly good choices the next day and the next.

Don't beat yourself up! You can do this!

I actually know what you mean about the weird absence of guilt. I've had a few wildly off plan weekends/events along this journey where I go right back on plan the next day and don't give it a second thought. (I do usually avoid the scale for a good week or so though!) But on "regular" days when I go over by 1 or 2 hundred calories, I freak out on myself. Who knows!

You've just "unlocked" the key to success!

Yes! On days when I'm 50 calories above what I wanted to be, I tend to freak out, too...like I'm magically going to gain 10 pounds that week from eating 50 extra calories!

I sure hope so, joyful ~ I'm trying, anyway.

All I want to do today is SNACK! And it's not near TOM. (sigh) I'm going to get another bottle of water.

Good for you!! I have snack-y days, too. Gum helps me out a lot!

I just went to get a pack of gum! Great minds...huh?

I am the same way! Just a few extra calories on my regular day makes me nuts. I know that as long as I am not over every day that the extra calories won't ruin my success long term (and I am zig zagging so I do have some days where I am alloted more calories anyway) but I still feel bad about it when it happens on days it shouldn't.