I know this is an ongoing lesson, and that one hiccup shouldn't stop me, but I can't help beating myself up for going totally off plan this weekend. Two of my friends had birthdays, and so on both Friday and Saturday night I ate far more than I was supposed to and drank more as well.

I guess I'm looking for some moral support. I'm hoping the disappointment I feel now will remind me not to do this in the future. I have my first appointment with a personal trainer after work today, so I know I'm on the right track.... Has anyone else experienced a total blunder like this?

Thanks for your feedback and support

Shake it off. Life happens. There is not one thing you can do about what you have already done. Can't take it back, but you can learn from it and move forward. Beating yourself up over it accomplishes nothing and does more harm than good. Get back on your plan. A couple of days isn't what puts 30 pounds on us. It's a couple of years of that that puts 30 pounds on us.

All the time - it's life! Normal weight people have these days, too, where they overeat (like on holidays) and need to cut back to compensate. It isn't worth beating yourself up over, because that won't change anything. What will change something is taking steps to get it under control quickly and have a plan in the future for enjoying the food without overdoing it.

Eat a whole foods, lighter fare diet for this week. I bet by Friday any water retention or real weight gain from excess calories will be taken care of and you'll be well on your way back down the scale again. Life happens, it isn't the little slips here and there that are the issue, but whether we let those derail and dispirit us when they happen and don't get back up and try again. As long as you keep trying and moving forward, you can't fail.

I would venture to say that everyone has experienced blunders like those.

The ONE thing that makes a difference, in my experience, between people who succeed long-term, and people who struggle, is whether they allow these blips to put them off-track.

What you eat on one meal or one weekend or even one week, long-term, isn't going to make the big difference. It's what you do on a daily, ongoing basis. So learn from it, get immediately back on track, and then stop beating yourself up.

What she said ;-)

Thank you all for your kind words! I've been reading posts for a few weeks now, but this is the first thread I've started. I'm overwhelmed by the support! I won't let this derail me, and I think that's what will make this weight loss attempt different from all the others.

Thanks again, this community rocks!

Don't let a bad weekend turn into a bad week.

My husband is a runner and I've read information about learning to recover from an injury and how that's as important as learning how to run. I think it's the same as weight loss. Learning how to recoup after a slip is just as important as learning how to eat healthy.

Pick your self up, dust off your water bottle and get right back at it! Take that from someone who has fallen too many times to count...but I'm still here...and still on the road to healthy Cheering you on to goal!!!!

I had a hiccup this weekend as well. Had a few drinks and of course extra food on top of that. Don't worry about it.

I couldn't agree more with the above post. I've screwed up plenty of times, but I'm proud of myself for continuing with my plan despite those screw-ups. Just keep going!

I agree with what everyone else said, but I'd add this:
Next time, before you go out or to a party, sit alone and quietly think about the event to come and what you expect (that there will only be off plan foods, you'll really want a piece of cake, temptation to drink, etc.) and decide what you want to do when confronted with that situation, keeping in mind the way you are feeling now after "blowing it." I find that being very conscious of what I plan to do and how I would feel if I ate way off plan helps me make better choices. I do have off plan meals (or parts of meals), but it makes me feel better to just have a small piece of cake or a glass of wine and stay on plan otherwise. I know that some people can really go way off plan and just hop back on the bandwagon the next day, but that is a slippery slope for me and I choose not to do that anymore.
(I'm getting off my soapbox now )

Don't be too hard on yourself, it definitely happens if not to anyone, than surely to most people. I've had it happen and I didn't even have any excuses like birthday parties or holidays. There are days when I feel like I need to take a break from this or else I'll give up dieting for good. It's all about getting back on track afterwards and not letting the small hiccup ruin your plan or drive you away from your goals. As long as you are motivated enough, everything will go smoothly.

good luck!

Thanks again everyone, I really appreciate it...