Stupid things I did over Christmas:
1) I drank very little water – but I had wine and diet soda till my heart was content
2) I only took one short walk in 5 days.
3) I ate all carbs- and I am not talking about healthy carbs from whole grains or veggies, I am talking about huge amounts of refined white flour products (like biscuits and gravy each morning and stuffing and rolls for dinner.)
4) I eat only high fat meats (bacon, ham and the like)
5) I ate real butter in what ever quantity I wanted.
6)I eat everything on my plate ate every meal and forgot what the saying “until your satisfied” really means

My binge is over and I am back on program. I weighed in today and learned my lesson. IT WAS NOT WORTH IT! I became sluggish and was not as optimistic as I usually am. I actually looked forward to veggies today. It was like sharing a meal with a long lost friend when I had a huge veggie mix with chicken for lunch. I brought 2 bottles of water with my today and drank and drank. I think I was a bit dehydrated.

It is good to be back on track.

I know what you mean about being dehydrated. That's what gets me every time!!

Good luck getting back on track. I'm right there with you!

Good good for you for getting back with the program.

I post this frequently over at the Newbies board at the official site but it doesn't hurt us oldies either:

Dieting Myth – Believe Setbacks are Fatal

Learning to accept setbacks as a part of being human will help y9u cause yourself less frustration on the road to success. Setbacks, when viewed as learning tools, actually help dieters achieve their final goals. Just about every person with a great body I’ve encountered experienced a glitch somewhere in their attempt to slim down. Those who succeeded were able to step back, analyze what went wrong, correct the problem(s), and then use it as part of their motivation.

“When I started the final program that became my success, I too pen in hand and listed all the times I had tried to lose weight in my life, and what happened that made me get off track. What I found was that it was the same situation playing itself over and over again.” Chandra, age 51, 58 pounds lost

SETBACKS

It can be a vacation, a weekend of partying, or a major life crisis. All setbacks and lapses prove is we’re human. It’s not fatal. Here’s how to get back on track.

1. Take immediate action. The sooner you start, the easier it will be. Don’t try to analyze it to death.
2. Make it a priority. For the next few days, monitor everything you at, and become proactive in your plan. After getting back on track, you can back to coasting.
3. Create a schedule that will not leave you much time for anything else. Write down your menu, take a class, or get your hair done. Get back to you.
4. Don’t do anything drastic. Don’t try to fast or go crazy with exercise. It’s a form of self-punishment which just won’t work.
5. Avoid temptations. Throw away that part food and liquor, and decline that invitation that may lead to further problems.
6. Don’t wear the bulkiest item you own. This just reinforces the negative feelings you have toward yourself.
7. Forgive yourself and get on with other important issues in your life not involving food.

That is just awesome!! I especially like #7 -- it's really true!

Getting back on track really makes you feel good after a binge. I didn't binge on food over the Christmas holidays (I actually maintained) I didn't get my water either. Even when I thought about it I didn't go fill up a bottle and drink it. I am thirsty right now! So I am going to get up and go to the kitchen and get a bottle of water before I finish this post.
OK. I am back with my water. Thank you so much for the reminder!
I am home the week between Christmas and New Year's every year and this is my hardest week of the year. To top it off, I will have 25 people here on New Year's Eve all bearing plates of tempting food! I will let myself enjoy the party and then get right back on track on Saturday - after all Blackeyed Peas and Cabbage are all CORE foods!
We can do this!