Okay, so today I had something really bad for me - a big piece of cheesecake. I don't even know why I let myself have it. I sat there after I ate it and really, really hated myself for it. Now I'm still feeling awful. Like I have no self-control.

How do you deal with making a major food mistake? Do you make yourself run a mile, take away a leisure activity, sit down and just cry .. what happens when you realize you've screwed up?

I don't punish myself for it; I just pick myself up and start fresh. The cheesecake is behind you now and tomorrow is a new day. Just plan to be back on track, and also give some thought to how you found yourself in this spot to begin with so you can take steps to not let it happen again.

Hey, newleaf .. I was actually out with a friend when I had the cheesecake. I have trouble saying no to my cravings, for some reason. I am going to start bringing snacks with me to curb them!

I move on...that's it. No punishment, no beating my self-up, no labeling as a failure, just simply move on. Learn from the mistake, get back on plan, and let it go. Beating your self up for mistakes or punishing yourself is terrible for your mental health and your self-confidence. You can't change what happened, one piece of cheesecake is not going to ruin all your efforts, just get right back on plan and keep moving forward.

Move on - learn from the mistake and make a plan before you go next time.

Progress - NOT perfection is the goal.

C'mon - absolutely no one is perfect. Not one of us. We can and will make choices that we regret.

So - pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get right back on plan

I don't feel so bad anymore .. thank you guys for the support!

I'm gonna go kick butt on the treadmill.

I add it into my fitday.com (like I did with the chips last night). Sometimes the addition of those calories doesn't really make that much difference ... in the long run. It may be about 400 cals but if you divvie that out over a week, it's only about 58 cals per day.

And it is all about the long run, right?

Just say "Darn!" and maybe eat a little less (not a lot less, just a little less) the next day. I consider it my penance. As others have said, it's all about the long haul, and one piece of cheesecake does not a fat girl make. It takes a lot of pieces of cheesecake, and just one really isn't going to ruin me. I just have make sure it's only ONE piece!

I don't consider eating something you want to be a mistake. Allow yourself an indulgence or two once in a while, then continue to work towards your goal! We all deserve a treat now and again.

I usually beat myself up pretty good after an indulgence, because I know before I ever take that first bite that it isn't going to help me lose weight and become the person I want to be...but that's just me. Like others said, one piece of cheese cake isn't going to ruin all your hard work in a day, BUT there are some of us who just can't stop at one piece. For me, the mere taste of sugar can send me into a downward spiral of cravings and addiction, to where it can take a week or so to get over the mental and physical aspect. For some of us, it's not about stumbling on the proverbial staircase, but learning to take a different set of steps altogether to avoid these temptations. I personally have had to move on from a few friends for example. As much as it sucks, there are some playmates we need to be very cautious around. For me, I have had to stop hanging out with my friends who I would regularly drink, smoke and buffet with.

A little bit off topic, but for me, I had a big realization that just because I WANTED something, didn't mean I HAD to have it. That was huge for me. I'm an adult and it's okay to tell myself no sometimes. I go shopping and sometimes I want to take home 1/2 the store, but I don't. A better head will prevail and I'll come to my senses and realize the cost is too much and the consequences will be too high and that in the end it's not really worth it and that I really DON'T have to have it. NOTHING terrible will happen to me. Same thing with my food. I see something I want, realize what it is I want the MOST and move on. It's out of my head in a matter of minutes and then I'm thrilled to pieces that I didn't give into momentary temptation. Nope. I no longer settle for things that just taste good and ONLY give me immediate satisfaction. I now look for things that taste fantastic and ARE fantastic FOR ME. While I'm eating them and long after I'm done chewing. Immediate gratification is just not simply enough any more.

And the next part of the equation, well, we deserve treats - all the time!!! Just not ones that will derail us. I've rethought what a treat really and truly is. I've found treats that are ON PLAN. Edible ones - and NOT edible ones. I've also learned that staying on plan is the biggest treat of all and what I REALLY and TRULY deserve. I never, ever feel deprived saying no to certain foods. I felt deprived EATING them and remaining overweight. That to me was real deprivation.

Anyway - about mistakes. There are none. From this day forward all "mistakes" are learning experiences and one should just indeed LEARN from them. And a real biggie here and one that will help you now and in maintenance, don't look at a "wrong" food choice as an excuse to blow the whole day off and "wait for tomorrow". Don't allow one misstep to turn into two.

Glad to hear you're feeling better! You CAN do this. Without a doubt.

I don't beat myself up, learn & think about why I let it happen then let it go (after I own up to it on my food tracker). If it's early on the day I continue on plan & not say "the heck with it...I'll start over tomorrow"...it's not the end of the world when it does happen and as long as you don't just throw it all away with going back to the way things were before then it'll be ok

Remember how I said from here on in to look at every "mistake" as a learning experience? Well this is what I learned. It's easier and wiser to "just say no". To make those sugary/fatty things off limits. No ifs, ands or buts. Although there are some people are fine with everything in moderation, I'm not one of them. I've learned that. Took me 20 + years, but I did indeed learn it - finally.

That's an excellent point... I've never thought about it that way!

I learned the opposite. I learned that total deprivation is not really a good strategy for me. I *can* eat some treats in moderation (cheesecake or dessert, for example). But there are others that I can't (pizza goldfish, Kix cereal). So, I pick and choose.

On Thursday, I went out to lunch with a colleague to a really swanky French restaurant. I had a lobster BLT (!) and dessert. But, I ate only half the lobster BLT and pulled off the bacon. And didn't touch the chips. And, then, had a teeny, tiny dessert. It was probably less calories than my usual lunch! Then, I went to dinner with a friend and had a glass of wine, app, dinner, and dessert. But had a beet salad for appetizer and ate 1/2 of my dinner and shared a dessert. I think I lost 1/2 pound. And, you know what? I was really happy.

But I think we all have to learn what works for us as individuals. Beating yourself up does not help. (I have eaten about 5 cups of Kix cereal in one sitting! Arghh!) Just learn from the mistakes and move on.