I had consumed about 1500 calories in my day today. Felt good about that. Went to a gathering tonight. Ate dinner just before going. Had plenty! I wasn't hungry in the least bit. They ended up having food at the gathering. Chicken wings, mexican 7 layer dip, corn chips, brownies, lemon bars, sausage balls, etc... you get the picture. I totally didn't think of what I put on my plate or in my mouth the whole time I was there. I just chatted away with my friends and calories never once crossed my mind. I've journaled what I ate and then opened up an account at fitday to get a reality check. Wow! A whole day ruined in 30 min. I will definitely be much more mindful next time. Just shows me I've got to get my Brain in the Game and make this a new way of thinking.

I've been there too - many times! I agree with focusing on what you did right and making a different game plan the next time.

I personally can't eat a whole dinner before going to event where there is food. I'll have a snack so that I don't get there hungry but I know that I will eat while chatting.

In any case, today is a new day! (I'm saying that to myself too as I had a hypoglycemic episode yesterday afternoon and immediately had to eat and somehow didn't stop for the rest of the day. I have a sore throat and it just felt so much better when I was eating. I steered towards healthy foods but still way too much).

Oh, Stephanie, have I ever been there, done that! First, the important thing to focus on is what you did right -- you ate "cleanly" most of the day and you ate before the gathering. Those are good strategies, and this could have been much worse if you hadn't done those thing. So feel good about that.

The next important thing to consider is how you can make a change next time. Maybe start by getting something to drink, like sparkling water or a diet soda, to keep your hands busy and unable get food to your mouth. Stay away from the food table for at least the first 30 minutes, then take a couple of laps to see what's there and what you really want to spend your calories on. (These are just some suggestions -- you should come up with strategies that work for you.)

Finally, it's important to get yourself back on track right away, and it sounds like that's where you're headed. Make a plan for tomorrow that helps undo the damage, like a few extra minutes of exercise and one all-fruit-and-veg meal.

It does take time to make the changes stick, and having to learn from mistakes is inevitable. But I know you can do this!