Hey ladies

If you left the house to go to work, and found your car had a flat tire, would you drive a nail in each of the other 3 tires?

If you were 350 miles from home, took a wrong turn en route to your vacation destination, and ended up a few blocks off course, would you give up, turn around, and drive home?

I'm thinking not.

So, if you ate more than you wish you had, during one meal out of the thousands (we hope) to come in the rest of your life, you're going to give up on your perfectly sensible longer term goal?

Why?

Just log it, eat a normal, healthy dinner if you're hungry, a little less if you're not hungry, and go on.

At most, after you log it, spend a few minutes (no more than 10) doing the following:

1. Think about why you ate more than you might have preferred. (Examples: You've been over-restricting calories or beloved foods, you were under stress, you were bored, you were confronted with surprise temptation, you didn't get enough sleep - whatever.)
2. Consider whether it was worthwhile. (Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't: Depends on the impact, and the reasons. I eat extra on my birthday, because it's worthwhile to me. If I eat extra because it's Tuesday, or because I'm bored, I need a new plan.)
3. If it wasn't worth it, make a plan for how you'd avoid a similar issue in future.
4. Rehearse the plan a few times in your head, very vividly, like a mini-movie.
5. Forget about the lunch, and go on with your healthy routine, unless/until you have the same circumstances, then put your new plan into practice.

It's just food, not sin. You don't need expiation.

Guilt, remorse, anger, self-disgust . . . they burn zero extra calories, and they feel bad. Give them up. Just learn, adjust, and continue.

You'll be fine.

Best wishes!