What the HE Double Hockey Sticks Happened??? and How do I

One day is not going to be a problem for you. Just take a look at what you're doing overall and what you can learn from the experience. There are times that I know I'm going out to dinner with friends and that I am really not going to try to make perfect choices with regard to food and I AM going to drink that great wine and I might even have dessert. I do try to be aware of how I'm feeling and not stuff myself, but I'm not going to stick to a salad and grilled chicken.

I have learned that I'm happier overall if I try to pace myself and pay attention to how full I feel. I also know that it's important to me to try to balance out the exercise and food as much as possible. For example, last Saturday I knew I was going out to an Italian restaurant and that there would be great wine and I would want to indulge in a great meal - so I increased my exercise significantly on Saturday morning to make a little space. Not exactly enough, but it was damage control, and I moved on. And I still ended up losing weight for the week. I also may not eat back all of my exercise calories on the days before or after this type of event, depending on how I feel - not really trying to make it an exact calorie wash, but rather approximating a bit of calorie cycling, and I make sure I don't go below 1200. It seems to be working for me overall.

However, I know that family functions can also lead me to overeat, but that often the indulgences aren't ones that really satisfy me, so in those instances I know now to plan ahead and not arrive hungry, have plenty of water, allow myself to take breaks away from the group, and try to make conscious choices about the food I eat.

I'm still working on how to approach work functions and business travel, which can also lead to eating issues for me, which are both emotional and circumstantial, but I'm trying to just be more aware of what's going on for me in the moment.

I went to a lecture last night that discussed current research on weight loss and health. One of the topics was how food affects our brain's reward center. Very interesting, and could apply to your situation.

From your description, sounds like you went to some kind of celebration. The advice in the lecture was to remember that many events provide food to make it more 'fun'. More food, more glucose in the system, your biochemistry ends up producing endorphins, and a short term high. The short term high feels good, so the result is achieved, more "fun".

The problem isn't about will power, your body chemistry is fighting you. The physician's recommendation is to catch yourself in the situation and have a strategy on how to handle it. The advice was:
1- try to remove yourself from the stimulus (e.g. don't sit in front of food. I wouldn't recommend avoiding a party, that's not realistic.)
2- make negative associations with the stimulus. (Think about all the reasons why you don't want the food, how many hours you'll be on the treadmill to burn it off, what it looks like raw, what it can do to your health, think of it covered in cat food (or worse), the pants that won't fit if you eat it. )
3- have an "if - then" plan (like if I find myself tempted by a trigger food, I will move away from the food. or If I go to a party, I will bring foods that I like to eat and don't trigger compulsive eating, etc.)
4- Believe in your heart that the trigger food is bad for your health.

They also had a few comments about alcohol.
1) it lowers inhibitions, and if you are trying to change your habits, the alcohol just makes it harder.
2) When you drink alcohol, your liver shifts from burning fat to burning the alcohol. It takes two days for your liver to 'reset' to fat burning. You will lose weight more slowly the week you drink alcohol.
3) Not all alcoholic drinks are equal. Wine and alcohol with syrups and mixers spikes your sugar, pushing you into that 'feel good' place your body likes. You end up fighting your brain's reward center. Drinks like scotch on the rocks, or a vodka and soda have less sugar, so are less likely to trigger the reward center.

You are in BC, so if you ever find yourself in Bellevue, WA, check out http://www.2020lifestyles.com/2020Programs/2020Lifestyles/Seminars/tabid/304/Default.aspx

Good luck.