I'm with LadyBelle!
I felt awful about myself "cheating" the first time I ate "non-Atkins" type food. But folks on this site told me--kindly and with love, of course!--to just get over it and move on. I'm going to share a little below, and I don't want you to think I'm lecturing b/c that's not where I'm coming from at all! I just want you to know that we ALL understand, and I personally have been where you are only a couple of months ago and IT WILL get better! (Feel free to PM, if you need to talk!). OK, here goes . . .
Diets kill me. I can't "do" them because, like all humans, I'm not perfect. BUT this is not a "Diet" I'm on now. It is a Way of Eating (or Way of Life). Most of the time, say 62 out of 63 meals (that's how many are in 3 weeks!), I follow the low carb way faithfully. On that one other meal, though, I may "splurge" or eat somethign I didn't intend to, maybe something different for a holiday--just one meal. But, as one of my cheerleaders from this site remarked about 3 months ago, for 62 of 63 meals or more, I'm SO much healthier than I used to be, which is a huge victory. Perspective is everything. Now, I cut myself some slack.
How do I "recover"? Well, I tell myself that 1 meal is better than 2 or 3 or 63. Then, I drink lots of water and get back in the swing of things. I don't beat up on myself or use a non-Atkins meal or food to make myself feel bad. Heck, my self esteem has been bad enough in recent past because of my weight and eating. Now that I'm taking responsibility and being pro-active, and now that I've lost 43lbs and gone from a size 26 to an 18, I actually congratulate myself for not "eating poorly" more than 1 meal every 3 or 4 weeks--what a HUGE improvement! YOU'LL GET THERE too!! Just take a deep breath, start low carbing with the next meal and congratulate yourself for NOT quitting! Even in the face of Easter candy or cake or other yummies.
And, as nonchalant as this sounds (and, believe me, it does NOT feel like a little thing when it happens!) if I gain weight, then I deal with it. I work out more. I cut back to 20 carbs for a couple of days, etc., rather than 25.
If I'm going to do this for the rest of my life, I can't let food be a tragedy or have so much power over my emotions or identity that I feel depressed. This isn't my first instinct, and it may not be yours, either. Hang in there, though, and I bet you'll get better and better at it--and feel better and better about all of your food choices!
One "bad" meal probably didn't get you where you are. It certainly didn't for me. I ate terribly for 4 years, give or take a meal or two every few weeks, and it added up. When I finally admitted it, it was like 4 years-worth of pain to beat myself up with over "getting fat." YIKES!! I was my own worst enemy and critic. It took a while, but now I'd rather think of this WOE as a positive step towards the rest of my life and way longer (I hope and the Good Lord willing!
) than 4 years.
There will be other choices to make, some probably in the near future, but YOU CAN DO IT! This site will help. And, the fact that you cared enough to let US know shows you do want help and don't want it to be a pattern. GOOD FOR YOU!
Thanks for sharing, and feel better! Keep us posted, OK?
And . . . . . Happy Easter!
Sue