By Tina Haupert
When I first started my journey to find my Feel Great Weight, there was a lot of climbing on and falling off the weight-loss wagon. Old habits are hard to break! So, what keeps me truckin' when faced with tricky situations that tested my healthy habits? Here are a few different strategies for dealing with various off-the-wagon scenarios.
I ate two cupcakes too many at a coworker’s birthday party
Instead of beating myself up about indulging too much, I brushed it off and made a mental note to practice more restraint next time. What's the point of getting down on myself? Because it was just a minor slip-up, I don't drastically cut down what I eat for the remainder of the day. I keep my eating the same and make sure to have a healthy dinner. Then to balance out the excess calories, I eat really well the next day and plan a sweaty workout, so eventually it all evens out.
I realized I've been grossly overestimating my portion sizes
I love nut butters, especially mixed into my morning bowl of oatmeal. But when I finished a whole jar of almond butter in less than one week, I knew that I needed to get it together before my jeans got too tight. I had no idea that I was eating such a large serving of nut butter—and while it's a deliciously healthy treat, it certainly isn't low-cal! Whenever I find that my portions are distorted, I stick to my measuring spoons for a few weeks. It reminds me what a serving of peanut butter looks like, which helps me cut extra calories from my breakfast without making me feel deprived.
I enjoyed myself a little too much on vacation
It's easy to overdo it when surrounded by new and delicious foods on vacation. I stick to a few healthy vacation strategies during my trip, and when I return, I make sure that my very first meal at home is packed with whole foods and move on.
I used to get really upset when my clothing would be tight after a vacation or indulgent holiday, but all of that worrying and disappointment never did me any good. Instead I changed my thinking: Gaining weight is a "problem" that can be fixed. So, I thought back to how I felt when I first began losing weight, and remembered the excitement and the high expectations of weight loss. Rekindling these feelings instantly motivated me to work hard toward my goal once again. 
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