Living the lifestyle - late edition for 12/8/2017

Out_of_Bubblegum

We meet here to explore, share, celebrate, and (sometimes) agonize over how we do (or don't) incorporate weight loss guidelines into our daily lives. "It's a lifestyle, not a diet" is easily and often said, but sometimes not so simply put into practice.

This is a thread for everyone. If you're new to GoaD, or to weight loss, your questions and comments are always welcome. If you're maintaining, or a long-term loser, your thoughts on the topic may be just what someone else needs to hear. If you're reading this, join in the discussion!

Each weekday, a new topic is offered up for discussion. Thread starters for December are:

Monday - 88olds
Tuesday - goldenfrisbee
Wednesday - minimyzeme (Kim)
Thursday - imastar2 (Derrick)
Friday - bwmalone

Sorry this is a day late, everyone - perfect storm of a tight deadline at work, wildfires near home and family over for my birthday drove it straight out of my head!

Today's topic:

Birthday meals & cake:

In our family, we have a tradition that the birthday person picks a restaurant, and the whole family goes out to eat... and as long as I can remember, special food was always a part of the birthday celebrations in my family - a special meal cooked, or a special restaurant, or a fancy cake, etc.

Are birthdays a time of feast for you?
Is this a day you make exception to your eating plan, or do you follow your regular rules?

gadgetgirlIL

@bwmalone - hope you and your family and friends stay safe from those terrible wildfires.

My birthday is an excuse to do a long bike ride where I do more miles than my current age ;-) I'm fortunate that my birthday falls at the end of June. This could be tougher to achieve with a winter birthday.

There usually is a meal out with DH around the time of my birthday. Rarely on the actual day as it seems that it often falls on a day that I'm teaching during the summer semester. We have an evening program.

Al_Howard

With the kids and grandkids it's usually cake , and/or a meal of some sort . For us usually a quiet meal at home, or out by ourselves, with out cake.

jasper60103

Yea, birthdays are special occasions in my family.
I plan and use weekly points for such occasions.

minimyzeme

@bwmalone , having lived in fire country, I feel for you! Stay safe and well ahead of the game, eh?

Are birthdays a time of feast for you?
Is this a day you make exception to your eating plan, or do you follow your regular rules?

No feast. The last few years, we do go out to dinner, but I plan for it so it's not a crazy free-for-all. It never was, really, but the planning and strategy to live within some constraints on that day are relatively new. I think this version of executing the plan is really more satisfying for me in the long run.

podkey

If by birthdays you mean mine it varies but not a feast. Celebrated combining mine w DW this year and had a few tapas at a restaurant and shared a desert or two with the table. Not bad.
Don't always go out or celebrate much.

countcurt

I don’t know that birthdays are all that ‘special’ in terms of food choices. When the kids were living at home, it really just meant that the birthday honoree got to choose the restaurant for that week’s family night out. When the kids were much younger that also entailed some special dessert, but as they’ve gotten older, it’s less ‘fixed’. Also, if we go somewhere not on a birthday and dessert is particulalry appealing, we might just go ahead and indulge. It would be frustrating to go somewhere and eat a mediocre dessert just because it’s somebody’s birthday, so we tend not to focus on the dessert as part of the birthday ritual.

imastar2

Yes pretty much. Cake and Ice cream some times our maybe a special dinner.

88olds

After a couple of years of maintaining I adopted a just go along policy for birthdays. But when losing, I was fussy at the restaurants and had various strategies to avoid eating cake while pretending to eat it.

Out_of_Bubblegum

88olds wrote: »

After a couple of years of maintaining I adopted a just go along policy for birthdays. But when losing, I was fussy at the restaurants and had various strategies to avoid eating cake while pretending to eat it.

@88olds That's an interesting thought... pretending to eat cake!

Out_of_Bubblegum

I'm happy to report the fire scare near our house is over. The firefighters teamed up with the local marines (the fire was heading straight for the base...), and managed to get 60% containment in less than 48 hours despite 70mph gusting winds.

My birthday celebration has changed somewhat over the years as I have worked on keeping a lid on my weight gain, then losing, then gaining, then losing again.

Something has changed... gone are the days of going to a buffet, eating myself sick, coming home and gorging on a giant piece of cake, and having my stomach hurt for the next few hours while I sit in a coma-like state in front of the TV.

Example: We went out on my birthday - I picked my favorite hole-in-the-wall thai place... but I ordered an eggplant stir fry with rice, ate half of it and boxed the rest... and it wasn't a huge portion to begin with. The rest became the next night's leftovers.

At home, we had birthday cake (wife made an upside down apricot cake.... turning that down would be a very bad idea!) Which I had a very small slice of. It was amazing, but I really didn't want more than a 1/2" wide slice, because it was rich and I was already feeling satisfied.

Reflecting on it, I like the new version better.

goldenfrisbee

Glad to hear you are safe. I can’t imagine the uncertainty and fear that goes along with fire in your area with those winds