Lighten up, people! :)

SJSchwartz

Listen friends, it's OK to splurge on food once in a while! I'm saying this because I see way too many people on here that get so stressed out and worried about it. If it's a special occasion for you, and you're going out to eat, just ENJOY the moment and the friends and family you're with. You're NOT going to gain 5 pounds from one meal. You may retain a little water from the amount of sodium in the meal, but just drink lots of water and you'll lose that in no time. The key is just to make sure that you don't overdo it on a regular weekly basis. My husband and I have "date night" one night a month. We go out to eat at a nice place and go see a movie. When I go out to eat at a nice restuarant, I don't want to waste the night by having just a salad and a water! That would be torture when I can smell all the yummy food everybody else is eating! What I DO do is look at the online menu ahead of time and see what my options are. I don't necessarily order the lowest calorie menu item, but I go into it informed. I know that most restuarant food is very high in sodium, so instead of a pop, I now order water with lemon in it. That helps a LOT with the sodium. Plus I heard that lemon helps boost metabolism. So what I'm trying to say is: Life is something to enjoy. And it's OK to be naughty ONCE IN A WHILE It WON'T hurt you!

suzikelley

Amen!! :-)

garedds

well said!!

Amandac6772

Seriously great post.

MissingMinnesota

AMEN!

JillTwiss

I do agree, but it's easier said than done sometimes. I have to constantly remind myself that one little splurge isn't going to make me regain the 16 pounds I've lost so far.

I really can see how people become bulimic or anorexic, honestly. If I eat something I feel I shouldn't have, I feel sick to my stomach. I'm actually kind of worried about after I get to my goal weight. Luckily, I've got a ways to go before I have to worry about that. LOL

Thanks for the reminder.

melodyg

Very well said. I've been thinking of that lately after I... um... overindulged at a Halloween party... especially with all of the holidays coming up. The reality is that if I eat what I want (which is usually what is special to that occasion) I do pretty well anyway. And part of living a healthy lifestyle is fitting those special occasions in. If you eat well and healthfully most of the time... an occasional splurge or holiday isn't going to make a huge difference one way or the other. The key is to not make that be the norm.

jamie1888

Agreed! :flowerforyou:

bcampbell54

Agreed-I think we're all doing this to enjoy life longer, not to have a long, but miserable life!

AEROBICVIC

i enjoyed a piece of my son's 13th birthday cake saturday.....it was sooooo gooood! but it's over and im back on track....now the girls in my aerobic class tonight must pay for my sins ....it's a joke but some really enjoy when i eat something bad over the weekend because they know i'm on a mission when i head back to teach

smelmel

totally agree with you . Lifes too short.

ErinMarie25

Very true! A cheat meal once a week is OK!!!! It'll keep you sane, too.

I have one every Saturday. But, I will do things like replace french fries with veggies or fruit. I will also bag half of it, depending on how many calories it is.

meggonkgonk

I whole heartedly agree. Far too many people take it too far!

sarahliftsUP

Indeed!

You shouldn't associate guilt with eating food.. it's just a vicious cycle in your brain. If something is 'sinful' or 'bad' we automatically kick ourselves and feel guilty. It's always good to live a little!

chelekaz

Couldn't have said it better myself! When I first started in August I made my husband so nervous because I was neurotic the first week. He sat me down and said that everything is good in moderation and that if I have a chicken wrap where the chicken is breaded instead of grilled with a small salad instead of french fries then I have already improved my eating habits... seriously that day I was sick to my stomach as we walked out of Perkins. He was like honey; usually it would have been appetizer, wrap or burger, french fries (with SALT) and possibly desert. Oh and don't forget the one or two glasses of pepsi instead of the lemon water.

Now... I'm much better. Heck today I was craving an oreo cookie... so I had one... and it was very tasty indeed!

cbirdso

While what you say may be true, I think we need to understand a lot of people on this website are foodaholics. They have an emotional and/or chemical dependancy on food that is as real as what an alcoholic experiences. I would never egg on an alcoholic to lighten up and just have one drink to be sociable, neither would I encourage any dieter to go back to old habits even for one meal if they aren't comfortable with that. Let them 'walk the straight and narrow' if that is what works for them.

SJSchwartz

While what you say may be true, I think we need to understand a lot of people on this website are foodaholics. They have an emotional and/or chemical dependancy on food that is as real as what an alcoholic experiences. I would never egg on an alcoholic to lighten up and just have one drink to be sociable, neither would I encourage any dieter to go back to old habits even for one meal if they aren't comfortable with that. Let them 'walk the straight and narrow' if that is what works for them.

I agree with you to a point... But when it becomes a STRESSFUL obsession for them, and they get extremely down on themselves and feel like they have COMPLETELY blown it..... well, those are the people I'm talking about. I think the stress could be just as bad, if not worse, for them than the OCCASIONAL splurge.

Bermudabarbie

I believe what we are talking about here at MFP is a lifetime plan of healthy eating and exercise. When I joined MFP I was about 145 pounds. I thought that was okay for my 5' 8" frame. I had a decent BMI and I was going for maintenance more than loss.

However, I quickly learned that I could do better. I'm now at 137 and may be done or may want to go down to 133 or 135.

Some of my wonderful, virtual MFP friends have a huge journey ahead. Some have 100+ pounds to lose. At my heaviest, I had maybe 90 pounds to drop. So yes, I can relate big time to some of the really big gals on this site.

When in the active weight loss mode, I don't think weekly "cheats" are such a great idea. However, after new habits are firmly established, I can see nothing wrong with free days a few times a month .

A lifetime plan. I love MFP because it works! Give it your best try.

JDMPWR

I snacked without counting cals the last few days and I still dropped weight......I think people freak out way too much about a splurge. Just get back at it in the gym asap.

RLSchwartz

I enjoy our date nights too!