Is it wrong to treat myself?

Tats1000

I've been eating healthily and exercising lightly for almost 4 weeks and have lost a stone in weight and my husband has lost 18lbs in 5 weeks. . Is it wrong that we should celebrate our loss with a nice meal out without scrutinising every calorie? My boss has given me vouchers to a lovely restaurant which we couldn't normally afford so when we use them we want to have what we want not what we should. Do i make any sense? i feel we both deserve a treat for our efforts but worry it will just affect all our hard work. any opinions or advice welcome xx

JesterMFP

In my opinion, that would be fine. For other people, it wouldn't. Some people don't believe in rewarding yourself with food, ever. I would look at that as rewarding yourself with the experience of having a nice meal out, and not thinking about calorie counting. Try and look at it long term - do you intend to never again have celebrations, or treats that revolve a little around food? If so, that's fine, and it would probably better to get into that habit now. If you see in your future nice meals out where you don't worry about what your eating, then go for it! Incorporate those things into your lifestyle now. If you think that having this meal might be a kind of trigger for you to go completely off track afterwards, then that might be a reason not to do it, but there's no reason for that to happen if you don't let it.

Congratulations to both of you on your loss so far. One meal will certainly not undo all your hard work. If you really go crazy, you might gain a pound of fat. Be prepared that you may gain several pounds of water weight (especially if the food is high in sodium and/or carbs) but that should come off quickly. Enjoy!

kelly101386

Having one day off is good!!

I went out for an all you can eat buffet last night for my sister in law's birthday, forgot all about calories and don't feel guilty. Go for it!! And well done on your losses!!

krebsi

first of all, well done fro losing that weight!

there is nothing wrong in treating yoursels to a nice meal! as long as its a one off i cant see why it should be a problem, anyway you might find yourself not being able to eat as much as you could before anyway... enjoy! x

Matt_Wild

Have a MEAL off. Starter, main and desert. Make it last meal of the day so you are less likely to snack away afterwards.

And mostly importantly enjoy - no guilt!

BigJza

I've been eating healthily and exercising lightly for almost 4 weeks and have lost a stone in weight and my husband has lost 18lbs in 5 weeks. . Is it wrong that we should celebrate our loss with a nice meal out without scrutinising every calorie? My boss has given me vouchers to a lovely restaurant which we couldn't normally afford so when we use them we want to have what we want not what we should. Do i make any sense? i feel we both deserve a treat for our efforts but worry it will just affect all our hard work. any opinions or advice welcome xx

NO!!!

celebrate!!!

one meal is not gonna change your weight! and even if it did..if you are dedicated to a new lifestyle..then a year from now what will it matter?

There is no rush..take it slow..enjoy life..enjoy food...just be smart

above all

CELEBRATE THE MILESTONES!

carlybarley22

For me personally, I would go out and enjoy it. I wouldn't scrutinize every calorie, but I would still make smart choices and not go overboard. It's a lifestyle change, not a diet. Enjoy your dinner out .

Tats1000

Thanks for all your posts. It's nice to know there are people at least thinking the same as me. It's silly to ban foods forever and its nice to celebrate after all! Like BigJza said, its a lifestyle choice. Just dont let it throw me off the bandwagon. x

Synapze

I agree. If i go to the Beach, i run around, swim, body surf..then treat myself to a Cornetto.

Seriously, what a trip to the beach without an ice-cream?

If i worked hard at work all day, or put in a good effort on my evening walk, ill treat myself to something yummy.

I keep it under what i earned in burn tho.

Its a reward i give myself for going that little bit further. If i don't do it, i don't get it.

Like i said, i always make sure its under my Calories Burned.

Im here to change my life. I want my life to be healthy, but also still be able to enjoy the good things in life.

Im in no hurry. Just want to be happy.

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

Great advice from all of the above posters.

Losing weight and becoming more active is one of those things that becomes a lifetime commitment. Take everything one day at a time, a little at a time. Enjoy celebrations when they come, and don't beat yourself up about them.

When we think about what actually made us fat, it wasn't the celebratory meals, but the mindless snacking and poor food choices. I know that for me, sneaking fast food between meals (because I could convince myself that I didn't have the double burger, fries and drink for lunch or dinner, but that I ate sensibly) and then eating sweets at night were the reasons for the extra 50 or so pounds. Now that I monitor what I eat and hold myself accountable, I have a better relationship with food and my body.

So eat that meal out. :-)