janique

I'm sure it does. As long as you're eating and drinking at a maintenance level. Keep logging

Yup! As the above posters mentioned, one can indulge with restraint.

I think one has to get into two mentalities no matter what phase of getting healthy they're in.

#1 - NO ONE is at the mercy of food. We are in control and we can CHOOSE what to consume and what not to consume (Mindful Eating)
#2 - PLAN - Should be a habit perfected from losing weight. Many restaurants have menus online nowadays so instead of going with no idea have a few items picked out ahead of time, pre log them & try not to get caught up in the moment & go over your plan (Conscious Decision).

Healthy does not equate to a life long of self deprivation because THAT is just not sustainable. It's all about MINDFUL eating & CONSCIOUS decisions.

If you know you are going to go out and consume 500 calories in alcohol alone, then skip the desert. If you are going to only have one glass of wine then have that pasta. It is when we lose sight completely & revert to mindless eating where people stumble.

Best of luck to you!

I was always "naturally thin" until an injury and depression (plus a scale lost in a move and not replaced!) led me to gaining weight. The process of losing that weight helped me realize why I'd been "naturally thin." I had all sorts of unconscious eating habits that kept me thin. I wasn't hungry in the morning, so I didn't eat then. I ate big, heavy meals, but I only did so once or twice a week. The rest of the time I ate lightly for lunches and dinners. I weighed myself most days and used that to cut back if I was up a pound or two. I've gone back to eating this way, and I've found it to be relatively easy to maintain at my old weight again. I can indulge when I want, but I'm aware of how often I do so. It works for me to skip breakfast and eat a light lunch, so I can have a glass of wine and a normal meal with my husband in the evening. I keep even those "normal" meals on the lighter side about five days a week, and that gives me a caloric buffer for a meal out or a nice dessert. I balance things, so if I have a cocktail and glass of wine with even a "light" meal out (because we know even small restaurant meals are rarely light!), I don't eat dessert.

My way of maintaining is not the only way, and it's probably not the best way for most to maintain. The key is to figure out what works for you. How can you make maintenance a lifestyle that works for you? You have to figure out who you can work indulgences in to a regular, reasonable life for you.