Lighten the **** up!

Applause!!!

bottom line, depriving yourself NEVER works, trust me I've done this, but I've also adjusted my "treats" I love ice cream, so instead of a galloon of jerry's in the house, I grab a McDonalds cone. Satisfys and keeps me from going overborad. Deprivation is the issue and I dont think this post is about just chocolate to the defensive people. it's about bieng able to enjoy this lifestyle change, because if you don't enjoy it or find pleasure in it, you WILL fail. 1 day, you will hit a plateau, or will give into that one good off plan treat and beat yourself to death, which normally causes feelings of despair, shame, and ironically a binge of said junk and can often create a cycle. I don't want to avoid parties and celebrations for the rest of my life out of fear. it's ok to have cake, adjust accordinglingy etc:

When I read this post it inspired me not because I wanted a kit kat, or think this person is trying to make everyone gobble chocolate, but because it reminded me that i'm not on a diet. I'm on a journey to be able to enjoy all aspects of life and embrace it, not set myself apart by standing on the wall. Good post!!

Im sorry, but what you meant was... depriving never works FOR YOU.

Thanks for your input, but everyone is different. I dont feel she is telling me to stuff myself with chocolate, I feel as though she is making a blanket statement that people love junk food and shouldnt rule it out of their lives forever because they will mess up and binge or feel guilty and not get enjoyment out of their lives as they should.

TO me that is not acceptable, because I never needed those things to begin with. Even if my body was craving junk, sometimes not giving in to temptation is an even bigger victory. And sometimes, it can undo an entire day of work, just to taste a cupcake for 30 seconds...

I dont feel deprived, I feel healthy when I say no. And saying no is pretty easy, for many people, the more you workout and train your body. It starts craving completely different things.

Of course food isn't the only positive in life--that's not the point of this thread. The point was that treating yourself with food every once in a while, if food rewards are your thing, isn't going to kill you.

Omg Im almost to the finish line! Im going to reward myself by turning around and walking back toward the starting line! Woo!!!

How about eating it because you want it- not because you toot it as part of some skewed reward/punishment system. If food is fuel, then why is it a reward in here?

You reward your body by giving it what it needs and making it stronger, by stretching and pushing and jumping and playing and doing all of the things it was engineered to do. Not by 'letting' it eat junkfood.

If you want junk food, then go ahead and have your cake and eat it... but dont do it because you are rewarding yourself for going to the gym. Reward yourself for going to the gym, by going to the gym again.

oh and have you tried the peanut butter chunkys their gorgeous?

I understand what you're saying Yoovie. It's an oxymoron. I can't reward the fact that I quit smoking by smoking a cigarette. I can't reward myself for saving my money by blowing it. Junk food should never be an award for eating well. It doesn't make any sense. Reward yourself in other ways.