How strict are you on your diet/life change?

[PaulaSue]

Do you follow your new eating plan by the dot or do you put is little breaks?

 

[ohMom]

i allow myself indulgences....but i'm not endorsing it!

back in 2003 when i lost weight I allowed myself one meal a week 'off plan' and stuck to a T otherwise. that worked for me. what didn't work was allowing myself more and more 'treats' once i was at the weight i wanted, which translated to gaining back 15 lbs and yo-yo-ing ever since.

for me, strictness results in over-splurging. if i know a treat is in my future i can hold out

 

[becka]

I have to be really strict. I do very occassionally plan for small splurges but I am finding that even when I try to splurge I end up not doing it just because I know how easy it is for me to backslide. One off plan meal can really kill me mentally for some reason. I wish I could change that about myself but I just can't for some reason. I pretty much have to be 100% all the time to be successful.

 

[MJMouse]

Short, Unhelpful Answer: Yes. No. It depends.

I think everyone has to find his or her own "plan" that works. It's very individual. For examle, some people can have a little bite of candy and then leave the rest, for others that's just a slippery slope.

There are two things that are non-negotiable for me:

1. I do not drink my calories. All of my beverages are calorie free -- water, diet soda, un-sweet ice tea.
2. I will eat breakfast everyday.

I also don't eat chocolate or drink much alcohol as they tend to give me migranes.

I'm not really on a diet; instead, I am trying to make a lifestyle change. To me, this means that I have to be able to live with the changes I am making. I know myself pretty well and I can not give up pizza and french fries and ice cream forever -- this would just be a recipe for diet disaster. Instead, I try to fit my cravings into my plan. I can have a piece of pizza at lunch, but that means salad for dinner or no afternoon snack.

I also give myself the option of having a "day off" once a week. On this day, I do not count calories and I eat pretty much what I want. In the beginning, I'd eat and eat on this day, but I've noticed that I really do not gorge myself anymore or make the same food choices. However, I do enjoy the freedom and I usually use these days for parties or going out to eat when I can't control the calories as easily.

For example, yesterday I ate an early breakfast of cereal with fruit and then went out to lunch with a friend. I wanted a sandwich and fries, so I had a sandwich and fries. I chose a grilled chicken breast with bbq sauce, lettuce, tomato, and onion. I asked not to have the cheese or bacon. I then ate 3/4 of the steak fries with 1/2 the ketchup I would have normally used. I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch. Later in the day I wasn't very hungry, so I had a quick low cal salad to round out my day. Do I know exactly how many calories I consumed, no. But do I feel "guilty?" Not a chance.

There have been times when I've allowed myself too many days where I don't count the calories and I'll not lose a pound that week. But this isn't about perfection. It's about learning how to be healthy.

For me, this journey really has been all about choices and accounting for the calories that I put into my mouth. I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention that exercise is super important. If I don't exercise, then I can not make as many allowances food wise...

Good luck!!

 

[MelanieC]

I feel that we shouldn't call it a diet but a lifestyle change. That means that you shouldn't do anything now that you couldn't maintain for the rest of your life.

That means, that I eat out, have chocolate, peanut butter, avacado's, nuts etc.

But what I did was look for healthier ways of having the things I love. I eat all natural peanut butter, all natural 88% cocoa dark chocolate, raw nuts with no salt, 100% whole wheat or whole grain crackers and breads (3-4 grams of fiber per serving, even if it has more calories), no pudge brownies (you can make them in individual servings), things that are minimally processed.

I love to eat out, and eat out I do. If it's a high fat food I limit myself to how often (maybe a few times a month - like Pad Thai). Finding plenty of places and options at different type restaurants. I know that Sushi, Vietenamese, and many many other places can be done low calorie or reasonable calories.

I look for ways to lighten recipes etc.

For example - Friday I had Indian for lunch, and Sushi for dinner. After eating the Indian for lunch and not knowing what the calories were ( I tried to eat conciously and not overdo it), I made sure to not treat that as a well I blew it and now I can eat whatever I want for the rest of the day.

So I guess the answer is I try to be strict, but I definately plan for indulgences. After all - this is something I need to learn forever.

 

[tiggerlover]

I feel that we shouldn't call it a diet but a lifestyle change. That means that you shouldn't do anything now that you couldn't maintain for the rest of your life.

So I guess the answer is I try to be strict, but I definately plan for indulgences. After all - this is something I need to learn forever.

Well said and I totally agree! The first two times I did WW I looked at it from the stand point of a diet and I ultimately gained weight back. The third (and final) time on WW I looked at it as a lifestyle change and I seem to be succeeding. As a lifetime member I still track in my journal and I am still conscience of what I eat. But I also allow myself to indulge from time to time. I find I think more before I eat now and I ask myself if I really truly want something. If the answer is yes I eat it, keeping in mind that I will have to exercise a little more or give something else up later in the week.