How often do you indulge?

Ok, so you're on your plan. When do you allow yourself to go off it, and how often?
When you do go off, is it a serving, a piece, a slice, or the whole gosh dang thing?

Mon. Jun 12, 10:30pm

My plan includes indulgences. If I completely ban something--say, chocolate-- I will break within three days and eat a lot of it. So I have a plan not to avoid all treats and indulgences, but to deal with them in a reasonable manner. For me, this means I can have anything I really want, but I have a plan for how much I will eat of it, as well as a system for deciding why I want it (sometimes I don't want the food, but the food is subbing for something I do want).

Basically: 1) /Do I want this, or am I eating it because it's available? 2) Is this what I really want, or would something else do? If I'd be happy with a healthy indulgence (say, a whole orange bell pepper eaten out of hand), I eat that instead, even if it means a trip to the store. If I realize I don't want the temptation I'm looking at but I am really craving something--say I'm about to eat a bag of Chips Ahoy because I really want a piece of good fudge--I allow myself the fudge. 3) Whenever I'm faced with something that is both unhealthy and what I really want, I allow myself the amount equal to 1/4 of what I have eaten in the past. I then permit seconds if necessary. My total consumption ends up being half what used to be my norm, and I can live with that. 4) If feasible, I test the sticking power of the craving by going for a short walk. Lots of times the craving passes by the time I get back.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006, 12:44 AM

I allow myself one fast food meal a week. Otherwise I *might* have a cheat dessert once, maybe twice a week. Otherwise, no cheating. No need to cheat. I never focus on what I shouldn't eat- I'm too busy making sure I'm gettin my 6 cups of veggies, three servings of fruit, and three protiens to worry about what I can't eat.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006, 12:55 AM

I'm like the 12:44 poster... my plan allows for some indulgences... even so, sometimes I over do it. the past few wks in fact I've been indulging WAY more than I should.
I always allow myself something for desser... a lowfat icecream or a few cookies. I still have to work at stopping myself most of the time though.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006, 7:05 AM

I am trying to consider myself "not on a plan." For me, there is eating for my lifetime, not being on or off a diet. I should eat when I am hungry and stop when I am full. If I want a cookie because I am genuinely hungry for it (see 12:44 poster), I have one. Typically, I want a real meal, something that makes me feel healthy - oatmeal and a banana, a salad with pears and walnuts, a tofu stir fry.

But, there is no reason to torture myself with sticking to some sort of plan and then feeling guilty for "cheating" or whatever. And, if I know I can have a little treat whenever I want, it doesn't even sound as good most of the time. It sounds rather ordinary, not like some forbidden fruit... and that way, it's easier to stop and save some for later, rather than thinking "I better eat the whole thing now because I might not ever get it again since it isn't on my plan."

Tuesday, June 13, 2006, 9:39 AM

I'm careful with my portion size, and when I have a choice of healthy or not, I tend to choose healthy almost always, because I can always tell myself "this isn't my last meal, it's not that big a deal if I love it, or just like it okay."

Last night, for example, I wasn't feeling well and didn't want to cook, and my fiance really wanted to order pizza, which we never do. So I told him okay. He ordered a large pepperoni pizza from Domino's. We left the box in the kitchen and ate in the living room - I had 2 pieces, and blotted the oil off of the top. And we had some raw veggies on the side. Not the healthiest dinner, but I totally could've eaten half the pizza. But really, I didn't even consider it. I just don't need to do that anymore. But now I had my treat (pizza), and I'm ready to be on track today!

Also, I find "junk" that's also healthy. We usually have turkey bacon or turkey sausage with breakfast. 2 slices, or 2 links, are around 70 cals. I know that, and plan the rest of breakfast around that. But it tastes like junk food to me, and so yummy! And, there's protein and some filling fat. I can eat 2 pieces of turkey bacon, a light bagel (Thomas's Light are pretty good, and around 120 cals each) with light cream cheese, or light laughing cow cheese, spread on top, and a cup of coffee, for under 300 calories.

If I buy "junk," I put it in individual portions. But, rather than using their given serving size, I make my own, based on how many calories I want the snack to be. For example, I bought a bag of cheese popcorn. 1 serving, according to the bag, is 3 cups, and 170 cals. So, I made baggies immediately, with only 1 cup of popcorn in each. So I know each baggie is about 60 calories. It's a yummy treat, but it won't affect my diet much.

Anyway, I'll have something that I probably shouldn't have about once every 3 days or so. But, I always make it up by reducing calories elsewhere, and I always do it in moderation. I might have a piece of cake, but it'll be a small piece, and I don't go back for seconds. Occasionally, I'll have like 3 cookies when my fiance makes the break-n-bake cookies fresh. And each is close to 200 cals!! But, I don't have like 8 of them, which is what he does! And that happens maybe once a month anyway. But I'll make up for it by cutting calories in other areas. That makes me want to indulge less, b/c I have to pay back the calories to myself! And that usually means being healthier than I want, and passing up things that I'd like to eat. And sometimes it means being hungry.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006, 10:24 AM

I only indulge on the days after long activities, say long hike, walking whole day around the city etc. I'm counting calories, so I know I'd pay dearly if I slip. My diet is very balanced and I have treats throughout the day in the form of fruit, etc. so I don't have too many cravings. Life is too short to eat junk and be overweight.
Once I reach my goal weight, I plan to splurge on a nice dinner (calorie and price-wise). Anything subpar is just not worth it.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006, 1:44 PM

Ice cream is my absolute favorite "bad" food. I could eat it 3 times a day and never get sick of it. For awhile there I was telling myself I could not have ice cream. It just wasn't part of my healthy eating plan. That lasted for about 6 months then I found myself eating it almost daily again. I just totally lost it! So now the rule is, I get to have ice cream once a week (on the weekend). As I crave it during the week I do not have to tell myself "no" just "not yet". It's working so much better for me now. Because, hey....when you love ice cream as much as I do life just isn't worth living if you can't ever have it.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006, 1:56 PM

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