how often do you treat yourself?

with a bagel, sweets, slice of pizza, whatever?

I am cutting out a lot of my fav things from my diet and was wondering if I can still have it from time to time?

My goal is to lose 10 lbs.

Re: how often do you treat yourself?

Personally, I feel it's important to work in the occasional treat (in moderation, proper portion, etc.) in order to stick to overall healthy eating. I maintained a 40 lbs weight loss for years eating that way.

Now that I am back in weight loss mode on WW, I definitely incorporate treats. We get 49 extra points per week, and I almost always use those extra points (above and beyond my daily points). I use a lot of them on weekends -- for things like wine, going out to eat or getting take out, etc. I try to stick to my plan more rigorously during the week by cooking at home and planning out what I am going to eat and then not deviating. I would say that I don't have treats every day, but I indulge in a couple of treats a week, whether it be wine, or a meal out, or whatever.

I enjoy food and going out to eat. I think it's unrealistic to expect you are always going to have a dry salad or grilled chicken with no sauce every time you go out to eat. For me, there's be no point to that! Or that you will never have another piece of cake at a birthday party, or something.

But when I indulge, I also try to use a few guidelines:

1. As soon as the meal out or "treat" is over, I go right back on track. Also, if I know I am going to have a "treat" dinner, for example, I will try to eat lower calorie (but still satisfying foods) earlier in the day. Don't want to go out ravenous!

2. I might order what I want at a restaurant (e.g., pasta instead of a salad), but I try to only eat half. Or I want pizza, I eat and enjoy, but try to stick to 1 slice instead of 3.

3. A WW leader I once had said "if you want to be a small, you have to order small." So related to number 3 - if I want a frozen yogurt or ice cream or something as a treat, I get it, but I get the smallest size possible.

4. If I am at dinner or at a party, I don't indulge in everything. I try to really think about what I want to have as my treat, and then stick to that choice, rather than mindlessly eating it all. If I really want an appetizer or an extra glass of wine, I won't have dessert (or I will just steal a bite of DH's!). Also, my family always has tons of food at occasions (we have the food = love mentality!), so if I am going to have a small slice of birthday cake, I won't also have ice cream.

This works for me, and makes my eating plan more do-able, but I know others say that allowing themselves treats leads them to go overboard and backslide. And I get that. I think it's just trial and error for the individual.

Re: how often do you treat yourself?

Um. Everyday!! I don't need to lose weight though and I do workout and watch what I eat. I believe in moderation.

Re: how often do you treat yourself?

Re: how often do you treat yourself?

Honestly when ever I want. I am a FTWM. I go to the gym during my lunch hour but for dinner I refuse to make a special meal for myself. It's enough cooking 1 meal lol If we have pizza for dinner or Mcdonalds I will eat it but not over indulge.

Re: how often do you treat yourself?

Yup, pretty much daily although the larger indulgences are about once per meal per week. One indulgent breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert.

My latest is dessert, and I found Edy's Coconut ice cream bars are good, as well as Edy's popsicles (no sugar) and Popsicle brand popsicles. I have them every day.

I'm having an Amy's Margherita pizza tonight because I'm testing a theory I've read about metabolism that if you cycle days where you have low calories and the next day increased calories, that you avoid a plateau. Kind of keep your body guessing and not allowing it to acclimate to an expected routine.

Re: how often do you treat yourself?

I watch what I eat 90% of the time and the other 10% is when I indulge. Every night I will allow myself some form of dessert whether it be a cookie or some ice cream but I dont take a huge portion. Dinner is the same way, if we have pizza, I have a slice and then a large side of veggies or a salad. I have found that for myself, this is how I made it a lifestyle more than a diet.

I work out 5-6 days a week so I try not to be overly strict with everything I eat because I want to enjoy my food too. I have found that if I tell myself that something is off limits, when I do actually have it, I eat a ton of it.

Re: how often do you treat yourself?

how often do you treat yourself?

I usually indulge on the weekends. I look forward to it all week. Lol

Re: how often do you treat yourself?

every weekend! and i believe this is why i have been doing so well on WW. i will not cut out whole food groups and i will not swear off sweets forever. so on the weekdays i am pretty good about staying with my points and so on the weekends i get to enjoy some of my favorite things. it's a great balance

Re: how often do you treat yourself?

Posted by ME75

every weekend! and i believe this is why i have been doing so well on WW. i will not cut out whole food groups and i will not swear off sweets forever. so on the weekdays i am pretty good about staying with my points and so on the weekends i get to enjoy some of my favorite things. it's a great balance

how often do you treat yourself?

I eat pizza weekly along with a burger. Its all about moderation and changing my lifestyle. If I denied myself what I love then I would fall of the wagon.

Re: how often do you treat yourself?

I'll try to get through cravings because I find that I stop thinking about some foods after I have not had them for a while. But if a craving remains, I will get the food, which is usually bagel or pizza. If I do that, I try to get back on track as the others have said. I have bene trying lately not to just say, "well today is a waste because I already had pizza so I may as well have XYZ."

And it is true that drinking a lot of water helps stop some cravings.

Message edited 3/7/2013 11:40:17 PM.

Re: how often do you treat yourself?

Saturdays

Re: how often do you treat yourself?

I have pizza every friday night and saturday night whatever i like for dinner. I do workout 5 days a week though and watch most of my other meals. I don't allow the weekends to totally be a pig out but I do allow myself things I don't eat during the week

Re: how often do you treat yourself?

I eat 80% healthy, 80% of the time. I don't waste calories on things that are just okay or that I can get whenever I want. If there is a special meal or something that I might only get one or two chances to taste, I go to town. Like last night, my ILs made steak. I love steak and consider it a treat. She served it with mashed potatoes and Grand's biscuits. Since mashed potatoes and biscuits are just okay to me, I skipped the biscuit and had a tiny bit of potatoes. Its all about prioritizing to me deliciousness/rarity/cost vs. calories. Pasta is cheap and I can have it whenever I want, so its easy for me to skip, but things like seafood, good chocolate, good wine, good cheese...I think they are worth the calories, so I indulge. I won't cheat for things that are just okay or pretty good, lol.

All the meals I eat at home are healthy. So if I am at a restaurant or someone's home, I eat some treat foods.