Will treats ultimately sabotage your diet?

I feel a bit guilty because I had a very small piece of decadent chocolate cake. I haven't had anything remotely bad for you in at least 2 weeks and even then I shared a tiramisu cake from olive garden with my husband.

I don't know about treats and how often you should eat them....but I know that I can't deprive myself of them for too long or I'll go nuts!

What should I do?

Tue. Oct 9, 7:33am

Stop depriving yourself and start living like a thin person.

I think DIETS sabotage your diet.

Look, if you want to lose weight and stay thin afterward, you can't "go on a diet." You have to change the way you live -- which means that you have to live in a way that you can stand. A small piece of cake every two weeks is just about right -- a little bit of pleasure, but not too many calories in the two-week budget.

The fact is that thin people eat foods that are "bad" for them. They just don't eat a LOT of those things -- small servings, and not every single day. One bite of good chocolate instead of the whole bar, that kind of thing.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007, 7:39 AM

Here here 7:39!!

Tuesday, October 9, 2007, 7:42 AM

Someone in one of my groups here has "it's not a diet, it's my life" written in her profile. That's what this conversation is all about. I am all about finding sustainable habits that promote healthy living. This includes eating dessert.

So this is what I do. First of all I DO IT....I make sure I get it in about the same frequency as the OP. SO these are my parameters: it is OUT, SHARED with loved ones, EXQUISITE (really fabulous), eaten SLOWLY, tiny bites, and COMPLETELY APPRECIATED.

It's all about good living. So OP, I hope you had a wonderful dinner out with your darling hubby and hope you completely enjoyed that chocolate cake. Sounds like one of those sweet memories, and good living is built on memories like that!

Tuesday, October 9, 2007, 10:26 AM

Drinking one martini won't neccesarily give you a drinking problem, so snacking won't neccesarily ruin your diet.

HOWEVER, if you're on a diet, you've probably already got a snacking problem. And one snack leads to another, and another and eventually to a blown diet.

And if you are asking the question, you already know the answer, you're just looking for someone to make you feel better about making the wrong choice...

That said, no one is perfect. Sometimes you need to make a minor slip so you don't make a major slip in the future. Just keep watching that your minor slips don't become habits.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007, 10:40 AM

so snacking won't neccesarily ruin your diet. ...HOWEVER, if you're on a diet, you've probably already got a snacking problem. And one snack leads to another, and another and eventually to a blown diet.

I think the OP's question was about dessert, not about snacking.

Personally, snacking MADE my plan work. I eat 5 or 6 times a day, lost my weight, am maintaining for a year now... ...and it's not a diet. This is a better way to live than I was living before!

Tuesday, October 9, 2007, 11:38 AM

I personally don't think there is a problem with a desert once in a while. As long as you know it won't trigger more. Sometimes we have to be careful not to eat those trigger foods or it can easily get out of control.

For myself, I am very stringent in my eating plan and once a month I eat what I want. A whole day free to have what I have been wanting for the past month.
Initially I ate like crazy, there were so many foods I missed. Now that is not so much the case. I find there are one or two things that sound good and I find I get sick when I eat off of my plan. I think it is the fat in the food.
It has been 6 months and I have lost 103 pounds.

I used to be one who could never take a day off and get back on the next day but what I want for myself has changed.
That said, some days are really tough.
I think you need to decide for yourself what is right for you. We all have a way that works best for us.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007, 1:51 AM

103 pounds!! Wow, congratulations! THAT is inspiring.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007, 10:21 AM

I have been maintaining my goal weight for a year now and I eat what I want, when I want it - IN SMALL PORTIONS!
I enjoy food and love to eat but I just control myself. If I go out for lunch I exercise when I get home and eat a very light dinner. If it's Saturday and I know I'm going out that night I stay active all day and eat less to allow for a splurge that night. It works for me because I could never wait an entire month for a meal I want or 2 weeks for a small treat. So I have the treats when I want them but don't over do it. Hope this helps, good luck!

Wednesday, October 10, 2007, 12:28 PM

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