June 15th is getting close. I started my new way of eating last year on June 15th. My husband did it with me, although he only had about 30 lbs. to lose. He lost that by December and has maintained the loss. Anyway, I mentioned it to him yesterday that it will be a full year in a few days and that I thought we should do something special to mark the occasion. I also said that I didn't think we should celebrate with food. It just seems odd to celebrate a huge weight loss with food.

Well, he totally disagrees. He think we should be able to go out and eat whatever we want to celebrate. I thought the whole concept behind this was to stop celebrating with food.

What do you all think and what would you do?

Nooooo! LOL! My husband thinks like yours, but I can not treat food that way. The "eat to celebrate" mentality only leads to a HUGE binge for me. Because I hear "eat it all now because you aren't allowed to have it tomorrow".

I enjoy fine food. I don't have fine food that often. I think it depends on each person and how they can handle it. I am going to have indulgent meals throughout my life, and often they will be in celebration of important days, holidays, events..

I guess it is kind of weird to celebrate the anniversary of beginning to eat healthier by eating unhealthy though. You don't have to overdo it. You can have a wonderful meal out without going crazy. =)

I do still celebrate with food. Usually it's healthier food, food that sustains me, that makes me feel good. The other night, I was seeing a friend that I hadn't seen in a long while. We cooked a lovely, celebratory meal together - grilled eggplant slices with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil, garlic bread, and a gorgeous raw kale salad. THAT is celebration to me. A gorgeous birthday cake, made from scratch, can be celebratory, too.

What I don't do, anymore, is celebrate my successes from my healthy lifestyle with unhealthy choices...it seems counterproductive to me. I'd much rather celebrate with something that supports my goals and doesn't oppose them.

Edited to add - I note I talked about birthday cake being celebratory and then about trying not to make unhealthy choices...felt the need to explain my definition of unhealthy...if I am eating something lovingly prepared from good quality ingredients, even if that is a higher-calorie choice like cake, and I'm not eating it every day, that fits into my definition of "healthy". Supermarket cake purchased to celebrate the birthdays of everyone in the office is not healthy, a gorgeous slice of cake prepared by someone with love and quality real foods can be.

I got some very good news today and so my husband and I are going to celebrate by going out to one of our favorite restaurants around here. It's one of the few upscale places and serves very very good food, high quality ingredients, and actually serves real portion sizes (not the overflowing plate variety found at a TGI Fridays). I'll make wise choices while there, avoiding dishes that have a side of potatoes, for example, and opting for fava beans, but it'll be worth it.

We don't do this a lot any more and I have to be sure I can eat in the "real world" and not only out of my private store of meal supplements/replacements that I have at home.

Of course, this'll be the first time we've done something like this in quite a while, so maybe it won't go as well as I'm anticipating. We'll see!

I agree with Mandalinn - maintaining means learning how to make good choices. I consider a cedar planked grilled salmon a real treat - lots of places have online menus now - if you think you can't make a reasonable choice, find another place less tempting.

Maybe explain to the hubby that you'll compromise on going out if he will give a little and celebrate with you in a manner that you would find appealing.

Congratulations on your success!

While I fully plan to celebrate my birthday next month with yummy gourmet cupcakes (yes, plural!), I would celebrate a weight loss anniversay with a healthy treat. Instead of food, or going out to eat, do something healthy - like buy a new piece of equipment for your home gym or new exercise clothes in your new size (maybe embroider the date somewhere?), a gps exercise watch, heart rate monitor. If you want to do something together how about joint personal training sessions at that new gym y'all wanted to check out or a couples massage at the spa? Think outside the box! If he insists on food related stuff - invest in new cookware like a steamer or a wok?

Congrats on your losses!

As usual, such thoughtful responses. You all never cease to amaze me.

I was thinking of it like an alcoholic who has gone a whole year without drinking, going to the local bar and tying one on!

I have had so many personal revelations during this journey and this is one as well. I especially liked Mandalinn's response about the birthday cake. Also, the dinner you described made my mouth water!! I am now thinking that I should compromise and maybe make a really great dinner here for the two of us. That way I can also celebrate my newly-learned cooking skills.

Thanks again folks. Thought-provoking as always.

You should celebrate weight loss with food like you should celebrate a promotion by sending an "f-you" letter to your old boss. It feels good and you might be able to get away with it for now, but it's not even a little bit of a good idea and actually pretty stupid.

Celebrate with a sexy n' stretchy jersey dress that will shrink with you. Or new free weights. Or kitchen gear that supports your healthier habits. Or, if you want to go out and get a nice meal, go somewhere with really awesome, healthful food -- an expensive, monetary-splurge place like a juice bar or a raw food restaurant. Try awesome real food, budget for a 600-800 calorie meal (nothing crazy), and eat well for those calories.

If you want to celebrate with food, do it with fancy, more expensive healthy food. Like some kind of seafood that you normally wouldn't buy. Crab is in season now, but still pricey, and you can probably find a really healthy way to prepare it. Or something with fresh basil, healthy, but also pricey. That way, it feels special, but it still super good for you.

Oh gosh definitely a bad idea! My 1st go round I started celebrating every 10 pounds with a new (smaller) article of clothing, then that got wasteful as I was buying things and not being able to wear them in a few weeks. So then it became getting a milkshake, or McDonalds or going out to the diner to celebrate. My husband (my boyfriend then) always said it was a bad idea but I never listened. But each time I indulged in this kind of behavior I would end up going off the deep end with crazy eating and cravings for days & days after and often ended up putting on weight in that time. Find another way to celebrate. Maybe make over a decadent meal in a healthy fashion?

not really, not like i use to. I mean I still eat treats every now and then, but the bad foods hurt my tummy, so i just avoid them. .

I do not celebrate anything with food. I would rather buy new clothes. I don't like any of my socializing or fun to be centered around food.

As for me the short answer is NO!! my long answer is NO,NO,NO,NO

I don't celebrate anything with food because it seems counter productive to my weight loss efforts!

Larry

I don't celebrate with food, but food is sometimes a part of the celebration. For me, that distinction is big. Celebrating a birthday isn't just an excuse to have cake, but a slice of cake (note the singular! ) can certainly be a part of celebrating a birthday.

My husband and I are planning a date later this week. We're going to a concert in the park, and we plan to pack a picnic. It's celebratory, and there's food involved, but the food is just part of the landscape, not the raison d'etre of our being there as it would be in a restaurant. I'm really looking forward to it--that is, I'm looking forward to the whole event, not to the food, and that's a big change for me.

As you're celebrating a health milestone--and congratulations on it, by the way!--I think your idea of celebrating by cooking an awesome meal at home is fantastic. Showing off your culinary skills and enjoying the act of preparing the food instead of just the act of eating it sounds like fun. Cooking together is always a blast, too, if he wants to join you.

Mandalinn, that dinner sounds phenomenal! I am craving eggplant now. Mmm!