My biggest problems come when I am in the office and there is cake going around, or I'm at a buffet lunch/dinner, or if I'm out to dinner with my colleagues and we get appetizers/desserts/something for the table to share. I make a REALLY big effort, and usually manage to hold off for a few minutes, but eventually I cave and just eat the junk, and regret it later. The guilt always makes me do better for a few days, but eventually I have another occasion and the whole cycle repeats.

I think a big part of the problem is that I am surrounded by skinny minny people who have such fast metabolisms that they can eat what they want, and/or people who just don't care about their weight/health. My project team has adopted my lead and started trying to eat healthy, but most of the time when faced with a challenge they just say screw it and eat what they want. It is really tough for me to resist when no one around me is watching their weight or paying attention to what I'm eating. These forums are great, and I do post when I go off plan, but not necessarily in detail, and it's usually after the fact so it doesn't really help.

So, I am determined to break this cycle, and here's what I've decided to do. At work, I'm usually at my desk when this stuff happens. So if I'm going to cheat and eat something that is not on plan, I have to come here and post my rationale for having it BEFORE I am allowed to touch a bite of whatever treat it is. If I can't get to a computer, I have to write my reasoning down on whatever I can, and post it as soon as I can get online. I'm hoping that this will shame me into being accountable for what I'm eating, and that the time separation as well as the embarrassment will prevent me from actually indulging these cravings.

Does this sound like a good idea to anyone else? And does anyone want to join me in this new form of accountability? I'm hoping that by doing this for a few weeks, we'll see what kind of false "rationale" we come up with for our cheats and can modify our behavior in the future. I'm not looking for people to bash me when I screw up, but I'm thinking that we can have kind of a support system for overcoming our reasons for going off-plan.

You're a brainiac! I think this is a wonderful and sensible approach, and can totally see how this will work, both in preventing off plan decisions and analyzing reasons later.

I LOVE that idea!! I am gonna try it too, although I am never at a computer til evening I will keep a notebook with me and write down my reasoning. I am keeping my water, calories, exercise and such accountable daily in my do over thread. I want to succeed this time!! Great thinking, keep up the good work!

I think that's a great idea! I understand about the workplace eating thing. For Valentine's Day, we all brought in food to eat and I know I ate way too much. In the past I have had success with considering ahead of time what I would "cheat" on. And whether the momentary pleasure would be worth it. Alot of times I would choose to not cheat. But alot of times I do. I think it's okay for us to cheat sometimes. For me, it's what keeps me from feeling deprived. That's why I really love calorie counting. When I go out to eat, I try to look at the menu online ahead of time to see what options there are. And I try to find out calorie, fat, carb, protien info to try to make a good choice before going. Hope you have success!!

Genius! I'm definitely joining in on this one.

My problem is usually after work, when I'm too tired to cook and I end up eating junk instead....

Now I'll have to post my *legitimate* reasoning for eating the stuff - which will hopefully deter me from eating it at all... or at least most of the time .

Cheers for a great idea, and good luck!!

I think this sounds like a wonderful way to sort of zero in on the silly reasoning we put behind going off plan! Now, for me, it might be hard for me to come here and admit to it (I used to sneak food), but for others I think it might just work! I will make an honest A+ effort to come here and post along with everyone else about going off plan though. Usually, I don't go "off plan", but some nights I'm simply HUNGRY and so I'll go a little over my calories. For me, I'll consider going off plan to mean having an unplanned treat simply because I want it and it's there. Just to say it again, I think this thread is a really great idea!

I should also add that this weekend I'm devoting to eating well and working out, so I prob won't be posting any cheats. But just wait till Monday and I will be here a lot

I was good and on-plan all day. At dinner, I refused dessert, and even refused the amazing peach-flavored beer that was at the restaurant (that is usually my sole reason for wanting to go to that restaurant). We split a flatbread pizza, and I even had less than my share, eating slowly and generously offering part of mine to my friend (he is not on a diet).

Then we had nothing to do after, so I suggested getting dessert from room service. Half a piece of cheesecake. Admittedly small, because the Westin is a bit stingy, but still. GRRR.

Therefore, reasoning for today's cheat: entertainment.

How I will do better next time: I suggested TV, but we couldn't find anything good on. Anyone, thoughts for how to stay entertained in a strange city with a friend who is from that city (and therefore doesn't want to explore) when it's 9 PM on a weeknight?

Laura, I absolutely have no idea on how to keep entertained. It's been so long for me, since opening my business and having my son. It's good you're recognizing the reason and I hope someone else will chip in with great ideas. I'm a boring workaholic! Great job though on avoiding the other possible pitfalls of dinner!!!! You mentioned room service, so you're apparently at a hotel- I suppose if there's absolutely nothing else to do, your friend is content at the room and you're restless you could use the gym? Grab some city guides and plan tomorrow's excursions? Not entertaining, I know!


I'm already finding myself trying to rationalize eating poorly tomorrow.

It'll be my son's 4th birthday, and he has two fondest wishes... an afternoon party at Chuck E Cheese (is that how you spell it?) and a dinner of shrimp and crab legs at Red Lobster. Yes, the 4 year boy's favorite foods are shrimp and crab legs, although I usually make them at home. I don't know where he got the Red Lobster idea as we rarely eat there.

I can certainly resist some grotesque pizza at the Chuck E place, and will eat well at Red Lobster... I'm thinking avoiding the biscuits and sides, eating a live lobster (or freshly killed, however you look at it), no butter= minimal calories.

But but but... the cake! I ordered it from a fabulous and expensive bakery, triple chocolate topped with ganache. In addition to the seafood my baby boy's fav is some really great chocolate. He so takes after his mom . The little epicure.

If I have one piece it will lead to more and more and more. I will have a chocolate relapse.

So, I think I'll just take the role of photographer mom, keep my hands busy and package lots for take home goodies for guests. I keep rationalizing though.... it's his birthday, why not? If it were anything but a decadent chocolate cake I could control myself.

I'll just keep that in mind- it's his birthday. I don't need it, it's for him. Right? Right!

For entertainment - I know it sounds silly, but what about cards?
We wanted a no TV night at home on Saturday, so we taught people to play Pitch and had a great time!
Get a book on card games, some of them are really fun and have you working in teams.

I only know how to play poker and 52 pickup but the card plan sounds like fun! Amazing how a mean poker game can liven up a night!

If there is a DVD player how about renting a movie? I like the cards idea too.

maybe you should start hosting the dinners or organising the nights out, so you can see the neus before hand?

Games/cards sounds like a good idea, or maybe some kind of crafting? I knit with my girlfriends on weekends and that keeps me happily occupied.

This is a great thread! I could've used it sooner. I was up at my friend's house in the country Friday night to celebrate a birthday and she made this amazing 5 course meal. Including the dreaded TRIPLE CHOCOLATE CAKE that haunts so many of us! Then of course there was leftover cake to take home because the hostess didn't want to keep it around. So I brought it home for my bf. Yeah right. There went the whole weekend.

What were my excuses? 1)The birthday! 2) But - the chocolate cake! (I'm vulnerable to that one too.) 3) Well, the weekend's already gone to **** so who cares now?

Come Monday, when I found I was up 2#, I cared. If I'd stopped sooner, maybe I'd only be up 1# or not at all. Now I'm working just to get back to where I started!

Thanks for making us hold up that mirror, Scenestealer!

I'm traveling for business, so sadly, no fun excursions to plan. I'm in Boston every week, and have a few friends here, so I make an effort to get together with friends at least one night a week. Unfortunately, activities other than eating/drinking are tough to find. TV has been the best thing I've found so far, and that only works some of the time. Unfortunately I don't think "come to my hotel for a game of cards" will necessarily be exciting enough to convince my friends not to go out for drinks or something.

Fatbaby, what if you skip the cake at the actual party, but then at the end, have them box up one small slice? If you take it home with you, where there is no more chocolate and you can't eat the rest of the cake, you can still enjoy a treat without going nuts after.

Souvenir, I've been planning the dinners a lot, and ALWAYS look at the menus first even if I'm not the one planning. However, there are always easy bad choices to tempt me... like everyone else ordering alcohol and me trying to drink water, or everyone eating the bread basket that's RIGHT in front of me, or splitting several unhealthy appetizers instead of getting one healthy one for myself. The travel lifestyle is hard, but I am really cracking down on myself now and trying to make it work.