Gah. I am having a very hard day today. A coworker brought in a bag of cookies - a literal BAG of big, chewy, cookies - oatmeal raisin, peanut butter, chocolate chip, macadamia nut and they are on the way to the bathroom. I feel like I'm running a cookie GAUNTLET.

So far, I have resisted temptation, maybe I AM superwoman after all. I do really want a cookie, I can imagine exactly what they would taste like - BUT I know if I eat ONE cookie I will want ANOTHER cookie and ANOTHER. Right now, it is just a little want, if I eat a cookie it will be a BIG WANT and much harder to fight.

Not like a cookie would kill me, but I"m still up 2 lbs and I have a nice dinner party on Saturday to attend (I'm bringing a cheese plate!). I am NOT going to waste calories on a COOKIE when I have such a nice evening to look forward to.

(just a glimpse into an actual "temptation moment" from a maintainer)

So, what if on your way home you take one cookie. You won't be able to go back for another, and you'd still have a treat. Maybe save it for an evening snack with a nice cup of tea, or whatever?

Ha, what did someone say on the board - I WILL NOT BE DICTATED TO BY A COOKIE!

I really do NOT really really want one. I just WANT one. Because they smell good and cookies are good. If I wanted a TREAT I would get some really really good dark chocolate - that is REALLY GOOD and more "worth it" mass produced cookies (they are a step up from Chips Ahoy, but not home-made, if you know the category of cookie I'm talking about, like a nice cookie from the grocery store bakery, but not like COOKIE NIRVANA or anything). When my company had the christmas cookie competition where everyone brought in really great home-made cookies, I ate a little bite of each one! they were WORTH IT.

It's different if it's a treat I plan. Like, I'm going to Starbucks and I say "self, you have been good and on plan, you may have a 140 calorie chocolatey biscotti with your latte" and then I get the biscotti and eat it and it is all happy and onplan. I know these cookies are probably 400 calories and there really isn't a place in my day for a 400 calorie cookie!

Facing down unplanned temptations is one of my biggest struggles, I bat about .500, which is GREAT for the majors but it's not going to help me shake these 2 lbs.

Glory - I totally get the quality distinction.

Grocery store cupcakes - not OK

Homemade cupcakes - maybe, if I put a lot of effort into them, and they are a flavor I really like. Sometimes I bake myself a mini cupcake so I don't have to eat a whole one.

Cupcakes my mother flew from one of the top bakeries in the US because I have a cupcake-tasting hobby and am trying all of the top cupcakeries nationwide (They were her carryon, literally, on a flight from NY to CA) - absolutely, and enjoy every darned bite.

Oh, Amanda, have you ever tried Cupcake Royale in Ballard, WA? They are sooo good, I have the cutest Cupcake Royale t-shirt! If I still lived in Seattle, I would send you one!

Was it The Magnolia Bakery? Babycakes?

Glory - Cupcake Royale was on the list...as are all of the other cupcakeries on the MSN Top Cupcakes in the country list (Cupcake Royale was recognized for their Lavender cupcake). At the risk of being food porn, MSN Top Cupcakes

Soul - the cupcakes were from Crumbs Bakeshop. I decided not to ask for Magnolia because, from what I'd read in various reviews, the cupcakes there aren't as good as others, but you go for the experience since the place is so popular/well-known. Since I wasn't actually going myself, I opted for the top cupcakes from NYC residents based on taste, which is how I ended up with my top two (Crumbs and Sugar Sweet Sunshine). Crumbs was more convenient for my parents to pick up, so there you have it.

Ah, Glory, guess I didn't understand that these were not homemade cookies. Glad you didn't give in. On an unrelated note, I didn't realize that you were no longer in Seattle, though I guess I did notice that the Women's Day article had a different location......

I do have days that I give into temptation and days that sticking to my plan isn't the most important thing in my life. I do notice however that my stomach can't hold near as much food as it once could. So, the damage is less than it would have been.

On Wednesday when my son left to Iraq, I threw caution to the wind. I had a sausage egg biscuit and a diet coke for breakfast. Lunch was a buffet and I chose a plate of veggies, (squash, beans, cabbage and okra). Dinner that night I ordered one beef fajita. At the ceremony I ate one piece of cake. I felt a little bloated and guilty for my food choices that day. But, in retrospect, I used to always eat 2 BF biscuits, I normally would have eaten bread and meat with that lunch buffet as well as a dessert. I normally would have eaten an entire order of fajitas with beans and rice instead of just a single fajita. The biggie thing was when my DH didn't want his cake, the old me would have eaten mine and his both. So, yes, I had a bad day but I wasn't totally out of control.

On Christmas day I had the traditional meal but stuck to one piece of pie instead of eating several pieces of pie per day for 2 or 3 days before AND after Christmas like in most previous years.

This is a great thread.
I appreciate everyone's honesty and experiences.
I am new to maintenance and struggle often with temptations. From reading what others have posted, I think I am doing well and am "normal". I do allow an off plan meal or two on the weekend but I still try to keep it in control-- no fried foods, no fast foods, one piece of bread from the bread basket if any, etc.
Last weekend I had an off plan meal on Saturday and another one on Sunday and I don't think I'll repeat that. I had horrible cravings and was much hungrier for DAYS afterwards.
I think that once you get to maintenance you have to see what works for you to keep maintaining and realize that not everyone is the same.
I also plan on going to WW meetings for the rest of my life. I find them enjoyable and motivating and it holds me accountable weekly. I know myself too well and am afraid I would be more likely to get lazy if I didn't go.