Ha, ha! I wear them only in the evening after my shower and they make me feel totally slim and amazing. My body is to the point where I actually look good in them. But during the day, it's jeans for me. And not relaxed fit jeans either, like I used to wear.

As for indulgences, I plan one every weekend. Usually it's making a dessert or something extra I don't allow myself during the week. I plan these and look forward to them. Last weekend was my dh's company Christmas party and they went to a really nice restaurant. I enjoyed myself, but I only had one glass of wine, I took most of my main meal home, I had half a bread roll, and I did allow myself a whole piece of chocolate cake all to myself. So I indulged but was reasonable about it.

The thing that has really hit home with me recently when it comes to indulging is the question, Do I want this badly enough in order to work it off? Every bite counts, and if I'm going to indulge, it'd better be worth it! Most the time the answer to that question is no, so it's a very effective question for me.

I had never thought of those lyrics in that context before.

I wore my skinny jeans too (with my red plaid apron)! My nieces (22 & 18) told me that I looked hot.

Loser mom, I just always meant to tell you, every time I see your avatar I think Meg Ryan & needed to tell you that, so albeit you looked HOT in your skinny jeans, **** you are HOT chicka!!! Seriously is Meg Ryan your twin or what?

Ha, I realized that I have NO sweat pants. When I was heavy, I wore them all the time. In my mind, for me, I associate sweat pants with being heavy (of course, they are perfectly fine for other people, it's a me thing).

Wow! Meg Ryan? That is a first. I'm blushing! But thank you! I usually hear that I look like Kate Gosselin, especially when her hair was the reverse mullet. Kate, you are looking at your future here (47). Seriously, the photos of her when she was younger do look like a much younger me. I think she is attractive but I'm not a fan of hers.

I have developed an aversion to all things baggy. Sweatpants only for bed and they're usually of the tighter variety and paired with a tight top. Looser tops always with super tight skinny jeans or leggins.

I'm feeling much better today (and the scale was kind to me the morning ), and I'm liking the idea of is it worth it? I mean I really don't *need* to indulge every weekend. This last weekend's dinner at Roy's for DH's b-day was totally worth it and so was dessert. The extra martini I had, not so much. The sandwich I had for lunch the next day so not worth it, the deep dish pizza for dinner, maybe.

What I'd really love to work on is just having a bite or half of something. Why do I always feel the need to eat it all? Why can't I have just one slice of pizza instead of two, although 2 is better than the 4 I used to have. I think this is an area I could make some big improvements. Like stop at half and only if I'm still hungry or it really worth it do I finish food at a restaurant that's not OP. I will say though that the portions at Roy's were very reasonable. The pumpkin cheesecake I got was the smallest one I've ever seen

What an interesting thread and topic.
It is interesting to see everyone's different opinions and experiences.
I am going to really stop and think about what I do....
I think that I am *perhaps* too rigid sometimes. I used to allow myself treat days or treat meals but they are very rare now. Maybe once or twice a month I have a treat meal. I usually feel crappy afterward for one thing and I am usually working really hard to stay at my goal and don't want to go off plan.
I'm sure my family would say I am too rigid.
Something to think about....

Most important to me, is not the answers you get from other people, but the idea that you know that you are doing it and know that you have a desire to be different. You know you don't feel good about it and because of that you will continue to find your comfy spot. Next week, try something different, find what works for YOU! I know you will because you know you want to. :-)

I'm going against the flow here, but basically, I never have "treat" meals.

By that, I mean that I never go someplace with the intention of getting a specific food that is offplan.

What I have instead is meals in which I'm eating out with other people, or at other peoples' houses, and have to make compromises, mostly to avoid appearing too rigid. (Apparently, I care less about being rigid, than about **looking** rigid & irritating other people.) On those occasions, I still pick the most healthy stuff on the menu. But food offered at restaurants or by my friends is rarely as healthy as what I eat at home.

I figure that life is going to throw me enough curve balls & I don't have to introduce any on my own.

I do this because I have a history of binge eating, and I am less likely to eat a large quantity quickly & in a disordered way while in a social situation, while being observed, and also I think it's best that this happen when I'm trying to focus on other people, rather than on food.

Planning a "treat meal" feels uncomfortably close to the worst of my bingeing behavior, which used to include fantasizing about food, till I found one that really "hummed" to me, methodically going out & getting it, & then eating it all alone, quickly, until I felt unwell. I mean, there was planning involved then. Lots of planning. And always, there was me assigning great importance to a very specific food.

So I'm afraid of anything involving planning & fixing on a specific treat because the behaviors are way too close for comfort. At this point in my life, I am unable to say, "I'm going to have a treat this weekend, and I'm going here, and I'm eating this. And that will be my treat."

Others without a history of this very methodical bingeing behavior are probably fine.

It's just me here, trying not to fall into my old traps.

I absolutely go by the "is it worth it" philosophy. I plug everything into that equation, and sometimes the not healthy/off plan option "wins" by decision of the equation. Do the costs/cons outweigh the benefits/pros? My enjoyment of being thin far outweighs my enjoyment of eating whatever I want as a fat person. But as I said earlier, I'd honestly rather be an overweight person than a thin person who absolutely never indulged. Each person has to find where they're happiest, their point of balance.

I "indulged" and had them put cheese on my Subway sandwich the other day. It was over 100 extra calories. I could hardly notice it; occasionally I'd get a cheesy bite, but it didn't make me enjoy the sandwich anymore than if there was no cheese on it. It was definitely NOT worth the extra 100+ calories. But, 100+ calories would probably get me a treat of a small cup of frozen yogurt. That WOULD be worth it to me, hehe.

On the other hand, I'm getting married on Saturday and you better believe that I'm sampling all the appetizers, the main course, a piece of MY cake, a piece of the groom's cake, and several drinks. The complete and total enjoyment of our special day including all the yummy things is absolutely worth going way over my calories. Sometimes it truly is just worth it. I'll get back on plan the day after, but I won't even bother to look at the scale on the morning after my wedding, lol.

This rings so true for me. I celebrated my birthday last month and planned for weeks (by eating less and working out more) to have a slice of cheescake on my birthday. Turns out that I could not find one that tasted good enough to suit me and it was just not worth the calories. I took a bite of one from a restaurant - it tasted awful so I threw it away. I tried another restaurant - the cheesecake was just ok. I figured if I was going to indulge - it should taste good.

The end result - my birthday came and went without me having a slice of cheescake, and I am still around, much stronger for it.

I think it depends a lot on your environment. I'm a SAHM and eat at home almost all the time. As in, we eat out less than once a month unless you count my occasional trip to Starbucks.

Saving things for the weekend - such as banana bread, fresh dinner rolls, or chicken pot pie - is a delay tactic that works for me. By saving it for the weekend and allowing myself only one indulgence, I don't have it under my nose during the week so it's much easier to stay on plan. And believe me, when I make something, I seriously consider how long it's going to be under my nose and how many slices of, say, pie I will end up eating.

If I was in an office or ate out more often or had to travel for work, I would probably do as you are saying - there would be plenty of temptations and I would have no desire to add to them by scheduling a treat for the weekend. I can only handle so much temptation in my life, and stuff like that would be all I could handle - no need to create any temptation of my own.

Megan, congrats!! I new you were engaged but I didn't realize the wedding was this weekend!! Wow! Have a wonderful wonderful day.

Megan-- congratulations!! How amazingly exciting!!
You only get married once (hopefully!) so absolutely enjoy everything!!!

Are you going anywhere fun or exciting for a honeymoon?