- 2012: This last birthday was just like any other day.
- 2011: I was visiting my husband and we went out for sushi, but I still limited that meal to 'clean' things (no saucy rolls - miso soup, veggies, sashimi, all counted and accounted for).
- 2010 I was on a business trip and also treated it just like any other day; no special meal or anything because there was nobody to share it with!
- 2009 I was in survival training so I literally ate nothing
- 2008 I was deployed

So... 2007 was the last time I really celebrated my birthday! LOL some friends of mine and I went to a club, had lots of drinks, and I met a jerk I started dating who ended up being a liar and a cheat. Hmmm...

I guess I don't put a lot of emphasis on my birthday!

I went to a seafood buffet for my birthday. I ate so freaking much. It was AWESOME

I've been thinking about this because my birthday is in a few weeks. My mind was naturally gravitating towards food indulgence but then a friend posted a pic on pinterest with the caption, "Don't reward yourself with food. You are not a dog." So, I've been trying to think of alternatives, like seeing a movie or play, or going to the art museum, or having a shopping day. Maybe I should ask some skinny friends how they celebrate special days!

I like to celebrate my birthday with friends, a few beers or wine and some food, nothing particularly overindulging. I like to throw a party for lunch at home with a couple of salads, some omelettes, pizzas, savoury snacks, fruit trays and cake and let the party continue into the evening. And if the weather is fine even better than at home we go to some place in the countryside or the beach and do our picnic there. Nothing too big or fancy but I prefer having my friends at places where we can actually talk, not like bars or pubs with loud music and we can spend the day without spending a large amount of money in just drinks at the bar.

My birthday is New Year's Day. With all the Christmas celebrations the week before I didn't want to do much. I had a lovely dinner of salmon and treated myself to a small bowl of frozen yogurt that night but still wound up in my normal calorie range. I think if my birthday were further away from the holidays I might treat it more "special" and maybe go out to a restaurant with friends. Mmm, mongolian grill would be my pick right now.

I'm sorry, but I HATE that saying. Food has always been an integral part of EVERY culture since the dawn of mankind. It nourishes you, yes, but the idea that seeing food as anything other than fuel has somehow become taboo as of late.

Eating is a sensory experience. Eating with friends, family and new acquaintances can be a bonding experience. Food can be adventurous, comforting, relaxing, exhilerating and yes, REWARDING.

People who equate treating yourself with a nice meal (free of guilt) to being a simple animal are self-richeous jerks and probably miserable. If you want to treat yourself on your birthday with food, DO IT! After all, you're celebrating LIFE and food is an integral and extremely pleasurable part of it. Celebrate that you lived another year, that your body is still running strong, and that you even have the ability to eat or to afford a nice meal.

Sorry for the rant, but holy crap... I HATE that.

THANK YOU!!! Food is pleasure. Watch a baby nurse and see the bliss on their face, their eyes rolling back in their head. The get scared or hurt? They want to nurse. It's a natural response - food equals comfort.

And you are right, every tradition/culture has food as part of it's root of celebrations it is IMPORTANT.

Which is why December/early January is HARD for me. There is my birthday, Christmas, New year's eve, my husband's birthday and Orthodox Christmas all in that month and that's not counting any parties which of course, there are.

Now... I do try to find other things to do besides just eat. For our important Valentine's Day anniverary, we want to go to a blue's concert/club as that's where we went on that date too. Food doesn't need to be part of that celebrate - doing something together needs to be the focus.

But Christmas without the food? And such? It IS part of life. I agree.

I'm sorry my post offended. It is simply a truism for me because I currently have a tendency to be obsessive in my food thinking: "If I stay on plan and lose X numbers of pounds by [insert holiday], I can reward myself with ____" (and I spend months daydreaming about what foods I will use to fill in the blank). That is NOT healthy thinking/behavior.

(Apologies to the OP for thread hijacking.)

For me there is a big difference between celebration and reward. I enjoy celebrations that include food, and agree it's an integral part of human culture and a way that people bond and celebrate life.

However, I do not like to associate food with a reward. So if I am hungry, I get to eat, I do not need to "earn" the right to eat food, whether it's on plan food or not. And I work very hard to not punish or reward my kid with food. I want it to be something he enjoys, but so far, he's got a great natural relationship with food and eating and I am doing my hardest to not screw that up!

And to bring this back on topic, birthdays are certainly worthy of celebration, including with food for those who choose.

I think a great meal with my loved ones followed by some cake will be part of my birthday celebration (next month). I will eat it, enjoy it and the get back OP the next day. Should be at goal by then, anyway. Plan on maintaining.

I think it is a 'your mileage may vary' on food as pleasure and reward. I know that for me, mentally breaking much of that linkage has been crucial to my success, and while I enjoy good tasting food I had to learn to celebrate WITHOUT it. Before I managed that divide, it was a constant struggle.

Happy Birthday!!!

Food wise I would go get fondue at The Melting Pot (don't know if you have one of those there). I would get a cheese fondue and bananas foster and would have a glass of good dark beer to accompany the cheese and a nice sweet white wine to go with the dessert.

I count calories and it's hard to count calories in something like fondue as you can't really measure it when it's shared, so it would be a big treat for me.

I hope you enjoy your birthday!

I don't think I could enjoy giving myself a "free" meal for my birthday. I'm not there mentally yet and don't want the guilt of going off plan just for the day. I don't trust myself to get back on plan the next day and staying 100%.

I keep trying to plan a day that I might eat something not on my plan just to see what it does to the scale but I'm a chicken!

I'm trying to think of fun things I want to do for activities for the day (going to the zoo and taking pics of the baby animals, going to a flower show and taking pics of gorgeous flowers, going to a museum and learning something new) and not have it revolve around food and drink, for the first time ever in my life! I know you are much younger than me so you are in a different place activity-wise but I just said those as examples.

It was my birthday recently and i made myself go off plan for the day, thinking it would make me happy. Boy was i wrong

It made me nervous, anxious and unhappy. The next week i gained 2lbs and felt even worse. I think a massive part as to why i was unhappy was that i was in a new job in a new city with people who didn't know me. It a good experience for me, because i have learned that i feel happy when i eat healthy naturally and unhappy if i force myself to eat unhealthy.

I think at the end of the day, do whatever makes you feel most happy. Peronsally i would go with a slice of cake and then some moderate food allowance with someone you love. Enjoy every moment of it, it won't kill you. I hope you have a wonderful day whatever you do.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY