I am almost too ashamed to even type it .....Mexican Restaurant...again. Those fried chips that they put on the table are just too appealing. I try to resist, but I can't

I've done so well the last 2 weeks- havent cheated once - until last night, I was helping my daughter make a treat to take to school, graham crackers and icing and I just couldn't help myself ! I ate two WHOLE graham crackers and a HUGE spoonful of icing :P ugh then i felt cruddy... tomorrows a better day though right?

Well, I've just come off a couple of bad days. I wouldn't say the "b" word (though some people may have different standards than mine), but definitely overeating - munching on way too may sweets, namely chocolate. I won't bore you all with the details, but I thought if I 'fessed up here and got my butt compassionately kicked, it might help me to get back on track (though my birthday is this week - could be difficult). I've worked out today and made healthy choices, so hopefully I can just continue moving forward from here. Will not weigh in until Monday, just to spare myself the self-torture.

My eating has been just fine. Within calorie limits all weekend and so far this week. But, I've been sipping too much wine.

Ha, ha. I am laughing (I hope I'm not offending you)! That's seriously my nightly snack, except make the milk 2% (I don't use skim because...well, it's a long complicated story that's not worth telling) and add in a handfull of chocolate cat cookies from TJ's!

But seriously, everyone is different. I'm fine with the pudding, but I've learned the hard way that I can't have trail mix, mini-chocolate peanut butter cups, or various other snacks. I thought I could eat them in moderation but turns out I couldn't. If the pudding is triggering you to eat more, than skip it. But it would be good to find a small treat that you can eat in moderation; I've read article after article that says that having the occasional treat and not depriving yourself all the time is key to long-term success.

As for the coffee, I just read an article in the March 2007 Cooking Light that caffeine and coffee are not as bad for you as has been touted in the past. According to the article, coffee may even protect against heart disease and Type 2 diabetes and is not a diurectic (it just makes people pee more because they drink a lot of it). I normally drink about one cup a day, but when I'm at a business or social event where there is a lot of tempting food, I drink a lot to prevent myself from eating. I figure 3 or 4 cups of coffee beats a brownie any day.

Well, I have to confess that broke down and had a slice of "friendship bread" tonight. It is this evil concoction involving massive amounts of oil, sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla pudding (no, not the fat free, sugar free kind and I swear I think it might be some sort of special extral large packet), and cinnamon. My step mom makes it and gives it to all of her friends (practically all of whom are overweight...hmmm, could it be a coincidence? ). She tried to send me home with two loves and I managed to get away with only one and avoided eating that one until now. But I was out of my trusty low cal pudding and every time I opened the fridge, I could hear it calling out in that sugary seductive voice... I swear, this friendship bread is no friend of mine!

Oh well, back onto plan tomorrow. Hopefully my SO will eat the rest of the loaf before I have another breakdown (got to get some more pudding).

I love coffee, and have fallen into the habit of drinking more than I used to, as a substitute for snacking. Which would be OK, except I drink it with cream and sugar. Should cut down, but I figure I'll concentrate on getting the food right for now, and slay the coffee dragon a bit later.

So.... I don't believe in "confessions" because I no longer believe in "good foods" , "bad foods" or being punitive with myself. That's a HUGE paradigm shift from 100 pounds ago.

Now, I try to make good choices. That includes dessert - but really only if it's chocolate. It just isn't worth it to me calorie wise otherwise. I'm not a salt person at all, so chips and stuff like that doesn't tempt me.

I split a peice of chocolate cake at a restaurant last night. The night before I split a dessert with two other people at girls night out, and I had two martinis.

I don't see these things as bad, or as sabotaging anymore. I simply see desserts as part of my 90% healthy eating lifestyle, and plan for them with the rest of my meals and exercise accordingly. It's all about portions for me, and making sure that I'm eating it because I want to be eating it, I've thought about it, and it fits into my plan and not to fill some sort of emotional need that can be met elsewhere.

It's a much healthier emotional attitude all the way around for me, and I've been successful at it!

I also try to balance calories weekly as opposed to daily. So; I may have a day where I do two protein shakes and then fish and roasted veggies for dinner, and then one day where I'm eating out and have dessert. I've found that it equals out in the end.

Now that I'm happy with how I look, a nd am told all the time how pretty I am (YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!) I'm not in any big hurry to register a certain number of pounds lost in a week/month.

I'm committed to continue eating this way for the rest of my life (what a concept - Gosh did that take me a long time to internalize) Since my body is still losing weight with how I'm eating, I'm going to continue doing what I'm doing. Wherever my body chooses to stop losing - here - in five pounds - in ten/twenty that's what I'll maintain.

I'm always so proud of myself when I make good decisions!

So this is an antisocial confession: I still can't believe I chose to do this:

Last night we were at an event, and there was this huge buffet, and I asked if I could order off the menu (read: a quantity of food that does, indeed run out!!!) and they said no. Well; screw them. So my best friend, boyfriend and I left the group and got a table instead. Then, I was able to have a salad, have some protein in the form of tilapia (way better than the fettucine alfredo that was being offered) and have the dessert that I wanted. The truth is, I would have eaten that stuff on the buffet had I been a part of it - I honestly can't control the food once it's there. So I've found the key for m e is in controlling my enviornment.

Be kind to yourselves!! Two cookies does not destroy your progress. Each decision you make either moves you forward, keeps you in the same place, or reverses your progress. Strive to have most of your decisions move you forward!


Hard and fast rule: I don't bring any negative food choices into my home. For anyone. At anytime. Regardless of who makes it or sends it. I trash everything before it even makes it through the front door if people insist on sending me home with it. That also means I never bring home doggie bags from anyplace either.

Actually I think that rule helps keep me on track more than anything else =)

Yuppiegirl~you made a good decision. One that was right for you. Your confession could have been that you overindulged in the buffet! WTG!

I think a lot of us view this confession area as a place to unload. Like we plan and plan and plan and suddenly we're thrown for a loop and our plans go down the drain. Then we have to confess. As for chocolate, it is often part of my daily plan, too! (I think a lot of us plan in certain treats so we don't feel deprived.)

Believe me when I tell you th at that buffet at that particular italian restaurant should have had strobe lights in orange on it with a man in front of the line holding a "DANGER PROCEED WITH CAUTION" sign.

Shouldn't all buffets be labeled as such?

I'm with you. I figure that from a health standpoint, coffee beats a brownie any day.

There was an article in Cooking Light this month (March 2007) that said that caffeine and coffee are not as bad for you as we've all been led to believe. According to the article, caffeine is not dehydrating or a diurectic. Coffee just makes people have to pee more because they drink a lot of it. Caffeine may even help prevent Parkinson Disease in addition the benefits we're all already aware of (i.e., makes people more alert and in a better mood, controls headaches, increases brainpower, and improves athletic performance). In studies, people consuming caffeine scored better on tests and responded better to persuasive arguments. Coffee, whether caffeinated or regular, may protect against heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Coffee is a rich source of chlorogenic acid, an antioxident believed to lower blood sugar by modulating the release of glucose form the liver.

So I plan on continuing to drink my coffee and I think I may have this article laminated for future reference.