Question for all of you lovelies out there. Tomorrow is DH and my 18th anniversary. When I originally cut junk out of my life a month ago I had planned to have 4 days a year I could indulge. My anniversary, birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas. My indulgence would be a dish of ice cream, because that's the only junk that actually tastes as good as I think it will.

I do not plan to slowly work sugar back into my diet so that I can have a treat here and there, like weekly, or something, because I know that is much too slippery a slope for me to tread. I plan to remain junk free, even after goal.

But what I'm wondering is, should I even allow myself those 4 dishes of ice cream a year? I know that question probably seems a little extreme to some of you, but really-- I can't handle the sugar And I do not feel deprived (usually). It's much better for me this way, trust me.

It's a sticky question for me. Will that bit of ice cream roust my cravings? I do eat Activia a few times a week which has sugar in it, so I think a lot of my problem is psychological. Of course there's no way you can tell me how eating sugar is going to effect me, but I trust the experiences you've had. I don't have to have it, I'm willing not to have it, but it would be nice to have.

So, a dish of ice cream on my 18th anniversary, or not?

Will the ice cream do what you think it's going to do? Will it make your 18th anniversary better? Or will it just make you anxious wondering if it's going to throw you off track.

I bet you can think of way better ways to celebrate those 4 days than with ice cream.

I think I would go for a non-food related indulgence to celebrate. and that wasn't meant as a nudgenudegewinkwink but hey, that would work too....

Hi there!

Take it one feast day at a time. If you don't want to deal with the issues that sugar brings up for you, then it might be best to skip the ice cream. Are there any other types of "treats" that would be more manageable for you but would leave you feeling happy? Maybe a non-food treat? And that wouldn't bring up these issues for you?

In my personal experience, if I identify a food that I just can't have regularly any more, I DO plan them in for specific events like you have. And on the day of the event, I decide if it is worth it to me or not to have them. And if I DO have them, I can quell any cravings post-treat by just knowing that I can have these items again on another feast day. This works for me, and my cravings aren't overwhelmingly triggered. I guess I just don't have the same issues with my foods of choice that you do with sugar so my experience is just that -- simply my experience.

I don't know if ice cream will trigger your cravings uncontrollably, but I think that deep down, you really DO know the answer if you can handle this or not. And if you feel you can, I wouldn't feel guilty about indulging. IF you feel you can't, you just won't!

Happy Anniversary!!!


Kira

thinpossible, when I started in June '08 I didn't allow myself anything until my birthday in October....cakes are MY THING...each year my hubby has a stellar, custom one done @ a local bakery but designs it himself...the cake was here as usual in it's beautiful buttercream presentation...I indulged for the first time after being on plan for 4 months plus and about -35 pounds down...I enjoyed my one slice and the rest of the cake went to a neighbors THAT NIGHT...

I guess there is no right or wrong answer..if it means that much to you, have the bowl of ice cream...I would not bring any more home though..if on the other hand, you feel @ this point into the game it could possibly cause you problems, then I would say forego it---there are some super fabulous yummies you could have that would still be on plan!

Happy Anniversary..today is mine--16 years today...we are having salmon and quinoa and berries for dessert tonight.

I think that whatever decision you make, you should proceed without the guilt or longing. If you decide that you just can't get the ice cream, then be proud of that choice and feel really good about it and don't feel deprived. If you decide to have the ice cream, then enjoy every bit of it and don't feel bad... but also have a talk with yourself that this is a ONE time thing and you won't have any more.

Happy Anniversary!

I can't tell you what to do, I can only tell you what I would do. I would just say no thanks. For me, it wouldn't taste good enough to make me happy I'd taken a brief yet potentially dangerous hiatus from losing weight. I would stay on plan and give myself a non-food treat instead, like 24 long-stemmed pink roses, or a manicure. I'm severely addicted to sugar so I will never, ever, EVER have any again. To me it's like an alcoholic who's been through AA. Not one sip, not one bite. But almost no one's case is as extreme as mine.

Call me crazy but aren't anniversaries all about love for your spouse? Not for the love of food, but the love of your husband/marriage. I think you should splurge...on a sexy new something and make mad passionate love to your hubby for your 18 years of marital bliss. I guarantee he will enjoy that WAY more than listening to you agonize over a silly bowl of ice cream.

PS: Happy anniversary! 18 years is a wonderful accomplishment!

I vote for skipping this temptation! I agree with the other posters who have suggested a non-food related treat.

If you do decide to have the ice cream, maybe go out for it with your husband and have only one scoop.

First off -- congrats on the anniversary!

As for splurging, it is a slippery slope. I've recently started slipping after it seemed my body could absorb more calories so the cheats weren't dramatically registering. But I don't think I would be slipping as much had I never given myself permission to do so in the first place. And by last night, it was a full out binge.

If you are seriously craving the ice cream, go for it -- but know you may have to battle that sugar craving again the next day, the same way you did a month ago.

If you're really doing fine and could live without it, it might be best. This IS psychological. It rarely tastes as good as we remember, but I know you know that.

Either way, I agree, don't beat yourself up. Just enjoy your decision whatever it is -- and have a great night!

hmmm a bowl of ice cream doesn't seem worth the stress you're putting on yourself, and you might not actually even feel like it on that particular day right? I say buy some new SHOES or a NECKLACE or something fun like that or sugar-free ice cream?? is that too much of a let-down?? The Chapman sugar free stuff (it's here in canada do you guys have it???) and sugar free frozen yogurt is scrumptious

For this reason, I vote no. Just my vote ... I think many healthy weightlosers are fine to work in, say, weekly ice-cream. But your planned relationship with sugar does not seem to lend itself to special occasional ice cream.

I don't know how you feel about this, but of course now most ice-cream shops offer sugar-free flavors. I don't know much about it, not being a big ice-cream person myself.

I hope you don't mind my two cents. First--Happy Anniversary! That's an incredibly long time to stay married in this day and age--kudos to you and your hubby for making it work!

Second: I used to be a smoker. Would you advise me to have a smoke if I thought I wanted one as an extra way to celebrate?

Personally, if I were in your shoes, I'd think it was too soon to risk it. I'd be afraid to activate the trigger switch so soon.

When in doubt, do without.

There's a good chance that it might take all these past weeks work and throw it out the window and you'd have to start over again from square one. Look how far you've come. Is it really worth it? You made a decision. I personally think you're waaaaay to early in the game to start adding in sugar-y foods.

Rethink what a treat is. The year I was losing, my kids made me a spectacular fruit platter, even carved out Happy Birthday in fresh pineapple and put candles in it and sang happy birthday to me. It was beautiful and thoughtful and I LOVED it. To tell you the truth, all they needed to do was sing to me. That would have been more then enough. Because it's not only about food anymore. Rethink what a treat is.

Now this is an anniversary we're talking about here. So I'll repeat. Rethink what a treat is.

Happy Anniversary.

Thanks for all your input. I would like a bowl of ice cream, but I want to keep on track more. If there is a chance of de-railing myself it's definintely not worth it. We'll see how I feel at Thanksgiving

Happy Anniversary! on your many years together.