I'm considering treating myself to some mail-order gourmet foods that won't get me off-track. This is very special stuff, not every-day....I want to feel like I can pamper myself with food that *isn't* chocolate or candy or fried stuff.

I'm especially tempted by Zingerman's Parmigiano Reggiano and aged balsamic vinegar and Askinosie cocoa nibs. The cheese would be perfect lightly sprinkled into soups and salads, and the vinegar would be amazing on veggies. The cocoa nibs are of course high-fat, but they're pretty bitter so I could easily control myself and just have a few at a time to nibble on. All three of these foods keep really well, so I can really pace myself with them.

What do you guys think of treating yourself with gourmet food while sticking to your diet?

I'm all for it. I incorporate gourmet food into my eating plan on a regular basis as it's the type of food I enjoy the most -- far more than junk or comfort food. The less deprivation you can get away with (without going off track), the better, I say. If it turns out that the food derails you (which I doubt will happen), you have useful information for the future.

F.

I think it's a very slippery slope for a lot of people. I buy delicious, splurge-y things and make them part of my plan. I make a point to not make food related in any way to a reward situation. Growing up, good grades and special accomplishments were always celebrated with food... Dairy Queen, special dinner, etc. I think that created an association for me between food and feeling good about myself.

I guess my point is - I would buy the gourmet food occasionally, but not as a "reward". It may be semantics to some.

Fantastic!!!

How many times in our former lives did we 'reward' ourselves with total garbage??? I still do it sometimes and feel awful afterwards.

This is real nourishing quality food!!! If you're going to splurge on food, this is the kind to do it with!!

In Moderation, of course!

I love rewards. I think you have the right attitude. This isn't a typical "food reward" so it's good. One of the trainers at my gym always has dark chocolate pieces (like Dove or some other small individual candies) that she offers after classes. She knew I was not eating candy until I lost 50 pounds. I don't know who was more excited the day I took her up on the offer. Rewards work. I don't go nuts on candy now - I just eat a piece once in a while.

I kept telling myself I'd splurge on something big when I lost all the weight I wanted to lose. My fantasy was to buy myself 1 carat diamond earrings (my original thought was 100 points for 100 pounds.) The cost is too much for something so frivolous. I was with my cousin who kept telling me to just buy them if I wanted them. Then it hit me that keeping the weight off would be the better accomplishment to reward, so I said I'd think about it if I kept the weight off for a year. Then we went into a huge yarn store and I spent almost $100 on a fantastic set of knitting needles that I wanted, but certainly didn't need. That's my reward and I'll remember every time I use them. It's good to be reminded. We deserve to feel like we've done something worth rewarding.

Lin

I used to feel guilty for liking food, and I thought weight loss was mostly about limiting and eliminating the food you really wanted to be eating, and substituting it with mostly boring, not-that-tasty food. I grew up believing that if it was interesting and tasted good, I probably couldn't have it.

I knew healthy food could taste good, because I liked a lot of healthy food (truth is, there isn't a whole lot of food I don't like), but I thought there was something sort of wrong about focusing on enjoyment when trying to lose weight. You were supposed to suffer, and if you weren't suffering, you weren't doing it right.

Problem was, I didn't like suffering, and couldn't force myself to do it for very long. Luckily, I found a way to lose weight without suffering at all. I think of the healthy changes I've made as ways to bring the "health spa" to me.

I was thinking of doing the same with some grass-fed steaks. It seems like a smart indulgence to me.

I am trying to change my way of thinking about food. That it is about nourishment - not a reward or a treat.

That being said if the food is about an experience or a joint event with family/friends this is different. I enjoyed every moment of my office Christmas part (we blended wine and then had a gournet lunch) - but the treat was the experience not the food/drink.

I think that gournet food is an experience on its own - but it might be nice if paired with learning how to make gourmet food or sharing it with a loved one.

I'm also considering getting a lovely spice blend from Penzeys. It's a bit pricey but AMAZINGLY good (and not something I could mix at home), salt-free, and turns even microwaved mixed veggies (a common snack for me) into a real experiance.

I think any non-caloric gourmet treat that can't really be binged on and makes a diet/eating plan more enjoyable is probably worth the money.

I do like keeping a few foods as "treats" as long as I can control myself around them. Right now my main "treat" is pistachios (a treat because they're expensive!). I have at *most* 10 nuts per day (when I'm a little hungry and need some protein) and they help keep me from feeling deprived.

Before I changed my diet, my "treats" were very unhealthy and caloric. I love the fact that a treat can be delicious, healthy AND enjoyed in moderation!

Since the amount of food I eat is limited, I want it to taste amazing, so you betchya I think it's great to reward yourself with things to make your meals/diet taste the best it can.

I'm a gourmet cook and I cannot imagine thinking of food as just for nourishment. It's not. It's part of culture and always has been. Our lives revolve around food and I'm OK with that. I'll just make it as yummy and as healthy as it can be and call it good! Because food CAN be delicious and healthy. I amaze people all the time with my healthy delectibles. They can't believe "healthy' foods can taste so good!

I'm in full agreement with Melissa - every food (in the sense of In Defense of Food food) has the opportunity to be wonderful, and spices go a long way toward making very healthy foods also exceptional. That's true pleasure in eating! When it can be good for you, body AND soul, life is good! I have a tiny bottle of 80-year old balsamic vinegar, and let me tell you, that stuff is the elixir of the gods - a few drops on a bowl of fresh berries ...

I love the idea!

I'm on WW and I usually allow myself to use some of my extra weekly points every once in awhile on something I really want. I think it's a great idea as long as you're not doing it often. I know it becomes a problem for some, but if you've got the willpower, go for it. I'm treating myself to chocolate wine on Valentines Day.

I did this recently with PB2, although I'm not sure about referring to it as a "reward." It's expensive, but holy crap is this stuff good. Totally worth every penny!

I love peanut butter but when I looked at the calories I was completely turned off from eating it again (and I used to take two spoonfuls of it when I was bored...ack!). In fact until last week I hadn't touched it since May! I made a shake and could only bring myself to put in one tablespoon of peanut butter. Hardly any peanut butter taste (I like my shakes to pretty much be peanut butter with a hint of something else, lol!).

So I ordered the PB2. I was excited when it came and I can make myself some shakes and have peanut butter. My shakes taste just the way I like them...good and peanutbuttery

Great idea. I haven't done it recently, but your idea is making me think about some See's candies or edible arrangements. I don't get tempted to overindulge/binge on sweets (my sons halloween candy is still laying around LOL) but if I have some, I want it to be GOOD.

I've recently discovered flavored balsamic vinegars and EVOO. I don't think of good ingredients as treats - just wonderful flavorful ingredients to make healthy eating tastier. I buy somewhat expensive spice blends, too.

I do have some delicious, expensive chocolate that I love. I'm trying not to use that as a reward either. I try to only eat a piece if I really want it, and I make myself think it over before I take it out of the box. Then I eat it slowly and take the time to savor it. I used to eat a piece almost every night without really thinking about it; now I have 1 piece every couple weeks or so. While thinking about it makes me want some, I've been up since 4:30am which necessitated an extra snack today, so I think I'll pass tonight. Maybe tomorrow.