So, this past month I was stricter than usual with my plan because I stayed at 160 for SO LONG, I really wanted to get those pounds off. I didn't allow myself to stray off plan for more than a few calories for the entire month and I worked my *** off in the gym and you know what I learned?

At the end of the month, while I have no regrets... I'm "starving", figuratively speaking. I feel like I haven't allowed myself to just live -- I've been so concerned with dieting and exercise and trying to get these last pounds off that now I want to eat everything in sight. Usually I let myself have that cookie or I let myself have those one or two "splurgy" meals and don't let it bother me; I pick myself up, get back on plan, and move on. But now that I went so long without having ANY of that? Good lord. I want to go CRAZY for my birthday. I want to go crazy in general... I want to eat my fudge that I got in Charleston in the fridge, and I want to EAT it. I don't want to portion it out and make it last forever and a day, I want to freakin' eat it. I want to eat my moon pie. I want to eat cookies. I want french fries and I want pizza and I want a freakin' cheeseburger. I've NEVER been this ravenous/crazy throughout my entire weight loss and I don't know what's wrong with me!

I was absolutely fine until my trip to Charleston the other day, really. I was watching everyone eat and it was like something just snapped. I'm tired of eating salads all the time and I want to be able to have a french fry every now and then and ya know not eat like I used to of course, but just be able to live and eat like a normal person and not have to pay attention to EVERY SINGLE THING I put in my mouth and I don't want to watch my mom, aunt and grandma eat a plate of delicious fried food and just LONG for it. I don't want to watch my friend eat a butterfinger and cry on the inside because he can have a butterfinger and I can't. And it wasn't even a big butterfinger -- it was a fun size.

So my learning experience? Is to take life like I have been taking it throughout my weight loss. It's okay to indulge every now and then. It's okay to have a french fry and it's okay to have a cookie. I'm not gonna destroy everything I've done by having those things. It's when I let these things become a problem that it's going to destroy me. Normal people don't "deprive" themselves for a whole month and then eat everything in sight. Normal people making normal decisions throughout the entire month and they don't let food bother them. I don't want food to bother me.

So, I'm not being as strict with myself for the next week, and I think I'll be okay. These last 11lbs will come off, but they don't have to come off tomorrow and they don't have to come off in the next week, lol. I'm going out with my friends tonight and I'm not gonna go crazy but I'm going to enjoy myself. I'm going to enjoy my birthday. And then these 11lbs can come off. I think I need it for my sanity, more than anything else.

Tell it sister! I love this whole paragraph, especially the bolded part.

By the way, great new avatar pic. You are so close to goal, next thing you know you'll jump on that scale and be there! Keep up the good work.

i completely agree

You have a lifetime to live and you have to do what's right for you and not live by anyone else's rules. This way of eating and living is for a lifetime. You will eventually lose those last pounds but it'll take time and 11 lbs isn't really anything!

i'm in maintenance and i've just allowed Fridays to be a free for all for me, i eat whatever i want and don't worry about calories and i don't feel guilty about it and then i reign it in all the rest of the week but i also LOVE what i eat during my portion control/clean eating week--salads, greek yogurt brimming with fruit, etc. those are things i love so it doesn't really feel like deprivation, the strict part is portion control but i also don't feel excessively hungry all of the time. i probably am within 5 lbs of goal (actually don't have a goal, just go by how i look and clothes feel) and even with that huge splurge day i continue to very slowly lose. It's just going to have to be this way even if i remain a few pounds above goal..

Good luck!

I think it's great you are realizing this BEFORE you snap and binge eat everything in sight.

I had a similar moment when I was dieting a bit too hard a couple years ago. I thought about lasagne and started CRYING for like 20 minutes. Granted I lived in rural Japan where there was no lasagne to be had, but jeez. A person who didn't feel deprived would not feel that way.

What a great lesson! I think the most successful people learn that lesson!

I'm in the process of learning that very thing and it's very freeing to get rid of that race-to-the-finish-line mentality.

What a great post. I havnt been terribly strict, having the occasional day 250 cals over or a bit more. I kept thinking "if I just tried a little harder I could be losing faster." your post makes me think now that it would just backfire! And who said I have to reach my goal fast? Thanks for sharing!

I would fail and never lose weight if I didn't let myself have treats. I still eat ice cream, chocolate, chips. I still go out to dinner with friends. The trick is to not do it as often and not eat as much. As soon as I realized it was okay and I am not a failure for having a piece of pizza, losing weight become so much easier.

Hugs and happy birthday!

I'm also in maintenance, and while I don't have a "free" day (wouldn't work for me, I'd inhale 5,000 cals), I indulge almost every single day. I may have a spoonful of Nutella, some batter from the cookies I'm preparing, a handful of honey-nut Cheerios. The key, for me, is to compensate for these small excesses by, say, having a small dinner.

Freelance

Thanks for sharing. I am about 10 pounds away too and was contemplating buckling down hard. You reminded me not to push too hard and make my self crazy. It will come off when it comes off.

If you splurge within reason you may experience a weight drop the week after. How many times have I read about that?!

What you've said makes complete sense and it is exactly the approach I take.

To me, nothing is off limits. And I think the key to successful weightloss/maintenance is to give yourself those opportunities to indulge, but ensure it is only in moderation.

That attitude will see you through life and is far more realistic (at least to me) than sticking to an extremely rigid plan for the rest of your years!

Hope you have a fantastic birthday, enjoy

Oh this is trivial but my birthdays not til next weekend lol, I was just spending the evening with some friends. The night actually wasn't awful and I don't think I'll see a major anything from it. I'm glad I've seemed to help a lot of you and I hope we all can get through the next any number of pounds we have to lose without going crazy! This is not a race, it's just changing the way we live so when there actually is a race we might be able to participate in it.

I restrict myself from nothing except places like McDonald's and meals like Fettuchini Alfredo. Luckily soda/sweets/junk don't interest me either so that helps too.

I have 3p till goal so I'm really buckling down but not totally depriving myself.

Great lesson and great advice -- thanks for sharing. My brother-in-law was diagnosed with Type II diabetes and has totally managed it with just diet alone. I watched him the other day dole out potato chips. He took a baggy, counted out 14 chips, put those into the baggy and then munched away mindlessly. When the baggy was empty, he was through. Got me to thinking about portion control and allowing myself the occasional treat. I try to ignore the cravings, but if they last longer than 20 minutes then I allow myself one. The secret seems to be to limit it to a portion that will satisfy the craving without becoming an all out binge!

Love your post, and your perspective......thank you