Okay, so yesterday I was good all day. My friend and I took our kids to the beach and everyone ate hotdogs and chips and drank soda while I ate my pre-packaged mini meals (rations) of 1/2 a sandwhich and cut up veggies. I was driving, so after the beach I was asked to drive through the McDonald's drive-thru and order (for my friend) a large Oreo Cookie McFlurry with extra oreo cookies, and two hot fudge sundae's for the kids. While my friend sat next to me eating her treat (which, by the way I could smell), I made a swing through Wendy's and ordered a fruit cup. A few hours later, while we were sitting in her livingroom, her boyfriend walked through the door with two large pepperoni pizza's and crazy bread. I drank a tall glass of water.

I have been on this lifestyle change for 40 days now, and I can honestly say that during those 40 days I have been tempted (sounds biblical, eh) with each of my most horrible favorite food groups. I have stared Olive Garden in the face...and ordered a salad with light dressing (hold the croutons please). I have taken my little man to Dairy Queen and watched him eat a Peanut Buster Parfait (yep, the kid's got good taste), while I sat there and drank a water out of a blizzard cup. I have made dinners (naughty naughty sinful food ) for my son and my mother that I absolutely love, and not even taken a taste. I have been a diet saint...that is, until 11:30 last night.

Driving home from visiting my grandma I saw it there in the distance...a drive-thru pizza hut. I was hungry, having only consumed 800 calories that day. I was going to pass on by, when my son (who was wide awake, having taken a long nap at my grandma's house) piped up "Ohhh...I want breadsticks!). That was all it took, I swung into the driveway like I was runnin' from the law. While I awaited my food I contemplated..."do I really want to do this"? The clear and resounding answer was yes. I ordered a personal pan pepperoni pizza an order of breadsticks and a diet pepsi. After handing a breadstick back to Jobe I decided that this was a not binge, or a cheat, but an informed decision. On the drive home I ate 1/2 of the pizza, and 1 breadstick with marinara sauce. I felt in control. In the past I had always considered pizza to be a diet no-no (except on Atkin's, where a regular staple of mine was eating all the cheese and pepperoni off of an entire large pizza). My little Pizza Hut excursion last night came to 600 calories, leaving me with an end of day caloric intake of 1400 calories. So I guess I stayed within goal (my maximum allowable intake being 1500 calories, a number I have only hit a few times since I began).

My question is...was this bad. I don't feel guilty like I used to on previous "diets"...should I? Was this a failure?

Amanda

I think it's fine Amanda...I mean, you don't want to make getting your daily calories from junk food a habit, but if you don't let yourself have a little treat every once in a while you'll go nuts!! It's great that you had the will-power to stop with only 1/2 the pizza and 1 breadstick...many would have kept going!! Don't beat yourself up about it or anything...you didn't go over calories, and today is a new day!

I'd call that a decided victory given the other "get thee behind me" moments

Wow, like my boyfriend would say: "You're being SOOOOOOOO good!!!!" Congratulations! Can't believe how many temptations you avoided!

No, I don't think you were bad because of having the pizza. I honestly believe that dieting is more about portion control and moderation than about swearing off "bad" foods. No food is bad, really - there is always something good about it for someone, be it just the taste - otherwise it wouldn't be out there.

I think you've been doing awesome. And I totally understand what you said about feeling in control. I get the same feeling when I'm sitting next to my boyfriend who's stuffing himself with cookies and I'm not having any. In the past, I would have had several just because he was having them. Now I always ask myself: do I, Sushi, want a cookie? If one day I decide that yes, I do want a cookie, then I will ask myself how many I want, and then I'll have that many and not more. It's a decision. As long as you decide that yes, you do want something (not just "feel like having it") and have a moderate amount, it's a decision.

For many people it's easier to swear off certain foods altogether than to limit the portions, and I understand that. Sometimes the temptation or the pressure from family/friends/etc. is just too great, and if the person knows that they won't be able to have just one donut and no more, for example, then it's better not to have any. But I think that in the long term it's better to practice and learn about moderation.
What I think is extremely important is how we feel about swearing off some foods. If there is a feeling of deprivation, then the person is in trouble - sooner or later they'll eat the food, and likely binge on it. If the person feels in control and choses not to eat the food when faced with the opportunity to do so, then no problem.

So I think it's awesome that you didn't have any of the stuff you mention. Just watch whether you're feeling deprived or not. If you are, it's better to have some (a reasonable portion and not more!) and enjoy it to the fullest. There is nothing wrong with an occassional treat, as long as it stays occassional and the amount eaten is reasonable. Even if it means exceeding the recommended daily calorie intake, it's ok - once in a while. If you can plan ahead and make sure you treat yourself and still stay within the calories, why not go for it?

Don't feel bad! Everybody deserves some pizza from time to time!

I'm with Julia, I'd call it a victory! First of all, you didn't go over calories for the day. Second of all, you didn't overeat (half of a personal pizza is by no means overeating!). You looked temptation in the eye and beat it over the head with a moderation stick.

I can tell you this -- if it had been me, I would have had a hotdog and a handful of chips, an ice cream sundae, a slice of pizza, and piece of crazy bread, but I probably would have skipped the pizza drive-thru the next day. Overall which one of us would have eaten more calories? You're doing great!

Congrats! I think you did great. Look at all those victories throughout the day -- you passed up SO many temptations. You were strong. Then, to only eat a reasonable portion of the pizza and breadsticks was just awesome. I know it's not something I could have done. Fabulous job!

Thanks gals...you made me feel a bunch better! It seems like every day I'm having to pass up huge amounts of temptations. Everyone around me, both fat and thin, eats things that I love. As much as I would love to use the "moderation" technique in the face of Olive Garden (I get dragged there once a week) I just don't know how I could manage. I am a sucker for their chicken fettucini alfredo...I would jump through flaming hoops for it. Unfortunately the nutritional information for it is unavailable, so for all I know 5 bites could equate to 900 calories. Do any of you run into that problem? You are presented with the option of either eating a food and guessing its calorie content (and possibly being wayyyy off), or completely depriving yourself and eating rabbit food while everyone else eats your FAVORITE dish in front of you? It is torture! Any similar experiences? Any fellow Olive Garden cravers on here?

Amanda

OLIVE GARDEN IS MY FAVORITE!!!!!!! I love there salads with XTRA dressing, and the lagsna <sp> yummmm.... any itl. food!! They have a JOHNNY CARINOS out here thats cheaper better more for your $ fresturant... YUMMMMMM!!! Im with ya amandaholly!!

LOL, I am a huge Olive Garden fan too! I limit myself to going there infrequently though, but when I go, oh man. Breadsticks, minestrone soup (my fave!), chicken scampi, and dessert (tiramisu!). And a glass of wine. I used to be able to eat about four breadsticks, a whole bowl of soup, the entire plate of chicken scampi, and my half of a split dessert, no problem. Nowadays I eat one breadstick, I get salad instead of soup and eat one small plate full, and I eat less than half the entree. I still eat the whole dessert though!

If I have a choice between a food I love or rabbit food I don't really want, I will eat the food I love, no question. The only reason I manage to lose weight is by making sure foods I love aren't available to tempt me very often! I guess that's one good thing about not having many friends in the area -- no temptations! I also skip out on social events at work if there is going to be a food I know I can't resist -- I know if I am in the same room as a chocolate cake, I will eat it, so I just have to make sure I don't go into that room!

Paperclippy - Yeah, I hear you. My problem isn't so much with my friends (whom I only see about once every other month), it's mostly with my dad. We get together every Saturday night to go out for dinner and a movie. It's our tradition, and changing it would only make him feel bad. He's 61 years old and works long hard contruction hours. By the time Saterday rolls around he's ready for a big meal out and a good movie. It's not so hard for me to order "light" when we're out together, but I think it makes him self-conscious. He always makes some self degrading remark when he places his order after me, like "not that I need it, I could live on stored fat for a year". He used to make this remark in reference to me after I ordered (where's a good paper bag when you need one?), but now he's turned it around on himself. He's a big guy, 6 foot tall, 275 lbs...a lot of which is solid muscle (a gene he passed to me, it doesn't take much for me to gain muscle). He wants to lose weight, but wants to be told exactly what to do. When I told him to eat six small meals a day he scoffed and told me that was impossible. I can see how that could be, he leads a whole crew and can't stop every 2 hours to eat, especially since he's frequently under ground in a sewer). I wish I could come up with a plan that would work for him. The problem is that he has a hard time sticking with something, especially if it causes any type of discomfort, mental or physical. Any suggestions would be great...at this point he is slowly killing himself with food, and I've run out of ideas!

Amanda

Hi Amanda, any way the two of you could get together through the week and go to the gym together or simply walk together through the week? It would be extra exercise and added days to spend with him..My mom lives in Florida but when she lived here in Missouri with me we took nighly hour and a half walks. The walking gives you time to talk and just to be together. I know my mom told me that it meant alot to her when we walked. So it wouldn't be hard mentaly on him and walking is low impact so no pain there.

Have a great day

Sharon - I wish I could get him to do that, but he says that walking is not an option...it hurts his back and knees. Men are such babies! Really, I think he just over-exerts hiself at work (12 hours a day 5 days a week + 7 hours every Sat.). He does a lot of heavy lifting and hard manual labor. Really, I think he gets enough exercise from work alone, he just needs to cut down on the calories (he eats about 5,000 to 7,000 a day). I am so frustrated!

Amanda

I would consider that a BIG victory - good for you!

Thank you jenicra. The struggle is daily (as it is for all of us). I just noticed that you are already almost at your mini-goal. Congratulatiions!!! I was down yet another lb this morning (yep, I weigh every morning) which surprised me since tomorrow begins my TOM. Also, I haven't exercised since Sunday, so I am definately jazzed! I might actually acheive goal #1 a few days early...yipeeee!

Amanda