Great answers, everyone! I see people talk about both being "on plan" and "perfectly on plan" periodically on the boards so I was kind of curious exactly what that means for everyone. For me personally, I think I can still be perfectly on plan and still allow for indulgences sometimes - it wouldn't work for me otherwise. I don't ever like feeling like I'm depriving myself!
I also try to view some of my goals (especially exercise goals) in terms of a week, even though the day by day choices definitely make a difference for that week. My goals tend to mirror Heather's pretty closely when it comes to the food requirements.
I am also similar to most people who have responded, that I feel like I'm "on plan" most of the time and strive to be "perfectly on plan" but don't have a lot of days like that. So far it seems to be working for me though.
A perfect day for me is eating less than the calories I'm alloted (because I never go over anyway, and eating below makes me feel like I've accomplished something extra) and going to the gym to do whatever I have planned there for the day. Every day so far for the past 2 weeks has been perfect
I am just trying to maintain right now. On plan for maintaining is eating as much as I want in the fruit and veggie area, sticking to my allotted portions of meat, bread and pasta. I allow myself good quality treats like a bit of good chocolate or a piece of cheesecake that a guy at work occasionally makes and brings to share. Probably most important, it means no eating peanut butter out of the jar, no snacking on cereal out of the box, no eating wierd doughnuts out of a box at work - that kind of thing. I recognize "on plan" when I do it! Part of it is being mindful as Heather mentions. My mind has been on vacation the last few days.
For me, perfectly on plan means eating mindfully...not mindlessly. It means positive choices, stopping when I am full, and no junky nibbling "because its there".
I haven't fully worked exercise in yet, but soon that will join perfectly on plan.
I deliberately am not counting calories, carbs or anything else because that kind of rigidity for me has been counterproductive...I am trying to incorporate a positive way of eating into my life forever!
Ironically, so far it is proving more successful than all my extreme diets...and I am a person who is able to rigidly deprive myself for months, before falling off and gaining it all back.
For me, POP means coming in at or under my calorie limit. I'm on plan if I'm not over the limit by more than 100 calories. Some days I just need a little extra food and I figure an extra 100 calories isn't going to make a difference in the long run. There are other days when my calories come in low.
I also shoot for 100g of protein per day and when I'm maintaining, rather than losing, 25% of my calories from good fats. If I'm on plan, I almost always hit my protein goal without even thinking about it. The good fats goal is a lot harder for me to hit.
Exercise is also easy for me, so I don't really consider it when determining whether I'm POP or not. It's a given that I've done my exercise for the day; I never skip any workouts unless I'm sick or it is otherwise physically impossible for me to workout.
Being POP for me is staying within my Weight Watchers daily points target along with using the weekly point allowance each week, following the 8 Healthy Guidelines and getting in 4 AP/day(or 10,000 steps).
