I'm one of those people who eats when happy, sad, angry, frustrated, bored, you name it. I've been doing a lot of internal/mental work and have analyzed the heck out of overeating days and looked at my charts and graphs about the impact those calories eaten set me back on my weight loss.

I've dealt with some bad news recently and managed to stay very close to maintenance calories, but really wanted to work on continuing to lose weight despite my emotional disposition. We received some great news today, the kind that makes you want to stop strangers on the street and share it. In response, I am calling family and friends to share.

What I am not doing is overeating or eating unhealthy stuff. There will be toasting with one glass of wine at dinner. There will be no high calorie meal to celebrate. I will stay with my planned meals. I will keep the purity of this happy moment without tarnishing it with guilt over what I ate today. So far, so good.

I am posting my intensions and will follow through.

How do you usually celebrate (non-food and drink). My family has always "gone out to dinner" or baked a cake or done something food or alcohol related to celebrate things.

Congratulations, that's a HUGE victory.

I usually do celebrate with food and drink still, just not nearly as often, and it makes it much more enjoyable. And, like you, I used to eat when sad or mad or bored or frustrated, and that I've curbed almost completely.

To celebrate weight loss related things, I usually treat myself to beauty type things; make up, nail polish, lotions, body sprays, clothes, hair things, shoes, stuff like that.

Sounds like you are doing the mental work, on top of the physical work, in regards to your weight loss. That's a HUGE part of it. Great work!

That's fantastic! Completely amazing! I know I often have issues with celebrating through food. That's a bugger, isn't it? "So and so is out of the hospital! Let's go get food!" "It's so and so's birthday! Let's celebrate with food!" "Merry Christmas! Let's eat ALL THE FOOD!!!" So go you for sharing the news and enjoying the happiness without the food. Why submit to cultural conditioning? Haha.

I am well-versed in the food celebration and also in any excuse to celebrate with food. Lately, though, I've been treating myself to something non-food, like an hour or two in my sewing room, which is a rare treat indeed, or if I have a little money, I might get online and order myself a new piece of clothing or shoes. I think I will eventually have to find some cheaper ways to pat myself on the back, but it is kind of fun to buy those things when you're losing.

I don't know yet about celebrations that include other people. On my little guy's b'day in february, I told myself that it is HIS b'day and I don't need any cake, I'm just there to make sure he has a good time. I think it may have been the first time I made it through an event like that without indulging! Even though I have been dieting on an off for as long as I can remember, I usually tell myself its a special event and/or I deserve it. D'oh!

I too have taken the time during losing weight to work on having my head in the right place and planning for life after the diet.

I am not the type of person that gives a Fiddler's Darn whether I call it a diet or a lifestyle ....I am more concerned with the Attitude adjustment that I have accomplished.
We celebrate lots around here , I participate but I do not consume the fare of the day! And I am Really OK with that!! I would rather be Well than Sick .... it is pretty easy ...if you look at it like that....it is all about knowing what you can live with... I love food ...the smell ..the touch...the taste of it in my mouth ...the sensation of a full tummy.... What I don't miss is being soo sick having my stomach blow up and being on tons of meds ....So I watch people eat and I swear I remember the taste on my lips!
So everyone can have my share of the scrumptious fare and eat till their hearts are content.... I 'll watch and remember
Good Luck ,we went out and celebrated April Birthdays at our favorite Pizza Place the aroma and sight sent my brain to a Happy Place ...and I did not even have a taste! It would be an interesting study to do to have people that were dieting to have there response to being around food and imaging their pleasure centers firing In their brain ...would it register the same amount as if they were ingesting it? And how could the data be utilized to help us improve our chances of keeping the weight off permanently.
Oh I'm sorry ...just thinking..
Roo2

One thing that has really helped me is coming to the realization that - for me - celebrations and holidays are not about the food I eat, but the company I keep. I don't feel deprived if I don't have my favorite meal and a dessert for my birthday. I don't feel that Thanksgiving means having mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, pumpkin pie -- and all of the other trimmings along with the turkey. Its being with friends and family that matters and that makes these events special to me. Coming to this realization was very important for me.

Thanks everyone for posting. I made it through the celebrating and stayed on track. In fact, yesterday's success helped me to remember to stay on track today when a friend was throwing a jewelry party with food food and more food. I had a few veggies, drank water, and had a good time talking to friends. I had a healthy snack at home before and after for my actual meal. I didn't want to undo my efforts yesterday by pigging out today.

There were some potluck items there and I asked about the recipes and how long it took to prepare and then on to further conversation about cooking, no one noticed I did not even eat the foods that I was talking about. Guess they just assumed.



Roo- I think there was a study or two about having people smell the food or imagine eating it instead of actually eating it, which supposedly lead to a decrease in the craving. I think it would lead to more of a craving for me but I'm all for people using what works for them.