Well if this is going to be a real lifestyle change then I need to be confident that I am making he correct choices for me. With that said, hubby wanted an Indian curry take out last night. Old me would have this with hime once a week. And since starting this weight loss journey 3 weeks ago (3 wks and 2 days and yes right now I am counting) we've not had anything. Usually we split a meal curry and rice and a naan bread. There is a potato spinach starter that is split too. So because real life dictates that just because you are watching your weight doesn't mean I can NEVER have a take out. So I decided to have a 1/3 of the curry 1/4 of the rice 1/3 starter and 1/3 naan bread. Lots of info on one meal but , hey. **shrugs shoulders*** last night this seemed to be a good idea but today now I'm feeling a little guilty. Hope I didn't ruin all the hard work. I did walk 2 miles as usual and stuck to my original eating plan thru the day and night. Please offer me some advice as to how to feel? Not feel? Deal with real life eating situations please. :sad: thanks in advance

This always helps me: "it's not what you do once in awhile, it's what you do consistently." I keep this in mind when I want to start feeling guilty about something (taking a day off from exercise, eating something I "shouldn't"). Don't beat yourself up. It sounds like eating much less of the take-out WAS staying on track. Good job! Remember to enjoy life along the way!

I think exactly what LRH said!

I think that curry meal sounds perfectly reasonable (and delicious.) If it was a little on the high side of calories, just make it an occasional thing! Sounds like real life that you can sustain and enjoy!

You didn't ruin a thing, you're doing great.

i think this falls under the 80/20 rule - if you do what you MUST 80% of the time, you can do what you WANT the other 20%. Some people have made this the 90/10 rule - and this might be a better guidance for you.

So, if you have a treat meal every once in a while [every 2 weeks? you decide], you'll be fine. You might maintain the same weight for a couple of days, or even show a small gain, but bottom line, if you keep on track the rest of the time, you will make progress.

Let your guilt be a motivator to get back on track today. But don't feel too guilty~ Savor the pleasure of the delicious food! Whatever you did yesterday doesn't matter anymore.
Treat meals can be helpful but for some, like me, are a slippery slope. This is your chance to learn about where they will or won't fit into your new way of eating. I'm on the fence about it, personally. My planned fun meals invariably become more and more frequent. I do better limiting them to social occasions.

In my office we have "pizza Wednesday". I used to join in every week. Now I have "pizza 1-Wednesday-a-month". I usually have a small water retention gain the next day, but I don't feel guilty about it.

Thank you everyone for some good advice and insight. I sometimes need an extra push to know that what I'm doing is reasonable? If that makes any sense. Yup I've stuck to my plan and now have decided that if I give my curry treat a monthly spot in my life then that's ok. :hugs:

Absolutely, takeout once in a while. You seem like you made great choices and really listened to your body about how much to eat.

I found The picky eater a while ago and she makes some really great Indian (and other) meals if you're ever in the mood, but don't feel like going for takeout.

This!! You have to enjoy life too! One meal will not ruin your progress.

Spot on, LRH. I always tell myself it's not the performance itself, it's the number of encores.

Thanks for the link. I love cooking sites and blogs!