Week of Reveals Day 6: Celebration Eating
I am a social eater and always have been. I think that’s been a big part of my weight struggle. When my friends and I would pig out back in HS, their young girl metabolisms would whisk the fat away, while mine would cough, sputter, and pack the pounds on. Being a social eater is a big part of our culture and it’s a lot of fun. I knew that depriving myself of it would never have worked as part of my healthy lifestyle, so instead I plan for it, enjoy it in the moment, and then get back to being healthy when it’s over. What’s even more important is that I never beat myself up about it. “That’s what I ate, it’s over, now move on from here,” is my attitude.
This week I had a date with Jay planned. I knew that we’d go see the new Harry Potter and then catch a bite to eat. All week I kept that date in mind and was as healthy as possible. Last night was a blast as we celebrated a stroll down memory lane, enjoyed the movie, and then munched together on garlic breadsticks, fajitas, and a cookie ice cream sundae. Today I’m getting back to healthy, eating veggies and fruit with a sensible dinner planned.
I know that lots of people will say that while they’re dieting they allow themselves to eat whatever they want on the weekends, but what do you do when birthdays pop up on a Tuesday, or a friend is visiting from our of town on Thursday? Luckily celebrations like those happen few and far between, so as long as I enjoy the moment, but not make it a daily occurrence, I can maintain my weight loss and then keep moving in the right direction.
I’ve also noticed that as I’ve embraced being healthier, some celebrations aren’t as tempting. This week I was presented with a slightly stale birthday cupcake. I had one taste, then said to myself, “This cupcake isn’t worth it,” and let the rest of it go. I’ve come to realize that a situation doesn’t dictate that I must eat something. I’m in control which means I can say no to all kinds of treats when they just aren’t worth it.
I told Jay to look crazy for this picture – I think we pulled the look off quite well. Glad to know we’re as crazy today as we were in the beginning.
