I Didn't Fall Off the Bandwagon - I Just Never Diet

So, the past few weeks, I've been on a total eating kick. I totally splurged on two Thai restaurants (read the tasty reviews here Part I and here Part II), as well as Thai take-out, IN-N-Out Burgers complete with fries and a chocolate/vanilla milkshake, Claim Jumper (although I managed to get out without a dessert, and if you've ever been there, you know how hard that is!), Rock Bottom Brewery (again, miraculously, without a dessert), and I hit L & L Hawaiian Barbecue. I had a seafood dinner at home, a seafood luncheon, hosted a tea party, visited Starbucks and Coffee Bean numerous times, and indulged at Extraordinary Desserts. If that isn't all about fattening comfort food, then I just don't know anything about food.

All this splurging has definitely taken it's toll. My once loose jeans are feeling a little snug today. The scale says I am 6 lbs. heavier than I was last week. And I am totally ok with all of it. I'm not thrilled with gaining weight, but I see how it happened. It has taken me a long time to get to this point, but I am fine with days of splurging. I didn't sabotage myself, and I am happy that I could indulge in some really good food. Really, really good food!

I'm not saying I don't suffer from some guilt. I hate seeing that number on the weighing scale go up, and I feel the pang of feaster's remorse (especially when my jeans feel tight). That's ok, because a week or two of food indulgence does not make me a failure, nor does it cancel out all the hard work I've done so far. I indulged because there were a few special occasions, and my life will continue to include parties, and holiday feasts, and backyard barbecues. I guarantee you that I will eat more than my share of calories on those days.

One of the things I hate most about "diets" is the notion that it's a temporary fix. If you eat nothing but grapefruit for a month, you will definitely lose weight - if for no other reason than you get sick of the taste, the sight, and the very smell of grapefruit, and you just quit eating. My issue with "dieting" is that you change your eating habits for a short time to achieve a goal. What happens after you reach that goal? You usually go right back to your old eating habits, because living off of only grapefruit is very restrictive and not a very sustainable eating plan. My weight fluctuated, by about 20 lbs. over the course of several years, because I would go on and off various diets.

Going back to my weight loss mantra, I am working on a healthy lifestyle. This means no dieting, but I do maintain a healthy diet. This is realistic and forgiving, because there will be times when I eat too much. There will be holidays and parties when I celebrate and stuff myself silly. This is fine, I haven't "failed" or "fallen off the dieting bandwagon." I'm not even on a bandwagon!

If you are trying to lose weight, and you ate too much because you went to a party, or your kids were driving you nuts, or your job made you want to go postal, or just because you had a massive munchie attack, you are still doing fine! Munchie days happen. I think some people who "diet" feel like if they lose control for a day, or a week, or a few weeks, then they've failed. And since they failed, then they are a failure and there's no way to go on. I am working towards an overall healthy life. This includes learning how to have a healthy relationship with food, and learning how to regroup and refocus after a food splurge.

I know I'm not the only one who's gotten discouraged after gaining some weight, especially after I worked so hard to get it off the first time. I know, though, that I am healthier than I have ever been before in my life, and I know that I want to keep building and developing healthy habits for the rest of my life. Today, I worked out first thing this morning. That made me feel good. I ate a filling, low calorie/high nutrition breakfast and lunch. My dinner will be healthy and veggie filled, no more than 400 calories, and will include a glass of wine. And I will still come in under 1400 calories for the day.

I have the tools and the determination to get back on my healthy track. If you need some encouragement, remember, I'm always willing to listen and be a weight loss cheerleader. And if you have any tips, please share! Lots of people everywhere would love the help and encouragement.