I’ve lost slightly from last week — but not enough to change my ticker.

This blog entry is an extension and a response to a previous week’s blog. (Link)

Pretty much all of us, yesterday

With Thanksgiving just yesterday (and again today, for our group), I don’t want to give anyone the wrong idea. I realized, after reading my blog entry, that while I made the point I intended, I might have also left people with the idea that my lifestyle choices from here on out don’t include the occasional treat. They do.

I’m not a dieting martyr. I’m not going to lie and say I’ll never have pecan pie, stuffing, eggnog, or other holiday treats that I enjoy; I will. The difference will be that my servings will be small. They will be treats, not binges, and there is most certainly a difference.

The holidays are a land mine for anyone with dietary restrictions, whether they’re for the purpose of losing weight or something more demanding, such as diabetes control or food allergies. The good news is that I have a map to avoid the mines, and if I’m careful, I’ll come out on the other end just fine.

Having a short term goal helps; I have a few more pounds to lose before meeting my year’s end goal of being 100 pounds down, and with four weeks left in the year, I’m poised to meet that goal, as long as I keep my focus.

I’m not going to deny myself a few tastes of foods I love during the holidays; while I firmly believe in discipline, I think many of us fail when we see our food restrictions as deprivation rather than choice. If you’re constantly focused on foods you miss, and you feel like you’re punishing yourself, how long do you really think you’ll last before you start thinking “why am I doing this to myself?”

The focus shouldn’t be on food, but the reasons you’re changing your lifestyle. I’m trading eating unlimited amounts of stuffing for the gift to myself of truly feeling better.

Likewise, I’m of the mind that food should never be a reward for losing weight. “I lost 93 pounds, so I’m gonna eat that entire coconut cream pie!” is a dangerous mindset; no one deserves a food treat for controlling food. No, it’s more a matter of “I’d like a taste of coconut cream pie, what should I trade for it?” And for me, sometimes, it’s worth the trade of an anticipated stall to have a small bit of pie. And when I make that choice, I make it willingly and knowingly.

Treat myself? Yep. Punish myself? Absolutely not.