Planning to Fail?

Ok – deep breath.  This is one thing that has tripped me up more times that I can tell you.  If you don’t deal with stuff like this you may be too sane for Talking It Off.  If this sounds like you then, welcome to the Remedial Weight Loss Room.

It almost always involves an impending social event – dinner with friends, a weekend away, the arrival of house-guests.  This week it happens to be all three rolled up into what promises to a joy-filled few days.

So what am I going to do about it?

Option 1

Part of me says that it’s only sane/normal/human (oxymoron?) to want to relax, enjoy and forget about the eating to lose weight. This sounds so sane, but the reality is that I use it as an excuse to eat everything I can find – even in the days running up to the event.  I refuse to do this to myself any more.

Option 2

Make a plan now and stick to it.  Just don’t drink the wine or eat the pie or nibble the biscuit.  And now my negative, whiny, excuse-making voice starts in with all the reasons why this is impossible.  Time blah blah – cooking blah blah- eating out blah blah – socializing blah blah.

Option 3

In my life, there has rarely been an option that is somewhere between ON and OFF (see here) .  So maybe this time I need to redefine an ON day and relax and enjoy.  So here’s my plan.  I’m going to accept that the next couple of days will be filled with food situations either that I can’t control or that I just don’t want to control in that controlling kind of way. (told you I was special)

Therefore, I will do my best.  I will eat till I’m full and not beyond.  I will chose the dessert I most want and enjoy it.  I will constantly remind myself that I am more content and at peace when my clothes fit – not when I’m bloated and hung over.  (WHY is that so hard to remember?)

I can only think ahead a couple of days at a time but here are the choices I can make for today and tomorrow:

• Where to eat dinner tonight for lighter options.
• Non-alcoholic drinks for between glasses of wine.  I love Fever Tree Naturally Light tonic water.  Maybe some cranberry to go with it.
• Make the decision to eat normally the rest of the time – and by “normally” I mean healthily.
• Move when I can – even if I can’t get to the gym.  Just move.

OK.  I think I’ve banished the “eat now eat now eat now” voice.   I have a plan.  I have a flexible attitude.  I’m looking forward to a weekend with friends rather than dreading guilt and physical discomfort.  I’ll let you know how it goes.