"I enjoyed it so it was worth it"

cocktailprincess

Still rockin' it
(I posted this a few years ago, but though I would re-post, as it still applies:)

Hi

I see this occasionally on posts and have thought it many times in the past after eating too much high fat, high sugar food.

How many times have we all used this as justification for going off plan?

Without sounding too preachy, I just wanted to say that I enjoyed every mouthful of food I ate pre-SW when I gained my weight. I enjoyed all the cake, chocolate, crisps, massive portions, bread, cheese and nuts...... I enjoyed it all, right up until I got on the scales and was 19 stone, morbidly obese and realised I was compromising my entire life and self respect by my size

Nothing is worth that- no food treat on earth can be worth the misery of being overweight.
 
Much as in an ideal world everyone would cook and follow the plan as it is written, there are going to be times where for one reason or another people go off plan. Would it be better for them to admit to it and actually enjoy it while they are doing it, knowing that they have the control to get straight back on plan and not become overweight, or for them to be eating off plan foods shrouded in guilt and feeling bad about themselves?

I hate hate hate the "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" school of thought with a passion.

When I was gaining weight, it was because I was using food as an emotional blocker. Rather than feel anything, I would eat and stuff my feelings away, only allowing out the negative ones that reinforced my lack of self-worth and the fact that I was greedy, fat, lazy, worthless.

I cannot hand on heart say I enjoyed that way of eating, even though it was pretty much constantly VERY off-plan high calorie stuff I was ploughing through.

The difference now is that I can appreciate and enjoy those foods as a treat and in moderation, and if I do gain a little, I have the tools to remove that gain efficiently and painlessly.

There is a VAST difference between having an offplan day and enjoying it, and eating for years and years and years in a way that is effectively self-harming.

We need to break the thought train that states that food is the enemy. It is not, WE are the enemy and how we abuse our bodies with food is our responsibility. But we should learn to become friends with food, to not be guilty if we enjoy something that isnt on plan, because the more you put something off limits, the more you want it. And thats not a healthy state of affairs at all.
 
see, while I agree with much of your post, I too have used the "it tasted soo good" I have much of my life felt guilty for eating high fat calorie laden foods, so much so I had hidden those type of foods from my mum, who was extremely controlling over what and when we ate. So now, I would much rather be open and honest (with myself too) that I had eaten what I have eaten,, enjoyed it and not felt guilt and shame and just get right back onto plan! I very rarely go out for meals and such like, so when I go, I don't want to be eating a plain salad and dry jacket potato because thats all that they do, and thats all I dare eat! I eat what I want while there enjoy it, don't feel guilty and get right back onto plan next meal. Life does get in the way of dieting at times, and while slimming world is my new way of life and what I will carry on eating for everyday meals permantly, because it is that versatile and normal, I also realise there are points in your life that it isn't possible, and I refuse to make those points guilty little secrets.

Helen xxx
 
I wish this thread had been around LAST week - 6 days off plan for me, and im facing a gain tonight at weigh in. I will recover though, and have already got a 100% day under my belt.

Sometimes life just gets in the way of following SW, and i am weak for temptations - i know its wrong, but my little devil on my shoulder tells me its okay and has muffled the angelic one!!!

Currently the angel is back in charge!!! x
 
I think it's much better to have enjoyed a treat that you have had off plan than rather than beat yourself up about it! Slimming world is about improving your relationship with food and having high calorie food in moderation, not making some foods completely off limits! Personally I can't say I enjoyed eating much of the bad food that made me obese as there was always such huge guilt attatched to it that it was making me ill (physically and mentally), but with this plan I know that if I eat something thats "bad" for me I can bring it back again.
 
I don't think that everyone who says they have enjoyed a day off plan is necessarily using it as a justification or an excuse for what they ate.

The vast majority of people following SW won't stay 100% for the duration of their journey, and will have days when they fall off the wagon, however if people are able to take a day off, enjoy food and then get back on plan then that's a good step in the direction of managing their eating when they leave SW. Life is going to have birthdays, meals out, day trips etc, and in all reality people aren't going to be happy with a hi-fi bar, an apple and a diet coke, while other people are eating other things. I think one of the problems is associating guilt if someone does enjoy those other foods. It's not saying they think it's ok that they did it, they're just saying that they enjoyed themselves and therefore any STS or gains on the scales won't be a problem for them. If people at target are allowed a 3lb either way cushion to help them maintain their weight, then it's only reasonable to assume that people in the middle of their journey will have weeks when they gain, and know they will too.

I'm not saying it's a valid excuse, I'm just saying that because someone enjoys a day off plan, and says they enjoyed it, it doesn't mean they're trying to excuse their actions. We need to remove the guilt element of having treats if you get back on plan afterwards.
 
I think it's detrimental to think of yourself as being 'on plan' and 'off plan'. I've been 100% 'on plan' for three years. Luckily this plan allows me to choose my style of eating each day (green, EE, original) and let's me flexi syn in a controlled manner for special occasions. I honestly don't understand this 'off plan' way of thinking? Use SW the way it's intended, and there's no need to go 'off plan' at all. Sounds like a slippery slope, and dangerous way of thinking to me - sounds like it also comes with a bit of guilt attached? Nah, read, read, read your books, get to know the plan inside out, stop thinking of it as a 'diet' and you can be 'on plan' forever; you've just got to make it work for YOU xx
 
I appreciate what you are saying mojo, and good on you for seeing it that way, but I see "off-plan" as not having to constantly be on your guard for a short duration. Every now and again, I dont WANT to have to be limited and thinking about how many syns I have had. I dont WANT to have to go to my mothers on Christmas Day, for example, and be sitting in judgement of what she has put in front of me, or what I choose to indulge in, mentally calculating the syns so I dont go over a particular limit.

I dont see "off-plan" as a bad thing, as to some degree it is "on-plan" - in that SW advises everything in moderation, so if I spend 353 days a year eating 5-15 syns a day and cooking everything in frylight, chopping off all the fat, having 1/3 superfree - and then have for example one day a month where I just dont have to think about it, I am still doing that "in moderation". Overall, I will maintain a steady weight and not cause myself any health issues with a rare occasion.

That, in itself, is still a form of self-control - but it isn't flexisynning and it isnt a recommended aspect to the plan, but it is realistic and something that helps me to maintain a balance and not to drive myself mad constantly obsessing that I am getting it wrong. Life happens, we none of us can control everything that happens to us, we have choices, but there isnt always a good v bad choice, sometimes it is just different v the norm.
 
I only think of off plan if you're not following the books ie, not sticking within the syns allowance and not using flexi syns.

Personally i'm treating SW as my lifestyle choice, and I know there will be occaisional days when I don't do what the book says (the previous weekend's hen do being an example), but I also know these times are going to be very rare, so I'm not going to feel guilty for enjoying a weekend away and if I do have a gain, then yes it was worth it, because I had a brilliant weekend and have got straight back on plan, and I know it's not going to happen again for a very long time.

Had I been able to plan what I was going to eat and drink, I would've been able to use flexible syns, but the way the weekend was, it simply wasn't possible unless I wanted to exclude myself from mealtimes.
 
I personally think that while using pleasure as a justification for utter greed when you've made a decision to lose weight is dangerous I find the attitude that this is always an excuse damaging and encourages those who do need a day off to enjoy celebrations to either deny that they've eaten it or feel so guilty they fall off the waggon for feeling like they've failed.

I recently had a few days off for a trip away and I conciously decided to be off plan, but only to eat when I was hungry - but to eat whatever I would most enjoy. Cheese and wine for me :) and when I came home I was straight back on plan and had no syns for the rest of the week.. I refuse to feel guilt for those days which I enjoyed and which I had control over..
 
I think there seems to be an assumption that because people have said they're off plan and have enjoyed it that they're binging on junk food. That's not the case for everyone!
 
see, while I agree with much of your post, I too have used the "it tasted soo good" I have much of my life felt guilty for eating high fat calorie laden foods, so much so I had hidden those type of foods from my mum, who was extremely controlling over what and when we ate. So now, I would much rather be open and honest (with myself too) that I had eaten what I have eaten,, enjoyed it and not felt guilt and shame and just get right back onto plan! I very rarely go out for meals and such like, so when I go, I don't want to be eating a plain salad and dry jacket potato because thats all that they do, and thats all I dare eat! I eat what I want while there enjoy it, don't feel guilty and get right back onto plan next meal. Life does get in the way of dieting at times, and while slimming world is my new way of life and what I will carry on eating for everyday meals permantly, because it is that versatile and normal, I also realise there are points in your life that it isn't possible, and I refuse to make those points guilty little secrets.

Helen xxx

Quite.
 
I have "days off". I don't save syns up, I don't flexi syn and I don't reduce syns because I've gone over.
SW is my way of eating, although I am now following the diet properly and not messing about in order to lose a stone, I still don't think of it as a diet, it is a very healthy way of eating.

However. I am going out this weekend. I have no control over what we eat and I won't worry about it. I'll enjoy it and feel no regret, although my tummy will hurt the next day I'm sure but I'll get straight back on the SW wagon the next day. It is a day off. I won't like the result on Tuesday but it's on meal and it'll do some damage, that's life though. We socialise.

My old habits have never left me, I still want to eat huge bag fulls of sweets and mountains of cheese and crackers and lots of cake but I don't (not much).

I love my food but I don't like gaining on the scales so I don't think overindulging is worth it, to be honest.
Not sure where I'm going with all this but anyway, my thoughts are down!
 
I think there seems to be an assumption that because people have said they're off plan and have enjoyed it that they're binging on junk food. That's not the case for everyone!

Very true. I don't binge on junk food but I go off plan by eating indulgent food - gravy with wine, baked cheese souffle (sp?), desserts and a cheeseboard. Not junk food but soooo not on plan!
 
I find everyone's differing views on this interesting and think everyone makes valid points.

I go 'off plan' and I know I do....the reason is quite simple...If I am eating food that has been made for me in a restaurant I find it very hard to use flexi syns as I don't know the syns in what I am eating, I'm crap at working it out so I don't even try to guess. Instead I make informed decisions for that meal and I enjoy every bite and just get back on the next day...by informed I don't always mean healthy perhaps just that I know how unhealthy it is and want it any way ;)
 
"by informed I don't always mean healthy perhaps just that I know how unhealthy it is and want it any way " love it!
 
;D xxx
 
I agree that no food treat is worth the misery of being overweight but I feel that slimming world has shown me that one food treat doesn't = being overweight and that I can have food treats and not gain weight.
I think if you are going to have it then enjoy it but if the enjoyment you are getting from the food is outweighed(no pun intended) by the misery of what the scales and /or your body are telling you then you need to choose what means more to you (easier said that done I know!)
 
Well I just had a curly wurly...and it was worth it because it tasted so good.... there ya go 5 syns of really enjoyable chocolate. I can honestly say that I enjoy high fat/sugar treats more than I did pre-plan... because it is that a treat (1st choc in 3 weeks).... previously these treat things would be an everyday occurrence and thus held no real treat value. As long as we allow for them we can have a fairly balanced diet xx
 
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