Confession

My long weekend of dietary debauchery has ended. I haven’t entered a single meal, snack, or beverage in to my food diary since Friday morning. I didn’t have to. I knew what I was doing. It’s called “self-sabotage”. A short list of my nutritional transgressions include, a snow cone,  Senor Tequila's Enchiladas Suprimas, half a pan of double fudge brownie(s), a chili-cheeseburger, onion rings, at least 5 of my husband’s delicious smoked ribs….. You get the picture.  There’s more, but I can’t bring myself to put it all in print.

I have no apologies for straying from my normally healthy diet.I am a Dietitian. We are totally human. There are two schools of thought about “permissible indulgence”.  One of my college professors ate exactly 2 tablespoons of ice cream every day.  I know a lot of people who have tiny portions of their favorite treat every day. And as long as the portion is small, it doesn’t interfere with your nutrition or total calorie count. I like to include a small treat into my weekly meal plan (not daily). However, the real indulgences for me are holiday meals and eating out (see previous blog for more on this).  So my idea of “permissible indulgence” is this; a 2-3 day binge on my favorite un-healthy foods limited to 2 or 3 times per year. If it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas, I may eat pumpkin pie for breakfast, and (my favorite!!) a sandwich made of leftover ham, sweet potatoes, and home-made dinner roll until these items are gone, YUM!!!

So, I’ve used up one of my food benders for the year. I feel bloated, tired, and a little like I should be working out right now instead of typing.  Starting today, it’s back to my usual healthy and tasty diet. I will be completing my food diary (I like to keep my calorie count between 1300 and 1500 per day). I will continue my routine workouts. There will be lots of fruits and veggies, lean meat, and whole grains, and I will LOVE every bite!!

The moral if this story: No matter what your goals are, If you stray from your path, don’t berate yourself and order another banana split. Just tell yourself, “ok, that was fun, and now I’m done”, and then get yourself back on track.

Happy eating, friends!!