Days Off

What? 4 days in and she's talking about days off?!

Well, I had a 'day off' today and I do believe it helps no end to keeping on track. Let me explain...

I think the one way to fail at any health kick/diet is to come to resent it. And in the past the way I have come to resent losing weight is when it means missing out on something because of it. My social life is very important to me (ask any mother and she'll tell you she'd chew her own arm off for a social event that involved actual adult conversation!) and I've found that, in the past, this has suffered just because I'm trying to shed a few pounds. One of 3 things usually happens:

1) I actually don't socialise to avoid the food and tur n down invitations.
2) I go but sit there being miserable because I'm on salad and water.
3) I go, pig out, feel guilty the next day and so spend the next week comfort eating.

So, decided to cut myself a bit of slack. If you don't count calories for 1 day out of 7, how much impact does it really have? Now I'm not talking going out and eating a kebab, chips and washing it down with several pints then coming home and swallowing a whole box of Dairy Milk; but just giving yourself a break for one day a week.

Take today. I had a brunch date with some friends so decided to have today as a day off. I went to brunch but picked sensibly: the vegetarian breakfast. The (wholegrain) toast came with butter so I just had a quarter of it. Then I decided that I would have the half bottle of wine left over from new year with my tea (homemade shepherds pie and 3 veg) and then for dessert I had a larger portion of greek yoghurt than normal. No kebabs in sight but still feel like I've had a day off.

Have I put on half a stone with that lot? Well, no! Probably just ate a normal day's food. But do I feel like I had a great time with friends without worrying about calories? Oh yes!

Oh, and I went to the gym this afternoon...because I wanted to! ;-)