How to Lose Weight: #4: Know How to Go Off Properly

Life happens. Sometimes, it is very difficult to stick to a weight loss plan, because it seems like almost every day something special happens that just begs us to get off track. It could be a co-worker's birthday cake at work, a holiday like Christmas, your husband bringing home some doughnuts someone gave him at work, etc, and so forth. It seems like there is some sort of homemade treat in the teacher's lounge almost every day of the week! There is nothing wrong with allowing yourself to "go off" occasionally, since sustaining and losing weight should be a long term lifestyle change, not a fad diet. However, because we are talking about a long term plan, going off every other day is not a good idea. I think it is important to have a perspective about "going off." First, it is important to ask yourself two questions:

A Formal Event, photographed by David Bennett

1. Should I Go Off? - Like I just mentioned, you can find a reason to abandon your health plan just about every day. You can probably think of hundreds of reasons to abandon your diet right now. So, when contemplating "going off" for a day or any period, you first have to decide if it is worth it. I tend to allow myself to go off when it truly is a "one shot" type of thing, like a birthday cake for a fellow employee or major holiday, like Christmas or Easter. These are occasional, and will not lead to a chain reaction. However, I do not allow myself to go off for lengthy periods (like extended vacations), minor holidays, or for regular activities (like when I work at sports events, which I usually do 2-3 times a week). So, first you need to decide if it really is worth going off your diet/health plan. And next...

2. If I do go off, how am I going to deal with it? - If you decide to "go off" you need to decide how you are going to do it. There is a big difference between consuming 3000 calories and consuming 6000 calories on your "off day." The former may be a break-even day for you if you were active, while the latter could easily result in you gaining a pound of fat, if the day was a particularly inactive one. Basically, being on a health plan means controlling yourself to some degree on your off days. Here are a few ways I control my chosen splurge days:

A. Don't Go Completely Off - I try to never go completely nuts when I go off. For example, I haven't drunk a regular soft drink or any other full-calorie pop or sugary drink in years. I know that if I drink a lot of Coke with my dinner, I could easily add 500+ pointless calories to my day, whether it is an off-day or not. If I feel like a dessert, I will try to get a "no sugar added" dessert, or share a dessert dish with others, or, if the urge for a dessert is not strong, just get a coffee instead. Last night, I went off, at the Golden Corral Buffet, because I was finishing up my vacation/visit with family. I consumed 3000 calories for the day, but I still lost weight mathematically speaking, and part of the reason is that I kept my "going off" day under control. Fitday or other diet-tracking software can help with this.

How to Lose Weight: #4: Know How to Go Off Properly

David Bennett

How to Lose Weight: #4:
Know How to Go Off Properly