Cheating vs. Choosing, there's a big difference.

 Very well said!  Thank you, Elina!  It's still WAY too soon for me to CHOOSE anything off plan, but I am happy to know that on special occasions in the future I can PLAN and CHOOSE certain things without being a "cheater" or failure.

 Simple. Elegant. 

Thanks!

Very true. Can I just throw in one 'but' though? Making a choice or a planned deviation from the 'plan' does put ownership and accountability squarely in the right place - but it does not necessarily make it a 'good' choice or a 'good' plan. Just so long as we all are mindful of that and admit to ourselves that we are making that choice anyway..just because it is a choice or a plan, doesn't make it necessarily OK.. maybe the difference is that we then undertake to compensate for the not so good choice. It is in the end the impact that counts, not the intent as we all know the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I know it is complex in human psychology...

I agree with your "but" whole heatedly.  Choices must be based on goals, goals need to be watered by motivation.  Making poor choices over a period of time leads one astray.  The good news is that when you are making choices, you can always choose to make better ones.  In the end, this is physics, not psychology but psychology can helps move the physics along.  :)

You are so eloquent and wise Elina- Thanks for sharing!

Hi

This is exactly how I try to live and eat very mindful all the time...UNTIL MY WEIGHT LOSS STALLS!

Then I feel like I must be cheating as I dont have a very fixed plan (but I do eat protein first about 70g per day).This is also when I start making more erratic choices and more impulsive choices,which in my mind confirms the fact that I am cheating.

I find this exceptionally difficult to deal with.

" Shame is what unravels us. "
I like that - it should be on a t-shirt!
   

words of wisdom!

Another wonderful post from the amazing Elina!

this is such an important concept. i have always hated the idea of off plan eating as cheating or being bad or whatever. for far too long we thought we were bad people because we were fat and therefore unworthy. other people thought we were bad too and that we had character flaws because of our fatness. not so. we need to separate eating from ethics or morality and make it about choice and health and such. getting rid of this emotional connection is part of the maintenance process.

cheating is not good. making food choices is just fine as long as we are prepared to accept the consequences of our food choices.  

good job Elina.   diane