Journal de keao, 28 sept. 11

It is so hard when you go out for a nice dinner. Stop feeling guilty, dust yourself off and move on. Things happen ... Set yourself on the right course by using those cookbooks! You GO! You can DO IT! 

Yrep I agree. screw guilt. I was in the same boat t at the beginning. I would get all worked up about going out. Try this...just eat well for most of the week. We are looking for a good average in the long run. My restaurant tips are: 1. If possible plan ahead, via restaurant website, etc. 2. or, cut calories earlier in the day to allow for indulgnce later. 3. or do even MORE exercise folowing. 4. or dont seat it, one meal will not kill you, just dont make it a habit! Good job on the cookbooks. I make 90% of my own food. I freeze it, I eat leftovers whatever. This way I say what goes into my bod! Good luck!  

The worst thing you can do is feel guilty about what you eat. That can easily become a slippery slope and trust me you don't want to go there. Like everyone else said, one meal isn't going to make or break you. If you are truly in this for the long haul you cannot realistically expect yourself not to have off moments or to never eat something you didn't plan for. You shouldn't even consider them off moments, just a moment in your life. The whole point to making a lifestyle change is to get out of the fast and furious yo-yo diet cycle. That means occasionally having birthday cake and ice cream cones and even a nice dinner :-) 

I agree with what they are saying above. Theres also the option of eating half and taking the other half home. But sometimes its good to just relax and enjoy a good meal. There are also lots of websites offering free recipes. One being this one. I have to start planning, making and freezing meals myself. That is a lifestlye change in itself.  

My husband and I go out to eat 1-2 times a week and I don't want to have a guilt trip of what I am eating, I want to enjoy the moment and keep right on going. In most cases the restaurant puts too much food on my plate. So when the waiter/waitress brings me my meal I ask for a to go box right then. Put half of the meal in the box and only eat what is left on my plate. Leftovers for lunch or supper the next day. We are all in this for the long haul and for the same reasons and if the occassion really warrents me to stray off my diet I just buckle down the next day and do extra excerises and watch my intake a little more closely. Part of my lifestyle change has been to eat healthy and only feel guilty if I pigout when I could have avoided it. So to all of you ...thanks for being there as a great support group. Hang in there everyone we will make it to the end of this journey together