I realized recently that I was wasting too many calories on treats that weren't satisfying-- skinny cow "candy" bars, weight watchers snacks, sugar free lattes, etc. I would much rather have the real thing. Unfortunately, no diet plan in the world allows for real treats constantly throughout the day.

So I have decided to give myself one treat day a week. I can have what I w,ant, but it has to be worth it. I started making a list of the things I want to have on my treat days and realized that the list is actually much smaller than I thought. After eating real, healthy food for so long, something has to be amazing in order to qualify for my treat. I'm not wasting treat day on an okay hamburger, I want the best hamburgers around. Once I saw my list, I knew I am going to be okay, they really will be treats (and not the start of a downward spiral) since I don't have access to them all the time.

Special occasion foods didn't cause me to get fat. It was the snacks I sneaked after everyone went to bed, the few extra bites as I cleaned up from dinner, the foods I ate in my car when no one was around, and the hundreds of calories I drank.

Also, I know many people call them cheat days and I am deliberately not doing that. I don't consider myself to be cheating, this is part of my plan, not something bad I am doing. I am trying really hard to change my life and my relationship with food. I can see myself sustaining this for the rest of my life. I don't want to feel guilty every time I eat something not ridiculously healthy. Instead I want to plan for it and enjoy every single bite.

In case you're curious here's my current treat list:
Breyer's Natural Vanilla Ice Cream
A Little Devil Burger with Bacon, Grilled Onions, Heck Sauce and Cheddar from Ray's Hell Burger
Cheerwine in a glass bottle
Vanilla Milkshake from Potbelly Sandwiches
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
Mexican Sushi Roll (sounds weird, but it is amazing)

So what do you think about treat days? What is your relationship with them?