thoughts about the 90/10 rule?

I'm 19 months out and about 20 pounds under what I had set my original goal and my philosophy so far until this month has been on plan 100% of the time because I have been terrified of failure. The only reason I went off plan was for a 5 day vacation and I wanted to be able to experiment and see if I could loosen up and still be okay weight wise when I came back. And by loosening up I ate all protein forward but also a few bites of DHs food here and there, some SF ice cream and definitely larger portions than home. No weighing the food and ALL restaurant food for 5 days. I was super nervous but when I came home I found that at first I had gained weight and then 2 days later I lost that weight and lost more from all the walking we had done.

And then I went back to eating 100% on plan.

But I agree that we all have to find what works for us. I think it depends on how often those days or 2 happen, like once a week? Then that seems too often to me. Once a month? More reasonable. But if it's working for you, great!

I need to find a new balance pretty soon after I hit my new goal.

Your 90/10 philosophy would not work for me at all.  I have way to much of a sweet tooth and if I said to myself "its okay to eat protein 90% of the time and sweets 10% of the time" I know ME I would just keep making that 10% go up and up and up until I got back to being MO.

I was in the mind set that the faster I got to goal weight and got all my weight off the better, that's what worked for me.  I have maintained my loss for 3 years now and its because I do a 100% on plan philosophy.  Like Grim and some other posters have said, if I know I am going out to a restaurant or say to a friends house then I work it into my daily calories and make it part of the plan not the plan PLUS a treat.  But this is what works for me.  

If the 90/10 works for you and you are happy with it then continue on. I just know for ME and how I have food issues it would never work. I know I could convince myself that 10% or 15% or 20% off plan was okay and knowing this about myself scares me because that is how I thought when I was MO. 

Last night I was thinking about this exact topic while I was driving home... I've done well so far, but I'm scared about this last 30lbs (or more). What if I haven't been compliant enough, and tough enough with myself that now that I'm getting closer to goal I will stop losing?? Is shooting for 95% compliance enough? I don't want to mess this up, but I also am not the type of person that wants/can to do 100%.

I do plan that 5% though. And my 5% is usually in the form of a glass or two of wine... and I have it planned out (3 times since surgery).

I do taste foods that aren't exactly the best choices. We have a busy social life, so I am constantly thrown into situations with tons of new foods, 'bad for you' foods, and alcohol. I drew a line in the sand, and I don't taste anything with refined sugars in it. But I have had 2 chips at a mexican restaurant, 1/4 of the breading off of a fried piece of chicken, or 1/4 of a slice of bread... etc. It's always at one meal, never a day (or more) of eating/drinking things not on plan.

But I worry that it's not enough, then I get stressed... which just ****** me off. LOL

I know that there are successful Vets out there that did 100% of plan during the weight loss, but I also know of people that didn't even hit the 95%, and 15 years, 7 years, and 3 years later, they are all doing fine. I also have a close friend who I worry will gain most of it back, because he's allowed too much back into his life (in my opinion), and every time we see him (1-3 times a year) he's gained a few pounds. I don't want to be that person.

This whole thing, I guess you'd call it life, is hard!

My surgery buddies here in town with me have a great motto... because we've all had surgery close together and are good friends, we're all taking this with a slightly different approach, so we often say "You do You". 

And that's what I think. You do You... find what works, and what you are successful with, and don't be afraid to tweak it a bit... because change is omnipresent and we have to do what we need to do for ourselves. Right?

"YOU DO YOU" Seems like words to live by. Thanks for sharing that Pammieanne.

I, too have been thinking a lot about this exact sort of thing.  I stayed 100% on plan until I hit my goal, (actually about 15 pounds below goal now)... and I started thinking about how much I hated the thought of eating this way and being so strict about it for the rest of my life.  

So, I asked a naturally thin friend of mine HOW THE HECK DO YOU DO THIS DAY IN AND DAY OUT!!!???  She said she watches her weight all week, but lets herself relax a bit on the weekends.

So, that's what I've been doing for about 4 months now, and though I fluctuate about 4 pounds between weekdays and weekends, it's working for me.  On the weekends, I don't go super hog-wild - especially since I never allow bad foods in my house.  But I enjoy more fruit and whole grains without guilt.  So, since it's planned that way - I guess it's not a cheat.  Right?

Also, I take my Mom out to dinner every Friday night.  I order foods I don't normally eat during  the week so I feel like I'm enjoying life more instead of the CONSTANT 24/7 restriction - but I do try to keep it healthier than I used to - like I'll get veggies instead of fries).  I eat just a small amount and take the rest home where I will nibble on it over the weekend. If there's any left on Monday morning, it goes in the trash.

This won't work for everyone, but I think I got this.  And I feel much happier knowing I can still enjoy certain foods in moderation and not gain my weight back.  What a strange new concept in my life!  

I am with taking the cheat mindset out. My surgeon's Mantra is- Protein first, then veggies and then IF you have some room fruit then carbs. He never said no carbs, but put it at the end of the list. So did I have an occasional Chinese food takeout while losing? Yes...but it was planned, not 'cheat'. Did I have friends visiting who wanted to go out for NY Pizza? Yes- I ate pizza but it was planned and I adjusted the rest of the day. Did I eat the occasional 1/2 an english muffin? Yes- I love toast. But not cheat.

Except for a literal sip of wine here or there- I have had only 1 1/2 real drinks since surgery- and they were at 2+ years out.

The idea of 'cheat' would throw caution to the wind too much for me. So much of this is about our mindsets....

I do believe part of your weight loss phase starting again, is your change in schedule and going back to work...sometimes when we have more to do we become more organized....just a thought...

Okay, so what constitutes a cheat?  I've always considered eating things that I shouldn't (ie pasta, bread, cake, cookies, etc.) a cheat.  Regardless of if I stay within my allotted calories for the day, I ate something I knew I shouldn't, so I cheated.

Like today, I skipped my planned snacks, but instead ate a small egg roll for a snack.  My calories came out to under 800, and my carbs were less than 40, my protein over 70, but I feel like I cheated because I ate an egg roll.  Maybe I have a hard time wrapping my head around lightening up a bit and not considering certain foods "bad".  Once again, I am a work in progress.

Well, because you are struggling over it, I guess it's a cheat?

But, had you planned for the egg roll, would you feel better about the outcome?

I don't know, you didn't eat the planned snacks, so you adjusted through out the day. I think that makes it something you shouldn't get bent out of shape over. You adjusted. There are changes in our plans sometimes, and you did the best you could.

Don't beat yourself up over that.

You have to find a good mindset for yourself, I think that's more important overall than anything else.

I think it's great that, even though you had an eggroll, you adjusted and skipped the planned snacks! You you are a success!

Keep the mind positive! That's really an important thing too, ya know?

Yeah I think it's just a mindset thing. I've been eating Halo Top ice cream and at first I was freaking out about allowing it in my diet and feeling like I was being  really ****ty. And then I looked and realized that I was actually eating a serving for once in my life and not a whole container. And I only ate it when it was within my calorie limits for that day. So I stopped feeling so badly about it. But I also don't keep it in the house all the time. For me I don't consider it a cheat anymore - now if it were regular ice cream and not this particular ice cream that would be different.

But I think others would say omg no that's cheating. But it works for me. And believe me I was watching my weight SUPER closely when I ate it for the first time. And ever since then too. So if it goes up in the slightest that would be the first thing I would cut.