Cruise PV Do you ever allow yourself a "Night off"?

I was just thinking, it's Valentines day soon, and OH's Birthday is the week after, i know he would like to go out for a meal and of course i would love to as well but i wonder what the affect would be on my diet?

Do you allow yourself the night off for special occasions?

I would only have the evening meal off, it depends where he wants to go but we could have anything ranging up to pizza (nothing dukan friendly in the pizzas i love lol), I would not drink alcohol and i would much rather have a starter then a dessert. I also guess i could go for the most dukan friendly thing i could find but it would be cooked in oil or butter no doubt.

I know he's on about an Indian restaurant and there's a thread about cruise friendly Indian foods around but i wouldn't be able to resist a tikka masala, not fussed about the rice, but that sauce!!! And bread, ohhhhhh poo i think i am having my first day of craving naughty foods

Before you make your decision, know this: one cheat can stall you for weeks (really), but everyone is different. For me, it really upsets everything. Also, unless you have mega willpower, you may be setting yourself up for a binge (if that's an issue with you) - i.e. you'll not stop at just the one meal, people tend to say well, I've messed up this meal might as well continue the whole day...

I'd suggest avoiding the pizza place and going Indian, then ordering your food sans sauce - trust me, you'll survive and be glad you did it!

Before I start, this is *NOT* the Dukan way .....

... but yes, I allow myself Gala Meal (night off) when I feel I need one I figure that one controlled 'off plan' meal keeps me on the straight and narrow for the rest of the time ... and it actually does.

I don't have a problem getting straight back into Dukan but, if you think you will, then it's really not worth straying.

In terms of weightloss, a Gala Meal generally costs me two days to revert to my pre-Gala Meal weight - that is, weigh on a Saturday (Gala on Saturday night), back to Saturday weight by Tuesday morning.

Hope this helps!

P x

Night off - No. Special occasions - yes.

I Started Dukan in June and on my birthday in August I had a day off, I had chocs (8), crisps, ice cream bar, home grown jacket potato. I had it planned right from day 1 and I knew that I would be able to get straight back to it all on the next day...........which i did.

When it came to christmas I then planned my days, but that went arry, and I ended up with a week of crap food and put 6lb back on, which I still haven't managed to properly shift, a quarter pound out.

We did go for a meal one time, a carvery, it was ideal as it meant I could have the meats and veggies and avoid the spuds. i did have cauli cheese off the veggie section, but only a small portion.

If you can plan and stick to it, and you have the will power to get back on the wagon immediately, then there is no reason why you can't celebrate. But if not then cook a meal at home just for you and hubby that is dukan friendly for you.

It's really interesting to hear how you all cope with "occasions", which of course we all have to face regularly while dieting. It's true that coming off the plan can cause issues getting back on, depending on one's mentality, but also I should add a cautionary note ref getting back into ketosis. Many of us oldtimers, who return far too frequently to Dukan (I admit) find that the diet doesn't work as well any longer. So I guess that, following on from this, each evening "off" requires getting back into ketosis and running the risk that the diet will be less effective.

But yes I hear you. It's not always easy. I try to go for something which I wouldn't normally that is still a treat (like a fresh sea food platter, or a humungous steak!). Skipping starter is never an issue for me (or have one at home!), and after a big main, dessert is usually not required either (except in my head!)!

Good luck!

I remember going to a wedding when I was four months into the diet and sat in the car before going in and eating my turkey mince bolognese! At the reception I discretely pushed my starter around the plate until hubby had finished his and then swapped so he ate mine. Main course ate my veg but gave other things to hubby and he also had my sweet (hubby was well stuffed by the end) managed to do this without others on the table realising I'd not really eaten anything!! I had been worried about this wedding - food wise - but knew if I came off the diet just for the day I wouldn't be able to get my head motivated to get back on it and I knew I had another 8 months to get to target!! After the meal I sneaked the muffins that I had hidden in my handbag and ate those!!! I never let people who know I'm dieting see me eat muffins as how would i explain that ha ha - even now I feel naughty having them every day and can't believe we're allowed them!!! Loooooooove muffins!!!!!! If people know they are able to get straight back on the diet then that's good - I knew that one cheat would lead to a downward spiral back to my heaviest :-(

Hi,

I am in the 'NO' camp and I will probably sound a bit strict here, but this is just what has worked for me Personally the reason Dukan works so well is that there are no options to cheat. If it isn't on the permitted list, it isn't permitted! When I first did Dukan I had: My OH's birthday, my Son's birthday, My birthday in a lovely hotel, food included and a wedding. I kept on plan 100% during all of these and kept telling myself "there will be other chances, it is just food, I don't need that champagne" (oh how I wanted it tho!!!) I just ate whatever was Dukan friendly, or made my own special meals, choosing really lovely food!

It might sound miserable, but I was ELATED when I reached target and to be honest, I don't regret a single one of those occasions. There will always be more food and more drink and your first gala will be so well deserved!

But... if you do decide to have a little break, be as Dukan good as you can. You can definitely still enjoy yourself and eat beautiful food out, just be careful and sensible. Opt for things without sauce, have a word with the waiter and explain you can't have certain things, they are normally very happy to cater for special diets.

For me, if I had one cheat, my motivation would start draining away, but that is me, and you might be like Pauline and able to jump straight back on the wagon.

Good luck and enjoy whatever you do decide on!

`I am on consolidation and during cruise i can honestly say i did not cheat. I ate out and i tried as much as possible to be Dukan friendly. We have a steak and usually thers a meat or fish starter. I dont have any carbs with the main meal (which i could have ) but have a pudding instead. When on crusie i didnt have a pudding i had coffee.

indian..I alway eat chiken tikka and if i want a sauce i have a vegetable side dish. You can also ask the restaurant not to cook your meal with ghee. this has worked with my husband who loves take away curries!

i have ate out 4 time since christmas at various celebrations and have now found it a struggle to get back to normal. I have learned that if you come off it it can be difficult to get back on unless you are very motivated.

And finally i always have 1 or 2 Dukan muffins with me when i go out in case i am tempted!

My handbag often comprises of a tin of tuna, a tin opener and some muffins!! Incase of emergencies!! I also keep a tin of no-drain tuna in the car!! Emergency ration incase I get caught short!!! ;-). I sound like a right Boy Scout!! Be Prepared

I'm now on conso and have been since july - I can honestly say the year I was on cruise I didn't cheat once - that was because I didnt trust myself to get straight back on it - even now on conso I don't have chocolate, biscuits, crisps etc - in fact all my conso pals on here will be horrified to know I've not yet had a gala meal - I do conso as it works best for me and that is by having no galas but instead of one piece of fruit a day I have as much fruit as I want - I have my bread and cheese every day and brown pasta twice a week - it's just my way of dealing with it - I don't trust myself to taste the things that got me fat in the first place cos once I put myself on that slope I don't think I'll be able to get off again :-( I've maintained since July so it's working ok for me

Well done, scooter!! Sounds like you are doing really well

Well done Scooter, sounds like you've nailed it

P x

Thats interesting scooter. We are having the gala meals but not having extra carbs with them in the main. Eating 1 piece of fruit usually cooked apple for desert and bread and cheese on toast for supper. Ive put on 4 pounds and thats down to too many extras since Christmas but hubbie has lost 2 pounds! this is since begining of December.
And we actually look forward to protein Thursdays!

I absolutely hate pp thurs - yet in cruise doing one every other day for a year didnt bother me - its weird - I dread thurs coming round!!!! I miss my cheese toastie for supper and my fruit and veg so much!!!

I had a couple of nights off, but not until 4+ months in. I told myself I wanted to be at 2 stone off before having anything naughty and this worked for me. At that stage I had 2 separate nights out and had a fair bit of alcohol and both, but stuck to dukan food (except one mcflurry!!). Food wise on special occasions I found pv fitted well- steak and veg etc!

Food wise I didn't really slip until I went to Spain in July. I was about 7lb from target and my target had been to lose weight for the holiday, so I wanted to go and enjoy the holiday properly!! 1 "normal" day when home then back to pp for a few days and I didn't have a gain

I think it's all about mindset as the ladies said above. If having a controlled cheat won't set you off the slippery binge slope then go for it, bearing in mind how uou'll feel if the scales show a gain. However if you're "all or nothing" best to modify what you have rather than go for anything naughty!

Just my opinion! Good luck! X

It's interesting to hear peoples replies and differing opinions thanks. I will try my best to stick to getting as close to dukan friendly as possible without over worrying.

My chicken tikka and some other tomato based curry i had the other night felt very naughty to eat yet listed all duken friendly ingredients and hasn't affected weight lose at all, I mat have been a bit miffed watching DH eat my favourite tikka masala but i'm glad i stuck to the right stuff and didn't gain or plateau

Scooter fantastic posts xxx

little pickers wear big nickers!!!!! once you start you mess your blood sugars levels up and its hard to get back on track so i try to stay on the plan as much as possible what ever plan that im on .

This is my third attempt at dukan in a year.. I have a treat and then that's it, back to eating what I want... So no nights off for me anymore. I'll tell u what puts me off
.... Getting back into ketosis. I get dizzy, sick,.hungry, moody for a few days.. Then bam! Im in the zone. Have to stay here this time xx