The Diet Detective
The danger of indulging on special occasions

By Charles Stuart Platkin
Syndicated columnist

KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS Splurging on special cakes can throw diets off track.

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We all have those special occasions — birthdays, family dinners, parties, weddings, retirement dinners and even just weekends — that we use as excuses to overeat.

According to Amy Gorin, Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown Medical School, one of the primary predictors of weight gain or maintenance is dietary consistency. "Those who maintain the same diet regimen across the week and year are more likely to maintain their weight loss over the following year than those who diet more strictly on weekdays and/or during nonholiday periods."

If you're wondering whether overeating "just this once" really has any effect on your weight, numbers don't lie. I made up my own roster of "special days," and the total came to about 50 per year.

If I ate 500 extra calories on those days (one piece of cake and a scoop of ice cream), that would be about 25,000 calories, or more than 7 pounds a year!

Here are tips to avoid gaining weight from all of those "Extra Ordinary Eating" events.

All or nothing

I don't know how many times I've heard someone say: "I've already ruined my diet, so it doesn't matter what I eat now!" The bottom line is that an extra calorie is an extra calorie — so having a slice of birthday cake doesn't (or shouldn't) give you the excuse to eat two more.

Haven't you ever heard of cutting your losses? Well, here it's the opposite: You're cutting your gains.
 
Strategize

You may think planning what you're going to eat beforehand takes the fun and spontaneity out of the occasion, but that's just not so. Think about what and how much you're going to eat at the event before you even get there — set limits and you'll feel better.

For instance, if you know there is going to be cake and ice cream, and you typically have two or sometimes three servings, mentally rehearse having only one serving of each.

Is it worth it?

We tend to eat unconsciously at these events — shoving food in our mouths without even thinking. So be aware of what you're eating and make sure it tastes great. If the birthday cake or apple pie is not up to par — don't eat it.

Instead of "waste not, want not," try to adopt a "want not, waist not" mentality. In other words, if you don't really want it, don't let it go to your waist.

Food pushers

How many times have you heard a family member or friend tell you that you'll spoil the party if you don't partake in the food festivities, or it's bad luck not to have at least one slice of cake? Try to have an answer ready for diet saboteurs.

Mentally rehearse a few key phrases like, "Oh, no thanks. I couldn't eat another thing." Or even try the truth: "I'm dieting, and eating that piece of cake will completely throw me off track."

Another idea, when feasible, is to have alternative low-calorie food choices handy by bringing your own.

Indulge before events

One of the reasons the Atkins and South Beach diets work in the short run is because you're too full to eat anything else. So, why not stuff yourself beforehand with healthful, low-calorie foods so that it will be easier to say no?

What's eating you?

If you're prone to emotional eating and you're going to an event you know is going to be tough, be honest with yourself before the event and allow your feelings of anxiety to come to the surface.

Overindulging in food won't make the event any less stressful — in fact you'll likely feel worse if you have to deal with guilt the next day.

Excuse bust

We all have great excuses for why we should eat, such as, "It's a birthday party" or, "After all, it is my friend's wedding." Next time, brainstorm and write down all the excuses for why it's OK to overeat — then, come up with counterarguments to punch holes in your excuses.

For example, your excuse buster to, "It's my friend's wedding — I want to enjoy myself," could be, "I'll enjoy the wedding much more if I dance more and eat less dessert."

Weekend warriors

"I live a busy life, and I manage to diet all week long. But once the weekend rolls around, well, I like to enjoy myself." Sound familiar? Research shows we tend to eat an additional 115 calories per day on weekends. That's an extra 345 calories per week — or an additional 5 pounds a year. Watch out for weekends.

Calories spent at

common events:

Child's birthday party

1 helping of lasagna (with meat and spinach): 1,116 calories

1 slice pizza: 270 calories

1 piece ice-cream cake : 410 calories

A handful of M&M's: 120 calories

2 glasses juice: 220 calories

A can of soda: 140 calories

1 brownie: 243 calories

Total: 2,519 calories

Thanksgiving

5 crackers with 1 ounce of cheese: 140 calories

4 thick turkey slices with gravy: 375 calories

A mound of stuffing: 404 calories

1/2 cup cranberry relish: 245 calories

Sweet-potato casserole: 285 calories

A mound of mashed potatoes: 217 calories

1 slice pumpkin pie: 240 calories

1 slice apple pie: 290 calories

Cider with rum: 160 calories

Total: 2,356 calories

Cocktail party

Handful of honey-roasted peanuts: 152 calories

4 mozzarella sticks: 431 calories

6 Buffalo wings with blue-cheese dressing: 395 calories

3 martinis: 480 calories

2 handfuls of potato chips: 316 calories

4 chicken fingers: 634 calories

10 veggie sticks and dip: 76 calories

Total: 2,484 calories

Friend's wedding

3 Swedish meatballs: 205 calories

3 crab puffs: 240 calories

3 glasses champagne: 255 calories

2 dinner rolls with butter: 358 calories

Prime rib: 675 calories

A mound of rice pilaf: 205 calories

12 candy-coated almonds: 230 calories

Wedding cake: 320 calories

Total: 2,488 calories

(If you dance for 30 minutes, you can deduct about 100 calories)

Charles Stuart Platkin is a syndicated health, nutrition and fitness columnist, author of the best-selling book "Breaking the Pattern" (Red Mill Press, 2002) and founder of iWellness Solutions. Write to info@thedietdetective.com.