Let's be clear

A couple of e-mails that I received today made me realize that I may not have been clear about what I mean by "no food off-limits" and "real food only." A majority of the time I am making healthy food choices, such as whole grains, lean meats, more fruits and veggies, and good fats like olive and canola oil. I've cut back on the junk food and sweets I eat during the week. In the past it wasn't unusual for me to drive through McDonald's two or three times a week and eat five or six cookies every night after dinner.

Most of the time I am satisfied with eating raw carrots with a sandwich instead of potato chips or a piece of fruit instead of cookies. However, if I really, really, really want a piece of cake or French fries, I'm going to have them. Or, if I'm out to dinner with my husband or friends, I am going to eat whatever sounds good to me on the menu. I'll just cut back on how much of it I eat. If I don't let myself have what I am really craving, the feeling of being deprived will cause me end to eat all of the cake or a huge portion of fries instead.

I guess my plan is to eat well 80 or 90 percent of the time so the other 10 or 20 percent isn't a problem. That is what I envision as a "normal" way of eating that I can follow the rest of my life.

Tell me what you think.