During my weight loss process, yes I was pretty strict. No, I didn't allow myself "cheats" very often. But when I wanted to live, I did (but the key is living in moderation).
Last night, we were at a friend's house celebrating back to school (well, at least the adults were celebrating). There were lots of items that really didn't fall on plan for me (ok maybe most of them... Lol) and I had to decide how I was handling that. Appetizers... Had very little, but did allow myself the opportunity to sample. Dinner was burgers and hot dogs. I had burgers with jalapenos, guacamole and salsa(no buns). There was a 7 layer salad that was awesome and I actually splurged and had extra of that's. Some watermelon to fill in... Beverages... This is where I really splurged (deciding where you are going to use your calories is key). Some adult raspberry lemonade was had and one glass (albeit a large one) of cherry vodka on the rocks (yum )... Desserts I skipped all together, but I was ok with that and had already decided that beverages was my major splurge for the evening. The key part was knowing my limits and putting the brakes on. When I was full, I was done eating. I set a limit of one large drink and immediately switched to water once it was done.
Remembering that food truly is just to nourish our bodies is really what helps me to stay on track. Don't get me wrong, I'm human and for 37 years I didn't think about food this way my whole life so I have my moments. But, I also think a lot about how food makes me feel and is it worth not feeling well just to eat something. It's taken me almost 39 years to get this right, but I finally think I've got it!
So if you are trying to lose weight, you need to on occasion allow yourself to live. The biggest part is remembering to do it in moderation...