How to Plan for An Exception Meal



If you are following a generally low carbohydrate diet and you occasionally plan for a meal that is off protocol, that is called an exception meal.  I generally advise my clients to do this once a week, especially when starting out the program.  This article will go over the right way to plan for an exception meal and how to make sure you don’t gain weight or completely fall off the wagon afterwards.
Make It an Empowering Experience
An exception meal is something that should always be planned.  Each week you should choose one time that you will be eating off plan, at least 24 hours in advance.  Examples would be eating cake at an upcoming birthday party, dessert at a restaurant with friends, ice cream with your kids, etc.  By planning this at least 24 hours in advance, you are making an empowered choice, and one that comes from your prefrontal cortex, not an impulse.  This puts you in control and makes all the difference in the experience.  There should be no guilt or feeling  out of control, just pure enjoyment.
Some clients accidentally go off plan and eat something on impulse that they had not planned for.  They will then say, “well I guess that was that was my exception meal.”  That is definitely the wrong way to think about it because an exception meal is always planned, never accidental.  It lies in the psychology of the exception meal, and coming from a place of empowerment.  If you accidentally go off plan, the right move is to ask yourself why and look into what you can do in the future to anticipate and prevent it.  Learn from the experience.  If you just chalk it up to being an exception meal, when it actually wasn’t, you deny yourself the opportunity to take responsibility for your actions and to learn from them – which is where true growth happens. 
Make Sure to Keep It Reasonable
An exception meal is not meant to be an all-out splurge.  As you can imagine, if taken too far, an exception meal can sabotage your weight loss.  You want to avoid having a meal with appetizers, sugar and flour, dessert, and lots of alcohol.  Some people approach the exception with a scarcity mindset of “this is my chance!” and eat pizza, ice cream, and have a few beers.  First of all, this is just way too much food.  Additionally, it can feel like you are out of control and just gorging.  That does not make for an empowering experience.  You should be following your normal hunger cues and stop eating when you no longer feel hungry.
A good exception meal is essentially one item that is an exception.  You might decide to get an appetizer that you love before dinner.  You might eat a hamburger with the bun, or just have the French fries with your bun less burger.  You might eat dessert or have a scoop of ice cream.  These are all great examples of reasonable exception meals that won’t send you off the deep end. 
When you are having your exception meal, make sure you really take the time to savor it.  Eat it slowly and really taste each bite.  Many people who really slow down in this way will actually notice that after the first 1-3 bites, it doesn’t have the same level of joy, and may decide not to finish the rest.  It is always the first few bites that give us the most pleasure, so if you slow down and savor it, you will be sure to get the maximal enjoyment from the meal.
Plan for the Next Day
I always recommend planning your food at least 24 hours in advance.  This is especially true after an exception meal.  If you ate anything with more carbohydrates in it for your exception meal, which is usually the case, you are likely to have more cravings the next day.  You need to anticipate this, and plan well for the next day.  Many people wake up more hungry than usual the day after eating carbohydrates.  Plan a breakfast with a good amount of healthy fat to keep you satiated and less likely to go off plan. 
If you do feel more cravings the next day, make sure you recognize what is going on.  Rather than feeling deprived, or that your plan is not working, manage your thoughts around it.  You might choose to think, “this is normal”, or “This is only temporary.” You might remember that an urge is only a suggestion from your brain.  Rely on having a good plan already in place for that day. 
Plan for Exception Meals Regularly
When planned well, an exception meal can be a wonderful thing, infused with emotion and sharing joy with your family.  Be sure to incorporate something meaningful into your week on a regular basis. 

If you are interested in learning more strategies to lose weight, schedule a free consultation session.  

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