It’s Mother’s Day and we have brunch reservations. You know what that means....

Today is Mother’s Day and my husband and I are taking my mother to a fancy-schmancy brunch at the gorgeous botanic garden near her.

You know what that means ....

It means lunch today will be a meal like any other for me.

I will aim to eat 6 oz. of vegetables, 4 oz. of protein, 1 fat, and 6 oz. of fruit. I will eat my usual breakfast in the morning beforehand. I will eat my usual dinner in the evening.

I’ve been doing this food plan long enough to know that I have no interest in flubbing up my momentum by breaking my plan today. Momentum is too hard to get and way too hard to get back once you’ve broken it. I have no desire to start over. No way.

But it will be special. I’ve ordered a super-fragrant corsage for my mother (and maybe, possibly one for me too). We plan to linger over our meal. Then we’ll take a long walk, looking especially for our favorite viburnum shrubs, which are in bloom (yay). We are thinking about taking a vacation to the Caribbean next spring so we might debate the merits of St. Lucia versus Martinique. I will choose tasty food that fits my plan and not second-guess my choices. I will savor the food, linger in the conversation, and squeeze every bit of pleasure out of being with my family.

But I will not use it as an excuse to throw away all the hard work I’ve done.

Your happiness does not depend on eating large quantities of food you don’t need or the guilt and physical  pain that comes afterwards.

You have two jobs today: make sure your mother knows she is loved and appreciated, and finish the day content and at peace with your food.