The truth about "I still eat the foods I love"
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Confused. Are you asking specifically how we do it?
Chips-frequently eat half portions. I've hit my fat macro doing this more than once.
Pasta-I almost never eat it any more. Hard to count (I'm not going to cook my own separate portion) and it doesn't fill me up.
Chocolate/sweets in general-I don't really have a problem moderating these so yeah, I can stick to the occasional 80 grams of cake easily. I have sugar free fudgesicles too.
Soda/flavored coffee-I cut these out entirely because they just weren't worth moderating.
Cheese-I work it in every day, sometimes multiple times per day.
Pizza-I make it an event. I've only had it a couple of times in the last 7 months, but I went ham on it with no regrets.0 -
Yes. What changes have you made in the quantity/frequency of certain foods that allow you to still include them while still losing weight.barbecuesauce wrote: »Confused. Are you asking specifically how we do it?
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Yeah, it took me reading the first paragraph a couple time to realize, its not a diss on those who still eat what they love, just a clarification that its with the caveat to eat them in moderation.
Mine is a bit backwards...before, I would rarely if ever eat ice cream..like once or twice a year, because it just felt too sinful to eat more than that. And yet, Id eat a whole pizza, have fast food for breakfast, lunch *and* dinner, gobble down gas station pie with a bottle of Starbucks frappacino...yeah, my logic was warped LoL
So, instead of eating less of it, I actually eat more ice cream now! Since I consume a balanced diet now, I dont feel bad at all about having some ice cream if it fits into my calorie goal for the day.
Speaking of fast food, I still eat it yeah, but instead of say...the Big Mac meal with a strawberry milkshake, I now get only the Filet o Fish sandwich, no fries or drink... make a salad at home to have with it and drink water... (I drink water with all my meals at home now actually)
Yup...I have what I love, but I choose *how* to have it in a different way and also mind my portions. Id rather be able to have a little bit / reasonable amount than to suffer through denying myself and complain to anyone who will listen that I can never eat something I like because it will go straight for my thighs.0 -
Yes. What changes have you made in the quantity/frequency of certain foods that allow you to still include them while still losing weight.barbecuesauce wrote: »Confused. Are you asking specifically how we do it?
same foods..
just less frequency with the caveat that they fit into my targets.0 -
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Pizza - One slice instead of 2, or three, or four.... or more.
Pasta - I have just about cut this out of my diet as I'd rather use my calories for other foods, but when I do eat it, I will generally eat only half of the portion, and save the rest for another meal.
Subs - My absolute favorite sub ever is a ham/cheese with only lettuce, and mayo from the local supermarket in my hometown. They make a 2' sub that I used to devour all of it along with chips. Now, I'll get half of that, and split it up into two separate meals.
Soda/Energy Drinks - I still have an energy drink addiction, but I opt for the zero calorie type now.
Cheese - I can go absolutely bananas over cheese. Now, I make sure to weigh it out as accurately as possible to make sure I'm within my calorie goals
Sweets - I don't eat much sweets, but Twix bars will ruin me if I have a bout of the sweet tooth. On the extremely rare occasion that it does hit though, I'll pick up a regular pack instead of the king sized.
The pattern here is that I haven't really cut out my favorite foods. I just eat smaller portions of them in less frequent intervals.0 -
Freeoscar, I get what you mean about some people making it sound like they've found the magic weight loss key that allows them to eat anything they want and still lose weight. It is taking me a long time to come to terms with the fact that I can, indeed, eat anything I want and still lose weight, but I can't eat everything I want. I've had to give up chips and trail mix because a serving seems like a tease and doesn't satisfy. 11 carefully counted out and weighed chips leads to just one more, just one more, just one more until I've stuffed myself silly with chips and have gone over my calorie and sodium budgets. More often than not, I'm STILL not satisfied at that point.0
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I stopped baking. I really love it, but I noticed that my kids would have a small slice of cake/couple of cookies, whatever, and my husband and I would eat the rest, and neither of us needed it. That helped. We used to have dessert regularly. Now we never do. If my boys want something, they make a smoothie.
Yes. What changes have you made in the quantity/frequency of certain foods that allow you to still include them while still losing weight.barbecuesauce wrote: »Confused. Are you asking specifically how we do it?
I also stopped eating much bread/pasta/rice/potatoes. I have them sometimes, but realised I didn't miss them - I'm happy having my bolognese sauce topping a big bowl of salad so I take advantage of that.
I used to have a chocolate bar of some kind every day - sometimes a big one. I still need to have some kind of chocolate every day. I've tried the 'square of dark chocolate' thing but that doesn't work for me. I like junky milk chocolate, so I buy bags of fun-sized Smarties, Aeros, Kitkats and have one or two a day when I have a cup of tea.
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I read that as blatant trolling....0 -
The foods I love, just no longer need to stuff and stuff them into my face until I physically feel my stomach pushing my pants outward and straining against buttons and I no longer have to make sure I get in EVERY food I love every day in large quantities.
I don't think "I eat all the foods I love" implies magic at all. It's obvious people are talking about those foods within their calorie goals (and/or other macro goals as desired; not me, though, I generally just watch my calorie total). It's especially obvious since I don't usually just see someone say "I eat anything I want," period, without any explanation at all to follow, to wit: "I just stay within my calorie goals."0 -
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Ice Cream - I'm lucky in that I never ate big quantities, but ate reasonable amounts at high frequency. I've cut back from 1/2C 3 times a week to 1/2C once or twice a month
Soda - Again, never been a huge quantity drinker, but now I drink just 6 oz a few days per week
Pasta - I would eat a massive serving of mac'n'cheese (homemade) - probably 1500 calories. Now when I eat pasta I have about 3oz in a sauce full of veggies and no cheese or cream
Chips - I've pretty much cut these out completely, b/c even a 400 calorie bag doesn't sate me at all - just leaves me wanting another bag (and a big gulp along with it)
Cookies/Cakes - I would just mindlessly go back to the bag or box and take more without realizing how much I ate. Now I take a serving which fits in my day, put away the box, sit down at the table w/a cup of tea and actually savor it.
Cereal - I would start a medley of adding more cereal to finish the milk, then adding more milk to finish the cereal, and probably had 4 cups + 2 cups of milk before it was through. Now I measure out my serving (usually 1.5 times 'suggested'), finish it, and that's that.
It is funny what people struggle with portion wise. For me, I am not a big chip eater, so I just don't eat them or get a bag occasionally if I crave them. I don't drink coke and haven't for years. Pasta is something I have to eat in smaller quantities, and I don't eat the calorie loaded forms. Cookies and cakes are something I can't really have on a regular basis, maybe once every few months, because I cannot eat just one cookie. Cake is another problem food for me. I can eat half a cake at a time or even a whole one so I will not eat that except every few months. One slice would not leave me satisfied. Cereal is another thing I don't have. I have substituted oatmeal for cereal. Ice cream I like in large quantities so I don't normally eat that. I am one of those people who a small serving of a certain foods doesn't really satisfy so I tend to stay away from them. I like eating healthy, whole foods that I am not tempted to overeat and that satisfy my nutritional needs so I won't be left feeling hungry. I notice if I have certain foods I crave it a lot, like sweets or pizza, and I get on a bad track where I have them many days a week for dinner. They make me feel sick too.
Certain foods are like crack to me, so I have to approach what I eat like an addict and get rid of those foods I can't control. I have tried and tried to control everything I eat and eat everything in moderation but I end up just gaining all the weight I lost when I do that within a few weeks or months.
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I read that as blatant trolling....
Yeah, and I confess my bias to giving the side eye to any "I don't eat anything but light and goodness" from a profile pic of a thigh gap. My pro-ana senses start tingling.0 -
Mine do when I read the word 'restrict'.
I read that as blatant trolling....
Yeah, and I confess my bias to giving the side eye to any "I don't eat anything but light and goodness" from a profile pic of a thigh gap. My pro-ana senses start tingling.
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If she had success restricting, who's to say it's not the right thing to do? I don't really do that, but everyone has their own preferences, and the right to diet in whichever way they choose. As long as it's not in an unhealthy manner, I don't see the problem. Not everyone can effectively control their portions of problem foods.
But then, you're right, this could be a troll too.0 -
I said it before, and I'll say it again: I am eating all the same foods I ate before, I am just eating less of it and moving more.
I hit 10k steps last night while pulling my 150 calorie ice cream bar out of the fridge. I had a chocolate donut on the way to work today because I stopped for coffee (black, with sugar-free vanilla syrup) and it sounded delicious.
Yes, I'm eating 1600 calories a day but I'm also burning 300-400 with extra movement.0 -
I read that as blatant trolling....
Yeah, and I confess my bias to giving the side eye to any "I don't eat anything but light and goodness" from a profile pic of a thigh gap. My pro-ana senses start tingling.
the "pizza makes me sick...and I don't eat that other crap" were kind of a tip off....
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I kind of agree with the beginning of your first post, there are sacrifices/ changes that have to be made and are sometimes brushed aside, whih irks me. The stronger and more importnat message fo me has to do with new dieters and the way they regard food, restriction can often be a recipe for disaster , so the eating a bit of what you like in moeration may be a bit robotic, but its also true.0
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So...basically OP, you still eat the foods you love.0
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I eat the same foods I was eating before, I just control my portions. What was 4oz of spaghetti is now 2. What was 1.5 servings of chips is now 1.
On the flip side, I actually eat more ice cream now than I did before. I used to feel so guilty when I ate ice cream that I rarely would. Now, I have 1 serving just about every day and I don't feel guilty. I know that I can eat it because I know what the rest of my day was like. I know that it fits in my calories and I will still lose weight.
So, yeah, it can work in reverse too.0 -
raisealittlehell wrote: »The truth is that if you fit the calories into your allotment for the day, you can have the full fat mac and cheese or Ice Cream everyday.....
With anything its in moderation. So yes, you can still eat the foods you love (the full versions) and still lose weight. I don't think anyone is saying "eat what you want, in the quantities you want and still lose weight" (or if they are I am sure sarcasm plays a major role). Maybe you are taking what people say to literally.
Besides the fact that if anyone believes that they can eat what they want, in mass quantity and still lose weight, they need more help than these message boards provide.
right?
i do eat what i want, just a whole lot LESS of it
today is a bad example as i didn't go to the gym so don't have the calories I normally do, but *if* I behave myself the rest of the day I could still get away at or under calorie goals. 0 -
I guess I'm just not seeing how the OP, or anybody, could think people are hinting at some sort of magical eating free-for-all by saying they "eat what they love", when you can't swing a dead cat around MFP without hitting a CICO or "are you weighing and measuring EVERYTHING?" reference...?
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It gives off the vibe of a Slimfast commercial and implies that there is something magical where you make no sacrifices but still lose weight. Of course we all know that isn't true, and you do have to moderate your intake of certain foods.
The word "sacrifice" is a subjective term. What you may consider to be a sarifice may not be what someone else considers to be the same. Due to my personal experiences starving and dieting miserably in the past, I consider it to be darn near amazing that I can eat a moderate amount of the foods I love and lose weight. I don't consider it a sacrifice in the least.0 -
Peanut butter was my downfall. Eating it out of the jar every day. (500+ calories/day!!!). I've started measuring it and having 1 tbsp on toast or a rice cake every day. It was hard to get used to such a small amount but now I'm fine with it.
Same with ice cream. Used to eat it out of the carton but I'm having 1/4 cup (half a serving) every night. Again, a very small amount but now I'm used to it.
I quit eating nuts, didn't love them enough for the calories. Same with chips and dark chocolate. I don't eat much cheese either. I had some on a taco last night and couldn't even taste it and decided that wasn't worth the calories to not taste it!
I think it all depends on what you're personal preferences are and figuring out how to fit them in even if it means very small portion sizes.
I'm making darn sure I save 150 or so calorie left each night so I can have a yummy treat before bed.0 -
I am confused why the OP cares about what every body else is doing...
The fact is, you just learn to adjust how you prepare, cook, choose food to consume in order to make wiser, healthier, moderate choices.. All this is not rocket science and if you consume 2000 calories of ice cream every day, you lose weight by cutting that in half...
???????? about this thread...0 -
You put your bolognese sauce on your salad?
I stopped baking. I really love it, but I noticed that my kids would have a small slice of cake/couple of cookies, whatever, and my husband and I would eat the rest, and neither of us needed it. That helped. We used to have dessert regularly. Now we never do. If my boys want something, they make a smoothie.
Yes. What changes have you made in the quantity/frequency of certain foods that allow you to still include them while still losing weight.barbecuesauce wrote: »Confused. Are you asking specifically how we do it?
I also stopped eating much bread/pasta/rice/potatoes. I have them sometimes, but realised I didn't miss them - I'm happy having my bolognese sauce topping a big bowl of salad so I take advantage of that.
I used to have a chocolate bar of some kind every day - sometimes a big one. I still need to have some kind of chocolate every day. I've tried the 'square of dark chocolate' thing but that doesn't work for me. I like junky milk chocolate, so I buy bags of fun-sized Smarties, Aeros, Kitkats and have one or two a day when I have a cup of tea.
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I don't understand why "I still eat the foods I love, just less of them" is such a hard concept to grasp....
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I don't think it's always couched with "In moderation" or "just less of them" or "and then I adjust my activity level or other meals" or "in the same amount but less frequently". Those are all very important qualifiers.
"Don't give up your favorite foods! Just eat them in moderation, pay attention to your serving sizes, move more, and also treat yourself to a donut after you pulled 400 lbs. on a deadlift" is misleading. It's not as easy as all that; that's what most people seem to struggle with. So if it's easier to bail on ice cream than it is to figure out how to work it into your macros... then bail on ice cream!0 -
It gives off the vibe of a Slimfast commercial and implies that there is something magical where you make no sacrifices but still lose weight. Of course we all know that isn't true, and you do have to moderate your intake of certain foods.
The word "sacrifice" is a subjective term. What you may consider to be a sarifice may not be what someone else considers to be the same. Due to my personal experiences starving and dieting miserably in the past, I consider it to be darn near amazing that I can eat a moderate amount of the foods I love and lose weight. I don't consider it a sacrifice in the least.
I agree. When I first buckled down and went back to CICO after just over a decade of trying "eat all you can of X and completely exclude Y and Z" "diets," I thought not stuffing myself past what I actually needed was a sacrifice. Not feeling bloated, loggy and pretty much unable to move after eating was a sacrifice. Come on...that's really not the definition of sacrifice.
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You put your bolognese sauce on your salad?
I stopped baking. I really love it, but I noticed that my kids would have a small slice of cake/couple of cookies, whatever, and my husband and I would eat the rest, and neither of us needed it. That helped. We used to have dessert regularly. Now we never do. If my boys want something, they make a smoothie.
Yes. What changes have you made in the quantity/frequency of certain foods that allow you to still include them while still losing weight.barbecuesauce wrote: »Confused. Are you asking specifically how we do it?
I also stopped eating much bread/pasta/rice/potatoes. I have them sometimes, but realised I didn't miss them - I'm happy having my bolognese sauce topping a big bowl of salad so I take advantage of that.
I used to have a chocolate bar of some kind every day - sometimes a big one. I still need to have some kind of chocolate every day. I've tried the 'square of dark chocolate' thing but that doesn't work for me. I like junky milk chocolate, so I buy bags of fun-sized Smarties, Aeros, Kitkats and have one or two a day when I have a cup of tea.
How funny, I do that all the time. I LOVE ground beef on top of salad, in various "recipes" - bolognese, Mexican-style and so on.
My husband thinks I'm insane.
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Things like ice cream, soda, cookies, cake and such, I have not changed my habits and quantities one bit because they were not a big part of my diet to start with. Yes I would still eat a whole sleeve of Oreos or a 1000 calorie slice of mousse cake, but because it does not come across often to make a difference in the grand scheme of things. My chips consumption varied back then from 1/2 a serving to a whole bag, and it still varies the same.
Same for pizza, I still eat 3 slices like I always have, but we don't eat pizza nearly enough to make a difference.
What I had to heavily moderate is things I eat on a daily basis:
Olive oil: I now measure not to exceed about a tablespoon per meal. In the past everything was drowning in olive oil.
Bread: I switched it for a lower calorie version which has half the calories and heavily reduced the amount.
Fruits: I now eat 1-4 pieces of fruit a day instead of the 10+ I used to eat.
Greek Yogurt: I don't exceed half a cup a day or it would cut heavily into my calories.
Steamed Rice: 1 cup instead of 3.
Milk: switched from full fat to 1.5% or skim.
Nuts and Seeds (pumpkin, watermelon, sunflower..etc): from 1000 calorie bags every day to a handful every now and then.
Random things that lie on the counter and I grab just because they're there even though I don't like them: reduced to 0.
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