Why Can You Eat Fattening Food? What's Your Secret

jenilla1

Everybody's got something to deal with, right? It's eating behaviors and food for some. It's other things for the rest of us. Not knowing what's it's like to be emotionally invested in eating I can't really help people who are. All I can do is explain my own relationship with food. I think that's what the OP was asking for...

The reason I can eat whatever I want and get away with it is probably due to my personality. That's what it comes down to I think. I am not an addictive personality, I have a lot of self-control, I'm stubborn (so when I put my mind to something I do it), and I have never had any negative emotional attachment to food. I eat what I want, but only in the amounts that I need. Food is not MY kryptonite. I have other challenges in my life.

It's hard to explain, but I enjoy food without letting it control me. I also have a lot of positive associations with healthier foods. (Any food can be fattening if you overeat, but some choices are better than others.) Poor quality foods - like fast food and highly processed crap - don't taste good to me, so I don't crave them. I love home cooking from scratch.

For me, food is a pleasure so be savored slowly. I'm always the slowest eater at any table. A little bit of deliciousness goes a long way for me. I can eat until I'm satisfied and then walk away, knowing I can have more later when I need it.

FindingMyself24

I will sometimes eat "unhealthy" foods too...but i try to limit my portions....it is VERY hard to do too...it takes some serious will power....i always tell myself "dont eat so much youll gain"...i eat enough to get a small taste and then im good....i used to be soooo bad though....mind you i have had my days where i mess up pretty bad....when we went on vacation for two weeks it took me almost a WHOLE month to get back on track....i slowly had to remove the stuff from my diet again...im back on track now...i eat 1700 calories a day and workout 5-6 times a week...i do weights and cardio....i also let Sundays be my "chill" day....which means ill eat whatever i want or craved during the week but in moderation...when i first started my "chill" day i was really bad and ate soooo MUCH....but now i try to only eat maintenance calories on that day....it seems to be working so far....but we are all human...we all have our bad days and our weaknesses!! If I want something REALLY REALLY BAD...ill save all my calories...like last week i wanted frozen pizza and so i ate very little all day just so i can have pizza lol..i wasnt over on sodium...carbs...or anything....its all about moderation...=)

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

Here's the secret:

You CAN eat those things. You just have to determine how much your calorie allotment allows, cut off that much of whatever treat you want, weigh it, and eat it. And DON'T eat more than that.

For instance, if I have 28 calories left and I really want chocolate, I have one small square of Endangered Species 88% chocolate because it is 28 calories for one square. Then I re-wrap the bar and put it back on the top shelf.

The other secret is that it took me 3 years to be able to put the rest of the bar on the top shelf. We all know that this is a struggle. If you have foods that you can't have "just a little bit" of, then keep them out of your life. Practice having just a little bit every now and again, and eventually it will become a way of life. It just takes time.

When we start thinking about this as a long term, rest of your life, thing, then it becomes easier. The mindset has to change along with the diet.

Every day is just a little easier than the day before.

jennifer_417

Everyone is different. People have different emotional responses to food. Some people can eat what they want in moderation, others cannot control themselves. I generally do very well with moderation, but if I open a jar of dip, I'll eat the entire jar, along with an entire bag of chips. So I don't buy it. This is slightly more extreme example, but think of an alcoholic. He/she may wonder how others can drink in moderation, but he cannot. He may consider it unfair, and honestly it isn't. But the fact is he/she can't touch alcohol without going overboard. Even a small taste is his undoing. Sure, it's not fair, but to maintain sobriety, he can't touch a drop of alcohol

Deipneus

Hi - this is my question based on another topic here. How come YOU can eat pizza, donuts, fried chicken, a big candy bar, a big pie, etc.. etc. and I need to NOT eat that? I mean this is for the people that admit they eat this but yet in the big picture, it doesn't seem to hurt their weight loss. So what is it that you have that I dont?

Different genetics, that's what's different. As for me, I eat those things so infrequently that it couldn't possibly matter but I've made it a point that NOTHING is totally off limits.

Getting back to genetics, it's widely underestimated as a factor. There are way too many people congratulating themselves and condemning others when they've done nothing to earn their genes. I'm somewhere in the middle in the gene lottery.

BeachIron

Here's the secret:

You CAN eat those things. You just have to determine how much your calorie allotment allows, cut off that much of whatever treat you want, weigh it, and eat it. And DON'T eat more than that.

For instance, if I have 28 calories left and I really want chocolate, I have one small square of Endangered Species 88% chocolate because it is 28 calories for one square. Then I re-wrap the bar and put it back on the top shelf.

The other secret is that it took me 3 years to be able to put the rest of the bar on the top shelf. We all know that this is a struggle. If you have foods that you can't have "just a little bit" of, then keep them out of your life. Practice having just a little bit every now and again, and eventually it will become a way of life. It just takes time.

When we start thinking about this as a long term, rest of your life, thing, then it becomes easier. The mindset has to change along with the diet.

Every day is just a little easier than the day before.

^ This. And I really think that the bolded part gets lost in a lot of our discussions on here from those of us who like to brag about our beer and burgers. Yes, I eat pizza, ice cream, friend chicken, peanut butter, chocolate, hamburgers and even the occasional burger, fries and milkshake combo, but when I started out it was a struggle. I had to learn portion control, and weighing and measuring everything, and a lot of self control. I'm at a point now where it's easy for me to stop where I should stop.

Part of learning to stop for me was also disassociating myself with a lifestyle that was based on food. I fancied myself a foodie for a good number of years, and I spent a small, okay not so small, fortune in restaurants. I replaced that with physical activity. Hiking, running, lifting, and other physical activities are all way more exciting to me than food now. I still love food, but I'm not planning my vacations around getting a reservation at the next trendy restaurant, and spending hours pouring over recipes. It's a middle road to be honest.

The important thing though is that you very likely can do the exact same thing. Be patient with yourself and know that you can do it if you just keep trying.

ndj1979

simple ..if you eat a slice of pizza and it fits into your calorie and macro goal for the day then you are good...

however, if you gorge on fried chicken, donuts, etc all day and blow out calories/macors for the day then this is bad...

not really sure what the problem is...

You can have a slice of pie just make sure that you are still in deficit for day...

usmcmp

You have to build self control. It takes time, but the more you practice self control the better you get at it. Eventually you reach the point like the rest of us where your brain and body understand that you can eat half a candy bar and the other half will be waiting there tomorrow.

When I started out I would buy a two pack of individual slices of cheesecake once a week. I would then say I could have one for breakfast and save the other for tomorrow. The first 6 months of doing that I would eat both slices before noon. The next 6 months I would eat one in the morning and one at night. My self control kept getting better and now I can buy them without eating them for weeks.

Over time you will learn how to fit these treats into your calorie goals without causing you to go off track. You'll learn what treats are more worth it than others.

http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/01/self-control.aspx

etoiles_argentees

Magic.
My body thrives on quality, not quantity.

katelynal

To OP... eating out is tough, but I ALWAYS check the website menu for nutrition info before I go and decide what I am going to have ahead of time. Lots of good information from all of these posts. Mind hunger is still a big issue for me, especially when I am trying to do menu planning and find recipes to cook at home. It is getting better with time and practice

henryweismann

There's no magic to being able to eat fast food and still lose weight. You just have to make room for it in your calorie goal.

I agree. I had a chicken parm pizza slice today for 500 calories. I went to the gym and burned 500 calories. I now have 1200 left for the day which is easy to stay within and be happy. I think they key for me is one bad thing in a day and only on a day I am going to the gym.

shellybsn

I need a little bit of "fattening" stuff to keep my sanity.It satisifes and fills me up more than anything else. It won't work for everyone, and some days it all goes to heck and I over do it. Write it down, take credit...it's the guilt and blaming myself that is the real problem. I tend to say screw it, if I've fallen off the wagon, lets just do up right. But I also feel like I need the ability to flex to my circumstances (3 small kids, sometimes we are out and crappy food is all there is to choose from), and sometimes I enjoy the indulgence. The more I have owned up to it and tried to truly maximize the occasion, the less I tend to go overboard. I would rather splurge on a nice dinner out with my fmily and order a reasonable meal (steak, potato, veggies, soup) that may go over my calories, than waste my hard earned calories on crappy tasting stuff from the vending machine, cheap fast food, etc. Knowing I can have "the good stuff" keeps me from eating just anything fattening stuff lying around. If I am craving a chocolate milkshake for several days....then just eat a little lighter, exercise an little more and just have it. Gets it off my mind and I'm done. I don't want it again. I get a really good one and savor the moment. Part of this journey is really learning your own needs, triggers, and fixes. Just "dieting" won't work, it has to be a lifestyle change. But's it's what works for you, your psyche and your lifestyle. That's a hard learning curve, but important.

NonnyMary

At 560 lbs. and trapped in my own home and finally having that get busy living or get busy dying moment, I knew even then nothing would ever change if I didn't figure out how to change my relationship with food.. It was my addition and no matter what I did if I could not get a handle on it I would continue down the road I was already on.. So I needed someone to help me change my mindset so for me it was therapy...and slowly I learned to accept food for what it is (a means to life) food would eventual not control me and that I would control it... It took alot of hard work and I am still going to therapy once a month but I can say there is no going back now... I have a firm grip on things now but I still am ever diligent to know where I came from and to work everyday to appreciate what I have been able to do... So from my perspective that is where I would start..... Best of Luck

Woww!!! This is the first time I've seen you here.. All I can say is HUGE CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! wow!!! just wow!!! fabulous

endoftheside

For me, it's been about two things. First, I set my calorie goal as my TDEE(sedentary) at my goal weight (I also eat exercise calories). This means that every single day I am practicing how, on average, I need to eat to be at my goal weight. I *have* to make this work, because this is what it takes. I have to figure out how to face every single food-related challenge, and no way do I want to live the rest of my life without pizza or chocolate or whatever...tried that, failed, gave up, not doing that again.

Second, I have my macros set in a way that feels sustainable to me. If I eat with my protein at 1g/lb lean body mass, carbs <150g, and fat to fill in the rest, I have a lot of flexibility to eat some of whatever strikes my fancy. Granted, I end up needing to eat a high protein dinner a lot of days because protein is tricky for me, but I know that whatever strikes my fancy, I can have some of it, just maybe not today because I chose to do something else. If I want the world's largest piece of cherry pie, that probably means chicken and low-carb veg for the other meals, and some days that might be my choice. Of course, I don't just willynilly down the pie, I log it first, see what it means, and then make a conscious decision yes/no. If I can't do that, then I'm not going down that path. No thanks, there will always be another piece of cherry pie. I need to be in control of my eating so that it fits in the master plan, not just a whim of the moment.

NonnyMary

Hi all Thank you so much for your great words! You know, I see that we are all actually a lot alike (this is everyone here); seems I see a pattern in everyone's writing. And the ones I may have thought had it all in the bag - really made a lot of effort and time in order to get to where they are today.

In my case, I am doing a lot of what you are all doing, portion control, mindful eating, etc. Today when i went to the store and bought a bag of veg to make chilli, i felt a sense of pride, not stuck up that would be arrogant, but a sense of "I got control over my food!" and have you ever felt that realization? To know that you are beginning to control food is a strong feeling that makes me feel like food is not controlling me. I felt a sense of strength knowing that I had all good food in my bag!

This is great! I love all your stories and tales and how you went from A to B, and eventually we get stronger as we keep on keeping on

Congratulations to all of you who have lost 1 pound, 5 pounds, 25 or 100 or 387!!! We're in this together.. I'm so glad you all wrote that what you did so I could see, before this i was wondering whats up with the people that seemed they were enjoying stuff that I haven't yet got a handle on.. but i am working on it.

cmeiron

For me, it's been a combination of things:

1. not labeling food as "bad/good" and not eliminating any of the "treat"-like foods I like from my diet; this includes allowing myself to keep them in the house (whereas before they were "forbidden")

2. learning to incorporate reasonable servings of these kinds of foods into my day-to-day eating. I plan for it, log it, measure my portion, eat that, and move on.

3. recognizing that I'm human and will have slip-ups, days where I'm legitimately super-hungry, and days where dammit I just want some chocolate so gimme (like tonight, for instance :laugh: )

My old behaviours (labeling, restriction,self- shaming) made for a very unhealthy and emotion-ridden relationship with food. It also made me want "forbidden" foods even more, and would lead to secret eating (picking up a bunch of chocolate bars at the gas station and eating them in the car; going to a drive through and ordering a couple of donuts and muffins and eating those; sneaking stuff out of my baking supplies like bowls of chocolate chips or gobs peanut butter at night).

Now these items are freely available for me to eat, IF if choose to do so. I do not allow myself to eat in secret anymore, and log everything here to keep me accountable. I know that I like my sweets and treats (a lot), so I tend to make room in my diary for them pretty much every day. Not excessive amounts - maybe 10-20% - but I always know that I can have them, so those emotional hangups are significantly lessened. No need to sneak, lie, feel bad or beat myself up.

I still have days where cravings are intense and I have thoughts about bingeing so I am also practicing replacing old behaviours with new ones. Feeling cravings coming on? Rather that start wandering around the fridge and pantry, I make a cup of mint tea and get out of the kitchen. I'm also making myself stop and actually think about how I'm feeling. Am I actually hungry? Is my body telling me that it's lacking something? Sometimes I find that what I'm feeling is a legitimate physical response and not an emotional one - in these cases I'm happy to fix the problem by eating something reasonable.

Another thing that's helped is simply allowing myself to eat lots of food. I've been doing a pretty moderate cut most of the year, and now I'm only cutting by about 5% of my TDEE because I'm working up to maintenance.

Another biggie is that I've set pretty ambitious fitness goals for myself. This has motivated me to focus more on nutrition and hitting specific macronutrient goals every day. This added focus makes it easier to make good choices with my eating. (But I still make room for dessert every day! :bigsmile: )

It's not easy. It gets easier though

jonnythan

There is no such thing as "fattening food."

Food is only fattening when eating it causes you to go over your calorie goal.

I just finished off a Pop-Tart ice cream sandwich. It wasn't fattening because I'm still in a caloric deficit today. If I had eaten maintenance today, and then eaten the sandwich, it would have become fattening.

Of course, a rice cake would have been fattening in that situation as well.

The critical part is to keep your calorie intake down.

2beekind

Hi
Fattening foods are not in kitchen, if I really want a icecream cone I go and buy a small one a mds and stop at that, Can you tell me how far from the daily MFP goal you can be , I find it hard to manage my sugars its seems to go little in the negative

lizzie

Cait_Sidhe

Hi - this is my question based on another topic here. How come YOU can eat pizza, donuts, fried chicken, a big candy bar, a big pie, etc.. etc. and I need to NOT eat that? I mean this is for the people that admit they eat this but yet in the big picture, it doesn't seem to hurt their weight loss. So what is it that you have that I dont?

I can eat "fattening" food because I don't go over my calorie goal and I make sure it fits my macros. You can too. There are certain foods that I do avoid. Not because they're bad for me, but because they're trigger foods and I lack self control. Once I'm able to regain self control, you can bet I'll be eating these foods and fitting them into my goals.

jonnythan

Hi
Fattening foods are not in kitchen, if I really want a icecream cone I go and buy a small one a mds and stop at that, Can you tell me how far from the daily MFP goal you can be , I find it hard to manage my sugars its seems to go little in the negative

lizzie

Sugars are irrelevant unless you have a medical condition like diabetes. Just stop tracking sugar. Track fiber instead.