What is one permanent change you've made to create a life-long calorie deficit?
Prayforya
Posts: 68 Member
What is one permanent change you've made to create a life-long calorie deficit? For example I've switched to sugar-free syrup vs. regular and it saves me about 100 calories (reg syrup is calorie RICH!). Reduced fat cheese vs regular saves me about 30-45 calories per ounce. These are food changes I can live with. What about you?
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A lifelong calorie deficit would eventually result in death.
If you're asking about ways that I keep my calories in balance, I make sure to weigh foods like rice, oats, potatoes, and pasta to make sure I'm not eating more than I think I am. I rarely have fatty salad dressings (I eat lots of fat, but I like lots of dressing on my salad and the calories add up too quickly for me with dressing). I rarely snack on candy that people bring to work. I rarely drink cocktails that have mixers with calories.10 -
Nixing added sugar from foods that aren't dessert, with very few exceptions. That means if a food lists any kind of concentrated sugar source as an ingredient, and I don't consider it a treat food, I don't buy it. It's just not worth the blood sugar crash.8
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One of the few long term changes I've made, that I've carried over into maintenance, is that I've switched from regular soda, to diet soda.5
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I stopped eating foods I do not like. Believe it or not, that was a problem for me, and it was a surprisingly hard habit to kick. Sometimes family members would bring home certain foods and set them on the counter, and I would have this irresistible urge to eat them even if it's a "meh" food that provides me with nothing more than a chewing action. Too many calories wasted on "meh" foods that often stole the slot of something I actually did like and want. Never again.32
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I don't think I've really cut anything 100% (never a big soda drinker anyway) but my ratios of certain foods are permanently different. I have way more vegetables than before and make it a point to include large servings at both lunch and dinner, and try for fruit with breakfast. I make low fat choices where it doesn't impact my enjoyment of the food, like non fat milk is fine but I can't deal with low or non-fat cottage cheese, it's gross, yoghurt too with some exceptions, so full fat there.1
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I don't want a life long calorie deficit. I plan to go to maintenance calories at goal weight.
I eat less crackers. I log and see what foods fit my goals best. I use a food scale instead of guessing at portion sizes.6 -
Pop. Definatley pop. I'd have a large drink every lunch. Now it's water. Not a big fan of diet pop but I do have them occasionally.4
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It's too soon to say, honestly. Hopefully kicked the daily soda habit for good. I've quit before, but eventually it always sneaks it's way back into my life. Too many wasted calories there. I still have one occasionally. Had a can of Dr. Pepper Saturday night, matter of fact! I didn't even finish it...1
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typically juices and caloric beverages. i eat more fruits, vegetables, and "real" or satisfying foods.
i also used to eat a lot of processed and empty calorie snacks, so that was cut down.3 -
I went from vegetarian to 99% vegan. I did this for ethical reasons and not for calories but it did end up really affecting me. I still eat dairy and eggs on special occasions with my family or when it is absolutely necessary at work. I weigh everything and do not taste anything at work (I'm a pastry Chef).2
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What is one permanent change you've made to create a life-long calorie deficit? For example I've switched to sugar-free syrup vs. regular and it saves me about 100 calories (reg syrup is calorie RICH!). Reduced fat cheese vs regular saves me about 30-45 calories per ounce. These are food changes I can live with. What about you?
I don't want a life-long calorie deficit. I would die way too soon!1 -
I have switched from regular sodas to diet... splenda and milk in my coffee rather than cream and sugar... other than that I just cut calories where I can either by portion control or taking advantage of the low-carb fad that seems to have new products pop up weekly. Bless them for that lol2
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KristyDonovan wrote: »I went from vegetarian to 99% vegan. I did this for ethical reasons and not for calories but it did end up really affecting me. I still eat dairy and eggs on special occasions with my family or when it is absolutely necessary at work. I weigh everything and do not taste anything at work (I'm a pastry Chef).
Oh wow! Kudos to you for discipline in such a tempting work environment!0 -
Years and years ago I switched from drinking soda all day ***and I mean all day, to drinking mainly water. I do drink coffee in the morning.2
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Quit drinking calories (I get *maybe* skim milk in my coffee or a sweetened drink once a month, if that)
Try for 15k steps a day (that one was much a bigger deal than quitting soda)1 -
I eat far fewer simple carbs (bread, pasta, baked goods) than previously. They were core components to my previous diet and I really really liked them, so I over consumed and my weight ballooned. My permanent change is I have to keep these items under control.4
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Educated myself about nutrition. By that I mean reading text books, research papers, studies, etc and finding credible experts to follow(not some paleo guru). It's a lot of work, but it's knowledge I'll benefit from for the rest of my life.2
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Make a healthy fruit/veggie shake for breakfast(never used to eat breakfast) I never drank soda & rarely ate fast food so no change there but I love Lays chips so I don't eat them out of the bag any more & will always weigh them out. I cut down on rice & replaced it with more veggies. I buy low cal coffee creamer, low cal yogurt & cut way down on nuts. I plan to keep doing these things always0
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Drinking my coffee black!5
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Way more water and way less wine.0
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What is one permanent change you've made to create a life-long calorie deficit?
I have never made a permanent change to create a life-long calorie deficit, nor do I ever intend to do such a thing! I have no interest in starving myself to death.
In fact, I haven't really been in a calorie deficit since Christmas 2015. I'm maintaining.
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What is one permanent change you've made to create a life-long calorie deficit?
I have never made a permanent change to create a life-long calorie deficit, nor do I ever intend to do such a thing! I have no interest in starving myself to death.
In fact, I haven't really been in a calorie deficit since Christmas 2015. I'm maintaining.
Would assume OP means to reduce calories from the level that was causing them to gain weight - where they have stated "food changes I can live with", not that they plan to be in a deficit to lose weight for their entire life or that they intend on starving themselves to death.
For me it's not using lashings of olive oil to cook stuff in. I now either don't use any or use spray oil to stop the food sticking to the pan.
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Went low carb.0
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I'm still working on losing weight, so what I am doing now (counting calories) will be modified when I reach my goal. But this is what I am thinking about: a modified ketogenic diet with intermittent fasting. No potatoes, rice, flour, sugar containing products. Three servings of fruit and ten servings of vegetables a day. High fat, moderate protein, low carb. Continuing to exercise daily.....but possibly 45 minutes daily instead of 90. Nothing to eat between supper at 1930 and lunch at 1200.0
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janejellyroll wrote: »A lifelong calorie deficit would eventually result in death.
I was thinking the same thing. Although I guess it's easier to make a life-long change if you keep life shorter...
Now in the spirit of what I'm sure the OP *meant*, the one and only change that really matters (to me, at least) is being mindful about how many calories you are consuming. There's no magic bullet out there. No "if you give this up you'll lose weight" solution. I could easily give up 6 things I love and still never lose another pound. Probably even gain. Or, I can keep eating the things I love and keep losing just by counting the calories and acting accordingly. That's really the only change I've made.4 -
Given up mindless eating/drinking.
Previously, I would eat and drink way too much just out of habit. Late night snacks, 1 or 2 or 3 glasses of wine, second helpings, etc.
Now I am learning to pay attention to what I am eating but also to pay attention to whether I really am hungry or just eating out of habit. Hoping that is a change that I can continue while losing and then while maintaining.
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Mine is less about specific food changes and more about psychological changes. The best and most permanent change I made is I have stopped being so hard on myself and beating myself up.
If I have a bad day, I don't give up, I just log and allow myself to have that bad day. I have started to accept who I am in this moment and have learned to be okay with that, instead of beating myself up for not being "better" or "thinner". If I am really tired and skip a workout, I just get some rest and get back into the next day.
For so long, I beat myself up for perceived "failures" and quit on myself more times than I can count. It was only when I learned to love myself as I am, stopped being so hard on myself and having unrealistic expectations that things started to fall into place. I stopped giving myself "rules" that I would eventually break. I no longer deal in extremes (extremely on my diet or extremely off my diet) and try to stay somewhere in the middle.
Now, I am just doing what I know works. Counting calories, moving my body on a regular basis and letting the pounds fall where they may. Surprisingly, letting go of all the "rules" I made up in my mind through countless diets, trends, woo, etc. has been the most effective for me.
So, my biggest change, is I have learned to be kind to myself during this process and not give up anything I enjoy or need. This way, I remain in a neutral place with my attitude about the process.5 -
Thank you for those who responded to the "spirit" of my question lol I've made some permanent food choice changes that I don't even think about any more and was just wondering what other "swaps" people have made. I think I've picked up a few more. Thanks for the feedback!4
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Drinking coffee black. Eating a lot more vegetables than I used to & eating more protein to satiate my hunger.3
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I only had a deficit for about 9 months...but I've made a lot of changes
- I eat a lot of veg and some fruit
- I eat more whole grains, legumes, lentils, and whole food starches
- I eat more fish and lean protein in general
- I eat more healthy fats from things like avocados, nuts, good cooking oils, etc
- I don't eat out all that much...usually about 1-2x per week
- I'm more generally active
- I exercise 6x per week generally.3
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