What are your strategies to avoid feeling deprived?

Anon2018

My SO pointed out to me that when I'm dieting he feels like he eats better, which got me thinking to strategies.

So, a big weakness for me is eating out. I love getting takeout during the week and kind of consider myself a foodie. My go-tos are thai, pho, and sushi. I know, I know I can fit it in if I want to, and I do but try to save it for weekends and date nights, not casual "eh what should we eat" random nights. SO my strategy to keep the take-out bug at bay is that I cook food that feels like a treat, not because it's calorific, but because it's expensive. So, when i'm dieting I eat more shrimp, smoked salmon, proscuitto, raspberries, etc. And it works! I get excited about my decadent meals and don't have to think twice about my calories.

Got me thinking, what are your strategies to get yourself mentally in the diet mode? Is it substitute desserts like halo top, a weekly treat meal to look forward to, etc?

ladyhusker39

I move more to increase my TDEE and I set a lower calorie deficit. Both give me more calories to work with so I don't feel hungry or like I'm missing out on anything I want to eat.

Sunnybrooke99

If I don’t really care that much, I opt for something low calorie, and bank the deficit for another time.

changeconsumeme

I don't think of it as a diet or a temporary way of eating. I eat the food I like, just less of it and stay in a calorie deficit.

whosshe

I eat pretty much whatever I feel like eating I just fit it in. Or if I'm really craving something high-calorie I'll only eat that that day. Not the greatest but it keeps me on track and not gaining.

I think the biggest thing is not being hard on myself. I've lost a lot of weight so far so sometimes I'll say "what's a 1lb gain when you've lost 70" but I never gain that 1lb I'm just ready to. If I do gain the lb I'll be expecting it, if not then woohoo! lol

Orphia

stretchmarksaretigerstripes wrote: »

I don't think of it as a diet or a temporary way of eating. I eat the food I like, just less of it and stay in a calorie deficit.

This. That's how I lost 80 lbs, and I have kept it off for 18 months eating what I feel like while staying in a caloric balance.

blambo61

Anon2018 wrote: »

My SO pointed out to me that when I'm dieting he feels like he eats better, which got me thinking to strategies.

So, a big weakness for me is eating out. I love getting takeout during the week and kind of consider myself a foodie. My go-tos are thai, pho, and sushi. I know, I know I can fit it in if I want to, and I do but try to save it for weekends and date nights, not casual "eh what should we eat" random nights. SO my strategy to keep the take-out bug at bay is that I cook food that feels like a treat, not because it's calorific, but because it's expensive. So, when i'm dieting I eat more shrimp, smoked salmon, proscuitto, raspberries, etc. And it works! I get excited about my decadent meals and don't have to think twice about my calories.

Got me thinking, what are your strategies to get yourself mentally in the diet mode? Is it substitute desserts like halo top, a weekly treat meal to look forward to, etc?

I do IF so that I can enjoy big meals. Exercise a lot more too so you can eat more!