Foodies and weight loss

Francl27
Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
Just some random thoughts that occurred to me during my walk today...

I'm a foodie. I mean, even when I was growing up, the main appeal of going somewhere new was to try new foods. I've always lived for food and food makes me happy (I also get cranky if the food is a waste of calories). I'm seriously in a much better mood after a good meal. Even now when I go somewhere, the first thing I look at are restaurants and bakeries...

I was just thinking earlier that it's one of the things about losing weight... It's made me less happy in that aspect. I'm just less happy when I have to order grilled chicken without sauce at restaurants, skip dessert... it's not that a lower calorie meal can't be as tasty, but let's face it, most restaurants don't really have low calorie options that are that good. It's unsatisfying and frustrating for me.

My last vacation was not so fun because I pretty much had to decide between eating healthier and enjoying my food (I like variety... eating grilled meat with a side salad for a week is torture). And even when I splurge a bit, there's always that little voice in my head that tells me that I'm just sabotaging myself (I try to make room for it, but I'm always hungrier in the morning so if I go out for dinner, I just don't have many calories to spare).

I've always been in the 'everything in moderation' camp but unfortunately my tastes go towards things that, even in moderation, have too many calories to eat on a regular basis (baked goods mostly). I've lost 80 lbs, gained back 15 (which I want to lose, but so far I just can't seem to get a grip), and I just feel so deprived all the time. I do cook my meals and I'm not bad at following a recipe but let's face it, I'll never be someone who enjoys spending hours in the kitchen either. And 'having half an entree' at a restaurant typically doesn't cut it for me - I mean, I won't eat a whole 12oz steak, but I have no problem eating the sides, for example - because I'm usually too hungry.


I was just wondering if anyone else feels the same way? I know that most of us here love food, but for others like me for whom food has always been the main interest in life, how do you manage?

Replies

  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    im a foodie and i love everything i eat. i make it fit. on vacations, and on holidays, i dont worry about it and try to stick around maintenance. im going to mexico next month. you bet im going to enjoy my meals!!

    i get my baking fix in by giving it to friends and neighbors.

    im very popular lol

    103 pounds down, still a foodie, and still happy as a clam. :P
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    I honestly don't make too many sacrifices and I'm not a super active person with a lot of calories to play with. On holiday I indulge in whatever takes my fancy but I do pretty active holidays so damage is minimal.

    Harder when in a deficit sure. When maintaining I don't have too much trouble fitting in most things I want.
  • Marilyn0924
    Marilyn0924 Posts: 797 Member
    I feel very much the same way @Francl27 and still trying to find that balance, while I dream about a killer risotto I'd very much like to have for dinner.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited January 2018
    I don't know if I am a foodie... English is not my first language, but... I love food. I would be cranky if I always had to pick the most boring thing on the menu. I actually tried for years to eat low fat/low sugar/low salt/low taste, but only at home; sometimes it feels like eating out was what stopped me from developing an eating disorder... Now I cook and eat "restaurant style" meals at home, too, and I have no trouble maintaining weight. The satisfaction I get from balanced and delicious meals keeps me from overeating.

    About food being main interest in life... I used to have a love/hate relationship with food, as you can imagine from the above. Food has become a passion for me, and I love to plan meals, dream about meals, grocery shopping, cooking, even cleaning up (I have a dishwasher, lol), not just eating. I think getting more involved in the whole process has made me more appreciative, and I don't want to overeat anymore.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,064 Member
    I'm a foodie, who works in the center of a city with a fantastic selection of places and things to eat. And boy do I enjoy eating.

    Thing is, I've found I can enjoy all the things, but I have to be careful and plan for it. If I'm going out that night, eat light during the day and ask for a to-go box with my meal (or have them box half right off the bat). As long as I've adjusted to not pigging out, it allows me to enjoy the meal and feel satisfied. I'm also getting better at learning to stop when I'm satisified, even if there's food left and I could eat it (I was raised with the idea that you don't ever leave food on your plate).

    On my last vacation (to Italy) I didn't hold back. I ate what I wanted. I actually LOST weight. Their food was just healthier to begin with, plus all the walking we did.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    As something of a foodie myself, I would rather stay home and have a sandwich than buy a low-cal item that I didn't really want at a restaurant. I think it's just a matter of balancing priorities. I've lost 40 pounds over the last 12 months through banking calories so I can eat more when I go out. If I didn't eat out as often (1-2 a week) I'd certainly have lost more. I still have 35 pounds to go, and I project that those last 10-15 are going to be really slow unless I cut that 1-2 a week down, but I'll face that bridge when I get there.

    I'm afraid I can't help with the half an entree problem because I've pretty much never not been satisfied with half an entree and I love ordering stuff that makes good leftovers - maybe eating a low-cal high-volume snack beforehand will take the edge off?
  • ZoneFive
    ZoneFive Posts: 570 Member
    Oh BOY do I understand this. I enjoy cooking, I love baking, and I just like food. My first reason for eating at a restaurant is to try something I can't or don't know how to cook at home. Often those new dishes are the ultra-delicious, hyper-palatable ones that set the bar too high and make me dissatisfied with the usual grilled-meat-and-veg. Let me get hold of some really good restaurant bread and I can go off on a carb-spree that takes me days to rein in. It's not just the one or two pieces of bread, it's the aftershocks that throw my blood glucose into orbit. Someday maybe I'll be able to be a foodie again, but it's going to have to be one meal at a time, at well-spaced intervals.

    I'm eyeing a new soup place not too far from me. They publish all their nutrition information online so I can make decisions before I'm in the shop and the aromas mess with my head. I have hopes.
  • ladyhusker39
    ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
    I've had the opposite experience. When I eat out now I only want very high quality food that's prepared in a simple way.

    If a food is done up with too much fanciness just for the sake of being fancy, I don't want it.

    For example, there's nothing tastier or more enjoyable to me as a very good piece of lightly seasoned, grilled salmon with a touch of lemon. Or a quality cut of steak seared to a perfect medium rare.

    Maybe I'm not so much a foodie as a food snob.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    I am a foodie. I cook at home a lot and bake as well. Heck I made cookies the other day and still eating on them. You have to ask my husband, but everything we do, food comes first. Seriously, what are we eating when we get there? lol My husband calls me disciplined. I'm not sure if that is what it is, maybe it is, for example crackers and dip the other day could have turn into eating the entire thing as my old self, but my newer self said you had enough. I was counting the damn crackers anyways out of habit, but the point is I was eating yummy dip and crackers and it was delish.

    I have increased my TDEE greatly through exercise and activity, being short, older and my current weight MFP gives me a sedentary TDEE of 1400 calories. That was never going to be good enough for me.

    That said I don't eat out much, but when I do, I kinda pick a happy medium. I don't go so bland and tasteless that I would rather not consume those calories, but I find something that is a protein source and supplement that with a side(s) I know I am going to eat and enjoy. Example I am not ordering broccoli as one my sides. lol I am a huge white potato eater, so even if they are french fries I am gonna have them. If the order is too large I won't eat all of them.

    I was a food restricter when I first started out, it was through many months to a year of haggling over calories that I just decided to eat what I wanted. My vacations are pretty much the same as eating out, I pretty much can tell what 6 ounces of meet looks like, can tell if there are too many potatoes on my plate, etc.

    I am 4 years in and I still count and I still don't really trust myself to take too many calorie tracking days off. I am always counting calories and grams and ounces in my head.. sometimes I wish I didn't know so much about food but the trade off is I would still be overweight if I didn't.

    I will always be planning my days around food, even my weekdays enjoy nice tasty dinners and a dessert. lol
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,219 Member
    Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. On my current cut I have a 2250 calories limit and eating my favorite foods at my favorite restaurants can hit that number with one meal. Well, that's what I'm doing tomorrow. I get one meal... but damn, I'm going to enjoy the hell out of it. ;)
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    I guess I've always thought of "foodies" as being rather particular, but if using it in the respect of being overly-focused on food, yes I am. In fact, when I originally signed up for MFP, I was very sad because I already felt my life lacked joy and that weight loss was going to rob me of one of the few things I still enjoyed. My stats are pretty much the same as yours as far as weight loss, though I didn't lose all the weight at once but in chunks over many years. I never felt too sorry for myself while in a weight loss phase, but I do struggle with having to deny myself the things I want in the amounts I want otherwise. I've never been the best at banking for things, either.

    I know you were just using it as an example, but vacations/travel are pretty easy for me. Partly for financial considerations, we tend to only eat out for one big meal a day and have healthy, lower calorie snacks the rest of the time. That, combined with extra activity, usually gives me a loss when we travel. But I would never deliberately deny myself on vacation or when out somewhere special.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    You know, I've thought further on this. From the perspective of what I would define as a foodie (someone who enjoys great quality produce cooked/served/combined to perfection or as near as dammit) it's nearly always not horrifically calorific. There are exceptions of course, Indian food being one, curries are generally oil heavy in a lot of dishes. Some tapas dishes are also pretty oily/fatty. But because it is fresh, portion appropriate and delicious it is pretty difficult to overeat without making huge sacrifices in the day or week to balance it. Even something like seafood linguine in an Italian restaurant is more than easy to fit in with a started or garlic bread or bruschetta.

    I eat out or take out very regularly. I recently went to a moderately fine dining restaurant with a friend. The portions, to a lot of people, would appear tiny but I did not walk out hungry nor did I go home after ice skating for an hour. So the notion that being a foodie and maintaining moderate to significant weight loss is kind of alien to me. And as I said, I say that as someone with a not stellar TDEE.
  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,169 Member
    edited January 2018
    I started buying the foods I'm "supposed to" eat, and then I'd search the internet for quick-to-make recipes for the ingredients I had on hand. I found that kind of fun. So I'd search for "quick broccoli carrot chicken" and see what I would be in the mood to make. I would absolutely have no fun if I didn't try new things! I started topping more foods with salsa or pico de gallo, and interesting seasonings. I made a chicken enchilada soup and a spicy Thai chicken and rice noodle soup (both of which I find tasty and filling). I experimented with all kinds of stir fry meals. I learned to make Greek salad, a vegetable dish with weird ingredients, whatever. My cooking skills really improved. You got to incorporate variety! I don't like to spend much time in meal prep, so ruled out anything that required more than 45 minutes from start to finish.

    For eating at restaurants, there's no way I would confine myself to a salad and chicken every time. How about fajitas without eating tortillas? How about Pho? Grilled fish or prawns, substituting extra veggies for rice? It's taken some creativity on my part, but I've managed to get to my goal weight.

    Also, I'm wondering whether you can re-set your daily calorie intake? Maybe try to lose half a pound or one pound a week instead of two? That will allow you to eat more calories a day. The weight will come off more slowly, but that's better than torturing yourself and denying yourself the pleasures of life.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    edited January 2018
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    I wouldn't have started a community discussion to share these. Since you did, enjoy.


    Oh, Hey! Today IS January 12!
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    I love the experience of dining out. Lingering over a meal with some great wine and conversation. This week is restaurant week in my very foodie town, so we went out. I ordered salmon, asparagus and green beans. It was tasty, but dripping in butter and way saltier than I’m used to, it dawned on me that my preparation at home - with the same ingredients - would have been better. I still eat out, but I really prefer cooking and controlling my own destiny 90% of the time.

    You also come to a point when you realize that this is just how it’s going to be. 2,000 calories a day is my budget, eat a little crap or a lot of super nutrient dense foods. Those are the options. I truly don’t take pleasure in heavy or fatty meals that make me feel like crap. There are plenty of great options at many restaurants. Yes, It’s possible to be a lean and healthy foodie!
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,189 Member
    I'm a foodie. The money I have spent on restaurants would make you weep. The bill at the end of a 7 course degustation I went to with my 2 best friend recently would have covered 5 nights in Bali for the 3 of us. Food is life. Once a month, I have 3-4 people over and serve a 3-4 course themed meal. next weekend is Italian and includes duck prosciutto I cured myself, truffled goats cheese and sweet potato cannelloni in basil cream sauce and a whole bunch of other thing I can't be bothered listing.

    I don't confuse being a foodie with going to regular restaurants and eating large portions of 'nice' food though. I can make 'nice' food at home, and I do. Every day. If it's not going to be spectacular, I'm quite happy just going for a nicely cooked piece of meat and some fresh sides. Plus, if I'm away, I'm moving around a lot and it seems to work out.

    And when I do give into my 'foodie' side, calories be damned.

  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    I'm a foodie. The money I have spent on restaurants would make you weep. The bill at the end of a 7 course degustation I went to with my 2 best friend recently would have covered 5 nights in Bali for the 3 of us. Food is life. Once a month, I have 3-4 people over and serve a 3-4 course themed meal. next weekend is Italian and includes duck prosciutto I cured myself, truffled goats cheese and sweet potato cannelloni in basil cream sauce and a whole bunch of other thing I can't be bothered listing.

    I don't confuse being a foodie with going to regular restaurants and eating large portions of 'nice' food though. I can make 'nice' food at home, and I do. Every day. If it's not going to be spectacular, I'm quite happy just going for a nicely cooked piece of meat and some fresh sides. Plus, if I'm away, I'm moving around a lot and it seems to work out.

    And when I do give into my 'foodie' side, calories be damned.

    I can has invitation yes?
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,906 Member
    I love to try new food, and on every trip I do I go to one posh restaurant that I chose carefully and have a multi course dinner. My thought is: while I travel quite a lot I don't gain weight while travelling (other than the plane water weight) but I gain weight while at home snacking. I'm active when travelling, and, never having been a big eater but rather one who has many small meals across the day. As such I know I won't overeat massively and am very relaxed about it. I never book al-inclusive and only eat a-la-carte, which helps I guess. Quite honestly, all-inclusive food cannot be of such quality that I'd be happy about it anyway.

    This year I'll be travelling to Alderney (lots of fish), Brazil, Utah, Scottish Highlands and one of the Canary Islands, part of it is on business with added private trip afterwards. I don't expect to gain weight from those trips as with last year, or the year before.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I am a foodie on occasion. But I can enjoy the same breakfast for days.

    If I want to enjoy a calorie bomb I will eat much less than the called for serving. I will eat it mindfully. The memory of the taste and texture stays with me and my pleasure is thereby extended.

    Travelling is hard because the rest of the meal is wasted and the server gives me the stink eye.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    I'm a foodie. The money I have spent on restaurants would make you weep. The bill at the end of a 7 course degustation I went to with my 2 best friend recently would have covered 5 nights in Bali for the 3 of us. Food is life. Once a month, I have 3-4 people over and serve a 3-4 course themed meal. next weekend is Italian and includes duck prosciutto I cured myself, truffled goats cheese and sweet potato cannelloni in basil cream sauce and a whole bunch of other thing I can't be bothered listing.

    I don't confuse being a foodie with going to regular restaurants and eating large portions of 'nice' food though. I can make 'nice' food at home, and I do. Every day. If it's not going to be spectacular, I'm quite happy just going for a nicely cooked piece of meat and some fresh sides. Plus, if I'm away, I'm moving around a lot and it seems to work out.

    And when I do give into my 'foodie' side, calories be damned.

    Yes, this.

    For what you can get at regular restaurants, I can cook it better at home with fresh ingredients and appreciate the taste of well-prepared ingredients cooked well. I don't need sauces or things to be dripping in butter to appreciate the flavors inherent in well-seasoned food.
  • passenger79
    passenger79 Posts: 257 Member
    I'm definitely a foodie I love cooking and I love travelling and whenever we choose a destination my partner and I research on food first lol.
    We pick where we go out based on what food they serve and love experimenting and trying new stuff. We are cooking alot.

    Growing up my Nan and Mum were amazing cooks,everything cooked from scratch and home grown ( before it became cool ) and I think that had massive impact on me.
    I am still figuring out how to factor in my indulgences but yes off course I feel a little bit deprived .

    My issue was never a quality of food but quantity of it. Im trying to improve my fitness so I can use extra calories on the food I enjoy .