Sin foods - give them up or change/reduce them?

lds25

I have done both. All the fast foods are at the wayside! I have increased the amounts of whole grains and have changed a few things. I read labels now, I drink more water, I indulge occassionally but I watch what is going in b/c I know that my life will change the next day if i over indulge. Its all about moderation.

a1schwei

I want to learn to eat healthy for life... not just until I loose weight so I figure i need to learn to eat those "yummy" things too just in moderation and maybe changing them up a bit to be better for me.

I agree I still have way more of a sweet tooth than I know I should, but I am trying hard for moderation I know that I won't stick to the plan if I feel deprived of the things that I love....healthy or not....so instead I try for smaller portions and increased workouts when I know that I am going to indulge a bit

junebug523

For me, it's mainly a matter of reducing my servings or eating the indulgence foods less frequently. I've been pretty consistent with a 9/10 rule (i.e. 9 times out of 10 I make a good choice, and then the last one is up to me!). I simply will not cut certain things out of my diet, if I know I can eat them more moderately or even rarely and not feel like my whole world is going to end.

I dislike reduced-fat or fat-free cheese. So, when I do eat cheese, I just eat less of it. I'm not afraid of a little fat, and I'm much happier when I have my cheese. In fact, most days, I can eat peanut butter and cheese, and still be under my fat quota. It's just a matter of finding a good balance.

The main thing I've been trying to cut down on has been sodium. I think I've only gone over 2500 mg twice this month, and I've been very consistent at staying at or below 2000 mg. That's a huge achievement for me!

I've already been eating mainly whole grain/whole wheat breads and pastas for years, now I'm trying to make even better choices--like searching for lower-sodium versions of those items.

I hardly ever drink soda. I went off it when I was a teenager, and I've never really gotten back into it. On rare occasions, I enjoy a few sips, but that's it.

I started drinking my coffee black when I was in college, and now it's very rare for me to have anything else. I like it black.

I still drink alcohol in moderation, but I try to plan my days so that I don't go way over on calories. Same thing with desserts. I earn it with exercise! Sometimes I'll go a couple of weeks without a real "dessert", and I don't even feel like I'm missing anything.

One of the best things I have done has been to be more consistent in filling in the gaps with fruit and lots of veggies, partially because they're good for me, partially because then I eat less of the other stuff. It's especially fun right now, because our garden is practically exploding with lettuce, spinach, and snow peas! Soon we will also have tomatoes up to our eyeballs, and jalapenos too! Yummmm. I've had at least one huge salad every day for the past week, and I plan to continue this for as long as I can.

rybo

I gave up nothing really.
BUT the reality is that fortunately I never did eat a lot of the bad things anyways. I just always ate huge quantities.
I don't like pop, fast food, although tasty, never was a big part of my eating. I genuinely like veggies, fruit & other healthy foods.

I would say my biggest downfall was chocolate & ice cream. Those 2 I have geatly reduced the amounts I eat.

Barneystinson

I don't eat fast food. This is like a huge no-no for me, partially because of healthy eating and partially because the stuff gives me AWFUL stomach issues. Even if friends or colleagues want to choose fast food joints as their lunch and I'm with them - I'll either find an alternative or avoid eating entirely (keeping almonds in my purse is seriously helpful in these situations).

I don't drink diet or regular soda / pop / whateveryoucallit or sugary drinks. I've never been a fan of these anyway, so giving them up wasn't too hard.

I rarely eat "white" starches (white potatoes, corn starch), breads, pizza, fries, whole grain breads, rice, pasta, etc etc. Just doesn't taste that great anymore. I will eat quinoa, sweet potatoes, wild rice, jicama, and parsnips in place of most grains and other starches.

I rarely eat desserts. Maybe only if they're planned at special dinners or events. I've learned to take very small serving sizes and combine them with other things (i.e. fruit, light sorbet). I used to REALLY go to town on sugar and treats, and the more I stay away from the stuff, the better off I am.

I WON'T give up coffee or tea. Try to take my daily cup of joe and I'll beat you down!

I eat MORE red meat. Oh yeahhhhhh.

susiespin

Given up red meat eating fish instead
Only have cheese (1 oz) on a Monday as a start of the week treat
Swaped crisp (chips) for 83 cal per pack maze based snack (need my daily crunch savory snack of I would go mad)
Don't go near vending machines
Make my own lunch instead of canteen dinners
Go walking at lunch time instead of sitting in the canteen

rockinright

Given up red meat eating fish instead
Only have cheese (1 oz) on a Monday as a start of the week treat
Swaped crisp (chips) for 83 cal per pack maze based snack (need my daily crunch savory snack of I would go mad)
Don't go near vending machines
Make my own lunch instead of canteen dinners
Go walking at lunch time instead of sitting in the canteen

I've replaced a lot of red meat with turkey - like ground turkey and turkey sausage instead of beef and pork. I do still have a steak once in a while, but keep it small.

I just don't like seafood...no matter how hard I try to.

stormieweather

I stopped eating fast food, any drinks other than water/milk/coffee/lemonade, no processed carbs (white pasta, rice, bread, sugary stuff), refuse to buy or eat anything with MSG, HFCS, or artifical flavorings/colorings or preservatives. This includes meat...so I buy nitrite free, no antibiotics, and free range dairy and meat. Once I cut out all the above, I found that almost all the problematic stuff was gone.

I make my own pizzas, desserts, foccacia, protein bars, pancakes/waffles, and ice cream/smoothies, etc.. Otherwise, we eat burgers, fried chicken, and (sweet potato) fries...we just make them from scratch and control the ingredients and fat.

We limit butter and oil, but haven't banished them.

I eat a frozen juice pop along with 1-3 pieces of Dove dark chocolate for dessert at night, if I'm craving sweets. It's budgeted for in my goals and keeps me satisfied.

On the other hand, if we want to eat out at a sit-down restaurant, we do so. We just do our research so we know what the dishes consist of and what our best choices will be.

I find that I don't miss out on anything at all.

jennk221

This is what I do as well...I eat what I want in moderation. I eat healthy meals and snacks, but if I am craving something I let myself have it and I do not beat myself up over it or go nuts restricting myself after I eat it. I know that for the most part I am doing what I need to and making good choices, so if I want an ice cream cone with my kids or a piece of cake for dessert, I have one. I just have a small one.
Just a s a side note everyone is different...but if I didn't allow myself to have some treats now and then I would binge and god knows that is not good!
Good luck!

Cathy_5011

I tried giving my favorite bad things up like burgers and pasta but it never last long. I would have weak moments and give into my cravings and then say oh I will be good next week. That lasted a few months. Now I still have my favorite thing but I modify. I won’t have burgers and pasta and cake in the same week. I give myself one cheat meal (not a day because that can be a disaster :laugh: )

Now that I found this site it has really help. I feel like someone is holding me accountable. I was using it on my iphone for a few months but didn’t stick to it. I happen to stumble upon this site and now I am in love. I got back on the wagon July 12 and haven’t looked back since.

CudyBug

For me it was all about portion sizes. I already was eating whole wheat everything including pasta and ground turkey instead of beef. It was just eating too big of portions. at first calorie counting is all i needed and now im at abit of a stand still so im watching sodium since ive noticed it as high

Sara1978

I've done a little of both, though I never intended to give up anything. It seems like my taste buds have changed a little since I started this process in May, and some of the things I used to really like just don't have the same appeal to me anymore-- french fries, for instance. I can never resist nabbing one off my husband's plate when he orders them since they always smell so good, but I'm finding myself consistently put off after that first one due to the oily, starchy after-taste they leave behind. I think I'm pretty much done with them-- not because I don't think I have the willpower to only eat a few and stay at my calorie goal, but because they just seem kind of gross these days.

Other foods, I've tried to change the way I think about them. I used to drink about four sodas a day-- was completely addicted to the stuff. I decided that since I still like the taste of soda, I ought to start thinking about it as a treat instead of what I reach for whenever I'm thirsty, so now it is in the same category for me as chocolate cake. I love chocolate cake. Do I eat chocolate cake every day? No. I have it rarely and appreciate it when I do have it as a special treat. Same thing with soda now.

godblessourhome

for the most part reduce portion sizes, but i will change recipes to include more veggies. i can't think of one thing i have eliminated completely.