Foods hard to give up, is it okay to eat in moderation?

rcadogs

My biggest hurdle so far is cutting back on the foods I love to eat like pasta, pizza, cheessteaks, etc. Somehow I feel like I should give them up completely. Should I give up the foods I love or is it okay to eat them in moderation?

I eat things like hot dogs, pizza and burgers less often than I had before. Is what I'm doing so far a good thing?

whierd

Yup.

Mokey41

Stay in your budget and enjoy the foods you like. As you lose you may find those foods aren't as important anymore or that the calorie punch they come with isn't worth it but depriving yourself of everything you love is a great way to set yourself up for failure.

AllonsYtotheTardis

I haven't given up any foods that I like. I just don't eat the high-calorie ones in high-quantities any more

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

Stay in your budget and enjoy the foods you like. As you lose you may find those foods aren't as important anymore or that the calorie punch they come with isn't worth it but depriving yourself of everything you love is a great way to set yourself up for failure.

Took the words out of my mouth!

littleworm23

It's all portion control. As long as your within your calories enjoy the foods that you like. I have found that if I try to cut things out completely I end up binge eating them at some point.

BrainyBurro

deprivation diets rarely work.

besides... you're making a change to your habits that you hope will last a lifetime. it's silly to think you can avoid the foods you love for the rest of your life, right?

just learn to eat them in moderation and you'll be fine.

don't ever listen to anybody who tells you that certain foods are "bad" or "unhealthy" and must be avoided completely and for the rest of your life. those people are mentally ill with a condition called "orthorexia nervosa" and they want you to share in their illness. don't succumb!

Cindyinpg

Yes! Absolutely. Think of it as a lifestyle change, not a diet. Moderation and portion control are key. There's no reason to deprive yourself. Log consistently, weigh and measure everything and eat at a sustainable calorie deficit. It works.

Achrya

Log it, Eat it, Enjoy it.

drivinpumpkin

I agree I have been eating what I want. I definetly eat a lot less of my favorite foods. I have lost 20 lbs by just cutting back the amount of food on my plate. I started mfp last month and have lost 15 lbs of the weight. I am trying to eat better choices when I go to a restaurant. I hope what I am doing will continue to help me with my progress I have 50 lbs to go. We all can do it this is a great site.

MelissaPhippsFeagins

Totally fine. I budget in a frappe from my favorite coffee shop once a week. I could give it up, but I don't want to and so far I haven't had to.

Ivey05131980

Log it, Eat it, Enjoy it.

This.

CyberEd312

No reason to give up any of the foods you enjoy just tackle the mental side of this journey and learn that these foods can be enjoyed in moderation. This will set you up on a sustainable path..... Just make sure you are hitting your caloric intake goals and hit your nutrient goals..... It has worked pretty well for me so far...... Best of

NonnyMary

My biggest hurdle so far is cutting back on the foods I love to eat like pasta, pizza, cheessteaks, etc. Somehow I feel like I should give them up completely. Should I give up the foods I love or is it okay to eat them in moderation?

I eat things like hot dogs, pizza and burgers less often than I had before. Is what I'm doing so far a good thing?

it depends on you.. Some people here eat a little bit, and some restrict themselves a bit. You can try each way to see which is better and make your own mind up.

What you do so that you dont feel so lonely without your fave treats is to find something else that is within your MFP numbers, that will satisfy you. So that you dont feel like its drudgery and then you cant handle it so then you blow your diet. What i do is restrict some foods but i do not feel drudgery because i choose other foods that are delicious to me and soon my tastes did change and i now crave those things.. the thing i crave is fresh fruit which really tastes fabulous!!! especially the summer fruits i just enjoyed. one thing replaced another.

some of the food you mentioned are not as good as other more healthy food. So thats what you shoudl be trying to do - look for healthier choices, as long as you have fewer calories to be able to have, you may as well find the best food, not the empty foods that dont do your body any good.

Fill up on vegetables, salads, grains, fruit, meat, first, then make sure it has good seasonings, make your own food which is way better than restaurant food which seems to always screw up people who want to lose weight thanks to the extra butter and salt and sugars to make that food taste so good.

if you do find your self out for the day, be prepared before hand. Like i know at Subway, a sweet onion chicken terriyaki sandwich is the best choice, but there are some sandwiches that have more calories so i know beforehand what would be better.

do find your way as you go along, record everything in the food diary, even if you screw up, then you can read it back and learn waht you could have done better.

You may get a lot of opposing ideas of how to handle it, but everyone is different and some people can eat more coz they exercise, or whatever. some people cant do what the next guy can do.

so find your way, even if you have to lay aside some of that food, for something better. shortly, you will change your tastes while enjoying great food that is great for your body!

Mouse_Potato

Agree with the others. Yesterday I had wine, cheese, chocolate and even a slice of birthday cake. Finished the day with 10 calories to spare. It's all about moderation.

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pcrosthwaite

Everyone here is spot on. Eat what you like, just log it. I am constantly amazed at the calories something is when I actually looked. For example, I almost didn't count light milk on my cereal due to the "ahh, can't be that bad" factor. When I looked however, it was 117 calories for 250ml. Not big in the scheme of things, but it changed what I thought was going to be a 300cal breakfast into a 400cal breakfast. A lot more then my usual 250 cal breakfast

On the other hand, I had lasagne the other night and was pleased to be able to live with a quarter of the 1kg lasagne and still be within my budget.

Eat well, Live well.

DavPul

Yup.

double yup

Otterluv

I haven't given up any foods that I like. I just don't eat the high-calorie ones in high-quantities any more

This is my approach as well.

Joehenny

Absolutely.

ereck44

My biggest hurdle so far is cutting back on the foods I love to eat like pasta, pizza, cheessteaks, etc. Somehow I feel like I should give them up completely. Should I give up the foods I love or is it okay to eat them in moderation?

I eat things like hot dogs, pizza and burgers less often than I had before. Is what I'm doing so far a good thing?

If you can eat these foods in moderation,definitely keep them in your diet. The only food that I gave up totally was ice cream, but will eat a serving of frozen yogurt about 3 x per week. Ice cream tastes way better but I can't eat it in moderation. Good luck in your journey and welcome!

Panda_Rolls

Ditto. I haven't given up anything. Budget it into your calories or go out and earn it before you eat it.

khalleron

This is not punishment for being 'bad'. This is life.

So go ahead, have a ball. (Sorry, I couldn't resist).

Just have a bit smaller ball than you had before.

1stday13

All above is right on! I eat favorite foods in moderation. I also love to cook and have found ( & made up) healthier versions of food I love. It's a challenge to me and fun. :flowerforyou:

SLLRunner

Give up nothing, everything in moderation.

meeper123

you can but maybe also try adding some healthy stuff in there as well like eat your pizza with a salad or something

sorcha1977

I eat pizza, chocolate, mac & cheese, and ice cream all the time.

The difference is that I eat one piece of pizza instead of four, a Hershey mini or one Lindt truffle instead of a candy bar, a half-cup of mac & cheese instead of the entire box, and a half-cup of ice cream instead of a pint (or I'll have a cup of frozen yogurt if a half-cup isn't going to satisfy the craving).

Moderation is key. If you deny yourself your favorite foods, you'll end up binging. Since you are changing your lifestyle, you have to figure out how to keep your favorite foods around without letting them ruin you. That usually means cutting the portion size (and/or exercising more). If I really, really, really want two pieces of pizza and it's going to put me over my calories, I just work out for an extra hour at some point during the week. Eventually, it becomes habit, and you start to wonder if that extra piece of pizza is worth it. Sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn't.

Mr_Bad_Example

Yup.

QFT

robin68562

I believe in all things in moderation. If you totally deny yourself of the things you love you will crave them that much more and you will eventually go hog wild. So have what you like and cut back somewhere else. Just work it into your calorie count and you will be fine. I for one could never give up chocolate so I find ways to work it into my diet, whether it's chocolate rice krispie treats, hot cocoa or hershey kisses. Where there's a will there's a way.

eksero2k

I usually just eat whatever i want when i feel like it, as long as i can fit it into my daily intake

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