Please stop "Banning" foods... It's killing my will to live.

odusgolp

It seems to me that so many people are choosing to "ban" certain foods from their diets to lose weight... Carbs, Cheese, Pizza, Meat, Chocolate, Ice Cream, Goat, etc. It just bugs me. Eat what you like to eat. Eat it in moderation. Smaller portions. More exercise. Less often... whatever, but eat it. Count your calories for it, move on, and continue living life the way you enjoy.

If you can be satisfied with a similar healthier option - such as whole grain pasta vs refined bleached white pasta - by all means, eat the healthier of the two! I'm not suggesting you don't make healthy choices and changes in your food choices. But "limiting" yourself, uprooting your entire lifestyle overnight, etc. is unlikely to be a life-long healthy solution.

I see so many people say "I am going vegetarian" or something as a dieting tactic, yet they dam* well know they love bacon. Just... knock it off. Please. Eat a piece of bacon already.

Qarol

mmmm....bacon

Rae6503

Some people just can't eat things in moderation. It leads to more cravings, which they have a hard time resisting so it's just easier to avoid "trigger" foods.

wonnder1

What I eat should not affect your will at all.

I choose not to eat those things, because I CAN'T control them. If I eat bacon, I eat a pound. So I eat veggie bacon.

This post makes me want to list the things I gave up. But I won't cause you have a right to an opinion. I have certain goals, and I know what it's going to take to help me get there.

joejccva71

Yes...bacon..mmmm....chocolate milk....mmmmm...taco bell burrtios...yum.

All fit in my intake and macros.

hbrekkaas

Hmmm....maybe I should try that bacon wrapped cupcake my husband keeps begging me to make....

Qarol

Ya know...go ahead and list the things you gave up. Then the rest of us can say, "more for me!"

AZTrailRunner

Did someone say "bacon"? mmmmmmmmm baconnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!! I can smell it now! :bigsmile:

krb731

LMAO! Thanks for the laugh. I'm guilty of this. I gave my bacon away last night because it was No Meat Thursday. Who does that?

killagb

Agreed on this....it's important to satisfy those cravings so you don't feel all deprived, the main thing is making it all fit in.

stroutman81

Mmmmm... cookie dough ice cream.

ratherbeskiing

I thought the same things..... I LOVE BACON!!!!!



I will be honest I DO NOT GIVE UP FOOD. I LOVE FOOD. I limit what I eat and burn it off BEFORE I eat it if I know it is something special that I want to eat because lets be honest if I eat it I will not burn it off if I do not have enough cals.

... great now I am craving bacon.

Msaip

What I eat should not affect your will at all.

I choose not to eat those things, because I CAN'T control them. If I eat bacon, I eat a pound. So I eat veggie bacon.

This post makes me want to list the things I gave up. But I won't cause you have a right to an opinion. I have certain goals, and I know what it's going to take to help me get there.

You know you aren't forced to read these forums...
True I agree it's hard to stop myself from eating these things BUT I will give in everyone in a while because It helps me to know what I can and can't handle

Qarol

Shut the front door! Someone gave up GOAT? Oh, the humanity!

gentlebreeze2

I agree moderation is the key... if I give up the things I like... eventually I go bonkers on them.

But the best part of this post... all the people dreaming of bacon... too funny you guys.

I might add, a sense of humor will get you through a lot...

vim_n_vigor

I am banning all sodas - we all know there is no such thing as any healthy soda, I am banning all carbs - we all know that there is something bad about all carbs, I am banning all organic products because they are either bathed in chemicals or poop. I am banning all meat, because the animals eat the aforementioned vegetation. I am banning water because of the chemical run off. I am hungry - any suggestions?

odusgolp

What I eat should not affect your will at all.

I choose not to eat those things, because I CAN'T control them. If I eat bacon, I eat a pound. So I eat veggie bacon.

This post makes me want to list the things I gave up. But I won't cause you have a right to an opinion. I have certain goals, and I know what it's going to take to help me get there.

I'm not suggesting avoiding trigger foods. Absolutely give up things that are a problem for you. I, for example, had to give up ice cream b/c I've become hideously lactose intolerant *LOL*

It's more the drastic measures I'm referring to. Going to an all raw foods diet, an atkins diet, a very restrictive sort of change quickly without being able to maintain it.

And yes... this is just my opinion. It bothers me to see carbs or cheese get a bad rap in life b/c I love them so *LOL*

sarahliftsUP

I understand both sides of this argument. Some are good at controlling their portions... others, not so much! I'm trying to find a happy medium. Going out for an ice cream rather than buying a whole container of it, buying single servings of chips rather than the family sized ones! To each their own!

Edited to add: Personally, I find when I try to 'banish' foods, they are more tempting.. you don't want to restrict yourself too much or else, if you are anything like me, you'll find yourself bingeing uncontrollably on foods. I try to look at food as food and not dividing them as 'good' or 'bad' but I know there are options that are healthier and better for me so I eat more of them. But if no carbs works for you, then do whatever you need to do to reach and maintain your weight loss goals.

RMinVA

Some people just can't eat things in moderation. It leads to more cravings, which they have a hard time resisting so it's just easier to avoid "trigger" foods.

I agree. I don't necessarily "ban" anything. But there are some things I KNOW I cannot bring into the house. Nutella anyone? Bottom line for me and probably for a lot of other people is that it is just best to avoid certain foods.

CountryDevil

Exactly!! In a LOT of cases if you eat the portions you are suppose to, stay within your calorie range and eat the healthier option of a specific type of food, you will STILL lose the weight. I am doing exactly that and the weight it is still coming off.

Does that mean you can have all the Pizza, Ice Cream, Carbs, or other foods deemed "Banned" that you want? No, it doesn't. But it also doesn't mean you CAN'T have it either. Just have it in moderation and every once in a while. It is not going to destroy your diet if you do.

End6ame

I don't think I could ever eliminate bacon or pizza. Actually I don’t eliminate anything, if I wanted I try and make it fit in my calories and macros.

judif63

I agree. Eat what you like. LEARN to eat better period, around the things you like but shouldn't have all the time. Moderation is key.

MelissaE27

mmmm creme cheese browniessssss

fbmandy55

I am pretty good about eating junk but maintaining my calories goal for the day. I don't do it everyday but maybe a couple times a week. I know I would probably be losing more but this is just the easiest way for me to stay on track. Eat what I want but work out and stay within my goal.

Izable2011

Ha.. I say just do what you want and if your happy and losing weight than awesome!!!

kater8er

Why would it matter if someone was on the Atkins diet and you weren't? Just eat what you like--if moderation works for you then great. For others, it might not...You don't haveta look at their food diaries!

Qarol

I, for example, had to give up ice cream

MORE FOR MEEEEEEEE!!!!!

oh wait, I'm one of those drastic cases you hate so much...
*wink*

wonnder1

I'm not suggesting avoiding trigger foods. Absolutely give up things that are a problem for you. I, for example, had to give up ice cream b/c I've become hideously lactose intolerant *LOL*

Fair enough. But dammit now I'm thinking about bacon. Dipped in maple syrup. drooooooool.

camille97

Well... I have banned butter, as crazy as that sounds... The calories in one tablespoon scare me. I had some with toast today though, so I guess that goes in moderation!
And yeah you can't just 'go' vegetarian. Sooner or later you'll see that piece of bacon and snatch it up faster than you can say "diet".

stroutman81

I don't think I could ever eliminate bacon or pizza. Actually I don’t eliminate anything, if I wanted I try and make it fit in my calories and macros.

And what about bacon on pizza?

bcattoes

I both agree and disagree. I think everyone should eat healthy. I don't care if they think they should or not, I think they should. And that does mean limiting certain foods like bacon. Not that you should never eat bacon. But I don't think that eating what you always ate, just less of it is a good idea. UNLESS what you were already eating was healthy. You are free to do it, and you can certainly lose weight that way. But I still think everyone should just learn to like healthy foods and eat the rest sparingly as occasional treats.

Except for wine.