"Are you really enjoying that crap???"

Elizabeth_C34

Acutally yes.

It takes time, however, to relearn how to eat and enjoy it. I really like eating light meals now. I no longer go into a food coma after meals and have energy to spend time with my family and go out and do things I enjoy.

dakitten2

For the most part I'm loving my healthier foods. Honestly I've tried to add oatmeal to my diet but i cant get past I hate it and its a waste of calories to hold my nose and push it down my throat. Also, today I had a tilapia filet. Wont be doing that one again. But for the most part I'm a salad lover and have made some changes to my salads and gone to a lo-cal dressing that tastes great. I still allow myself the occasional roast beef sandwich from Arby's and on a rare occasion a small order of buffalo wings from Pizza Hut. I'm feeling full and satisfied on most days and the main things I've changed are a lot less pork and beef and a lot more turkey. I can spice anything up and make it taste different. Spices are lo-cal and can change the taste. I dont use salt at all for myself except what may already be in prepared foods.

IronmanPanda

Everything I eat is freaking delicious. Otherwise I wouldn't eat it.. Healthy food doesn't have to taste like crap.

chaNyn613

Some of the stuff I really enjoy like my whole grain waffles, smoothies, exotic fruit etc. Some of the old stuff I used to eat no longer appeals to me so that helps. But I really crave red meat so I make room for a big burger but not from McDonalds or some place like that. My weakness is Five guys because they put raw peppers on it not the mushy marinated peppers.

ShellyMacchi

uncategorically.. yes!!!
i eat nothing that is 'just good for you even if it tastes crappy' *L*.. i know that if i am not enjoying what i eat, i simply will lapse back into old habits.

i took a month off (december) and ate more like i used to.. (though no where near as badly as before in general!), and all i can say is.. WOW am i ever relieved/happy/feeling better now that i am back to more focused healthy choices again!

stylistchik

I love fresh food, especially fruits/veggies. Always have. The one thing I can't stand is steamed veggies. Yuck. Roasted, sauteed or raw with lots of crazy seasonings! Better than the CRAP they're eating! :laugh:

ttulio

I've been eating the same low calorie foods that I've always eaten. I've just stopped eating a lot of the higher calorie foods that I had with them. For me, being forced to eat different foods is why diets always failed in the past. That's why I love MFP. It's food that I already like.

SalishSea

I wish I could eat whatever I want and not get fat. But life does not work that way. If I want to be slender, look good in clothes, have energy and not be fat at 42 then I have to find foods that are filling, taste good and work with my calorie allotment.

I am in complete agreement with others that say the foods we ate that made us gain weight are now the foods that make me feel ill and sluggish. I still eat desserts and the like but my portions are reasonable. Especially compared to when I used to eat the whole pan of anything and everything. Oh that was a good run! But life is different for me now. And I want it to be.

I do like hot steamed veggies, fish, fruit, water. More than I like being 200+ pounds. Honestly.

tjpinch

but are you really enjoying the lower calorie (ie lower flavor food) you have started eating lately??

Umm, lower calorie food shouldn't be lower in flavor if you're doing it correctly. In fact, I think lower calorie food tends to be HIGHER in flavor because vegetables and spices are a lot more flavorful than cheese and starches.

AGREED! I accidentally made lemon pepper fish too spicy for my husband the other night. Oops.

alexislkent

For me, the answer is yes (most of the time).

Since I began my diet in September of last year, I have been cooking healthy meals and also making really healthy choices when I eat out. I am really proud of myself for doing so, and it has paid off by causing me to lose 23 pounds so far.

What surprised me through this process is that I enjoy all of the food I eat so much more than I ever did before. I used to eat fast food and fried foods daily, as well as home-cooked foods covered in cheese, butter, oil, cream, etc. With my healthy diet, my body feels so much better every day, and since I am not constantly eating super rich foods every 30 minutes, I really enjoy each flavor from every ingredient. Also, since my portions are small, it forces me to eat slower, and anticipate my meal - with real hunger pains. All of this makes each meal so much more satisfying, even if it is just turkey breast and green beans.

The only times I haven't enjoyed my new healthy meals are when I try to cook something and it doesn't turn out like I wanted it to (i.e. messed up the recipe, or made a substitution that didn't work). However, that happened even when I was cooking in my old unhealthy lifestyle.

I allowed myself several cheat days during the holidays where I went back to my old eating habits of not counting calories, eating lots of snacks like crackers and cheese spreads, quiche, many different desserts, high calorie dishes like lasagna, alcoholic drinks, candy, and a lot of other rich, unhealthy foods. What I found was that I didn't enjoy the foods as much as I thought I would, for two main reasons. The first was that for most of each of the cheat days, I was eating just to eat, not because I was hungry, so I didn't really desire the food all that much, which made it much less enjoyable. Secondly, the day after each of my cheat days, I had a food 'hangover'. My stomach hurt and was sour, my mouth was extra salty, I felt tired and lazy, and digestive system definitely had a hard time processing all of that bad food - if you know what I mean!

So for me, I really do enjoy my new healthy diet - and the food really does taste great!

re08scue

I'm not sure why you equate lower calorie with lower flavour - most herbs and spices have minimal calories and add fabulous flavour without lots of cals. I think a price of grilled fish and salad that is cooked well is going to have a whole lot more flavour than a bowl of hot chips which just tastes like grease and salt.

Ignore your sister, you're going to be WAY healthier than her.

I agree. I haven't given up flavour at all! I really enjoy my new healthy meals.

anubis609

"tiny perky butt" ...

The words string together which bring the thought of brine and basting.

Starla_

ive never really cooked or eaten a lot of junk for main meals, it was all the other stuff I was eating that was bad and I had to cut out most of that when I had to go gluten free anyway.

I love my salads and prefer them over a hamburger - I dont like buying salads when I go out though, because they are usually pretty tasteless, I fill mine with a bunch of different flavours (veges and fruit) and never need to use dressing. steamed vegies are the best but I grew up with a mum who boiled vegies until they were soggy and gross lol.

Healthier options can be amazingly yum, sometimes it just takes a change in how you cook it or prepare it. You do get used to the fresher tastes though, and if you still want a hamburger, make a healthier option

hsmithway

I rarely meet a food I don't enjoy, which is how I got into this mess, LOL.

In all seriousness, I love the taste of many types of food, from salads and steamed veggies to burgers and fries. I suppose I do choose a lot of foods that I don't enjoy to the point where it becomes difficult for me not to overeat, but I still enjoy the things that I'm eating.

borys12

Like others write - it takes time to enjoy real food. I use mixed herbs only, Any amount of salt is too much for me, fruits taste so sweet now. I don't think I would swallow crap. I don't use dressings, they kill salads.

I'm the only healthy eater from my family , and forced to prepare meals myself. Whatever I eat is bland and tasteless for others.

dsckrc

i love everything i make because i generally eat the same things as before just less of them. i miss some of my more indulgent dinners but this is a lifestyle, not a vacation! i recently started juicing and actually enjoy them too.

6heatherb6

Fortunately...I was already eating a healthy diet...just way too much
:blushing:

maryjay51

i learned to find what i can enjoy .. but in all reality there are times i just want a big huge ice cream sundae with caramel on it or a double cheese and mushroom pizza or a big fat submarine sandwich or a big cheeseburger.. i do treat myself to that stuff rarely but yes sometimes i do feel trapped .. however i have a choice..eat the crap and stay fat and unhealthy or eat whats necessary to lose weight and get in shape

EngiAli

Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels!

IronmanPanda

Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels!

I bet fit, healthy and strong tastes better than skinny.

Balletsax

Like many other people said, I enjoy the healthy stuff because I know I'll feel better physically and emotionally.

But why worry about what other people think about what I eat?? It's my body, my taste buds, my healthy future. We can't compare ourselves to other people otherwise we either would be starving ourselves or eating bad food all the time, right?

You do what is good for YOU, not worry if your sister is tiny and can eat whatever she wants and not gain weight. It's not about her, it's about YOU!

bahacca

I really feel like I have learned to like the healthier stuff. I find that when I eat "junk" that I used to eat, I literally feel sick. Not to say I don't still do it from time to time!

This. i found that my tastes are actually changing and the junk tastes (or at least makes me feel afterwards) like junk.

EXACTLY me! And steamed veggies with Mrs. Dash on them is really yummy! And I LOVE baked fish and fruit and stuff like quinoa. I'm tired of people thinking that "diet" food is gross. If you learn how to COOK IT, it is quite delicious!

flyawaybyebye

I love the food I eat, and my diet is mostly very healthy. I have sugar on occasion (too many occasions sometimes!) but most of my diet is fruit, veggies, lean meats and nuts. I don't waste any calories on foods I don't actually enjoy! A bowl of fresh steamed veggies, some baked sweet potato and some deli ham slices is what I just ate for lunch, and it was awesome. I'm about to enjoy a tangelo as a snack, and then have some shredded crock pot pork tenderloin for dinner later. Yum!

thejackswild79

I don't eat crap. I eat inventive and delicious food that I enjoy and that fuels my body. Seriously though, I like what I eat. I don't get this question often anymore (I used to, especially when I started eating a lot more tofu). Apparently the key is not actually saying I am watching what I eat but rather just doing it because then they assume I am eating it because it is absolutely delicious. They stop asking if I enjoy that crap and instead start asking if they can try it. LOL!

Auspiciousgirl

I, like others who have posted on this thread, love food too much to eat something simply because it's healthy-- it better taste good as well! On the flip side, I am learning to love my health too much to eat something simply because it tastes good. It's about finding healthy ways to cook and healthy ingredients that you love so that you continue eating things you love... it's just that you may start to love eating different things

vanessaclarkgbr

Yup, I 90% love what I eat. There are some things that are under sufferance, such as tuna in brine/spring water. When I get maintenance cals I'm having tuna in oil again :-)

BeckyAnneGreenGables

I eat what I'm hungry for. I eat real food--no fake sugar, no fake fat, no lowfat cheese--BUT I weigh and measure my portions as though my life depends on it. Steamed fish and veggies? Sure, especially with a spoonful of fruit chutney for the fish. A burger? You bet--although I only eat a quarter to a half of it. As long as it makes my tongue happy, and I stay within my calorie limit, I'm good.

CakeFit21

I'm enjoying the hell out of my grass fed rib-eye right this very second and guess what? It fits in my macros.

Everything I put in my mouth is delicious. I bet that fish was delicious too.

CakeFit21

Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels!

I bet fit, healthy and strong tastes better than skinny.

Skinny is stringy. That doesn't sound delicious to me at all.

cecilia0909

I won't eat it if I don't honestly like it. I love salads, fresh fruit, steamed veggies, fish, etc and I also enjoy a nice (homemade) burger now and then