Am I lying to myself?

cdnbassjunkie

Ok, so I started and joined just over a week ago. Ive never really "dieted" before, so this is a pretty big thing for me.

I love food. Not just any type, I love cheese, bacon, and most of all BREAD! Im eating 1200 cal per day, but I'm not cutting out any of these foods I love! I am working out about 5 times per week, and I have lost 9 lbs already!


I keep telling myself, once I hit a plateau in my weight loss, I will then cut out all the not so healthy foods I crave so much, and that, in turn will help me over that inevitable plateau.

What do you think about my plan? will this work? or should I be eating 100% healthy from the start?

impyimpyaj

You're doing it right. Make small changes as you go along. I lost 30 lbs last year here under a different account, left for a few months, and had only put back on about 5 pounds, which was mostly from not exercising. I do eat very different foods from what I ate when I first started, but I made the changes slowly instead of trying to force it. It's been easier to maintain those changes since I made them over time, one at a time.

Also, bacon is a vital nutrient. :laugh:

jaly92

I think the idea is just everything in moderation if you start to cut down now, you'll find it easier in the long run! 1200 seems low for a calorie intake unless you mean your NET calories especially as you're working out 5 times/week!

Your body needs fuel!

impyimpyaj

Oh, jaly92 is right about the calories. I forgot to mention that. Make sure you're eating at least a portion of the calories you burn through exercise in order to make sure you're feeding your muscles and getting the nutrition you need.

migoi357

I'm of the opinion that you're doing it the most sensible way. This whole thing should be about life enhancement, not deprivation. Incremental adjustments are the way to go. I've lost 39.5 pounds since last August. I never made any huge changes...just a whole bunch of small ones. Some things I changed and didn't like the change, so I went back and looked for another place to make the change. You'll do fine. The final truth though..it's your life, run it the way that works for you.

IveLanded

If it's working for you, it's working. So many folks here will say "Hey, go with it".

My opinion is this: if eating that way got you to where you were unhappy enough to make a big change.....uhm, thats a red flag that, yes, you do need a radical change in how you eat. I am one of those folks that will say "it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change". I think people who have long term success with weight loss are the people who change how they look at what goes into their body.

I came to a point where I thought "If my happiness is reliant on me putting unhealthy crap into my mouth then I have bigger issues to deal with".

So I'd say...if you're successful right now, great. But it might be worth re thinking how you think of food in the future. Even if you are losing weight, I can't imagine you'd be healthy for life eating that way. And that was a huge part of the equation for me in getting healthy...I want to be around a long time and I want a decent quality of life. It's not about fitting into a better swim suit this season.........it's about getting out with my kids and swimming with them for many many summers to come. And that's only going to happen if I change how I eat and change how I think about food.

Just my 2 cents.

hark15

I think you are doing it the right way! Its a lifestyle change, not a diet, so drastic measures aren't necessary. Instead, gradually start replacing some of your favorite foods with healthier alternatives - more fruits and veggies and whole grain bread options - but you don't need to cut out your favorite foods entirely. Just fit your favorite into your daily goals and try to limit some of the least healthy options. For me, its sweets. So I try to limit my intake of sweets by only having a true dessert (ice cream or a cookie) a few times a week and other nights just have a couple of pieces of dark chocolate if I'm craving it. I've also switched out full fat ice cream with other alternatives. There is no one way to do this - just do what works for you

Oh and definitely eat back some exercise calories! My goal is 1350 and I try to NET at a minimum 1200 calories, depending on the day, to keep my energy up.

paint_it_black

I'd say you're doing it right, what you're doing is sustainable and so long as your balancing what you love with what you need you'll make this a permanent change.

meshashesha2012

i like your plan because it's like the one i have.

i love sugar and cheese chocolate and bacon cheeseburgers with onions rings and alcohol :laugh: .

i'm eating less but i havent cut them out completely. i honestly cant see any lifestyle where i cant fit in the foods i like to eat. yes i know it's better to eat to live but personality wise i'm a foodie so there has to be some measure of living to eat that gets fit in to the equation.

litatura

Depending on the person, reducing portion size and/or frequency you eat something or food substitutions vs. cutting something out of your diet completely can make it more sustainable long-term and you might be less likely to crave (this is the case with me). However, I know other people who have had to cut out the 'bad' food out of their diet completely or else they binge. If what you're doing is working for you, then keep it up until your body gives you reason to do otherwise.

myfitnessnmhoy

What do you think about my plan? will this work? or should I be eating 100% healthy from the start?

It's working for now, go with it!

As you lose weight and your energy levels come up, especially if you're getting a good balance of exercise including some cardio and some resistance training/core work, you'll probably find that you start loving flavors that give you the nutrition you need. Some of your old beloved favorites will probably start to fall off your diet all on their own.

I love fried food. Man do I love fried food. Except eating more than a small amount of it now makes me feel a little nauseous. I still enjoy small amounts of it, but I can't polish off an Admiral's Platter of fried seafood like I once did. And by that I mean my second one at that sitting. I'll order a small side of fries or something instead, and be just as satisfied with my selections now as I was back then with the Double Admiral (my favorite restaurant invented that name in my honor. This was not a good thing).

I loved donuts. Except I ate two of them today for the sole purpose of filling a calorie deficit from cycling to work the last few days, and I kinda felt icky and had to drink lots of water and go for a brisk walk.

Food is like friends. As you lose weight, you'll make new friends (hello, refrigerator oatmeal, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways... 13g protein, low sodium), and you'll lose some old ones. A few of them, you'll visit from time to time but it won't be the same - you'll reminisce about old times and find you've moved on.

No sense forcing what will come naturally. Focus on keeping the calories under control, exercising portion control, and getting plenty of good exercise. Your food CHOICES will take care of themselves in time.

jsjaclark

I love cheese and bacon as well. I just don't eat as much as I did before and I make sure that I am logging it into my calories. For bread, I have switched to 100% whole wheat bread. I was never one to fix bread for every meal so that wasn't a problem. I just try to be conscious of how much bread when I go out to eat (like at Olive Garden or somewhere with unlimited bread).

Like others said, making small changes may work better in the long run.

mcpherson4

It's working? Why on earth are you worried? Girl, relax. Eat what you want. Move.

khelser

I love bread!!!! When I first started I wasn't eating any b/c of the calories but have you tried the Nickles 35 calorie bread? It is great. I don't feel guilty about eating it either b/c it is 1/2 the calories.

Also, I have had ice cream cake for birthday parties I just make sure that the rest of the day that I am eating healthy to make up for it. Try the salads from Subway. Each one is pretty big and they are almost all under 200 calories( that is what I get the days that I am getting close to my limit.)

So, I don't think that you should sacrifice the few things that you really like, just try to find a happy medium :happy:

2012asv

All in moderation. I think you should start reducing the bad stuff little by little instead of cutting it out cold turkey later. My thing is, if I cant maintain it for the rest of my life than I'm not committing to changing it. I try to incorporate small changes so that I know I can do it permanently.
I love chocolate. I have a tiny piece everyday. I do this so that I don't have binges and mad cravings. Works for me.

bulbadoof

If you can fit it into your plan, good on you!

But you might find that as you move on to a more healthy lifestyle that your body will need more nutritious food to keep up with properly sustaining you and giving you the energy you need.

I eat bacon, frozen yogurt, cheese, and fruit every day - I have no intention of taking any of these things out of my diet. However, I find myself looking for excuses to cram extra vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats into my diet because I know my body feels good when I get these things.

Do what works for you, but pay attention to how you feel with what you're eating. You will never have to give up the things you love entirely, but you may have to cut back or think up some substitutes to make room for things that will feed your body better.

zellagrrl

I altered my diet when my doctor told me that I had to, and when I began correlating that certain foods were making symptoms worse for me. If you don't have issues, then you're probably fine.

kenny_johnson

Am I the only one here who thinks bread and cheese ARE healthy foods? I eat bread and cheese nearly every day. Yes, whole foods are better, but I don't consider cheese and bread as junk food. And bacon should be fine in moderation.

I still eat all the same foods as I did before. I just eat them either in smaller portions or less frequently (or both).

Dimples1975

What do you think about my plan? will this work? or should I be eating 100% healthy from the start?

It's working for now, go with it!

As you lose weight and your energy levels come up, especially if you're getting a good balance of exercise including some cardio and some resistance training/core work, you'll probably find that you start loving flavors that give you the nutrition you need. Some of your old beloved favorites will probably start to fall off your diet all on their own.

I love fried food. Man do I love fried food. Except eating more than a small amount of it now makes me feel a little nauseous. I still enjoy small amounts of it, but I can't polish off an Admiral's Platter of fried seafood like I once did. And by that I mean my second one at that sitting. I'll order a small side of fries or something instead, and be just as satisfied with my selections now as I was back then with the Double Admiral (my favorite restaurant invented that name in my honor. This was not a good thing).

I loved donuts. Except I ate two of them today for the sole purpose of filling a calorie deficit from cycling to work the last few days, and I kinda felt icky and had to drink lots of water and go for a brisk walk.

Food is like friends. As you lose weight, you'll make new friends (hello, refrigerator oatmeal, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways... 13g protein, low sodium), and you'll lose some old ones. A few of them, you'll visit from time to time but it won't be the same - you'll reminisce about old times and find you've moved on.

No sense forcing what will come naturally. Focus on keeping the calories under control, exercising portion control, and getting plenty of good exercise. Your food CHOICES will take care of themselves in time.

Love the analogy! Thanks

etameca

I think you should stick with your plan of cutting back once/if you begin to plateau, although eating a little better from the start will make it much easier later on. The bacon I would definitely limit and hopefully you're not eating white bread... Congrats on your shedded pounds!

gayje

Small changes, baby steps will be easier to handle. If you wait to cut back on the foods you love until you stop loosing, you may get frustrated and fall of the wagon so to speak because your plateau lasts longer than you would like. There really is no "good way" to implement major change IMO, it's been very hard for me and I'm 8 weeks into it.

That's an awesome loss so far. You should be proud of yourself; loosing weight is not easy!