Do you still eat what you want?

NoAdditives

I generally eat healthy foods because I feel better when I do. But, I don't hesitate much if I want to indulge. I certainly never worry about what to eat a party, restaurant, etc. since those are 'once in a while' things.

misa2carr

i still eat what i want BUT i try to stay away from fast food or i see how many calories something is before i order seems to help me stay away from french fries and i am much more aware about what a serving size is before i eat snacks

Lesley2901

Yes, but try to limit the amount of sweet stuff (not always successful though)

mem50

Pretty much. I eat anything I want, but in moderation. And I plan for it. If I want ice cream, I leave room for ice cream. But I try to control portions.

Fast food is the one thing I don't really do anymore. I haven't had McDonalds in about 7 months. Otherwise, I still have some chocolate almost every day.... I have a sweet tooth. But still eating what you want makes it feel more tolerable. Like you aren't really sacrificing that much.

^Agree ^

I have not had McDonald's in well over 5 years, Burger King about 4 years. Fact is I pretty much avoid fast food. Will do Wendy's once in a great while.

Diet is to me just the word Die with a T on the end. I so much prefer the words life style change. It worked and is still working well for me. Maintenance for 8 months and no regain. :drinker: Yippee!!!!

Josie_lifting_cats

I totally eat whatever I want.

I guess that's not completely true. I wanted a 5 layer beefy burrito at Taco Bell yesterday, but I know that it was more calories than I wanted to give up on lunch, so I ate a taco supreme instead.

I have semi-frequent "splurge" days, which surprisingly enough rarely are more than my TDEE, and that's absolutely fine with me.

I still drink wine. I love Taco Bell. I'll pack my entire days' worth of calories away at a sushi place. And I will NEVER turn down a s'more.

I could never be successful at clean eating, or eating primarily fruits and veggies, or going low carb. The other macros are interesting, but just more for curiosity than anything. And since I'm pretty much within 10 pounds of goal weight and somewhat content with my body currently, I'm not worried about losing more weight. Toning up, yes. Distance biking, yes. I think it just depends on each person and what they can sustain.

lovecrescendo

Absolutely -- my number one rule is to avoid deprivation. Most of the time though I try to go for healthier alternatives -- homemade potato chips if I'm craving something salty, fruit pops or frozen yogurt for something sweet, etc. And then I find, when I accidentally binge on the unhealthier things, like bagged potato chips or fast food fries or something, I feel really crappy afterwards. So it's mostly listening to my body.

MzMiller1215

I refuse to give up the foods I love completely. I eat healthy 85% of the time and fit in my favorites when I want, within moderation of course. :happy:

themommie

YES I still eat what I want but i no longer want to eat hot fudge sundaes or huge helpings because I am so much healthier and feel so much better. I do eat fast food but I order different things then I used to and i no longer order fries, or chips but it is a joke that I get 4 fries so my kids give me 4 fries....LOL.

Natihilator

Yes. The upside is I don't feel like I'm restricted or "dieting", and can see myself doing it this way for the rest of my life. And it also happens that a lot of the things that I want are healthy and good for me anyways. If I was a fried chicken and pasta addict, it would be different.

The downside is that my weight loss has been painfully slow, in my opinion. not quite 30lbs in 6 months. But so be it.

DeeVanderbles

I do generally try to eat healthier, but if I really want something, I have it and try to stay under my calorie goal. If I go over, I don't freak out about it I just eat better the next day.

isis2triple0

Yep everything in moderation! I would go crazy if I could never eat chocolate granted now I eat way less (no more King Size Peanut M&M's late at night!!) . Every now and then I enjoy myself with my family.

rhonniema

Yes.
Instead of french fries everyday, I'll have them once a week.

Meowfitness

I eat what all I crave for.... But I limit quantities... that too not too much of limiting... if I eat 4 spoons in general.. I will stop at 3rd one... and after looking at my extra cals I took... I try to match them with my cal burn... that way, I can balance and never loose my interest or give up on anything...

KaidaKantri

I try to eat healthy most of the time. If I'm within my calories, I sometimes will eat fast food if the situation calls for it. However, I've also noticed I don't like wendy's or mcd's or any fast food any more so it's easier to stay away from that stuff. I go to town every so often, and if I've done a good job with my calories for the week and am under my cal limit, I go get frozen yogurt with a few toppings, or low cal ice cream. It's a great motivation idea and it will help keep you on track. I do believe you need to eat mostly healthy, but you can allow yourself the occasional treat.

Cat52169

I absolutely eat what I want.............I just don't over do it. Well sometimes I over do it

KaidaKantri

I have also found that IF I don't allow the occasional treat, then I wont follow through with the exercise and dieting. But since I've upped my cal limit to 1400 instead of 1200, I've found that I'm able to stay closer to 1200. Just because you CAN eat more, doesn't necessarily mean you will. It's just nicer knowing that you can, and you will be more satisfied in the end.

Octopies

Yup. Still eat ice cream every once in a while. I don't have much of a sweet tooth but sometimes it pops up. :P
I've lost 15lb so far so somethings going right.
Since starting MFP I haven't gone over once and I'm actually learning what correct portions are, which is something that led to me getting so big in the first place! I reckon the next step is to try and eat healthier, which might be harder when I'm in school.

crzyone

No, I don't eat what I want....because I STILL want to pig out on lots of unhealthy food. I try to eat healthy, lots of fresh veggies, lean chicken, etc. However, do I still eat things I like? Yes, occassionally, but I WANT to eat a tub of french fries or a whole pizza or a tub of ice cream. My mind still says I want to do that and it's not healty, so I'm tryng to change what I WANT.

SarahMorganP

I eat what I want, and that is pretty unhealthy sadly. I just know from trying to lose weight in the past that if I don't eat what I want I will NOT continue. I will lose 50-60lbs and then I will gain it all back. So this time I am eating exactly what I always do, just less of it, and will take a week or two off here and there to eat however much I want. I will gain 5-10lbs back during that time off, but to me it is worth it.

I wouldn't recommend my way to anyone else though, I know it is not healthy, it is just the only way that works for me. I just got back from lunch, I had two soft shell tacos, a small order of potato oles, and a small diet pepsi from Taco Johns. Now I only have 200 calories left for dinner. So I will either eat a very small dinner, work out to earn more, or let this be one of my go over days. I am not going to freak out about any of those options though. I am in this for a lifetime, not just a few months, so it has to be something that will work long term for me.

galaxiegal

I just had a wendys hamburger for lunch! I try to eat healthy but if I want a fast food meal, (I usually cut extras like fries and NEVER get a regular coke) I budget my calories or work out a little longer so I stay within my calorie goal. If you don't eat the foods you love you'll never stick to it. Eat it in moderation and *learn* I can already tell if what I am going to eat is going to work calorie wise, and basically just use MFP as an assurance tool because I want a lifestyle change. I want to be able to know how to keep calories down on my own, without having to track it, so I'm learning! :drinker:

brentdaniels

For the most part I do, just a LOT less of it. I am trying to eat cleaner-less processed etc.

kitkat1781

This is a really interesting topic...I've enjoyed reading all of the responses. I do not eat "what I want" anymore. That being said, "what I want" is starting to change based on my desire to lead a healthier lifestyle. I love Taco Bell and ice cream. BUT, I learned that I can't eat healthy amounts of either of those things. I'm just not capable. So I've cut them out of my diet. Same with most sweets---my cravings for those foods are out of control once I've had even just a little bit. That being said, I've found lots of other great foods I love and I've found a way to make "healthy" nachos at home.

Heather_Rider

Im an 80/20 person, but most of the time I tend to have my '20' at weekends. Thats not to say I go overboard, I just generally dont drink alcohol sun-thurs, and so I have a drink Fri and Sat night, and am a little less strict with food. I never tend to have a 'blow out'. I just dont feel good afterwards and so I dont bother. It just makes my tummy hurt.

This is exactly the way i am! works too! I enjoy whatever i want, i just limit it! (and rarely go over my calorie goal!)

kwest_4_fitness

Yep. But I follow the logic of "moderation, moderation, moderation". Fast food once a month, pizza once or twice a month, ice cream for dessert, etc. I've lost 77 lbs in a little over a year revamping how I eat as far as healthier foods and working out, but I've not given up fast food completely and I still eat processed foods and white flour and refined sugars. :drinker:

gatorginger

Yep I eat what I want and I cheat when I want and I have still had success :}

Fani2003

Wholeheartedly YES!

"Bad" things I have eaten and still been within calories:

Pizza (Delivery, not Digiorno!)
Cake
Fro Yo (I can't eat ice cream)
Cookies
Chocolate
Bread
Wine
Cheese
Girl Scout Cookies (deserving of their own category)

I have not had McDonald's (I love me a BigMac). I eat Chick fil A grilled nuggets regularly (we have 2 kids) and was forced to ear at Arby;'s the other day and found a salad under 350 cals.

I find I don't deprive myself. I make decisions based on:

*How much do I really want that?
*Am I willing to sacrifice other things for it?
*What is the least of it I can eat to still be satisfied and be low calories.

It is amazing how few calories are in just a sampling of something and also how when you actually think about what something will "cost" you, you don't crave it.

My rule is always log before I eat.

It is amazon

JuneBPrice

Yes! I don't think I could make it otherwise!

RamTX22

Yes I can pretty much eat anything, but I dont crave a lot of the unhealthy food I used to

staplebug

For sure. I try to eat clean food within my calorie goal, but one day a week I allow myself to go over by a hundred calories or so. I used to get out of control because I was denying myself those treats that I love, but now I can have what I want in moderation and not lose my head.

CeCe_oceansoul_420

More or less, yes. I'm careful not to indulge more than a few times a week... but I love hamburgers. Not cheeseburgers, hamburgers. Love them. Could eat one every day of the week. But I try to only eat hamburgers that I make myself, because then I can guarantee what goes on it, how much, and how lean the meat is. And I usually only eat 1-2 hamburgers a week. Everything else I eat is healthy. I don't drink soda or any other sugary drink, I don't do fried foods or chips, and I rarely have chocolate or any other form of candy. My weakness is really hamburgers.

And what I'm doing is working. I don't know how much I've collectively lost since I started my new lifestyle 8 weeks ago, but I do know that my clothes are fitting better, and I've lost at least 1 inch off every area that I measure.