Anybody miss. . .

Valqis

I have been back on the calorie bandwagon for about a week and a half now...and am starting to miss some of my "favorite foods" (mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, salisbury steak [my fave meal]). Is anyone else having that issue? How do you overcome it?

lynnie30

I eat them. Just smaller portions of them. That way I don't totally sabotage my diet by binging because I give in. My weakness is Iced Caramel Lattes.....mmmmm.

kellykat

One of the reasons I like this site is because you can still have the foods you love - just "budget" them. I start off the day with making a meal plan to stick to. If there is something I want I build it into my plan and budget the rest of my calories accordingly or make sure that I workout to earn extra calories. The key is moderation.

Questfor250

Give it time. two weeks, then three and your favorites will be erased. Trust me I can tell you that I am a person who eats the same food forever. I was eating Chinese every other day, Chili's chips and sals, and Steak Fajitas every other day. For years. That is why I gained so much weight because I would do it at lunch. I also craved CF Diet Pepsi. After two weeks I am a water guy with an occasional soda. I have not had Sweet & Sour Chicken since I started Jan 5 and have no desire to go back to the restaurant. To curb my first weeks on I used Weight Watchers Smart Ones Orange Chicken. That got the cravings to go away. The key is to stick with it and drink a water every time you have that urge. Also feed frequently so you don't get so far gone you go eat because of a craving. Good Luck.

Mike
Questfor250

Happyoceangirl

I eat them. Just smaller portions of them. That way I don't totally sabotage my diet by binging because I give in. My weakness is Iced Caramel Lattes.....mmmmm.

I agree.... it's funny how the concept of sticking with one actual portion can be so foreign..., like "what? only one piece of pizza?" Really. For my whole life, I HONESTLY believed it was not humanly possible to eat only one piece. Like, there's a magnetic field attaching the second to the end of the first as it goes down my throat. Call it un-investigated thinking.

Can you imagine my shock when, a month or so ago, we had leftover pizza here and I chose to eat ONE of the two remaining pieces for lunch? It was an AH-HA moment for me. Similar with cupcakes. I made them for a friend's birthday. We had leftovers in the house. Pre-MFP, those babies would've been gone by the end of the week. Would you believe, there's actually a stale, leftover cupcake from two and a half weeks ago hanging out in my fridge? (The point being, yes, I ate some, because I loved them. Maybe 4 out of the entire batch of 24 over the course of two weeks, and they were budgeted into my daily goals.... no harm, no foul.)

I'm working on remembering that ONE portion of white rice for dinner truly is just as good as two (in the end). Actually better.

Good luck!:flowerforyou:

Rebecca__Lynn

I eat alot of Lean Cuisine or Smart Ones for dinner....they have lots of tasty meals...so I don't really miss anything...feel like I'm getting all my faves still.

lvfunandfit

I replaced my old favorites with new favorites! Spinach Turkey Burgers, in my opinion, are so much better than a big fatty burger from a restaurant! Homemade baked fries taste better than greasy fries from fast food places! I don't even enjoy the things I used to love anymore! Well, except warm chocolate chip cookies! LOL I haven't had one of those for months though!

Vallandingham

Every weekend I juice some veggies to drink during the week. I take the pulp from the juicer, add some TVP and ground Turkey. I add my favorite seasonings and bake 4 oz meatballs to snack on during the week. Great source of protein and fiber. Low calorie and low fat.

courtney_love2001

I eat it! I love cheeseburgers, and I eat one like once every 2 weeks. I also look for healthier versions of my old faves, like instead of fried french fries, I cut up my own potatoes and bake them. They taste even better than they used to. I find if you make the food yourself, you can control what goes into it and can make it way healthier.

lynnie30

I eat them. Just smaller portions of them. That way I don't totally sabotage my diet by binging because I give in. My weakness is Iced Caramel Lattes.....mmmmm.

I agree.... it's funny how the concept of sticking with one actual portion can be so foreign..., like "what? only one piece of pizza?" Really. For my whole life, I HONESTLY believed it was not humanly possible to eat only one piece. Like, there's a magnetic field attaching the second to the end of the first as it goes down my throat. Call it un-investigated thinking.

Can you imagine my shock when, a month or so ago, we had leftover pizza here and I chose to eat ONE of the two remaining pieces for lunch? It was an AH-HA moment for me. Similar with cupcakes. I made them for a friend's birthday. We had leftovers in the house. Pre-MFP, those babies would've been gone by the end of the week. Would you believe, there's actually a stale, leftover cupcake from two and a half weeks ago hanging out in my fridge? (The point being, yes, I ate some, because I loved them. Maybe 4 out of the entire batch of 24 over the course of two weeks, and they were budgeted into my daily goals.... no harm, no foul.)

I'm working on remembering that ONE portion of white rice for dinner truly is just as good as two (in the end). Actually better.

Good luck!:flowerforyou:

Yes! I also have to keep telling myself that I can always make more if I really want some. My husband ate the rest of the chocolate ice cream and I realized that if I really want some (and I mean REALLY) I can just go and get more. Once I realized this I didn't crave it as much.

I love your picture btw- I can't wait for summer here.

nolachick

I eat it! I love cheeseburgers, and I eat one like once every 2 weeks. I also look for healthier versions of my old faves, like instead of fried french fries, I cut up my own potatoes and bake them. They taste even better than they used to. I find if you make the food yourself, you can control what goes into it and can make it way healthier.

I agree.
I love pizza so I buy pre made wheat crust and make at home with veggies like onions, green peppers, olives , mushrooms etc.
delish and I know whats going into my body.

find healthy alternativees or make ur own.

watch out for lean cuisines and such they have TONS of sodium.

ScarletTarah

I just changed what I love into healthier options -mashed potatoes became mashed cauliflower- burgers are turkey burgers
If you love your mac n' cheese buy the single serving portions. I am the sandwhich queen I can eat them breakfast lunch and dinner
I haven't had regular bread in over a month I use pitas and I love them so much better or the thomas bagel thins it's all about what you really want if i want a candy bar I get a 90 calorie granola bar its the same to me. Hang in there and you'll soon forget that you ever thought you were denying yourself.

robin52077

I agree with all of you!
Eat a small portion of the food you are craving, or eat a healthier alternative that is similar enough to ease the craving.

I don't like to completely deny myself my craving because if I eat something else instead, I usually end up eating my craving anyways, on TOP of the alternative that I already ate, so I may as well have eaten the food I craved to begin with! But just enough to calm the inner monster.

My biggest weakness is BBQ potato chips. I used to eat the whole bag whether I was hungry or not. I can NOT make myself take a handful and put the bag away. Its like I HAVE TO finish it. I think I am OCD.....lol
So now I just don't buy those, but I'll buy another kind of crunchy/salty to keep my mind off them!

neenaleigh

I eat them. Just smaller portions of them. That way I don't totally sabotage my diet by binging because I give in. My weakness is Iced Caramel Lattes.....mmmmm.

I do the same! if i had deprived myself i would never have made it this far!!!


BTW, MAC & CHEESE IS MY FAV!!!!!

tavander

I have learned that I can't give up some of my homemade favorites. So I plan accordingly and will adjust my calories per meal earlier in the day to allow an indulgence. I cook pretty healthy already though so it isn't that often that I need to prepare for a massive calorie expenditure. I don't believe in dieting but rather "everything in moderation"