Foods you had to cut out of diet to lose weight?

Never cut anything out, but I cut DOWN on fast food and cake.

I probably shouldn't even comment in threads like this. I cut out a lot of foods (grains, legumes, added sugar, dairy), but I am and have been for 8+ months actively trying to *gain* weight. (Prior to that, I spent ~6 months reaching a weight that was as low as I was willing to go and started rebuilding from there.)

So is this a "lifestyle change" that I'm willing to do for the rest of my life? Maybe. Maybe not. But who cares? I still actively manage my calories to achieve a certain goal regardless of the types of foods I do/do not eat. Sure, I can do that by eating the same foods that other eat, but I have chosen a different path. I have chosen a path that I believe is optimal for my health. I understand the slight sense of panic that others may feel when they consider giving up certain foods. I had it too when I first considered this path...but very quickly, once eliminated, that feeling went away (along with any cravings I had for that food).

I also suspect that this idea of some people giving up certain foods makes people in the EIM crowd uneasy because it challenges their idea that "there are no bad foods". We could argue about the definition of "bad", but I'll instead say that I am actively choosing to eat more nutrient dense foods. As a consequence, I am also choosing not to eat less nutrient dense foods. I could choose to eat *fewer* of these foods, but I have chosen to eat *none* of them instead.

The goods news for everyone who is on the EIM path is that I am not telling you your approach is wrong. I am, however, saying that there is another path that *may* work for others, (and to hear some tell them that their approach is wrong can be slightly irritating).

(ETA: I really need to stop overusing the word "path"...it makes me sound like I'm describing some kind of spiritual journey.)

Not a damn thing

I refuse to diet. I refuse to eat a salad when everyone else is eating gravy & biscuits.

I refuse to sip water during football...

Moderation & portion control & you dont HAVE to give up a thing! If you deprive yourself, you are only setting yourself up for failure. Learn how to eat PROPERLY or live miserable in a bowl of greens for the rest of your life!

just my opinion, and its working for me.

If this were Facebook, I'd 'like' this comment like crazy!

The only thing I try to cut out is red meat, but that's just because I don't feel as good when I eat it. Otherwise, it's all about moderation and moving. If you can control your portions, then you've won 1/2 the battle. You won't drop it as fast as fad diets, but you're going to keep it off longer because you're teaching yourself control.

Eat less, move more!

My case was a bit reversed, I actually had to ADD foods to lose weight. Granted, working with a budget, I guess I can see why I was eating only so much.

That said, though, I'm under reccommendation to drop soda to just a few times as an endulgance (good bye, Dr, Pepper). I mostly dealt in diet sodas, all due to the 0 calorie intake, but it would force me to keep water weight for a while or worse. Trade off is, I need to start hunting for an alternative, multiple bottles of crystal light only go so far. XD