FOOD for thought
kellijauch
Posts: 379 Member
I am really struggling (mentally) with the food restriction aspect. The whole reason I need to lose weight is because I LOVE food way too much, especially all the foods we shouldn't be eating (chicken fingers, cheese fries, pizza, ice cream, chocolate, mac and cheese, buffalo chicken dip, skyline, etc...). I'm doing okay preventing myself from eating fatty foods. I have a lot of willpower and determination, but honestly I feel a little depressed because I can't eat the foods I want to. It's making me slightly miserable and irritable, and that's not productive at all. That's also very much out of character for me. I am a very bubbly, optimistic, happy person in general, and I'm not really feeling that way today. That alone makes me feel even worse. I have been exercising, and I know that is supposed to release endorphins which increase happiness, but it doesn't seem to be enough, I guess. Does anyone have any suggestions or advice? Any personal thoughts or similar experiences?
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Don't completely cut all that out... plan your days so you can have some of it in moderation. A lot of it you can find healthier versions to eat (try the "recipes" main MFP forum), others you can just cut back. Make sure on days you're going to have some that you burn plenty of calories in exercise.
Last night ate half a pizza (thin crust chicken bacon ranch), and finished the day with lots of calories to spare.... That's not to say you should try to eat healthier, but having that stuff on occasion is better than coming to resent your new lifestyle because you completely deprive yourself of it.0 -
That makes sense. Today I had my vanilla latte. I got the "skinny" version trying to be good, and I gotta tell ya, it didn't taste very good. It wasn't satisfying because it didn't taste the same as what I was used to and Very fond of. I probably will stick to the real thing from now on. That's why I'm hesitant to try reduced fat recipes. But the idea of planning my day so I can have some of those things from time to time, especially on days I exercise, is a great recommendation. I'm sure I will end up trying some new recipes, but there is just nothing that comes close to the Fox and Hound's cheese fries or a good homemade lasagna. My biggest fear is being unhappy with my diet, feeling like it lacks substance and flavor, and then saying well i'd rather be happy than skinny. I've done that before, so I am fairly nervous it might happen again. I do have more motivation and dedication than ever. I am strong, but I also need to make sure I stay the happy person I always am throughout this whole adventure, so that I can stick with it for a lifetime.0
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then saying well i'd rather be happy than skinny. I've done that before, so I am fairly nervous it might happen again. I do have more motivation and dedication than ever. I am strong, but I also need to make sure I stay the happy person I always am throughout this whole adventure, so that I can stick with it for a lifetime.
Trust me - once you get fat enough, there is no happiness there... it's much easier being happy when you're fit, even if it's on a somewhat restricted diet... The bright side is that once you get to your goal weight, and can "just" maintain, you get a lot of extra calories every day
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I too agree eat what you want some days. I found the success for me sticking to it is to allow myself one or 2 pieces of chocolate, the occasional starbucks, and once in awhile mexican restuarant. At first I was restricting everything but healthy and I was stalling out. Since allowing myslef I am back on track and feeling better than ever.0
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I read a quote that says "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels"...I like to change skinny to healthy.
I also let myself have a cheat day. I'm really good during the week and on Sunday, I don't track my food. I don't go crazy but I don't feel guilty about having a piece of cheesecake either.
You have to be really careful with "diet" food. They are very highly process and full chemicals and artificial ingredients. I adopted the motto in October "If I can't pronounce it, I'm not eating it"
I also measure EVERYTHING! If I want some chips...by golly, I measure out 28g (typical serving size) I also think it helps if you plan you eating day in the morning. I'll track my lunch and afternoon snack in the morning when I'm making it, then I have a good idea of how many calories I have for dinner.
Also, try not to focus so much on what you can't have. You'll never succeed. Instead, focus on healthy, clean eating. You'll be amazed at how quickly your body doesn't like fatty, unhealthy foods anymore. My husband and I had a late night, emergency trip through Taco Bell about a month ago and only after one taco, I felt horrible.
Good luck and hang in there!0 -
That's funny you mention that because I have post its all over my house and my desk at work that all say "NO food tastes as good as SKINNY feels"
I never feel guilty about eating things thaqt aren't too healthy, but I try real hard not to. I really need to lose a substantial amount weight, so I need to stay on track.
Also, I don't eat "diet foods" either. I just make sure what I eat is organic and natural and healthy.
Thanks for the advice guys0 -
Also make sure you're allowing yourself enough calories to enjoy things you like from time to time. I set my goal to half a pound a week and eat back my exercise calories, which means on my long run days I get to have pizza and wine, or pasta and crusty bread, or a couple of Pop-Tarts, and still stay within my calories for the day. If I tried to give up all the things I love, there's no way I could stick to a calorie deficit.
No, I can't have every single thing I want every single day. That's just not realistic. But I get to have something I love often enough that I don't feel deprived--and can still see the scale moving in the right direction. This, I can stick with. For life.0 -
I've been skinny before, and let me tell you, bacon tastes way better than being skinny feels.
Granted, it's not better than being healthy...
You should eat what you want. Just make sure you count the calories. So, if you can't afford to drop 800 calories on a delicious meal, eat half of it, or eat the whole thing and get a good workout in.
Depriving yourself is going to make you resent all the hard work. Eating right should not feel like a punishment.0 -
I had the exact same problem when I started out, I was losing weight and physically feeling better but I was fixated on what I was missing and became grumpy. So I restarted and ate like I used to: same food, same portions. BUT I stuck to my calorie goals by working out at the end of the day for however long it took to get myself down to my calorie goal.
This was a huge wake up call to the portion sizes I was eating of my favorite foods and, after a few weeks, I almost naturally started eating less and substituting my favorite food with other things so I would be eating better. And, yeah, I have an occasional "cheat" day, but, day-to-day, if I want my favorite foods I just understand what my portion limit should be or know I'll be on the bike an extra bit of time that day. 0 -
then saying well i'd rather be happy than skinny. I've done that before, so I am fairly nervous it might happen again. I do have more motivation and dedication than ever. I am strong, but I also need to make sure I stay the happy person I always am throughout this whole adventure, so that I can stick with it for a lifetime.
Trust me - once you get fat enough, there is no happiness there... it's much easier being happy when you're fit, even if it's on a somewhat restricted diet... The bright side is that once you get to your goal weight, and can "just" maintain, you get a lot of extra calories every day
I hate that saying.
I was miserable as a fat person. And I said that exact phrase to myself over and over - but in reality, I wasn't happy. The food didn't really make me happy. It put a temporary band-aid on my misery, but then as soon as it came back, I'd just have to go stuff my face again. I didn't love food - I like that it stopped the empty feeling.
Now, I can say that I am happy. I literally LOVE my life. I had the most awesome weekend. I lifted weights Friday night and then went out for an awesome Italian dinner with friends. I ran a 5K Saturday morning with friends and got a personal record! Then, my husband and I went rock climbing Saturday afternoon with another couple. We finished up our evening out with a visit to the gym (all 4 of us), where I proceeded to get a personal record on my deadlift (250lbs! Yeah!) and my squat (225!). Yesterday, I slept in, ate some good food and spend the day with my husband and daughter. I watched a couple of movies and then took a spin class last night (that all my friends go to as well). I went to bed last night happy, sore, exhausted, and completely satisfied with my weekend. It was great.
I'll take all of that over a large pizza any day.
And, to clarify - I'm a HUGE proponent of moderation. I eat pizza, pop tarts, ice cream, candy, pasta, rice, bread, veggies, fruit, lean meats, big *kitten* steaks, chocolate, popcorn with butter, etc. I eat what I want to eat. Most of the time, I want to eat healthy stuff that fuels my body. But I never feel guilty for eating a treat. I eat treats about every day. You can find that balance.0
