Soda and fizzy pop

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_EndGame_
_EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
OK, so I have been on a diet now for just over a month. I've cut out ALL soda, replaced it with water, or sugar free dilute juice. I've cut out crisps, chocolate (never ate that much chocolate anyway) I've not had any kind of fast food apart from a Subway (healthy option Subway, under 450 calories) and I have been keeping my calories under my calorie allowance (usually by about 300 - 500 under the daily allowance)

So I guess my question is to ALL and EVERYONE who reads this, is what do you eat to replace those foods with? Has anybody else had a soft spot for crisps, chocolate, and fast food? What was your "vice" and what do you eat to overcome the craving? I love fruit and veg, and I eat very little meat (still eat chicken) and I love fish, but sometimes I just want to go round to the Chinese and order some chips, fried rice and curry sauce, or order a pizza! I know some people say "treat yourself, you deserve it" but I don't want to! I don't want to eat something grease laden and get the taste back for unhealthy food, which is what I know will happen! I've discovered after multiple attempts at weight loss, that rewarding myself at the end of each weak is a bad idea!

So yah, any suggestions/advice/stories you have on dealing with food cravings would be muchos appreciated!

Also, feel free to add me as a friend! I like to see what other people are eating so I can pick up tips and keep motivated!

Thanks!
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Replies

  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
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    well by making a lot more food at home you can cut out a lot of the cals but instead of making yourself crazy about foods you CANT eat why not slowly add some good ones in to replace some of the bad ones. You wont feel as deprived.
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
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    example I also like chips so I moved to making my own veggies chips :D I like chocolate so I started melting dark chocolate with strawberries.
  • Jiggle_all_the_way
    Jiggle_all_the_way Posts: 32 Member
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    I think that for me, the biggest paradigm shift was in realizing that I don't need those things and I've gotten out of the habit of wanting snacks or treats. I feel that with the replacement method, I'm not learning new behaviors -- keeping the old ones, but just using different foods. When I would go off the "diet" I would revert back to the original items instead of the replacements. I've been very successful keeping the weight off for over a year now (with a little craziness around Christmas).

    If I'm hungry I eat something that makes me feel full like a piece of fruit or a handful of almonds.
  • hdtracy
    hdtracy Posts: 49 Member
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    I agree about not quite feeling comfortable with treating yourself. I think I'll get there, but I'm still at the start of this change, so I feel as though I'm kinda still detoxing from all those things like soda and pizza that I used to practically live off. Chip for me has been replaced with just whole grain tortilla chips and regular store bought salsa. (Much better than my usual go to of Doritos!) and as far as sweets go, red grapes! Man I could easily go through 3lbs of grapes a week just by myself lol.
  • kganc001
    kganc001 Posts: 317
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    McDonald's french fries. Lord, they are my BIGGEST WEAKNESS. And go figure, my fiancee goes to Mccy D's all the time!! I go with him, and I'm dreadfully afraid of getting those greasy things back in to my diet. The nutritional value is...well...non-existant. So when he goes, he always orders fries. And if I've had a good calorie week, I let myself have couple of his fries. How do I do it?? I SWEAR by the three bite rule. The first is to remember the taste, second to savor, and the third is to remember the taste until next time. It's how I eat desserts, too...haha!

    But when I'm having a bad calorie day, I reward myself for my willpower with a low-cal sweet treat from my pantry (I always make sure to keep them stocked...my favorite is Special K Pastry Crisps). Hope I could help :)
  • laserturkey
    laserturkey Posts: 1,680 Member
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    I haven't replaced ANYTHING. I just have what I want but keep the calories and nutrients generally within my targets.
  • IamUndrCnstruction
    IamUndrCnstruction Posts: 691 Member
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    There are ways you can make the things you like, but make them healthier. By chips, I am thinking you mean what we call french fries? (if not, pardon my stupidity) if so though, have you tried making them with sweet potatoes and baking them in the oven? Those kinds of substitutions have helped me a great deal. There is a great website www.skinnytaste.com that has some wonderful recipes that she has just made healthier and lower calorie. Take a look, everything I have made from there has been excellent! It may help you :) Good luck! Also, my diary is open if you'd like to look, or feel free to add me as a friend.
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
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    I just indulge once in awhile. Lately, I've been telling myself no desserts unless I've worked out that day. Even then, I can stop after one cookie, or one small scoop of ice cream. I eat whatever I want, but I try to keep the portions small.
  • Breezy3
    Breezy3 Posts: 52 Member
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    I not longer drink sodas either and no coffee or store bought juices either. Water and more water are what I drink throughout the day. Sometimes a cup of herbal tea if we go out to breakfast. I don't eat meat either or fish. But I do enjoy some veggie products. No dairy cheeses, no dairy milk, dairy yogurts, etc. I don't do sugar free anything either.. use the real thing.

    One of my favorite replacements for french fries are cutting up potatoes, brush with olive oil and add garlic salt. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Adjust time according to desired crunchiness if wanted.

    I also like English muffin pizza. Cut English muffin in half, add tomato paste seasoned with oregano, etc. add shredded low fat cheese or cheese substitute and than add toppings of your choice. I like mushrooms, onions and jalapeno peppers.

    We avoid processed foods for the most part so we make a lot of what we eat. I love homemade tacos. Making it is always harder but so much better for us.
  • foodfastfit
    foodfastfit Posts: 154 Member
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    Replaced potato and corn chips with beanitos bean chips.
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
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    I haven't replaced them. I still eat them, just make them fit into my day.
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
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    I agree about not quite feeling comfortable with treating yourself. I think I'll get there, but I'm still at the start of this change, so I feel as though I'm kinda still detoxing from all those things like soda and pizza that I used to practically live off. Chip for me has been replaced with just whole grain tortilla chips and regular store bought salsa. (Much better than my usual go to of Doritos!) and as far as sweets go, red grapes! Man I could easily go through 3lbs of grapes a week just by myself lol.

    Yeah, it's a killer giving up chips/french fries! I used to love eating 3 cheese margarita pizzas! Giving up the soda, chips and chocolate was a walk in the park compared to giving up pizza, Chinese food, and basically any kind of unhealthy fried food! I love grapes, too! I eat a lot of fruit, apples and bananas mainly. I eat a lot of vegetables as well, not much choice in that department though considering my GF is a vegetarian!



    @Kganc001 - SNAP, I share your pain! I used to LOVE Maccy D fries! D:
  • rachseby
    rachseby Posts: 285 Member
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    I love soda, but I have found that I love seltzer even more, and it has no calories (or fake sweetener). I really like "vintage seltzer", and it comes in plain and a couple of flavors.
  • KymmyJoy
    KymmyJoy Posts: 206 Member
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    Mmmm fizzy pop! Sadly for me it was the first thing that had to go.

    Unless yore veggie, eating jelly is a great idea. Jello for all you guys across the pond. My 175g pot has under 10cals in but while other people at work are munching away on sweet things at least I feel like I've had some kind of pudding.

    I miss tea and biscuits like mad though! It's my biggest downfall still.

    Glad there's people out here goig through the same! :)
  • ElizabethKalmbach
    ElizabethKalmbach Posts: 1,416 Member
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    I generally make my own version from scratch. Pizza was my vice before - 350 calories per slice. Now I make my own at home with whole wheat crust and low fat cheese and it's $2/pizza instead of $10, and 155 calories per slice instead of 350. And it's enough extra work that the temptation to have pizza EVERY DAY is mitigated by the fact that I'd have to spend 20 minutes making it myself. ;-)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Here's a visual...what I do is eat more of this...

    18674.jpg

    and more of this...

    1345510032_3516_protein.jpg?itok=kBWi5rN_

    while still indulging in the occasional this...

    1271686237xY899b.jpg

    or this....

    A-Darling-Ice-Cream.jpg

    All the while doing plenty of this...

    diligent1329327376814.png

    and getting some of this...

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS5Q7XeuW4e1fK16nxEtdpU936FhAYlhxY0sO-JNPtXSsM-nfTWHA

    and doing less of this...

    sitting-around-300x175.jpg

    Then, magic....

    Your dietary lifestyle should be sustainable...it shouldn't be about giving up everything you enjoy. You can enjoy things in moderation.
  • JudibugDesigns
    JudibugDesigns Posts: 38 Member
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    I agree with you totally on not having cheat days. I don't even like the term...I know a lot of people will say you can't deprive yourself of "treats" or you will fail.REALLY?? Would they tell a recovering crack-head to just do a few lines once a week and they'll be fine?? Or tell an alcoholic trying to get sober to have light beerI don't think so!
    Just because we want something or crave it doesn't mean we can or should have it...hell my neighbour has a nice car that I'd love to drive but I'm not going to go take it. There is nothing wrong with wanting something and NOT having it...
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
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    I agree with you totally on not having cheat days. I don't even like the term...I know a lot of people will say you can't deprive yourself of "treats" or you will fail.REALLY?? Would they tell a recovering crack-head to just do a few lines once a week and they'll be fine?? Or tell an alcoholic trying to get sober to have light beerI don't think so!
    Just because we want something or crave it doesn't mean we can or should have it...hell my neighbour has a nice car that I'd love to drive but I'm not going to go take it. There is nothing wrong with wanting something and NOT having it...
    Comparing having a soda to taking crack? REALLY?
  • JudibugDesigns
    JudibugDesigns Posts: 38 Member
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    I'm comparing an addiction that kills with an addiciton that kills.

    The OP said "I know some people say "treat yourself, you deserve it" but I don't want to! I don't want to eat something grease laden and get the taste back for unhealthy food, which is what I know will happen! I've discovered after multiple attempts at weight loss, that rewarding myself at the end of each weak is a bad idea! "
    and wasn't looking for people to tell him to go ahead and have the food he is trying to avoid....he wanted healthy alternatives

    The point is people CAN get off crack but they CAN'T get off food...that's why people need healthy alternatives, not just a "go ahead have a bit" mentality shoved at them.
    Obviously I'd rather see someone drinking soda than someone doing drugs...but I wouldn't tell anyone looking to get off either to just go ahead and have a little!!
  • melina_bea
    melina_bea Posts: 11
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    I don't eat anything to help with cravings. If it's not in my meal plan for the day, I just don't eat it. If it's a really bad craving, I go for a brisk walk or occupy myself, while drinking water or tea. I just don't dwell on the craving, I don't give it any attention. Weekends are my cheat days so if I'm still desperate, I'll indulge then. In moderation!!

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