deny

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SERIOUS2
SERIOUS2 Posts: 47
in Motivation and Support
I have little by little cut meat out from my diet, I have given up soda, I drink water, nowhere near as much as I should. I eat lots of pasta mixed with veggies but I sometimes crave a hamburger and I deny myself that. Some people say that it's not good to deny yourself food but I am afraid that if I give in than I would be back where I started from. What do you all think? because it's not just about a hamburger it's what it represents, not being able to stick to a gaol that I myself created which can be very disappointing.

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  • BrattPrinz
    BrattPrinz Posts: 1
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    my opinion more you deny stronger the desire comes. eat the burger, journal feelings hungers, satisfaction before and after. I believe by eating what is craved in helps prevent binges. Trying to work notion no bad foods just bad amounts.

    a book on this practice by jeanie roth "when food is love"

    keep working we can do it.
  • SERIOUS2
    SERIOUS2 Posts: 47
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    Thank you, because I do sometimes look at some foods as good or bad. I know I should not but I do, something I am working on. Thanks for the advice :smile:
  • elid
    elid Posts: 209 Member
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    Unless you're allergic to something or have other similar dietary restrictions, or you have moral objections to eating meat, I think it's good to enjoy things in moderation.

    Ice cream is my hugest weakness. I don't keep it in the house because I'll go crazy and eat the whole dang carton. But occasionally I'll let myself have a treat like a milkshake (in fact I've been planning all week to have one Saturday!).

    Do I deny myself ice cream? Oh, yeah. I do often! Monday, I denied myself ice cream. Tuesday, I denied myself ice cream. Also on Wednesday and Thursday... :bigsmile: But do I deny myself ice cream 100% of the time? No way! All week I've been looking forward to this milkshake on Saturday. And I'm going to enjoy every last bit of it. And then I'll go back to denying myself ice cream... until next week!
  • nilisabel
    nilisabel Posts: 338
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    have you tried boca? oh, and i love ribblets! put em in a french roll (whole wheat if possible) and its exactly like mcrib but waay healthier!
  • SERIOUS2
    SERIOUS2 Posts: 47
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    No I have not but I will certainly try it, Mcrib huh sounds good:smile:
  • That_Girl
    That_Girl Posts: 1,324 Member
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    I have recently gone back to vegetarianism. When I crave a burger, I go get a veggie burger from our burger place and just pile it high with lettuce and tomato and spicy mustard :) It usually kicks the craving.

    I won't do beef anymore because it just makes me feel ill.

    If you really want a "burger"...maybe a turkey burger?! Less fat and not as damaging to your plight.
    :)

    In my opinion, Morningstar Farms has the BEST veggie burgers called "grillers". I was vegetarian for yearssss and those were the only ones I'd buy.
  • Cytherea
    Cytherea Posts: 515 Member
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    I don't think denying yourself is a good thing. Sure, you need to make sacrifices, decide what is worth it for you, and portion control, but if you want a burger, you can have it without going back to your old habits. Make it yourself, use leaner ground beef, a whole grain bun, no mayo, etc.

    I wish I could find it now, but I read an article once about a study that was done that said that denying yourself what you are really craving ultimately leads to binging. So for example, lets say you really want a piece of cake. You tell yourself no, you can't have that cake, and then you try to fill the craving by eating other things- chocolate, cookies, chips, whatever you can find. And when you've done all of that, you STILL have the craving for the cake, and then you eat it anyways! Wouldn't it have just been better to eat the single piece of cake (portion control!) in the first place than have eaten all of those other things AND the cake too, in the end?!
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    Why are you cutting meat out of your diet? Moral reasons? You say that it's not just about the hamburger but that you don't want to fall short of a goal, but unless there's good purpose and reason behind the goal then you're setting yourself up for failure. I could set a ton of dietary goals, but to be honest there's some that are more important to me that others, for various reasons. Decide what's important to you and what you really want to work on. Build your goals around those. IF becoming vegetarian is something that's very important to you, then I'd work to find yourself alternatives to the burger - ex. veggies burgers (I personally prefer homemade to the store-bought ones like boca).
  • katherines2230
    katherines2230 Posts: 276 Member
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    For me, when I deny myself things I'm setting myself up for failure. If I'm craving something I'll have some but portion control and moderation are key! When I start restricting myself too much it becomes more of a "diet' and not a lifestyle change.
  • Bermudabarbie
    Bermudabarbie Posts: 568 Member
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    I eat more red meat now on MFP than I have for many years prior to being introduced to this program.

    Meat is a top source of protein and is a staple in my diet now. I choose the lean cuts, trim off as much fat as possible and try to have the meat broiled or prepared on the grill -- not fried.

    It's sometimes a challenge to enjoy meat and balance the rest of the day without going over on fats. It can be done though. It takes a little planning and a lot of practice to get all of your nutrients in "balance" and to eat below your calories but hit your protein and fiber goals, etc.

    That is one of the most exciting aspects of MFP. You can eat the foods that you desire but you have to study and plan out each meal and snack so that your total consumption for the day is in "balance."

    You can do this! Keep your goals in focus and do some planning and watch your portion sizes. Good luck to you in reaching your goals.

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