It took me a while to realize...

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I used to have this ALL OR NOTHING attitude about weight loss. I would start eating healthier and drop 15 or 20 and then I'd stop because I deprived myself SO bad of everything I loved (chocolate, pizza, etc). I would ignore my cravings until I just couldn't take it anymore and then I would binge and be like "screw it" and the next day I'd have taken a tuck and roll right off that wagon.

This time around I'm letting myself give in to those cravings, but within my calorie goal and in the healthiest way I can. Yes, if I get a craving for pizza, I am going to eat a Lean Cuisine pizza for dinner. It may be higher in sodium than most people would like to see, but it controls my calories and indluges my craving in the most calorie concious and healthiest way I can find.

I'm finally allowing myself to see that, at least for me, as much as I wanted to do all or nothing, I can't. It's one step at a time, and once you conquer one step you can move on to another :)
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Replies

  • Roxytoy
    Roxytoy Posts: 6 Member
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    Great Plan! Well said!!
  • Roxytoy
    Roxytoy Posts: 6 Member
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    Great Plan! Well said!!
  • Lexie28
    Lexie28 Posts: 219
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    I agree....TOTALLY!!!!

    Cheers:happy:
  • watermelonstarfish
    watermelonstarfish Posts: 195 Member
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    This time around I'm letting myself give in to those cravings, but within my calorie goal and in the healthiest way I can. Yes, if I get a craving for pizza, I am going to eat a Lean Cuisine pizza for dinner. It may be higher in sodium than most people would like to see, but it controls my calories and indluges my craving in the most calorie concious and healthiest way I can find.

    I do the exact same thing! I get my pizza fix through weight watchers mini pizza's. Def the lesser of two evils :devil:
  • ThatDollSally
    ThatDollSally Posts: 473 Member
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    Good for you!
  • alliecore
    alliecore Posts: 446 Member
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    You go girl! That's the true difference between a "lifestyle change" and a "diet"!
  • zeeeb
    zeeeb Posts: 805 Member
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    i do that as well at the moment. i let myself have a treat at the weekends and make it roughly within my exercise calories. so i have home made pizza and a bit of chocolate, or cake or something if i'm going to a party.

    that way during the week, i eat only my allowed calories, and exercise hard, and save my exercise calories for a treat at the weekend if i've been good through the week.

    i'm hoping that will make it work for me longer term.
  • jar3827
    jar3827 Posts: 11
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    i totally understand .. and good for you for figuring out a way to make it work and stick! :) a suggestion on the pizza though... maybe try homemade. :) you can put more veggies on it and buy fat free shredded cheese (which isnt bad) or even vegan cheese to cut down on calories and be healthier all around.. plus home made pizza is yummy. oh, and if you buy mnms in the funpack size its a lot easier to cut back on the calories because you can eat one pack get your chocolate in and not feel guilty because a fun size is less than 100 calories :)
    anywho... good job and good luck :)
  • Losing2Live69
    Losing2Live69 Posts: 743 Member
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    To make homemade pizza I take a low carb flour tortilla and brush it with olive oil. I sprinkle it with garlic powder and italian seasoning. I then put it in the oven at 350 until it turns golden brown and is crispy. It may puff up, but I just flatten it back out. I put a couple tablespoons of either spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce on it, add my toppings...I use veggies and low fat mozzarella cheese. One only has 168 calories and 11 grams of carbs and 616 grams of sodium. The sodium is the only thing that is high. I can't find any low carb tortillas that don't have a lot of sodium. It seems like if something is low carb or low fat they add tons of sodium to make up for taste. My weakness is pasta!
  • Aylilth
    Aylilth Posts: 125
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    Thats the right attitude, denying yourself all those little treats will only see you "fall of the wagon" sort of speak.
  • Mom71
    Mom71 Posts: 24
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    That Pizza sounds yummie I may try that recipe. Thanks
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    Fantastic attitude, that is the way to make a long term change.
    It is easy for people to get very "evangelical" about things like dieting, where they will try to convince you that there is one and only one path to a smaller tushie, but I think you have just the right attitude - long term change, small steps, reaslistic goals.
    Go for it!!
  • krise31
    krise31 Posts: 53 Member
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    I do that! I like the ziti by smart ones and those lean cuisine pizzas are yummy.
  • autumn5gabby
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    I agree with you thats what Im trying to do.
  • tamanella
    tamanella Posts: 500 Member
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    To make homemade pizza I take a low carb flour tortilla and brush it with olive oil. I sprinkle it with garlic powder and italian seasoning. I then put it in the oven at 350 until it turns golden brown and is crispy. It may puff up, but I just flatten it back out. I put a couple tablespoons of either spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce on it, add my toppings...I use veggies and low fat mozzarella cheese. One only has 168 calories and 11 grams of carbs and 616 grams of sodium. The sodium is the only thing that is high. I can't find any low carb tortillas that don't have a lot of sodium. It seems like if something is low carb or low fat they add tons of sodium to make up for taste. My weakness is pasta!


    This sounds great! What a good idea!!
  • aynur05
    aynur05 Posts: 7
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    I used to have this ALL OR NOTHING attitude about weight loss. I would start eating healthier and drop 15 or 20 and then I'd stop because I deprived myself SO bad of everything I loved (chocolate, pizza, etc). I would ignore my cravings until I just couldn't take it anymore and then I would binge and be like "screw it" and the next day I'd have taken a tuck and roll right off that wagon.

    This time around I'm letting myself give in to those cravings, but within my calorie goal and in the healthiest way I can. Yes, if I get a craving for pizza, I am going to eat a Lean Cuisine pizza for dinner. It may be higher in sodium than most people would like to see, but it controls my calories and indluges my craving in the most calorie concious and healthiest way I can find.

    I'm finally allowing myself to see that, at least for me, as much as I wanted to do all or nothing, I can't. It's one step at a time, and once you conquer one step you can move on to another :)

    Well, and what you've described is one of the reasons why something like 95% of all diets FAIL.
    I'm almost done reading "The Straight Scoop About Dieting: Learn the truths about weight-loss diets so you can stop feeling guilty and start losing weight" - if you haven't read it, I definitely recommend it.

    As far as having a craving for pizza, why don't you just down your portion size? Like if you order a pizza, just eat 1 or 2 pieces, and freeze the everything else (or have others eat the rest). ;)
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
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    wish we could "LIKE" posts
  • dwhitten07
    dwhitten07 Posts: 29 Member
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    wish we could "LIKE" posts

    Agree!

    Also yes you have the right idea! You will never be able to stick to any diet/style of eating unless u have moments were you do "Give in" to you cravings. Key is proportion and frequency!
  • shalynna89
    shalynna89 Posts: 324 Member
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    I do a little bit of the samething! I usually have a cheat day but don't go over calories, but will eat pizza or whatever else. Also, I was looking at the recipe threads today and they had some really good recipes on there. There is one for a thin crust pizza that is made with tortillas that looks super yummy! Probably going to try it out next week. I have come to the conclusion that I'm not only going to want to eat low cals/lowfat/low carbs once I've hit my goal for the rest of my life. I know I'm going to have to stick with a calorie plan like mfp but I'm going to want the occasional pizza or hamburger. And having one once in awhile is better than eatting it once and falling off the wagon after. You have the right idea as far as I'm concerned!! Good job and keep up the good work!
  • kittyinaz
    kittyinaz Posts: 300 Member
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    As far as having a craving for pizza, why don't you just down your portion size? Like if you order a pizza, just eat 1 or 2 pieces, and freeze the everything else (or have others eat the rest). ;)

    If I ordered pizza with my family or something (say, when my step kids are here), I would probably do that, but I cut the lean cuisine into 6 pieces and then it kinda feels like more food than 2 pieces of real pizza would. Does that seem retarded? lol.