The truth about "I still eat the foods I love"
freeoscar
Posts: 82 Member
One thing that disconcerts me a little on these boards is that when someone writes in about foods they are giving up, there is a chorus which replies "I've lost X and I still eat the foods I love". It gives off the vibe of a Slimfast commercial and implies that there is something magical where you make no sacrifices but still lose weight. Of course we all know that isn't true, and you do have to moderate your intake of certain foods.
So let's list some of the ways we have made changes in the way we eat certain foods to give a more realistic picture of what successful weight loss entails. Here are some changes I've made to still fit foods I love into my calorie allowance:
Ice Cream - I'm lucky in that I never ate big quantities, but ate reasonable amounts at high frequency. I've cut back from 1/2C 3 times a week to 1/2C once or twice a month
Soda - Again, never been a huge quantity drinker, but now I drink just 6 oz a few days per week
Pasta - I would eat a massive serving of mac'n'cheese (homemade) - probably 1500 calories. Now when I eat pasta I have about 3oz in a sauce full of veggies and no cheese or cream
Chips - I've pretty much cut these out completely, b/c even a 400 calorie bag doesn't sate me at all - just leaves me wanting another bag (and a big gulp along with it)
Cookies/Cakes - I would just mindlessly go back to the bag or box and take more without realizing how much I ate. Now I take a serving which fits in my day, put away the box, sit down at the table w/a cup of tea and actually savor it.
Cereal - I would start a medley of adding more cereal to finish the milk, then adding more milk to finish the cereal, and probably had 4 cups + 2 cups of milk before it was through. Now I measure out my serving (usually 1.5 times 'suggested'), finish it, and that's that.
So let's list some of the ways we have made changes in the way we eat certain foods to give a more realistic picture of what successful weight loss entails. Here are some changes I've made to still fit foods I love into my calorie allowance:
Ice Cream - I'm lucky in that I never ate big quantities, but ate reasonable amounts at high frequency. I've cut back from 1/2C 3 times a week to 1/2C once or twice a month
Soda - Again, never been a huge quantity drinker, but now I drink just 6 oz a few days per week
Pasta - I would eat a massive serving of mac'n'cheese (homemade) - probably 1500 calories. Now when I eat pasta I have about 3oz in a sauce full of veggies and no cheese or cream
Chips - I've pretty much cut these out completely, b/c even a 400 calorie bag doesn't sate me at all - just leaves me wanting another bag (and a big gulp along with it)
Cookies/Cakes - I would just mindlessly go back to the bag or box and take more without realizing how much I ate. Now I take a serving which fits in my day, put away the box, sit down at the table w/a cup of tea and actually savor it.
Cereal - I would start a medley of adding more cereal to finish the milk, then adding more milk to finish the cereal, and probably had 4 cups + 2 cups of milk before it was through. Now I measure out my serving (usually 1.5 times 'suggested'), finish it, and that's that.
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Cookies - I would easily eat 9 oreo-like cookies a day, those things have 70 calories each. Now I eat 2 (okay sometimes 4) Fruit Thin cookies which are 93 calories for two. Delicious.
Brownie type dessert - I'd eat whatever, whenever, and have seconds. Now I eat (and enjoy) the Fiber One 90 Calorie brownies.
Ice cream/FroYo/Sonic Milk shakes - I just stopped eating those, it was winter though..
Chocolate - No more daily chocolate bars. Though I will spoil myself with a Cadbury cream egg, or about 6 pieces of dark chocolate. It always fits in my calories though.
Chips - I've switched to the special K ones, the sour cream and onion are pretty tasty.
Soda - I only used to drink when I went out but I'd usually have a refill, now I have a diet dr pepper if I fancy something.
Pizza - I used to easily eat four slices. Now I aim for two, but we don't have pizza that often.
Fast food - Stopped going there several times a week. Now go maybe once a week, usually to chick-fil-a. Previously I'd get nuggets, fries, soda, and a 300 calorie cookie, now I get grilled nuggets and a fruit cup. I've also learned to make better choices at other places, for example at McDonalds I just get a burger, no fries, no soda.0 -
The truth is that if you fit the calories into your allotment for the day, you can have the full fat mac and cheese or Ice Cream everyday.
I lost 25 lbs. I ate ice cream every night- I just ate the recommended serving size and counted the calories. Is that a sacrifice? To me no. I get what I want.
With anything its in moderation. So yes, you can still eat the foods you love (the full versions) and still lose weight. I don't think anyone is saying "eat what you want, in the quantities you want and still lose weight" (or if they are I am sure sarcasm plays a major role). Maybe you are taking what people say to literally.
Besides the fact that if anyone believes that they can eat what they want, in mass quantity and still lose weight, they need more help than these message boards provide.
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Pasta - like you, I measure out 1 serving and add lots of veggies to supplement. One of my favorites is to add shaved zucchini ("Zoodles") to bulk up the pasta.
Ice cream - I buy pre-packaged servings. Yes, they cost more per serving, but for me, I can't have an open container of ice cream in the freezer. No matter the size of the container, that is a "serving" so I pay extra to get true single servings pre-measured. However, I buy good ice cream. Non of the sugar-free, half-fat stuff. A small serving of really good-quality ice cream is far more satisfying than a bigger portion of "diet" stuff.
Chips - same as ice cream. If I want chips, I buy single servings. I can buy multi packs of single servings and have them around, I just can't have an open bag.
Cakes, cookies, other sweets. These have never been my downfall, so I can easily fit in a small treat here and there if my calories for the day allow for it. In fact just yesterday I had a small piece of cake at a retirement party and enjoyed every bite of it.
Soda - I drink diet soda and always have. I still drink just as much as I ever did. It hasn't hindered my weight loss in the least.
Pizza - I can't eat just one slice and be happy, so I plan for it. It's a once in a while treat (read: once every couple months) and I save my calories and truly indulge in GOOD pizza and then I'm fine for another couple months. I don't waste my calories on pizza I don't like.
Chocolate - I keep really good chocolate on hand. Ghiradelli, Cadbury, etc. I *always* have chocolate on hand. However, now instead of eating the entire bar, I break off a few squares here and there for a little "pick me up." A small piece of really good chocolate is so much tastier and satisfying than an entire bar of crappy chocolate.0 -
Everything you've just said is basically what people on here are saying to do - eat everything in moderation. The posts where someone says the foods they're giving up so often say things like 'I'm going to stop eating chocolate, but I love it and I don't know how I'll manage without it!' or 'I'm trying to give up soda but I just end up craving it all day!' and the responses are exactly what you've said - eat the foods you love, just cut down on the portions so that you can keep them in your calorie goals. Because complete restriction so often leads to failure, which is why people on here want to tell newcomers not to head down that route.0
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So you're still eating the foods you love while losing 42 lbs. Congrats.
Just because people say "I eat all the foods still", they're not saying they're eating the same amounts of food like they did before. Just like you have demonstrated. Moderation is key, without depriving yourself of foods you love, to lose weight.
Smh.0 -
Sounds like you've made some really positive changes, and that's great. That being said, some people DO still manage to eat the foods they love, even sometimes in the quantities they used to eat them.
It's about personal preference. I, like you, used to eat a serving of ice cream several times a week. Now it's only rarely that I eat ice cream. However, if I wanted to eat ice cream every single day, I absolutely could. I'd just have to adjust my intake elsewhere to make it fit. I choose not to because I've realized ice cream isn't as important to me as I used to think.
I do still eat the foods I love and lose weight. I had two New York slices of pizza and two beers at a school event the other night. I regularly go to chipotle. I make mug cakes like every other day. Taco Bell is my favorite place to go for a snack. And I consistently lose as fast or even faster than I expect to, because I make these foods fit into my allowed intake. Heck, sometimes I go over my goal (about once a week I'd say), but it's okay because I'm not eating above my TDEE on a regular basis.
That's the "truth," at least for some people. Do what works for you, and let others do what works for them. If people are able to eat the same way they used to and still lose weight, that's awesome.0 -
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There should be nothing disconcerting at that quote. It doesn't mean "I eat exactly the same as I used to, but now I'm losing weight thanks to these magic beans! Now let me go eat an entire pint of ice cream as an appetizer to the large meat lover's pizza I just ordered...just like I do every night!" No. The point people are trying to make is that there's no reason to cut out foods you like completely because they're "bad" or "unhealthy" or "full of fat/carbs/etc." You can eat these foods, just not in the same quantities as you ate them when you were packing on the pounds. I realize that's basically what you're saying, but I don't see how that's any different than what the people you're quoting are saying.
A lot of people think that, in order to lose weight, they have to cut out all sweets, pasta, and chips or they'll never meet their weight loss goals. So they sit with their sad salad for lunch and boiled chicken breast with 1/2 cup brown rice for dinner and wonder why they ragequit every single time they attempt to lose weight. Everything in moderation.
I eat a lot different now than I used to. I used to eat until I felt sick. I always say that my hunger doesn't have an "off" switch, and it still doesn't. I can eat a normal meal and easily eat again in 20 minutes. So, I just ate and ate and ate until I felt like crap. I no longer do that. It's not that I now feel full with smaller servings - it's that I recognize that I'm not going to starve if I don't eat everything in sight, and eating everything in sight won't get me the body I want. However, I do still indulge in foods like donuts, ice cream, pizza, burgers with fries, fast food, etc. on a regular basis. Sometimes I make "lighter" versions of these things, but if I want the real thing and I can work it into my goals (and sometimes even when I can't), then I'll have the real thing.
There's going to be some sacrifice, of course, but you don't have to eat carrots and celery all day in order to lose weight. And no food is inherently "bad." That's the point people are trying to make when they say they still eat the foods they love while losing weight.0 -
Nachos: I used to eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Often every friday. Now I eat some, once a month or less.
Pizza: I used to eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted (often a 1/2 a fast food delivery pizza once a week or so, with the rest for leftovers for breakfast), now I share a whole wheat pizza (not fast food delivery), and a salad with hubs, about once a month or less. If I want it often, I'll make a delicious substitute.
Soda: I used to drink 20oz or so a day. Now I don't.
Donuts: I used to eat the 2 for 1 Krispy Kreme after 2pm. Now I don't.
Candy bars: I used to eat them whenever I didn't have the Krispy Kremes. Now I don't.
McDonalds: I used to have it or some other burger/fries combo 3-4 times a week for lunch. Now I don't.
Beer: 3 pints on friday. A couple of pints whenever. Now I have wine.
Now: I eat a high quality dark chocolate after dinner
Now: I eat a lot of vegetables. I wouldn't have "wasted" calories on most vegetables before.
For me, it took a shift in paradigm from what can I get away with to what's delicious and healthy for the long haul. I still eat what I want. What I want has, by and large, changed.
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The "truth" is that some can eat more than others. Where some may have to keep their limit of ice cream to just 1/2 cup a day or so, someone who burns a lot a calories from running daily for example, can easily eat a cup and stay within allotment.
The tips above are good ones though and a great start for those trying to adopt a lifestyle of being able to eat whatever they want without piling on the pounds.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I stopped multitasking while eating.
That's it.
I started really concentrating on the flavors and textures of my food. I ONLY eat foods I love, I don't waste a single calorie on something I don't enjoy. I measure out proper portions of the food I love and then make sure to eat it slowly and enjoy it, so I AM satisfied with servings that fit my calorie goals.
So, no more eating cheap ice cream from the container in front of the TV...now I weigh out a single serving of premium gelato and eat it slowly and mindfully with a smaller spoon. Every night.
No more hand in the chip bag at the computer. Now I weigh out an ounce of local sharp cheddar, sliced very thin with a cheese plane, and savor it over a precounted number of crackers. (I like the Sesmark Sesame thins...a serving is 16 crackers, which is more than enough to match the cheese!) My snack is only 200 cal. Heck, sometimes it's a meal.
Truth is, you can eat WHAT you want, just as long as you eat the portions that fit your goals. If what you want isn't satifying to you in those quantities, look at WHY. Is the food not that good after all? Why do you love it in the first place? Why are you eating it? If for the flavor, then a small portion should satisfy.
Fill up on the foods you love that fit your goals, and then have small portions of the stuff you are only craving for taste. That's been my strategy.0 -
The "truth" is that some can eat more than others. Where some may have to keep their limit of ice cream to just 1/2 cup a day or so, someone who burns a lot a calories from running daily for example, can easily eat a cup and stay within allotment.
The tips above are good ones though and a great start for those trying to adopt a lifestyle of being able to eat whatever they want without piling on the pounds.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
As usual, you said what I was trying to say only way simpler and better phrased. Thank you
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Ice cream - I buy those ice cream sandwiches. Only 160 calories. I leave room for 1 or 2 at night lol.
Chips - I don't buy real chips anymore cause I would go to town, but I like pop chips if I'm craving.
Cakes and cookies - if my husband wants chips ahoy, I'll get them. I'll probably leave room for a couple at night but I try to avoid.
The only thing I haven't figured out how to fit in is pizza. I love pizza, its my favorite food, but one slice is 300 calories! I normally have 4. I guess I need to find a way to make my own low calorie pizza.
I haven't really given up most of the food I love, but I've made simple replacements that taste just as great.0 -
That's a fair point and I can relate to the 'Slimfast' vibe...
You're right, though, you can have the foods you enjoy but you have to be mindful of quantities and frequencies. I think we parallel roughly, but here's my list:
- Given up soda, not because sugar or artificial sweeteners are evil, it's just not worth the calories for me
- Cakes, cookies, ice cream and the like are more an occasional treat and usually only consumed after a particularly heavy workout day when I have more calories to play with (this allows me to eat more as I find eating only 1 serving sad)
- I too, find that chips don't sate me, so I tend to stay away - I will munch a few in a social setting, but I find this to be an area where I amaze myself on my self control - I actually can eat just one.
- I tend not to eat pasta at home because it would be really easy for me to overdo it - I'll eat pasta out at restaurants (I don't eat out very often) without caring too much about the calories - the occasional pasta meal out seems to be sufficient for me
- Weigh and measure everything I make at home
- Substituted a lot of my snacks; when I'm feeling the need to snack, I usually go for some dark chocolate, chocolate almond milk, or low-fat greek yogurt. I've been mixing some fruit in there as well. Generally, I'm trying to get at least a little nutrition with the calories.
These are just the rough guidelines I try to use day-to-day... of course, if the mood strikes I can still go off the path and enjoy something completely for the sake of enjoying it and not sweat about it - it helps the sanity levels.0 -
Yes I'm one of those people! I typically have 200-300 calories of sweets every day (goal is 1800 to lose right now). When I tried to cut them, I ended up binging every single time and stopped losing weight. I do limit pastries, cake and croissants though as they are tough to fit in my calories... I save them for days when I'm not very hungry.
I've totally stopped drinking my calories though, apart from a coffee drink once a month, if that.0 -
Lasmartchika wrote: »So you're still eating the foods you love while losing 42 lbs. Congrats.
Just because people say "I eat all the foods still", they're not saying they're eating the same amounts of food like they did before. Just like you have demonstrated. Moderation is key, without depriving yourself of foods you love, to lose weight.
Smh.
OP never said otherwise. I got the impression that OP is just trying to clarify, for those that don't get it, what people mean when they say they still eat all those things. Not that the OP was trying to argue with people who say they still eat those foods. Not every thread is started to provoke an argument. You and OP agree. No need to smack your head.0 -
Lasmartchika wrote: »So you're still eating the foods you love while losing 42 lbs. Congrats.
Just because people say "I eat all the foods still", they're not saying they're eating the same amounts of food like they did before. Just like you have demonstrated. Moderation is key, without depriving yourself of foods you love, to lose weight.
Smh.
OP never said otherwise. I got the impression that OP is just trying to clarify, for those that don't get it, what people mean when they say they still eat all those things. Not that the OP was trying to argue with people who say they still eat those foods. Not every thread is started to provoke an argument. You and OP agree. No need to smack your head.
Thank you, that's exactly what I meant and intended with this post. Also, not sure where the 42lbs is coming from - my goals and achievement thus far are more modest than that.0 -
OP - not really sure what your "beef" is....whenever people say they still eat "everything" they usually say that they eat it as long as they stay in their calorie goal for the day. In my case, I still eat everything that I used to, I just make sure that I fit it into my calorie/macro/micro target for the day...0
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Frequency shouldn't matter if portions are reasonable. One can eat whatever they like everyday, they just have to be accounted for when counting calories."bennettinfinity wrote:
You're right, though, you can have the foods you enjoy but you have to be mindful of quantities and frequencies. I think we parallel roughly, but here's my list:
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I love chocolate! I found that eating a chocolate bar filled that need for fewer calories than say a chocolate cupcake. I can easily fit in half a hershey bar (105 calories) most days.
I had a super sweet tooth/sugar addiciton when I started this (like ate dessert after every lunch and dinner) and that just really is not feasable for alot of people in a deficit. It slowly went away, I think it just takes a little retraining of your mind to overcome some of these things.
Running is always helpful to fit in higher calorie foods when I want them
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For me, weighing food and knowing portions. That's it. Didn't cut out any foods at all. Just didn't eat as much of them. It would be hard to say exactly what I did though since it wasn't something drastic.
I don't waste calories on liquids (unless it's alcohol)
I usually don't get fries at fast food restaurants
I eat portion sizes of things rather than entire bags/cartons.
That's it.
That being said, I have a higher TDEE than most so it's easier to fit items in while still hitting macro/micro targets.0 -
I think the misconception is partly to do with people not understanding what moderation actually is. Their view of serving sizes is skewed. When someone says they still eat what they love people assume it's typical servings of a large bowl or multiple helpings, instead of measuring out an actual serving of it. Many of us are also careful to state that we still eat what we love after our other needs are met through nutrient dense and macro appropriate choices.0
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I think the misconception is partly to do with people not understanding what moderation actually is. Their view of serving sizes is skewed. When someone says they still eat what they love people assume it's typical servings of a large bowl or multiple helpings, instead of measuring out an actual serving of it. Many of us are also careful to state that we still eat what we love after our other needs are met through nutrient dense and macro appropriate choices.
Yeah, I think this is the kind of clarification OP was hinting at, not being angry at facts.
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Frequency shouldn't matter if portions are reasonable. One can eat whatever they like everyday, they just have to be accounted for when counting calories."bennettinfinity wrote:
You're right, though, you can have the foods you enjoy but you have to be mindful of quantities and frequencies. I think we parallel roughly, but here's my list:
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Right - I can't eat a pint of ice cream every day and since I won't eat less than a pint, I'll have a pint on those days I burn a higher number of calories - we're saying the same thing.0 -
Lasmartchika wrote: »So you're still eating the foods you love while losing 42 lbs. Congrats.
Just because people say "I eat all the foods still", they're not saying they're eating the same amounts of food like they did before. Just like you have demonstrated. Moderation is key, without depriving yourself of foods you love, to lose weight.
Smh.
OP never said otherwise. I got the impression that OP is just trying to clarify, for those that don't get it, what people mean when they say they still eat all those things. Not that the OP was trying to argue with people who say they still eat those foods. Not every thread is started to provoke an argument. You and OP agree. No need to smack your head.
This is how I read the OP as well.0 -
Smaller portions of higher calorie stuff. Exercising more. Pre-logging my whole day so I see what fits in advance.
I'm not going to list everything but an example of a change for me might be choosing a smaller hamburger with a salad and unsweetened tea instead of choosing a double bacon cheeseburger with fries and soda pop.
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I fit in chocolate candy daily. Yesterday, I was hit hard with strep so I treated myself to a shake and fries. I'm down 26 lbs by fitting in foods I really love, but, like others have said, I just don't eat the same amounts of them. I have approx 100 calories of chocolate every day. I also fit in about 200 cal of beer every few days. What I don't do is go to the local restaurant several times a week like before, and have chicken fingers, fries, and two pints. 0
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Pasta - 2 oz serving instead of 3 or 4
Alcohol - 1-2 drinks a week instead of 1-2 drinks a day
Chocolate - Tablespoons of cocoa with my yogurt and banana daily instead of a chocolate bar daily
Pizza - home made (accurately tracked) rather than delivery
Food in general - higher nutritional quality rather than higher quantity0 -
At first, I was like, "wha???"
Then I read OP, and was like, "oh. yeah."0 -
I honestly restricted and lost a lot of weight.. like I wouldn't even touch pizza it would make me sick and same with chips and all that crap0
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