Being a "foodie" and losing weight

KnitSewSpin · January 2016

I would describe myself as a foodie. I love cooking shows, collect cookbooks, and get very excited about planning our weekly menu. I cook our bread products from scratch. I cook most of what we eat from scratch even yogurt and sour cream. Have not tried cheese yet.

I was told by a weight loss coach last summer that I'll never be able to lose weight and keep it off being a foodie. Especially a foodie with children.

I know intellectually this is not true but it was a bit demoralizing and since I am a very slow loser sometimes I think I should not focus so much on the pleasure of food. It lets doubts creep in. Like I'm doing smthg wrong.

I wouldn't say it's an obsession. But it's a hobby for me like the knitting, sewing, and gardening I do.

So can you be a food lover, lose weight, and keep it off, while keeping your love of all things food and cooking and baking?

dweeben · January 2016

Yes! You can eat healthily and have one splash-out meal/dessert/baked thing whatever a week. Or you can try adapting dishes to lower fat versions, or you can alter the focus of your foody-ness and mostly make foody dishes that are reasonably healthy.

thereshegoesagain · January 2016

Yes you can. I learned to switch my high fat, high carb, high calorie style of cooking and eating to a style that fits my needs. I've had fun creating new ways to prepare my old favorites using ingredients that will fit into my goals. I've had alot of mesl failures over the years, but am down about 85 lbs. while still enjoying delicious food.

samgamgee · January 2016

Of course you can! In fact I'd say that perhaps you're in an even better position to lose weight as you're already knowledgeable about cooking and are fully engaged with the fact that food is not the enemy. You'll be able to use your cookery skills and nose for what tastes good to tweak recipes to make them lower calorie should they need to be, to make things taste amazing and satisfying with herbs and spices, and plan delicious menus that fit your goals. I'd say that as long as you're logging accurately and sticking to your calories, you're golden. I've actually engaged with cooking more and got more 'foodie' since I've started losing weight because if I'm going to spend my precious calories on something, I want it to be something utterly delicious!

Maaike84 · January 2016

I loooove food and am definitely a foodie. But there are a lot of low cal options for delicious food, so I don't feel limited in any way. Maybe check out some more cheffy cookbooks focusing on health? I actually really love everything I have cooked so far from Jamie Oliver's new book for instance, and no meal in that book is over 600 calories.

UpEarly · January 2016

Absolutely! I love to cook, dine out, and try all kinds of amazing food. It's all about portion control and balance. If I know I'm going to have a multi-course dinner with wine and dessert, I just make sure I get in a good workout and keep breakfast and lunch lighter.

carrie1829 · January 2016

I sure hope so! I am very involved with Allrecipes.com and am always cooking things up.

KnitSewSpin · January 2016

Thanks for the encouragement everyone. I guess I just needed a pep talk. It's good to know there are others out there who fit their love of food into losing weight!

msbanana · January 2016

What they all said! I'm a foodie too and I have learned to adapt my cooking to help me meet my goals. It means I bake less and my menus are a little different but I plan my meals to help me meet my goals. I regularly scour the internets for better versions of my favorite dishes. And sometimes I just cook my favorite dish and take a smaller portion.

I was inspired to start cooking more when I started losing weight 6 years ago. As said above... if I'm going to spend my calories on it, it better be AMAZING.

MinmoInk · January 2016

Yes 100%! Food is my favorite thing and I'm a habitual grazer. If you are looking forward to meals and your already at your calorie allotment for the day, remember there is always tomorrow to dig into some delicious grub :]

mbaker566 · January 2016

you can certainly be a foodie and lose weight. i just cook smarter. i have the runner's world cookbook and the harry potter cookbook, and a new orleans cookbook, etc. I try to create a balanced menu for the week.
i made a potato leek soup that was wonderful and simple and under 300 calories for a good serving. the gyros were unbelievable and my poached salmon elicited an "ohmygod" from my other half

CaffeinatedConfectionist · January 2016

I do 99.9% of my own cooking and find your weight loss coach to be entirely incorrect. Frankly, it is much easier to count calories doing your own cooking because you have a more accurate idea of how many calories you're actually eating, since you know what is in your food.

And since I do my own cooking and baking and am good at it, I have fairly high standards in what I eat - which is not at all to say that I don't eat "junk" food, but it does mean that I am less tempted to eat random crap from a grocery store bakery or disappointing low-quality restaurant meals than I was before I really started doing all of my own cooking and dessert-making. I feel like I do better at maintaining quality over quantity.

AmazonMayan · January 2016

I think being a foodie makes it easier for me. I know food and know how to use it for different needs. You can still have the good stuff just less of anything higher calorie. I know what lower calorie items I can add to things to kind of stretch the meal into something bigger quantity wise and still is good but lower cal overall. I also know what to leave alone as far as altering things - those I just eat less often and smaller portions.

I don't bake much bread though since homemade bread is a weakness lol. I can eat a whole small loaf slathered with butter if it's fresh out of the oven.

Francl27 · January 2016

Definitely possible, in theory you just have to eat less. The limit for me is that a small serving of a high calorie dish will never fill me up, so I just spend more time looking up 'lightened up' recipes of what I want to eat.

Smallc10 · January 2016

Of course you can! I love cooking, the food network, and cookbooks. You just have to be smart about what you plan and I usually go for the more meet my weekly calorie goal than daily. I challenge myself to make healthy meals, try new vegetables and meats, and make everything taste good enough that my husband will also eat it (that's the hard part) What's helped the most is starting to make more and more things from scratch! It's fun and now I really do know what's in all of my foods and they taste so much better.

StacyChrz · January 2016

samgamgee wrote: »

Of course you can! In fact I'd say that perhaps you're in an even better position to lose weight as you're already knowledgeable about cooking and are fully engaged with the fact that food is not the enemy. You'll be able to use your cookery skills and nose for what tastes good to tweak recipes to make them lower calorie should they need to be, to make things taste amazing and satisfying with herbs and spices, and plan delicious menus that fit your goals. I'd say that as long as you're logging accurately and sticking to your calories, you're golden. I've actually engaged with cooking more and got more 'foodie' since I've started losing weight because if I'm going to spend my precious calories on something, I want it to be something utterly delicious!

I agree whole heartedly! Use your knowledge and experience to help you adapt some of your favorites so that they fit your new, healthier lifestyle. And don't ever feel like you can't eat something you enjoy, no matter what the calorie count. You just need to plan for it.

LHWhite903 · January 2016

scyian · January 2016

I get excited about the weekly food shop!

Of course you can. I am a foodie and love to cook. I find there is fun in making your own meals and looking at ways of making them healthier. I don't bake cakes as much as I use to (I make food as gifts now to fill the gap) but I'd rather go to the effort of making a dessert rather than buy it. You know what's going into your meals and you're enthusiastic about making them.

So many diets and fads and clean eating mantras are causing so much anxiety for people when it comes to food. I think being a foodie means you have a better relationship with food as a whole.

WalkingAlong · January 2016

The media (and world) is full of fit foodies. Think of your favorite tv chefs. Most of them aren't overweight, in my experience. You have an edge because you understand food and how to enjoy it for quality, not quantity.

Alidecker · January 2016

I agree with everyone here. I love to cook and eat good food. The loving to cook has probably been one of the things that has helped me lose weight. I can make myself healthy food that is delicious instead of pre-packaged "diet" food or only eating salads that do tend to bore me after a while. Being willing to try to make new things is a plus. It was especially helpful when I would make dinner for my trainer once a week in exchange for a training session

kshama2001 · January 2016

CaffeinatedConfectionist wrote: »

I do 99.9% of my own cooking and find your weight loss coach to be entirely incorrect. Frankly, it is much easier to count calories doing your own cooking because you have a more accurate idea of how many calories you're actually eating, since you know what is in your food.

And since I do my own cooking and baking and am good at it, I have fairly high standards in what I eat - which is not at all to say that I don't eat "junk" food, but it does mean that I am less tempted to eat random crap from a grocery store bakery or disappointing low-quality restaurant meals than I was before I really started doing all of my own cooking and dessert-making. I feel like I do better at maintaining quality over quantity.

AmazonMayan wrote: »

I think being a foodie makes it easier for me. I know food and know how to use it for different needs. You can still have the good stuff just less of anything higher calorie. I know what lower calorie items I can add to things to kind of stretch the meal into something bigger quantity wise and still is good but lower cal overall. I also know what to leave alone as far as altering things - those I just eat less often and smaller portions.

I don't bake much bread though since homemade bread is a weakness lol. I can eat a whole small loaf slathered with butter if it's fresh out of the oven.

Agreed!

VryIrishGirl76 · January 2016

Definitely!
And shame on that coach for telling you different!

I adore cooking and planning my meals.

vortex15 · January 2016

I agree with everyone here. It is completely possible and fun. I have started intermittent fasting with my new weight loss restart. I am finding that it lets me make a lot of the same foodie meals for lunch and dinner. I know its not for everyone, but it is working for me with my schedule, so we will see how it goes.

toe1226 · January 2016

Yes Yes Yes!!! I also love being a part of the process of food and have baked breads and made yogurt- but two things that I've done that have allowed me to stay a part of the processing of my food while reducing my intake: pickling things.

Pickled vegetables (and pickled hard boiled eggs!) are lighter than bread baking but still allow you to follow a process.

Also, I make my own nut butters, I know that they are calorically dense but high fat/protein works well with me, plus they keep forever so I don't feel that pressure to eat them right away the way I would feel about bread.

Also, when thinking about making something really decadent, I'll focus on scallops or a light fish instead of something really dense.

Finally, I realized that I had these roadblocks in my mind of what I perceived others expected from my foodie cooking- and they weren't true! I've been shocked to go on dates or dinner parties with friends who end up making really nice, light meals. There was a period of time where I felt like everything had to be a bacon wrapped date stuffed with cheese (so good!) but there are a lot of creative ways to lighten up the foodie process.

verdebug · January 2016

CaffeinatedConfectionist wrote: »

I do 99.9% of my own cooking and find your weight loss coach to be entirely incorrect. Frankly, it is much easier to count calories doing your own cooking because you have a more accurate idea of how many calories you're actually eating, since you know what is in your food.

And since I do my own cooking and baking and am good at it, I have fairly high standards in what I eat - which is not at all to say that I don't eat "junk" food, but it does mean that I am less tempted to eat random crap from a grocery store bakery or disappointing low-quality restaurant meals than I was before I really started doing all of my own cooking and dessert-making. I feel like I do better at maintaining quality over quantity.

This. Exactly this. Be a complete food snob. I've lost 60 pounds this way. Just like I wouldn't buy cheap plastic crap at the dollar store for my home, I don't put gross faux food in my mouth. Long term, eating the real stuff keeps me satisfied, and it is super fun, too. One of my favorite things to do is to pick a different style of cuisine from around the world and once a month, make a feast from that region. It's fun, I learn about new techniques and ingredients, and I enjoy the challenge of keeping things on the lighter side.

snowflake930 · January 2016

Yes, you can most definitely do this.
Many of us here are foodies (it is how I got to be obese in the first place). Love to cook, love to eat and we are good at it.
There are more healthy, fantastic tasting recipes, available for anyone's tastes. The possibilities are at your fingertips.
Best of luck!

rybo · January 2016

Is this a trick question? Of course you can!

_lyndseybrooke_ · January 2016

KnitSewSpin wrote: »

I would describe myself as a foodie. I love cooking shows, collect cookbooks, and get very excited about planning our weekly menu. I cook our bread products from scratch. I cook most of what we eat from scratch even yogurt and sour cream. Have not tried cheese yet.

I was told by a weight loss coach last summer that I'll never be able to lose weight and keep it off being a foodie. Especially a foodie with children.

I know intellectually this is not true but it was a bit demoralizing and since I am a very slow loser sometimes I think I should not focus so much on the pleasure of food. It lets doubts creep in. Like I'm doing smthg wrong.

I wouldn't say it's an obsession. But it's a hobby for me like the knitting, sewing, and gardening I do.

So can you be a food lover, lose weight, and keep it off, while keeping your love of all things food and cooking and baking?

That weight loss coach is an idiot. I love food way more than the average person does. I've always said eating is my favorite hobby. I managed to lose all of the weight I wanted to lose while still thoroughly enjoying food, as have many people. In fact, people that think of food only as fuel make me sad. There's nothing wrong with liking food.

As long as the food you eat fits into your calorie and/or macronutrient goals, you'll lose weight. Period.

mooreks81 · January 2016

Maybe it's easier to lose weight when you don't like food, but it's not hard to do it when you do like food.
1) Portion control.
2) As someone else said, snob eat. Don't settle for mediocre chocolate--only the best! That way you won't eat what people bring into work. And savor each bite slowly.
3) If you love cooking you're probably willing to put time/effort into a meal that is healthy but perhaps trickier to make.

MostlyWater · January 2016

Portion control!

kportwood85 · January 2016

I love to cook! I love to eat. If you look at my food diary, a huge portion of it is recipes I've tried out. My husband complains that we never eat the same thing twice, so he never gets something he loves again. When I went to eating (mostly) paleo I was unhappy about all the things I couldn't have anymore. How was I going to enjoy cooking when all the meals were supposed to be grilled chicken and a side of lettuce. I learned more and found that wasn't all there was, and I've begun to enjoy the creativity that comes with limiting my ingredients. Previously, far too many of my "new recipes" were pasta with cream sauce. Now? Recently we had roasted brussel sprouts with bacon, chicken thighs and an apple au jus. It was amazing, and I didn't even know I liked brussle sprouts! I'm down about 50 pounds total, and 10 since Christmas! Don't let your coach discourage you. You can enjoy food and still lose weight.

Being a "foodie" and losing weight

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