How to fit in "off plan" food choices without derailing?
Replies
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Commander_Keen wrote: »journey2zen wrote: »Let me preface this with saying I'm not suggesting any specific food SHOULD be off limits. However, due to health issues I personally have to eat a fairly strict diet most of the time.
My concern is burnout. I want to be able to go off my personal plan once or twice a week for a meal or a snack or a dessert, without it becoming like the floodgates have opened and my mind--subconsciously or not--gives in to the point that the meal becomes two meals, the snacks become two snacks, the desert becomes a whole bag of cookies, and so on.
I am wondering what you all do to rein yourself in without having to be always on plan.
For what it's worth, I'll share my normal diet here:
I eat veggies, fruits, nuts, beans, tofu, eggs, seeds a lot.
I will slowly be adding back whole grains like rice, oatmeal, and the like.
I have very small amounts of dairy, but most days none at all.
I do not eat meat.
I avoid sugar and flour.
So when I say off plan, I am talking about, for example, having a cookie or having a tortilla, maybe a sandwich, now and then.
I'd like to be able to do that once or twice a week and then have no problem going right back to my norm. But in the past, anytime I'm not strict, I've either quickly or gradually gone back to overdoing the sugar and the flour and the dairy. And then I'd gain weight and feel physically horrible. Recently I was in the hospital as a result of those choices. On plan, I lose weight weight and start to feel good, but deprived at times.
What do you do to fit in the things you don't normally have without messing it all up?
I don't think one can. Once you rationalize that its o.k to have that one cookie, then why not two, or three.
By the 3rd cookie one can say, eh..I will go back on the diet tomorrow. Now once you say that, that stops you from having Ice cream the rest of the day?
I think for me, its just mind over matter until I hit "My goal"/ "My weight"
You could reward your self for every 10 lbs that you lose. Right so, you lost 10lbs, ate multiple cookies, your weight fluctuates 2 lbs, so now that is a "loss" of 8 lbs. Not enough to discourage you,
It would take 7000 calories of cookies to gain 2 pounds of fat from just the cookies. Anything else is temporary water gain which comes and goes even if you don't eat the cookies.
What stops me is that I never go off my plan. Eating more food on occasion is part of my plan. Unlike the OP I do not have dietary restrictions though. The more I tell myself I can't have a cookie the more I want it. If I crave it I find a way to make it fit in my plan.
Lets take Oreo Cookies. -- Three cookies
160 Cal
7 G fat
25 G - Carbs
Who has three.? I don't..
3 in the morning.
3 as a snack.
3 w/lunch
3 w/ dinner
3 before bed.
That's 800 calories on top of what ever I just ate.
So to answer another person's question is no.. I stopped eating it, because I have no control.
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Commander_Keen wrote: »journey2zen wrote: »Let me preface this with saying I'm not suggesting any specific food SHOULD be off limits. However, due to health issues I personally have to eat a fairly strict diet most of the time.
My concern is burnout. I want to be able to go off my personal plan once or twice a week for a meal or a snack or a dessert, without it becoming like the floodgates have opened and my mind--subconsciously or not--gives in to the point that the meal becomes two meals, the snacks become two snacks, the desert becomes a whole bag of cookies, and so on.
I am wondering what you all do to rein yourself in without having to be always on plan.
For what it's worth, I'll share my normal diet here:
I eat veggies, fruits, nuts, beans, tofu, eggs, seeds a lot.
I will slowly be adding back whole grains like rice, oatmeal, and the like.
I have very small amounts of dairy, but most days none at all.
I do not eat meat.
I avoid sugar and flour.
So when I say off plan, I am talking about, for example, having a cookie or having a tortilla, maybe a sandwich, now and then.
I'd like to be able to do that once or twice a week and then have no problem going right back to my norm. But in the past, anytime I'm not strict, I've either quickly or gradually gone back to overdoing the sugar and the flour and the dairy. And then I'd gain weight and feel physically horrible. Recently I was in the hospital as a result of those choices. On plan, I lose weight weight and start to feel good, but deprived at times.
What do you do to fit in the things you don't normally have without messing it all up?
I don't think one can. Once you rationalize that its o.k to have that one cookie, then why not two, or three.
By the 3rd cookie one can say, eh..I will go back on the diet tomorrow. Now once you say that, that stops you from having Ice cream the rest of the day?
I think for me, its just mind over matter until I hit "My goal"/ "My weight"
You could reward your self for every 10 lbs that you lose. Right so, you lost 10lbs, ate multiple cookies, your weight fluctuates 2 lbs, so now that is a "loss" of 8 lbs. Not enough to discourage you,
That's not necessarily true. Some people may struggle with self control once they cross that barrier, and others are able to stop themselves and get right back on track. Some individuals, if they give in to anything, they've lost absolutely all control for the day and binge. It can sometimes take a few days or even weeks to get back on track. Other people, myself being one of them, are able to allow themselves one cookie, or two even, and not beat themselves up over it. And I'm also able to feel satisfied from those one or two cookies, and get back on track immediately. Not even the next day.
I used to be one of those people that binges after one little slip up. It would take me days to get back on track. Something changed. I don't know what it is, exactly, but I have way more control but also am way more gentle with myself at the same time.
I think a big part of it is reminding yourself that its not going to be perfect. You can have cookies here and there. Its okay.
Weightloss does not need to be on a timeline. If you have a few cookies, its not going to set you back. As long as you stay consistent and pick back up right away, you will get there.
I saw FASTER results when I threw my goal timeline out the window and decided to make this a slow, sustainable thing. Once I turned it into a lifestyle, not a diet, it became not only easier but I lost weight faster because I wasn't struggling with it mentally as much.
Let yourself have a few cookies here and there. Life is far too short. You were not born to just lose weight.2 -
Commander_Keen wrote: »Commander_Keen wrote: »journey2zen wrote: »Let me preface this with saying I'm not suggesting any specific food SHOULD be off limits. However, due to health issues I personally have to eat a fairly strict diet most of the time.
My concern is burnout. I want to be able to go off my personal plan once or twice a week for a meal or a snack or a dessert, without it becoming like the floodgates have opened and my mind--subconsciously or not--gives in to the point that the meal becomes two meals, the snacks become two snacks, the desert becomes a whole bag of cookies, and so on.
I am wondering what you all do to rein yourself in without having to be always on plan.
For what it's worth, I'll share my normal diet here:
I eat veggies, fruits, nuts, beans, tofu, eggs, seeds a lot.
I will slowly be adding back whole grains like rice, oatmeal, and the like.
I have very small amounts of dairy, but most days none at all.
I do not eat meat.
I avoid sugar and flour.
So when I say off plan, I am talking about, for example, having a cookie or having a tortilla, maybe a sandwich, now and then.
I'd like to be able to do that once or twice a week and then have no problem going right back to my norm. But in the past, anytime I'm not strict, I've either quickly or gradually gone back to overdoing the sugar and the flour and the dairy. And then I'd gain weight and feel physically horrible. Recently I was in the hospital as a result of those choices. On plan, I lose weight weight and start to feel good, but deprived at times.
What do you do to fit in the things you don't normally have without messing it all up?
I don't think one can. Once you rationalize that its o.k to have that one cookie, then why not two, or three.
By the 3rd cookie one can say, eh..I will go back on the diet tomorrow. Now once you say that, that stops you from having Ice cream the rest of the day?
I think for me, its just mind over matter until I hit "My goal"/ "My weight"
You could reward your self for every 10 lbs that you lose. Right so, you lost 10lbs, ate multiple cookies, your weight fluctuates 2 lbs, so now that is a "loss" of 8 lbs. Not enough to discourage you,
It would take 7000 calories of cookies to gain 2 pounds of fat from just the cookies. Anything else is temporary water gain which comes and goes even if you don't eat the cookies.
What stops me is that I never go off my plan. Eating more food on occasion is part of my plan. Unlike the OP I do not have dietary restrictions though. The more I tell myself I can't have a cookie the more I want it. If I crave it I find a way to make it fit in my plan.
Lets take Oreo Cookies. -- Three cookies
160 Cal
7 G fat
25 G - Carbs
Who has three.? I don't..
3 in the morning.
3 as a snack.
3 w/lunch
3 w/ dinner
3 before bed.
That's 800 calories on top of what ever I just ate.
So to answer another person's question is no.. I stopped eating it, because I have no control.
I can eat 3. I can eat 1. That is the point I was trying to make. We are not all you and you gave advice as if everyone would do exactly what you do. If you really enjoy oreos I hope there comes a day where you feel comfortable moderating them.
Also you suggested that it would result in a 2 pound gain which is impossible with 800 calories worth of cookies.5 -
Commander_Keen wrote: »Commander_Keen wrote: »journey2zen wrote: »Let me preface this with saying I'm not suggesting any specific food SHOULD be off limits. However, due to health issues I personally have to eat a fairly strict diet most of the time.
My concern is burnout. I want to be able to go off my personal plan once or twice a week for a meal or a snack or a dessert, without it becoming like the floodgates have opened and my mind--subconsciously or not--gives in to the point that the meal becomes two meals, the snacks become two snacks, the desert becomes a whole bag of cookies, and so on.
I am wondering what you all do to rein yourself in without having to be always on plan.
For what it's worth, I'll share my normal diet here:
I eat veggies, fruits, nuts, beans, tofu, eggs, seeds a lot.
I will slowly be adding back whole grains like rice, oatmeal, and the like.
I have very small amounts of dairy, but most days none at all.
I do not eat meat.
I avoid sugar and flour.
So when I say off plan, I am talking about, for example, having a cookie or having a tortilla, maybe a sandwich, now and then.
I'd like to be able to do that once or twice a week and then have no problem going right back to my norm. But in the past, anytime I'm not strict, I've either quickly or gradually gone back to overdoing the sugar and the flour and the dairy. And then I'd gain weight and feel physically horrible. Recently I was in the hospital as a result of those choices. On plan, I lose weight weight and start to feel good, but deprived at times.
What do you do to fit in the things you don't normally have without messing it all up?
I don't think one can. Once you rationalize that its o.k to have that one cookie, then why not two, or three.
By the 3rd cookie one can say, eh..I will go back on the diet tomorrow. Now once you say that, that stops you from having Ice cream the rest of the day?
I think for me, its just mind over matter until I hit "My goal"/ "My weight"
You could reward your self for every 10 lbs that you lose. Right so, you lost 10lbs, ate multiple cookies, your weight fluctuates 2 lbs, so now that is a "loss" of 8 lbs. Not enough to discourage you,
It would take 7000 calories of cookies to gain 2 pounds of fat from just the cookies. Anything else is temporary water gain which comes and goes even if you don't eat the cookies.
What stops me is that I never go off my plan. Eating more food on occasion is part of my plan. Unlike the OP I do not have dietary restrictions though. The more I tell myself I can't have a cookie the more I want it. If I crave it I find a way to make it fit in my plan.
Lets take Oreo Cookies. -- Three cookies
160 Cal
7 G fat
25 G - Carbs
Who has three.? I don't..
3 in the morning.
3 as a snack.
3 w/lunch
3 w/ dinner
3 before bed.
That's 800 calories on top of what ever I just ate.
So to answer another person's question is no.. I stopped eating it, because I have no control.
I’m that way with certain foods. My solution is to eat things which are similar, but not quite as tempting to lose control over. For example I can’t moderate Mint Milano cookies, but I can eat half a piece of banana bread. I like banana bread, but I don’t love it so much that I can’t have it in the house without eating all of it.
Maybe in time you will gain some ability to moderate your favorite foods. The last time I ate an Oreo it was disappointing and not as good as I remembered- problem solved.0 -
journey2zen wrote: »I’d physically be fine with a few meals a week, maybe 3, being indulgent. Spread out.
If it's a health issue, I'd focus more on learning to make indulgent feeling meals that aren't problematic from a health perspective, given your issues. One thing people sometimes fall into is a dichotomy between "healthy" or "diet" foods, which they think of as bland or eat basically the same things, and then "indulgent" foods, which they then go overboard on.
I'm typically more of a moderator (within the context of my personal ideas about nutrition, which are kind of strict as a personal preference), but for someone with genuine health condition reasons to be more restrictive, I think there are different considerations. So instead of trying to figure out how to order your favorite pizza and not go off plan, learn to make a pizza that fits your dietary restrictions. Instead of having meat 3x a week if you don't want meat, find other indulgent meals that feel special but don't involve it (Ethiopian, Indian, various other Asian, so on).
Or if it is simply a "not too much" thing, use that and take it seriously as your reason not to exceed -- tell yourself I cannot, I've had X grams of added sugar or sat fat (or whatever it is, I didn't look back), and that's my max for the day/week, I can have it next week instead.
Just some ideas.3 -
If I were to eat oreos, it would have to be the double stuff ones lol (and I would eat the whole bag probably in 2 sittings)1
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journey2zen wrote: »lynn_glenmont wrote: »journey2zen wrote: »Thanks for all the feedback, everyone. I appreciate it. I don't have much faith in doctors due to a host of bad experiences, and it doesn't help that most don't get much training in nutrition. I feel pretty confident that I am making the right food choices for my default diet, just struggle with derailment. I'll try purposefully planning it in advance rather than allow for spur of the moment impulses.
I just went out for lunch and was tempted to eat a cookie. I looked at my calories and saw that I could, theoretically fit it in. But since it wasn't planned and it'd really reduce what's left for dinner, I decided not to get it.
Can you clarify what you meant in the original post about having to have a strict diet for your health, because you're getting two different types of responses depending on how people are interpreting it? Are these self-imposed food restrictions based on what you think is healthy in general, or are these specific foods you need to avoid because they are counterindicated for specific medical conditions you have?
I have to avoid them because of medical issues. Don't really want to go into details about the medical aspect of it for privacy reasons. So basically I DO have to eat the way I do most of the time, but not necessarily 100% of the time.
I wasn't asking for medical details, just clarity on whether there was a medical necessity to avoid these things. When you said in your OP that you "can't" eat certain things, it sounded to me like something you should avoid 100% of the time (allergy, celiac disease, etc.). But apparently that's not what you meant. If it's something it's OK for you to eat occasionally, then go ahead and eat it occasionally.3 -
journey2zen wrote: »I’d physically be fine with a few meals a week, maybe 3, being indulgent. Spread out.
so health issues aside, you want to fit in these foods and "can" a few times a week without repercussions.
so schedule that in your diary/plan ahead. Enter the quantity you plan to eat calorie wise. make it fit in your daily or weekly calories. it's not rocket science. How to manage more specifically depends what works FOR YOU (we are all different) and may take some trial and error.
Ex: some foods i "schedule in" I know i may over eat - so I buy one portion (I have even been known to throw out if i cannot buy small enough or ship it off at the office/friends fast enough). This way i can't over eat short of going to the store. Others i can moderate myself as long as i am logging them. Some foods I started with one portion only (ex: bar of lindt dark chocolate) but with time was able to moderate on my own (now can have a lindt bar in cupboard for months before it's eaten).
Some foods I only eat out of hte house. usually more craving type stuff (fish and chips for example).
some people need to not eat some specific foods (foods, not food groups) without derailing at least at first. so yes, for those very specific foods best to avoid altogether. after some months in you can try to test small portion and see (ex: if chips are on the no eating list without derailing, you can at one point test a snack size bag and see). Personally i find if I say "i cannot have this food" i tend to want it more and that causes more issues. Everyone is different.
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If I go over my calories (not just by a few) I stop myself going off the deep end by telling myself it's all good as long as I don't go over maintenance calories. I try to plan all my food in advance but if I'm going out for the day that might not be possible but I just tell myself as long as I'm under maintenance over the week, I'm still gonna lose1
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Caveat all the below with me not knowing your specific medical condition. I eat in a similar way to you, although my dairy intake is pretty high. My blood sugar spikes wildly and while I am not officially in any diabetic category I know with my personal and family medical history it is a possibility.
I choose to keep my sugars pretty low, under 20g most days. I generally do not do flour containing items and I aim for no sugar. My long term goal is to be able to enjoy small quantities of treats on ocaission, without flood gates opening and sugar binges. Personally for me I need to abstain completely from said items for 2-3 months before the cravings go away. I can now add in some breads on ocaission. I choose high fiber and lower carb option. Trader joes low car tortilla for example is 45cal and hits the spot once a month when I think I want something bready. I have been at this about 4 month now and am finding myself capable of having a small cookie, or even half a cookie or a single bite of my husbands dessert. I enjoy the flavor and I am good.
For me, moderation is important for long term success, but I know I will not be able to moderate if I have these things regularly. A burger bun of a full slice of bread is rarely worth it for me anymore. If you want a small exception, keep it small. Have one slice of bread on a half sandwich. Have a single taco and the rest in salad for etc. Have a piece of a cookie instead of the full one.2 -
Something to point out - for those who claim they could "never" eat only the serving size (or less than the serving size) of a treat, it's not like you immediately have to succeed at doing it. What I mean is try eating the serving size, and if you eat more than the serving size for that first try it doesn't mean you will eat that way forever. Building habits takes time. Some elements to retrain include: taking the serving size and walking away/closing the package, setting up the mindset of the treat as something special but not "this is the LAST TIME for A LONG TIME" special... It all takes practice.5
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Something that I've noticed is that I tend to find '1 serving' equally satisfying regardless of the actual size of that serving...
By this I mean, I tend to get a pretty similar level of satisfaction out of finishing 1 Fun Size Snickers (about 80cal) as I would from finishing a normal size Snickers (230cal).
I'm not sure why this happens. Perhaps it's because when eating the Fun Size bar I unconsciously take smaller bites so it takes me just as long to eat the small bar as the larger one or if it's some weird psychological brain trick where in both cases I've 'eaten a whole Snickers bar' which leads to the same level of satisfaction.4 -
I factor in nice things I like into my daily plan - if I am going away for the weekend or to an event, I try to stay mindful about what I am eating and why, but essentially enjoy it and get back on plan as soon as is possible. I do like the mindset that this is a way of eating rather than a diet, and as such, its has to work with your whole life. Each to their own though
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