"Are you really enjoying that crap???"

I think its a perfectly reasonable expectation to be able to enjoy healthy food. The Pita Pizza recipe I posted earlier today was AMAZING. I've been eating a lot of chicken, shrimp, and fish and I'm loving every bite. I have no complaints.

I genuinely am....but I still eat whatever I want as long as it fits into my daily goals. Had pizza last night. It was wonderful.

I only eat the stuff I enjoy. No way I can waste calories on stuff** I don't like.

When did they start bleeping out curses? I don't recall that.

Have to admit that I am done with "diet" foods that I don't enjoy. I am eating more of a French/Mediterranean diet these days, including real bread (baked at home, usually), good cheeses, tons of fresh veggies, olive oil, eggs, etc. My sweets, if I "need" any consist of a square or two of dark chocolate. So yes, I enjoy every single bite. I did NOT enjoy what I ate when I ate low-fat, low-calorie things. Not only did they not taste good to me, but I also got hungry quicker, and ended up eating far more than I should have.

I am not going to lie, I love how everything tastes but no, I am not enjoying it. I have a sweet tooth, so I love eating chocolates and I wish I could replace my tuna with m&ms. I love greasy foods, and I would do anything to eat a greasy burger instead of my chicken dinner. /sigh. I know that what I would like to eat is bad for my health so I don't eat it. Just sorta stinks.

For the most part I'm loving my healthier foods. Honestly I've tried to add oatmeal to my diet but i cant get past I hate it and its a waste of calories to hold my nose and push it down my throat. Also, today I had a tilapia filet. Wont be doing that one again. But for the most part I'm a salad lover and have made some changes to my salads and gone to a lo-cal dressing that tastes great. I still allow myself the occasional roast beef sandwich from Arby's and on a rare occasion a small order of buffalo wings from Pizza Hut. I'm feeling full and satisfied on most days and the main things I've changed are a lot less pork and beef and a lot more turkey. I can spice anything up and make it taste different. Spices are lo-cal and can change the taste. I dont use salt at all for myself except what may already be in prepared foods.

Some of the stuff I really enjoy like my whole grain waffles, smoothies, exotic fruit etc. Some of the old stuff I used to eat no longer appeals to me so that helps. But I really crave red meat so I make room for a big burger but not from McDonalds or some place like that. My weakness is Five guys because they put raw peppers on it not the mushy marinated peppers.

I love fresh food, especially fruits/veggies. Always have. The one thing I can't stand is steamed veggies. Yuck. Roasted, sauteed or raw with lots of crazy seasonings! Better than the CRAP they're eating! :laugh:

I wish I could eat whatever I want and not get fat. But life does not work that way. If I want to be slender, look good in clothes, have energy and not be fat at 42 then I have to find foods that are filling, taste good and work with my calorie allotment.

I am in complete agreement with others that say the foods we ate that made us gain weight are now the foods that make me feel ill and sluggish. I still eat desserts and the like but my portions are reasonable. Especially compared to when I used to eat the whole pan of anything and everything. Oh that was a good run! But life is different for me now. And I want it to be.

I do like hot steamed veggies, fish, fruit, water. More than I like being 200+ pounds. Honestly.

For me, the answer is yes (most of the time).

Since I began my diet in September of last year, I have been cooking healthy meals and also making really healthy choices when I eat out. I am really proud of myself for doing so, and it has paid off by causing me to lose 23 pounds so far.

What surprised me through this process is that I enjoy all of the food I eat so much more than I ever did before. I used to eat fast food and fried foods daily, as well as home-cooked foods covered in cheese, butter, oil, cream, etc. With my healthy diet, my body feels so much better every day, and since I am not constantly eating super rich foods every 30 minutes, I really enjoy each flavor from every ingredient. Also, since my portions are small, it forces me to eat slower, and anticipate my meal - with real hunger pains. All of this makes each meal so much more satisfying, even if it is just turkey breast and green beans.

The only times I haven't enjoyed my new healthy meals are when I try to cook something and it doesn't turn out like I wanted it to (i.e. messed up the recipe, or made a substitution that didn't work). However, that happened even when I was cooking in my old unhealthy lifestyle.

I allowed myself several cheat days during the holidays where I went back to my old eating habits of not counting calories, eating lots of snacks like crackers and cheese spreads, quiche, many different desserts, high calorie dishes like lasagna, alcoholic drinks, candy, and a lot of other rich, unhealthy foods. What I found was that I didn't enjoy the foods as much as I thought I would, for two main reasons. The first was that for most of each of the cheat days, I was eating just to eat, not because I was hungry, so I didn't really desire the food all that much, which made it much less enjoyable. Secondly, the day after each of my cheat days, I had a food 'hangover'. My stomach hurt and was sour, my mouth was extra salty, I felt tired and lazy, and digestive system definitely had a hard time processing all of that bad food - if you know what I mean!

So for me, I really do enjoy my new healthy diet - and the food really does taste great!