Yes. You CAN eat 'normal' food! (my rant.)
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Mmmmm....rainbow lettuce bridge.0
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DEAD ON!!!!!!!!
I started just tracking and found I really didn't need 8 meatballs I could live with 4 and some side. Or one pc of chicken and not 3.
I've list 10 lbs in just 2 weeks and I feel great!!!!
I never at veggies till I was an adult (nope my parents didn't even make me take that one profunctory bite) but now even if I'm having a veggie I'm not crazy about I know it fills me up and is good for me so I take one bite of my "good" food, eat all my veggie, and go back and slowly, happily finsish my "good" food.
I think it just comes down to planning. I know whats for dinner so I know what I can have for lunch.
I'm so glad someone took the time to make this point!!!0 -
totally agree!! You have to reward yourself here or there or else you will fall of the bus and be right back where you were at.
But why is junk food a reward? Why do you let your happiness be guided by food? Why not reward you with a massage, a night at the movies or going on vacation in Hawaii?
Yea if I had the money for that maybe i would. After 23 weeks of great eating, new PR's in the gym I might have a slice or two of pizza and a beer with my teammates. Its the social interaction and I like rewarding myself with food. I see no problem with it
This! If I could get a massage, a night out, or a tropical vacation for five bucks, I'd be one happy camper!
I don't consider eating pizza a reward, because it's part of my normal menu rotation. It's not so much the junk food or even taste aspect of it that's so appealing, it's that it's cheap and easy. I'm sure I could make a cauliflower crust, low sodium, all organic pizza that would be absolutely delicious, but there's some days when all I want to do is rip open a box of frozen pizza and have a delicious meal for two in less than a half hour for about five dollars. Cooked on a pizza stone, we generate exactly two dirty dishes and one dirty pizza cutter in the process. Cheap, quick, easy, delicious and mess free? I'm sold!
The four slices (half the pie) of DiGiorno Buffalo Style Pizza I had last night was 850 calories, about half my daily net calorie allowance and about average what I have for dinner. 43g of protein, which is a bit lower than a normal home-cooked meal for me, but close to half of the 100g I aim to get each day. Sodium is high, but I have no problems with blood pressure and I'm not going to flip out if I weigh a pound or two more in the morning.
I'm not a genetic freak blessed with a great metabolism. In fact, I always thought my metabolism was kind of slow. But I've busted my butt to raise my TDEE to counteract my middle-age metabolism. Because I really enjoy pizza night and want to continue it.0 -
for a while, I was seeing an abundance of "what's gonna happen to my boobs" threads. new batches daily, it seemed. but, lately, I'm seeing new folks coming in and asking if they can eat so-called 'normal' food. and, of course, soon thereafter they are informed by various members that, no, all of that food is terrible and they must stock their fridge with organic lettuce grown under the sunshine reflected off a tropical rainbow.
that really bothers me. people join this site, often, after years of failed attempts. many are frustrated ... discouraged. so much so that it probably wouldn't take much for them to just throw it in and give up. and you know what just might be that push? the organic rainbow lettuce brigade.
you know what, that food is certainly nutritious. no one is really going to argue that point. and is nutritious food better for your body than not-so-nutritious food? well, yeah. but here's the thing, ORLBs. that's an extreme change many -- if not most -- people can't make. and, yes, I said can't -- not won't. it isn't always as simple as just throwing away all the food you've got and restocking with fresh produce and tofu burgers. the first obstacle is cost. the second is ease/feasibility. and that's not even figuring in the fact that many -- if not most, again -- don't like to eat that food!
I get the concept that food is fuel. sometimes you have to eat things you may not like. but I'm not going to make it long by making that kind of food my only kind of food. that's no way to live, dreading your next meal. and most people won't. that's why diets fail. and that's why MFP works. because a calorie is a calorie.
Yes. You CAN eat 'normal' food. I'll eat pizza. I'll eat chocolate. I eat pasta and bread and even, now and then, a cookie or some candy. I lost 3.5 pounds this past week. I've lost more than 17 pounds in less than two months. and it's because I'm learning to keep my food portions under control. I keep under my calorie limit. I plan ahead if I know I'm going to have a larger meal or a higher-calorie treat that day. and if it just happens without planning and I decide to take that treat? that means a longer stint at the gym to burn those extra calories off.
the ORLBs will now start sputtering, 'but that's not healthy!' and to that, I'd like to ask if being obese is healthy. I think ... no. so. let's move to basic food math:
eating less of most the food I like, keeping calories under my limit = weight loss;
weight loss = a healthier me;
therefore, eating less of most the food I like, keeping calories under my limit = a healthier me.
shedding that extra weight automatically makes you healthier, no matter what it is you are eating. there's simply no way around that fact. now, that isn't to say that you shouldn't make smart decisions. that isn't to say that you shouldn't work to find 'healthy' foods that you like, working them into your daily life. but, like weight loss, that's a process. it doesn't need to happen overnight.
focus on what works. turn yourself into a better you. and do it in a way that will allow it to be a life change. and if, for you, that means 'normal' food? do it, and do it without any of the guilt you've been programmed or pressured to feel.
love you0 -
i love love love love love love this post and am so happy a "NEWBIE" realized this early in his journey....
i agree 100%....i eat chinese takeout every thurs night with my hubby and i bust my butt that day and the day before and the day after to get my calorie burn in and drink my water to flush the extra sodium and burn the extra calories....i also still drink diet coke and I'M NOT giving it up...i drink well over 100oz of water a day in addition to the 32oz of diet soda i drink....i know that diet can trigger the "sugars" or something and make you crave other sweets but it doesnt happen to me and a nice crisp icy diet coke is a treat for me....
in the last 4 years i have lost almost 80lbs and kept it off....i'm shooting for 20-30 more and IT WILL come in time...
could i be further along or been lower quicker if i had been more restrictive?? maybe but i wouldnt still be doing what i do and keeping my changes a part of my everyday life....
i have completed a 1/2 marathon at 225lbs in jan 2010 and have another at the end of this month (50lbs lighter)
i bettered my 5k time last weekend from last year by 6 mins....
i can RUN a 5K......
i can lift weights like a guy but still feel like a girl....
i have a NICE bicep...
i work out 6 times a week (typical weekly burn between 2500-3500 cals) including running, walking, elliptical, lifting weights, spin class, playing with my kids in the yard...
i drink 100+oz of water every day....
i eat 5-6 times a day healthy balanced meals/snacks....
i'm making changes that i can live with for the rest of my life....i'm not on a DIET so why should i feel like i am by making choices i can't live with???
so thank you to the original poster for making this thread....i have to be honest, i didnt go back and read all the replies and i hope that it doesnt turn into a well you should do this or you shouldnt do that thread...i hope those that read it take away just a little bit of the knowledge for us, TRIED AND TRUES, have to offer...0 -
Whether you eat a "natural" hamburger or a McDonald's hamburger, the body can't tell. Both meats will be broken down to it's simplest forms of amino acids and absorbed by the intestine and distributed to the muscle cells. This isn't a "belief" it's actual science. I would challenge you to find any information on human digestion that disagrees with it.I believe in what you (general you) put in your body reflects your risk of developing cancer and other diseases. I disagree with the poster who said as food is broken down into the same nutriments, it doesn't matter what you eat. I'm not going to bother arguing with him as he obviously has strong beliefs and I do to, just opposite ones.
All foods are "chemicals". They are broken up with "chemicals" in the body. In fact every action in the body is a "chemical" one including thinking.
Even an allergy to food is a "chemical" reaction.
As for cancer and diseases, while avoiding some foods may reduce risk, cancer and disease is based more on your genetics. You can eat perfect and exercise, etc. and still get it, while some who eat "bad" (meaning not getting in their essentials) doesn't exercise, smokes, etc. lives a full life with no disease. My grandmother died of old age and she smoked, ate pretty bad and didn't get hardly any exercise. If you talk to a vegan, they'll tell you meat in any form is a high risk for colon cancer. So if you're belief that cancer and disease is increased by meat, then you should stop eating that too. Like you said, you'll get over craving for it if that's your stance about cravings.
A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
I think this is a bit of an oversimplification of both sides.
I wouldn't call processed foods normal. They might be habit, but the fact that half the ingredients in most processed foods aren't food at all I don't think is normal. That's just me.
I enjoy eating healthy. I almost never eat salads personally, but I like my organic turkey burgers on whole wheat buns with organic romain lettuce and tomato and cheese with a side of sweet potato fries. The whole meal is less than 500 calories and it's all healthy and I don't consider it a "swap" for any food I'd rather have. My life got so much better when I learned to cook great food in a clean and healthy way. After about two weeks of cleaning up my eating habits I stopped craving any of those foods. I haven't eaten fast food in 10 weeks. I've gone out to eat a couple of times but our resteraunt choices, my choices off the menu, and my portion sizes have changed a lot. I do not treat food as a reward, even if it tastes amazing.
But here's the thing. I didn't jump straight into clean, healthy food when I started losing weight. The changes I made were slow and deliberate. One week I swapped out our regular skim milk for organic. Then I swapped out most of our cheeses for organic and low fat. Then one week I swapped out our thin skinned veggies with organic versions. I researched what foods are best eaten organic and swapped those out. I think all in all my grocery bill has gone up about $15 overall. Worth it, I think, especially since we don't really spend money eating out anymore.
Eating this way is a personal choice and not one I regret. I don't miss any food in particular and I still make pizza and burgers and chinese food at home. I still have desert. There are still some processed foods in my diet, but not as much. I don't think it's just a scale thing. For me it's the way I feel. I feel better and I like not craving certain foods anymore. I like controlling what I eat and when. If you don't want to do it this way, that's fine, but I don't think there's anything wrong with it either.0 -
You won't see change until you CHANGE.
That's kind of the point.
Michael Pollan says it best: Eat Food, not too much, mostly plants.
...but...
by Food, he means things that your grandmother would consider food, things that will actually rot in days if not weeks if left on the counter, things that contain less than 5 ingredients, all of which are recognizable to normal people. Oh, you mean "Normal" food? Yes, that's what "Normal" is.
Pizza Rolls and processed potato paste reconstituted and fried in an oil that needs 12 modifiers is not normal.
You don't have to buy certified organic lettuce grown in sheep peat on the north slope of Tuscan hills. Just eat lettuce once in a while. Regular grocery store lettuce. (And eat it without covering it in Ranch dressing - BTW, every read the ingredients of most salad dressings?)0 -
ORLB!! I love it!!!!!! I call them vultures...their the ones that sense weakness and that pick apart the new person until there is nothing left but a pile of bones and the person sits there thinking, 'what the heck just happened?' But I do like ORLB too!!!0
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What should be taken away from this is that IF you are getting in the correct amount of macro/micro nutrients, exercising, getting enough rest, reducing stress and drinking enough water, chances are that indulging in "junk" food shouldn't really hurt you as long as you're not exceeding a calorie goal. Restriction, abstaining, and eliminating actual foods that you like has been the bane for many a dieter since it's usually by doing this that they gain the weight back. I know it because I've had clients do great on restricted diets, get to goal and only to regain back most of the weight. I currently DON'T advocate diet to my clients, but try to make sure that they hit the macro/ micro nutrients required and stay under calories limits I set for them. There is a HUGE difference in those clients that do this since weight regain amongst them is minimal compared to the way I used to do it with restrictive measures on carbs, sugars, etc.
I don't advocate only eating fast foods, junk food, or all processed foods for meals. Personally I eat 80% good and the other 20% is whatever I feel like eating. But you can definitely have a GREAT life and enjoy foods you like as long as you follow good guide lines. It DOESN'T have to come to the extreme of only eating "healthy" all the time.
A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
Where's the love button!!! I, too, am sick of the ORLB (did I get that right?)! I know that I will never be able to maintain a diet on that stuff, it's just not realistic! Thanks for posting this!!!0
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Ditto this. You took the words right out of my mouth!I think it's all about baby steps... When I started it was just mainly portion control. But yes I had m&m's as a dessert. I still do if I feel like it. What I think we learn along the way is eating healthier means you can eat more! (or at least that's how I see it!) a small bag of m&m's is 210 calories... A cup of pasta is about the same... Salad? Well you can have a huge bowl! But I am a firm believer that if I want a snickers bar, I'm gonna eat a snickers bar. I just figure the calories in.
I do think eating healthier is what we should all try to do... But I will NEVER give up any food!0 -
Very well written post. ITA.0
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"focus on what works. turn yourself into a better you. and do it in a way that will allow it to be a life change. and if, for you, that means 'normal' food? do it, and do it without any of the guilt you've been programmed or pressured to feel. "
I simply love it!0 -
Whether you eat a "natural" hamburger or a McDonald's hamburger, the body can't tell. Both meats will be broken down to it's simplest forms of amino acids and absorbed by the intestine and distributed to the muscle cells. This isn't a "belief" it's actual science. I would challenge you to find any information on human digestion that disagrees with it.I believe in what you (general you) put in your body reflects your risk of developing cancer and other diseases. I disagree with the poster who said as food is broken down into the same nutriments, it doesn't matter what you eat. I'm not going to bother arguing with him as he obviously has strong beliefs and I do to, just opposite ones.
All foods are "chemicals". They are broken up with "chemicals" in the body. In fact every action in the body is a "chemical" one including thinking.
Even an allergy to food is a "chemical" reaction.
As for cancer and diseases, while avoiding some foods may reduce risk, cancer and disease is based more on your genetics. You can eat perfect and exercise, etc. and still get it, while some who eat "bad" (meaning not getting in their essentials) doesn't exercise, smokes, etc. lives a full life with no disease. My grandmother died of old age and she smoked, ate pretty bad and didn't get hardly any exercise. If you talk to a vegan, they'll tell you meat in any form is a high risk for colon cancer. So if you're belief that cancer and disease is increased by meat, then you should stop eating that too. Like you said, you'll get over craving for it if that's your stance about cravings.
A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
..and this!0 -
I have this exact issue. I think by forbidding certain things we all know we love, leads to failure, giving up and so on. I allow myself some Processed and unhealthy things time and again. and look at my portions that i am eating. I am a picky eater, i hate eggs (though i will sometimes force them down) i hate cottage cheese, i hate most veggies. Also i have the issue of the cost of organic items. some may not be a price difference, plus since I am pretty much the only person in the house eating the stuff I tend to have to throw stuff out more often because it goes bad before I can eat.0
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Whether you eat a "natural" hamburger or a McDonald's hamburger, the body can't tell. Both meats will be broken down to it's simplest forms of amino acids and absorbed by the intestine and distributed to the muscle cells. This isn't a "belief" it's actual science. I would challenge you to find any information on human digestion that disagrees with it.I believe in what you (general you) put in your body reflects your risk of developing cancer and other diseases. I disagree with the poster who said as food is broken down into the same nutriments, it doesn't matter what you eat. I'm not going to bother arguing with him as he obviously has strong beliefs and I do to, just opposite ones.
All foods are "chemicals". They are broken up with "chemicals" in the body. In fact every action in the body is a "chemical" one including thinking.
I have heard so many stories that are "wow I cant believe he/she has cancer they ran 5 miles every day and ate organic food"
Or "i cant believe they had lung cancer they never smoked a day in their life"
Even an allergy to food is a "chemical" reaction.
As for cancer and diseases, while avoiding some foods may reduce risk, cancer and disease is based more on your genetics. You can eat perfect and exercise, etc. and still get it, while some who eat "bad" (meaning not getting in their essentials) doesn't exercise, smokes, etc. lives a full life with no disease. My grandmother died of old age and she smoked, ate pretty bad and didn't get hardly any exercise. If you talk to a vegan, they'll tell you meat in any form is a high risk for colon cancer. So if you're belief that cancer and disease is increased by meat, then you should stop eating that too. Like you said, you'll get over craving for it if that's your stance about cravings.
A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
..and this!0 -
This was a long rant so I will sum it up.
Boobs and pizza are good in moderation.0 -
AMEN!!!!!
So very true, unless you plan to eat an organic vegan lifestyle for the rest of your life why the hell would you do it now. Obviously dieting didn't work in the past so why not take the lifestyle route and not the diet road. Eat ow you would eat normally and cut things down or for others they may need to eat more. Just eat in a healthy, proportional range and you would be surprised how great it works!0 -
I absolutely agree, and thank you!!!0
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