Giving Up / Addicted to Cheese

darla499
darla499 Posts: 402 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Well, the day has come.

I have decided to give up cheese entirely.

Cheese, in all it's sticky goodness is a food that I have to finally admit, I cannot manage to do in moderation. :sad:

It didn't used to be this bad. Really. It was okay until I became a vegetarian and I somehow had this lightbulb moment go off in my head that said "Yes!!! Cheese is a great protein source." So I had that going to validate my cheese addiction. And I kept wondering why the scale wasn't budging. No gains ... just no loss .... for an abnormally extended period of time.

So ... cheese has the bad rap with me. I can't do it healthily so I'm not going to do it at all.

There's lots more protein sources out there that I CAN do healthily.

Anyone else got a similar problem with any foods? Or cheese?

:wink:
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Replies

  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    I love cheese but I will never give it up. I just eat it in moderation. The less I eat it the less I crave it.
  • slim104
    slim104 Posts: 160
    I'm with you on this Darla. I have given up all cheese except laughing cow light and cottage cheese. I love cheese but its not worth the calories and fat content. I tried the half fat stuff but thats awful. So for the moment i steer clear of it. I don't really miss it too much, though every now and then i do have a hankering for a thick cheese sandwich.
  • taziarj
    taziarj Posts: 243 Member
    We have started buying part skim low moisture mozzarella string cheese. 80 calories per ounce, it makes a great snack. We also use regular full blown cheddar cheese on baked potatoes but limit it to a half ounce. If we have a Mexican bowl it is either an ounce of cheddar cheese or queso blanco. Sure it is 110 calories for the serving, but it makes everything taste better.

    I guess if you can't limit yourself to moderation with cheese, it may be better to just go cold turkey. However, if you can moderate yourself, it is a great thing to include in your daily diet.
  • LisaGamerGirl
    LisaGamerGirl Posts: 147
    How about you try Daiya "cheese" made from tapioca? Delicious, melts like cheese and has much less saturated fat. You can get it at most healthfood stores :)
  • LeggyKettleBabe
    LeggyKettleBabe Posts: 300 Member
    I limit myself to 2oz per day. I get my cheese fix on and not the fat on.

    I dont give up foods i just eat the proper portion :)
  • katejkelley
    katejkelley Posts: 839 Member
    I have to really limit cheese because of lactose intolerance, so I use Veggie Shreds a lot. I find them in Safeway in the small vegetarian section we have.
  • vivianleemit
    vivianleemit Posts: 112
    I'm going to join you in your purge of cheese. After eating an entire bag of string cheese (that's 8 sticks, folks) in the span of 2 days, I knew it was time to cut the addiction. Nowadays, if I want cheese I'm going to find a vegan substitute. Though to be honest, usually if the cheese isn't within my sight, I don't get cravings for it. I had purchased the string cheese to melt the mozzarella in a recipe (it was cheaper than the shredded mozzarella bag), but ended up eating most of it. Geez.
  • ktsmom430
    ktsmom430 Posts: 1,100 Member
    I have found that the Weight Watchers string cheese really helps me. Only 50 calories per piece. Also the light Laughing Cow cheese wedges, that come in quite a few flavors, and very low calorie.

    Like most foods, limiting portion size is kind of key for me. I really am eating a lot slower now, and savoring every bite.

    It is a struggle sometimes, but I just keep telling myself that this is my new way of living.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    I limit myself to 2oz per day. I get my cheese fix on and not the fat on.

    I dont give up foods i just eat the proper portion :)

    There's nothing wrong with cheese that proper portion control won't fix. :drinker:

    ETA: If you want to take away my cheese, you'll have to pry it from my cold, dead fingers!
  • WhitneyT586
    WhitneyT586 Posts: 279 Member
    My aunt has always told me to give up bread, soda, and cheese in that order. So far I've done good with giving up bread and soda except for the very occasional caffeine free diet soda. But cheese is something that can add so much flavor to recipes that I just can't seem to let it go. I love sargento light string cheese and an apple for a snack. About 130 calories total and satisfying.

    But if it is a big problem for you, it is probably better to go without. Maybe once you get it out of your system as a habit you could add it back in as a treat on occasion.

    Good luck to you!
  • roachhaley
    roachhaley Posts: 978 Member
    I'm with you on this Darla. I have given up all cheese except laughing cow light and cottage cheese. I love cheese but its not worth the calories and fat content. I tried the half fat stuff but thats awful. So for the moment i steer clear of it. I don't really miss it too much, though every now and then i do have a hankering for a thick cheese sandwich.

    You dont need to worry about fat, fat is what produces your hormones, creates your cell linings and runs your brain. You need it, trust me.
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
    LOL I am the same way about peanut butter! I only let myself have it twice a year. Last I had it was Father's Day, we got my husband a Reese's Pieces ice cream cake, so I had a slice. Next time I'm gonna have any peanut butter is probably in November. That's it for me! Peanut butter is a carefully controlled substance in my life.
  • bigboytriathlon
    bigboytriathlon Posts: 25 Member
    I hear you amiga. Cheese for me is a trigger food. See, there are wine snobs - i was a cheese snob. and an addict. I would start out my morning with a little cheddar, you know, just to get the day started. I knew I could quit whenever I wanted I mean, I was only using the cheddar to get the day going.

    Lunch would have me sneaking out to my car, prowling the mean aisles of Whole Foods looking for that deal on Brie. it got so bad I had to have a"guy". they stopped selling to me at Whole Foods. I was up to like $32.67 in Brie each day.

    It got worse from there, a Jarlsberg Swiss to get me home and then spend the rest of the night in the fondue pot, licking the sides. I was ashamed but in what I began to call the soft-rind spiral. My job, my kids - they stopped meaning us much to me. I did leaf wrapped, hard cheddars, I mean the really hard rind stuff man. It was bad.

    One day, I woke up to find myself surrounded by miny baby-bel wax wrap. I had beel slumming and i didn't even know it. This could have killed me, i mean do you know how much mini-baby bel you can get for $20.00? nobody, nobody should eat that much cheese in one night.

    Don't even get me started on what it did to my bowels....
  • veggiesaurus15
    veggiesaurus15 Posts: 152 Member
    I have found that it is easier for me to give something up entirely than it is to eat it in moderation. Make the choice that is best for you :)
  • rextcat
    rextcat Posts: 1,408 Member
    :bigsmile: eat better (real, not kraft) cheese, its good for you. :drinker:
    http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20040416/dairy-foods-fat-weight-loss
  • iKapuniai
    iKapuniai Posts: 594 Member
    I LOVE cheese, especially extra sharp cheddar. I always find it on sale and I'm SO tempted to get it, but I can never do just one ounce, or two tiny cubes... but at the same time, it's just not worth the calories. So I gave THAT up, although I still do a lot of parmesan cheese in my salads. :)
  • bigboytriathlon
    bigboytriathlon Posts: 25 Member
    But Darla, in all seriousness, me too. i love cheese and really was a cheese snob and it really is one of my trigger foods. I really do have to just not eat any, otehrwise, I will eat too much.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    I hear you amiga. Cheese for me is a trigger food. See, there are wine snobs - i was a cheese snob. and an addict. I would start out my morning with a little cheddar, you know, just to get the day started. I knew I could quit whenever I wanted I mean, I was only using the cheddar to get the day going.

    Lunch would have me sneaking out to my car, prowling the mean aisles of Whole Foods looking for that deal on Brie. it got so bad I had to have a"guy". they stopped selling to me at Whole Foods. I was up to like $32.67 in Brie each day.

    It got worse from there, a Jarlsberg Swiss to get me home and then spend the rest of the night in the fondue pot, licking the sides. I was ashamed but in what I began to call the soft-rind spiral. My job, my kids - they stopped meaning us much to me. I did leaf wrapped, hard cheddars, I mean the really hard rind stuff man. It was bad.

    One day, I woke up to find myself surrounded by miny baby-bel wax wrap. I had beel slumming and i didn't even know it. This could have killed me, i mean do you know how much mini-baby bel you can get for $20.00? nobody, nobody should eat that much cheese in one night.

    Don't even get me started on what it did to my bowels....


    Bwahahahaha!
  • slim104
    slim104 Posts: 160
    I'm with you on this Darla. I have given up all cheese except laughing cow light and cottage cheese. I love cheese but its not worth the calories and fat content. I tried the half fat stuff but thats awful. So for the moment i steer clear of it. I don't really miss it too much, though every now and then i do have a hankering for a thick cheese sandwich.

    You dont need to worry about fat, fat is what produces your hormones, creates your cell linings and runs your brain. You need it, trust me.

    I do need to worry about fat.
    I hit my macros and get my fat from almonds, peanut butter, eggs and salmon mostly.
  • LisaEileen
    LisaEileen Posts: 185 Member
    I live in Wisconsin. It's against the law to give up cheese...and beer...and brats. :) Nope, I could never give up cheese. I've learned to control my portion sizes. I did have a huge gummy worm addiction. It was BAD. I would eat a bag a day. I had to cut them out for a few months. Now, if I crave them, I buy them, eat them and not feel guilty about it. But, I don't let myself eat them more than once a month.
  • MrsBully4
    MrsBully4 Posts: 304 Member
    Haha oh god. I had the WORST cheese addiction. I had to give up cheese 100% for about a month to break it, and then slllowlllly reintroduce it. Happily I'm at the point now where I can enjoy 3-4 servings of cheese per week without turning into the cheese monster.

    I still can't be trusted around cheddars though.
  • llkilgore
    llkilgore Posts: 1,169 Member
    I eat cheese practically every day but almost always as a cooking ingredient, in or on something else. It's much harder for me to maintain good portion control if I eat it out of hand.

    This morning I had cheese grits for breakfast - one standard portion of grits, 1 egg, and one ounce of extra sharp cheddar. Filling, satisfying, 314 calories total, and such a welcomed change from oatmeal.
  • dbb9263
    dbb9263 Posts: 7 Member
    That's tough Darla !! The day is coming when I'll have to give up my beloved PB be cause it is definitely a trigger for me! I'm able to manage the cheese. My new favorite is stir fry clear noodles with veggies at the Pho King down the street. Noodles are not our friend!, I know its a sad day, but some friends just bring out the beast in us, and are best out of our lives! Good Luck !,
  • anastasiawildflower
    anastasiawildflower Posts: 197 Member
    Do what you need to do lovely lady!

    We don't really buy cheese with our groceries; if we do it's sort of a treat. I could eat the whole block in a sitting given the chance. If it triggers a binge for you then it is the smart thing to avoid it. I wish you luck. Just keep doing what works best for you.
  • wingednotes
    wingednotes Posts: 274 Member
    I have certian food triggers that I would compare to "addictive substances" in that I cannot stop once I start. Therefore, portion control is not an option.
    Cheese is not one of them. I cannot stop tortilla chips and dip (especially tostida spinach dip), and have difficulty with pasta and pizza.
  • crzyone
    crzyone Posts: 872 Member
    I understand. Cheese is one of the things I had to go "cold turkey" on. I don't buy it anymore and when ordering I have them hold it from the meal if possible. When I start, I don't stop.

    Do what works for you!!
  • NYChick84
    NYChick84 Posts: 331 Member
    Well..I'm ****ed....cause I have an addiction to fruit now......I gave up breads, pastas, rices, potatoes, junk food, most dairy....And now I've replaced it with fruits and veggies...Just today I GORGED on blueberries, strawberries, 2 nectarines, large red grapefruit, banana and I haven't even had dinner yet.....and I also bought cherries I know I'm going to have.....hmm this may be the reason as to why I'm not losing the weight all of a sudden. lol Also, I work out 7x a week. If it isn't walking (at least 6 - 10 miles) I'm biking now (just did 15 miles today), plus squats, lunges, ab workouts, strength training.
  • vibrantval
    vibrantval Posts: 46
    Well, the day has come.

    I have decided to give up cheese entirely.

    Cheese, in all it's sticky goodness is a food that I have to finally admit, I cannot manage to do in moderation. :sad:

    It didn't used to be this bad. Really. It was okay until I became a vegetarian and I somehow had this lightbulb moment go off in my head that said "Yes!!! Cheese is a great protein source." So I had that going to validate my cheese addiction. And I kept wondering why the scale wasn't budging. No gains ... just no loss .... for an abnormally extended period of time.

    So ... cheese has the bad rap with me. I can't do it healthily so I'm not going to do it at all.

    There's lots more protein sources out there that I CAN do healthily.

    Anyone else got a similar problem with any foods? Or cheese?

    :wink:

    OMG we are related lol I am a cheese fanatic! I have been about 1 month cheese free and I have the urge to grab cheese everytime I go to the market! But my husband says no Val no cheese for you, and we laugh and I know I'll be alright.

    Have you considered getting veggie cheese? I have tried the sliced kind and its very similar to the kraft slices in let's say a sandwich. But have not tried the shredded kind yet.

    Wishing you luck!
  • dnunny
    dnunny Posts: 125
    I started cutting cheese out when I went to lower sodium in my diet. Swiss is about all I eat, and not as often as I use to eat cheese. I no longer add it to my salads. I do love cheese and have to be mindful with portion control.
  • barbaracoffing
    barbaracoffing Posts: 117 Member
    Cheese is really tough because none of the substitutes I've tried are any good...mostly because they taste bad or they don't melt! Do the veggie shreds or Daiya cheese melt????

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