It is not what you think!
It is safe for work!
I swear!

I'm referring to looking at pictures and recipes of healthy foods and meals on the Internet; such as on health blogs or recipe sites. I have found that it weirdly helps me not binge and it gives me ideas for meals and makes me want to try new foods. It makes me actually WANT to eat healthier and keeps me busy during those times I want to munch on something. Please tell me I'm not alone in this?

If you enjoy "health food porn" as much as I do, discuss it here and if you wish, post some delicious-looking food pictures and add some recipes of some yummy meals that are your favorite and help you stay on track!

I hope this is posted in the right section of the forum.....

You are absolutely not alone. On my other computer, I have a folder dedicated to pictures of delicious food, lol.

I'm going to post some eventually. I found really pretty vegan tacos the other day I like things that are really really colorful

I also spend a lot of time looking at, thinking about, planning, and preparing healthy food.

This is another way in which "this time" has been different for me than previous and ultimately unsuccessful prior weight loss attempts. Not that I didn't spend a lot of time thinking about food, but I felt guilty about it, even if it was "healthy food."

I'd been told so many times that I had to give up my interest in food to succeed, that I believed it, and felt guilty whenever I spent time on food-related activities even if they were healthy foods.

I tried to give up my love of food (or distract myself from it) and that always backfired. Also, when I thought all food-thoughts were bad, I didn't really distinguish between thinking about food I couldn't or shouldn't eat, and thinking about the food I wanted to be eating. Now I see thinking, planning, and preparing healthy foods as legitimate ways to pamper myself, and it works out a whole lot better.

It really helps me see that food doesn't have to boring or bland to be diet-friendly, and I don't have to give up amazing food in order to lose weight and maintain the loss.

I don't usually choose not-the-best food choices because of flavor (I do know that healthy foods can taste just as good), it's usually convenience. So I have to make healthy foods more convenient than less healthy ones.

This works surprisingly well for me. If I have to get out a step stool and/or do some cooking to prepare starchy, sugary foods, but a big bowl of cut-up-veggies and dip are sitting in the fridge, I'll reach for whatever's easiest.

I do have a weakness for popcorn, but we don't keep microwave popcorn in the house. We do keep old-fashioned, pop on the stove top, popcorn. If I want popcorn, I have to get out a pan, measure out the oil and the popcorn...

I've gone from eating popcorn several times a week, to a couple times a month (which is why I don't have to worry about the tablespoon or two of oil we use to pop the popcorn).

I do mostly try to limit grains, but the ones I do eat, I choose for their flavor and satisfaction level. I am satisfied with a small bowl of popcorn, with a handful of chips I want more and more and more.

Deprivation has never worked long term for me. I have been successful slowly but steadily over the last couple years because I refuse to eat crummy food. Good food is a huge part of enjoying life - witness other cultures where it is the basis for social interaction. I even moderate a food forum. Yes people are posting some incredibly high calorie things on occasion but they are also posting images that show they really care about what they eat, where it comes from, how best to utilize it, and how to present it. For example I just went out to see if there really were no baby avocados on the tree that yielded well last year. I found only one, then one of those bizarro colorful Japaneses fruit beetles buzzed me and I noticed they were in the over ripe figs handing over the back wall from the neighbor. I picked two, went to the internet, found some beautiful images of roasted figs with a sprinkling of blue cheese and a drizzle of honey. I am going to try it tonight. I am inspired by thoughtfully prepared beautiful food images. Heck I even made two different kinds of ceviche with the yellowfin tuna another neighbor brought inspired by images and recipes on the internet.

I forgot to mention one of my favorite blogs. the food is vegetarian and I am not, but I am often inspired. Her presentation is lovely. 101 Cookbooks is the site.

Yes! Food pictures and websites. I look at Eating Well, Cooking light, and various blogs when I run across them. I totally agree that the nice pictures inspire me to make healthy meals.

I would love to see some pics of food that we make. After all, we are a pretty amazing, talented group.

I quite like Smitten Kitchen and Becky and the Beanstock, and various other recipe websites as I run across them. And epicurious, of course. This time of year, my 'health food porn' mostly comes from the farmer's market and a new, local farm-to-table store. And my garden, despite cucumber bugs infesting my cucumbers right now. I inevitably end up buying more than I necessarily need at the farmer's market, but it is all healthy so I'm not too worried about it.

Am with kaplods and tommy on this point: deprivation does not work for me, and I can make healthy foods that I enjoy as much as unhealthy foods, it just requires a bit more (sometimes alot more) work and planning on the front end.

I'm guilty. I thought I was the only who was addicted to food porn. LOL

I do something similar, but for me it's finding new recipes. Then I don't feel deprived, because I know I have a huge variety of things I can eat!

Gosh I do it all the time I love pintrest and Ohsheglows, Kerf, I practically stalk those pages..

oh yes, ohsheglows is great, sprout people, even though I don't sprout...green monster, I love reading about healthy eating ideas and plucking out what i can do to improve my eating habits...I check out reboot for the conversations, lots of interesting stuff out there.
best to all

LOL! Count me in! I'm not into th pictures as much as the ingredients and how I can give recipes a makeover so they are "skinny" but still delicious.

Keyingredient is a new discover for me that my daughter-in-law introduced me to. Skinnytaste of course. Allrecipes. My very favorite is eatingwell esp. when I am trying to use produce from our coop basket and make a healthy menu based upon the surprise fruit & veg.

I also like the harcore food porn. Well, at least the hardcover kind. I LOVE cookbooks too.

Barb

When you decide to eat fast food, you should look at the pros and cons, and then decide whether it is your best solution.So always eat healthy and solve health problem.

there's a site that you can compare two foods, we were having fun comparing whopper to big mac, and somehow discovered there's a TRIPLE whopper that's over 1100 calories...yikes!

http://www.twofoods.com/compare/quer...BTYW5kd2ljaA==

Pinterest is also a great for finding healthy recipes