I am a person, like most of you, who is on a weight loss journey. I've lost and gained throughout my life, and I've realized that I cannot deprive myself of the flavors, textures, and smells that I love in the name of a diet.
my journey will not be a fly-by-night diet, but a plan for healthier eating habits, and a healthier lifestyle. I am cataloging my weight loss journey with recipes, daily menus, and of course my bumps and hurdles.
I enjoyed meeting a number of you, and I hope you enjoy meeting me!
I know what you mean about appreciating food, I really do! When I began this journey I did cut a lot of things out of my diet, things that tasted good but were doing nothing for my health. I began to appreciate the pleasures of cooking- the smells, the tactile part of it, the textures and flavors that whole foods provide. It's funny, the more "restrictive" people percieved me to be ("you mean you don't eat fast food... ever?") the more in love with food and cooking I became...and the better I felt.
I agree that whatever life-changes you persue, if you don't enjoy what you're doing, you'll never stick to it. I think that applies to both food and exercise.
I still eat the foods I love. I just make healthier versions of them. I also have experimented and found a whole new range of foods to fall in love with. I have truly enjoyed the culinary journey that weight loss has put me on. Life is too short to eat cardboard every day, lol.
What I crave - to be eating constantly after sundown. And I'm still doing that while maintaining. What I eat is different from before, instead of a package of donuts, I eat lots of fruit, no-fat yogurt, more fruit, etc.
Welcome, and the best of success with your plan. Gosh, I sure wish I could eat what I crave and still lose weight. Unfortunately my craving are directly related to food addictions and like alcohol, and cigarettes, I can not stop at a "serving" or 2. Once piece of chocolate, and I won't stop until it's gone...5000 calories later. LOL. Bummer for me, but hopefully your method works GREAT for you.
Hi Tonya!
Sounds like you're on the road to success with a good plan and a can-do attitude - good luck with your goals - we're all here to cheer you on!
Glad to have you join us! There are lots & lots of different groups and forums - I'm sure you'll find some that will keep you motivated, inspired and entertained! You'll also find info and first hand advice on different plans to help get through the ups and downs.
There are bunches of people here with more to lose and some with less - the bottom line is that we all have to do it a day at a time. The good thing is that we'll have lots of company along the way.
I've only been here a few months myself, having NEVER been part of an online forum. What has been so eye-opening is how much it has helped me. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or defeated, I just log on and read some of the success stories, complete with their before & after photos - or read about others still dealing day to day with their challenges - and before I know it, the time has flown by and so have all the thoughts of cheating or giving up.
So welcome - you've found the right place - join in by inspiring us and being inspired!
I'm a caterer, so actual dieting is very difficult for me, but I will definitely keep posting my progress (hopefully not a lack thereof). And, I will also share some recipes I have come up with after two long months in my kitchen discovering how I could possibly eat what I want and lose weight. I didn't really lose anything that I didn't gain back in those two months, but I'm now putting these recipes to the test.
I've often said I'm too good a cook for my own good. That said, being a good cook and appreciating food means you can make wonderful meals that are healthy, too! I simply can't live on a diet that deprives me of stuff that tastes good.
I'm on board with this. I have always loved cooking but used to try new recipes out only occasionally because I couldn't control myself to eat a normal portion. I would always gorge. When I got married and moved to NC, I had to cook for my hubby and myself and I figured this was as good an opportunity as any to expand my culinary skills. I am now making foods I would've never tried before (breads, etc) and sticking to my portions (!). This way, I can have my cake and eat it too (literally!). I love this method and it's been working well for me so go you!!
Welcome!
I'm actually doing something kind of similar to this. I still love all those delectable foods so I 'clean' up the recipes. If I'm supposed to use white flour I switch it up for w/w, I use sea salt (never table salt when needed). I basically make sure all my recipes are clean, meaning no preservatives or additives, nothing refined. I follow the Eat-Clean Diet (Tosca Reno) and I don't feel deprived that I’m missing out on something.
My absolute favorite dish right now is to make Crème Brulee (yeah right, not with egg yolks, but with Tofu!) It tastes amazing and no one ever believes me it’s Tofu! (The recipe is from Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Cookbook).
So I'm definitely encouraging you to find what works for you! If this does, it sounds great
I've decided to eat what I crave to lose
Bummer for me, but hopefully your method works GREAT for you.
