I agree with moderation. I can eat anywhere and choose well, although the choices are pretty darn limited some places. No - the food is not the quality that it should be and the nutritional value is crap, but I've changed my lifestyle, not gone on a diet. Ate out twice yesterday - Taco Bell for lunch, Ruby Tuesday for supper. High calorie day? Yep. But under control. Good choices. Today I'm home all day and I'll take care of balancing the calories from yesterday. And have a nice long bike ride to burn some extras off. I didn't gain all this weight in two meals and I'm not going to gain it all back in two meals. It's a mindset that I'm glad to be in.
I was never a big fast food person, my thing is sweets, and not exercising enough.
I have learned to make the chinese food I like to eat, so I don't need to go to those places anymore, Pizza is another story. I love pizza, and do feel deprived not being able to eat it. When I crave a certain food, I learn how to make something similiar lower fat, when I crave greek food, there is greek salad, with hummus and veggies, chinese food, tofu with veggies.
Now birthday cake is a no no for me, my B'day is coming up and I will not be eating any cake, because what usually happens everyone will eat a piece of cake and we will put the left over in fridge, that night I would go for at least one more piece, or two. Then I would even get up and eat some cake for breakfast, so right now I do not see me having birthday cake, but a healthier body is far more worht it, than a sugary cake.
cheryl
As long as there are car shows, all night beer fests, 14hr work days. I know I will eat fast food and somedays you just got to have a wopper. Every once an while its no big deal. Its the every day, 3 meals a day or more that will kill you. An then you got the try and make the best choices when it does happen so you don't beat yourself up mentally.
When I get to my goal weight I will be able to eat 2400 cal/day to maintain. Right now I'm at 1436 cals/day. That means I'll have about 1000 additional calories. Will I ever use them for unhealthy junk? Probably. I do that some, now, but not often. I've found that even when I really want something, I'm too "calorie stingy" to eat it. But I don't feel deprived because I weighed the choice and opted against it. For me it all boils down to, "If I eat that now, I have to be SO careful the rest of the day." and that usually ends it. If not, I have the treat. So far I've lost 64 pounds. So, it must work right now. If it ever quits working for me, I'll do something different.
Now birthday cake is a no no for me, my B'day is coming up and I will not be eating any cake, because what usually happens everyone will eat a piece of cake and we will put the left over in fridge, that night I would go for at least one more piece, or two. Then I would even get up and eat some cake for breakfast, so right now I do not see me having birthday cake, but a healthier body is far more worht it, than a sugary cake.
cheryl
Heh, when I said I would eat birthday cake on my birthday, I definitely did not mean that the leftover birthday cake would come home with me - oh no! That would be a disaster. Cake is a huge trigger (mmm icing) and I don't trust myself with it in the house.
McDonalds? Probably not. If I'm going to splurge, I want it to really count. I want to dress up, I want a nice atmosphere, I want awesome recipes prepared by a chef...I want someone to serve me....and clean-up afterward! Afterall, I'm worth it!
Like others posters have already mentioned, moderation is the answer. I don't eat out everyday, maybe twice a month (if that). I only go if I truly have a craving for something, or if I haven't packed anything while I'm on the road and I need something right then, but I usually get something small (like a kid's meal).
Will you ever go back to McDonald's, or any fast food place, or Chinese buffet, have birthday cake...any of the dieting evils. I'm not saying I will ever go back to eating the way I used to (fingers crossed)...but someday, when I have my weight and health were I want them to be, I want to be able to have a day every once in awhile where I can go to a family reunion or out to lunch with a friend and now have to order special to make sure I don't get to many calories. Is there anyone else with this thinking or do most people not want to ever eat the stuff they used to again?
I always thought of McDonalds as more of a necessary evil for quick food although I can't remember the last time I had food from them, high school perhaps? Although I get an ice cream cup from Mcdonalds once in a while.
Same for most fast food places but I'm just not the fast food type and never have been.
Chinese buffet? I can't stand buffets but I love Chinese food. I go for the more traditional Chinese restaurants though and I still go.
One thing I had to curb my eating on - Indian restaurants. I love Indian food but the sauces and Naan can be ladden with calories. I go to an Indian restaurant about once a year now as opposed to when I was going almost on a weekly basis.
Overall, my eating has changed quite a bit in the past few years. I am not the same person I was 3 years ago when I started my weight loss journey. My portions have decreased, my eating out habits have changed and I'm more careful about what I eat.
I don't know the same addictions as others such as fast food and donuts and buffets and whatever else but I have had my other demons to conquer and I'm still working on those. Every day isn't a victory but more days than not are good days eating wise.
I'm still lusting over Buca di Beppo's chocolate cake and cheese cake I had 9 months ago and I keep telling myself I'm going to go back but I have yet been able to talk myself into indulging there
Edit - I also forgot about the birthday cake comment. My birthday was 2 months ago. There is an Amish market near me that has awesome looking desserts. I saw a peanut butter chocolate cake from there a few weeks before my birthday that I told myself that I'd buy myself for my birthday (it was a large piece of cake rather than an entire cake). My birthday rolled around and what did I do? Nothing, no cake, no buying a piece of that peanut butter chocolate cake. I decided that I didn't want cake that day so I didn't buy it and didn't feel a need for a dessert on that day.
When I get to my goal weight I will be able to eat 2400 cal/day to maintain.
Not trying to be a spoilsport here, but I'm concerned about thinking that you can maintain on 2400 calories per day. That seems like an awful lot of calories. Where did that figure come from? Most people find they maintain on 200-300 more calories per day than they were eating to lose weight, even when they are active exercisers. It's a trial-and-error process once you reach your goal weight learning how many calories you can consume before you gain weight. You might want to check out the Maintainer's forum to see what others have done. It's a great place to learn about maintenance before you actually get there so that you can be aware of the challenges (and rewards!).
I don't think 2400 calories per day to maintain is unreasonable (based on age, activity level, body composition) - I can eat 2200 a day if I do 1 hour of cardio a day.
will I go to FastFood places.... I cannot say I was really big on them, so may or may not. About 10 years, I adored them. In my native country McDs showed up back in 1989 and it was not fast, we stood in line for 4 hrs! so when I just came to the states it was an obsession kind of deal. Now it is not...
Potatoes and pasta: hmm cooking it myself, probably not. I did it rarely in the past. Eating at a restart, yes I will have to do that sometimes...which would mean that I must split a portion into 2-3 pieces. And for pasta may be ask for wheat...
Deserts at restorants: usually I was way full, and rarely had any...it was an occasional thing...of course while being on vacation it was a bit more often, but I tend to lose weight there, as I was super active.
Eating/Drinking at friends house: here is the tough one. May of them cook traditional food. Salads full of carbs and mayo, fried potatoes, meats in sauces. Plus the boose: 5-6 shots and a few glasses of sweet wine would be a birthday. One might think I would be drunk....: no because you first line your stomach with fat, absorbtion of alcohol is slower, plus the weight. I've watch many people either fall asleep or do some funny things, as I set not drunk...I am hoping that I will be able to reduce myself: start with the food, or may be come prepared, and try just a bit. Then instead of many drinks have 1 shot and 1 glass of wine through out the entire evening, forgetting of the tradition "bottoms up". Noone will hold me to it...Certain friends I will have to avoid: one of them cooks super great, but even before my journey, I would feel bad at eating all the fat (or as she says fat is flavor) and always complained. She even purposely makes you eat one thing at a time so that you get to try everything shrimp, fish, lamp, and then ribs...plus salad and starches... I felt sick back then...and no I won't do it again. I will avoid, or eat just the salad, and some shrimp. perhpas take home a rib for another day.
So I am hoping I am going to be ok. My first restoran test is on the 9th, and friends test is right around then....
What a timely topic!! I confess that we eat out a lot, several times a week. I HAVE to be able to make good food choices. I have been back dieting for only a month, and now feel that I can handle eating out.
I would eat at McDonald's, no problem, cuz it isn't a trigger for me. Like others, I would plan ahead, prolly get one of the salads, but above all, count it. I did eat at the chinese buffet, one of my higher calorie days this month. But I chose mostly veggies, with some shrimp & chicken, no noodles or fried rice. I did not feel deprived.
We have a favorite restaurant that we go to once a week. Instead of the rich pastas, I now order from the vegan menu, even tho I'm not vegan, and occasional fish. It's hard to get fat on veggies! I skip the two glasses of wine.
So I feel comfortable in restaurants, even McD's. HOWEVER, I absolutely, positively can have no sweets or snack foods (chips, etc.) in my house. It doesn't matter what size container, it will be gone in 24 hours. I can resist this stuff in restaurants, but not at home. Honestly, I cannot imagine ever being able to keep that stuff at home.
The calorie counts for most chain restaurants are readily available. I would read up on those & know what dishes I would choose ahead of time. Hmmm... maybe I'm not ready for Taco Bell, yet.
Very good question, Amanda!
I'm not fat because of WHAT I ate...I'm fat because of HOW MUCH of it I ate....
mostly I want to work on my compulsive behavior...
I think it's fine to eat "junk" or fast food now and then.... the problem is when you crave it and have to have it and can't stop eating and eating and eating.....
I got a cheeseburger Happy Meal with apples instead of fries & milk to drink. I threw away the bottom half of the bun, and the caramel dip. I also ordered a large (for 89 cents!) unsweetened iced tea, and I will save the milk for my coffee tomorrow morning. That was a good quick breakfast on a day when I needed something fast.
Afterall, I'm worth it!
)...but someday, when I have my weight and health were I want them to be, I want to be able to have a day every once in awhile where I can go to a family reunion or out to lunch with a friend and now have to order special to make sure I don't get to many calories. Is there anyone else with this thinking or do most people not want to ever eat the stuff they used to again?
& milk to drink. I threw away the bottom half of the bun, and the caramel dip. I also ordered a large (for 89 cents!) unsweetened iced tea, and I will save the milk for my coffee tomorrow morning. That was a good quick breakfast on a day when I needed something fast.
