Hubby went through the Chick-fil-A drive-thru on the way to IKEA (to figure out what furniture we're going to get for the new house!) to get something to eat, and I hadn't eaten dinner yet so I decided to get the grilled chicken sandwich (which is actually decent in nutrition for fast food as long as you don't get the version with cheese and bacon). BUT I absolutely love their waffle fries. Well, tonight I didn't even think twice. I substituted a side salad with fat-free honey mustard salad dressing (and even then only used about half of the packet that gave you) EVEN though eating a salad like that in the car was a lot more difficult than eating fries.

And you know what? I didn't even miss the fries! And by the time I polished of the salad and started eating the sandwich, I got full and threw the rest of it away. I had maybe 3 bites left? Normally I would have finished it just because I know it's not out of my calorie range... but I just didn't feel hungry anymore, so I stopped. That's been a huge challenge for me in the past, so hopefully as I continue to flex my resisting muscle it will just get easier and easier

So, it is possible to learn to resist these things. Even at my office my boss put a huge candy dish on her desk and filled it up with chocolates. I found myself walking past it and picking one up. Just one, I said. But then by the end of the day I had more than just one. So the next day I decided that I was not going to have any... which worked well up until a point when I caved in. My next approach was that every time I walked by the dish, whether I was tempted to eat some or not, I said to myself (and sometimes audibly much to the amusement of my boss, haha), "NO!" And you know what? That worked!

So, what have you all be doing to resist trouble foods that often derail you from your diets? Have you found some victories after succumbing to temptations? Are you becoming more in-tune with your hunger, and finding yourself putting down the fork (or food) when you're full? Share!

First of all congrats on your victory!!!
I went to Spangles which I swear have the BEST french fries in my town. Just drooling thinking about it. Friday I went there and got a turkey pita and substituted the french fries for the no sugar jello.
However tonight as I was grocery shopping the little bag of doom(most of you call them pizza rolls I believe) over took me and jumped in my cart!!!! So I am going to label myself half way no longer tempted. But I will say its 10pm and am coming in a little short on my calories for the day so I am eating 3 of them. I have been eating pretty clean for about a month and I can honestly tell you these three pepperoni rolls are burning the heck out of my mouth. My goodness they are spicy!!! So even with temptation I actually can limit myself to a healthier amount than I would've in the past.

Good work!

Now I know some people may not agree with me on this, but I think that having something like those pizza rolls on a limited occasion is not necessarily a bad thing... binging on them or having them on a regular basis though -- not so good. Sometimes it helps me to pass things up because I say to myself, "You know, it's not like I'll never be able to have X food again, I'll just pass this time." Maybe there will be a time where I don't pass, but it won't be on a regular basis.

"My next approach was that every time I walked by the dish, whether I was tempted to eat some or not, I said to myself (and sometimes audibly much to the amusement of my boss, haha), "NO!" And you know what? That worked!"

I LOL when I read about you speaking out loud to yourself. I did the very same thing last Halloween whenever I passed the candy bowl I had out for the neighborhood kids. It's funny how I used to eat on auto pilot. I would see my hand reaching for just one piece of that candy, then I would catch myself and say outloud "You don't need that." And it worked for me too!

I also consider it a major victory whenever I am able to leave the smallest morsel of food on my plate. I do it more often than I ever thought possible but it still amazes me when I do!

I'm glad you posted this. While I am getting better with the temptations, I hardly ever leave any food on my plate. Even when I feel full! I need to start doing that.. My husband and I are both in the mindset that we are going to eat ALL of our points. I need to start listening to my body cues more often!

I prepare to meet temptations with an arsenal of healthy alternatives. That means stocking up on healthy snacks and quick impromptu meal choices. I am much less likely to fall off the wagon..say... at a party if I have a healthy snack beforehand.
Listening to my body isn't something I have mastered yet, but I think it would be a good thing to work at.

Congrats!! That is the biggest change I made as well - having a grilled chicken with side salad instead of the hamburger and fries! I feel so much better after eating that then what I ate before!

Rakel, this statement is so profound to me. I have to constantly remind myself that just because the food is there I don't have to eat it, or all of it, now. I can make it/find it again. Even though I'm maintaining I still struggle with this although I'm getting better at it. Learning to listen to your body and hunger is a skill that becomes easier with practice.

Rakel,

Everything you said really resonated with me. I struggle with the same kinds of temptations and use similar methods to combat them.

I conciously tell myself "no" when I see the candy and cookies in the break room. And if no isn't enough, I add "that's not good for you..." I've found it MUCH easier over time, as each time I succeed it makes the next time a little easier.

I also remind myself that I can always have more later. When I first started, I used to tell myself, "You can have that if you want, but you'll have to count the calories, and later, you might want the calories for something else..."

The only time I can let myself have a single serving of something is when I'm in a social situation-- I can eat a slice of cake at a party-- but being alone is a big time trigger for me, so candy in the break room that I could snatch when nobody is looking-- I don't even start.

The last thing I do is sometimes, when I get wistful about something, like double stuf oreos, I remind myself that I've already eaten a lifetimes allotment of them, and that even if I never have another one, haven't I already had enough, and don't I want other things more?

That being said, I keep homemade bread in my house all the time, and for some reason yesterday I had a horrible time not grabbing a bite or two every time I walked through the kitchen, even though usually I only eat small portions that are planned and that I weigh.

It really does get easier and easier, but at the same time, I think I'll always struggle sometimes.

I definitely have that mindset too. Nothing is off limits, it's just a choice of whether I want to allocate my calories on it. Mostly, it's no - I am generally full and satisfied with the healthy foods I am eating, in portions to fit in my calorie target.

But I'm also not saying I will never have any treats again. That's not realistic to me, and would end up back firing because they'd be even more tempting because they're forbidden. Now, it's simply a choice I make that I'd rather not spend my calories on them. But knowing I could if I really wanted makes is so much easier to just say no.

Many congrats on your victory! I'm very proud for you.

One that happened to me recently... I've currently got the flu. Very sickish. My Id (the part of the brain that wants fatty foods and lots of toys) crept into my ear and whispered, "You poor baby. Look how bad you feel. You deserve some tasty sympathy. It's okay to go off your diet when you feel this bad." My Id lured me all the way to the store, and got me to put a tub of peanut butter ice cream in my cart because it's my ultimate temptation.

And then, oddly enough, I put the tub back, went one case over, and got the Skinny Cow ice cream cones. I did have ice cream that day, but I made sure it fit into my calorie budget.

Woo hoo! Congrats on making positive choices and resisting temptation. Congratulations on the new house too!!

For me my cravings and temptations are largely under control when I eat balanced and healthy foods. When I eat lots of carbs and refined products I CRAVE those things like crazy and have trouble controlling quantity. The only thing that I do still crave when eating balanced and healthy is chocolate especially at the TOM. It isn't low call but low carb and sugar - 85% pure cocao chocolate satisfies the craving. Any thought of fries is quickly shot down when I realize that I will be able to eat almost 0 carbs for the test of the day if I eat them. The cost is just too high for the benefit. However if I just had to have something, I'd work it into my plan because forbidden fruit leads to trouble.

This is the first time in my weight loss journey that I've really felt this way about food. Before, I gave up the things I liked begrudgingly... and you can't really do that and be very successful I've found. One of the biggest things for me is going to restaurants and still staying within my guidelines. That has been probably the hardest thing for me and it's still a struggle, but it is getting easier.

I love chocolate as much as the next person, but I noticed when I was eating some of the chocolates from my boss's candy dish... I just didn't feel that good afterward. I don't have any sweets in the house, and I am finding that after I eat a meal I really want something sweet...but if there's nothing in the house then I can't eat it, can I? Well, we do have some things but I don't care for them too much. We have some peppermint bark left over from Christmas that I don't really like (not a huge fan of peppermint candy), and some caramels which are good, but they make my teeth hurt. I'm just feeling like "eh" about the foods I used to like that aren't so healthy.

I enjoyed reading all of your posts... keep them coming!

[QUOTE=rakel;3140222]Before, I gave up the things I liked begrudgingly... and you can't really do that and be very successful I've found. [QUOTE]

Rakel, I TOTALLY get what you mean. That's me too. I always threw myself a pity party every time I passed up a food I wanted it. I was never able to reconfigure it so that I was helping myself by passing it up until now.

Now, when I pass up something like fries, I have a whole different set of emotions associated with it: power, control, self-respect, health... I have other areas of my life where I've always been proud of myself, and now I feel that same feeling of peace and accomplishment about my health.

Sounds like everything you are doing is spot on--you're going to have a huge kitchen and a tiny body to float around in it.

Absolutely! I was actually happy and proud of myself for not getting the fries. I know maybe for some people this may sound so trivial, but you have to think in terms of someone who had an unhealthy relationship with food would think.

I know, I can hardly wait!!! 2 more weeks