Originally Posted by Mahalia:
Hi, I'm new here and thought I better pipe in instead of just lurking.

I eat healthy most of the time, but it's a habit, not a guilt thing. If I really crave something I eat it, just in small portions. I just read "In Defense of Food" and then a week later read "Why French Women Don't Get Fat" and that really got me thinking about food, both in terms of eating less processed food, and in really enjoying what I do eat. I stopped drinking skim milk and low fat cheese, because I'd rather have a little bit of double cream brie than a whole bunch of fat free processed cheese.

If I eat too many processed foods, I'm hungry all the time because my body isn't getting the fuel it needs, so I think it's just a balance.

I agree. I buy an organic sharp white cheddar cheese that is so-o-o tasty. I usually only have about 1/2 oz. on a sandwich, and I'd much rather have that than a full ounce of low-fat or fat-free cheese.

I normally eat fairly healthy now. But, I'm not too strict about it. Lunch was pizza. It was small, topped with spinach and on homemade 1/2 whole wheat dough. But, it also had regular cheese and regular greasy pepperoni That's a splurge for me. There's very little really unhealthy stuff I eat. I think the only fried stuff I ever eat is French fries and I eat them very rarely and in small quantities (but always with insane amounts of salt!) I really don't eat too many sweets and we never eat out, so I don't have a risk of those bad splurges!

And, as for tracking my calories, I do it all approximately. If I let myself, I'd figure everything down to the ounce and exact portions. Then, I'd burn out and stop. So, I do my best and maybe figure out recipes I do often.

I try to stay on my plan 90% of the time. Unfortunately, when I am off plan, I go WAY off. Then yes, I do feel guilty.

I try to eat on my plan most of the time...but, I also plan for treats, too. DH and I go to the DQ for an ice cream once a week at 190 calories. Also...sometimes I am faced with situations with not the greatest choices...so, I do the best I can. Life happens and we all carry on.

I have to be careful though...for me there's not a gray area between being on plan and bingeing. So I have to be careful when I eat certain foods that might trigger a binge.

I think its better to eat some of the "bad" things. You might lose weight quicker by giving up everything but it would be hard to stick to, like all those diets that tell you only to eat grapefruit. If a diet is supposed to be for life then you have to eat the food you like, just less of it. Most sensible diets advise an 80/20 approach for these sort of things. I know i tend to get obsessed with things too so you should relax about food at least some of the time.

I'm on plan...90% of the time, I'd say. When I go off plan, it's *usually* not for anything obscenely fattening (i.e. a cup of icecream, not the whole container). I try not to dwell on the times I'm off-plan or be really, really anal-retentive about what I eat.

I agree. If my plan will be a life-long committment, it's unrealistic for me to expect to never touch a brownie, piece of cake, chocolate, icecream, etc. ever again, or to be very upset with myself when I do. When I do eat off-plan, I'm happy to say that I'm not eating down a whole plate of brownies or something, but just having a piece of cake at a restaurant or a cup of icecream, nothing I can't fit into my diet.

Originally Posted by Raemie:
I think its better to eat some of the "bad" things. You might lose weight quicker by giving up everything but it would be hard to stick to, like all those diets that tell you only to eat grapefruit. If a diet is supposed to be for life then you have to eat the food you like, just less of it. Most sensible diets advise an 80/20 approach for these sort of things. I know i tend to get obsessed with things too so you should relax about food at least some of the time.

I don't know what my eating healthy percentage is. But I do make a real effort to eat that way most of the time. Lean meats, lots of fresh or fresh-frozen veggies, fruit, whole grain bread, cereal and pasta. But I also will steam a few veggies while nuking a frozen "diet" dinner. :D

For me, at this time, it is just safer for me to keep the things I really, really love, like cheese, real mayo, full fat milk, chips, ice cream, doughnuts and the like out of my house. I am still trying to learn control and not to use these particular foods as a drug. If I want a treat, going out and having a small bit of this or that works for me. I get my treat, it works in my overall plan and I can't abuse myself with large quantities of it in my home.

There is a can of Pringles on top of my fridge, right now. It has been there for days. I haven't touched it. I don't even want the chips. Huge, for me. :D

Today I went off plan. :) All week I've eaten within my 1400 calorie range, been to the gym every day. Today I met a friend for dinner at CPK. I had kung pao spaghetti with shrimp and we split an apple cobbler for dessert.

It wasn't planned as such (Saturday I will eat more) but I knew when I went out that it was going to exceed my calories for the day and I knew I was probably going to share dessert. And I'm ok with that. A little full right now (oof!) :) but ok with it.

And tomorrow will be a regular, on-plan day.

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