Food that's just not worth it
 

I give up going to Starbucks or Panera Bread and ordering flavored latte's. I love the taste, but even with skim milk and no whipped cream, the syrups they put in them are SO supersaturated with sugar, it messes up my calories for the day in a way that I guess I can just live without.

Another food I'm giving up on for good are tortilla chips, yes, even and especially the blue ones. Too many calories and nothing to make me feel full - in fact, after I eat them, I feel like I just ate a donut or a candy bar.

One last one that comes to mind are Stouffer's french bread pizzas. I used to get those and eat two of them for a meal. Now one is all my calorie plan could possibly handle, and again, for the calories I get nothing but a carb low and hunger pains soon afterward.

I guess it's good I'm retraining myself to have negative associations with these foods!

How about you, anything you think you'll be happy to live without forevermore, because the food's just not worth the calories?

Mac and cheese...way to many calories for a serving!

I was an avid Starbuck's Mocha Frappucino drinker. Not the small size - the large ones in the convenience stores. Those @&*#^!! things are almost 400 calories!! I dropped them like a hot potato and never looked back.

I can also live without dessert. Basically, anything with white sugar. I just can't look at a piece of cake or pie or really any dessert the same way I did before. Now when I look at it, the overwhelming thought is "If I eat that, I will blow my entire day." And I think about all the good food I could have that would really fill me up for that amount of calories. Before, I would just think about how good it was going to taste. :)

I have also tossed white potatoes - not for any particular reason, although they tend to be high on the glycemic index. But I have found NEW foods that I really, really like - sweet potatoes & butternut squash. If my family wants mashed white potatoes or something, I just cook a sweet potato for myself. I find I prefer them over white now. Occasionally when we are out I will have a few french fries, but those days are very few and far between.

Chips are another thing down the drain. They just seem so empty to me - again, I think of all the good stuff I could be really filling up on instead of spending the calories on chips! Every now and then I do eat the Pringles Fat Free Light ones - I really like those and I believe it is only 60 cals per serving.

Also, white bread. I have just lost that lovin' feelin'. LOL .. surprising when I think back to how I used to eat. Now it's low calorie whole grain wheat bread for me.

This is a great idea for a thread - thanks for posting it! :)

OHHHHH. I so second that one. Used to eat it all the time!!

I don't do Little Debbies or any other packaged snack cake. Theyre so tiny and not even homemade with love. Not worth it at all

Chips -- DEFINITELY not worth it. Ice cream -- makes me feel sick afterwards, and froyo tastes nearly as good! Oreos. Fruit juice (it's healthy, but I drink SO much of it and so quickly, it becomes unhealthy). Cheese-its (I can never put down the box).

And after tonight: I feel absolutely disgusting from eating half a burrito bowl from Chipotle's. I don't even want to know the calorie count -- I'm talking about heartburn, bloating, feeling like I'm stuffed up to my neck. Gross.

Fettucine Alfredo
 

In a restaurant...just look up the calorie and fat counts in that dish! Oh my, never ordering that again!

As for the Mac and Cheese....I found one by Velvetta. One serving made with 2% milk, 3 fat.....180 calories for the cup. Not too bad of a calorie count.

I've basically given up "junk food" - chips, snack cakes, candy... I eat home-popper popcorn for a snack, and if I want a cake or a cookie, I have to talk hubs into making it from scratch. This is a basic rule for me, and I think it's sustainable well beyond the weight loss phase. I don't really miss the items I gave up!

I made mac-n-cheese last night; full-fat cheese (to use it up) but skimmed milk. Also - sausage. Mwahahaha! I ate a very carefully controlled serving, and had skipped the carbs portion of lunch to prepare. Also, sustainable in the long term. It's just funny to see it listed here, when it was such a battle last night to not just stand over the casserole dish and eat it off the serving spoon! :devil:

Oh, and fast food. Don't eat that either. And never drank soda or juice much - so that's gone too. Juice may come back on maintenance, with breakfast.

Hmm.. Honestly, I'v given up most cheese, and pasta noodls. I just can't control myself. The less of both I at actually make me feel better.

I love alfredo and have adapted a recipe with romano and cottage cheese.

I work in a cafe like starbucks - all starbucks have sugar-free syrups now, probably vanilla AND hazelnut. With skim milk, VERY low cal!

You could bring your own mug, with a little dark chocolate or real maple syrup, if you want it to be a little flavoured - it will melt when they pour the espresso in, and you can measure the calorie content.

I'm a second on the white bread! I used to avoid anything BUT white bread like the plague and could eat a whole freakin' loaf of wonder bread by myself...but now? I'm pleased that I actually prefer the taste of wheat and whole grain. Much more flavor.

I also gave up all my junk...sour gummi worms, york peppermint patties, cokes, chips, etc. And I actually don't really have a desire for any of that stuff anymore...it doesn't appeal to me. It's nice that it's not a struggle anymore.

white... bread, pasta, rice.

Mac and cheese for sure!

Salted nuts... I eat WAY too many of them.

Chips. Flavoured mini rice cakes. Flavoured taco chips.

DIPS!!!!!

caloric beverages...

I've given up a lot... but oh I've GAINED so much more :)

I generally avoid starbucks. Unless it's a really really bad day, it's not worth the what $4 for a tall light java chip frap... Yes, it's 180 calories, but it's horrible for me! I used to be so addicted. This is exactly how I got heavy! Also, I used to order snacks with my beverages--I stopped doing that as well. I now realize that there are calories in the beverage...and you don't need the cake/donut on the side!

Also, try not to buy cake, poptarts, cookies, candy. My trick is not carrying cash (especially singles on me!) and not buying it at the supermarket. That way, if I want it, I have to make the special effort to get it and most of the time, I can't/won't get it if it's not within arm's reach! :)

I don't think that cutting out the foods you love is the way to lose weight, at least for me. I binged quite a bit in the past, so for me, I need to know that I buy have a small amount that will be satisfying and not have any more lying around! Now, I'm trying to master smaller portions of the foods I love. It's tough!

Cookies. Although I can eat reasonable portions of most foods, a sensible serving of cookies just kicks off serious craving. I'm going to have to do some serious calorie budgetting when Girl Scouts start selling outside the grocery stores here in the Spring.

A-MEN!! I live with someone and they are having that PLUS chicken wraps for a grand total of over 1000 calories just for dinner. So not worth it.

When I started, yes there was a whole list of foods that were just not worth it. However, now that I have retrained myself and understand appropriate portions and am nearing my goal I am learning how to incorporate these foods in appropriate portions and make wiser decisions throughout the day to allow for them to be consumed from time to time. For example right now I'm eating an apple and peanut butter, I LOVE peanut butter. Today's calorie intake only allows for 1 1/2 Tbsp, but I'm enjoying every bite and will be satisfied when I'm done and not need to eat the whole jar like before. This is a lifestyle change for me and if I can't eat what I want occassionally I will not succeed in the long term. I also find as time goes on I'd rather fill up on healthly calories than splurge on (fill in the blank) and am more satisfied and I don't feel deprived. I have also been able to find lots of low cal alternates/recipies for my favorites and most of the time I don't even know what I'm missing.

That's really funny, because that's my go-to standard for when I am trapped out without a lunch--half rice, beans, meat, salsa. I count it as 470 calories, which is what their nutritional information says it would be with "full" rice, but I assume the calorie count assumes a little less food than they actually give you.

For me, it's cheese as a topping. I love cheese and eat it on very rare occasions, but 99% of the time, it's not worth the calories: whatever comes with cheese would be almost as good, and many fewer calories, without it.

The only "food" I have given up is regualr soda. I really wish they made diet mello yello and hadn't stopped making vault zero.

I gave up all chips and snacky type foods except popcorn 100 calorie bags. I am not a huge salty person so that wasn't hard. Sweets is a whole other story! That I cannot give up!

I feel the exact same way. I love chocolate and my substitute is the sugar free jello pudding only 60 cals. I have learned in the past month that I would rather eat something that will keep me full. I am a student and am at school all day sometimes. I pack my lunch with little snacks such as fruit, a jello, a yogurt (light and fit), and a lean pocket. I would rather eat the 280 cal lean pocket than the 280 cal snickers bar. Because that snickers bar will not keep me full!

Keep up the good work ladies!

Just not worth it...burgers and fries from McDonald's!!!

As for chips/snacks, just had to give up those bbq flavored Fritos!!! Love, love, love them, but "just not worth it!" The sodium and empty calories...not good at all!

I have given up:

Diet Coke (increases my appetite)
white pasta, white bread, white rice
french fries

I still binge from time to time and that is when this list goes out the window. ;) However, I never binge on Diet Coke, so I suppose that's the one item I haven't had it a very long time. I still miss it though but I'm very proud of myself for avoiding it. It just can't be healthy. ;)

Interesting thread - things that are just not worth it are also bringing up the things that ARE worth it.

For me, donuts, Little Debbie, and other similar sweets are just not worth it. GOOD chocolate, in limited doses/rare occasions, is worth it.

Fried potatoes (oh, my knees are weak!) -- potato patties, tater tots, french fries are just not worth it. Once in a great while a small serving of the fried potatoes that we make from scratch and cook in olive oil might be worth it - I'm not sure on that score yet.

Bacon cheeseburgers are not worth it.

Eggs benedict and chicken cordon bleu (my way - not breaded) once or twice a year is worth it.

I'll have to think about this some more.

most of fast food just isn't worth it.

Any and all high calorie beverages.

Egg yolks

Salad dressings that aren't extremely low calorie

Any white carbs. No way are they worth it. Especially store or manufactured prepared sweets! Barf.

Regular ice cream.

Pasta. Without the sacue, it tastes of nothing. When hubby is making some for himself, I always ask him to keep me a large serving of just sauce which I`ll have with vegetables.

Cakey foods, cookies, sweet things, all that jazz. For some reason I can't stop once I start, so I just don't start at all. Sweet cravings are taken care of by peanut butter (which is salty, I know, but it does the job for me), cereal, or frozen yogurt (I honestly like it more than ice cream).

Sugary cereals, steaks at restaurants, pizza 99% of the time, sodas (diet and regular) and alcohol!!!!!

However I cannot give up cheese, it just won't happen. And I am ok with that.

Ive given up sugar in my coffee and switched to agave nectar. It still has calories but it doesn't spike you're blood sugar. Also white carbs and cheese. I still use cheese in some dishes but I used to go to the fridge and eat a piece of havarti. That was the toughest because I absolutely loved it. Now I reach for carrot sticks instead.

Fast-food french fries. The only ones that are worth eating are McDonald's, and I don't find anything else on their menu appetizing so I don't go there anyway.

Just about any fast-food product, really. Microwave popcorn (homemade is so much better), white bread, and I agree about the tortilla chips! If I want a chips-salsa mix, I just bake some corn tortilla wedges till they're crispy.

I haven't given up any specific foods, but I've given up anything that's just not worth the calories. Basically, I've become a food snob haha. For example, I went to a superbowl party. There were 2 varieties of frozen pizzas there, which looked alright but nothing spectacular. Normally I would have caved. This time, I thought to myself.. they don't look THAT great. If I'm gonna eat pizza, I will, but it's going to be one slice of the best pizza in town. It's going to absolutely delicious, and worth every darn calorie! This has caused me to stop and re-evaluate all of my choices, and has made it easier to resist things and not feel deprived. The opportunities to have those spectacular cheat items don't come around that often (I don't go out of my way for them, and I don't keep anything unhealthy in my home)

Wish I could give up PIZZA!!! I eat way too much of it and its soooooo bad for me!

I've decided that I no longer need:
COKES - unless I'm really down with an upset tummy (the only thing that fixes it is a ice cold canned Coke)
FAST FOOD - 7 days now without it and I really don't miss the food...just the convenience.
FRIED FOOD - Just isn't worth it.

Just keep telling myself this is a LIFESTYLE change...not just a diet!

There are so many healthy ways to make pizza. Now, there is nothing like a good fat slice of pepperoni - extra cheese - light sauce - pan pizza...:drool:
However, I can only have that once in a Blue Moon.

Definitely fried food. Sometimes I just crave it and give in, but not nearly as much now as I did before...

Fried food, never really ate much white bread but I dont at all anymore, white rice very seldom,fast food, cereal.........cereal is so not worth it to me for breakfast when I can have so many other things and get more of a variety