Chocolate - when I first started my weight loss plan I tried to quit and what eventually happened is I craved it so much that I binged when I actually did get a chance to eat it. Now I'll have some whenever I feel like it but just a small amount, enought to get rid of my craving.
Chocolate contains alkaloids such as theobromine and phenethylamine, which have physiological effects on the body. It has been linked to serotonin levels in the brain.
From Wiki.
So there you go -- it's a natural anti-depressant.
2 things I refuse to give up are coffee and Real homemade yogurt with real cream. The farmer here makes fresh from the cows. I try not to buy alot of it or I will eat it all in one sitting.
I haven't given up anything. For example, last night I have a cheddarwurst on a white bun. It was 9 WW points (that's a lot!!!), but I really like them and I really wanted it, so I had it. I won't have it everyday, or even every week, but when I really want it, I'm eating it.
I also refuse to buy certain things that are "light" so they are three times the prices. That's why I used the white bun. 8 white buns were $1.19 and 8 light wheat buns were $3.58. No friggin way am I paying $3.58 for buns. I refuse.
I guess for me it's all about balance. I know from the past that if I give things up, I will just binge on them later. I also know that just because I'm on a diet does not mean I can spend twice as much on groceries.
Yeah, I can't bring myself to pay for 'lite' products. Especially since they're usually chock full of chemicals. Probably my only exception is I buy splenda (in a big bag from Costco) to make summer drinks with (lime juice, splenda, water, alcohol). And usually have a smaller bag of the brown sugar splenda to marinate in sometimes.
I actually can't believe the cost of breads in general. I bake for myself (and play with mixed grains, soy flour, protein powder, etc.) but I've seen that a lot - higher prices for 'lite' products.
Oh, and the few times I buy ice cream, it's haagen-daz. However, I make a fruit/jam/yogurt concoction that goes over very well with guests.
I feel so LUCKY that I found WW because I truly don't have to give up anything! BUT, I HAVE to give up my unlimited portion size. I can have mac and cheese, but a really small amount if I want to stay on plan. I can have junk food, but I have found that this is a CRAP way to spend my points (or calories). So I choose not to go down that road. But it is a relief to know that if everyone is going out to MacDos, I CAN have a hamburger, small fries and diet Coke for 11 points. But that is over HALF of my daily points allotment, so you can BET I don't do this every often (as in, once a year or so!).
So, I don't feel deprived. But I make the CHOICE to get more food bang for my points (or calorie) buck, else I will feel hungry most of the time!
I try to eat healthy in general and when life throws something like pizza or cake my way, I eat it in moderation. But see, I've discovered now that I'm not TRYING to seek out these foods, they really are just an occasional treat. Maybe 2 slices of pizza a month, and cake or some other pastry once a month. If my family gets together and there's cake, I DO have a piece. I just don't make any effort to make any myself at home. I stopped eating almost all candy and stopped drinking anything but water a few months ago and don't miss that at all. I don't think I could go my WHOLE life without cake, but I could definitely go my whole life without chocolate bars and pop, NOOOO problem. Everyone's different, I guess.
That being said, the one treat food I do seek out is creamy things. I could never give them up. I love my cream-based soups and creamy sauces on pasta and ice cream. Soft serve, specifically. I get a child's size of soft serve once a week, and I won't give that up for anyone! Outside of that, my desserts tend to be frozen bananas with a little bit of cool whip and chocolate syrup on them, and I think that tastes almost as good!!!! But I could never give up soft serve, EVER! (Or Coldstone or frozen custard... because those are soft enough that I like them too). If you told me never to eat anything creamy again, I could never do it. I can give up fried stuff no problem though. It's just the cream.... even avocado does it for me. Mmmmmmmmmmm avocado.
I am not giving up anything. I eat less than I did before, and I eat less of the type of foods that I ate before, but I don't want to say that I can never eat something that I like ever again.
I won't ever give up chocolate! I'm given once a day, by my boyfriend, a small square of Dove dark chocolate. It's usually our after lunch treat and for 41 calories it's not going anywhere.
I won't give up cheese and especially blue cheese. I will use moderation and make sure it fits into my daily calorie allotment.
I won't give up coffee, Chai tea, or Starbucks iced coffee. I use Splenda for sweetener and fat free half-n-half for my creamer. I even carry my creamer in a thermos to Starbucks. So what if they look. I'm saving huge amounts of calories and fat grams.
I won't give up food that taste good and satisfies. I love to cook and will spend hours scouring for recipes that I can make at home that taste better than the stuff we can get in a restaurant.
This is what I love about counting Calories. I CAN eat anything I just have to write it down. I was on South Beach before changing over to just counting calories and on South Beach there are "forbidden foods." If something is "forbidden" then I crave it...even if I normally don't care for it. So there is nothing that I say I "can't" eat but I just eat it in more moderation.
Nothing. If I want something bad enough, I fit it into my WW points. I am finding that there are few things that there are not healthier and just as satisfying substitutions.
Example: my old weekly splurge was at the Chinese buffet, where I'd have 2 plates of all the worst stuff plus some sushi. Probably over 2,000 calories in one meal, easily. Today, instead I went to local supermarket with an awesome fresh suchi bar and had a catepillar roll and some spring rolls. Cost me 12 ww points, but I am satisfied and the Chinese craving is gone. I have plenty of points left for a nice healthy dinner and snack if I need it.
I usually eat clean, no white flour , sugar and rice. if I do eat bread it is whole wheat, raw honey,brown rice....
And I have one night a week where I indulge in my wine.......I wont give it up but now its not nightly, and before I only drank a glass with dinner,now i only have it one night a week, i workout to darn hard. It was hard!
On saturday I go to high tea at a formal tea room. I REFUSE to give it up. I have milk and sugar in my tea, I have a miniature blondie, a miniature brownie, and a miniature bread pudding, along with the tea sandwiches, fruit, soup, tea cookie, and scone. It's a huge amount of food and I eat what I want of it. I eat lightly for the rest of the day, and sunday I'm right back on plan. I focus on my program during the week with the thought that I am having tea on saturday. I REFUSE to give up my tea. Not gonna happen!
The only thing I simply refuse to give up is my morning 2 mugs of hot tea. I order quality loose-leaf tea online, and have it with skim milk and real sugar. It's my one non-negotiable thing, and yes, I figure it into my plan.
But ooooo, I'd love to have an afternoon tea like you're describing!
