You might be surprised at how your life evolves.

I used to answer this question with "breakfast burritos". I used to have several HUGE burritos a week from a local restaurant. Then I cut it down to one huge one a week when I first started losing. Then I cut it down to a half a burrito a week, built into my nutrition goals for the week. It was my splurge and always the food I said would be pried out of my cold, dead hands.

I haven't had a breakfast burrito from that place since November 1st. I've considered it, but I just want to meet my other goals more.

That being said, I think that most folks can work pizza, chocolate, & cheese into a healthy overall plan.

Ice cream!! I can't necessarily control myself around it, and I do try to eat it sparingly... but to live without it would be insane!

I'm with you Robin, I would have never been able to lose 149 pounds if I continued to eat the foods mentioned here. Matter of fact I tried last week and gained a pound! I'm not good at temptation games. Never have been. I'm hoping I can learn to control myself with chocolate or ice cream but I doubt I'll ever be able too. I'm truly like an alcoholic when it comes to chocolate (and other sugary foods). One piece sends me into a can't stop situation. I'm just happy the things that send me over the edge are not essential to live!

I do love just plain calorie free black coffee...now that would be hard to give up in the mornings...but thankfully it doesn't make me fat like chocolate!

Trader Joe's had cheese curds the last time I was there, what do they taste like?

Lori, I have added chocolate, pasta, breads, cake, cookies and yup, my all time most uncontrollabe food - ice cream back in my life. I try to do it though in a very controlled setting - not MY home. Either at a social function or at a restaurant. I have strict rules about them and I *mostly* abide by them. But for sure, ice cream will never, ever be in my home. Chocolate and the other stuff, yes. Ice cream - no. No can do. Not if I want to stay at a healthy weight.

I think it is great that people can conquer their urges and be able to have what they want but in moderation it is so difficult lol. I think when I get to that point it will be the real acomplishment!

I love carbs lol pasta, breads, pizza, yummy! I haven't given them up but counting them all staying in moderation, switching to whole wheat. Though I still have flour tortillas. I tried a wheat one and yuck it was horrible. I decided I will get them and eat in moderation once every month or so but not everyday or every week lol.

My favorite food in the entire world is mac & cheese though. I have been craving it so so badly lately. But nope I am not ready to have it yet. Because i know that there is no way I can stop at the tiny serving I am allowed to have lol. But someday I will

Wine, coffee with 2 splendas and 1/8 cup skim milk, coke zero. Well, I'm working on giving up the coke zero, but so far it looks like it isn't going anywhere. Food wise... I could never give up the occasional jalapeno popper from Arby's or Sonic. I know, they're terrible and fried and awful. But also spicy and delicious. I've made my own not fried before, and they just aren't as good!

cheese. I love cheese.

Yes, so true! I found that when I made the decision to become a healthy person and lose the weight and therefore started actually counting my calories, I became very choosy, very particular. Wanting to get the very most from every precious calorie I would be eating, things I thought I couldn't live without, all of a sudden didn't seem quite as *attractive*, shall we say. I could actually live, happily and freely without xyz.
It was amazing to me.

They only way that keeps me being able to stay in control of the food, is I can't make any item an enemy. Only when I say "I cant have that" do I go all out and see just how much of it I can eat. I never thought that I could work any food I wanted, in to a healthy plan. The last 2 times I have been out to eat I have only eaten Cesar salad with dressing on the side, only used a couple table spoons of it. The time before that, my husband took me to Olive garden. I planned to eat what I want, celebrate, and not fill guilty. I had 2 plates of salad, 4 bread sticks dipped in Alfredo, 3 mushrooms and 1 fried mozzarella. No guilt what so ever. Did it stall my weight loss? Probably. Do I care? Nope. I went right back to tracking my calories when my romantic weekend with hubby was over. I had to decide that I am not in a race. I am working on being healthy, and not just my weight, but also my relationship to food. Reading a book called Scale Down has really helped change my thinking. Food was never meant to be an enemy, so I don't want to spend my life fighting with it.

Sorry to get off subjet again....... for those of you who are wondering....... Cheese curds are not totally like cheese because they are a bit softer and I think they are saltier. They are also a little moister I think. Overall they are cheese in a curd. If you let them come to room tempature they are squeky! They are at gas stations in WI plus any grocery store and they are the best when you get them from the cheese plant as fresh as possible. They are not as good when they dry out or get older. Also when you go out to eat in WI you can order deep fried cheese curds. Those are so good too. They are covered in a coating like fish and then they deep fry them, then they are all melted and stringy! It has been a long while since I ate deep fried cheese curds.

My uncle brought some regular cheese curds in to work the other day and I took three of them to curve the 'I see, I want' reflex I felt. I was good after that!

butter
cheeses of all types
full fat mayo (though I rarely use it lately)
dark chocolate
nuts
natural nut butters
avocados
candy corn at Halloween
cinnamon hearts on Valentines Day
A Cadbury creme Egg on Easter (just one)
a bit of birthday cake on special days (just the icing please...the best part!!)

OK, I just on m keyboard...lol

Where I come from, this is what we do with cheese curds:

Poutine is a French-Canadian concoction comprised of french fries, gravy, and cheese curds. (Being a French-Canadian word, you pronounce it as the French-Canadians do., i.e. pooh-tzin)

This wonderful mix of taste-tempting but calorie-rich treats originated in Québec, in the region of the Lower St-Lawrence River or Gaspésie, caught on in Montréal, and quickly spread from there to other parts of Québec, and even as far as Ottawa. Since then, it has spread across Canada, and is even available at fast-food chains such as Burger King.

Take a look for yourselves.

If you're gonna have curds squeaking between your teeth, this is the way to do it. I can't remember the last time I had it!