Does anyone else find it a bit overwhelming to try and make everything they eat "healthy for you", as opposed to just eating everything in moderation? Well, I do. At this point I'm not going to be looking at "is this the healthiest thing for me" and never feeling satisfied. Instead, I'm going to try and eat less. That's it. I'm not talking about just eating PIE for dinner or anything like that! (even though that is a tempting thought. He he) More like if I want a tuna sandwich, I will eat just one sandwich with regular mayo and white bread, the way I like it. I'm not a fan of wheat bread and lowfat mayo, so why eat it and be dissatisfied? Why put myself in a position to binge to get that satisfied feeling elsewhere? It doesn't make sense for me, so I'm not going to do it anymore.

Anyone else only concentrating on eating less of whatever they like to eat? I'm not looking to be a super skinny model or anything. I would be happy at this point just to lose the double chin and unsightly muffin top.

Heidi

Hi Heidi,

What I did about 10 months ago was try to eliminate added sugars and obvious "unhealthy" foods from my diet. I was very motivated so for about 1 month I consciously said no to desserts, bad carbs, candy, diet soda, etc...I went a little overboard and started to get anxious if I wasn't eating very healthy foods with very low calorie counts...but in the end I'm so happy I did it because about a month after I cut all of the junk out, I stopped craving it altogether. Now the most "unhealthy" thing that I crave is cereal...the only binges I have had in the past year include too much Kashi cereal, almond butter, Zone bars and granola bars, etc...to this day I just can't even imagine eating a candy bar or ice cream, I have absolutely no desire for it. I realized that I am not denying myself ANYTHING...I simply do not want junk food. However, I will indulge a few times a week and have a few servings of Life Cinnamon cereal I just realized that for me, I needed to cut most "bad" foods out of my diet, or I would end up going back to them too much or overeating them. Just my 2 cents But I would definitely suggest that you try cutting out junk food for just 3 weeks and see what you start to crave at the end of those weeks...for me it has usually been hummus and apples with peanut butter

Well I have many attempts at losing the same 30 pounds I always gain lose gain lose gain lose. I do it different ways and finally came to the conclusion.. I can't cut anything out of my "diet". I will not eat it as much as I used to or as much as I would like to eat certain things but I won't ban them.
i also noticed more of the healther things I eat the less hungry I am. So to answer your question. Yes I eat less of the things that I know are not good for me to be eating(bacon specifically) but occasionally I will have them. I also have increased my consumption of healthier things because I do feel they keep me feeling fuller longer.

Do you feel it important to eat things that are healthier for you, even though you don't like them, or do you choose to eat the healthier foods because you DO like them?

My list of "healthy" foods that I actually like is very short. That's my problem, I guess. (ex. can't stand: raw vegetables, fruit, whole grain, low fat substitutes, plain water, tofu)

It's just frustrating. I try to eat healthier, and I end up binging just to feel that satisfied feeling. I would rather just eat less of the foods I like. Or at least try to. I hope this makes sense.

I'm like Biju, I cut out all the junk completely. It was miserable going through 'withdrawal' but nearly a year later I rarely crave the bad stuff (and the cravings are a lot easier to handle). For me, all the junk food had to go because it was a major trigger for my binging/overeating. I would never be able to eat bad stuff, even in moderation, so it had to go completely.

If you can eat those slightly unhealthier foods in moderation then I don't see the problem. I think it's better to eat slightly unhealthy but in moderation rather than binging on 'health food.' I tend to prefer the healthier versions simply because it's less calories and therefore I get to eat 'more.' As long as you're eating a balanced diet you should be fine.

Heidi, I think you make a lot of sense. As you adjust your calories downward you'll also possibly just naturally start moving to better and better choices where you'll get the most bang for your calorie buck, but IMO it is not a good idea to eat things that don't satisfy you.

Yes you make alot of sense. Luckily for me I do like most veggies and fruits, and some grains. But if given the choice I would rather not eat them. That is how I keep gaining everything back. And up til recently water was my enemy!!!!!
I believe in the beginning of every "diet" losing weight is alot easier and if you are just starting and losing weight by lowering your calories and not doing much else(and please don't get me wrong, lower calories is a major achievement!) then I say go for it. I positively don't believe in eating things you absolutely do not like. I have heard Oprah one time say something to the effect of you can train your body to like certain things. You get used to them and don't mind them. I am not 100% sure I believe that but I will say I HATED wheat bread when I was younger and now that is what I eat and I like it. same goes with beans I am incorperating them into different casseroles and I am beginning to like them. but something like eggplant..I rather starve thanks anyway!!! Now after all that rambling I guess what I am trying to say is don't eat what you don't like but have an open mind and keep trying different things and maybe just maybe you might find something you think is tolerable.
On a side note I am also drinking more water. My trick: always have 2 cups one with water one with another beverage. And drink taking turns with each cup. That way is doesn't feel like all I can have is water.
Anyways whatever you decide to do I wish you all the best and good luck with a journey that I hope will take you alot sooner to achieve than it has taken me. I completely understand how frustrating it is.
OH and by the way I started this round at the beginning of Jan and I started by doing what you are doing. Eating less. I am hoping to add one new thing every month to hopefully I will avoid the dreaded weight loss stall.

Thats what I'm doing! Just eating less. naturally I'm more into the fresh fruit and veggies because I do want to lose weight but I'm not going to go without pasta or bread because it's fattening, I just eat less than what I normally would and sometimes sub some veggies in if I'm still not full. Makes sense to me and I've lost 3 lbs in two weeks!

I cut out all the bad food in my diet completely simply because I AM WEAK I know that if I have one pringle, I'll want another. If I have one malteaser, I'll have another. If I have one slice of camembert, I'll have the whole lot. So although I see your point, I don't personally let myself consume the bad things in moderation because for the same calories, I'd rather fill full on a safer, healthier food

I started 1 Jan 2007 by cutting out ALLLLLL junk. I lost 65 lbs. In Oct 2008, I hired a personal trainer and lost another 75lbs in about 6 months. At the end of the six months, and pretty much binge free that entire time, I decided I wanted to enjoy treats now and then. It was like a pandora's box was opened. I went a little 'crazy' for a while. Luckily i never gained much and was able to take off the 10lbs or less that i did put on.

Dont get me wrong - i am very happy i opened pandora's box. i am working at it every day and learning that i can have a treat here and there and not feel guilty or binge because of it!

i learned a lot in those 2 years of not eating junk - i learned that i like strawberries, that apples are actually sweet, that some foods are really rich, how to feel 'full' again, and i learned, FOR ME, that 'black-n-white-no-junk-food' is not something i could sustain for my entire life. I am on day 37 without a binge and am proud to say i did have dessert last night!

it is a very personal choice - i agree with all the ladies above. try and you will succeed...

Thanks for the replies.

I just wanted to clarify what I mean about eating what I like in moderation. I know my trigger foods. I know if I was given a bag of Funyons, I will consume the whole bag in one sitting. So, instead of going Funyonless, if I truly want some Funyons, I will get the individual sized bag.

I cannot, for the rest of my life, go without foods that I really love. I just need to stay away from binge opportunities. Whole bags of things is a huge no no for me, I know that. I have no self control! I need to find ways to feel satisfied, but at the same time, not put myself in the position to overeat. I'm hoping I can make better choices by just not buying boxes of crackers, whole bags of chips, things like that. This way I can keep eating and enjoying foods I love (and not feel deprived), just less of them.

I don't think I can ever be the type to cut junk out completely. I envy those who can, because one day, and it always happens, I will give into those cravings BIG TIME and overeat them BIG TIME. It just doesn't work for me. I feel like I am learning from my mistakes.

For dinner I had soup and a sandwich. Now the hard part....staying out of the kitchen to snack the rest of the night! "I have control. I have control. I don't need it. I am full".

Repeat as needed.

Heidi

I think you should do whatever works for you when it comes to losing weight weight and becoming a healthier person! For me though, I would rather eat 2-3 cups of steamed broccoli with a little butter and some grilled chicken and a salad than like...half of a burger and a small portion of french fries...I can't just have a small portion of french fries. It's really tempting. And like you said with the funyons...even if i had a small bag I could totally see me telling myself something like "well i already had a bag of funyons might as well eat this bag of cookies" I know...its dumb, but its just unfortunately how i work when it comes to food. Like whenever i eat complete junk...and this happened alot whenever i ate fast food...I just wanna give up on myself.

Not that I don't allow myself some treats, I just try to get the BEST alternative for what I'm craving. I try to compromise with myself. Like today I have been doing really good with my calories lately and i was craving some ice cream. I got a pint of healthy choice dulce de leche, its only 100 cals for a half cup and split it with my mom...so I ended up only eating 200 cals for a whole cup of ice cream...and it was delicious.

I agree with ChipmunkCheeks. Habitually, I would rather eat a lot of the low-carb foods (my eating plan) than try to eat a little bit of the high-carb and then stop. However, I've found that saying I can NEVER have a certain food will cause simple rebellion to trigger a binge.

If I plan to eat something, even if it is "junk" food, I am eating on plan because I have planned to eat it. I don't consider it a binge until I'm eating something I hadn't planned to eat.

Hello, I agree with the poster id rather have a teeny bit of something I love than swap it for so called healthy choices and not enjoy it.

As a binge eater its important for me to be able to control myself, I admit when you are sat with a big bit of cake and want more its not easy but I think you have to learn how to control your portion size as once you have the mindset you CAN eat the cake you just have to eat LESS than most people I think its a healthier way to be

I'm down another 1.5 lbs this week! The only thing I have changed is to not put myself in a position where I will eat the "whole thing".

For example...I denied myself the package of Ritz crackers because I WILL eat the whole package. No crackers for me. Saved myself hundreds of calories. Yea me!

I am a teacher and bought a box of Cheez It's that have letters on them as treats for the kids. In the past, I would have easily grabbed a handful of them here and there. I can tell myself I'll eat just one, but I KNOW me. I will eat and eat and eat till the box is gone! Who knows how many calories I have consumed in one sitting with a box like that! I stopped myself this week. How many calories did I cut out from just that?

I know I will fub up now and then, but this week has been very eye opening how many times I let myself eat hundreds, if not thousands of calories, for no real good reason, except to maybe feel better and make my tongue happy. Awful. No wonder I am overweight!

I pledge here and now to continue to watch for, and deter away from those opportunities where I will shove food in my mouth uncontrollably. I will only eat foods that I KNOW the calorie content of and cannot possibly overeat. I will not worry about WHAT I eat, but how MUCH I eat.

500 calories less a day, X 7 days a week = 3,500 = 1 lb.!