So I heart fried chicken, mainly the one that the local grocery store sells. Tonight I went to the gym and then stopped by to pick some up for the parents. I had a couple of pieces (which btw, i'm feeling super guilty about considering its not good for me AND I had worked out) and soon realized how full I was.

While I'm feeling guilty about eating the chicken, i'm pretty excited to know that two pieces filled me up, unlike before where I would have gone back for more and more! So i'm going to take pleasure in the small step and make better choices next time around!

Good for you

It must have been hard to stop at just two pieces. I'd have to have gone back if it was in the car with me!
Fried chicken is a hard one for this southern girl. Every weekend, my husband has to have his fix from our local chicken place. He knows I will not participate in the feast. So I sit there with my chef salad while the smell of fried chicken and biscuits he is eatting wafts towards me. I make sure he fees sufficiently guilty!

Well done for limiting yourself!
I am slowly but surely learning to do that :P xx

Congrats at stopping!!

substitute. substitute. substitute.

Make your OWN *fried* chicken. Take boneless chicken breast strips and dip them in egg white. Then *bread* them using a combination of corn flake crumbs, which you crush, rolled oats and sliced almonds and spices. I like to use a hit of cayanne pepper to give it some kick. Lay it on a roasting sheet coated with cooking spray, spray the top of the chicken, bake in the oven, turning once for about 20 minutes. YUM.

I like that Robin. I saw a commercial the other day for Frenches Fried Onions as breading. i have a feeling it's not as healthy as I was hoping. Your "breading" sounds better.

I love Fried Chicken too, but I've never eaten it more than once a year. It's not big in our diets, which is good. The other thing I LOVE and just can not eat anymore is Long John's Silvers with extra crunchies. Again, once or twice a year...but never again.

You know it doesn't even have to be any type of breaded chicken. I make a fabulous chicken marsala or a lemon chicken. And the best roasted chicken on this planet (I think). There's chicken tacos, chicken meatballs, chicken burgers. There's LOTS of other ways to enjoy chicken.

So even though I'm not eating fried chicken (my choice), I get to eat all this other fabulous chicken. This way there is not that feeling of deprivation. The chicken I make and eat I enjoy thoroughly WITHOUT the feelings of *guilt*. I deserve to enjoy my food while I'm eating it and long after I'm done chewing. I no longer settle for foods that *just* taste good.

I was ready, willing and able to give up the unhealthy stuff as long as I got to eat OTHER really tasty food.

And for me, it's all in the planning. I know what I'm eating ahead of time for my meals, makes it MUCH easier to stay on plan if there is indeed A plan. I plan out what I'm eating ahead of time, I know it's delicious and then there's no reason what so ever to deviate from it. If what I'm eating on plan tastes so good, there is no reason to go off plan.

Robin, I agree. I'm just being chatty. Most of my chicken comes in the form of a stir-fry! LOL! It's so easy. I don't even know how to make fried chicken! I've never done it!!

Oh no, no, I wasn't at all questioning what you were saying. I was just furthering along my point. I tend to do that sometimes .

And how could I have forgotten stir fries? Yummm.

YES! I used to plow through about 4 pieces-- now one breast fills me to capacity. I used to eat 2 burgers-- plus fries! Now I can eat only one burger, no fries. At a salad bar, I could eat 2 heaping plates-- now only one. I totally eat less! One bowl of chili or stew, in fact, one dinner, no seconds! I used to eat heaping mounds of food, now I have a small plate. If nothing else, I am saving money.

I sometimes coat my chicken breasts with crushed up Fiber One or whole wheat Panko bread crumbs. They both come out crunchy and might also help you when you're craving fried chicken.

Ah, yes, I've thrown in some Fiber One as well from time to time.

The thing is, is to not fry it in the oil. Oil comes in at a whopping 120 calories for a mere tablespoon. It adds up fast when you're frying - and again, baking it in the oven with a little cooking spray it comes out DELISH, so there's no need to.

I have become a calorie snob and even when I have a splurge, as much as I used to ADORE fried chicken, it was a staple in my home, I just can't/won't go there anymore. *I* don't see the need. It doesn't hold the same allure to me that it used to.

Just chiming in here, Moni-- while I agree that it's a good thing to limit yourself to eating a little less, I am wondering if you are really setting yourself up for success.

You went to the gym. GOOD!

You stopped on the way home to pick up fried chicken that you love- for your parents. Maybe not so good...

I am speaking as someone who had a hard core car eating habit. Looking back, I used to eat an awful lot of the food that was exceptionally bad for me while in the car. Now, mind you, I did not get to 295 only on calories either bought and or consumed in a car. I ate plenty at other times too.

But, swinging by a store to pick up a food that 1)I especially love and 2) is ready to eat and 3) in my car and 4)on the way back the gym, meaning that I could have a built in excuse of why I should eat it... for me, that would really be an invitation to temptation--

I used to buy 2 apple fritters AND a regular donut with my coffee every morning before work. Occasionally I used to cut down to only one apple fritter and a donut, or just two regular donuts....

But, when I eventually really got serious about losing weight-- guess what? I started drinking coffee at home before I left and NOT stopping at the coffee place at all.

So, just think about it... this might not be true for you... but *maybe* you'd be better off not being around fried chicken for a while in the first place-- trying one of Robin's recipes, or just not buying it at all.

Just my opinion, of course. YMMV.

Hi,
rockinrobin--I normally make my own baked "fried" chicken. I will use a Kashi cereal or cornflakes. I dont make it that often.

Last night was not a great choice and while I should have not stopped or made myself something else I didn't and i'm willing to own up to it.

Ubergirl--I totaly agree, I think there are times I set myself up, but i'm trying to be more aware of when i'm brewing a plan. I am not a fan of eating in the car..but I also didn't get to 260 eating at the kitchen table.

So here I go back to the gym and away from chicken, I can make smarter dinners!
Thanks everyone!