Okay...I'm gonna be a spoiled brat.

Why can't I eat what I want (and exercise) and still lose weight?!?!

I'm just whining because I want to still be able to eat sushi, fried rice, steak & fries, pancakes w/ peanut butter, Elvis sandwichs, tacos, enchiladas, lasagna, etc. I know that I can find 'healthier' ways to eat them, but what really scares me is that these are the foods I want to be able to eat. I know that when I lose the weight (I said when...not if) that I will want to eat those things again and I need to know that I can enjoy them and keep the weight off.

It is possible-IF, and that's a big IF, you control your portion sizes.
That's the hard part.
Good luck

Because you can't exercise enough to burn all that off!

You can have all those things, but the trade off is that you'll gain weight unless they are few and far between treats. It's a bummer, but no one said life was fair.

I would agree with this. It's a trade off and once you find a plan you can stick with you will notice that your priorites may shift. Sure, I can enjoy pasta, but it's a rare treat. I could eat it every night, but I wouldn't be able to maintain my weight and it's not as though there aren't plenty of things I DO eat and enjoy and are not detrimental to maintenance for me.

It certainly isn't as though all the joy has been sucked out of life because I can't have spaghetti every day.

It is ok to enjoy these things every once in a while, but it's a balancing act.

You CAN eat whatever you want, exercise, and lose weight. You just have to eat it less often. One thing I discovered early on (it's much harder now) is that as long as I ate healthy most of the time (like 6x a week) I could eat whatever the **** I wanted at a restaurant on the weekend and still lost weight at a rate of 2lbs a week.

And now I pretty much eat whatever the **** I want and maintain my weight. Considering the weight I am maintaining is about an inch from the healthy range, and if I would stop pigging out all the time I'd lose a bit, I'd say it is VERY possible to do what you described. The thing that makes it possible is not eating whatever you want ALL the time, and keeping up the exercise. The exercise is key to preventing a regain, even if you think it isn't enough to counteract what you are eating.

SamanthaJubilee I am with you. I had a temper tantrum this morning. I want it all. And some one told me a lie when I was told I could eat what I wanted when I wanted. Or did I make that up in my own mind? Hummmm! I have always kidded around with the idea of making voo-do dolls of people I am mad at...I may have to do it with food. Poke giant pins in the foods that I think I love that have zero nutritional quality to them BUT are packed with calories and all the other CRAP that makes them not so good choices!

So here I am...kicking up the dirt...being all pout like...with some "feeling sorry for myself" mixed in... thanks for listening! I love 3FC!

For the same reason you can't buy ten pairs of $500 boots. Or even one pair For the same reason you can't just pass on brushing your teeth. Or for the same reason you can't just have no job and live in fancy apartment for which magically there is no rent, and groceries just "appear" magically in the fridge and cook themselves. Sigh.

Someday, I will have this. Someday.

Ahh, if only these things could magically happen

I know...I guess I just needed to pout...or throw a temper tantrum like cathydoe did.
I just need to know that WHEN I get this weight off that I will be able to enjoy the foods I so desperately love. I know it won't be every day...or even every other day. I just need a glimmer of hope.

Also...I know that I will still have to work out to keep the weight off, but I'm curious (from those who are "maintaining") just how much will I NEED to do?
Not that I'm gonna go all couch potato again, but just curious. Right now my dilema is - how am I gonna work out when I travel 1 hour to work...8 - 5...then 45 min home (less traffic) and deal with 3 kiddos & 2 dogs...AND do my class work (going back to college - online) AND work out AND find time to get at least 6 hours of sleep (minimum I need to function)?!?!?!

It's really hard to stop eating all those tempting foods. However, I will say that once you start feeling your body become so much better, you might decide that you want to treat it like a beautiful thing and put beautiful, whole, healthy foods into it. Yes, you will want to have an occasional treat, but there are so many other things to enjoy in life that aren't food related. It was hard for me to see that when I was in the midst of battling my addiction. But, the less I have those junk items, the less I want them. Once you start getting your palate used to different foods, you probably won't want those other ones so much. The urges will be there, but they won't be quite so severe. It takes your brain about 4 weeks to develop a new habit, good or bad. I think it takes longer to address an addiction, which is much more intense than just a bad habit. Hang in there....I know I have those thoughts from time to time but I can honestly say that nothing tastes as good as thin feels. Nothing.

I guess I need to put my new favorite quote up where I can see it all the time.

"Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels!"

love this answer; that's how they live on tv shows usually (remember Friends, in the beginning only one of them had any kind of job, they hung out all day with each other being goofy, and they all had great apartments in the middle of Manhattan, yeah, that's what happens)

well, my experience has been that my tastes have changed, not that I don't enjoy goodies, but I don't feel compelled to eat them so often or in the same quantities. do you really "so desperately love" those foods? maybe you're feeling stressed out and deprived in general, and those foods are taking on a bigger role than they deserve.

take each challenge as it comes, work out the food, then concentrate on the exercise, fitting in what works for your schedule. you'll most likely have to fine tune it as you go anyway.

it took me longer to lose weight doing this, but in the beginning I did give myself a day off, and had ice cream or whatever I wanted. over time, I let go of that.

I think you can...but not like you (we) did/do.....

Some of the gals around here have become real good at planning those "not so good for you I have to have it once in a while" meals....

It isn't easy but it can be done...besides, when you start losing and eliminating the "garbage" out of your diet you stop craving it so much....

but watch adding it back in

I should have stayed away from the cheese ....said the man that gained 15 pounds back.....

Okay, I think my temper tantrum has subsided...there is still a little dust flying. I was really throwing a tantrum. Fact for me...I will NEVER be able to eat like I did before. That is what I am having a tantrum about. I think it is like the grieving steps I have read about... I was in denial a long time... I don't think this angry stage is gonna keep me too long... <HOOT> I want to live for today and enjoy the moment!