Not worth it: Fast food burger joints. While Mc Donalds has always been gross to me, I did at one time enjoy a jalapeno burger with avocado from Carl's Junior/Hardees. Or, a cheeseburger from In n Out. I had a jalapeno burger once maybe two months back, after a month on plan...I got SO sick from it!! I was in PAIN for an entire day, if I remember correctly. That, and I felt guilty for eating it...not worth it.
The only thing I think is not worth it anymore is anything at all that puts me over my calorie count for that day.
Counting calories for me is finally what is working. It's mentally knowing that NOTHING is off limits as long as I maintain my cal. range each day. I will say that I no longer eat boxed cereal or much processed anything and treats, if and when I do crave them are homemade and the rest given away the next day.
Not worth it - potatoes, rice, pasta, noodles (unless in my own homemade soup), crackers, white bread, boxed cold cereal, store baked/frozen/packaged desserts, milk or sugary beverages, hard liquor
Still worth it - butter, cheese, whole eggs, home made pierogues and double garlic polish sausage, special dark chocolate, ice cold beer on a hot, hard workin' day, wine once a month, 1xwk diet soda, angel food cake
I agree with practically every caloric beverage. I simply have no need to EVER drink a regular soda. Same goes for froofroo coffee drinks and gatorade and hot chocolate and everything else. Just not worth it for me, I'd rather eat my calories than drink them. The exception to this is alcohol. But I'd rather plan in a shot of tequila to make it count than a serving size of wine, hahaha.
I like volume. No matter how delicious ANYthing is, if I don't get to eat a lot of it, I usually don't want it. So I consider three things. How many calories are in it? How much do I get to eat? How yummy is it? So very highly calorically dense things are almost always out for me. I LOVE oreos. But I eat a teeny weeny serving size of oreos in about 45 seconds. Then I just want more oreos. For the same amount of calories, I could eat a large serving of popcorn that may take me 30 minutes to eat. Even though I technically prefer oreos over popcorn, I'd take the popcorn practically every time.
I'm also pretty good about accepting viable substitutes. If there's a food that is much lower in calories but provides close or equal amount of eating pleasure, I can't imagine why I'd eat the higher calorie version.
So a list of a few things off the top of my head that are not worth it to me anymore:
- Fast food (the exception being an occasional Subway turkey sub)
- Crummy low quality sweets/desserts. A Little Debbie snack will never pass these lips again.
- Full fat dressing/mayo/milk etc...I haven't come across a fat free or low fat version that I won't tolerate.
- Butter...I've gotten so used to going without it that even a tiny bit of butter in my food tastes/feels icky to me.
- Real ice cream. If I need a frozen treat, I'll have frozen yogurt.
- Pasta. I have found enough substitutes that I just don't feel the need to cook or eat pasta anymore.
Some things that ARE worth it (for occasional indulgences):
- Fancy meals. If I go to a restaurant where a meal is $30+, I'm not going to bother with a grilled chicken breast.
- Exceptional desserts/special occasion treats. I'm not going to deprive myself of birthday cake or Christmas cookies. The trick is giving the leftover cake away and only eating Christmas cookies on Christmas, not the whole holiday season.
- As I mentioned above, alcohol is worthy of a treat now and then.
- Candy is near and dear to my heart, and I enjoy it sometimes.
- I fit potatoes in most forms (other than fried) quite easily and frequently into my plan.
- Salt. While I've naturally cut back on salt as I shifted from processed to whole foods, but I don't track it or restrict it. If something needs salt, I'll add it in a moderate amount.
-I still eat pizza *GUILTY* but I order thin crust, make sure it's covered in a vegetable & only allow myself two pieces.
-Cheesecake (my favorite dessert of all time) is no longer worth it. If they made diet cheesecake bites I would buy them lol
-Chocolate is worth it but only if you eat the 'mini' pieces. I can't afford to consume a whole crunch bar.
-Empty calorie drinks (fruit juices & just about all of starbucks except for a tall nonfat capp).
-French fries..mainly because I know I will add chili to them with a quickness. If you're a michigander you know all about coney island lol
Funnily enough, I've been lurking this thread, only to come across my own set of "worth it's" and "not worth it's" yesterday! I was at work and ate a bagel (completely out of apathy, tiredness) and instantly thought of you guys!
Not worth it: bagels, most pastas, white bread, most fast food, canned mandarin oranges
Worth it: Ice cream (especially from the local ice cream shop, that will always be worth it as long as I plan for the calories), cake on special occasions, alcohol (especially white wine) on occasions, and those vinegar french fries they sell at the fair.
this is a great thread and it goes with everything i believe in!!
i know some things i eat are not healthy and DEF HIGH in calorie count but if i LOVE it, i will let myself have it. and i try to only eat the foods i like cuz otherwise, as many ppl around me have heard me say "its not worth the calories".
i guess this all boils down to people's personal preference. i happen to LOVEEE chips and BREAD and carbs. I try to limit them but sometimes i just have to give in!!
Not worth it: bagels, white bread, full fat ice cream, cookies, candy, butter, anything fried (unless I'm pan-frying it myself in a bit of olive oil), most fast food, any sugary drink
Worth it: pasta (usually wheat), wine on occasion, low fat ice cream, sorbet, skinny coffee drinks from Starbucks, salt
These are true for most days, but there are definitely exceptions for special or rare occasions. About twice per year my advisor (a serious foodie) takes me to one of the best restaurants in DC, and when I'm having a 6 course meal prepared by an exceptionally talented chef I am going to eat and enjoy every part of it. International travel will also present some exceptions - I won't miss out on enjoying the local cuisine because I'm on a diet, I'll just make up for it in other parts of my day/week so I don't completely derail my weight loss for a week.
