I think that when you are losing weight it's a good time to try and break the addiction to sugar, so why not chose a healthier treat.

I am convinced calorie counting is the way to go. You can still allow yourself treats, but the oreos are a bit of a blow-out.

Wolfgirl69- Oh to be 17 again! LOL That was 50 years ago for me.

Now that I'm old and I have had many health problems, I can give some advice to you youngsters. Eat healthy food. Your body needs those vitamins and minerals. The junk food gives your body nothing but a few moments of pleasure.

I recently read about the Eat To Live plan. It is pretty much a vegan plan which I cannot follow, but it emphasized the importance of the micronutrients in fruits and vegetables. Fiber is a big thing. It said that if your body is receiving the nutrients it needs you will eventually lose your cravings. You won't WANT that junk food anymore. It's so nice to say "No thank you, I don't care for any" and really mean it!

Yes I Do
 

Yes I do this. I've been on sort of a "no-diet diet" for the past seven months (since my wedding). And it's been heaven. I try and keep my calories within reason and just add high intensity exercise. But the truth is, I feel that I'm not seeing much progress in decreasing body fat. I think that because I am within the 10 pound range of my goals, perhaps I might have to get a bit more specific about just where my calories come from. This is unfortunate because I love the freedom of the no-diet diet... It makes me feel so sane and normal, and also, I don't find myself actually gaining on it. But I am going to Costa Rica in July, so that's my motivation... Good topic, thanks!!

The bad thing about this is if you eliminate bad-for-you snacks you will eventually lose your taste for it and you body will crave healthier snacks such as fruit or nuts. As long as your body is getting that junk food it will continue to crave it.

This depends. I once lost weight my allowing myself to eat just three moderate meals a day and just fruit in-between. I only ate a sweet treat when I went out to eat, which was about twice a month, at most. Even though this plan seemed moderate at the time, it was too strict. After getting down to the lowest adult weight of my life (115---far too low for me), I rebelled and started eating all the foods that I had deprived myself of, including the junk. And it tasted like manna from heaven.

So, while I don't think everyone loses their taste for certain foods even after not having them for a while, I do believe that you can change your taste buds; I have much more sophisticated taste now than I did in my 20s. However, I have NEVER lost my taste for sweets, no matter how long I've gone without them. I will say, though, that if I go without them for a while, my intense cravings for them dissipate so that I can resist them more easily.

Most of my life I have been like that. And the only time I've been more than 10 lbs overweight was after the birth of my children. As far as WEIGHT goes, I'm a firm believer in moderation and a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. ... Having said that, there is a big difference between eating for weight and eating for health and vitality. I have recently had to make some drastic changes to my diet that have turned me into one of the obnoxious "I can't eat that" people. I have stage IV endometriosis, have had three surgeries, and another one is not currently an option. I have pulled out the stops and begun to make some changes to what I eat. I have been gluten free and dairy free for one month. I have changed the quality of meat and produce I buy (local, organic or grass-fed when possible, etc.) My pain has reduced dramatically over the past couple of weeks.
If I didn't have endo, I would probably not have done as much research into the quality of my food. For weight loss and maintenance, I will tell you flat out that YES, if you learn how to enjoy sweets, fats, carbs, whatever in moderation, you CAN lose weight, you CAN maintain your weight, and you will move away from an addiction mindset (if I eat one oreo, I'll eat the whole shelf of oreos) to a normal ( I feel like an oreo, yumm!) mindset.
But if you ever get to a point when your food is not meeting your energy needs, your blood sugar needs, your mental health (neurotransmitter, hormone) needs, your medical needs, or just your desire to live a really long time, then you may decide to go a step further. If you do, it won't be because you are on a diet or some sort of fascist regime where people like you can't eat something like that. It will be because you are empowered and in control and it's what you feel like is good for you. I hope that makes sense.
I think balance is the first step, so good for you.

I don't give in to cravings and have whatever I want, but I do allow myself a couple indulgences a week. I do WW, not calorie counting, but the idea is the same. If I have been craving something long-term (a couple of days) I plan my day around it - I leave myself enough points to indulge at the end of the day. And when I do indulge, I eat it slowly and really try to savor each bite so the craving goes away. Planning my treats also helps me to say no to temptations, because I know I am having a treat later.

I do give in to cravings sometimes, but when I do i try to limit the portions. I am a sucker for ice cream and my family always has some in the house. If I decide it's really worth the points and calories, I go for it, but I try to limit to the 1/2 cup serving size.

i find when i do give into cravings(like on weekends) i always go over my calories. then i feel like crap(like now) so tomorrow i'll be back at it again with eating healthy and staying in my calorie range.

I'm back to counting calories also..and it seems to be working no matter what I eat as long as I count calories but I really want to stick to no processed foods..have my toes and fingers crossed I can stick to this one..I've never counted calories before..always done Atkins and always gained it back so need to focus on losing it and keeping it off and counting calories the rest of my life :dizzy: