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How do you guys eat moderately or slip in treats during weight loss. The only thing I can eat in ice cream in portions.
During the weight loss phase I pretty much have to be perfect to lose the weight. During the maintenance phase I can eat other things.
This is why is hard from me to lose a lot a weight. The minute I eat something that is "bad for me" I fall off the wagon. I can not eat it once and then be done. I tend to just keep going. I do not eat a lot of package food, but even real food and I can go off.
When I lost over 50lbs the first time it took about eight months and I never had a dessert of anything that was "bad" or unhealthy for me.
I did not start eating other things until I maintained. I just do not agree with the 80/20 during the weight loss phase.
I think it's just a mindset. I haven't gotten to my goal weight yet, so I don't know how I'll do at maintaining it. However, I know what I can and cannot eat, and that won't change when I'm thin (or I won't stay thin for very long!). Besides, we can all over indulge now and then, but if we gain more than two or three pounds then it's time to go back to what works.
I'm not living a life of total deprivation, but I am staying away from things like ice cream. There's so much fat and so many calories in it that I could only eat a little, which wouldn't even begin to satisfy me. With some foods I can just stop after eating a little, but ice cream isn't one of those. And don't even mention the low fat or non fat ice cream! The creamier the better!
My daughter made Pilsbury biscuits the other night. I had one; it was 170 calories! That was it, though. I never had another one, even though it tasted sooo good! She also bought chocolate chip cookie dough, another weakness of mine, but I've found it easy to stay away from that. (And yes, I know that raw cookie dough is unhealthy due to the raw eggs!)
I can't eat just a little bit either, of most treat foods. A few bites just doesn't satisfy me. When I was losing I'd choose an entire day to eat whatever I wanted. But not very often. I could only do it every 5 or 6 weeks, which was often enough to keep me from feeling deprived and from thinking I could never have x or y again.
For me the trick to that was limiting it to ONE day. If it went into a 2nd day the cravings would come back, and the first few days back eating right were miserable. Reminding myself that I wasn't giving up good food forever and that I could eat treat food again in just a few weeks made it easier to get back to eating right the next day too.
I've got chocolate truffles, candy bars, ice cream, chocolate syrup in my pantry and freezer. But I'm staying out of them. Not worth it.
When I get down to a healthier weight and have a good level of exercise going on, I might have an occasional treat. Or I might not. I know from experience that I can fall off the wagon, even repeatedly, and get right back on it - and that is some powerful self knowledge. Somehow it makes all of that tempting stuff less tempting, like I can take it or leave it. Cool.
I have been doing Weight Watchers for the last eleven months and have lost 51 pounds so far. I still eat out and splurge, but I just make sure to plan ahead and know what I'm going to eat and track it (and adjust the rest of my day if needed). It is a mindset, and I've had to change the way I view eating out. Now I try to enjoy the social aspect of it more than the food, and I am okay choosing healthier options. There are times I'd rather have the really bad stuff, but it's just not worth it to me anymore. That said, there are some restaurants I avoid because it is impossible to eat even remotely healthy there.
Now that my husband has joined WW, we eat out much less often and don't splurge as much on coffee/hot chocolate/ice cream. I also limit what we keep in the house. I love hot chocolate, but I try to only keep the sugar free stuff. I don't buy ice cream, candy or chips. Cereal is another one of my trigger foods, so if I buy it I stick to Total or Fiber One (which naturally forces me to stick to ONE measured out serving ).
Deprivation doesn't work for me. If I know I can't have something, I want it more and will obsess over it. If I am flexible, many times I am able to pass on the splurges because I know if I really want it I can have it. Then it doesn't seem necessary to have it right at that moment, and when the moment passes, I usually forget about the temptation.
The way I lose weight is by eating healthy foods in small portions ONLY if I am truly hungry. I have learned to say no to food when I'm not really hungry - no more eating for emotional reasons or out of boredom. It seems to be working very well. And the more I lose, the more active I am able to be which helps me improve my metabolism. I just don't think about food nearly as much as I used to - I focus on other things that I find pleasurable. Of course I still eat and even chocolate if I want it, but only small amounts with long intervals between eating. I mostly eat small amounts of meats/dairy vegetables and fruits. But like I said, chocolate is not off limits. I've lost a good bit in the past year - I'm not sure what the exact number is. I feel so much better physically - that is the best thing about losing - and being able to get rid of my larger clothes!
The way I lose weight is by eating healthy foods in small portions ONLY if I am truly hungry. I have learned to say no to food when I'm not really hungry - no more eating for emotional reasons or out of boredom. It seems to be working very well. And the more I lose, the more active I am able to be which helps me improve my metabolism. I just don't think about food nearly as much as I used to - I focus on other things that I find pleasurable. Of course I still eat and even chocolate if I want it, but only small amounts with long intervals between eating. I mostly eat small amounts of meats/dairy vegetables and fruits. But like I said, chocolate is not off limits. I've lost a good bit in the past year - I'm not sure what the exact number is. I feel so much better physically - that is the best thing about losing - and being able to get rid of my larger clothes!
This definitely works if you are an emotional eater. Do you feel it messes up your metabolism because if I ate when I was truly hungry I would hardly ever eat. Also if I go long periods of time without eating I have trouble falling asleep even if I am not hungry. I actually become energized.
How do you balance that, but maybe it is bad question since I have nerve problems now.
I think it's just a mindset. I haven't gotten to my goal weight yet, so I don't know how I'll do at maintaining it. However, I know what I can and cannot eat, and that won't change when I'm thin (or I won't stay thin for very long!). Besides, we can all over indulge now and then, but if we gain more than two or three pounds then it's time to go back to what works.
I'm not living a life of total deprivation, but I am staying away from things like ice cream. There's so much fat and so many calories in it that I could only eat a little, which wouldn't even begin to satisfy me. With some foods I can just stop after eating a little, but ice cream isn't one of those. And don't even mention the low fat or non fat ice cream! The creamier the better!
My daughter made Pilsbury biscuits the other night. I had one; it was 170 calories! That was it, though. I never had another one, even though it tasted sooo good! She also bought chocolate chip cookie dough, another weakness of mine, but I've found it easy to stay away from that. (And yes, I know that raw cookie dough is unhealthy due to the raw eggs!)
It is funny that every one has their own trigger foods. I can eat a scoop of ice cream be fine. I think it is something about ice cold foods that calm my craving. Also, even though more expensive, I buy homemade ice cream from one parlor in my area. That may help. I notice if I eat something store brought I end up wanting more versus homemade and I never go low fat.
I can't eat just a little bit either, of most treat foods. A few bites just doesn't satisfy me. When I was losing I'd choose an entire day to eat whatever I wanted. But not very often. I could only do it every 5 or 6 weeks, which was often enough to keep me from feeling deprived and from thinking I could never have x or y again.
For me the trick to that was limiting it to ONE day. If it went into a 2nd day the cravings would come back, and the first few days back eating right were miserable. Reminding myself that I wasn't giving up good food forever and that I could eat treat food again in just a few weeks made it easier to get back to eating right the next day too.
Yeah that is my problem once I start on one day it just keeps going. When you pick your day do you actually want the food. I would have a treat day but then actually crave a salad!
How about if it comes out of sudden and do not plan for it. That is what gets in me trouble. Sometimes it is a peanut butter brownie mood and others times is a salad mood or soup. I can not plan that much, but maybe I will try this. I think the trick is not thinking like I can never have this again. That is what messes me up. Because one I give up something in mind I can never have this again in the amount I want.
I think the mental issue is that you are giving it up. It is a restriction. I do not do well on restriction. If I want a salad with fish today I will get it. If I want a peanut butter brownie I want to enjoy it in the amount I want and not feel guilty. I want to feel good about the food choices and not be restricted.
As I stated before I do not even like fast food or most junk food but moderation eating feels like restriction to me.
I just budget for them (via eating less earlier or exercising more.)
I go in waves, I might have a few weeks of french fry cravings. And them I'll have cravings for fish or greens. I give into them, but try to stay within my targets. I tend to pick a weekend meal to have whatever, without counting or tracking.
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That was it, though. I never had another one, even though it tasted sooo good! She also bought chocolate chip cookie dough, another weakness of mine, but I've found it easy to stay away from that. (And yes, I know that raw cookie dough is unhealthy due to the raw eggs!)
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