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Not really. We've never been big "snackers," so there are no chips in the house. Even so, moderation is the key. As the OP said, cutting back on certain things is good, and sometimes all that is needed.
Have you made a recent, diligent effort to cut down on things in your diet that you consider to be "bad for you"? Like what?
I think I'm down pretty close to absolute zero no HFCS, and pretty low on sugar. I switched a couple years ago to cane-sugar sodas, about two a week, then I just never got around to buying any more when I ran out. I drink about one a month at a fast food place. I go through about 48 oz ayear of pancake syrup, and I buy the No-HFCS variety. I eat almost no processed foods, with hidden sweeteners. For home use it takes me a year to eat a pound of sugar. I make my own scratch cookies, but lightly sweetened with Louisiana cane syrup, more like muffins. Cakes baked from a mix, whose first ingredient is sugar, are a weakness. A couple of pounds of bittersweet chocolate chips per year, for TV munchies. Coffee and tea (no more than a cup a day) goes bare. Maybe a jar of jam every year, funny how fast that goes. A little peanut butter too.
My salt intake is very low, since rarely eat anything that is processed with salt. A small pinch of salt goes in things I cook. A liberal pinch only on a few things, like eggs and tomatoes. Maybe two tablespoons a month, and some of that goes in cooking water and gets drained off. My cereal is bite size shredded wheat biscuits, zero salt and sugar.
I'm on a low-meat diet, mostly organ meats (muscle meat is expensive), maybe two ounces a day average, so whatever fat comes with that doesn't scare me and I eat fatty parts and all. Whenever I cook bacon or sausage, the grease all gets eaten eventually, even if just left in the every-day pan for tomorrow's meal. I cook with Canola when needed, but would use mostly butter instead if the price ever goes back down. A pound of butter now lasts me about 2-3 months, and compared to margarine, I don't consider butter "bad". I use whole milk, a gallon in 5-6 weeks (cereal and cooking), and if I had to go to low-fat, I'd just refuse to drink any at all..
All of the above is pretty much by design, intending to minimize harmful dietary additives and still eat things I like. I don't miss it at all, and I don't consider that I am stoically sacrificing any pleasures. I enjoy eating and cooking, I enjoy what I eat.
Sure I do it all the time or I try and add good stuff. I think we all do: the problems, what is bad for us today will be deemed good for us tomorrow. We actually do eat fairly healthy, but, like most of us, we have our weak moments. I am a firm believer most anything is fine, if it is in moderation.
I've been cooking from scratch since I was in my 20's. There's plenty of fresh veggies and next to zero processed foods until those chocolate covered marshmallow bunnies come back around. I'm in serious trouble here. I've already eaten 13 of them and it's not even Easter. I don't know what it is about the way those ears hit my tongue. It's my crack. I went through serious with drawl last year and fell right back into the addiction this year. Help me I need an intervention. I lost 7 pounds over the Christmas holiday. Unheard of for me but those bunnies are going to be my down fall.
Mine is cereal and the more processed and sugar it has the more I adore it and I can go through the biggest box in the market in one day if I do not control myself, then it takes 1.5 days....LOL
Edited to add: The cereal addiction for me is so bad I cannot even walk down the cereal aisle and we do not have cereal in the house. I have also required our distant neighbors to not have cereal in their homes either. (just in case I get a midnight craving)...
I've been trying to cut down on sweets and chocolate but I've been having such strong cravings for them the last couple of weeks its impossible and its the only thing I really have any appetite for.
I cut down on alcohol a lot though, without even trying (new medicine made me not want to drink).
I've been trying to cut down on sweets and chocolate but I've been having such strong cravings for them the last couple of weeks its impossible and its the only thing I really have any appetite for.
I cut down on alcohol a lot though, without even trying (new medicine made me not want to drink).
That could be the reason for the sugar craving: none or not as much alcohol. Many studies show people who do love their booze are not big sweet eaters cause they get their sugar in the alcohol. I am not a strong beleiver in studies, but I do know I love my wine, but eat very few sweets.
That could be the reason for the sugar craving: none or not as much alcohol. Many studies show people who do love their booze are not big sweet eaters cause they get their sugar in the alcohol. I am not a strong beleiver in studies, but I do know I love my wine, but eat very few sweets.
Hmm you might be on to something there. I guess I should just try and keep more fresh fruit around to satisfy the sweet cravings, just too expensive this time of year.
I try not to drink a lot of alcohol. I like really nice wines and craft beers when I do, but I'll maybe have a drink every month or so, if that.
I also try to avoid any excessive deep-fried foods these days, as well as avoiding added sugar that isn't in a dessert (and desserts have also been cut back greatly.
I started another thread not long ago about concentrating on fiber and protein in order to lose weight, as part of a multi-phase and very gradual overall life reboot. The idea is to replace the bad stuff that I eat with healthy stuff. So now I'm not going out to eat very much, and I'm not stopping at Wendy's/Burger King/McDonald's.
My cheat day is generally Saturday, and I keep it pretty careful. Like this weekend, I was out running errands, so I ate out for all three meals. Breakfast was a small (and very high-protein) breakfast burrito (eggs, cheese, bacon, chile sauce) from a local chain, lunch was a black bean burger and sweet potato fries from Smashburger and dinner was a personal-sized pizza with arugula, butternut squash and goat cheese.
I'm currently avoiding all soda in favor of unsweetened iced tea and water. About once a week, I have a big glass of whole milk.
But there are certain things my roommate and I insist on - butter (not margarine), whole milk (not lowfat or skim), high quality ice cream (our big in-house indulgence).
I'm a big fan of "everything in moderation." I ate a cream puff for breakfast yesterday, and I enjoyed the crap out of it. I don't drink much pop, I try to make good choices when I'm eating out, and when I cook at home I use as much "real" whole food as possible. I don't go nuts with it, though. Sometimes it's just easier to open a jar of tomato sauce vs. making it yourself.
Yes, and I did, until I lost my job and was living like a pauper off of ramen noodles, bread, cheap pasta, etc. It's much easier to eat healthy when you have a healthy wage. You can't really dedicate too much of your paycheck or monetary funds to eating well when you can barely afford to keep your lights on. Needless to say, eating healthy doesn't mean you have to splurge, but you have to buy enough food to keep you going -- that's the hard part.
I found the way I felt/looked when eating healthy was enough to make me sick of unhealthy eating habits, so it's easier to ween myself now. I also really enjoy cooking and found a love for it, so I'm okay with eating healthy now.
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