The limitations of eating healthy

Posts: 731
5/27/12 1:12 P

I have learned to 'like,' not love, fat-free cheese. If not fat-free, then at least 75% fat-free cheese. I have yet to say this to anyone and not have them reply: 'Oh, real cheese -good cheese - is something I'll never give up. I have to have the REAL GOOD stuff...'

I didn't say I'll never eat full-fat yummy French cheese ever again in this life. But I do treat it as if it's a piece of full-fat cheesecake. Only for special occasions (rare) and then I 'budget' my calories (or WW points plus) for it. And I watch the portion size.

I also drink plain black coffee. One day, I decided it was easier to not add milk, even skim or low-fat milk. I'd learn to like plain black coffee. Turns out I LOVE the taste of plain black coffee. Turns out that when I eat full-fat cheese, I feel like someone smacked me in the face with something fatty and unctuous and yes, yummy. But I truly appreciate the taste now and I don't have a problem eating just a little.

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5/27/12 2:56 A

I have had similar conversations with co-workers. They tell me they can't go hungry, or limit what they eat. But I don't do either of these things! When I tell them this, they dismiss me. Me thinks they are looking for excuses, not advice.

current weight: 146.0

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Posts: 5,338
5/26/12 10:36 P

I think it can be limiting.......we limit it by not using our own creative imagination of all the wonderful good healthy choices we can make when we eat. We limit ourselves by thinking that it is a diet..........a list of all the things WE CAN"T HAVE........ In stead of realizing it's a wonderful list of all the delicious things we can enjoy.

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Posts: 1,723
5/26/12 6:16 P

That is a great revelation, and I'm glad you shared it with your friend. I hope that it helps her!

There is so much healthy, delicious food in the world, but sometimes it takes breaking out of a rut and trying something new to make that realization. We eat a really varied diet, and it's really when we're indulging that we go back to basics (steak, icecream, chips...).

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Posts: 443
5/26/12 2:36 P

Its hard to break the usual way.

My father wants to lose weight - but he sticks to his diet like glue. He do not WANT to change a thing, cause he do not want to get out of his comfort zone.

I think its fine to eat the usual stuff once in a while. but for ex. I realized some of my comfort food is only comforting cause it reminds me of my childhood - when life was very easy and light. The food not.

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Posts: 2,085
5/26/12 2:32 P

I think the word diet too has gotten an ugly connotation at this point too. When people hear diet, you think Adkins or South Beach and it's really not that but what you eat in general. I haven't cut out anything from my diet and I think that has helped me keep my weight off. I eat healthy the majority of the time, but I'm also not against having a little treat, whether it be a burger out or a mini Snickers. I think it's good to not deprive yourself of anything, instead tracking and balancing your diet. :)

Posts: 11,079
5/26/12 2:08 P

That was one of the surprises for me, too. I always thought of myself as a "foodie," but I was really sticking to the flour-butter-sugar section of the fancy grocery store. Now, I eat hundreds of foods I never explored before-- turns out tofu is not weird, whole wheat bread tastes better than white, and quinoa is cute when it's cooked! For me, eating healthier has become the opposite of limiting 90% of the time. (There are times when I've wanted to try a new pastry or a different burger joint and I just don't feel like I can spare the calories, but usually I can't spare the cash, either-- budget is more limiting than diet!)

current weight: 132.0

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Posts: 616
5/26/12 1:59 P

This post is inspired by a conversation I had today with a coworker. She was praising me over my 30 pound weight loss then said, "but I can't diet, it's too limiting".

What I realized after this converation was that I was limiting myself with excuses like that. I would always pick items from restaraunt menues that I was used to- fried, breaded, creamy, carby, etc. Eating almost exclusively at Qdoba, Taco Bell, Wendy's, Panera... By trying to eat light, I was chosing to add new foods to my arsenal- Salmon, asparagus, green beans, a variety of salads, lamb, shrimp, scallops, haricot verts, tofu... The list goes on and on.

Anyway, I decided to email my coworker with this revelation (I consider her a friend more than just a coworker) and her response was so wonderful- That she had never really looked at it that way, and thanked me for pointing out a new point of view that she had not previously considered. She needs to lose probably 150lbs to be healthy, and if this can inspire her to make a modest change to her life that will extend it, I am selfishly proud of myself, because I'd like to have her in my life as long as I can.

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