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I eat everything now, and i've had my longest amount of time that i've kept a large weight loss off.
But the things i limit the most, because i know they're the hardest for me to control, would be ice cream, candy like M&Ms, Reese's, Hershey bars...
Getting the bags of minis even makes it easier to keep unwrapping and eating while i'm working online or reading. If i get some, and try to make it the smallest bag, and the smallest container of ice cream.
Just curious here. What was the one or two things that really made a difference in your diet/weight when you cut out either completely or close to it?
I guess I’m “ lucky” in that unhealthy foods aren’t tolerated well- they show up pretty quickly. Like white sugar or soda. I gained 10 lbs in 2 weeks drinking a soda a day one summer.
Wheat is pretty insideous though, producing ill effects but you don’t realize it’s wheat giving you indigestion or weight gain or moodiness- great highs then the crash. Depressive mood. Quitting wheat really helped the latter. I quit it hoping to lose weight and digest better and just felt better but it was going back to it after not eating it where I recognized the same moodiness/ crashing depression that I connected it to my moods stabilizing or being on a rollercoaster.
Something that's making a difference for me is not labeling food as "good" or "bad" and knowing that one meal, one holiday, even one vacation is not going to ruin my health. Recognizing that different foods serve different purposes at different times. So I can allow myself have french fries or a piece of birthday cake with the understanding that they're fun and tasty, but less nutritious than other foods, and my diet needs to be balanced with those nutrient dense, filling foods.
You're absolutely right. One can eat unhealthy or less healthy foods and still maintain healthy weight and blood sugar - if these foods are the exception, rather than the rule. And if consumption is managed properly, it can actually help some people to stay on their healthy diet, because they don't feel deprived from sticking rigorously to a narrow diet.
The danger is that for some people, sugar and starchy carbs can be addicting, and it may be a fine line for them between merely partaking, and tipping over into focusing on carbs and overeating... so I think one needs to remain mindful and set limits to do this successfully.
You're absolutely right. One can eat unhealthy or less healthy foods and still maintain healthy weight and blood sugar - if these foods are the exception, rather than the rule. And if consumption is managed properly, it can actually help some people to stay on their healthy diet, because they don't feel deprived from sticking rigorously to a narrow diet.
The danger is that for some people, sugar and starchy carbs can be addicting, and it may be a fine line for them between merely partaking, and tipping over into focusing on carbs and overeating... so I think one needs to remain mindful and set limits to do this successfully.
I think people should stop thinking about foods as "healthy" vs "unhealthy". In fact, quantities make the poison as they say.
Take whatever you think is "junk" or "unhealthy" (cookies, chips, french fries, sodas) and all of these can be part of a healthy diet. Take what you think is "healthy" (nuts, whole foods) and if eaten to excess, can make you fat.
People should start thinking in terms of "calorie rich foods" vs "low calorie foods." These are defined by how quickly you can put back calories. Obviously, dried fruit is more calorie rich than fresh fruit simply because they have less volume and you can eat more calories of them quicker. Same with all liquid calories.
If you want to lose weight, it makes sense to replace more and more of your calorie rich foods with lower calorie foods, because your goal should be to reduce calories. And if you want to gain weight (usually for men who want to build muscle), you simply do the opposite - replace more of your lower calorie foods with higher calorie foods.
If you have problems with hunger and cravings - reducing calories by reducing portion sizes is a terrible idea. You will be fighting your hunger every step of the way. Instead replace foods you're currently eating with lower calorie options - these options should have less calories per the same weight/volume. For example, replace your salad dressing with lower calorie salad dressings (don't be afraid of artificial ingredients). Replace your Soda with diet. Make it so you eat the same weight/volume of food but get less calories out of that food.
I think people should stop thinking about foods as "healthy" vs "unhealthy". In fact, quantities make the poison as they say.
Take whatever you think is "junk" or "unhealthy" (cookies, chips, french fries, sodas) and all of these can be part of a healthy diet. Take what you think is "healthy" (nuts, whole foods) and if eaten to excess, can make you fat.
People should start thinking in terms of "calorie rich foods" vs "low calorie foods." These are defined by how quickly you can put back calories. Obviously, dried fruit is more calorie rich than fresh fruit simply because they have less volume and you can eat more calories of them quicker. Same with all liquid calories.
If you want to lose weight, it makes sense to replace more and more of your calorie rich foods with lower calorie foods, because your goal should be to reduce calories. And if you want to gain weight (usually for men who want to build muscle), you simply do the opposite - replace more of your lower calorie foods with higher calorie foods.
If you have problems with hunger and cravings - reducing calories by reducing portion sizes is a terrible idea. You will be fighting your hunger every step of the way. Instead replace foods you're currently eating with lower calorie options - these options should have less calories per the same weight/volume. For example, replace your salad dressing with lower calorie salad dressings (don't be afraid of artificial ingredients). Replace your Soda with diet. Make it so you eat the same weight/volume of food but get less calories out of that food.
Once again, we hear from 1985.
That's the tired old "calories in/calories out" argument, with a glaze of fat blaming.
No, some foods are bad for you, and should be avoided.
Sugar, fake sugar, wheat, seed oils are hard on the body.
Eat fresh whole foods, not low calorie substitutes. Eat meat and veggies and fat.
I guess I’m “ lucky” in that unhealthy foods aren’t tolerated well- they show up pretty quickly. Like white sugar or soda. I gained 10 lbs in 2 weeks drinking a soda a day one summer.
Wheat is pretty insideous though, producing ill effects but you don’t realize it’s wheat giving you indigestion or weight gain or moodiness- great highs then the crash. Depressive mood. Quitting wheat really helped the latter. I quit it hoping to lose weight and digest better and just felt better but it was going back to it after not eating it where I recognized the same moodiness/ crashing depression that I connected it to my moods stabilizing or being on a rollercoaster.
I'm like that too, with peanut butter and half and half in coffee. Just can't do those things and keep the weight off.
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