Tip: Remind yourself that changing your body and your life is something that can be accomplished only one day at a time!

I was re-reading KD's book "Getting Thin and Loving Food" and was reminded of how she's never giving up foods she loves but that she has rules for including them in her life (p.21).

What is a food you love and what is your rule to control the quantity?

I have a few...
Godiva chocolate--I only eat it when I go shopping at the mall that is 30 miles away and I limit myself to 2 pieces tops! I don't shop there often, so that is why I have this rule. I hope a Godiva store NEVER comes any closer!!

BBQ ribs--I only eat them at 1 restaurant that I have found to be the best and they are only served on Saturdays plus they are not all you can eat! I have only had them once in the last 8 months

Non-fat, decaf, sometimes sugar free mochas--This is a new one for me....I will only have one the day AFTER I walk 3 or more miles.

Enjoy your week

On the whole, as Susan said, I try to make sure that whatever fatty food I DO eat really worth the calories. I can much easier pass up a crappy storebought hard chocolate chip cookie than I can a homemade gooey one.

Pizza has always been one of my faves and, before my journey, Domino's Pizza was an every-Friday-night routine. Because I live alone, the portion issue is a problem when ordering pizza because, well, you can't order a quarter of a pizza! So I decided to morph a healthier version at home to have more often and only have the real stuff once in a blue moon (when I get it, I have my 2 or 3 slices, and freeze the rest in 2-slice foil packets).

For the morph, I buy the whole wheat Boboli crust and then freeze it in quarters (1 quarter = 2 slices). Then, I just pull out a quarter crust, top it with sliced tomatoes, chopped bell pepper and herbs and then microwave 1 or 2 slices of lower fat bacon. Though I'm eating bacon, which is a high fat food, it is 40% lower fat bacon and everything else about the pizza is low fat and healthy, so I figure I'm cutting down the fat and calories quite a bit from Domino's.

Chocolate is just one of those things I won't give up. I have 1 bitesize dark chocolate Dove Promise pretty much daily, usually after lunch.

Burgers & fries are another weakness of mine. Every month or so, I go to a restaurant and order a plain burger with BBQ sauce on the said(no bacon & cheese, which is how I always ate it) and an order of fries. The difference now is that I eat half and take the rest home for another meal. A fast food burger just isn't going to do it for me anymore...it needs to be GREAT! I do, however, stop at McD's now and then for just a small order of fries (unfortunately, I live right next to one, too, and sometimes the smell is too much to handle!).

Ice cream is something that I almost never buy high fat for home anymore. I usually buy a light or lowfat ice cream and sometimes a fat free sorbet (right now, I have Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches in the freezer). I will only buy by the pint, I make a game of seeing how many servings I can squeeze out of it. Now and then, I will go to Baskin & Robbins and have one kid-sized scoop of Jamocha Almond Fudge in a up. I also sometimes go to Wendy's and get a Junior Frosty (kid's size) which is in this tiny little cup and it's just enough to have a taste.

BBQ ribs is another one of those now and then things because I can't imagine never having them again. But again, they have to be great ones and I get the kid's rib basket which is less than a half rack of ribs and a few fries.

Yeah, Kat...2 blocks down is one - on the same street. My weakness when it comes to chocolate is Bernard Callebaut....wow. I only have it about once a year...but I love when I do. Hmm haven't had it this year (evil laugh ).

Bernard Callebaut is from Belgium..and the chocolates are handmade in his stores..amazing. Perhaps that is what Godiva is like for you! Trust me, I looked at chocolate differently after eating that stuff.

Terri- I had a friend who was always trying to get me to buy some Godiva and I thought it would be a waste of money (it is expensive). One day while shopping with her she bought me a raspberry truffle and it was soooooo good. It is worth every penny

Yikes, I'd be in trouble if it was down the street from me. I've only met one person who didn't care for it and I've never gotten them another piece...they have to give me the right reaction (tee hee).

I refuse to give up my cappacinos. So I had determined that if I do 20 minutes more water walking, it evens out. So I can do the walking early, then if I feel like a cappacino in the afternoon, it's "paid" for.

Chocolate, I had sworn off until I found the mini-bars, about 1 x 1.....and I will allow myself a frozen 2 ---- when I have swam or walked that day. I won't have any if it's a cappacino day, and if I can't follow through, not more than twice a week. Chocolate is a red light food for me, once I start, I can't or don't stop.

Those are the only two things I will say I feel deprived of if I can't have them. I have learned there is NOTHING I can't live without...but those two things are things I don't want to live without.

I have a couple of foods I won't give up.

One is chocolate..however, I don't have a huge bar now. I now buy dark chocolate (70% cocoa from lindt). A package of 3 little squares usually lasts me 2 days which isn't too bad.

I also indulge once in a while on french fries. Yes. yes...I know..they are awful for you. I live directly across the street from Mcdonalds (I look at the drive thru window through my window..great view huh? Not.) I usually go there and have a diet coke and a grilled chicken sandwich..read the paper to unwind after work then come home. The sandwich is on a ww bun, and is low fat high protein. But every once in a while, I'll get a craving for fries...so I'll have a SMALL portion. I'd say it'd average once every 10 days I'll have some. I also make sure to have extra veggies afterwards when I eat them.

PS Kat...I live down the street from a Godiva store, but have never had any. Is it THAT good??

Ice cream is my biggie. I do reduced fat/light and measure out my portion sizes.

For a while, I had to stop buying my Edy's light because I was cheating on the portion and switched to skinny cows.

If I have a rule, I guess it's that I don't spend calories on anything less than the good stuff. For instance, I'd rather save up for a soft, warm homemade tollhouse cookie than have a hard, store-bought version. And I'm less tempted by candy bars if I let myself have a piece of See's or Godiva chocolate now and then.

That's not to say I always pass up "sub-par" treats. It's a constant struggle and my rules get bent on a regular basis!

I like this homework but am embarrassed by my answer.
I think I love so many foods, I say "I think" because mentally there are so many things I "love" to eat. This really is not true, what I need to do is to figure out what I really do LOVE to eat, just one or two things. I am starting to ask myself when I eat something "was this really worth it" and most of the time the taste was not worth the guilt that folows. I do love chocolate, especially dark chocolate-I can usually keep it under control when I eat it.
I am going to journal about this, figure out what I really love and what I can forgo and how will I control eating those foods that are really worth all the calories because they are just too good to pass up!
Thanks for making my brain work, it's Monday AM and it usually isn't ready to think until afternoon!
Jill

I have recently been eating too much of my favorites. I love salty, sour and spicy food. Give me a hot dog with sauerkraut, mustard, pickles and jalapenos and I'm set! This also lends well to my favorites that add guilt - mexican and chinese.

Since I haven't been doing well at managing these, I'll list what I should be doing differently. I know better than to go away from a restaurant with a tummy ache and regret!

Mexican -
My favorite is cheese enchiladas. This is and always will be my sticking point on the path towards being vegan. This is something that I refuse to veganize, because it just doesn't cut it. Eggplant parm is perfect with soy cheese, but these little morsels just don't measure up to what this Texas girl is accustomed to.
Old habit: 2 cheese enchiladas, rice, beans, 3 flour tortillas, chips & salsa to start
New plan: 2 cheese enchiladas, green salad OR 1 cheese enchilada, beans and green salad, no chips & salsa

Also in this category are burritos. Size is the main culprit. Unless I can legitimately fit 1000 calories into my day, I need to work on scaling the portions and avoiding the cheese and sour cream. I will go for soft tacos or a tortilla-less burrito more frequently.
Old habit:A very large burrito stuffed with beans, rice, cheese, salsa, guacamole
New plan:2 soft tacos w/ beans and veggies or a burrito bowl with beans, rice, salsa, lettuce

Chinese -
We absolutely love sesame chicken! What? Are you a vegetarian Fer? Yes, of course. It's made from soy protein and is absolutely divine. But, its still not exactly on the heart-healthy list. There is a fabulous place not too far from our new home and it has replaced pizza as our carry-out staple.

Old habit: 2 fake meat dishes, white or fried rice, 1 fried spring roll
New plan: 1 fake meat dish, 1 steamed or light sauce vegetable dish, brown rice, no spring roll

Overall, I want to focus on how I know foods make me feel. I want to feel happy and sated after a meal, not icky and sad. I'm heading out again today for 3 more days of eating out. I will try to think before I order.

Yes, Kat, good topic!

My never-give-up food is a category, Chinese buffets. My rule is two trips to the food, and I must maintain a minimum of 2/3 of the plate with vegetables and 1/3 of the plate with meats or other items. (I actually try for 3/4 and 1/4, but the second trip always changes.) And no deep fried items! That last part was hard in the beginning, but I've learned to appreciate the vegetables so much more that I don't get upset about not having the deep fried stuff anymore.

The other rule is no more than once a week. I used to eat Chinese buffet three to four times a week. I really love this stuff! As a matter of fact, today's the day. I am so looking forward to lunch!

Bill

I have morphed my favorite recipes so that I can eat them regularly. I make a great whole grain pizza crust, top with veggies and lf cheese. I also make lightened up soups, salads, chili, meat dishes. My tact has been to change rather than limit my favorites. We eat at home most of the time because of this. So far it is woking well.

Good topic, Kat

One of mine is cheese. I could live on it, but I only have it now in small quantities, maybe once a week. My trick is to always add it to my plate last, so I can see that I got some. If it hides in the recipe, I don't feel as satisfied. I also only have the cheeses I love most, and I add it to otherwise very healthy dishes, not the dangerzone dishes, which I already have to compensate for tomorrow.

Chocolate is something I'm working on getting back into my plan, but I haven't figured it out yet because I can't justify it nutritionally so I have to be ready for a total indulgence to have some. Last night, I almost bought my alltime fave decadent ice cream, Godiva Belgian Dark Chocolate. I'm glad to say the only store that carries it, was all out. Saved my butt.

Lynne