You can have the foods that you want. The secret is moderation. After a long week of being good on your calories give yourself a treat to your favorite restaurant. Order your favorite dish and have at it, but instead of killing the whole meal take everything and cut it in half. Eat only half of what they give you. Don't bag the rest to take home because you will just eat it the next couple of days when you are not supposed to. Just let the server take it. Yes even at taking the meal and cutting it in half it is still way more then you should have. You have to live though. What you want to do is make your healthy lifestyle a way of life not a constant series of yo-yo dieting. It is unreasonable to think you are not going to cheat. Instead of trying to fight it, structure it into your diet. Make it a positive thing. A reward for doing the right things and not cheating. Every time you feel the urge to indulge in a guilty pleasure just tell yourself you are going to have that as your reward for not eating it at that moment. Successful dieters are just really good at selling themselves. If you are overweight then it goes to reason that you are probably not ever going to be one of those people that can eat whatever they want and not gain a pound. I hate those people by the way. You are going to have to make a lifetime change that will involve you watching what you eat and at least maintaining your goal weight once you get there. Not paying attention to your food choices will just put you right back to square one in a very short time.
Steer away from the high calorie foods in your diet. Technically if you are on a 1500 calorie diet then you can eat whatever you want as long as at the end of the day you are at 1500 calories or less. If you want to make your food choice Hostess HoHo's then you can have a little over 12 cakes. That's it. If you want to make that your diet then you will still probably lose weight. I don't know about you but I cannot only eat 12 HoHo's and be satisfied for a whole day.
My suggestion is to eat when you are hungry. Eat foods low in calories so you can eat more. You end up being more satisfied because you are eating til you are satisfied and not starving yourself. Eat 6 times a day but take your calories allowed and split them up to meals and snacks. The more you eat the better. You body is like a furnace and the more you feed the fire the hotter it gets. Each time you eat you kick on your furnace to digest the food you consumed which in turn has an effect on your overall metabolism. This is one of the "secret" that some of those diet plans make you pay to learn.
When I talk about high calorie foods you may think of things like Mcdonald's burgers, candy bars and dessert cakes like HoHo's But, some of the everyday foods that are considered “healthy” can be high in caloric content, as well. Nuts, for example, have 200 calories in a measly quarter cup serving. Does that mean you should throw nuts to the wayside? Not at all.
You can still enjoy high calorie foods, but as with any type of food, enjoy them in moderation. Above all, make sure your staying within your daily caloric limit.
High Calorie Foods…and how to keep them in check!
Pasta’s – A cup of cooked pasta noodles contains over 200 calories and that’s not including the tomato or a creamy sauce or meat you might add to them. Try filling up on a low calorie salad before moving onto the more calorie dense pasta dish. Or try one of these delicious low calorie pastas!
Fats – As mentioned above, peanut butter, nuts, etc. are all high in calories. Just make sure to consume these in moderation or occasionally opt for pistachios, which contain slightly fewer calories per serving.
Fatty cuts of meat – Ribeyes and other fatty cuts of meat are best consumed in small amounts. You could also opt for leaner cuts of meat like chicken or turkey to help meet your daily protein requirements without all the calories.
Chips – Chips are highly processed snacks that are high in calories and don’t pass along many nutrients. However, when the chip craving sneaks up on you try pre-portioning out your chips into smaller bags to help ensure you don’t eat through an entire big bag of chips in one sitting. These smaller bags are great for when you’re on the run, as well. Or choose a healthier chip alternative like Kays Naturals Protein Chips that have only 115 calories per serving or Popchips All Natural Potato Chips that contain a low 120 calories per serving. Sometimes it’s just the crunch that you crave which can be satisfied with a few carrots!
Beer & Mixed Drinks– There’s a good reason that a large stomach has been given the term “beer belly”! Beer and most alcoholic drinks are high in calories. But, it’s still possible to enjoy a few drinks in moderation and not ruin your diet. Plus, there are many low calorie beers and low calorie alcoholic drinks for you to enjoy – without all the guilt!
Fried foods – Frying foods can add hundreds if not more calories and fat to your meal. Try to avoid these types of foods when possible and instead opt for grilled or baked versions.
Ice cream – You can enjoy ice cream, but it’s all about portions and choosing the right kind. First of all, no matter what kind of ice cream it is, eating an entire gallon in one sitting isn’t going to help your waistline. So, scoop a half cup or so out into a bowl and put the rest back. Secondly , the type of ice cream you eat can make a huge difference in the amount of calories you consume. Haagen-Dazs Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice cream contains a whopping 360 calories per half cup! Instead opt for something like Breyer’s All Natural Mint Chocolate Chip which only has 150 calories per half cup!
Candy bars – Most candy bars are high in calories, sugar and fat. And even if they are low in calories they aren’t going to be good for you. However, I know what it’s like when a chocolate craving occurs! When this happens try popping a few Sweetriot Cacao Nibs in your mouth or try these Go Raw Freeland Super Chocolate Cookies. Plus, head over to our low calorie foods section for some more delicious and healthy ideas.
Enjoy these foods in moderation and as rewards for staying within your calories and on your diet as planned. The key to maintaining healthy weight is to have a plan you can live with. That is why so many people on Adkins diets gain back all the weight they lost. There is no doubt that the diet sheds off weight. The problem is that the diet itself is not one that a person can live with long term. Eating a balanced calorie reduces diet keeping high caloric foods in check is a weight loss plan that you can live with.
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