I’m Not Giving Up the Foods I Love

I’m losing weight, but I’m not giving up the foods I love. In fact, eating favorite foods while losing weight is an important part of making this something I can actually stick with.

I’m counting calories. I’m weighing some of my food. I’m paying more attention to nutrition, and I’m keeping track of what I eat.

But there’s something I’m not planning to do.

I’m not giving up the foods I love.

I’ve Got to Live With This

I have a lot of weight to lose.

That means this isn’t something I’m going to do for a few weeks and then go back to eating exactly the way I did before.

If I’m going to lose the weight and keep it off, I’m going to have to learn how to eat differently for the long haul.

And I don’t want to spend the rest of my life believing that there are foods I’m never allowed to eat again.

That doesn’t sound particularly realistic to me.

It doesn’t sound like much fun, either.

I Have a Calorie Budget

One of the things I like about counting calories is that I have choices.

I think of my calories somewhat like money.

I have a certain amount available to spend each day. Some foods are relatively inexpensive. Others can use up a pretty big chunk of my budget.

That doesn’t mean I can’t have the expensive ones.

It just means I have to decide whether they’re worth the price.

If I want a hamburger, I can have a hamburger.

If I want dessert occasionally, I can have dessert.

If Glenn and I go out to eat, I’m going to order something I enjoy.

The trick is figuring out how to make those things fit.

Portion Size Makes a Difference

Sometimes I don’t need to give something up. I just need less of it.

That’s one reason my food scale has become such a useful little gadget.

There can be a big difference between having some of a favorite food and having as much of it as I can possibly eat.

I’m learning what a reasonable portion looks like.

Sometimes I’ll decide that a smaller amount is enough. Other times I may decide that I really want the whole thing and adjust the rest of my day accordingly.

Either way, I’m making the decision.

Nutrition Still Matters

Of course, there’s a little more to this than staying under a calorie number.

I want most of what I eat to give my body something it needs.

I need protein. I need fiber. I need vitamins and minerals. I want fruits and vegetables and other nutritious foods to make up a substantial part of what I eat.

If I used my entire calorie budget on cookies, I might technically have counted the calories, but I wouldn’t consider that a particularly successful day.

Calories matter to my weight-loss plan.

Nutrition matters to my health.

I want to pay attention to both.

I Don’t Want a “Cheat Day”

I’m also not particularly fond of the idea of calling something a cheat food or a cheat meal.

If I’ve decided I can have it, I’m not cheating.

I’m eating.

Maybe it’s something I won’t eat very often. Maybe it’s something with a lot of calories. Maybe I’ll have to make some adjustments elsewhere in my day.

But I haven’t broken a rule.

That’s important to me because I don’t want to divide food into things I’m “good” for eating and things I’m “bad” for eating.

It’s food.

I get to decide how much of it fits into the life I’m trying to build.

The Goal Is to Learn How to Eat

For me, eating favorite foods while losing weight isn’t about finding loopholes in my calorie plan.

It’s about learning.

I want to learn how much food I actually need. I want to learn which foods keep me satisfied. I want to learn when something is worth the calories and when it really isn’t.

And I want to learn how to enjoy something I love without turning it into an excuse to abandon everything else I’m doing.

That’s a skill I’m going to need long after the weight comes off.

So yes, I’m changing the way I eat.

Quite a bit, actually.

But I’m not saying goodbye to hamburgers, desserts, restaurant meals or the other foods I enjoy.

I’m just learning how to make room for them.

Because this Calorie Crusade isn’t about seeing how much I can give up.

It’s about learning how I can live.