Buy Walking VideosYou Can Eat Anything You Want
Yep, it’s true.
You can eat anything you want. You just can’t eat EVERYTHING you want.
You can eat anything you want and still lose weight. You just can’t eat everything you want.
You couldn’t even eat EVERYTHING you wanted if you tried. Believe me, I tried. No matter how much I ate, I still wanted to eat more. Since I can never satisfy my bingeing, it doesn’t matter that I eat light now. I didn’t feel satisfied when I tried to eat everything, so there’s no point in trying that again.
How do I eat anything I want and still lose weight? PORTION CONTROL.
If I want a Big Mac, I get a Big Mac and I eat a quarter of it. That was unheard of for me before I started eating healthy. If I ordered a Big Mac, I ate the whole thing, even if two bites filled me up. I was so disconnected from my body that I never knew when to stop. Now, I eat a few bites and leave it at that. I can buy myself another Big Mac if I’m hungry in two hours. They’re cheap.
Sometimes I eat two bites and bring the rest home. I eat a couple of bites for a snack later and the rest for dinner. Sometimes I don’t even need to eat it. Sometimes knowing that I can have carrot cake and it’s in the fridge for me is enough. Sometimes just buying the dessert is just as fulfilling as eating it ever was.
Next time you’re feeling deprived, remember this:
You can eat anything you want. You just can’t eat EVERYTHING you want.
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May 26th, 2006 at 5:14 am
I’m not sure I subscribe to this theory – but of course, everybody is different. When I was at the end of grad school doing nothing but writing and sitting on my butt all day, I gained about 20 extra pounds. After that, I had a bit of a slow period, so I hit the gym everyday for 2 hours a day. My diet really didn’t change much – I wasn’t eating a whole lot, since this slow period also involved no income, but I was eating cheap junk food like potato chips daily. I did notice a differnce in my physical activity – could breathe better, run farther etc., but the pounds didn’t start coming off until I improved my diet. And once I did improve my diet, the pounds came off quickly.
Of course, like I said, we are all different, so that was what worked for me.
May 26th, 2006 at 6:24 am
Deprivation led to binges and more unhealthy eating. When I know I can eat some sweets I opt for healthy eating a lot more.
I love the photo 🙂 I wish they sold fast food in mixtures. I usually have the salad with swapped dressing or the chicken sandwich with a side salad. I then ask for one fry of my hubbies. I make cupcakes and mini cakes more than sheet cake because sheet cakes seems to be one huge serving.
May 26th, 2006 at 6:34 am
Tanya I love your name. Every one is different. While all diets that work deal with calories a diet that’s a fit for me via WW might not be for you. Yes inactivity is key with some people and some foods like vegetables are less calories and more filling then junk.
1,000 calories in junk doesn’t go far. You were probably eating more portions of the junk food without realizing it. Portions are hard to gage. Some places also give you much bigger portions than the nutrition info says. To eat pasta I have a fourth cup then mix it with veggies. I get the taste from the pasta and the volume from the veggies.
May 26th, 2006 at 11:47 pm
Sounds like your having a good food day Laura. I have those days “Eat some now/Save some for later”. Those are great days. Such control. Such happiness. No thought to ever binging again. The feeling of triumph !
Then comes the hunger. An uncontrollable need. Withdrawal symptoms from an unannounced craving. Recalling the rush from a food item.
I don’t think that we are ever cured from an eating disorder like binging. But I believe that we can learn to reduce the number of binges and learn to decrease the load/intake through help.
June 29th, 2006 at 7:42 am
I think you guys are Right-On when you say that ” Everyone is different “. The small portion thing just does not work for me, when I eat like that, I go through my entire day being HUNGRY!!!! What works for me is this- A Smart Breakfast ( And you all know what I mean when I say Smart ) Anything I want for lunch, without going all the way to the wall. and a smart ( Meat and Veggie ) dinner. Plenty of cardio and weight training 2x a week. I went from 240lb to 185lbs, and that was 1 year ago.
Try it. 🙂
July 23rd, 2006 at 6:25 am
I definitely agree with you on this one. Knowing that my favorite food is available whenever I want it actually makes it easier to control my eating. Now, I only eat foods that I REALLY want, not just because someone offers. If I know I can have it any time, I don’t have to have it NOW. Most of the treats I do buy are all in small, individual sized packages, so I eat just one serving at a time, and I don’t eat those when I’m hungry. I fill up first on veggies and protein before I eat starches or sugars, and I try to see if I can be satisfied by a nice, ripe peach or other sweet, juicy fruit instead. Often, it works!
September 2nd, 2006 at 10:41 pm
I think portion control is a big deal, too.
I really appreciate it when I find places that are selling small sizes of things. For instance, I know few people think of McDonalds in this context, but my local McDonalds sells tiny soft serve cones for 49 cents. Not only are they cheap, they’re small. I like them because they’re small enough that my kids can handle them without making a huge mess, and for me, they don’t encourage me to overeat. Our local soft-serve place’s smallest size is As Big As Your Head.
Ditto, little known fact about Starbucks, there is an extra size, and it’s called “Short.” It’s not on the menu, but they have 6oz cups and will make most espresso drinks for you in one. Personally I think they taste better — the proportions of the larger cups basically mean you’re getting a milkshake, not a coffee.
My strategy now is that I eat the smallest available size of everything, and when I go out to eat at most places I eat appetizers, which at a lot of places are about the size an actual meal should be, while the entrees are enough to feed a family of four for a week.
If I’m hungry, I say, Well, I’ll get the smallest one and eat it, and then if I’m still hungry I’ll order something else. But then when I eat it, I’m usually not hungry anymore.
September 27th, 2006 at 3:12 am
This is so simple…
Don’t do meals, just eat a single thing at a time. I might have a boiled egg at one time, a bowl of cereal a little later, a baked potato, or a salad, or a cookie, or a glass of milk (milk is food). The trick is to only eat one thing every couple of hours. It gives you something to look forward to, to plan for. And it doesn’t create binging because you know that you can have something else in a couple hours. If you can keep each item to 100 or 150 calories you will probably get less than 1500 calories a day, and eating one thing at a time helps in digestion. Eat at home! For a real boost in weight loss, have a cup of black coffee or tea (no sugar) after everything you eat. Yes you can eat anything you want.
October 3rd, 2006 at 7:56 pm
Sure, I can get full satisfaction after a couple of bites of my favourite food. I chew the food slowly and enjoy it thoroughly before swallowing it. (At times, I even spit out high fat food after I have tasted it fully.) I eat a piece of the special food at the beginning of my dinner or at the end. I just don’t make it my entire meal! To give up a special food for life is impossible. I will end up overeating when I get an opportunity.
October 3rd, 2006 at 8:03 pm
I cannot store a favouite snack in the fridge and then not a have a frequent bite! I will eat a piece of it when I am offered some in a party, but that is it. I do not want more of it at home.
October 7th, 2006 at 2:55 pm
Definately a diet that works for me. I’ve been doing portion control for a couple of years…and I’m happy to be able to eat what ever I want. The key is small portions and more meals per day. I eat 6 meals a day. My cheat foods, like burger king’s whopper with cheese I save for the weekends, however, now I opt for the whopper jr. and small fries. It really works.
October 27th, 2006 at 11:01 am
Mcdonald is evil! I hate is so much!
November 13th, 2006 at 8:57 am
Well my opinion is everyone is different. But I know one thing all of us got a mind ( I hope) and that’s is what is controling us if we let it. We can reprogam it to eating right and exercises. That is what makes the body look good.. diet and exercises. But some of us choose to stay fat and feel sorry for ourselves. Try this.. Controling your own self…MIND Tell your mind “Shut up it’s my way! Say it out loud when you want to overeat or eat wrong or not exercise. Keep doing it and it will work I believe that will do it for every one.
November 14th, 2006 at 3:27 pm
I have a problem i eat eat eat alll the time i never feel full i have tryed to eat just alittle at a time but i wlways feel if i go to mcdonalds or another fast food place that i payed for it so i need to eat it ! lol i am really picky and i dont like to heat up left overs as well so when i cook supper and there is any food left i eat it ! i need help i really wish i could stop this i fell hungry all the time tho and i am never full what really should i do !!
November 15th, 2006 at 2:09 am
this is for fat guys like me!!!!! i opine that unless otherwise u have the real vested interest to pop off your kg’s or pounds, u will never reduce ur weight. Interest must come from within and mustn’t e induced by anyone. after cultivating ur self-grown interest, observe the change in u .
November 25th, 2006 at 11:15 am
I agree with Jewel. I eat all day long, but I eat small portions: 8 vanilla wafers, a small salad of bagged salad mix that is mostly lettuce plus 5 grape tomatoes and two tablespoons of light ranch dressing, 1/2 an apple with a tablespoon of caramel apple dip, a sandwich made from 1 slice of golden flax and grain bread, 1 slice of turkey, 1 slice of chicken, 1/2 slice of ham, and 1/2 slice of cheese, etc., etc., etc. I loathe diet sodas, but Ocean Spray light juices are delicious–especially the Cran-Grape and the Cran-Apple. The Cran-Raspberry light is pretty nasty. Sometimes I will have a baked potato or a boiled egg. I reduced from 252 pounds to 135 by this means, and I have maintained it for three years now.
December 18th, 2006 at 2:32 pm
Pam, you are amazing, keep up the good work. I can only be inspired by your success and hope many others read about you as well. May you have the strength to continue on your never-ending path to healthful living.
January 8th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
I agree with alot of the posts here.Tracking your food is SO important… Ive done weight watchers and lost 20lbs in the past…i stoped and gained back 10 lbs…im starting to follow the plan again and so excited to achive my goals with a plan that works for me! i know those hunger pains can be the END of any diet…find a healthy high protein food to stop the craveings and get you to ur next meal…refried beans and a whole wheat tortilla made it for me…its filling and good for you…protien is GOOD helps counteract the bad in foods.
May 24th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
i wish they would serve food as small as the pic becuz i need to lose weight
June 21st, 2007 at 10:46 pm
I like the picture…TINY MEAL!
July 21st, 2007 at 11:40 am
hi laura. the diet worked for me. and and i fell off the wagon when i was in college and gained 15kilos. damn that fat!
i’m looking forward to do this diet tomorrow.. LOL. cannot do it now coz it’s already 1am ( malaysia ).
this what i’ve ate before my sample menu 😀 bfast 1/2 cup cereal 1/2 cup milk
elevenses 1/2 cereal 1/2 cup milk
1/2 baked fish with homemade s/sour sauce 1/4 cup rice 1/4 cup veggy
and ate it again in the afternoon
and i had my fruits
and then i had these for my dinner
kentucky fried chicken – snack plate! i ate half the portion, and save later for midnite.
some time i gave it to my mom..
and i’ve lost 50kilos
gosssssssssh
November 3rd, 2007 at 9:01 am
I agree with you whole-heartedly. You are absolutely right. Knowing how to stop eating when I’m not hungry anymore, I lost 13 pounds in the last three weeks. Now I weigh 126 lbs. It really is that simple.
February 13th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
I have just started portion control to lose wt. and have lost 5 lbs.
March 28th, 2008 at 3:21 am
but if u cant control urself wot do u do?!?!?!?! thats wot everyone needs help on!
November 1st, 2008 at 7:10 am
This all sounds so good and positive. I’m sure it works well if you follow it. My question is; how do you eat frequent meals thru out the day when you have a busy job, such as hands on nursing? I’m lucky to even be able to take time out for lunch..Help me me with ways to make it work.
December 30th, 2008 at 6:48 am
Loved your blog on how to eat anything you want. It really is such common sense and when people deprive themselves, for me anyways, it leads to an all out binge. WW really helped me learn that…but I guess not well enough as I have gained 50 lbs in the last two years. When you are 50, it sticks like glue which is just another awful benefit. I think I need to be more in tune with my body and my heart emotionally before I can ever regain a healthy weight.
January 15th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
hey guys..
it happens again and again,
i have an eating disorder for like 7 years now.. it is getting better, but VERY slowly.. i dont use any help from doc’s.. just myself & I..
what i have is called Binge Eating disorder..
see what it says in The dictionary about me.
Binge eating disorder
Binge eating disorder (BED), is a psychiatric disorder in which a subject shows the following symptoms. Periodically does not exercise control over consumption of food Eats an unusually large amount of food at one time — more than a normal person would eat in the same amount of time. Eats much more quickly during binge episodes than during normal eating episodes Eats until physically uncomfortable Eats large amounts of food even when they are not really hungry Usually eats alone during binge eating episodes, in order to avoid discovery of the disorder Often eats alone during periods of normal eating, owing to feelings of embarrassment about food Feels disgusted, depressed, or guilty after binge eating
it is all true.. it all was like that before even worse.. now much better, i have some control now..
but still i suffer from this a lot
it happened when in my teen age i started starving myself to lose weight.. cuz i heard i was fat..
and so i collapsed my normal attitude to food.. and cant figure out till now how to regain it back..
it is so tough, ..
i cant even explain to anyone fully how i feel.. cuz they dont take it seriously..
i have bad and good days.. good days are when i have control over my food and eat only when i am hungry.. bad days are when i lose control or i eat not only when i am hungry and lose the grip..
today is a bad day in this meaning
i feel the worst
it happens about 2 a month.. every 2 weeks’ i’d say
so – now u know my story.. and i really dont know what to do about it..
February 28th, 2009 at 9:04 am
I am the most frustrated that I’ve ever been with this whole weight loss thing! I am about 30 pounds overweight, actually, I’d like to be smaller, but I will be happy with 30. I know EVERYTHING about EVERY program out there, have bought all the books, tried them all for a day, some longer 🙂 and always came back to the fact that these rules will not hold for the long term for me. I believe that what you do now to lose weight- whether exercise or diet or a combination of both-you’d better be able to do when you’re 90. The options are restriction or freedom, why can’t I make this stick? It seems obvious, and I want to. I just want to eat too. How long until I get used to not eating so much, and until I can see any (ANY) results? How can I stick to this? It seems hopeless, I have been in this battle for all of my adult life, I’m 37…much to long a time. I’m tired and depressed and I don’t know ONE person around me who isnt struggling-and not winning-also. You start to wonder, and then I read about you all on this site, and there’s a sliver of hope. Thanks for hearing me, I’d be just so grateful for any suggestions/help. Thanx.
September 21st, 2009 at 11:43 am
hi! I have never been able to go on a diet where my favorite foods were forbidden. It just doesn’t last. It’s like telling a smoker to quit smoking. Smoking is addictive and so is FOOD. It is for me, anyway. What is working for me is a 1200 calorie diet where I can have anything I want, I just cannot have much of it because 1200 calories add up quick. It is working though. I am not having any cravings. I’m losing about 1 or 2 pounds a week. I’m also riding my stationary bike for 1 hour most nights.
March 10th, 2010 at 11:21 am
I completely agree with your post.
I have been 100+ lbs overweight for several years now and the only time that I have lost weight is when I ate very little.
The only time that I have been able to stick with it is when I at what I wanted to.
This last week I lost 8 lbs in 1 week. Easiest thing ever. No joke.
The key that I am finding out is to not give up if you get off track…don’t get discouraged. 1.Write down what it is that your wanting to do and remind yourself if you feel like you have messed up. 2.Only eat when hungry. 3.Take very small portions only of food you WANT. 4.Don’t be distracted while your eating. 5.Take small bites and enjoy it. 6.Drink water before during and after…at least I enjoy that. 7.And then eat again when your stomach tells you its hungry. 8.I don’t eat when my head tells me it wants something. I don’t care how loud it screams. I Choose when and how much and my body just has to live with it.
If you end up needing more calories because of more activity…your body will tell you what it needs.
If I eat a string cheese and a slice of turkey and 30 min later my stomach is growling…I eat another snack.
Listen to your body and eat what your appetite wants. Its working for me!
May 19th, 2015 at 9:34 am
I lost 50 lbs. In two monthes by just eating small portions every two hours it’s crazy.I mean i eat brownies ice cream rarely anything good.