Is it possible to be a foodie and also be slim/ lose weight

[SeeooelllaaaCola]

Following from my post on another thread. I have only managed to lose weight for the first time by 'breaking up' with food. In the past I could take or leave chocolate and most cake, I ate probably ten bags of crisps per year, I never enjoyed fast food. My typical Sunday would be sourdough bread toasted, eggs and hot sauce, lunch would be an avocado wrap, snacks would be olives, dinner would be a roast dinner.
I now try to see food as fuel and choose foods that will fill me up but not use up much of my tiny calorie allowance. Taste rarely comes into it. I don't go until local businesses and browse the shelves for inspiration. I don't read recipe books. I don't (even when I could) travel to food markets and street food stalls. I feel like I've had to give up a side of myself, and a hobby, but I now fit into size 12 jeans. Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it.

Anyone managed to combine a love of food with losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight? Please tell me how!

Yes, for the most part weight is about how much you are eating not what.

If you are trying to lose weight after a few weeks you should just be able to recognise what is a good portion for you and how much to eat.
In particular restaurant portions are usually huge so you can order whatever sounds good but unless you are 7ft tall you don't need to finish the plate. Or if you are going out for dinner you know it is going to be higher calories than a normal meal so you have something lighter for lunch.
It doesn't take not eating for the rest of the day or counting the calories in everything you eat, you just need to learn what calories look like for the most part and over the week strike a balance by intuitive eating.

But it is easy! You just have to get used to it. And generally (after I retrained myself in what a sensible amount of food is) I don’t track any calories at all. I can guess pretty accurately that I’ve had about 1200 today (2 slices bread, two vegan sausages, ketchup & one roll, one vegan burger, one slice of cheese, salad). Not been an overly healthy day today though! Oh, and I had a caramel rice cake for pudding.

Tomorrow will definitely be healthier!

Definitely! Not that I'm doing a particularly good job of it at the moment, but still...



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Sadly I think it has a lot to do with metabolism. I eat whatever I want and I have always been a size 6/8 (except when pregnant!!!!) and I am not an avid exerciser. Admittedly I wouldn't say I'm "in shape" - I have cellulite all over my legs that i doubt I'll ever be able to get rid of, but according to my dress size, I am very slim and always have been.

I lost 2 stone by having porridge with nuts and fruit with honey/wholegrain toast with avocados and boiled eggs etc, homemade soup and wrap for lunch (my favourite was feta and beetroot) and some kind of grain, meat and veg for dinner. I also did one hour of cardio four times a week. I trained myself not to pick as I was cooking which is a bad trait of mine. I drank alcohol and had a desk job but I realised I ate extra things I didnt need without even realising!

Weirdly I’ve got a handle on weight for the first time in years by abandoning the slimming world bollocks and embracing my foodie self. In fairness I cook pretty much everything from scratch including bread and calorie count 5/7 days but we eat lovely quality food and I don’t ever feel I’m wanting.
Never eat breakfast and also no sweet tooth so always savoury nice stuff.
Also switched calorific alcohol to gin and slimline every single time. No wine or lager in a couple of years now

I’ve done Keto, I was able to eat more of the things I like such as Avos, coconut yogs, olives etc. and I lost weight. However it’s still massively restrictive, it’s very easy to over eat and forget about portion sizes (which then means you don’t lose very much), you can’t have any treats/break out of it on a weekend say, I noticed that when I did that I always seemed to have gained the following week.

Counting calories I lost more weight per week 2-4lb compared to 1-2lb (at best some times it was less and sometimes gained and gained more than a 1lb).

I think to get the maximum variety out of Keto you need to eat meat.

I think it’s down to luck of metabolism. I’m able to eat what I want and not think much of it. I have had 3 kids and approaching 40, but the same size 8/10 since I was pre kids. I have a little more fat around my belly (not much). But my youngest is 13 months and I’m still breastfeeding. I think the main thing for me is I just don’t snack. I’m too busy. I eat 3 full meals. I might have one snack. An example of my meals today include:

1 large bowl of cereal for breakfast. Brunch 2 eggs on two pieces of brown grainy break w half an avocado (at this w my baby as she had her lunch at 11am) and at 1pm had lunch w kids, fish fingers sandwhich and clementine. For dinner I will have perogies w peas and cream cheese.

But I know if some of my friends ate like this they would gain weight. They tell me this. For me I eat like that and weight either stays the same or slowly comes off (I’ve been going down in weight ever so slowly since having the baby).

@TornadoOfSouls problem is those foods all have more calories than the equivalents you mentioned in any amount to be filling and satisfying....I know I’ve been there.

The Hairy Bikers have a series of cookbooks called “The Hairy Dieters” and all the recipes are packed with flavour.

I found that by cutting out sugar and processed foods, my taste buds totally adapted and I began to enjoy really healthy food instead.

@BackBoiler I think being aware of picking is massive, bad trait of mine too!!!

Interesting. Nearly all of the very slim women I know just aren't into food. They never talk about it, they don't seem to derive that much pleasure from it, and they don't eat very much at all.

However I think it is possible. Paul McKenna's principles are based upon eating whatever you want, but really enjoying and every mouthful and focusing on what you are eating, so that you can then stop when you start to feel full.

I think nearly all of weight is about the quantity you are eating.

I love food, cook and eat out and am slim. I eat and drink whatever I like, but what I like is a moderate amount. I cook with butter and full fat cheeses etc.
But I don’t eat breakfast unless I’m on holiday.

@Mamabear12 I ate a very similar way for years and never lost any weight. My typical diet was
Porridge with almond milk or water
Two coffees
One whole meal roll with half tin of soup
Two rice cakes and half an avocado
Dinner was usually pasta or stir fry
1 glass of red wine
Normal exercise, walking to work, up and down hospital, on feet a lot, one hour of Zumba so not much.

I didn't lose anything and stayed a 16 for four years.

For me it's probably mostly genetics tbh. I've never been bigger than a size 10, I eat whatever I want in moderation.

However, I don't have a sweet tooth and I don't drink much either so that probably has an impact as well. I noticed my metabolism slowing at around 30 - I just eat less (quantity wise, not content) than I did when I was younger

If you cut carbs out you can basically eat what you want. I eat lots of fats, full fat dairy etc and am the slimmer I’ve ever been

I am food obsessed. I run a food instagram account, spend hours on Pinterest looking up recipes, eat delicious food, get takeaways, have cooking competitions with my DH, eat out, drink wine and am a size 8 currently losing a pound a week. It's just not every day or every meal and I generally count my calories and balance a pizza and wine one day with a vegetable stir fry and water the next day.

Yes! Eat slowly, enjoy your food. Eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full. You’ll get more enjoyment out of your food as you’re eating when you’re truly hungry.

I’m slim (5’3”, 8 stone, size 6-8) and love food and cooking. I also have a sweet tooth and a tendency to snack! For me it’s all about portion size. I’m also not generally a fan of buttery / creamy things, I much prefer fresh / spicy / tomatoey flavours.
If I eat breakfast it’s usually something like a cereal bar, lunch might be homemade soup and a roll, pitta with humous and veggies, or a toastie. A slice of homemade cake or a biscuit mid afternoon. Then a home cooked dinner. We’ve had some of the HelloFresh boxes recently, but I’ve found the meals for two are often enough for a portion left over for lunch the next day. I’ll have dessert, but not a big serving, or a couple of chocolates with a hot drink before bed.
I probably average about 1500 calories a day. I do avoid sugary drinks though, and only drink alcohol occasionally.

I am doing this! Losing a pound a week on average, and a long way to go, but sticking with it. Lost over a stone so far.

I love cooking, it's my hobby. I live alone and am lucky enough to be able to afford to eat well, so really no excuses. Everything cooked from scratch.

Portion size is the key for me, and watching the carbs and hugely reducing any sugar. I have completely cut out alcohol.

To my surprise Green juices are rather tasty and filling, as well as Good for You.

I hike 12 to 15 miles every weekend too but don't overdo the exercise as I have found that it can stimulate the appetite and then you end up going back for seconds, and justifying it to yourself.( an issue with living alone is that there is nearly always more of whatever you've cooked.)

So I portion out my food and put away what I am not going to eat immediately if possible. That does help a bit.

Approaching dieting from a punitive perspective simply doesn't work for me, I've learned.

I’m a chef and tiny by most standards (size six.) apparently I’m not to be trusted... I cooked salmon with a bearnaise sauce for dinner tonight. I think portion control is what does most people in.

I don't know op (still figuring that out for myself) but veganism is supposed to be healthy and France has just awarded its first Michelin star to a vegan restaurant, so there is hope! I'm not vegan BTW but we've begun dabbling in having at least one vegetarian meal per week and have found some delicious recipes. 😋

@DivGirl

It’s possible - but probably not with three meals a day (I actually don’t understand how anyone can lose weight on three meals a day unless they’re exceptionally active). Weight loss is just numbers - you can eat whatever you want as long as you stay within your calorie limits.

I’ve lost about 3 stone in the last year and eat all the same foods I did before, just much less of them.

You can make a really delicious meal for 500 calories or less, so if course you can eat 3 meals and loose weight!