After my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad weigh in yesterday, I’ve decided to try something that really should have been a huge part of this journey from the getgo.
I’m going to try counting calories, and actually stick with it this time.
A couple months back I was doing it, but it was a half hearted effort and only really “when I felt like it”. That can’t really be the case now. It’s true that I can work my ass in the gym (and for all practical purposes, I really do think I am), but if I’m eating horribly right after (or before, whatever) then it’s all kind of in vain.
I kind of feel like I have to take it a step further though. I know the key to any successful diet is moderation, and that you really don’t have to cut yourself off from ANY food as long as you are responsible about it. It’s worked for Tyler at 344pounds (who has lost over 125 pounds) and for countless others. Unfortunately, I am not any of those people.
That’s why I have also decided that I need to take certain trigger foods off of the table completely, at least for now, until I get a decent amount on control over my food intake. There are foods that I feel I should completely blacklist, and there are those that I am going to brownlist. The blacklisted foods are the ones that I am not touching at all. The brownlisted foods are ones whose consumption is going to severly limited, maybe to once a week or every two weeks. Brownlisted may or may not also be a term that I just pulled out of my ass, I don’t know.
THE BLACKLIST
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Sweets: By sweets I mean cookies, cake, brownies, muffins, donuts, ice cream, stuff like that. I’m probably not going to completely ignore my sweet tooth, but there are healthier ways to satisfy a craving, and if I have really have to find them, I will.
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Candy: Skittles, M&M’s, Starburst Jellybeans (my Kryptonite), Snickers, etc…etc… Again, there are healthier ways to satisfy a sweet craving.
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Fried Foods: Fried chicken, french fries, onion rings, fried cheese, stuff like that. ANY (if any) nutritional value the food may have had, is lost as soon as it goes into the deep fryer. Because of that, it won’t be going into my tummy.
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Vending Machine Snacks: No good has or will ever come out of a vending machine, as least in my experience.
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Bread, Dinner Rolls, Biscuits: This is bread as a standalone product, bread in restaurants, toast, cheddar biscuits at Red Lobster (yum!)
THE BROWNLIST
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Red Meat: I love me a cheeseburger, but if a turkey burger option is available, I’ll try for that. Otherwise, I’d like chicken and fish to become more of the meat staple for my diet, with red meat being an occasional thing.
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Bread: Bread as a standalone is blacklisted, bread as part of a burger, or a sub, or sandwich, is something I want to try to avoid when possible, and limit intake otherwise.
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Beer: I don’t drink much AT ALL anymore, this past Saturday was the first time in over two months, but it still needs to go on the list.
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Condiments: I’m going to put this on the brownlist, but treat it more as a blacklisted item. In my opinion, a world without Ketchup and mayonaisse (and bbq sauce, and ranch dressing…) is a world gone mad, but I will do my best to curtail the intake.
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Soda: Alot of people blacklist it, but I cannot. I love Diet Coke and Pepsi, Diet Sprite, and Diet Orange soda. My consumption of these, however, has already been scaled back greatly, so I’ll just step it up a notch.
Thats…it, I think. If I missed anything major I will add it to one of the lists, but overall I think that addresses my triggers. Everything else would be fair game, within moderation, and I plan on replacing alot more of the crap food with more fruits, vegetables, and otherwise healthier fare.
I asked this via Twitter (by the way, are you following me?) but if anyone missed it, do you have a blacklist and/or brownlist? Are you counting calories, points, whatever? How are you trying to keep your diet in check?
Have a great day, everyone!
Great post Steve. Yes I follow you and that is how I got to this post! My black list food for years was Oreo Cookies. They have recently moved to a dark brown list. I tried the counting points, counting calories, giving this up, giving that up. But what I am truly looking for is NEW ways to find colorful foods in between the black and white that leads to the feelings of deprivation. I am currently searching for ways to find new tastes!
Right now I’m just trying to limit–nothings really off the list, although I am definitely NOT eating all of the food on your blacklist. I’m trying to stay away from the sugar, because it puts me in a bad place–but if I feel like I really need a sugar food, I’m limiting myself to one. I’ll have to think more about this one. Interesting idea!
Great post! I like to call it a b*tchslap when I need to wake up and be aware of what I am putting in my mouth. My drug of choice is Weight Watchers, so I count points. But there are times that I am just not focused on it and it translates to bad feelings within my own body and usually gains at the scale.
Weight Watchers teaches us to not deny ourselves anything, but I totally believe in the trigger foods. To combat that idea of trigger foods, WW teaches us to practice flexible restraint. I am still trying to wrap my head around the idea of flexible restraint.
At the end of the day, we have to do what works for us. And what works for some will not work for all…. I think being aware is the first big jump in the right direction. Keep at it!
The “blacklist” has been something I’ve had to do as well. I don’t do moderation well for whatever reason. Going cold turkey on some of my favorite foods was really the only thing that worked for me.
I do track EVERYTHING I put in my mouth using dailyburn.com. I think it’s pretty sweet and besides calories it gives me a good breakdown of the percentages of different types of foods I’m eating (carbs, proteins, fats). Also, writing everything down makes me aware of bad decisions and I think in some Jedi mind trick way it subliminally kills bad habits.
Cutting this stuff out is going to make a huge difference man. Nice work!
Ryan Sullivan´s last blog ..I’m An Open Book
I’ve thought about making a blacklist too. I’ve got too many foods that once I start, I’m unable to control myself. I’ve found a new sense of will power when I’m grocery shopping and can usually resist the tempting bad foods. Of course, when I’m at home I tell myself I need to eat up those bad foods so they’re not around anymore.
It’s definitely worth another shot counting calories. I’ve found I now plan my meals, so if I’ve got 1000 calories left for the day, I’ll pencil in what I’m going to spend them on.
It also shows you how easy it is to blow your budget.
Harry´s last blog ..“Another 5 minutes for the blog”
Great post … I too have had to deal with those food craving issues. I think creating those lists will go a long way. Just be sure to reward yourself every so often … I’m not saying that food should be your only reward but having a meal once a week where you eat something that your craving can really help. Don’t let it escalate into a day or more, just control it at a meal. There is a lot of science behind this online and I’m sure you’ve read it.
Good luck with the changes and keep on posting.
Sean´s last blog ..Circuits Are My Friend
I cound calories via tweetwhatyoueat.com and have had a fairly easy time using it (well using it is easy, remembering to do it is another thing)…My problem comes with supper because I usually cook something and to get the exact # of calories I eat is tough, even when I measure it out.
I guess I kind of have a blacklist/brownlist scenario. I’ve cut my drinking to once a month, and it’s really not worth it when I drink then. I need to use the blacklist more but I hate the idea of not being allowed to eat something-it just makes me want it more. So if I want something REALLY bad, I tell myself I am gonna have it on (insert random date) and look forward to it. It really means a lot more when you get to eat the food as far as enjoyment goes.
On the sweets: have you ever had the Special K bars? They are only 90 calories each and really help satisfy my sweet tooth. They are like little candy bars. Sadly, they are literally VERY little!
I couldn’t blacklist bread…I eat a sandwich for lunch everyday and usually a small wrap for breakfast (or a fiber bar). It’s hard for me to blacklist a lot of foods b/c I hate fruits (yes, all!) and eat very few veggies so I can’t just enjoy a salad like everyone else does. (I’ve tried).
I keep wondering if it truly is about counting calories, and I stick to a certain amount (say 1700 a day or so like I’m supposed to) would it matter if I get those 1700 by eating lowfat turkey sandwiches and baked chips as opposed to 3 apples and some salads? I like to think not, but my biggest fear is that my theory is wrong and that’s why I’m not losing like I should/want to.
BTW–I’m REALLY dreading tomorrow’s weigh in. It’s gonna be BRUTAL!
Ok, this is not the comment I originally had all typed out, but your stoooopid computer issues prevented me from posting it. And then I forgot what I said.
I definitely started out with a blacklist, but I’ve been doing this a long time (September 2008), so I’m pretty hip to what I need to avoid and moderate. Actually avoiding and moderating, however, can be tough. I’ve made some changes in the past week and I’m still adjusting to them, but I know that I’ll be okay. The transition is always the hardest part for me.
You are one of the strongest mfas I “know,” and you can do it! If you don’t, I will kick your ass all over the internet…got it?!
<–That was supposed to be cutesy intimidating, k?!
I like this post and may have to piggyback off of it, because I need to put some brakes on a few things. Like alcohol. We do drink. I mean, not in a binge way, but in a glass of wine with dinner way. Or a couple drinks after the kids go to bed on Friday nights way. Or in a while we watch that sporting event on TV way. Or in a wow I’ve had a really bad week and could totally use a cocktail way.
But not in a binge way.
Anyhow, I’m going to think about my own lists. And I’m gonna save up all my alcohol calories for tequila shooters at Fitbloggin. I warn you though – if I take a month off the sauce, I may be a pretty cheap date. If I could lose pounds as easily as a lose my tolerance, I’d be a waif.
MrsFatass´s last blog ..fresh start
Hi Steve, visiting for the first time. I think that condiments are so often overlooked as a means of extra calories. My husband rarely uses them (even on sandwiches, weird, right?) and I have always thought that it was the secret to his success.
I love the idea of a black & brown list. I also like how you’re re-evaluated your situation and have decided to change things up. Great job!!! I look forward to following your progress – I’m sure you’re going to continue doing well.
Anonymous Fat Girl´s last blog ..Thoughts on gastric bypass
I’m a firm believer in “cheat day” and spiking your calories once a week. I lost 40 pounds 6 years ago but doing that. And I’ve discovered that once you void certain things out of your diet, you simply will not want them anymore. This time around I have voided soft drinks — I’ve had two all year and they were both pretty bad.
The important thing is that different things work for different people — you can get advice from 20 different people and none of the options will work. Weight loss is about a lifestyle change — not a diet or something temporary. It’s OK to slip a little bit, but eating healthy and getting good exercise is more important than anything else.
I think you are being very proactive and take my hat off to you. So much of this is about mindset for me. If I am in the right mindset, I don’t even want my trigger foods. My trouble comes when I am not in the right mindset. Working on this…
If you have an iPhone or iTouch I really love the free app called Lose It. It tracks calories & exercise and it even has most restaurant foods. It will calculate how many calories you can eat to reach your goal & then tell you how many you have left each day. Check it out. I’ll look for you on Twittter – I may already be following…
Yes I follow you on Twitter. No, I don’t have a blacklist. I count calories (and carbs, protein, and other micronutrients) using Sparkpeople.com. LOVE it!
I do try to stay away from trigger foods and I “brownlist” them in that I don’t keep them in my house. Ice cream is on that list. Pizza is, too. Brownies are on the list. If I am really craving something, I try to indulge the craving by eating one PLANNED serving and then moving on. Doesn’t always work, but I’m not striving for perfection, so it works out.
SeattleRunnerGirl´s last blog ..What I’m Thinking About Now
My blacklisted items at the moment are sodas (and other empty calorie drinks), chips, high fat foods, fast foods, anything with a huge amount of calories.
Everything else is fair game.. and there is a lot of good food out there so it’s not bad at all.
You should consider eating low calorie wheat bread. I found this bread that is 40/calories a SLICE! How awesome is that!
JayLoss´s last blog ..Gym Everyday
It definitely sucks, but I think you’re doing the right thing. I know for me, there are certain trigger foods that I really can’t allow myself “just a little” of. I also finally got off my rump and started tracking calories – something I had strongly resisted until now. But I’ve had a very slow week this week – as of this morning I was right in the same place as my weigh-in last Friday – so I decided the time had come that I needed to start doing it.
Hopefully these changes will help turn things around for you, good luck man.
Brandon´s last blog ..Learning to stop grazing
Gotta avoid processed foods, white bread, soda. Processed sugar is the devil. Whole wheat bread is good. I have 2 slices a day. Lost 45 pounds doing that.
Counting calories — you gotta cuz that’s what it’s all about: burning more than you consume. And you don’t know til ya count! You WILL be surprised by the number you end up with.
And when wonder how much you burn, get a GoWearFit. It is awesome. You’ll get a really clear picture of what is going on between the intake number and the burn number.
David´s last blog ..Valentines day at a hotel
First, major bummer about your weigh-in. But if I know you at all I know you’ll turn that around and be back trending upwards in no time. I think it’s smart to take tangible steps to change your results,,, and these brown and blacklists sound like perfect tools to help keep you in check. I have a blacklist for sure. No mayo, no cheese, no soda, no chocolate, no potato chips except baked lays on occasion, and definitely no fried food. Now I will have stuff sauteed in olive oil, but I don’t consider that fried food, really. By fried food I mean onion rings, fries, fried chicken, etc.
Good luck, man, I know you can do this!
ps…thank you so much for all of the support and encouragement you’ve sent my way this week. I really appreciate it.
josie´s last blog ..Week 20 – Weigh-In
I think these two lists are great. You have a list of foods you completely avoid and a list of foods you will enjoy in moderation. Your brownlist points to making better choices (turkey over beef).
Would standalone whole-wheat bread make it to your brownlist?
Derek´s last blog ..Who is NOT in Your Support System?
I’ve tried and tried to log my calories and have never had success. I have been doing pretty well taking pictures of everything I am eating which certainly helps, but I do think you need to get out there and track constantly. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you know how you are doing either. Good luck!
John’s Weight Loss Blog´s last blog ..Rate my Meals – Wed and Thu