The potato chip diet

 Okay - I'm coming out of the closet.   I think I eat my weight in potato chips every week.    Seriously.   Not any kind of potato chip - either good kettles or waves - but I digress.    I am a crunchy/salty craver, and because wheat products cause intense gaseous distress, I'm limited to crunchy or corn indulgences.   I can eat a bag a day, but try to limit it to about three bags a week.   I'm sometimes not so good at that.   

I have also discovered, after almost five years, that really good ice cream, like Haagen Daaz, does not cause my the awful bloat and rumbling that cheaper ice creams do, and I've taken to buying perhaps a pint a week of that also.    It does help me have a nice poop in the morning.   I also eat one or two excellent, fresh out of the fryer, from scratch donuts a week.   Many thanks to the artisan bakery that just moved in one freakin' block away.   

I was a pretty devoted carb watcher for the longest time, but I've found that eating this way (which I have been doing for about a year) has caused absolutely no change in my weight.    I've actually lost a few pounds since this time last year.   I did gain five pounds at Christmas, but simply cut out all the sweet stuff and it disappeared as quickly as it came. I do notice that simple carbs, like white rice and pasta, might make me gain weight.    Other than that, I have pretty much maintained eating what I want.   I haven't wanted to admit this, because I know so many people do struggle with carbs and regain, and that COULD be me in three weeks, or three months, or three years.   At that time, I'm prepared to deal with the consequences appropriately and I know exactly what needs to leave my diet.   I hope.   I also know my body well.  I stay off the scale most of the time, unless I notice a change in the way my clothing fits.  If I'm up a few pounds, I cut out the obvious culprits.   It's amazing how, at a smaller size, you notice even very minor weight variations, where when we were MO, hell, we could wear the same pants for 70 pounds!!

I'm sure the fat content of my forbidden fruits probably has a whole lot to do with why I'm not gaining weight, but has anybody else had the same experience??   Am I a freak of nature?  Why do I feel guilty being able to indulge in this kind of stuff without (so far) any consequence?

I say more power to ya!  I think as long as you are aware that they might cause trouble for you down the road sometime and keep an eye on the scale you are just fine.

Munch away! 

I'm also very envious of you - LOL!  Maybe someday I will be where you are.  I'm really trying to restrict my carbs to lose those last dang 20 lbs.

Hey, I can't hate you (well, maybe a little jealousy).  If you can indulge . . . do so.  My absolute weakness is chips and ice cream (fav's being Lays Hot & Spicy BBQ, Doritos Blazin' Buffalo or recently, Cheetos for some reason, then there's Ben & Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie - which thankfully I haven't been able to find for about a year and Blue Bell's Cookies & Cream).  I've said too much.  Dang!! . . . and I had a tiny bowl of neopolitan, which I haven't had since childhood,  about six weeks ago at an office break and fell in love all over again.

But I'm over it . . . well, maybe . . . let's just say I'm 23 days sober on the milk wagon and taking it a day at a time.

Haven't indulged in the last month at all and just threw out two half-full cartons of Breyer's (evil BOGO at Publix so technically, I only threw out one carton).  I'm the only one in the house and if it's there, I'm gonna spoon in.  Trying to stay away from those triggers at least until I get off the 50 (okay, 49) pounds I've gained.  Down 19lbs as of last Friday, but haven't lost anymore since then.  Not sure what that means, but gonna be patient.

 I can't eat Breyers or Blue Bunny.....really causes me distress.     Ben and Jerrys and Haagen Daaz seem to be the only two.    I really can't eat very large quantities....toooooo.....sweet, so I suppose I shouldn't even count the ice cream into my newly expanded repertoire.

I don't like ANY flavored chips - but boy do my students!   I had an end of year party for my choir, and the competition was on for who was going to bring in the spiciest Cheetos, Doritos or Lays.   Holy cats - didn't know there were that many varieties!   I asked them, "Didn't anybody bring your old choir director plain ol' chips?"   Geeez.......

I've also been known to put away a fair amount of Bugles or Fritos, but I get sick of the taste quickly. I told my DH I keep thinking I'm going to get sick of potato chips (I do that alot with foods now - go on a bender of something, then hate it after a while) but I haven't sickened of them yet.    Dang.    

You lucky biotch! :-) I love salty chips. Sometimes tortilla chips aren't salty enough so I put more SALT on them LOL or I'll salt my refried beans! HA I'm kind of dieting now so I'm eating those in very small quantity.

 When we go to a Mexican restaurant, I have been known to *lick* the hot tortilla chips that arrive in baskets in order to put more salt on them.   Boy, does that ever irritate my husband!

 Julie, I hear you!

I had a scared straight moment after our Monday support group so I low-carbed for 2 days.  And lost 4 pounds!

If I eat the way I have been-Protein first, veggies, then my favorite carbs with what room I have left-I maintain between 132 and 135.  And that's perfect.  

So I'm thinking, if i don't eat the carbs, I lose.  If I eat the carbs I maintain.  But the kicker is... I don't want to get to get used to eating them and not be able to stop.  

I'd love to just pretend that I'm just someone with a fast metabolism, but I know that isn't true!

You're not a freak :)

 Whew!   I feel a bit better now.   Can't do Coldstone though.   I will NEVER eat it again.

 I know I'm still "new" and in my "window" but I have found that when I DO indulge in anything of the sort **** cream, chips, other deserts) more than once in a while, I'll drop a pound or so...  I also have to have the "good stuff" when it comes to ice cream, especially.  We tried a new fro yo place (the ones where you serve yourself and they have about a zillion toppings to chose from) and OMG, the pain, immediate diarrhea and gas was by far the worst I have ever experienced...  Haagen Daaz and I get along just fine though.  Thankfully, I agree, it just gets too sweet and I hit that point fairly quickly where I know, one more bite and I'll be sick.  I MIGHT be able to get in 1/2c of ice cream if I pushed, but it's usually more like one small scoop.  

Same with chips, I love em like never before (was never a chip person before surgery).  There is something SO yummy about a big handful of rippled chips, dipped in french onion dip that I just CAN NOT pass up.  Again, I hit that "sick" limit quickly, and I am SO thankful for that!  I wonder if for me, the chip and dip deal is my body needing sodium.  I've found that if I come across a chip that just isn't salty enough, I'll pass on the rest of that particular one in favor of a saltier one.  And Lord knows, the french onion dip is like sucking a salt lick...  Who knows.

Like you, I also attribute my ability to eat these things and lose to the fact that they are completely fat laden, and in my mind, they just slip right on through.  And of course, should my "luck" change and the scale begins to move in the opposite direction, these treats are the first to go!  For now though, please pass the chips...