So what foods tempt you these days?

Over the last few weeks I have noticed that I have some unhealthy food choices  that are more tempting than others.  Last night I ate at Applebees with my wife and daughter and found that it was beer, onion rings and buffalo wings that were calling my name.  I opted for soup and salad with water. only ate about a third of the salad.  Thank God I looked up Applebees food online before going.  Some of the more healthy looking stuff was high in calories and I can't believe that 12 wings is close to 2000 calories,, OMG

Anyway, I rarely am tempted by sweets and I don't know why that is, perhaps cause I drink Crystal lite all the time and have my sweet needs met.  The other day I was salivating over some lemon bars at work that one of the secretaries had brought in.

Mostly it is salty, fried, and cheesy stuff that is tempting to me....  And snacking/grazing on just about anything.

Ended up with1500 calories yesterday on the Daily Plate before deducting any exercise calories.

Yeah, I usually go for the crunchy salty stuff. When it is stress eating, I almost always opt for crunchy salty stuff. Fortunately - I found Gensoy Soy Chips. 17 crisps are about 110 cals and 6 g of protein. I get the bbq flavor. Nuts area good choice too.

But if it is grazing - I want sweets! I found small bite size cookies do it for me. I can eat 2-3 of them and it satisfies my desire. Well under 100 cals, and I limit to once after dinner. I can go all day without craving them cuz I have an "allowance".

For me, it's always been anything fried and/or spicy.  My biggest weakness will always be chinese food.  Pizza smells good and will make my mouth water but I've found that one bite makes me not want it.  I've never been big on sweets but lately want something sweet before bed.  Lately, I've opted for a small piece of really rich, dark chocolate - the stuff that's 7--80% cocao.  I figure I get the antioxidants while soothing the craving.

One chocolate tempting trick I learned, starting a few weeks out, was to keep a big cookie jar full of those little chewy German chocolate candies:  Riesen.     They are available at some Kroger's stores and some Walmarts, but not all.   They come in a small sack or big.

  Riesen are a little bigger than a Tootsie-Roll midgie, but so much more satisfying.   They have the richest, dark chocolate flavor to them, and they chew and chew and chew ..   When I have to have something chocolate, I slowly chew just one of those little beauties and my craving is gone ... 

Last Sunday we went out to a German brunch buffet.  I knew all week that I was going so i adjusted my meals for the day to accomodate going there.  And, I was able to stay on my Food Addicts diet despite going there.  But, about an hour after I got home, I started thinking about having potato chips.  Note:  I haven't had any of my addictive foods since 01-29-09.  I knew that the temptaion was illogical because I wasn't hungry.  Prior to that date, if I was tempted by thinking about a food item, I'd just start eating it.  I really didn't think there was thinking that I could combat prior to possibly eating the tempting food.  I learned from the Beck' Diet Solution to identify what sabotaging thoughts I was having and to use a helpful response.  I used the techniques that I learned, and the temptaiton went away.  I'd say that may have been a little FART moment although I wouldn't post it as a major FART.  Bob

I  am still new and the taste is just coming back.  TGIFridays potatoe skin chips are a road weakness.
Almonds and other nuts.  Doc says stay away first 6-8 mos.  Thats when my biggest lb drop will take place.
Oh yes red cabernet. cant drink much, but I do substitute glasses for other cals.  Told Doc I have been drinking 2 glasses daily for 30 yrs and that wont change.  He said dont drive and make sure I do substitute

A few things tempt me now.  Ice cream...I don't need alot...but sometimes I crave it.  Dark chocolate...I don't require much, but I crave it sometimes.  Nachos...Usually I'll make a small plate...have a few, then give the rest to my wife and daughter in the evenings while they're watching TV.  Coffee...Bigtime on this one.  Every morning I really really...REALLY look forward to my 4-6oz of coffee in the morning.  I use a small amount of sugar in my coffee, along with milk (or half and half, if it's from McDonalds), and some Spenda and Equal.  I am trying to brew at home, but I can't find the perfect coffee yet.  Really didn't care much for coffee pre op.  Whatever was whatever.  Now either it's good coffee or don't bother.  Brian  PS One thing I have gotten away from (praise God) is high fructose corn syrup.  In a lot of candy I find the stuff really nasty...I'm glad my tastes have changed in that area.

I would have to add coffee to my list too.  I hadn't thought about it, but I definately crave it in the morning.  I drink about 20 oz though and then switch to decaf if I have any more.  I don't really think of coffee as caloric since I don't add anything to it.  Perhaps, I should think about coffee more as a trigger food.

Frikkin' popcorn! I pretty much eat whatever, but I just don't pig out like I used to. Instead of a bag of doritos I only eat like 5 chips. And I don't buy any snack foods other than nuts really. Almonds mostly. Oh and fine cheese. Goes great with a glass of wine.

Applebee's had a great, healthy entree on their menu, that is no longer on there  :   their Steakhouse Salad ..   It was very lean, thin slices of steak cut up on top of a romaine lettuce salad with grape tomatoes and sliced purple onions ..  (a few croutons too, but you can skip those if desired) ..   I usually ordered mine with blue cheese dressing and blue cheese crumbles on the side (hey, "DSer's privilege"   )    YUMMMMMM  ..       They also have low-cal and low-fat dressings (or lemon juice!)

  Although it is technically no longer on the menu, it is my understanding that Applebee's will still make one up for you ..  Just order their usual big salad (I think it's a chicken breast salad now) and ask that they put a small steak (8 oz.?) on it instead ..  

  Cracker Barrel also has a great steak salad on their low carb menu, but it is currently not avialable at some locations (they tell me they will bring it back eventually) ..  

   As to "tempting foods", once in a great while I get a hankering for an old fav:   the chocolate cream-filled doughnuts at Dunkin ..   I used to love those as a pre-op .    I really think it is a carry-over from childhood, when I used to eat something similar called "swiss chocolate cream-filled" ones at "Mr. Doughnut" back in Missouri.   When I really have to have one, I drive to our local Dunkin and get just one ..  They seem so oversized now and  just one of those suckers will really stuff me ..      Oddly enough, they don't taste as good now as they did as a pre-op ..    (thankfully), so I'm kinda weaning myself away from them completely ..