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Old 02-23-2007, 10:01 AM   #1  
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Default Anyone else not on a plan and not count calories?

I just *try* and make wise choices when it comes to food. I try and pick food closes to its natural state. I've tried many diets before and I can't stick to them. I've tried calorie counting but I found myself obsessing over it. So wondering if there is anyone else who just goes with the flow?
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Old 02-23-2007, 10:10 AM   #2  
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I am so glad I'm not the only one who has decided to go with this lifestyle. I just recently made it through phase 1 of the south beach diet and I found myself saying no more than yes!! It was easier than I though but I did not like it.

I remembered how I lost weight in high school - I got in track and started working out M-F!!! I made a few healthy eating choices but not many.

I'm done with diets!!! I am now eating healthier and working out!! This is my new life not a diet!!!

So nice to know I'm not the only one, maybe we should buddy up!!!
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Old 02-23-2007, 10:15 AM   #3  
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Funny you mention the SBD. I made it to day 2 on phase 1. Haha. That was it.

After my 1st son was born in October 2003 I started eating healthy foods (never calorie counting, never depriving myself of certain foods) and exercising and I got down to 151 lbs. I was never obsessed about foods because if I wanted a chocolate bar, I ate a small piece of dark chocolate. If I wanted a pop, I would drink a small glass of diet pop. I just had to comprimise.

I would love to be your buddy
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Old 02-23-2007, 10:17 AM   #4  
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I can definitely relate! When I did diets, I found myself obsessing, and even the smallest "cheat" would make me feel like a failure. I would go from one extreme to another, and was always so stressed out! In November I decided I was done with that. I try to make good choices, eat foods in their most natural state, and exercise regularly. Ironically, this is the only time I've been able to lose a significant amount of weight...and more importantly, I'm HAPPY! I enjoy my favorite foods, don't freak out about going out to eat, and exercise because it makes me feel good, not just to burn calories! This is what works for me, and for the first time, I feel like this isn't something to go "on" or "off" of, but it's my lifestyle!
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Old 02-23-2007, 10:24 AM   #5  
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I just made the choice to start this lifestyle the other day and I feel great about it!!

I had some orange juice yesterday and today and if I was on SB I would feel bad because that would be "off plan." I have felt great about everything I have eaten the last two days and have not felt deprived of anything.

I have even seen the scale move!!
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Old 02-23-2007, 10:24 AM   #6  
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Exactly it's a lifestyle! I want to be able to eat this way for the rest of my life. Most "diets" out there I would never be able to eat that way for the rest of my life which is just planning to fail.
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Old 02-23-2007, 11:11 AM   #7  
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For someone who used to obsessively count calories, points, etc., etc., etc., it was terrifying for the first few weeks to NOT count, but I have so much more time now that I don't have to be constantly calculating numbers in my head and obsessing about being "over" or "under"! Definitely a much more relaxing way to live
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Old 02-23-2007, 11:18 AM   #8  
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Exactly. It's so much easier this way!

EVERY sunday I used to sit down with a whole slew of cookbooks, my calculator and my laptop to figure out my menu plan for the week. I would go through recipes and pick ones out. Then I would have to arrange the recipes so that I hit my allotted calories and not over. It would seriously take all day on and off. I could only do it Sundays so that my husband could watch the kids while I did that. Then by the time I knew it, my husbands only day off is gone.

Now I just go with the flow. If I eat a bigger breakfast, I'll make a concious choice to eat a smaller lunch (still healthy though!). If I eat a smaller breakfast, my lunch will be bigger, but I don't focus on the calorie content at all.
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Old 02-23-2007, 01:05 PM   #9  
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I know it would slowly turn into an obession.

It was all I could think about which made me feel even more fatter!!! All day all I thought about was food and then I would stop and think okay this is sad. I can't even concentrate on work because I'm thinking about what I'm eating for lunch!

I don't do planning and I don't do thinking.

I ate what I wanted yesterday and I got on the scale this morning and it had actually moved!!!

I am very happy!!! Thank you ladies for all the support!!!
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Old 02-23-2007, 02:18 PM   #10  
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I am not on a plan and I don't count calories but I do know the general calories of things and I do know generally how many calories I eat. Once in a while, I enter my food into fitday, just to get a general idea of how many calories I consume. I also constantly read labels and ingredients, just so that I am informed about my eating choices.

Here are the things I do:

- I focus on eating whole foods - whole grains, lots of veggies, fresh fruit, lean meats.

- I think about balance in what I'm eating. For my meal: Are there veggies? Is there lean meat? Is there some form of whole grain?

- I portion control myself - I have a lunch container for my lunches, I use a salad plate for my dinners.

- When I go out some place to eat, I generally try to eat half the meal rather than the whole thing.

- If I'm hungry, I try to fill up on lower calorie, filling items. Fiber is very filling so on my hungrier days, I try to eat things with more fiber. I also try to make sure I don't eat until I'm stuffed.

- I generally avoid items with added sugar. Dark chocolate is my one exception. I also avoid items with artificial sweeteners.

- I generally avoid items that have a high fat percentage. Fat is filling but I get enough fat in my diet from my normal foods, I rather avoid the higher calories.

So I would say, I don't count calories, but I'm aware of calories in my eating. I'm not on a plan, but I've been influenced by plans such as Body for Life/Eating for Life as well as South Beach Diet. My plan is my own and some days it serves me well. I probably also lose slower than those that are strictly on a plan or strictly counting calories but I do what works for me. When I go off my own plan is when I really get in trouble.
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Old 02-23-2007, 04:50 PM   #11  
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I don't count calories and try not to diet. I think 30yr of dieting has caused most of my weight gain.
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Old 02-23-2007, 05:06 PM   #12  
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I don't follow a formal *diet* plan, just try to make a good food choice about 80% of the time....if you eat 3 lbs. of chocolate and bowls of mashed potatoes with butter, VS. a chicken sandwich with lite mayo. and a salad........

I also move....along with formal exercise....I try to do 10 flights of stairs when I'm not in 3 inch heels...and I'm NOT winded when I finish....I also clean my own house....(most of the time), I feel cheated if I have hskp. do it....hey, vaccuuming, washing floors, bending, dusting use LOTS of energy....why should I pay to not burn it? heehee,
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Old 02-23-2007, 05:30 PM   #13  
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Hi, I don't follow any particular plan. I use intuitive eating (Eat when your hungry, stop when you satisfied) to help figure out when I should at and portions. It wasn't until I just did it my way that I stopped being miserable and the weight finally started to come off.

I don't have any absolutely other then what I mentioned above. I try and eat whole foods, more water than anything else, and don't eat a lot of junk food.

I even exercise intuitively. If I don't want to..I don't force but I try and get in at least 3 days a week at 3 min. Right now I am averaging 4 days a week, an hour each day.

With IE there are no bad foods..pretty much everything in moderation. Sounds what you guys are talking about here.

There are a few of us over on the intuitive eating thread

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/show...=99495&page=21
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Old 02-24-2007, 11:14 AM   #14  
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I'm not on any plan. I know I'm consuming fewer calories than I used to but I'm not weighing any food or logging what I eat. I haven't even given up junk food, I just eat less of it, use smaller portions or substitute. I didn't try to make myself fit into a program because I knew I wouldn't be able to sustain it so I basically focused on my eating habits and preferences and adapted the food choices to that. For instance, I usually eat a couple of sandwiches a day and I like salty snacks. Only now, I'm using lo-cal bread, lo-cal mayo, eating more turkey slices, lettuce, etc....and my Pringles potato chips have been replaced with lower calorie pretzels or a 100-calorie snack pack. LOL, I know some people say 6 of those little packs cost the same as a full size bag of Chips Ahoy, and that's true. But the portion control has helped me. I can stop at a 100-calorie bag of Cheese Nips far easier than I can stop with a big bag of Chips Ahoy. Since I started this in the new year, I've also consumed a lot of the lo-cal frozen dinners, eaten more fruits and veggies...and tried to do several 10-15 minute bursts of exercise every day. I even bought a pedometer to help motivate me to increase my walking. I do almost all of my exercise in my house since I don't go to a gym and it's freezing outside. I walk, jog, use my Total Body trainer, do the bicycle on the floor, dance....I love having music on because that motivates me to move more. Sure, some nights I'm more tired after work than others, but I do what I can when I can and if I can't, I don't.
It's definitely involved my mind, body and feelings cooperating with one another and not trying to deprive or overdo one another. My mind has really been into this routine I've adapted for myself. My body can't do much more than the 10-15 minutes of exercise at a time and I know when it needs for me to stop. If it feels hungry 6 times a day, then I'll eat 6 times a day but they are small portions. It's accustomed to not eating what some might consider "full size" meals anyway. (LOL...restaurant portions crack me up...a 3-course meal could last me 3 days!) My feelings are fine since I don't feel like I've totally cut myself off from anything and I can have a snack without feeling guilty about it or feeling like I've "fallen off the wagon."
I'm 17 pounds lighter now than I was on January 1. That makes me feel good because 1) I know that what I'm doing has been working for me and 2) I know there's room for an increase in effort when I'm able.

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