I do not count anything. I wanted an eating plan, similar in the vein of South Beach, where you just eat your foods without counting, weighing, measuring, etc. I've been there, done that, and it's no way to live (for me anyway).
What I'm doing is following the basic ED principles - I read a study where the author Barbara Rolls had folks follow either a low ED diet with no counting calories, fat grams, etc. or a low calorie, portion controlled diet, and the folks following the low ED diet lost weight just as well as those on the calorie counting diet.
Also, since math is not my favorite subject, I just use the "comparison" mentioned in the second book, and also in the 3 fat chicks review of the book (actually I think the second Volumetrics book is worth it alone for the more thorough explanation of calculating ED than the first book, but the first book has more science behind it).
So this is what I'm doing:
If the food has fewer calories than grams, I know I can eat a LOT.
If the food has the same number of calories as grams, or up to twice as many, I start being aware of my portions.
If the food has over double the calories as grams, it is truly a red light food and I can only eat a little of it.
I also try to avoid sugars as much as possible.
I am hoping this will work for me. Only time will tell, but I am at the end of my rope as I have to stop my obsesssion with diets, counting, weighing and measuring food. It is insanity, and I believe this way of eating may be the light at the end of the tunnel for me.
I applaud folks who can count everything, I think it is very admirable and a real discipline, but after years of dieting, I just can't do it anymore. It is very upsetting to me and gives me no peace of mind. The only time I measure food is to calculate the ED of a recipe I'm creating. Then from that point on I know the ED.
I am praying this way of eating will really work for me in the long run. My husband likes it very much.
Born again: Thank you. How is it working for you? How do you feel? Are you losing?
Do you even limit an ED of 1 and 2?? Or do you limit anything over 2? I guess that is what I was thinking of. I was going to just eat all 1 and 2 and see if that worked.
I was going to eat some sunflower seeds because a lot of diets say that "good fats" like nuts are a part of a healthy diet. Well, the seeds are over 6 ED. WOW!
I am glad your husband likes it. It is so hard! I want to make something my family likes, as opposed to something they will eat, while trying to cook healthy.
Quick question: I am going to be out of town this weekend for a MS walk. Can any of you tell me what you would eat on the road?
I love chef's salads and prefer it dry so that is an option. But there are times that a salad doesn't appeal to me at all. Yesterday I ordered an egg white omelet with very little cheese and felt that was a good choice. Was it??
Gina
I am new and haven't had time to really read the book so I am trying to wing it until next week.
Gina right now I am not really limiting foods of ED 1-2, but I'm very aware of how much I'm eating of them. So as time goes on, if I'm not losing , I'll limit them more. I truly limit foods with ED over 2. I don't avoid anything, like nuts which my husband and I love, but I just eat a small serving instead of going back for more, like I used to.
I'm losing very slowly. If I lose 1/2 pound a week, that's good. I've always been a very slow loser and I'm ok with that. Even if I lose a pound a month that's 12 pounds less next year.
I'm in this for the long haul. I've had it with quick weight loss plans, etc. I want to eat healthy and I think Volumetrics is giving me that. I'm not focusing too much on my weight, as long as I see a downward trend as time goes on.
In answer to your other question, it sounds like you're doing great. If I was eating out I'd have lean sirloin steaks, salads, veggies without fat and fruit. Non-creamy soups are good and so is chicken and fish. I actually prefer steak or fish houses, because I can order lean steak, chicken or fish, specified grilled without fat. I really avoid breads when eating out. Hope this helped a little.
Oh even in fast food places like Carl's jr. you can order a bbq chicken sandwich (chicken breast on whole grain roll). I'd just eat half the roll.
On many websites now they offer full menus with nutritional information, giving the weight in grams and then the calories, so you can compare the two and then pick an entree' with a lower ED.
Just a quick zip through, I'm afraid. It has been another busy (and expensive) day. The Sears service man came early this afternoon -- fixed the stove (the one I cared the least about) -- told me he could fix the refrigerator (a leak in the cooling system) but it would be about $400. So I went out and spent $850 for a new one instead. It will be delivered tomorrow.
Other than that, I'm just tired. . . and broke. Still eating OP but no formal exercise worth discussing. Hopefully things will settle back into a normal, less expensive rut really soon.
Hope you all have a great evening planned . . . see you soon . . .
Just a zipping through again . . . Wanted to let you know that I have refrigeration and, as the Martha would say, "It's a good thing". Hopefully my life will be back to it's boring normalcy again really soon and I'll have more time for on-line gossip.
In the meantime, keep things moving and shaking, gang . . .
Ilene: I think it is an easy read and so far it appears very do-able. Although today will be the first day that I really apply it.
I belong to www.recipezaar.com and I am so pleased at how easy it is to find recipes that are lower ED. Most of my meals are 1.5 ED.
Here is my question though.
How do I mix foods. I know that I can have higher ED foods but I want my daily ED total to be less than 2. Does anyone else do that or do you mostly only eat foods that are less than 2??
Peanut Butter has a high Ed but I want to use it as a dip for an apple.
Or my subway wrap has a lower ED but I want some baked chips. I think together with both of their weights and both calories it has to be somewhere around 2, right??
I don't plan on counting calories or even journaling. In the book she said people who didn't count calories and still lost more weight than those who did. Also, she said to have nuts and healthy oil but I guess that has thrown me a bit.
Sorry, but I'm just rushing through again for now . . . Hopefully, I'll get back for a chat a little later (and to give you some suggestions, Gina). Welcome, Ilene, glad to have you with us.
Oh Phooey . . . Afraid I have to apologize for another quick again this morning.
Sears sent the wrong part for my vacuum (even though I gave them the model, serial, and oart numbers when I ordered it). They tell me that is all they have with that number and it won't fit my machine. So, guess I'm off to the nearest vacuum repair centre (two towns away) to see what they can do for me, even though I've had a not perfect experience with their work in the past. Only other alternative would seem to be another new appliance and this vacuum is only three years old and was not a cheapie to begin with -- talk about planned obsolesence.
To top things off . . . we have a snow warning . . . SNOW????? on the 16th of May?????
Anyway . . . keep things moving and shaking, gang . . . hope to see you later . . .
Well . . . here it is morning again . . . But definitely not one of the better ones. I'm still not feeling too chatty, I'm afraid.
We got it after all . . . not just the snow, but rain, then freezing rain, then hail, then snow, and now back to rain . . . roads aren't too bad, but my front and back porches are just covered in ice . . . other than that, nothing much is going on around here . . . but then, who needs more than that. Ain't Spring grand.
Hope everybody has a great moving and shaking kind of day planned, and that you definitely have better weather in your 'neck of the woods'. See you all later, gang . . .
hey there! I'm Cindy-newbie and I am just reading a bit on Volumetrics online and thinking this is the way for me...I've been on Atkins before and although I lost very quickly, about 35 lbs in a little over 2 months, it was not the life for me..I couldn't stick with it - and lo and behold gained that back plus a few . I am going to order The book on Volumetrics. I look forward to posting with all of you who are implementing this plan into your lifestyle.
Hi CINDY . . . . . . welcome to our world. I think the principles of Volumetrics are absolutely great . . . hope you will too and hope you'll get a chance to check out the links that I put in the introduction thread.
This is the beginning of the Victoria Day long weekend in Canada . . . the traditional time for opening the cottage; planting the Spring garden; and other things that usually get done when the weather finally warms up enough. That certainly will not be happening in Atlantic Canada this year. Nothing but cold, dull, dreary in the forecast for the whole weekend. At least yesterday's snow has melted again.
Nothing exciting on my agenda . . . thought I'd do a little sewing . . . if the weather ever does warm up, I "have nothing to wear". So far, not so good. The two old cats have figured it out over the years, but it's amazing how much damage Purrecious and the three kittens can do in the middle of a pile of fabric and tissue paper. Guess I'll have to shut them all in one of the bedrooms for a while -- too bad the room where the kitty litter lives doesn't have a door.
Have a great moving and shaking evening, gang. See you all again soon.
Hi CINDY . . . . . . welcome to our world. I think the principles of Volumetrics are absolutely great . . . hope you will too and hope you'll get a chance to check out the links that I put in the introduction thread.............
..........Have a great moving and shaking evening, gang. See you all again soon.
Hi and thank you for the nice welcome. I will indeed check out those links.
Have a great weekend!
Still eating OP but no formal exercise worth discussing. Hopefully things will settle back into a normal, less expensive rut really soon.
Happy Mother's Day 
