[Jade235]

So, just like everyone else here, I have tried a variety of different diets and eating plans. In high school I did Weight Watchers, then I tried not eating sweets and junk food (in college, yeah right), now I'm going on again, off again with the South Beach diet, and then I starting thinking I wanted to try to count calories. But, I know that counting calories is just not for me, I just don't have the patience to sit there and calculate my entire week, plus calculate for my fiance. I am sitting here trying to decide if I am just making excuses but I really don't think I am. I really want to lose this weight. My goals are to be able to smile in my wedding photos without ANY double chin and to get a whole new fun, sexy wardrobe for my honeymoon (we're going to Florida, gonna have to wear shorts). It just seems like even when I try South Beach there is not enough movement, and it's hard because since my fiance is sort of a picky eater I get bored with making the same things over and over for him. I wish I could to the calorie counting but I just don't think I have it in me. I guess I really should just try it ONE week and see how I do. It just feels so overwhelming. Maybe I'm just being a whimp, but I don't know. I just needed to vent out my thoughts. Feedback and advice would be appreciated, thanks for listening everyone!

[mandalinn82]

Let me give you my experience.

Calorie counting, at first, is overwhelming. Some tools can help, like www.fitday.com. Using that, especially, is tedious at the beginning, because you have to input the nutrition labels for all of the foods you eat regularly. Once you have it down, though, you'll find it goes a LOT faster than you imagine it will. Currently, it takes me about 10 minutes a day to plan and track all of my meals for the day. I do this for my partner as well - but its easy, I just make her eat all the same things that I do.

If you have a picky eater, calorie counting allows you to eat things he enjoys while still staying on plan.

It can been overwhelming, absolutely, to start counting up those calories. Until you get comfortable with the tools, it is not so quick. But I -promise- that it gets a lot easier, and it makes the weight loss thing really straightforward, at least for me.

I'd suggest that you try it for maybe 3 weeks. Thats enough time that most of your regular meals and snacks should be inputted and you'll be used to the software. Now the first three weeks, this is going to eat up some time. But after that, really, it won't - and it will be habit.

If you find you are cooking the same things over and over again, from the same recipes, you can input the nutrition facts for the entire recipe into a "Custom Food" on fitday. For example "Fiance's Favorite Meatloaf" would be a custom food. On days when you cook that, you just add that custom food into your day - takes less than a minute. Again, once all of the information is in FitDay, its super fast to work out your days.

If its really overwhelming or you, though, and you have the financial resources to do so, you could try out a meal-delivery service (nutrisystem, ediets express, or others) - but that might not work out well with your picky eater.

Best of luck in finding the plan that works best for you!

[Jade235]

Thank you Mandalinn, that really helps a lot. I hadn't realized I could just input the information with custom recipes. I thought I had to count every PIECE of the recipe, but now I see what you are saying and I can see where it would definately make my life easier. You have helped me more than I can say, thank you so much for taking the time to really explain to me how to use Fitday.com (I was trying to use it by like I said before I had no idea what I was doing). After reading what you wrote it I can actually see where it would get a lot easier to plan my weeks. Once again thank you, I was ready to give up before I even began and you have helped me want to try even harder.

[shrinkingchica]

Mmmmmmmmmmm, I don't follow any particular "diet" plan. I kinda have just done my own thing and adapted it as I needed to lose more. I DO now calorie count though because I can't really feel hunger/sasiated cues so I do that so that I have a sort of idea of where I am at and whether I should be eating a bit more or less or am right on target.

[bida]

That is interesting Charlotte - you don't feel hunger/satiated cues? How do you handle not over eating - is it sheer willpower?

[mimik]

For almost 2 yrs....I tried everything. I didnt lose 1 lb!! Finally I decided to go to a Wellness center. There they did muscle reflex tests to see what nutrients my body was lacking. They gave me a ton of supplements. My diest is a high protein diet. As of right now, no sugar, bad carbs, dairy...My diet consists of lean meat, salads, steamed veggies and brown rice.
I cried the first 2 days!! It was like I was withdrawling from a drug. But after the 4th day it became easier. Its been 2 weeks and im down 15 lbs!!!
Stick with your plan....it will work.