[Hermit Girl]

Yesterday I saw the numbers 179. Thats five solid pounds lost.

The ’shift’ is taking place, I feel resolve, but it’s incremental and only feels real as I lose the pounds. I guess that’s the trick, to lose a few first. I’m very pleased with myself as I’ve not really dieted, just been making better choices. Whole healthy food choices.

Been chowing down on my own version of tabouleh which is bulgar, and bean /lentil base (with olive oil, lemon juice, salt/pepper), then bulked out with lots of minced veggies (as red onion, celery, red pepper, a bunch each of cilantro and parsley), and I believe it is a whole food with bean/legume/grain protein, olive oil fat, and veggies) Choices to hike further up the ridge, even though it’s hot and it’s harder inthe heat, with this weight. Choices not to grab that pastry with my coffee at Starbux, with trips into town (though I did use half/half in my coffee oddly, as if to reconcile) , and to bring my own snack food (plain popcorn has really helped to have handy all day when I want to chew for the sake of chewing....), choices to pick a vegetarian entree when going out, cooking more vegetarian, choices to use soy milk instead of dairy, to eat tabouleh instead of yogurt (which needs jam cuz I don't like it plain), so all in all, my meat and dairy has gone down significantly. All those choices add up (or subtract down) with the results, and , I’m becoming slowly a LessMeatarian and LessDairyatarian! I have not excluded chocolate , not yet, and occasional little dishes of my homemade icecream w/ DH.

I realized yesterday that at this weight I will lose weight making little adjustments, but the little adjustments will have to continually be made as I lighten up, because a lower weight requires even fewer calories to do the same exercizes and to function, and thus burns fewer as well. In other words, as I lose more weight, I will have to continue to shave off , or alter, just enough from my eating, and push just a little further with the hikes, and incorporate more varied exercises to not get bored , as in riding bike next , and quick jogs when I’m near goal.

But, the thing is I need to remember, the overall affect won’t be any more difficult than it’s been in recent weeks, as I’ll have gotten use to a little sacrifice and feel good and confident about making the choices. And the best part is, I’ll be reaping the rewards bigtime to stay motivated. I’ll be inspired greatly at first by my own transformation and it’s affect on my social environment. That is going to be really interesting to get into.

Behaviors can change, and I must not ever be afraid of the long journey of behavior modification I choose to do, nor the hard work and small deprivations…. in fact, I will likely enjoy the treats even more as I am indulging far less. So much to actually be grateful about. I’m grateful the shift is finally starting to take place.

[FutureFitChick]

Congratulations on your success!!

This was so helpful for me to read this morning. I had been feeling a little bummed because I went over on my calorie goal yesterday and my scale showed it this morning.

You make a good point about the little changes adding up now, but what if they don't help later on. I am hoping that later on I will have more energy to do more exercise to burn more calories. That hopefully will keep me from stalling out.

I guess we'll see.

But, thank you so much for writing. I really needed to hear it! And again, great job!

[Hermit Girl]

Originally Posted by FutureFitChick

Congratulations on your success!!

This was so helpful for me to read this morning. I had been feeling a little bummed because I went over on my calorie goal yesterday and my scale showed it this morning.

You make a good point about the little changes adding up now, but what if they don't help later on. I am hoping that later on I will have more energy to do more exercise to burn more calories. That hopefully will keep me from stalling out.

I think that was what I am trying to say ; that I observe that the small sacrifices will only have small impact, just do as little as you can to make a difference, on the scale and how you feel, and that is all.

When it stops making a difference on the scale, then it's time to tweak a little bit more, but by then it wont' seem like much, as you'll have already adjusted and what use to seem a small sacrifice will seem normal. But don't even 'go there yet'. Just feel out the small changes at hand. This is the way I have to do it, I simply cannot sit here and visualize myself happy with my ultimate weight and lifestyle of little portions through my long day, only eating veggies and fruit.... as I love to eat ! Just can't do that yet.

For now I will continue to visualize myself only adjusted to the small sacrifices and choices I'm making at this time. Perhaps all we need to do is focus on what we *can* manage at this time :

I can live without four pieces of buttered toast on a whim today. just today.
I can live without an icecream binge in the late afternoon today, just today.
I can live with soy milk in my granola/tea instead of real milk , just today.
I can live with drinking water instead of juice for dinner, just today.

Keeping the Better Choices in the Just Today frame of thinking empowers us to make the small choice, and eventually it will be so habitual that the choice will cease to exist. What a confidence builder this should be !

[swtgila]

Just discovering this part of the forum today after seeing Food Inc Documentary last night. Oh wow! I am about to so get on board with the natural foods thing. Quite possibly becoming a vegan too.

[inthemidst]

Hey All,

We have been working on eating whole foods for two weeks in our house. I have eaten a vegetarian/whole foods diet off and on throughout my life and currently the 14 yo considers herself a vegetarian (I am making her eat fish tho) - so knowing what to eat is not hard.

But these three things are very hard for me:
Staying away from diet food when I am dieting (protein bars....)
Staying away from processed crud when I am feeling low
Cooking when I am tired

So I am doing Ok now but when school starts and I get stressed the hard work could all go out the window.

I am going to practice making and eating salads for dinner
I am going to make some food my family likes and freeze it.
I am going to learn how to make protein bars.

Glad I found this discussion.

Ash

[Determined Woman]

Hi. I just wanted to comment that I follow the SuperFoodsRx diet (original book for now--because less food (and fewer fat calories) fewer calories).

I know the whole low fat thing has been debunked. But less fat does equal fewer calories--and I had a eating disorder specialist tell me to do "whatever works for you." And decreasing fat intake (with some fat from healthy sources) works for me.

I am pretty strict about the SuperFoodsRX diet. I ocassionally eat a little white rice at Chipotle (because we like that restaurant) and once a week may eat once slice of organic frozen pizza. But otherwise, I eat a no sugar whole grain breakfast, w/yogurt, flaxseed, wheat germ, and blueberries, plus one cup of original (not vanilla Edensoy Soymilk), which helps with protein. For lunch, I eat a half sandwich, maybe salmon (canned) mixed with greek yogurt or cooked ground turkey or chicken mixed with the yogurt on very natural whole grain bread (special bread with about 6 ingredients--first being whole wheat-- found in bakery). Then I make two cups of spinach, 1/2 cup of brocolli and 1/2 cup of carrots--steamed in microwave or on stove--but cooked in chicken broth--which I eat "on the side" with the sandwich. That's a lot of food, but not a lot of calories. For dinner, maybe grilled salmon with whatever veggies I want stir-fried in nothing but cooking spray (which tastes really good). Maybe two veggies. Sometimes 1/2 cup brown rice cooked in chicken broth (no oil) w/1/2 cup of beans. Then for "dessert" I have strawberries or other fruit. I used to eat "healthy" choc chip cookies from Super Foods RX website (really tastey), but I wanted more rapid weight loss so I decided to skip them for now.

That really is a TON of food and I consistently lose weight as long as I do not skip workouts. I work out 6 or 7 days per week--burning between 5000 and 6000 calories. This means my cardio workouts are between 65 minutes (3 days per week), 90-120 minutes (4 days per week). I'm trying to add in two days per week of weight training, but so far haven't done that.

If you exercise a lot, you can eat a lot, as long as healthy, and still lose weight consistently.

Good luck!

[kaebea]

Hi hermit girl,
i like your outlook of taking one day at a time.
and your 'just on a whim' attitude
i think sometimes when i just think to myself "what if?" i ate this way instead of that way? what would my body be like? how would i feel?
or "what if" this was just my normal way of eating?

it makes it seem like a game, or a puzzle to be figured out,and less like a die hard perfectionistic commitment.