[bronzeager]

Are you using calorie counting as your method? Are you eating some proteins, vegetables, fruits and fat every day? It sounds like what you are eating is satisfying you. If these things are true, and and your plan helps you to lose weight, you will have to prepare yourself to shrug off lots of half-baked advice that people give you along the way, especially about "good" and "bad" foods.

If you are following a calorie counting method and foods fit into your plan and satisfy you, they are not "bad". Yes, the foods you eat can add fat to your body -- ANY FOODS -- IF YOU EAT MORE CALORIES THAN YOU BURN. There is not anything special about one type of food or another, although as I and many other people on the forums have noted, some types of food may be triggers or otherwise set up up to want to eat more.

I was just thinking about this yesterday -- I am visiting my mom and had to pick up some of my regular foods that she doesn't keep around, and I was in the grocery aisle looking for the dried cranberries, which I have eaten, carefully, portioned, every single day of my weight loss, usually on my oatmeal in the morning. I like them, and they have a lot of vitamins and fiber. They do have a bit of added sugar, but they make me happy and their total calories are figured into my plan. And they're a far cry from cupcakes or Snickers bars or just about any other junk food.

So anyway, there I was (in my newly purchased size 6 Gap shorts BTW) just reaching out to grab the cranberry bag, and a very large woman a few feet away in the aisle said rather loudly to her also-large husband, "You, I thought about getting those CRANBERRIES but you know THEY ARE JUST FULL OF SUGAR." I just had to laugh to myself to keep from saying back, "Lady, I suspect you didn't get that size eating a couple of dried cranberries every day." I also respectfully did not look into her cart to see what was in there, because I don't know her issues. Anyway, keep in mind that lots of what people "say" to you about foods may very well be half-baked.

[spanky]

Just a thought for you. I would look over the various eating plans out there, be it South Beach or Weight Watchers or whatever and see which looks do-able to you. Get the book or go to the website and make it your plan. Try it for a while and ignore any incoming flak. I would get a plan of some kind, though, it'll keep you from crazy eating and give you the security that zillions of others are working it too.

Best of luck!

Spanky

[koceank29]

Just find what works for you, experiment and try to take each choice as a lesson to what you need for your goals.

I have lost 39 lbs since April by eating eggs,beef,lamb,fish,veggies,coconut oil,butter,heavy cream,nuts,berries,avocados. I'm never hungry after a meal or snack and go most days eating just once by taking away all refined sugars and grains. It took me 10 yrs to figure out this was the way my body functions best, I've tried WW, calories counting, etc and it really is trial and error for all of us IMO, just do your best and be your own cheerleader!What works for you will most likely not work for your friend, just ignore her.