[lunarsongbird]

Hello All,

Today we have been talking a lot about people making comments and/or judgments about our weight loss plans. It has made me wonder...What IS everyone doing?

This is the first time that I have really been researching and educating myself on weight-loss choices... I've been super geeking out and reading about liver processes, glycogen, and glucagon. I just can't seem to get enough. I have discovered if I actually know WHY I shouldn't be eating certain items- or why I should be doing certain exercises- that I'm actually doing them! Part of me is no longer satisfied with accepting, "Calories in- Calories out." I need to know HOW those calories work.

So if you don't mind- would you be interested in sharing a bit about what works for you? And maybe why you chose that method? Totally judgement free zone...

[SweetTreat80]

lunarsongbird, great thread and I'm definitely curious to see what other's are doing and why. For myself I'm not following any specific plan, just doing what I have researched is good for my situation (I have cancer and I'm diabetic) and trying to modify it to work for me. That has consisted of ousting anything white and all refined sugars. Actually the only thing white I eat is if I'm in a hurry I pop a Smart Ones English Muffin breakfast sandwich in the microwave and go.

But my diet consists of Whole grains, no refined sugar, lean proteins, high emphasis on fresh veg. That's it. Nothing fancy. And for exercise I'm walking about 2km a day (when it's NOT -25 outside! lol) and doing normal hand weights in my home. I know it's not an aggressive approach but it is working for me while not making me feel deprived or overworked and I think that is the important thing for most people or you won't stick to it.

[Angihas2]

I count calories and walk. I don't deny myself anything, but make decisions on if I really want that tiny chocolate bar, or if I'd rather have a bunch of veggies/fruit. I do tend to limit fruits and only eat them in the morning, the natural sugar in them can trigger me for more sugar. I ration out my fats so that I get a small, healthy kind throughout the day to remain satiated. I try to put the baby in the stroller and take several small walks throughout the day. He's not yet read or capable of a few miles strapped in the stroller.

I choose to preplan my meals for the following day, it keeps me in control and eliminates the scanning the shelves/fridge for something thats healthy when I'm feeling like I'm starving and the baby is finally taking a 7 minute nap :/ If it's preplanned there's no guesswork, I lay out the frozen things the night before and they're ready when I need them.

I premake things like chicken/beans/lentils/stews. Freeze in portion sizes, so I can quick add them to fitday and not guestimate the calories.

I make me a priority. Walking, eating healthy, it just is, without room for negotioation. If the kids are out of whack and where I would normally ignore the want to walk, to deal with them, I make them come with me and we can discuss issues. I also don't cut walks short cus they get bored. Sorry boutcha luck chuck, thems the breaks. Mom has things she needs to do too.

I pay attention to changes a new food can cause, am I more bloated, does it make me feel energized or sluggish, am I reacting to it at all? I have a history of an undiagnosed pork allergy (digestive allergy) as well as a mild gluten intolerance. Just cutting the gluten and pork has made me feel so much better.

I stay in touch with you ladies and gents. Seriously, its something I look forward to it every morning and it's that extra support that makes my day easier

[Roo2]

I 'm doing Ideal Protein phase 1 . Once I'm done with all the phases I will probably always watch Carb intake.
This diet has so many restrictions but the benefits have outweighed of the deprivation I initially felt.
Roo2

[Radiojane]

I follow a primal diet, which is basically, whole, natural, unprocessed food. I keep my carb intake low and watch my calories. I get a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise per day, usually more.

[caryesings]

I lost my weight by calorie counting so that nothing was out of bounds, but choices had to be continually made, and my diet became "healthier" by default. By the time I had lost 100, I seem to have gotten a pretty good instinct for eating the calorie amount that has maintained that weight for 2.5 years now.

I'm now a speaker for a local weight loss group and the message I'm basically communicating is not to do anything you can't do for the rest of your life, and that little changes consistently applied WILL get the pounds off and keep them off. No one wants to hear that when they are gung ho to get the weight off NOW, but I'm proof it works so they don't dismiss it entirely.

[Devoncroix]

Simply put: Calories out - Calories in

If I broke it down into numbers:

1200 - 1400 calories a day (I use loseit to track), 80-90% whole & organic foods. I workout "officially" 3x a week for 60-90 minutes. I try to fit in extra cardio where & when I can but don't stress about it. I use common tips and tricks such as parking in the back, taking the stairs, calf raises while waiting in line etc..

I weigh every day and use physicsdiet to watch the trend, I find this is important for me to stay motivated. I take body measurements weekly and a bathing suit snapshot to track my progress visually.

I drink alot of water and one cup of green tea a day (this helps curb boredom hunger).

I had a full check up prior to starting and cleared everything I am doing with my doctor.

[Tziri]

I'm doing the ideal protein diet also. I love it, but it's definitely not for everyone.

I started my weightless journey last January counting calories, exercising, and watching carbs/fats/sodium etc... I really enjoyed doing that and will probably go back to it once I'm in my maintenance phase.

[ghost]

I'm doing keto, or what most call a low-carb diet only my plan is very low carb. I have a blog link in my sig if you have interest or questions. But basically my macro breakdown is 75%fat/20%protein/5%carbs and I also keep track of calories on top of that so that I know I'm in a deficit and that my body is burning stored fat and not dietary fat. There are many reasons why this is working for me but mostly the appetite suppression has been the major deciding factor on staying with it, and the fact that my blood pressure has really gone down since hitting my stride.

I have successfully lost weight on good ol' CICO, but I was always hungry and one bad decision away from an all out binge. With keto I'm not even thinking about food until I'm ready to sit down and eat.

[bethFromDayton]

I'm counting calories and tracking them using MyFitnessPal. I'm not following a specific plan, but am self-balancing--lots of fruits and veggies and lean meats. Cutting out sweets has also cut my cravings for them.

I think part of doing well at (any) diet is recognizing what your pitfalls are. For me, it's sweets--you name it, I like it, pretty much. So for that, I've gone pretty close to cold turkey. I let myself have a few small things at a party Saturday night--and ate 6 of them instead of the 2 I had planned. I don't like the idea of giving sweet baked goods up forever, but I know I don't control myself well once I start.

My other pitfall is starches--potatoes, bread, pasta. I haven't eliminated these, but I measure them out and control them--and eat them primarily with proteins.

I measure or weigh everything in the kitchen and serve the plates with food on them, instead of serving family style. DH is also counting calories--he can go back for seconds, though, since he gets more calories than I do! I'm also using smaller plates. Having a full plate helps, somehow.

I've added walking into my schedule at work--a coworker and I take a lap of the building twice a day. We were doing one lap. This week, we upped it to two laps (16 minutes each). DH and I were starting to walk in the evenings, but the 17 degree weather has curtailed that for a little bit.

I'm reading and working through the Beck Diet Solution book--I'm finding the cognitive behavior therapy approach to changing one's eating habits and views very helpful.

I'm just over 2 weeks in--and I've lost 5 lbs. DH has lost 11. That hardly seems fair.

[Vex]

Calorie counting - I shoot for between 1200 and 1400 a day. I don't count carbs, fat or anything else really.

I don't really exercise at this point but am thinking about starting in the future.

[berryblondeboys]

I eat lower carb (under 100 net grams). Lately it's been under 60. I eat a medium protein and medium fat diet and I try to exercise an hour a day with three days a week being strength training and 3 days a week being cardo. One day of rest per week. Calories are about 1375-1450 a day.

Simple carbs and grain carbs I found for me make me feel bad - lethargic and make me hold water weight. So, I do better without them in my diet, but I'll eat whatever veggies I want. Fruits in moderation, but no bananas.

[Arctic Mama]

A calorie isn't just a calorie with my body, unfortunately. Thus I'm doing high fat/low carb, with a solid foundation of unprocessed or fermented/roasted/smoked foods. Ie: Atkins, by the book

[merilung]

Primal diet - high fat, moderate protein, low carb. Plenty of animal products/animal fat. No sugar (except what naturally occurs in homemade yogurt, cheese, and the occasional cup of berries - no other fruit).

Exercise for at least an hour a day - it doesn't matter so much to me what exercise I'm doing at this point, just that I'm putting the time in. Right now it's usually either 90 minutes of hot yoga or 60-90 minutes of walking in the park.

Calorie counting on MFP. I try to aim for 1200, but I don't stress if I go over - I just like to keep track of what I'm eating. Keeping a food log also helps me identify what foods lead to me eating WAY too much!

[lunarsongbird]

WOohoo! Thanks everyone for sharing! For a moment or two, I thought people were going to be nervous about sharing their plans. I will have to come back later tonight and map out my plan with the "whys"

But I am basically doing low carb/decent animals fats/primal.

ETA: AHAHA...Ticker...You are MINE! Go butterfly, GO!