I'm doing great on my plan. Down 16 pounds after being stuck at 15 pounds for 3 weeks. Yea!
I am just wondering..... all my life I have over ate and ate junk food and basically crap. Since I've changed my eating habits I'm realizing my body speaks to me... imagine that.
I'm wondering if everyone has had that happen. Is it easier to listen over time? Was it a gradual thing or was it as soon as you changed your eating habits?
It was a gradual thing for me. About 3 weeks into my new life style I began to crave working out and fresh fruit. My body starting wanting more water instead of diet coke and yearned for brown rice. It was odd to me at first but I "tuned into" my body and listened because it knows more of what I want than my tummy or taste buds.
I recently went out for chinese (my most favorite food) for my birthday dinner and it made me feel sticky, gross and bloated instead of happy and re-fueled.
I think you are doing a wonderful job! Listening to your body is a great step!
Absolutely, and it feels great, doesn't it. Yoga is doing the same thing to m, I can now feel and control little shifts in alignment that I couldn't feel or control before.
Mine is still being the bratty one, but I learn to control my urges. Today I grasped myself unconsciously picking up a multi-pack of chocolates and said "No, you don't need that! Put it back!" like a mother would say to her child and after a moment of hesitation I did! Yay!!!!
Even just two years ago as a hockey player, when I exercised, I felt awesome afterwards. Exuberant all day, energy like crazy.
So, last year (my last "real" attempt at losing weight) I joined a gym I could barely afford and bilked myself into getting up at 5am everyday before work and getting in there.
I started with 20 minutes on the elliptical and found it easy, so I started waking even earlier so I could do 30-40 minutes. I broke a sweat, bright red face, and met a couple of very encouraging gym buddies.
But this time...my body didn't seem to enjoy it afterwards. I had no extra energy like I used to, I still needed caffeine to get through the afternoon at work. Perhaps, I thought, its because I now have a desk job and not an on-your-feet food service job?
So I quit going. I wish desperately now I had paid more attention to my body and what it may have been trying to tell me, because I would give anything now to have kept on with what I was doing then - who knows where I could be now?
So this time...even only three days into it...I'm paying more attention. I'm not exercising yet (I have a horrible chest cold atm), but I'm planning out my food and eating when my body wants to eat instead of waiting for a specific time. Already yesterday afternoon, I had brought in for lunch leftover homemade pizza, and my stomach bucked slightly at the thought of eating it. Normally, I'd eat it (HELLO! Its pizza!!). But this time, I tossed it in the garbage and tried to think of what I wanted. ... and I went and got a turkey sandwich from a local deli.
Okay, I know this was long winded ... and I'm sorry ^^ But your post really got me thinking about my regrets for not listening and trying to figure it out last time. But I'm grateful I'm paying attention this time.
I find that it takes conscious effort but it's really not that difficult. I've definitely started listening to my body in terms of what I'm craving (in terms of healthy food, that is!) because I figure my body knows what it needs. If I had planned to eat a marinated chicken/brown rice dinner, but I find I really just want some yogurt or something, I figure that I'm really not as hungry as I thought I'd be.
It takes some getting used to, but it becomes second nature
I'm glad to know I'm not the only one with regrets about not listening to my body earlier. I was thinking to myself the other day about how I don't remember what I weighed at different times in my life and how I didn't pay any attention to where on my body I was gaining weight at any given point in time.
I feel you Silverstar. I'm so tired of playing the shoulda woulda coulda game. The only thing I have control of is what I eat today. Not yesterday and in reality not tomorrow, it's what I'm putting in my mouth daily. It's a new day and a new season for me. This is a lifestyle change...
Today, I've been craving spicy food..... so weird, I've never really like spicy food. I wonder why I'm craving it. hmmm
It's weird how your body changes over time. Stuff I used to eat everyday for years makes me sick now. Whenever I do the fast food or ice cream or any of that, my stomach just can't take it. So, I try and stay away from that as much as I can. And whenever I don't diet and exercise now, I feel all tired and disgusting, it's weird.
i am still learning to listen to my body and understand what hunger is and what is just a craving. My stomach stills says i neeeeed what i used to eat, but the rest of my body hsa soo much more energy without it, so im tending to go with the rest of my body and ignore my stomach except for 3 times a day, maybe with some healthy snacks to check if its hunger or just craavings.
My body is now craving exercise too! Its like its gone from an old dog to a puppy or something, its just going to go nuts if it cant work out nearly every day!
After 6 weeks, I am still having problems determining hungry and full, but I can't believe how enjoyable food is when you actually take the time to chew it and look at it and smell it, instead of scarfing it down!!!!!
For me there are two components to this: quality and quantity. I've got the quality down. I prefer high quality food, fresh, organic, local produce whenever possible, no transfats, no HFCS, and that includes treats. And I've GOT to get my activity or I feel achy and stiff and like my blood is running sludgy in my veins. So that stuff is easy now, or even pleasurable I would say. Yay endoprhins!
Quantity is tough for me though. I can listen to my body for hunger signals and hear them well enough, but satiety signals? Hello...lo....lo.....
I can maintain without tremendous effort due to my activity level. (Although I have a foot injury now, boo! So I better be extra careful.) But to continue losing, sheer force of will - and a food scale to keep me honest - are essential.
Was it hard to listen to your body?
Since I've changed my eating habits I'm realizing my body speaks to me... imagine that. 
Hello...lo....lo.....