Starting in on week 3 or recommitment to better eating and I'm not impressed with my results (lack of) so far so. I know I need to start calorie counting. But I HATE doing that.

I don't measure, I don't log, I don't journal and I don't keep lists. Even in day to day life, I don't keep to-do lists. I just don't do well with that. While I may be able to do it for a couple days, I've never been able to commit long enough to form a habit.

I've lost weight in the past with a modified approach to zig-zag calorie counting. (eating somewhat low carb) and I need to get back to that approach.

I seem to struggle with a few areas.

1. I tend to get all my calories in before 3pm, and then those calories I consume past 3pm are excess and have caused the weight gaine. So I need to curb the early eating.

2. I tend to mindless and habitual eat. Grabbing candy bars and snacks that are available at work and eating them before I even realize I've eaten them. Or, I come into work and first thing I do is make breakfast - whether I'm hungry or not. Its like my morning diet coke - I drink it whether I need the caffeine boost or not.

3. Dining out with friends. Lunch at work has always been a struggle. I prefer to go out and leave the office. I need to get away and I have my friends I like to go get away with. But they aren't the best when it comes to sticking to a diet plan. I need the hour away from the office as a mental break from the work, and from the people looking for advice. If I stay in, people tend to bombard me with work related or personal questions that make it feel like I'm still working and the day drags. During cooler months I will go for a walk and exercise at lunch a few days a week. But this time of year with temps in the upper 90's, exercise is out of the question. (no malls or shopping center's near by and my gym is 30 miles away).

4. I'm one of those raised in the generation of "you must finish everything on your plate". If there is food in front of me, I end up eating it. If a coworker brings me candy or cookies - even if I'm not hungry or full, I eat them. If I set them aside, they just sit there nagging at me to eat them. I know I need to stop this bad habit.

So, there it is. Not really a question, but more a self awareness that I need to start calorie counting again.

You mention a few times that you mindlessly eat. You need to keep your eating in the forefront of your mind. Honestly, it can't be mindless if you get up, go to the plate of cookies, and then eat one. What you need to do (and I've done this too) is to think - why do I want it? Do I need it? Do I have the calories available? Does this taste as good as thin feels? You need to think about your decisions and you can stop the mindless eating. Or, if you do mindless eating, do it on something healthy: carrots, apples with low fat peanut butter, there are other options.

As for going out to eat - perhaps picnic in the park? Or, check out the nutritional information online before you leave the office and find the lowest fat option that they have on the menu - or have something specially made for you.

I hated calorie counting as well, but after a month, I knew how many calories were in each item I was eating, so I didn't have to write it down as much.

I know I can get back into it - I've done this before. I just have to make the conscious effort.

The mindless eating tends to happen at work. We have many locations with candy dishes (with individually wrapped bite sized candy) and our lunchroom is actually a passageway location that you have to walk thru to get from one are to another. So, simple things like walking up front to the receptionist desk to pick up a message or package and the candy dish is there so you have a piece. (or two or three) and eat them before I even walk back to my desk. Then sit down and think "what was I thinking".

I've been good about that in the past 2 weeks of trying to recommit. I think I have that under control.

As for going to the park - its 95+ outside this time of year here, so park settings aren't that fun when you are in business clothes. But, today I went to lunch at Ruby Tuesdays and had the salad bar, so I could control what I ate. While my son had a burger and fries, I had no temptation.

This is why I love calorie counting. You can tailor it to how you do life. I don't keep to do lists, I'm not a list person but I'm trinket driven. I bring all my meals to work for when it's time to eat. I count them all up for that day. Because I don't eat a whole lot of different stuff I know what the calorie counts are in my food and I calculate it all before I leave home and know what's left for the evening. I eat with my family but I have a different menu...I like what I eat. I eat around 1400-1500 calories a day depending on what's going on. When I eat out with my coworkers, I eat for my health. They can do what they do but I'm going to do me. I started in Jan 2010 at a size 24. I'm a size 16 almost in a 14. But do what works for you.

As for the mindless eating, that was so me. I thought about it and if it was available or close to available I had it. So I feel you there. Just don't let the reasons you haven't be the reasons you don't. Start with a little at a time and it will become what you do.

Might I suggest just coming up with a bunch of meals you like that fall into a particular calorie range. To make it simple lets just say you have a bunch of 300-400 cal breakfast, lunches and dinners and 200 cal snacks to put you in a 1400-1600 cal range or whatever way you want to work it. You then mix and match your meals never really "counting" your cals because you know at the end of the day whatever you picked will have fallen into that range somewhere. Calorie counting isn't an exact science so reaching x numbers of calories everyday to lose weight isn't that critical as long as you are within the right range for your body (only you can figure that out) you will lose weight.


To answer your other questions.

1. Maybe, or maybe dinner's not for you. I know that may sound insane and everyone says that we need to eat consistantly throughout the day to make our metabolism work the most efficently, and while I generally believe this and it is true for me, dinner is usually my smallest meal. I'm hungier earlier in the day so for me having a larger breakfast and lunch works well. Maybe your dinner is just a snack.

2. I too am a mindless eater, but have really gotten it under control by calorie counting and making myself only eat when I'm hungry, really listening to my body. I try to always ask myself would I eat carrots right now? If not, then I'm probably not that hungry.

3. If going home for lunch is an option (I doubt it is) do it. If you need to tell your receptionist and coworkers that just because you are in the office doesn't mean you're not taking a lunch do it. There have been some other posts about how to get exercise at work with a desk job, see if you can find them.

4. Me too, I'm not sure how to help you here, other than just practice practice practice. Try to always eat half your meals at restaurants and take home the rest and try to always leave a bite or two on your plate. I know it's awful but it's better being tossed in the trash than attached to your waist, corny I know.

Dinner really isn't for me - but it is for hubby and teenage son. I do try to cook extra on the weekends so that we have leftovers a few nights, but hubby likes family meals, its our only time to be together, and really we are so busy that we only really have sit down dinners a couple nights a week. Tonight hubby and kid are gone, I get to go workout and skip dinner.

Going home at lunch isn't an option either. I live 30 miles from work. (hence my gym is also 30 miles away as it is close to home). I have the tony horton 10 min series and will try to do those, but right now we don't really have the open office space in the office to do it. When we did, I did do them sometimes.

Again, lunches are a matter of practice and conscience effort to make this work. I've done it before - years ago. I just have to get back into that mindset.

I have a recipe book - the 1500 calorie per day diet which breaks recipes down into meals that are approx 350 for the meals and 150 for the snacks. I also have the eating guide for insanity that has the meals broken down as well. I just need to DO IT!

Yesterday i decided that what I was trying to do wasn't working the way I'd like so I need to go back to calorie counting. Time to face the music and just do it. Hopefully I can stick to it.