So I'm still reading the book, I'm almost done with it but still haven't read anything about alcohol...how do you incorporate it into your lifestyle?
So this weekend I've been struggling....and I don't even know why. So I keep reading IE and it doesn't talk about losing the weight with IE. I know it says to throw out our diet mentality and to not weigh etc but I also thought by listening to our bodies and only eating until satisfied we would lose weight nice and slow and get to our goal weights, am I wrong? I was on another forum and it wouldn't even let you join their IE group if you bring up weightloss...what? Why? I thought IE was a tool for weightloss so why can't we talk about it? You find the book in the diet/health section of the bookstore (online or physical) so anyway, needless to say I didn't join that group lol but I'm struggling because I'm hearing negatives, "it was eating when I'm hungry that got me fat" one person tells me. Well technically it was eating too much that got you and me there but I didn't argue, it was pointless. You know how some people like to just be "right" maybe it's because my family reunion is less than a month away and I was hoping I'd be 10 lbs thinner by then but I have no idea how IE will get me there and I definitely don't want to limit calories or count and track anything...sigh...ok, I'm just having a bad day. I feel like I ate too much because earlier when I was hungry I didn't know what I was hungry for so I ate some chips and salsa...nope, craving still there...I had some lo mien (just a few bites) nope didn't do it...3 bites of gelato? Nope....one chilli cheese dog? Yep I found it! But I felt so guilty eating all that food.... I felt too full but not stuffed, right in between. It's almost 8pm and I'm still not hungry so I guess I won't be eating dinner, not because I'm restricting but because I'm just not hungry from all that at lunch (breakfast was 1 biscuit with sausage gravy) so probably all in all I'm ok but why do I feel guilty? Tomorrow is another day....just needed to vent and get some support. Thanks for listening.
Ugh....fell off the wagon last week. I snacked when I wasn't hungry waaaay too much! Sugar cravings came back, carb cravings came back....yuk. Getting back on track tomorrow!
Ugh....fell off the wagon last week. I snacked when I wasn't hungry waaaay too much! Sugar cravings came back, carb cravings came back....yuk. Getting back on track tomorrow!
Hang in there Andrea, just keep posting here, I come check this thread at least hourly so if you need support I am here
so I feel a bit better than I did yesterday... right now I'm posting so I will ignore my stomach lol I ate a wonderful light breakfast as that is all my hunger was asking for (biscuit with egg) I usually eat lunch around 11 but I had meeting after meeting so I just now was able to eat lunch and I was ravenous! But I made me a plate of leftover spaghetti... just a small normal portion and now I'm trying to let it hit "bottom" because I was so hungry I felt like an empty cave.. so far so good
I did have a small feat to share.. on saturday all the kids wanted icecream so normally we'd go someplace where they make the icecream for you etc so you get bigger portions than what you really need and you might have a hard time stopping when you are satisfied, so instead of going to one of those places we went to Yum-Yos which is a self serve frozen yogurt place, it was so neat! They charge by the ounce so you control what you get and how much you get. I was able to get about 4 oz of dark chocolate with some whipped cream on top with some slivered almonds etc, YUM! and I could eat the whole cup because I knew it was a small, perfect portion for me, no need to feel bad throwing any away or tempted to eat more than you need just because it's still there. I'll definitely start going there more often to curb my icecream cravings
I guess what I'm doing is intuitive eating? Not sure, as I haven't read the book (though I want to!) but I'm not counting calories or anything...I'm trying to limit salt and sugar intake, and eating healthy (but filling) foods, but I'm eating only when hungry and only eating that cookie or candy when I REALLY want one (which is pretty rare these days), and even then, limiting myself to a small portion without feeling deprived.
I worry sometimes that I'm eating *too little* though...this is my average daily intake:
Breakfast: big bowl of frozen veggies with pasta sauce and herbs, 2 eggs on toast, coffee with milk
Lunch: non-fat greek yoghurt with fruit
Dinner: bean burrito with salsa, usually some sort of veggie side my mom's made; might instead have a reasonable portion of soup or chicken or something my parents are eating
For snacks, I have low-sodium v-8, veggies, fruit, nuts (PISTACHIOOOOSSSS!), and I inevitably have 2 more coffees-with-milk throughout the day. I also drink a LOT of water/herbal tea throughout the day.
If for some reason I still feel hungry during the day (rare), I have a granola bar (one with oats, nuts, and fruit).
Welcome JoJoP!
The nice thing is with IE you don't need to worry if you aren't eating "enough" as long as you are listening to your body and eating when hungry and stopping when satisfied you are eating enough One of the big principles with IE is learning to throw away the diet mentality.. if we pick a low calorie snack because we are craving that particular snack, great! eat it! But if we are picking it just because it's low calorie, then we are sliding back into dieting mentality. The biggest thing with IE is not just eating only when you are hungry but also only eating what you are truly hungry for! if that is an apple, enjoy it! if that is a decadent piece of chocolate! enjoy that too! it's very individual, the great thing is the longer I put those principles into use the more I do crave healthier options, I've been craving caprese salad like crazy lately! why? because I know I can have that icecream anytime I want and something lighter and cooler sounds good most days (i like my veggies more in the summer anyway) Check out the book The Overfed Head, that is an amazing success story of someone who put IE to use and went from 300+ lbs down to 160 and is easily maintaining. Just google The Overfed Head PDF and you can get a free copy
I am lucky in that a recent medication change has left me nearly craving-free, and with a lower appetite than I used to have. I occasionally have some cravings (not very intense, though) at night, but I have a smallish bowl of Cheerios with milk and feel satisfied, and not guilty at all.
What's odd is that usually, when I feel hungry, it's like...light hunger pangs in my stomach but no feeling of "I want to eat!" Like I've lost a lot of interest in food (which used to intensely preoccupy me). So I don't really eat for pleasure much anymore, just so that I don't feel hungry, although I DO enjoy the foods I eat and always make sure I feel *satisfied* and not just full/not hungry anymore.
I only worry a bit about my calorie intake being too low because I'm concerned that at some point I might start losing muscle and not just fat (which is why I try to do arm and leg weights every day). So far, however, I'm gaining a nice amount of muscle, and I'm enjoying feeling stronger!
I also feel like I should walk at least a little bit each day, as I know how healthy walking is, and my job is pretty sedentary. But in the scheme of things, these aren't really horrid problems to have, and I'm sure I'll find a way to deal with them
Are you losing weight each week? My job is pretty sedentary as well so I have to make sure I get extra steps in and doing some strength training each week as well.
Are you losing weight each week? My job is pretty sedentary as well so I have to make sure I get extra steps in and doing some strength training each week as well.
I have been yeah (it's been 2 months). I gained a few pounds this past week, but I fit into pants I wasn't able to last week, so I think the weight is just water retention or new muscle weight. Either way I'm not worried =)
I lovveee freeweights! So easy! I'm too lazy to go to the gym XD
well I was gonna say as long as you weren't losing too rapidly your calorie intake has probably been spot on and you don't need to worry about being too low I have been doing this about 3 weeks, lost 3 lbs in the first two, last week I dind't gain or lose but I lost 1/2 inch in my waist which is a win for me
So just a small feat I wanted to share from yesterday... so I ate my dinner, leftover spaghetti, ate only until satisfied... then my hubby comes home with snacks and a movie! ugh! he only got enough for all of us for the movie so if I didn't eat it then it would be gone.. that last supper mentality definitely set in, if I don't at least eat a few bites I won't get any at all... BUT I wasn't hungry, I was still satisfied from my dinner so after wrestling with my brain and stomach I decided to pass on the snacks.. I just wasn't hungry so I could not justify even taking one bite. I felt so much better when I made my mind up to pass on the food and this morning?? I was down a lb!!!! woo hoo! if I would have caved that would not have happened... so its a win! somedays I fight with myself about, will this plan REALLY work in losing weight or just help me maintain? well I guess its helping me lose weight, I'm down 4 lbs total now.. I'll take it Anyway, just wanted to share that little accomplishment.
Oh and I finished the IE book last night, and it STILL never talked about how to include alcohol.. so Im gonna ask you all again, how would you include your wine etc? only drink it if you are hungry or is it ok when you aren't??????? I don't want this to be my stumbling block. I like to have a glass or two of wine each week.
How is everyone doing today? This thread is very quiet lol
so at 11 today I wanted to eat lunch just because I wanted to eat lunch.. no other reason. My brain said "its your normal lunch time, lets eat!" man did I have to fight myself! I just told myself I'm not actually hungry yet.. wait until your stomach grumbles (that is my sure sign of hunger) so I kept on working and trying to ignore my BRAIN it worked, I finally got hungry around 12:45 so then I gave myself permission to have lunch. Everyday I get a little better, everyday I'm little more intune with my body. But it's still a process, I still have moments where I want to eat or snack just to eat or snack, because something sounds good or I know will taste good but I then stop and think, am I actually hungry??? nope... then WAIT lol you can have it as soon as you are really hungry. Baby steps for sure.
I have been lurking in this thread for awhile and have decided to join in the discussion. I have successfully went from 220 to 180 in about a year and a half using a form of intuitive eating. It took some time to form new habits but I can honestly say I don't eat when I am not hungry anymore. I have also been slowly changing the types of food I eat to try and incorporate healthier less calorie dense items.
Although I am happy with my weight loss I am struggling to lose more. I have been at 180 for about 8 months now. I don't want to be on a more structured diet because it leads to disordered eating for me. I would like to lose the rest of the weight with the intuitive eating approach if possible.
I think my biggest problem right now is trying to eat intuitively while keeping to a very structured schedule work wise. Most of my weight was lost when I had a more flexible schedule and could basically eat whenever I wanted. Now there are only specific times of the day I can eat and they don't mesh well with my natural hunger schedule. I am also finding it difficult to incorporate a family dinner into my day while intuitively eating. I am always very hungry in the afternoons when I get off work and would prefer just to eat as soon as I get home. The days I do that I am not hungry for the rest of the night. But many days I will eat something when I get home, then my husband and kids want dinner a few hours later. I end up eating with them. I want to spend time with them and its hard to just sit there and not eat anything. Anyone been through similar struggles?
Welcome Jazbcure! and congrats on losing 40 lbs by listening to your body! That is amazing!
So at work, what kind of job do you have? could you take snacks so you can honor your hunger when working? gronola bars, fruit, nuts, something? It sounds to me like you've hit a set point, was 180 a weight you hit in the past and were at for some time? I know when I get to weight I was at for a time period when I get down to it again it's hard to move past it.
Maybe if you are hungry as soon as you get home just have a small snack of nuts or something so you have a real appetite for dinner with your family, so you don't feel like you are eating two dinners just so you can spend that dinner time with them.
Also, what do you do for exercise? if you are maintaning so well by listening to your body you might want to vamp up the workouts so you are eating exactly the same but the workouts will burn some extra calories and get that scale moving again. Plus if you work on strenth training you will build more healthy muscle which in turn naturally burns more calories for you as well
hello everyone, I read IE and the overfed head and i'm trying really hard to get in sync with it all. I've been going to the MRC center since june 22n'd 2012 and I lost 34 lbs and 29 1/2 inches. Went into maintenance jan 4th 2013 and after two months my cravings came back I gained back 10lbs thankfully I've been able to keep it only at 10lbs gained, I do really good during the day but nights are my problems. I've gained back about 4-5 inches mostly around my midsection, the belly fat is what they call it at MRC. I really want to do the IE way of eating but I'm wanting to know if anyone doesn't eat breakfast? We have always been told that you must eat breakfast to jumpstart your metabolism. Well I'm 57 yrs young and I don't require a lot of food like I did when I was much younger. I'm not hungry in the mornings but i'm having a hard time getting past not eating three meals a day. So starting tomorrow i'm going to not eat until my belly growls so I can actually feel what its' like to be hungry. I would love to lose the ten lbs I gained and lose the fat around my midsection.
Spryng you are doing awesome!!! And I agree it's quiet on here but let's keep up with the posts. I'm in Indiana so we might be on a time difference. Thanks for your input.
I felt too full but not stuffed, right in between. It's almost 8pm and I'm still not hungry so I guess I won't be eating dinner, not because I'm restricting but because I'm just not hungry from all that at lunch (breakfast was 1 biscuit with sausage gravy) so probably all in all I'm ok but why do I feel guilty? Tomorrow is another day....just needed to vent and get some support. Thanks for listening.
