Thanks, Trish and Blue. I needed that. It is sometimes hard when I'm the only one posting here. I realize that I eat a lot less than I used to but I don't always get much exercise because of a chronic illness that I have ..........it makes me tired a lot.

I've been wanting to focus more on IE - I do alright with it, but I could use a period of some more focus and paying attention. But I'm in a rut and not getting things done, IE or otherwise. Oh well. It is good to know that when I feel like taking a break, I don't fall apart, I just coast.

I saw this thread a few weeks ago and decided to look into IE. I am now reading the Intuitive Eating book by Tribole and Resch. While I am losing weight by eating every 3 hours I do many of the things that the book mentions. One of the major changes I made to my eating is I have no off limit foods. Once I did that it was amazing to discover how quickly my cravings stopped.

Hi Everybody,

carolr I am sorry that I don't post more and I am going to try to post more often. I just haven't felt I was doing very well and then I back off. I guess that isn't the thing to do. Your posts always help me so please feel free to post and I really will try to do better. Don't feel bad about the exercise. One thing I learned in the book I'm reading is that a lot of dieters who were successful didn't and don't exercise. CONGRATULATIONS on 5 lb loss.

Blue As usual, we are about the same place on our IE journey.

Deflax I find I do the same thing when I limit or try to decide not to eat certain foods ever again. I am trying to remember there are no Good/Bad foods. Really it is more learning to eat anything I want to eat in moderation.

Julie The book I'm reading on those who were successful at losing weight and keeping it off learned to focus on the foods they wanted to eat and what the foods that they really enjoyed. IE teaches us that if we don't like it don't eat it and if we love it then savour it. Reading how these people succeeded, I am learning to do that.

I'm finally learning after reading some of this book (still reading the 1st one) to really listen to my body and eat what I want and when I want it. When I was thin, I never ate breakfast. Everytime I have lost weight successfully, I didn't eat breakfast. The book says that some people didn't eat breakfast. The book doesn't advocate the practice but it just said some people didn't. I remember hearing of a doctor who has never eat breakfast. So I decided maybe some of us just don't need or want breakfast. So I got up this morning and I ate a Mango. Since I'm the one who is in control of what I do with food, I knew I could eat something later if I wanted to. We eat our main meal at or around 2 to 3 in the afternoon. I was not hungry again until our main meal. I ate the main meal and ate 1/2 of what I usually eat. The difference is that now I know it is okay for me to make my own rules and be in control. I'm not saying anything against WW, counting calories, low carb or lowfat diets. I'm just saying that I cannot fit into someone elses box or ideas. I NEVER ate like anyone else when I was thin. I have always gained weight when I went by other peoples rules and ideas. So maybe I am naturally an IE-er and maybe following other peoples or groups ideas have been my problem. Example, today I told DH there was a time in my life when the only thing I would eat for a meal was corn and nothing else because that was all I wanted. I weighed 120 lbs back then. I remember reading in this book that a successful dieter who said she got up and she wanted a tuna sandwich for breakfast and ate it. She said she knew most people would think that was nuts because that is not considered a normal breakfast food. I remember one time my cousin who was overweight all through her/our childhood. She went to WW to lose weight. BTW she has kept her weight off all these many years. But she ate what she wanted not necessarily what most people would. She and her family (we were married by that time) came to spend a vacation time with us. She would get up and have ice cream for breakfast. I say all that to say that we need to focus on what works for us individually not on what someone else says we [B]have[B]to do. Thus IE.

Carolr A big THANKS for being such an inspiration to all of us.

Y'all have a good day.

Thanks Delafax, Blue, Julie and Trish for your posts. Trish, your last post really encouraged me. I love winter probably because I am to stay out of the sun and I always loved the sun before. It's because of sarcoidosis and it makes me sad sometimes. I wish you all could see the view from my front window. The hills have a smattering of snow and they are beautiful. I guess I really like cloudy days now because maybe the sun isn't affecting me as much. I've been off prednisone for over 2 mo. but my scar sarcoidosis tells me it is getting worse again.

Hi Everyone!

Sorry this has to be quick but just wanted to drop in and let you know I'm reading. Such inspiring posts lately.

Hugs all around! Carol, take good care of yourself! (I know you do!) Trish, I think we are twins! lol I was never a big breakfast eater either and never obsessed about food until I started restricting it. Oh the damage done over the years! (And still I am told by others what I "need" do do to lose weight ... count this, limit that. *sigh*) Julie, i've been coasting lately, too. But I think it's part of the healing process, learning to just let go. delafax, welcome to our little group!

I gotta run now! Have a great one!

Hello Everyone

Carolr so sorry you can't be in the sun. I just spent a fortune for lipstick (now only use one basic color) because I seem to get fever blisters a lot and I read that it is caused from the sun and to purchase lipstick with a sunscreen. I already had been told that I had an allergy to the sun when I was in my twenties, but with the sunscreen make up I haven't had trouble with it in years. I never broke out like other kids but had little unusual white tough balls just under the skin at times. Sounds like you live in a wonderful place with a beautiful scenery.

Blue I've thought how much alike we are in our journey. You know I always said that I was taught to eat to gain weight. I have been reading about a comfortable weight. In my senior year in high school my activities slowed down and I gained a little bit of weight and seemed to level out at a comfortable weight of 120 to 125. Then I went to college and us girls would go out for cokes or shakes every night and I started eating breakfast and boy the weight started coming on. I quit college and the weight came back off because I went back to normal eating for me. Then I moved in with an aunt who insisted 3 meals a day. I married and we ate a lot of pasta and I put the weight back on. I told DH today that Mama didn't like to have left overs and since I didn't eat much she probably was trying to get me to eat so I was the one she insisted to eat the left overs. Never was much and I was so active it didn't show. A habit I had to learn not to do as an adult.

Today DH had to go to the doctor and I went with him so was up early. I wasn't hungry, but I knew it would be a while before we ate since we were going to Walmart while out. I decided to eat a few bites of canteloupe to make my body think it had something to eat. It worked. I didn't eat again until around noon. I am eating a lot less than I used to, but I am eating what I want that I like and really enjoying it.

I started reading the other book today (still haven't finished the first one) and I realized that I am really blessed. There was one successful loser who keeps his weight off, but as he says it "his full button is broken". He never knows when he is full. I can say that I can tell when I am satisfied so I am truly blessed. I am going to have to say that I do have to learn to watch my portions, but I have even learned how to figure that out. I serve my food on smaller plates and bowls.

Y'all have a great day.

It is interesting to see when everyone gained weight. Mine was mostly pregnancies and prednisone. I did have a small gain just before puberty but it went away in a flash once I started my period. I was also wondering about breakfast. I get really hungry in the morning if I don't eat right away and I was wondering if it isn't wise to let the hunger go. Seems I'm extra hungry all day if I do that. Cantaloupe sounds really good but I'm wondering if it would be good bought out of season. I just love a good cantaloupe. I didn't like it as a child but then someone fed it to me with ice cream in the middle and after that I was hooked even without the ice cream.

carolr I think breakfast should be a personal decision determined by hunger at the time. For example, the day I went with DH to the doctor and thought #1 we would be eating out and #2 didn't know how long it would be and #3 I didn't want to be stuck somewhere I might have to go to the bathroom and couldn't. So I ate a few bites of the cantaloupe. When I went to bed last night, I had in my mind what I wanted to eat for breakfast. I over slept and when I got up, I really wasn't that hungry so I ended up eating fruit which was mango and a small banana. There are days I get up and want toast with peanut butter or oatmeal with fruit and yogurt. Then there are days I really don't want anything. So I think what I've learned through IE and the books I've read on people who successfully lose weight and keep it off, what we eat, when we eat and whether we eat breakfast, or 3 meals and snacks or small meals throughout the day is more of a preference than a set rule. I think that is why I was drawn to IE because you learn to listen to what your body say and not what a book or someone say I have to do. I hope this makes sense.

I am now reading the book on Volumetrics and it makes so much sense. It is the reason so many newer diet programs stress fruits, vegetables and even whole grains. It seems to teach more of how to balance eating food you like and enjoy and still lose weight. Maybe more slowly, but they stress this is how you keep it off.

Delafax, Blue, Julie and everyone else Hope everyone has a great week end.

Have you ever heard of a NSV? That's a nonscale victory if you haven't. Well it just dawned on me that my DH no longer polices what I eat. He used to always ask me if I should be eating this or that. But since I have lost weight and kept it off I just noticed that he doesn't do that anymore. We always used to be pretty close in weight but now I'm about 40 lb thinner than he.

carolr CONGRATULATIONS!!! That is terrific. Also inspirational as DH is always asking if I should be eating certain foods or telling me I shouldn't. Last time he did it at Costco. Ended up that I did decide not to buy what I picked up, but I hurt his feelings before then because I told him not to tell me what I could and could not eat. I later explained to him that I had to accept the complete responsibility of my weight and my eating; that I could not let it be his responsibility or anyone elses. I am totally IE or what the new volumetrics book calls the "Nondiet". I know the weight loss will be slow, but right now I am satisfied with that knowledge as long as I can steadily lose. I think I'm learning why my diet fluctuates so much and hopefully I'm going to be able to stop it. Any way, thanks again for sharing. that is a real mile stone.

We're in Colo. right now at Winter Park. I told myself I would try to move as little as possible because of the altitude. So far, so good. Then there is the problem of not having the foods I usually have around. We are staying in a condo that my son rented and they bought the groceries before we got here. The thing I mostly miss is my Westsoy soy milk. It is the only one that isn't fortified with calcium which I can't have. They looked for it but couldn't find it. Walmart carries it but there isn't one around here. I'm sure I'll figure it out and it is only for 4 days.

carolr Sorry you aren't able to get the soy milk. Is there anything comparable you might find? Hope you are able to have a fun time any way.

Hello everyone -
After I read the IE book I have been incorporating some of the things I have learned in the book into my daily eating plan. It seems to be working. After so many diets in my life I have finally found an eating lifestyle plan that I can live with forever!...and it feels great.
Thanks for the warm welcome to your thread.

delafax That sounds great. The last time I lost weight, I suddenly realized that I basically did IE without ever hearing of IE. Now I am incorporating those things back into my way of eating. Eat when I am hungry and don't eat when I'm not. When I eat, I eat only as much as I need to be satisfied... I don't have to clean my plate. Isn't it wonderful when we learn what works for us?

Blue How are you doing?