Hi everyone!

Looks like I've missed several days again! lol Time flies when you're having fun, eh?

I have decided to follow a diabetic way of eating but I am also following IE. (Does it still count as IE if you add guidelines to it?) Carbs are my trigger. It's almost like once I start I just can't stop. So, I'm hoping that by putting a "cap" on the amount of carbs I eat at a meal or snack will get my carb consumption under control. Not only that, but I have had bouts with diabetes in the past and with my weight hovering around it's highest, I think I'd better get things under control since I am at such a high risk of developing diabetes. (It runs in the family.) I'm also hopeful that this will get the scale moving downward, too. My mother, who is diabetic, has been counting her carbs since being diagnosed (about a year ago +/-?) and in that time she has reached a normal weight (not that she was ever obese or ever looked overweight, but she carried some pounds on her). She capped her carbs because she had to, not because she wanted to lose weight. So anyhow, I don't know if I can really claim to be IEing or not, but I've got to do what I've got to do.

PS Welcome Judi!

Hi Blue. A diabetic friend told us the last time he saw the doctor he told him to just eat less of everything. I thought that was interesting. I found a new NSV today. I no longer get upset when people eat food I have bought just for myself. Oh, that is nonscale victory.

Great NSV, Carol! (I've been protective of certain foods, so I know what you mean!)

I sure wish I could just "eat less." I guess like anything, I start off good and then somehow slip back into old habits. Today I did eat less, just kept some numbers in mind. Hope this doesn't backfire!

Blue I too use guide lines with IE. The Personal program I'm doing now, I still call IE because I eat what I want when I want it. However, I write down calorie, fiber and protein. So yes I think you can tweak things to fit your lifestiyle. I know that eventually, I will be able to wean myself off on total IE. I have no place in my plan that calls foods "good or bad". It is just food. However, there are certain things I must do "personally" for my health. So yes I think you can fit the carb watch into your IE plan as long as we don't get back into the "diet" thinking. I know that I will never be on a "diet" again.

That makes sense, Trish. My mom started off keeping track of portions and numbers but now it has become so routine, she just knows how much of what to eat, naturally. If she isn't sure, she may check an exchange list, but for the most part she knows what she can eat to keep her glucose in check ... so I hope the same will be true for me in order to keep my weight in check.

What exactly is the "cognitive therapy" you are doing?

Here's a little laugh for your day given to me by a friend.

I love this Doctor

*Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise
can prolong life. Is this true?*
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and
that's it... don't waste them on exercise.
Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up
your heart will not make you live longer;
that's like saying you can extend the life
of your car by driving it faster.
Want to live longer? Take a nap.

*Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits
and vegetables?
*A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What
does a cow eat? Hay and corn.
And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is
nothing more than an efficient
mechanism of delivering vegetables to your
system. Need grain? Eat chicken.
Beef is also a good source of field grass
(green leafy vegetable).
And a pork chop can give you 100% of your
recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.


*Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
*A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your
ratio is one to one.
If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to
one, etc.

*Q: What are some of the advantages of
participating in a regular exercise program?*
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My
philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

*Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?*
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! ..... Foods are
fried these days in vegetable oil.
In fact, they're permeated in it. How
could getting more vegetables be bad for you?
*
Q*: *Will sit-ups help prevent me from
getting a little soft around the middle? *
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle,
it gets bigger.
You should only be doing sit-ups if you
want a bigger stomach.

*Q: Is chocolate bad for me? *
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans !
Another vegetable!!!
It's the best feel-good food around!

*Q: Is swimming good for your figure?**
* A: If swimming is good for your figure,
explain whales to me.

*Q: Is getting in-shape important for my
lifestyle?
* A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you
may have had about food and diets.

And remember:

*
AND......

For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the
final word on nutrition and health.
It's a relief to know the truth after all those
conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of
sausages and fats
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION

*Eat and drink what you like.
Speaking English is apparently what kills you.
*

Hello! Could I be a part of this thread?

I'm a lifelong dieter who is giving up on deprivation and going for intentional eating. I've done WW and various other diets with some success, but my attitude towards food just gets crazier with every diet I go on, and of course, I always gain back the weight.

I've got the IE book, but I'm still reading Geneen Roth's Breaking Free of Compulsive Eating, which I love. She writes with such a kind and liberating voice. I'll read the IE book when I'm finished with Roth.

I've been reading this thread, but haven't finished yet. I just thought I'd jump to the end and post, and catch up in the meantime. I like how supportive everyone is on this thread, and I'd like to be a part.

Rose Red

P.S. Sorry I don't have a picture. It wouldn't let me upload one, I don't know why.

Rose Red, to our thread and ! Make yourself right at home!

Thanks for the laugh, Carol!

Scale is moving for me, so glad about that. I'm still eating what I want and even when I want, so for me the last 2 1/2 days, keeping watch of my carbs has really helped. I'm not having those cravings and have realized that I desperately need to go grocery shopping to keep a variety of foods in the house! lol Been thinking about whether or not what I'm doing is really IE, but I guess it doesn't matter. Strictly IE or not, I'm not trying to sell the book to anyone, and like probably everyone here, I'm just trying to find what's going to work for me. The IE thread has become "home" for me. So, I'll continue to watch my carbs along with the main ideas of IE, as this seems to be super easy to do ... and I think that's got to be key, if it's too hard to stick with one won't stick with it.

Have a great one!

Hi Everyone

Rose Red to the group. We are glad to have you here.

Carol Thanks for the laughs. Really enjoyed them.

Blue First to answer your question about "cognitive therapy". It is from The Beck's Diet for Life. She has you make cards and things to help you change your thinking about the way you diet or in my case the way I think about eating. It has helped me a lot.

I've started reading my old Carbohydrate Addict's Lifespan Program again and I think for me that it will fit right in with IE nicely. I really am eating too many carbs and I'm feeling it too. I seem to be fighting cravings right now and don't want to fall into that again. I've managed to lose 3.5 lbs this month which would be good except they keep bouncing back and forth and I'd like to see the scales move on down and stop bouncing. The Beck's cognitive therapy skills has helped me with my thinking, but the calorie/fiber/protein counting keeps food on my mind too much. That is one of the things I want to get away from. If I adapt CALP to IE, I will be able to eat only when I'm hungry and not by a clock etc. If I want breakfast, I can have it and if I don't want to eat breakfast, I don't have to. The only real restiction is to only eat starches one time each day to get rid of the cravings which I'll have no problem doing once I get back to it. That way it becomes an IE lifestyle rather than a diet.

Y'all have a great week end.

Thank you, Blue and Carol!

Something has returned to me which I remember from my Weigh Down days. It's a feeling, while I'm eating something, of revulsion for eating any more. I'll just be enjoying my meal, and then, wham, there it is. Unfortunately, it's a quiet feeling and goes away if I ignore it. Last night I made shrimp and grits for me and DBF, and before I'd even eaten half, suddenly, there was that feeling. "But I want to eat more!!" I whined to myself. So I did eat more, but I really wished I had stopped then. It's easy to stop when I get that feeling, but harder to stop later if I ignore it. I have to remember that I can eat the leftovers the next time I get hungry, but when I'm looking at a wonderful dish, it's so hard to put it aside.

Going away for the weekend with my Mom and sister. In some ways, it was easier in the past for me to stop eating in a restaurant than when it's just me by myself at home. I guess because people are watching, and my motivation to quit and look like I'm a light eater is higher. That's not a good reason to quit eating, according to Geneen Roth. I'm supposed to stop because I'm satisfied, not for fear of what others will think. I'm taking the IE book with me this weekend and look forward to reading it. We always read a lot on these weekends.

Hope everyone has a good Saturday!

Keep up the good work Rose Red. Our bodies weren't designed to lose weight, they were designed to survive famines which we don't have now except for our self inflicted diets. If we just eat when hungry and stop when satisfied, our bodies will lower our appetites and we will gradually lose weight. It make take longer than a diet but it's worth less struggle. Don't feel bad about eating more at times. Think about it. When there is a true famine there is no food around. But now when our bodies are starving the drive takes over. After repeated diets our bodies get confused as far as I can see. God gave us hunger and satisfaction to keep us in fine form if we listen. I think even Gwen Shamblin was a little hard when she gave out rules like eat half to a third of what you did before. That may happen but it's good not to criticize ourselves.

My combining Carbohydrate Addicts principles with IE and the Beck cognitive therapy is working out great for me. I am amazed. I felt a craving coming on yesterday because of a sugary carb I ate. Instead of giving into the craving, I ate a little bit of protein and the craving/hunger just disappeared. I am finally free to eat only when truly hungry and eat until satisfied. The strange thing is that it doesn't seem to take as much to satisfy me. It is such a wonderful IE feeling of being in control and having made such great progress.

Hope everyone is having a great day.

Hi Trish and everyone!

One of the things I was told to do was to eat some protein with my carbs to help keep the glucose from spiking (which is what I guess causes the cravings) so I have been doing just that and am finding the same thing you said to be true. When I was following the "You: On a Diet" program, where you cut out sugar, white flour and some other stuff, and eat whole grains, etc. I also found the cravings to disappear, but who wants to live without being able to enjoy a cookie or something traditional like white pasta? But the point being, the whole grains help keep your glucose levels more stable than the refined products and the effect of not having cravings, too. But eating some protein does help even things out if I do enjoy something not so "wholesome." And even this is still super easy to do, to remember to add a little protein.

OK, I don't know if that made any sense at all, was just writing it as it came to me. (In broken thoughts, lol.)

Have a great day everyone!

Blue This is what I love about eating the Carbohydrate Addict's Diet. I have what is called a Reward Meal once a day. I eat my salad and my meal and then finish with a dessert. It might be strawberry shortcake like I had yesterday or today I plan to have a little bit of fruit cocktail with whipped topping. I could have a cookie or some other food I might want as long as I have it durig that 1 hour Reward Meal. According to the book as I understand it, insulin surges are what causes the cravings. By having one meal where you can have the starchy carbs, but only having it once a day you only get 1 insulin surge. You don't go past the hour eating those foods because once past the hour or if you let 5 minutes laps between the foods during that hour, you will get another insulin surge. I am obviously very sensitive to the carbs, because since I've been doing this I don't get hungry. I am only eating one Reward Meal a day and I eat 1 Craving-reducing meal each day that seems more like a snack. And yes they do say eat a low carb like celery or some other veggie with your protein. I'm not say do Carbohydrate Addict's. I'm just found it interesting how the insulin surges work in some of us. I'm amazed at how it is working for me since I've learned how to control those surges.

carol and everyone Hi and all of you have a good day.

I had an interesting few days. I took some medicine for gout that had the side effect of nausea and diarhea. I took it like the instruction sheet said but didn't notice the effects until late afternoon. Then the nausea started and I had diahrea all night. What a way to kill the appetite. Even today I have been slightly nauseous and have eaten little. I won't take that again. At least not in normal doses.