I think it's common to get the belly bloat and other similar issues when you first change your eating habits...no matter which program you are using. Your body has to make some adjustments, and that takes time and isn't always comfortable.

No, this was just monthly bloating. I've been going to TOPS for a long time. Weigh in again tomorrow night. I've gotten in more exercise and been more careful with the eating, so we shall see.

Water, water and more water.

I'm going to detail my exchange "allowence" per day. Yesterday was the start of my fourth week and while I had trouble limiting my bread group in the beginning, last night I had two left before bed. Two! So, I'm slowly weaning myself off the excessive carbs I used to wolf down.

This plan is from Bob Greene's Best Foods Diet. 1600 calories. I made up a chart like the old WW chart I had from the 80's and I write down what I eat and tick off my boxes after every meal.

So: fruit: 2 exchanges
Vegetables: 4 exchanges
Grain (or bread): 5 exchanges
Dairy: 2 exchanges
Protein: 7 exchanges (1 ounce each. I don't sweat "lean" vs "medium fat" -- we eat beef only about 2x a week around here anyway).
Fat: 5 exchanges.
Water: 8-8oz glasses.

The numbers: (If I've done my calculations correctly and there's no guarantee that I have!)
Protein: 41%
Carb: 45%
Fat: 14%

Best of luck to you all.

I have been following the exchange program for over 9 years now, using Richard Simmons Foodmover. I went from 196.5 to 150 back in the year 2000. Since then I have dropped another 15 lbs. or so. I have to be careful of the carbs but that's OK.

I think it is a great program, and I am thankful I found it. It works for me.

Alana that looks very similar to mine at TOPS.. a couple more proteins I think. How bad is that though.. I have to look after almost ten years!! (off and on)

I can keep carbs in check for a couple of days and then look out. Even when I'm journalling. Maybe the best way for me is to go back to the book, and follow the meal plan in there until I get a grip on it again. At the very least I need to look again at how the carbs are spaced throughout the day.

I still struggle with carb choices, because most high carb food, even from "good carb" sources like whole grains and high fiber fruits and starchy veggies, there's always a risk of rebound hunger.

I "get" the biolochemistry - carbohydrates trigger insulin spike, and insulin spike triggers hunger. My husband's diabetic counselor explained to us that the more overweight and/or insulin resistant a person is, the deeper the spikes tend to be, so the more extreme the insulin release. Very high GI carbs like sugar create an intense hunger spike, and a very difficult to control "more, more, more, more," impulse for high carb foods. Lower GI carb foods like squash and fruit result in a lower spike (but I'm also less likey to recognize it as an "irrational" hunger, so if I'm not really being vigilant, I can still overeat).

I'm thinking of allowing only protein, fat, and dairy (and possibly low carb fruits, like berries) for my "optional" exchanges. I think it's been the higher starch/sugar choices that have been making it really hard for me to stick to my food plan. When I stick to my three fruits and two starches and spend my optional exchanges on lower carb choices, I do very well. When I spend the optional exchanges on higher carb choices, I'm more likely to eat over my allottments (and usually foods I shouldn't be eating at all).

As much as I know that lower carb eating really is the only way I can control hunger, it's so hard to undo thirty five years of education that says "low carb" is not balanced, healthy eating.

Mind if I join you ladies? I am going to try an old weight watchers program called the freedom plan. I would love to support.

bev

Hi Bev, and welcome.

I just ordered the new Deal a Meal for 2009. Something has to work. I also ordered sweating to the oldies on qvc today.

I love sweating to the oldies, they are so much fun to do.
I have been doing foxy ladies lately, kind of a senior one, but hay I'm moving and grooving.
when every the latest diet fails, or I fail it, I always go back to my foodmover, then I know I'm getting plenty of veggies in daily.

I have never been to a Tops meeting, but a friend gave me The Choice Is Mine book. I also have my beloved Foodmover.
Question, why do you do an exchange food plan instead of counting calories? I still keep going back and forth with this, trying to decide which is best for me, I know I can't do restricted diets anymore.

I chose an exchange plan because

it reminds me that what I'm eating is as important as the calorie content.

It reminds me to that a balanced diet is important.

Choosing food from all of the food groups helps reign in "food jags."

It reminds me not to overeat from my favorite food groups, and to include food from food groups I'm not so fond of.

It prevents me from obsessing over whether a piece of fruit has 55 calories or 60.

It helps me choose healthier whole foods (because they're easiest to calculate).

It makes grocery shopping and meal planning easier.

I am back, after many attempts at other diets where I have to follow a certain food list, and failed miserably I am back to my food mover. All I have to do is close a window. I am tired of feeling deprived all the time. So watching protein size, making sure I get enough fruits and veggies a day, drinking my water and exercising I will lose weight.
I hope this thread picks up and we all can share some ideas and recipes along the way.

I've not lost any weight in a long time. I'm doing just enough to keep from regaining. It's my usual response to stressful times (now it's my usual response: for most of my life, my usual response to stressful situations was to eat and gain weight).

Still, I haven't been keeping my food journal regularly. I'll plan on it, and start it, but if I eat a single food off plan, or if I go over my alottment, or eat something I'm not sure how to count - I have a tendency to abandon the journal for the rest of the day. It's a bad habit, I need to break. I've done so in the past, so I keep giving myself good advice (record every bite, even if it is "over budget."), but For the past few months I haven't listened to myself.

Well, yesterday I finally listened. I wrote down everything. It was a crazy, hectic day, so I had many excuses, but I followed through and wrote everything down. I overshot my calorie level significantly.

I usually wait to write the food down until after I eat it. I've decided that I'm going to write everything down BEFORE I eat it. At least then going over budget will always be a conscious choice, not an "oops, I didn't realize.

So far (I know it's only been one day), it's been very successful. It's taking advantage of my laziness. I found myself avoiding a snack because I didn't feel like taking the time to write it down (I guess I wasn't that hungry, after all).

I know what you mean, I have been way off any kind of plan the past few days, binge eating at its best. I feel sick to my stomach both emotionally and physically.
I need to regroup, refocus and get back on plan ASAP.
I will plan at least tomorrows meals tonight and get ready for yet another Monday. This time I will.