I've noticed with IE that you want less as time goes on. I used to eat a big and tasty meal at McDonalds and now I can only eat a happy meal....stuff like that. Not that I eat out that much but that's the gist of it. I have one problem now and that is that I get hungry in the middle of the night and can't sleep. Maybe I'm not eating enough in the day. Since I have lost nearly 40 lb I really am not that concerned anymore about that part. I still could lose another 20 but then people would be saying I was too thin though that's what I weighed in hs.

What you say makes sense. That was the same question I had a hard time wrapping my mind around, too. We've been so conditioned to "doing" something to change something that I think we automatically assume this to be true with weight-loss, too. And maybe it is. But my own experiences have taught me that what I "do" doesn't have to be extreme. (i.e. daily hour-long workouts and going to bed hungry, etc.)

Here's what I've experienced ...

The first time I truly stuck with an IE program (I say "program" because at that time I was following a 60-day Biblical program which incorporated IE into it) I did very well with it. I payed close attention to my hunger and fullness signals and as the program called for, did my daily devotions and questions and answers and I tried to get my daily 30 minute walk in, tho the walk didn't always happen. On the physical aspect of the program, eating IE and walking, lets say 30 minutes 3 to 4 times a week, I managed to lose almost 20 pounds. Of course all that ended when the "program" ended and so in the end it was like I had been following just another diet because I didn't keep up with it once the official program ended.

Flash forward to this time around ... I am not following any type of program at all. I have read the IE book and am taking what I have read to heart, but not treating everything I read as a rule to follow. I ditched dieting about a year ago. In that time I have struggled a lot with becoming free from diet mentality. (Still have bouts with it here and there.) Anyhow, since starting IE, I gained 10 pounds and since getting my mind around IE better I have dropped those 10 pounds (naturally without exercise), tho my weight does bounce around by 1-3 pounds, which I consider normal. Soooo, said all that to say that I am happily (?) maintaining about where I was when I joined 3FC. Not exactly where I envisioned myself just over a year ago, but ... I'm not gaining and I'm not going bonkers counting calories or carbs or shunning foods I love, etc. The FREEDOM I have gained in this last year has been well worth it despite the fact that here I sit at the same weight I was a year ago.

But back to exercise ... this time around I'm not pushing myself to follow a program like I was before so I have been much more lax with the eating and certainly less diligent about getting exercise. And my results are expected, I'm maintaining, not losing. I've also been somewhat inactive this summer so I would say that is definitely contributing to my lack of weight-loss. I have this gut feeling that if I get back into a 30 minute 3 to 4 time a week walking
routine (which I keep telling myself I need to do) that the scale will start moving again.

Well, I don't know if I've answered your question, but I do understand it. I think IE makes the assumption that 1) people are playing by the "rules" and 2) they are not couch potatoes in order to say that the weight will naturally come off. I've personally been a slacker in both of those areas, so I'm just maintaining at the moment. (Stress and depression will do that and this has been a doozy of a year for me.)

Anyhow, hope that helps. :)

Have a great one everyone! :sunny:

I think the idea is that first you end the yo-yoing and the "last-supper" eating. Just being stable and actually free of those two things is a big deal. Then you can start hearing your body's need for whole grains and veggies and some daily activity better and I think you do slim down naturally.

Personally, I don't think there's anything unnatural about realizing you've gained a little and therefore cutting back a little at times. Or doing so on a day-to-day basis after some indulgent meals, so that you don't gain in the first place. That's a big part of the so-called French way of eating. But I think you have to mentally be in a pretty healthy place with food to be able to do that without sabotaging yourself.

Carol, that's so awesome that you've lost 40 pounds naturally with IE.

When the weight was coming off steadily for me my nightly hunger was my cue that I was on target and I could count on the scale going down. I can remember evenings just before bed when my tummy would say "Hey, how about a little snack?" and I'd reply "Sure. How about a nice orange scone from Panera's?" lol I don't get the night time hungries as much as I did then, but I sure do like it when I do. Makes me feel like it's been a good day of not overeating!

PS. Agreed, Julie.

Oh, orange scones from Panera would drive me nuts! Headache and gut-ache and twitchy legs when I was trying to sleep...my body definitely doesn't like that sort of thing!

Now to work on convincing my brain it doesn't like them either... ;)

Today was an otherwise occupied, busy day. A friend and I got breakfast at a coffeeshop by her place and I did well at listening to my body. I even left food on my plate because I wasn't hungry anymore! :D Then we went to Bodyworlds which was just coooool, and got a late lunch (around 3). It's been really hot and dry and I desperately wanted veggies. So I had a huge plate of steamed veggies, beans, and brown rice, and a pineapple tamale for "dessert". Yum yum! It was a great new place, a vegan/vegetarian place in a hip part of town. If I wanted veggies, that was the place to go.

Have been cooking beans all day and came home to a late dinner of beans and cornbread. Tummy is content. It's been a good day. :)

Oh, I never heard of such a thing. Sounds good :)

I had never heard of such a thing, either, which is why I had to try it when I saw it on the menu! :lol: It was a tamale with about...oh, a few raisins mixed in (not like a filling, as part of the tamale batter) and then a pineapple "salsa" (not spicy) on top. I took one bite and looked at my friend and said, "oh, it's dessert!" and saved it til the end of the meal. It wouldn't have mixed well, flavor-wise, with veggies and beans and brown rice. ;)

Has anyone noticed that their tastebuds are a lot sharper now? Lately (like I said in my intro, I've been trying to eat what I want without judgment for about 3 weeks now) I've noticed that my tastebuds are through the roof! Like the ginger in the microwave meal the other night, or the veggies yesterday. For some reason I could really taste the cauliflower, I don't know why. But it seems like everything is a lot more flavorful. And the things I don't like I REALLY don't like! :lol: I can't stand aftertastes, either--I won't touch Splenda. I find myself going through menus thinking about what the foods will taste like and how strongly the flavors might affect me, and choosing my food on that basis. It's very odd to me, to primarily chose my food based on what it tastes like instead of if it's a "good" choice or not! :lol:

Off to do some printing and then see some more houses. Have a good day, all!

Hello, everybody!
Well, here is my story. I read the IE book about 3 years ago. I gained a few pounds after starting, then I lost back down to my original weight. I stayed the same for a year or so, then I got fed up and started The South Beach Diet. I lost 10 pounds and when it came time to add the carbs back in, I haven't lost any since. I feel like IE has "ruined" me for any "diet" :p because hate to be hungry now. Before, I would just push through the hunger until I didn't feel it anymore. Then, of course, I would rebound and gain everything I lost back. The thing is I really, really want to lose weight! And, I don't want to be hungry while I am doing it. But, IE did not help me lose, although I am a great maintainer. I've maintained my 10 pounds lost from doing SB.

I guess what I want to know is, is anyone losing doing IE? Maybe I will give it another go if you all are losing, too.

Welcome CandEs. I'm getting close to losing 50 lb but it has taken 2 yr. It does really free you up from food obsession. Sometimes sweets really don't appeal and that never happened before.

Welcome candes. :) I can't tell you if I've lost anything, I've been avoiding the scale and haven't been "doing this" very long yet, anyway.

I'm feeling my way through applying these philosophies, but really what makes sense to me is the old thing about moderation. I'm trying to make good, reasonable eating decisions each time my body tells me it's hungry, and I try to really focus on how my body responds to the foods I give it. I'm also trying to not beat myself up when I make a decision to eat something that probably isn't the healthiest. It was a long, painful time in getting to the point where I could follow a program that many other people are able to follow without all the drama. I feel, though, that I know what I need to know now and I'm in a good (very accepting) place mentally.

I'm trying to back off and let my body become what it will become. I'm doing all my activities, trying to listen to what my body wants/needs, and seeing what happens. If my body gets thinner, great. If it doesn't, it doesn't. To be completely honest I won't be thrilled and content if my body doesn't gradually get (at least a bit) smaller, but I can't keep doing what I was doing to myself. I can't keep beating my head against that spike of judgment. My brain obviously doesn't know what's right for me. Reading all the diet books--nope. Trying all the plans--nope. Trying to force my body into someone else's idea of what's good and appropriate for it--nope. Those things don't work for me. I've proven that. So now the body gets to run the show.

Wow, that got heavy! :o On that note...welcome again, candes. :^:

Welcome theCandEs! :wave:

Wish I could tell you I'm a big loser ;) but right now I'm a just a maintainer. My head just hasn't been in the game for a while now, so I don't think losing is something I expect to do at this point of my journey. Now, to sound like a commercial ... "your results will vary."

In the past I have lost eating this way, but I gained that back because I was still living with "diet mentality."

I do love the freedom that Carol mentioned, tho. I'll take sanity over quick weight loss any day!

Hi Everybody

I am back to IE. Didn't plan it. It has just happened. It is the result of my doing Kellie's Bible lessons. It seems to just be the natural way to eat. It is strange that it was a process which seems to have led to this point. It was hard to lose the diet mentality, but all of a sudden it was gone. Then came the fear of gaining weight, but that is gone as well. I am starting to lose slowly but I believe the weight will start coming off.

I see a lot of "New" faces around here. I will have to go back and read to get to know who is who and catch up on what is going on with everyone.

carolr - I am finding I need less to eat too. Also, I have lost the desire to eat out. We go to McDonalds to eat when we go to Walmart and I have a difficult time deciding what I want to eat because nothing appeals to me. New, strange but exciting experience.

Y'all have a great day.

Welcome back, Trish. I like home cooking better than eating out, too.

Any books on intuitive eating? Also, I can't always eat or drink whenever I am hungry because of work. How can I combat that?

I am doing her Bible Study, too.
 

:hug: Welcome back, Trish! It's good to have you "home!"

Welcome Daimere!

There are several books out there that point to intuitive eating. The one I have is "Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works" by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch.

Others may be able to give you some more suggestions, but I think that is the "main" one.

PS, the link in my signature will take you to the IE web site if you want more info.

So how's this for ironic?

I was thinking midday yesterday how interesting it was to me that I really didn't seem to want much food. I've been eating what I want and then stopping, but I always stop before I think I "should", before everything I've learned has taught me. It's always before I've eaten the "4 ounces of protein, 2-3 servings of vegetables, 1-2 servings of whole grains". Yesterday for breakfast I had 2 homemade macaroons and a latte made with soy milk. And I was good til lunch! For lunch I had half of a tempura roll from a sushi place and two mini eggrolls, and I was really very content.

Then I got busy in the afternoon, cleaning, packing, sorting boxes, shifting things around in the storage closet, laundry...you know, house stuff. :) I had another couple of macaroons at some point, but no real FOOD. Then my husband took me on a date for dinner, and we ended up at On The Border...

I killed the chip basket, may it RIP. I ordered a plate with 3 enchiladas and rice&beans, ate one of the enchiladas and the rice. Had a margarita. Had a sopapilla for dessert which actually, wasn't very thrilling. Too sweet!! I wonder if our bodies tell us "too sweet!!" to protect us from the potential for diabetes etc? Interesting thought. I never get the "too sweet!!" message with fruit, only with foods that have had sugar added. But anyway.

(Oh, and yes I did have to deal with feelings of guilt and "should I be eating this?" for having chips and a margarita. I've been very gentle with myself, reminding myself that I didn't stuff myself and my body was comfortable. But I even hesitated to come here and tell you guys, which is when I decided I had to! :lol: )

So I came home and tucked into bed and slept well. I wasn't too full, I wasn't hungry still, I didn't have jittery legs, I was just right. I guess my level of activity in the afternoon meant my body needed more food at its next meal. Huh. Amazing what you hear when you listen--your body (my body, at least!) really does try to self-regulate! :D

I just spent time writing a long message and lost it. I don't have time to redo all of it so will do a quick one.

Thank you carolr and Blue for the welcome back. I am glad to be here.

I'm not going to comment on everyone, but I would like to tell off you especially the Newbie's that I really enjoyed reading your messages.

sidhe - It is great that you learned that you probably were hungrier for a little more because of your housework. I don't think you had any reason to feel guilty. Guilt is just another one of those emotions that we have to deal with because of all those years we felt guilty when we thought we were bad or did something wrong. It's not an issue with IE thank God.

I have decided that one of the problems I had before with IE and diets is that it takes a long time (sometimes) for me to experience hunger. I was told that you shouldn't go more than 5 hours or 6 at the most between eating something. I've decided that I will follow the basic rules of Eat when you are hungry. I don't want to get into using the clock to eat any more. Didn't do it all the years when I was thin and I don't think I need to do it now. I think there are days you want more than others and that in the long run it will balance out. I've noticed that people that I know who are thin don't get upset if they don't eat every three, four or even six hours. Tony's daughter is thin. She doesn't eat by the clock. She only eats if and when she is hungry. Eats what she wants and as much as satisfies her and then she is through. Ahhhhhh, sounds like IE, doesn't it?

Everybody have a great week end.

Daimere, Welcome I too have the same book that Blue has. It is a good guide and has enough info that I didn't feel that I needed any others.

Trish--I completely understand about being impatient to get hungry. Right now I'm looking at the clock and thinking, "wait, I'm not hungry yet??" I had high tea at noon, and it's now five and a half hours later. And I'm not hungry yet! I'm going to let this sit and try to figure out why I'm so up-in-arms about not being hungry yet. Am I thinking my brain knows better than my body? Am I listening to diet thinking? Do I just really want to eat again? Hmmmmm. This requires a bit more thought.

Well, I don't have any more thoughts about the whole "time to get hungry" thing, but that's because I've been completely distracted from it! I got the book from the library yesterday, and I'm reading it through once (with plans to read it slowly and write as I go, next time through). I'm only on page 78, but already I've written pages in my notebook about things I have realized.

The thing that struck me most was reading the overview of the principles, and specifically principle 8: respect your body ("accept your genetic blueprint"). I can't describe how powerful that thought was to me. I had a mental cascade of ideas, all the ways in which I've been trying to deny my body, who and what I am and how I function. It was so incredibly powerful to me to have someone (even some faceless book author who doesn't know me from a hill of beans) "tell" me that whatever my body is IS OKAY.

I have tried so many times to force my body to follow this diet plan, or respond that way to different foods, or eat after this many hours, or be content with that much food. All following the direction of someone else, someone who does not live in my body and has no idea how it feels--only has theories and generalizations on how it should work. I have completely given over care and feeding of myself to whomever had an opinion. And I was willing to accept that they were right, and I was wrong, that I didn't know my body as well as they did!

I was also willing to accept that they were right in trying to change my body in the first place. I was part of their verdict that my body was not okay and needed to change, to get smaller, to get thinner, to get lighter. To get more attractive. I was an accomplice in that decision. This boggles my mind.

Yes, I do want to be thinner. I want to be thinner, though, because it would be easier to move. It would be easier to ride my bike. I wouldn't be embarassed to climb my friend's steep back stairs while helping her carry groceries in. It would be easier to be active throughout the day. I would feel sexier because my hormones would be more in balance. Those are the reasons I want to be thinner, not because I want to fulfill other people's concepts of what my body should be.

MY BODY IS MINE, AND I AM IN CHARGE OF IT. Wow, that was so empowering to type! :D

I am so excited to see what happens. I am so excited to see what I become. If THIS body is the result of trying desperately to follow other people's rules, I can't wait to see what it will become when I follow my own. I know I will essentially be the same--still 5'9, still large graceful hands, still have big feet. But other than that, how will I change when I follow my own body's edicts? And how will I feel, emotionally, when I really am who I am, and not trying to force myself to be what other people think I should be?

Wow, guys. A light just got turned on. This is so incredibly powerful.

I love it when that happens! Go Sidhe! :carrot:

Hello, again! Thanks to all who replied. My family and I were out of town for the weekend. It was very nice having someone else cook for me.
Anyway, I guess I will give IE another go. What else can I do? I don't want to "diet" and maybe I can make this work for me this time. My biggest problem was guilt. I would feel guilty for not eating everything I had on my plate, especially if someone else made it. Does anyone else have problems with that?

Nope:). I am not a garbage can, and I'm not willing be fat or sick because someone else has issues. It's kinda blunt, but it's the bottom line.

Hi theCandEs - I used to feel that way too and have to admit that I still do sometime. The way I broke it was a little trick I read about somewhere. I would intentionally leaveve just "one" bite of food on my plate. I had to learn to do this because when I was a skinny teenager, I didn't eat much so Mama would have me eat the leftovers that we're too little to keep, but too much to throw away. When I had kids, I had tendency to keep doing it. I realize now that those habits, triggered cravings. The other day DH didn't want all of the food on his plate and wasn't enough to save and wasn't a good that would be good warmed up. I caught myself starting to eat it. I made myself put it down the garbage disposal. Good luck on finding away that will work for you. Read somewhere that it is better for food to be in the waste basket instead of me wearing it on my waist. Not exact quote, but close.

:wave:Hi Everybody,

Got a busy week coming up so thought I would drop in and say hello.

sidhe - Great post. I agree with you completely and especially Loved the "MY BODY IS MINE, AND I AM IN CHARGE OF IT".

Julie "Nope. I am not a garbage can, and I'm not willing be fat or sick because someone else has issues" is a great way to put it.

Blue, Carolr, Julie, Ryanne, Daimere, Truffle and all others :wave:

Y'all have a great day!

Well, I think I'm the one with the issues, for the most part. The only person who gets offended if I don't eat enough is my MIL, and I just ignore her. For me growing up, my dad made most of the food. He would get very upset if I didn't eat. I mean yelling and screaming upset. He felt like if he took the trouble to make it, then I should eat it. I suppose it's created a complex in me.

Trish, thanks for the advice. I saw the quote in the book and I suppose for me it's easier said than done. lol

I can relate...
 

ThecandEs--I've been working really hard at retraining myself regarding some things I have believed since childhood, too. It's hard work, I'm not going to lie. Sometimes I feel like I'm making no progress at all, just repeating myself endlessly!! But sometimes an idea will click, FINALLY, and I'll get this surge of relief. What I do is repeat to myself, endlessly, the things I want to believe. I've mentioned before that when I eat I'll consciously tell myself, "eat what you want, no judgment and move on." In those few words I have wrapped up so many ideas I'm trying to learn! I'm trying to learn that it's okay to eat what I want, it's okay to eat according to my body's needs and desires, every single food doesn't have to be weighed and measured and judged for its value, I don't have to keep eating because someone else tells me to, if my body tells me to stop it's okay and I'll be able to eat later, and there is sooooo much more to life than occupying my brain cells thinking about food and eating. I managed to get all those thoughts into a mantra that means something to me. Perhaps you need a mantra yourself, something that works for you. Write down everything you're trying to learn, and then see what mantra you can come up with. The only way to get over guilt is to consciously work at it. One day, it'll click. :)

Thanks, Ryanne and sidhe! I suppose I just have to take this one meal at a time. Do any of you journal or write down your ups and downs during this process? For awhile a few years ago, I thought I had this IE thing licked and I was doing well. Then, I got discouraged because I wasn't losing weight and I stopped doing IE.

Good to here all the thoughts on IE. The cool weather munchies have hit me and I hope it doesn't get too bad because I'm fitting into a bunch of clothes I haven't worn for a long time. I have been using the eliptical almost every day not to lose weight but to help with blood pressure. It seems to help. Anyway, everything seems to taste great lately. Still have those wonderful garden tomatoes. I just received the IE, CD put out this year by the authors of the book you were talking about. I mostly got it for my son because if he can pick this up it will save him a lifetime of agony over weight.

I've gotta tell you all what just happened!!

I made dinner--pad thai from a box, with chicken and sugar snap peas. This is the second time I've tried this package, and the first time was a total bomb. I tweaked it and tried again tonight. Sat down to my dinner, and I was really not thrilled with the peas. So I scooted them to the side, telling myself that I didn't have to eat food that wasn't pleasing to me. I tried to continue eating, and had about 5 bites before I decided that I really wasn't pleased with the way this time turned out, either. So I took it in to the kitchen, threw it away, threw away the other portion, and looked in the fridge. I could have some chocolate milk...I could have some jello...I could have some turkey salad...then I realized that what I was doing was trying t o satisfy myself by eating everything else other than what I really wanted!! So I closed the fridge without taking anything and...walked out the door to Pick Up Stix! :lol: I got my pad thai, came home, ate less than half of it, decided I was full and content and put the rest in the fridge. Now, I realize I may not be able to do this all the time, but for tonight it was definitely the right answer. :D Talk about respecting myself! Not only did I NOT force myself to eat something I didn't want, but I also went to the trouble to get myself something that pleased me! :D

I feel like a rock star. :carrot:

sidhe! That's great! WTG!

Thanks. :D

As for the not losing weight thing...well, I don't really have any sort of wisdom to pass on to you. Like I said, I'm pretty new to this. But there are a few things I've read, and I'll just tell you about those.

First, there's the idea that if you really eat according to your body's signals, it will ask for the "right" amount of food to maintain you at the weight that is appropriate for you. Now, that appropriate weight is determined by your genetics and your activity level. I'm not saying this is you! BUT, if you just sat at a desk job all day then came home, even if you weren't eating a huge amount of food and paying really close attention to your hunger/full signals, you'd still maintain a body that could sit at a desk all day.

Okay, so, say you tried to get little bits of activity in your day, taking the stairs, parking further away, getting up to deliver messages. Then your body would ask you for what it needed to maintain a body that could do that all day.

Go hog wild, and get to the gym most days. Go dancing on the weekend. Take long bike rides once or twice a week. Spend a couple of days a week doing really heavy housework, lots of yardwork, really physically demanding things. Okay! Pay very close attention to your hunger/full signals, and your body will maintain its ability to live THAT lifestyle. Make sense?

Another idea is to pay really, really close attention to your full signals. My first sign (and I'm still kinda slow at catching it) is that food doesn't taste as good anymore. It's not that it's horrid or anything like that, it's just not as completely yummy. I'm having to pay really close attention to being okay with stopping eating whenever I feel full--I seem to be really hung up on "portions" and my mental idea of how much food I should need. It's a lot of effort to listen to when my body thinks it's done, instead of my brain. Perhaps you were eating a bit too far beyond full?

Also, one thing the book talks about (I peaked ahead) is the idea that your mental idea of your perfect body and your body's idea of the perfect body may be vastly different. This ties back in with my first point. Is your mentally-desired body realistic for who you physically are? I completely understand about just wanting to be *thinner*, but there will come a certain point for all of us where that just isn't realistic for our body types. Did you perhaps reach that point? Just a thought.

If it helps you, really try to focus on helping YOUR body become the best that IT can be. According to no one else's standards. If you give YOUR body sufficient food and activity, what does it become? It's worth investigating, isn't it? :)

Wow, sidhe, you should write a book!!!

I didn't realize there was a thread on here for my way of eating. I just love it!!!! I tried the Weigh Down Diet back in 2002 and lost 70 lbs pretty quickly enjoying a variety of delicious foods. Well, I gained all that weight back and plenty more with the pregnancy and birth of my daughter in 2004. Also with the addition of meds for Bipolar my weight got out of control. I bought the book Thin Within and have started back on this way of eating. I had been slacking the past couple of weeks and hadn't lost a pound. I realized yesterday that I really need to get motivated again. I cooked a hearty meal of barbque ribs, rice, sweet peas and biscuits. I ate very lightly. Stopped when I was at a comfortable state and did no snacking last night as I was not really hungry. I was very proud of myself as I watched my husband devour 4 bowls of Captain Crunch and I didn't want anything. He has never had a weight problem. He is fit and sexy I might add. I had lost a pound this morning. It is possible to eat a variety of foods and lose weight. I eat what I am craving in moderation. Sometimes I do just want fruit and veggies and sometimes I want a burger. But Food isn't here to torment us. It is here for the nourishment of our bodies and for us to enjoy. I am relearning this after losing it for a few years. I just don't look at foods as good and bad foods anymore. It is all about moderation and following your bodies signals for what it needs and wants. I don't really feel like I'm on a diet right now. Thanks for starting this thread.

Thanks, Sidhe,
Yes, I am a great maintainer. In the last year or so, I stopped IE because it was so frustrating for me, and just in the last few days I realize I have been eating beyond my fullness mark. I have not gained any weight in the last 5 years. I only lost weight when I did the South Beach diet, and I have kept that off. I refuse to believe I'm meant to be this weight. I'm way too heavy for my frame and I'm only 5'2". I just feel like I need something to get my body to realize it needs to let go of the fat. I guess I need to join a gym or something.

:o I'm sorry, am I writing too much?