Well I am not sure if this is a rigid rule, as part of a weekly challenge I said I would have one serving of fruit OR vegetables a day. I know it doesn't seem like a lot but considering I wasn't really eating any before it is a step up. I don't buy any junk, when I want something to snack on I eat grapes (this way I can have as little or as much as I want) If I want something "bad" I eat it, but since I have been doing IE I try and stick to whatever the smallest size is (the bf and I went to coldstone (and ice cream store) and I got the smallest size (like it) and was ok.

I try and stay away from sodas and juices that do not occur natually in nature (ie. snapple, gatorade and the like) during the week I try and make sure I drink at least 32oz of water a day. (I bought a bottle from target that measures) I don't think I need 64 since I am getting hydrated from other places as well. Also saves on trips to the bathroom.

I try and cook vegetables I actually like to eat like collard green, broccoli and mixed vegetables in a big pot at the beginning of the week so I just need to reheat. I find that if I have something at home I want to eat, even look forward to eating, I am less likely to eat junk food or buy something on the way home.

I never seem to find fruit filling so I never eat it as a meal alone because it seems pointless to me, but I can snack on it during the day when I am little hungry, but not ready for a full meal.

Right now I am eating yogurt and toast for breakfast since I don't think I get enough dairy and don't do well with milk. I buy dannon with fruit in it.

I try and stay away from low fat, no sugar things. I would rather have the high fat version (and usually tastier version) in moderation than the low fat.

No white food generally. I noticed with baked potatoes I needed to cover them with all kinds of crap to eat, but with a sweet potatoe I just need a little butter and maybe some cinnamon. When I have a choice I eat brown rice. I am starting to realize a preference for wheat bread versus white.


I mentioned before that since I have been doing IE I am more concious about things dunked in vats of oily sauce and spread over rice. Now I lean towards chicken breasts.

I don't fry anything. If I want fried I eat it somewhere else and don't bring it home. Same with most junk. People are very disappointed when they come to my house.

Having said all that...it is a process for me, and overtime we'll see what happens. I think the key is finding things that you actually like to eat rather than are forced to eat because of whatever diet restrictions.

Some of the IE authors suggest eating only say chocolate for 3 meals and see how you will crave healthy food if you do something like that. I have a garden so that really makes a difference. There is nothing like home grown vegetables. I could eat fresh tomatoes 3 times a day. But I eat a little chocolate or some other sweet every day. Isn't that how most naturally thin people live? I read of a study where they let little children choose what they wanted to eat and over time it balanced out. I think Rob Stevens said something about how did humanity get along for thousands of years without all the healthy eating experts around. On Sun. we usually have a big meal around 1:30pm so we don't get hungry again until 9pm. Last night I fixed myself a sandwich on thin ww toast with a little ham, a big slice of tomato, onion and a little butter and mayo. Just what I wanted!!! I thought about it for a long time, too, because I really didn't want to fix anything. I used to love slimfast because it was so easy but now I can't have too much calcium. I also had a brownie and a small spoon of ice cream.

Yeah it came it came!!! My Overfed head book. I can't wait to start reading it.

How do I attempt to eat healthfully without making rigid rules?

How do I eat healthy foods and not feel deprived?

When I first started IE I tried not to think of food in terms of "healthy". I tried to focus on what I really wanted to eat. As soon as I got over the feeding frenzy, I naturally gravitated back toward more healthy food choices. Soon you will choose to eat healthier foods without a need for rules. Some days I eat more fruits than others. Some days I eat more veggies. I don't fuss counting the servings because that just makes me want to rebel.

Once you really let yourself eat what you want, you won't feel deprived because you won't be. You'll know you can have your cake and your veggies too! Not one or the other.

It's about balance and listening to your body. I think when you start you tend to overdo it on the not-so-healthy foods, but that's ok. Maybe you've been denying yourself foods you love, for a long time. It's a huge mental shift. I think eventually it all balances out and you'll crave healthy foods more than less healthy foods.

If you're on some sort of a time schedule to lose weight, this may not work. My goal has been to lose 50 lbs. by my 40th birthday, which is in February. I know now that I may not get there by then. It may take me until then to grasp the concept of intuitive eating. You really have to give yourself time to get out of the diet mentality, and if that means eating a chocolate shake for each meal for a week, so be it. Eventually that chocolate shake is going to have all the allure of eating a Lean Cuisine.

I hope that helps.

On that note, today was pretty good for me. A full serving of oatmeal, bean soup for lunch. I was starving when I got home, so I ate two tortillas filled with seitan and veggies. Then for dinner I ate half a bowl of pasta. I feel like I ate past my fullness level, but that's ok. I laid awake tossing and turning for about two hours last night, and then had school all day today, so I think the overeating was just a way to comfort myself. I should have taken a short nap, or taken a walk instead.

I need to remember that BEFORE I eat.

Thank you so much for your help! I feel like I'm back on track! Yeah! You know, it's not really that I fell off the track, but that I think I needed a bit of a breather. I'm learning! This is a process, and that's ok.

Ladybug, Let us know what you think of the book. I know you will. Darby, I always thought that I had to lose weight by a certain date but now I have just done away with that idea. I'm down another 2 lb for a total of 8. I still get down about feeling fat some days but hopefully those days will be fewer and fewer. We had company for dessert last night and I turned down apple pie and ice cream. I just couldn't have eaten it. My dh made it (he loves to cook and I do to but I'm not big on making pie) and I know he felt bad that I didn't eat it but there were 6 adults eating and know one said a word to me. I was so glad for that.

Kay, sounds like you have a handle on IE, good for you. Christy, I know what you mean by needing a break. Basically I use Rob's book as a motivatior and read a few pages a day but what I really want it to get back to the way it was when I was thin..... not thinking much about eating.

I wonder if one more post will turn this over to 7 pages. Isn't that hilarious!! Hope everyone is having a great day!

Didn't work. ha!

Carol, you are cracking me up! LOL! Maybe this will turn it to page 7. We'll see... Also, I'm proud of you for not eating because you weren't hungry. I realized that I never ate anything else after dinner. I usually do, but I just wasn't hungry.

Good evening all! Carol.. I am making a pledge to get the overfed head. You always talk about it in a positive way, and I just haven't gotten around to do it. I have the Intuitive Eating book.
Christy, I noticed that one of my big changes is that I am not snacking after dinner like I used to. Occasionally I will have a little something- a baggy of cereal or granola bar, but it used to be much more than that.
Carol, congrats on the weight loss. I am still scared to death to weigh. I don't feel like I have lost anything, but on the positive side, I know I am not gaining either.
The book always talks about how you will go to your "natural weight" when you are doing IE. How long do you think it will take to start losing any weight? I am getting a little impatient. I keep wondering if I am doing something wrong. I know my running has been sporadic. It seems like a I have a meeting every day after school. Then I have graduate school. I have to take time to be a mom. I am having trouble finding time in my schedule to add exercise. I used to get up at 3:45 am to go workout. But now when I get up that early, I tend to start working on school stuff. I find 500 things that are more urgant than taking care of my needs. I would love a little support to get myself back in the habit. Does anyone want join with me on a one week quest to exercise every day? (That could include running, videos, walking, or riding a bike under a tree in the yard! Anything you enjoy that is physical.) The time spent could be a personal decision. Maybe the incentive of forcing myself to spend 15, 20, 45.. whatever minutes a day taking care of myself for one week might help me get refocused in that area. We could start on Thursday, just in case some people don't check the boards until the evening. Anybody want to play?

I'll play
 

I'll play, runnin'momma! I have a hard time fitting in exercise too. I'm going to school full time, and working.

I will try to walk every day. I have a 2.5 mile loop that I can do after work or school. Usually I come home, have a snack and start doing some homework or house stuff, or one of the million and one things that need to be done. Well, for one full week I will make exercise a priority, and hopefully it will become a habit.

Ok, my eating was pretty good today. I didn't finish all my oatmeal cause I was full. I did eat my lunch about an hour earlier than I had planned to. I had a little meltdown at work because of a scheduling problem and I felt like I HAD to eat something. I had a doctor's appointment later and had planned to stop off and get myself a treat, but decided to go back to work and eat my banana, instead. I was happy about that. We tried an Indian recipe for dinner, which was really tasty, but only made a very small serving, so I had some leftover pasta. Overall I feel pretty good about today.

I hope you all had a good day too!

Runnin' Mama I was doing 4 times a week, but fell off last week. I have a challenge to complete 100 miles in 120. I know it isn't alot but got me to work towards somethingl. Let me know if you're interested.

I do the WATP DVDs.

Tomorrow I close on my condo so after that I should be ok.

I've also noticed I have more pep in my step when I work out and some other stuff. So I'm in.....

I have a lot of company right now so won't probably have time to post much. Everybody keep up the good work!!!!

OK, so I started reading the Overfed Head and I love it. I'm already halfway through and I'll tell ya it's straight to the point. I'm hoping to finish it today.

I don't know if anyone else has discovered this. I noticed when I get stressed now I'm not stuffing it down with food because I really want to keep following IE. I like it. But now I've discovered I need another outlet for my stress so I've started doing fun activities (like a kid) playing walking outside or on the treadmill. whatever. I've found that you can't take something away without replacing it with something else. In other words I took out eating my stress away as an option but now I've replaced it with movement and activity.

ANy thoughts or ideas on this?

Captain Ladybug, that's so neat that you found a different way to cope with stress. Whoohoo! You go girl! I have found that taking my stress out on things other than food is a much better option. I think what I've turned it around to is cleaning. Ha!

Guess what? I've lost those 4-5 pounds that I gained last week. I think what happened is that I had muscle gain, which means that water was being retained around my muscles to protect them. Whew! It's a HUGE relief to me. I felt like I was doing so well with IE that I wanted my weight to reflect it. Yeah!

Let's keep on keeping on!!

THanks Christy.

I actually discovered making the switch by accident. I had a really bad day last week and the first thing I did out of habit was go for the ice-cream. Well I took two mouthfulls and asked myself "Do I feel better?" and the answer was NO! I realized the food wasn't cutting it anymore as far as dealing with my stress or emotions or what have you. I got on the treadmill and did about 1- 1/2 miles and I finally felt better so I chose to do that instead.

You really learn how little of a roll food can start to play in your life when you learn to put it in it's place. Foods new job? To nurish, energize and stop my hunger. Not to comfort me any more.

Amazing isn't it?

Way to go Ladybug!!! It's amazing isn't it, when you realize food doesn't have the power it once had???
Christy, I wish my replacement was cleaning!! Maid needed at my house!!

I already have my excerise planned for tomorrow. Our teacher volleyball team has a double-header tomorrow evening! I look forward to reporting back on our domination... hee hee We haven't even practiced yet!

Well I have been dealing with the whole closing thing (very anti-climatic) and I kinda felt myself drifting away from the you guys, but I realized I NEED to post here...it just makes it so much easier not doing it alone.

So anyway. I did my 2 mile walk this morning and I am going to try and do 1 more mile tonight. I haven't been overeating, but I haven't been eating what I really should be eating. I have been sticking to my ordering smaller sizes of things and even those I haven't been finishing. I almost feel like a waste of money but there is a little bit of a thrill knowing I don't WANT to finish it so I throw it away.

I'm moving so we'll see how everything goes. Hope everyone else is doing ok.

Also got my copy of the overfed head, but I started another book already so I'll start that in a few weeks.

-Obie (hanging onto the wagon with dear life) :carrot:
Also I noticed I am not as grumpy lately, particularly when I workout. I am alot more relaxed. Didn't even notice this till you mentioned it ladybug.
Also as to weighing yourself, funny thing happened. Was visiting my parents and my father was telling me how he weighed himself and he was 240 then again in the same week and up 243, and various changes in the week. I wanted to tell him, why not do it once a week, every other week or once a month, but I don't think he's ready for that. He's never really cared about his weight before.

Also my mother doesn't believe you can eat what you want and lose weight. So while I know there isn't an official challenge I REALLY want to prove her wrong.


-Obie (hanging onto the wagon for dear life) :carrot:

Obie, Does your mom have a weight problem? My mom was pretty much always thin but used to complain about her weight. She could just give up a thing or two and her weight would always drop. She lost quite a bit the year before she died but she still had a great appetite and ate sweets every day. My dad was always heavy after he married but lost weght when dementia set in 2 yr before he died. Did that me he was intuitively eating in those 2 yr.? I have always wondered that.

So I finished the Overfed Head book and you all were right on your recommendations. The book was great. I actually already started picking it up before bed and reading random chapters. I kinda wish I had gotten it on CD/Tape.

I was amazed today - I stepped on the scale this morning and I've lost a total of 7lbs in about two weeks ( I think that's how long I've been doing this.) I said to my DH, that I couldn't believe all the struggling I did following programs and counting everything to loose the weight I did and this 7 lbs came off so effortlessly (sp?). I love eating this way. I feel great - food is no longer an issue for me. Now, I'm sure I'm going to have that speedbump where it is - but I think if I keep pressing forward and trust my body to do what's right I'll get through it.

If anyone hasn't read the overfed head and your looking for a good book on this subject that's the one - loved it. Two thumbs up! LOL

Stay well!

I totally agree about The Overfed Head.......so sensible. Good work Ladybug on your IE! Even though I have a houseful of kids and grandkids for a few days things have been going pretty good.

Just curious. Do you eat differently if you edd excercise?

I usually eat about the same whether exercising or not. At least that's what I think....guess I never really thought about it. I do a lot of gardening in the summer......tilling, planting, weeding,......flowers and vegetables. I get really sore at times but don't notice my eating changing. I noticed when it first cooled off that I was hungrier. But now that seems to have abated. One time when I really lose my appetite is when I am sad or worried. I could go all day without eating then, though I usually don't. Eight of the kids are still here plus 5 spouses and 5 grandkids. This morning I got a nice break when I went with my daughter to watch her 4 yr old run a race at Apple Fest. His daddy is Mexican and he is so cute. We walked about 4 mi. ourselves and I didn't notice that I was particularly hungry.

Something cool happened. I got my copy of the overfed head this week and started it yesterday. So I have been wanting applebees I ordered my normal, but got the smaller size. I ordered an appatizer I usually order, but when it came I realized I didn't really want it. I ordered a salad ate that and boxed the other appetizer up to go home. I ate what I wanted of the email and left the rest.

At this point I would be sitting her plotting when I could eat the rest, but its in the bad...and I am not particularly obsessed about it.

My dh and I argued this week and my old binging desires hit me hard. I did go binge shopping, but I didn't eat it!! It makes me so mad that that is such a big trigger! I haven't binge shopped in at least a month. My old thinking came back too- what is the biggest bag of chocolate I can get for the least amount of money, hide it so no one else can have some. ARGH! It also affects my desire to exercise when I am mad. I am happy to say that I pushed past it and went for a six mile run this afternoon. As far as meals go, things have been fine. I've been eating some different foods this week. My biggest goal for next week is eating only when hungry, not just because it is dinner time. Teaching, I don't have time to just eat whenever I want, so I am sort of forced to eat lunch at the same time. If I don't eat, I'll have to wait four more hours. But there are a lot of times where I feel like I eat out of habit.

It's funny Obsi - I noticed I do eat differentyly since I've started excercising. Some days I don't have much of an appitite and other days I eat more then usual. Like yesturday I found myself eating something ever 3 or 4 hours because I was actually hungry. No, I didn't eat alot each time because I'm really trying to stick too once my hunger is gone I stop eating.

Now today I had a really good breakfast and I'm still not hungry and that was at 8am this morning and it's almost 2pm now. I said to my husband that I could really go for a piece of cake so I went down to the bakery and got something small that I really thought looked good - I will probably share with him. I'm still not hungry but when I am I'll probably have that when I'm ready. I'm not stressing about it - it's not "calling me from the kitchen" it's just a food that I wanted and when I'm ready for it I'll have it - even if only two bites satisfy me that's fine. (I'm trusting my body).

I really love living this way. I fine that I enjoy food more then I did before - It's about what I really want instead of what I should have. And the excercise is more enjoyable because I want to do it because it's fun and feels great - not because I'm trying to burn up a donut that I had.


:carrot:

I had a thought last night that this might be the time I will actually get thin. We went swimming with the family at a really nice indoor pool in a town about 30mi from home. I have a ways to go but I felt good about my body for the first time in a long time. We went to Pizza Hut after ..........about 20 of us and nothing tasted very good so I wasn't tempted to overeat at all. I also had the thought that in the past I associated getting thin with illness and even dying because that is the only way I lost weight before. Years ago, when I was first ill, I lost a lot of weight and began to worry about it because of the wife of my husbands employer........she had cancer, got really thin and looked awful. That was a silly thought because as soon as they put me on prednisone I gained weight quickly and years later I wondered why I had ever had the thought of getting too thin. But I think those kind of thoughts have been hanging around in my mind for a long time. I am kind of amazed how food takes a back seat now so to speak. I mean, you can enjoy it but it doesn't have to have such a hold on a person.

Since reading the overfed head I think I am much more concious about what level of hunger I'm at and the signals that come along with it. Something that surprised me. I ate yesterday at about 3 or 4 and wasn't hungry until about 3 or 4 in the morning ( I had an accident so i went to bed at 8 and was up in the middle of the night)not very hungry but enough to nibble on something and then go to bed. Then I wasn't hungry again till about 2pm in the afternoon. Just found it interesting.

I also think while I love the idea of eating what I want...I will probably stick to more healthy stuff. I also like the distinction of thin does not necessarily equal healthy and I enjoy working out now because it makes me feel better.

Hey runnin' momma I used to have a shopping problem (and occasionally I still have to talk myself out of buying some stuff) For some reason Target seems to be a problem for me. I can easily pile in $100-$200 worth of stufft. What I started doing was putting in what i want, but when I got ready to leave made myself add up what it cost and put some stuff away until I got down to a reasonable number. I think it was sort of like the eating. Rather than try and ration myself If I bought what I actually needed I was ok. Eventually I am ok going into a store buying what I actually want or need and and didn't fill up the cart.

If this offends you sorry, only good intentions.

Obie, I don't mind suggestions at all!!
I actually wanted to put some of the junk food back. My mind wanted to but there was that little voice whispering in my ear, "What if you need that junk food?" It was like the old me and the new me were having an arguement and the new me didn't win at the check out line. The new me was able to say "no" at home though! I just hate spending money on junk I don't really need.

Nobody is writing today so better add my 2 cents. Today wasn't a real good day eating wise ........over ate right away in the morning and felt bad. But it was learning experience. Hope to learn how it feels to over eat.......not a pleasant thing. Otherwise I still have my daughter and kids here from Portland so that keeps me busy........better run.

Well today was kinda ok, The lunch thing at work seems to be my biggest sticking point. If I don't eat during lunch because I'm not hungry, by the time I am off of work I am very hungry. So today I went ahead and ate. I didn't eat much since I wasn't really into it. We'll see what happens I doubt I eat the rest of the day.

Also my monthly weigh in is coming up and I am nervous since I really have no idea if I am losing or not. I know I feel better so really as long as I haven't gained anything I'll be happy. I really hate the scale.

I am having a slight obsession with peas and carrots lately no idea why. I guess there is something my body isn't getting enough of. Anyway else had any weird cravings that weren't necessary fast food or sweets?

Obie,That is funny. My obsession for carrots just ended! I ate carrots every day for about the last 5 weeks!!! In the last 2 weeks I've started eating a peach every day.
Obie, I weighed the other day and was up 1 pound. It totally ruined my psyche. I think I need to throw all weighing out the window. It gets me thinking in diet mode and I've binged twice since I weighed after being binge free for so long! I feel like my whole self esteem went out the window.

Runnin' Momma While I want to lose weight I try not to let the scale be the only way I measure success. How do you feel? How is your overall health? I know you're runnin' momma, but are you excercising?

I read the overfed head, but I think you still should exercise, however often you feel you can do it..and build. Not that maniac 7 days a week for 2 hours, but something you can enjoy.

For me my knees are doing much better, a little creaky but better, my energy is up. Besides the IE I am still trying to do the walking. I am in the middle of moving and working so it is sort of on pause until I am done moving.


Another questions at the end of the overfed head he mentions keeping a journals of your levels of hunger during the day has anyone been doing that?

Off the soapbox and loving my peas and carrots
-Obie.

Hey gals. I haven't been around much lately. I'm down total of 10 pounds. Not sure if I'm going to make my mini-goal though. We'll see. How's everyone else doing?

I blew it again this morning....not bad but felt yucky because I really don't need much breakfast. I'm ok now.......ate lunch and feel ok. My daughter and 2 boys left so a little sad today. They are so far away and this is the first time they have been home in 3 yr. The dad is from Mexico and even with them both working money is tight. The boys are 4 and 2mo......so cute... totaly Spanish looking.....my daughter is fair. She cooked Mexican for us one night and my son cooked Chinese last night. Except for breakfast, I haven't been overfull. Yes, Obi, I crave strange things too, like stuffed peppers.

Good to see you again, Sabrina.