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!

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! 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! 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! 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!

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" 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! On that note...welcome again, candes.

Welcome theCandEs!

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?