OK, Carol, here they are, with this caveat to anyone else who might read this post: I am not recommending that anyone do any of these things, so please don't flame me if you are a more conventional dieter.

I do not limit fats.

I don't drink milk. I do, however, like butter, cream, sour cream, cheese, and yogurt (but only if it's the full-fat kind). My cholesterol hovers around 135, in case you're wondering. I have found though that if I over-indulge on dairy it slows my weight loss.

I don't eat any food or beverage that is labeled "light", "low-fat", "diet", "sugar-free", etc.

I tend to skip meals, especially breakfast.

I don't count calories, fat grams, carb grams, points, or anything else.

I eat an extremely wide variety of foods, some of which most people have probably never heard of due to the fact that I like cooking/eating ethnic cuisines.

I eat loads of garlic and chile peppers. (Which probably plays a big part in keeping the cholesterol low.)

I hardly ever eat bread of any kind. I just don't like it that much.

If I do have breakfast, I never eat "breakfast foods."

I try to work in several short exercise periods a day instead of one big one.

I eat a lot of coconut milk.

I eat my biggest meal of the day in the evening. And I often go to bed right after I eat it.

I try to eat foods that are nutrient-dense, rather than calorie-sparse.

Wow, Fiddler, you are DEFINITLY an intuitive eater!!!!!!!! That's great to hear since you have lost so much weight. Obi, Your plan sounds good, too. Isn't that part of IE.... what works for you? I just finished Am I Hungry by Dr. Michelle May. I was really disappointed. She acknowledges hunger and fullness but spends over half the book on all the recent healthy ideas I have already read numerous times. Oh well. I'm not much for breakfast and wasn't even in my skinny days but I am really hungry when I get up so try to eat within an hour or so. I, too, don't eat regular breakfast food. I like vegetable soup. Fiddler, What does your exercise include?

Hi IE pals-
I had such a great time yesterday evening with Fiddler listening to music and -- dare I say -- deep fried avocado -- there, I said it, and drinking wine (that was just me) and getting a ride in her new car (didn't notice any attention from guys though, Obi) and witnessing the Chicken/Incubator transaction and listening to one of my local faves Louie Ortega and talking about just all kinds of things and drawing Animal Wisdom cards and ... gosh, wish you all could have been there!!
Fiddler is definitely an inspiring individual with her huge weight loss through unconventional means. I love unconventional means.
And I am making sushi (raw ahi, spicy homemade sauce blend, brown rice, nori) for breakfast.
Happy President's Day/Monday/New Year of the Pig to all,
jo

Aw, thanks Jo. I think I'm starting to blush.

The deep fried avocado was definitely tasty. I'm usually not a big fan of deep fried things. Maybe it was the chipotle chile dipping sauce that made it so good

The chicken is kind of mean--pretty, but mean. That's OK. I'm a lot bigger than it is

Carol, I generally walk 2 miles a day (1 mile morning; 1 mile afternoon), then do 30 minutes of circuit training 3-4 times a week.

Just curious....How did you decide to lose weight, what other programs did you try before you got to IE and how did you finally end up doing IE? What has helped you stick to it long term?

PS Feb marks 6 months on IE, longest I have ever stuck to any kind of "plan"

Hi, Obi. Nothing has ever worked so might as well stick with IE, right? I quite often tell my 16 yr old daughter, "If you'll just eat when you're hungry and becareful not to stuff yourself, you won't have a weight problem." I have probably read hundreds of books and really there isn't much I haven't tried.......even walking 6 mi a day for several months.

Fiddler - you'd better tell that chicken that she is pecking on thin ice and if she doesn't watch it she's gonna go from mean to meat! BRAWK!!

Obi - I have read many books on different diet plans but never could follow any of them because I do not like the traditional American-type menus that they all seem to use - the menu examples are not for me. I'd rather just fast than eat a blob of lean meat and a blob of steamed vegetables on a plate. So I take the nutritional information but I do my own thing, and not the 3 times a day, or 6 times a day plan either, just when I feel the need for food. Usually that's twice a day. I do keep an awareness of the foods to avoid for my blood type - but that diet is not so much a weight loss thing but a matter of eating foods that are agreeable to my body, and I have found it helps. I am not willing to do it all the way because it would mean avoiding tomatoes and peppers and eggplant - nope, not at this time. My big downfall is not so much solid foods but liquids. I don't like to drink any of the calorie-free beverages (coffee? tea?? YUCK.) I like milk, juice, beer, wine, and lots of all of them. Solid foods are not so exciting to me - I just eat very small amounts of what I really like. And what I really like is, fortunately, not junk food. Now as for the deep fried avocado -- ha. That was a first. I am glad I got to experience it, though!

Congratulations on your "birthday", Obie!

I've been trying all my life to lose weight with mixed success. I've tried weight watchers, diet watchers, atkins, south beach, calorie counting, various low-fat diets, and just ended up putting on more weight with most of them. The three biggest stumbling blocks for me on various diets are that I don't like to count things, I find the food on most diets bland and unappealing, and I don't like to be deprived of the foods I really like (which, for the most part, aren't unhealthy--they're just not included in the diets).

I really didn't start to lose weight until I stopped dieting. And when the boyfriend left me a few months ago, the combination of emotional devastation and him taking his nasty processed foods with him when he left made me lose a bunch of weight really quickly, so I just decided to go with it. (He, in addition to eating unhealthy junky food all the time, hated any kind of physical activity except the indoor kind , so I really piled on the weight while we were together.) Hopefully he is now making his new wife fat.

I thought this was an interesting thread on another part of 3fc. What do you all think? I started to post but then declined.

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=105230

Carol - I saw that too and also started to post but then declined. I need to learn the skill that so many women have but I don't - the skill of being subtle and gentle. I tend to come across as whack-a-mole. I wanted to say that eating more when you are satisfied or full is like getting another cocktail when you're already drunk. (not that I am anyone to point fingers at THAT...)

That craked me up!

Hi IE Chickies

Even though I lurk here daily and have posted a couple times today is my first day of committing to IE as a way of life. I'm combining whole foods, IE and weight lifting/cardio. So far today I've had an egg and half a yam for breakfast then cottage cheese, green beans and an orange for lunch. I feel GREAT! No weird sugar cravings so far like I normally have. I think this is going to work. Wish me luck and thanks for all the great things you've taught me so far!

Beth

I saw that thread too and started a post and everything before I changed my mind. I am also of the whack-a-mole persuation and trying to be better. I read it when it comes on new posts....interesting....

completely off topic, More venting than anything. I am having green eyed monster issues. So I have been plodding away eating has been fine, exercise is good, no more knee pain, skin is doing pretty good...and I am grumpy...

I keep running into people, friend, co-workers who started losing weight in January and are down 20,25....30 lbs. I am not upset they are losing just grumpy that I haven't done as well. Logically I know I am doing the right thing, especially where I hear one woman's plan was was no carbs, green vegetables and walking fast.

Even with that still I am ok with doing what I am doing, just have my lip all twisted up....

When I get to feeling like that I read some of my old IE books. Too many of the recent ones I have purchased have been combining IE with dieting, if that's possible. One of my favorites is an old one, Naturally Thin By Eating More by Jean Antonello. She's a very good writer. Sometimes I try to think like a kid. Didn't think about eating or weigh issues then unless taunted by some goon. And it passed quickly. Just too much other stuff to focus on then. ha!

Wow, Obie - I can empathize. 20-30 pounds in 2 months! It makes me want to eat no carbs, only green vegetables, and walk fast! (Nah.) Hang in there - this plan will last in the long run when the others won't!

Beth - sounds like a plan that can't help but work! You won't need any "luck!"

jo