You know, there are SO many plans out there, and the basis of them is to cut calories. Some do it through counting them, some count WW points, some eliminate starchy carbs, some eliminate red meats, some through intermittent fasting of some sort, some through eliminating sugar from their diet...So if you keep LOOKING you'll FIND something.

I think what RockinRobin and the others who have been successful are trying to say is that it is VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE to lose the weight without coming to the conclusion that your intake HAS to be controlled. It HAS to because your intake to date has left you with extra weight.

I personally agree with this. I would LOVE to intuitively eat just the right amount of the right foods and not have to think about it. But it ISN'T. GOING. TO. HAPPEN. for me. Because if it worked this way, it WOULD HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED. Naturally. After all, it isn't like I WANT to be fat. But I am.

I BEHAVED MY WAY INTO A SIZE 22; I HAVE TO BEHAVE MY WAY OUT.

Unfortunately, this is the truth of the matter. It sucks. I hate having to count WW points. I want to "listen to my body" but when I DO, it says "More Doritos, please", and I can't trust it as much as I trust my handy food journal and WW calculator. And it takes time and effort and is frustrating and it isn't FAIR. There is no magic switch or mind set or pill or ANYTHING that will let you resolve a weight issue permanently without pain, effort, or getting a grip on your intake. THIS is the truth for those of us who are losing weight. And the longer you resist this truth, the longer it will take you to lose the weight and keep it off.

JMHO

Kira

I do agree with you that to lose weight, we must get the amounts we eat under control.

However, I "dieted" my way up to a size 26, and I truly believe that if I had never tried so many diets, I wouldn't be anywhere near this size.

The quickest way for me to ramp up my eating is to start roping myself into some sort of "eating plan". Also, saying "lifestyle change" or whatever other phrase is used, doesn't fool my mind either, because I know it's still a "diet".

I have the best results every time I STOP tracking, writing down what I eat, jumping on the scale, trying to follow a certain food plan--but the problem is that I let outside factors convince me that I'm doing something "wrong" by doing this, so I never get to the point of taking off a chunk of weight naturally.

This has been a very interesting discussion.

Hey, we all have to find our own plan. And if it works for you, it works for you! And who's to say any differently.

I wish you well...



Kira

Truffle, you might try also looking outside the food issue.

Are you physically active? If not, are there ways you could become more physically active? I don't mean logging exercise calories and all that... I consider that all guesswork and meaningless. I just mean being more physically active. Walking. mild exercise. Stretching.

Do you eat enough of the main food groups? Are you not getting enough protein? It's easy to feel hungry if one isn't getting enough protein, and unfortunately, one tends to reach for sweet foods, which just keeps the hunger going.

Have you been to your doctor lately for a checkup?

I have managed to avoid the OCD version of tracking myself--I just use it as a tool that tells me kind of where I'm at with food. Like so many other posters, I tended to overeat when I didn't keep track. But after doing it for a long time, portions become second nature. I know what a serving of rice looks like, and what a serving of pasta looks like. I also know that just because a pile of something gets put on my plate doesn't mean I have to eat it...

If you have issue with eating because of emotions--by all means look into therapy or counseling, especially with professionals who specialize in food issues. This may pay off for you in the long run.

Truffle, let us know how it goes, OK?

Jay