I put my food into FitDay from time to time because I get curious, but never for very long, because it makes me start using calories to choose my food.

I do, however, like to log my foods (either without quantity or just vague quantities), so I can learn how different things affect how my body feels and how my mind feels too. Sometimes the effects aren't obvious until you go over a log, because they might be delayed a day or even a week, or it might involve certain combination of foods and other things going on in your life.

But once you see the pattern repeated over and over in black and white, it becomes much easier to let something go that's causing you problems.

Some people might be better at just making these associations mentally. Me, I forget everything a minute after it happens.

No log, and no good or bad foods for me anymore. I just can't live that way. I did once and eventually I just get sick of it.

Julie, I do agree that it would probably help to know foods your body responds well to or not. I just can't bring myself to do a log anymore. At the beginning of this attempt at IE, I did get an idea of where my calories were, and they seem all over the place. High one day, and low the next. I'm just trying to go with the flow, now, as I've heard you say before.

Good evening!! Just wanted to write a quick note before I have to get ready to leave for work. I'm getting adjusted to my work schedule. I've actually been sleeping better with working nights. But my eating hasn't been the greatest. Unfortunately my station at work is right in front of McD's and I've been eating there. That is stopping as of now. If I'm hungry, that's different. But I've been making a habit of it and that is going to stop!!

Before we moved I got rid of my scales, and for me that's a good thing. A "bad reading" can ruin my day. I need to not focus on what I'm eating and how much weight I'm losing, but on the reasons why I overeat. I know I need to deal with those problems. Some of the problems are gone but the habit is there. But thankfully habits can be changed!!! I was thinking earlier today that I should take a notebook to work and journal on my breaks to help me not eat but instead face my thoughts.

Waiting on hunger!! That's my focus right now!! I know this is the way. Diet's don't work for me long term. Sure it might take some off quickly at first, but it never lasts. I want it to be gone forever!! I first started putting on weight twenty years ago and I don't want to be this way for another twenty. I want to be healthy and enjoy my life -- not be a prisoner.

Have a wonderful weekend with your family and friends!

Blessings,
Lenise

Lenise, I know you can do this! Working nights can be hard, but I'm sure you can bring your lunch, can't you? I like McDonald's breakfast, but I don't really like any other meal there. They do have salads and stuff. It just depends on what you are in the mood for. I used to work at a bakery. I gained a lot of weight working there. I think if I could handle it now, but I had a hard time back then.

That's good about getting rid of your scale. I need to do that, too. I think mine is wrong, but it is wrong in my favor, so I guess I shouldn't complain.

I'm plugging along. I had a few over-hungry moments yesterday because we were gone all day in the car (in the middle of nowhere, too).

Good morning, all. I woke up at 6am this morning, put some laundry in the dryer and made some tea. Here I am!

I have (yet again) made the realization/decision that flour needs to be OUT of my daily diet. My poor body just can't handle it. I was shocked and horrified on friday by how my clothes were fitting, and I was really uncomfortable. I started to think back over what I had been eating and I kept spotting flour-flour-flour-flour...hmmmmm. I was so bloated it was painful! I have decided that a bit of mindfulness is good, and (as I have said so many times before--why am I not listening to myself??) my body is giving me distinctive signals about what foods are good for it.

Interestingly (I believe someone mentioned this just a little bit ago--Julie?) it's much easier to control my eating and pay attention to satiety signals when those foods aren't a part of my daily fare. I decided to have an apple with peanut butter along with my tea this morning, and part of it is still sitting on the plate next to me. I don't want it, I'm not hungry anymore, and I'm not picking at it. Yes it has sugar in it, but my body still isn't interested. As for my pot of tea, I've drunk about half of it (and yes I add sugar and milk) and I'm done. It was lovely! But I'm done now. If this were, say, a bagel, I'd eat it til it was gone. Hmmmmmmmmm. What can I say, I'm still learning!

I was reading in the Health At Every Size book this weekend that your body will continue to eat when it's still looking for nutrients. Not any specific nutrient, though when you get very very low on something you can start to crave foods that have that nutrient in them. But when you're eating processed foods or foods that don't naturally contain much in the way of vitamins/minerals, you may PHYSICALLY be full, but your body is still looking for nutrients and thus still telling you to eat. Once you give your body something to really "process", it will stop telling you to eat. It was an interesting concept, and one I'm going to attempt to explore with my food choices.

One part of that is eating as much fresh stuff as possible. I have the infinite luxury of living in Southern California, so our grocery store produce departments are always full and fresh. For the last couple of days I've been deciding what I want to eat in the morning, running to the store to get it, and eating through all my fresh stuff in the day. The fridge looks a bit barren, but at least I'm not wasting money on produce that sits there long enough to go bad!

On that note, I've got a dash to the store to make. Take care, all!

I don't remember mentioning it, but my memory is bad sometimes.

I do take care with flour goods, even whole grain flour. It doesn't really make me feel bad or gain weight, per se. It just doesn't usually give me satiety signals like actual whole grains or fat do/does, so large quantities go down too easily.

I mean, I have bread-type things often enough, I just don't expect it to be the filling portion of my meal - I have beans and veggies and fat with it. Which is what makes eating out (at restaurants or people's homes) difficult as a vegetarian - you get served a lot of flour-based stuff, and white flour at that.

I mostly don't think about types of food now.....I spent years doing that. But I do get hungry for a fruit or veggie with meals. Today I had orange juice with lunch because I was in a hurry and craving fruit. It was great!

hi ladies!

So, my mind has been leaning towards intuitive eating for 2 years now and I would have practised it 100% if it wasn't for my diet mentality that told me I was crazy to eat certain things. Anyway, As soon as I found this thread, whatever little was left of my diet mentality seems to be gone. And I'm very glad for that. I seemed to have freed myself from so much anxiety just oevrnight! And it's not just about eating, it affects all aspects of my life, positevely! It's freedom and NO anxiety that I'm feeling right now, no worries, less concernes about things I can't change. How intricate this is.

Anyway, my problem now is that the food I'm eating is giving me stomachaches! I just had a little bit of cheese because it sounded great and I was hungry for a snack... and now I'm feeling a bit sick. I honestly haven't made that many changes to my diet (since I was almost eating intuitively before), and I never eat very processed foods or fast foods, just because I hate the way they make my body feel. So now I'm just adding more real cheese and butter and meat, and it's giving me heartburns =S

One thing I absolutely know my body is not craving right now: dairy products =S
(I am looking at that orange sitting on my desk and just drooling at the thought of it... mmmmm, I may be having fruit for dinner tonight )

anyway... ironic! ahhaha =)

UPDATE: So, I went to the store to buy some fruit and I saw this lemon. It just looked soooo good (yes, lemon, yes, it looked sooo good) but I was like "no, I can't buy a lemon, the same way you buy an apple, it's just ridiculous). So I went down the tea isle and I saw lemon tea and again I craved it. But the I realized i didn't really want tea, I wanted lemon. So i went back and grabbed the lemon. I just had 2 sliced... and my stomache ache is gone!!!! ^_^

ALO, isn't that fun?

Now and then I just have fruit for dinner too. I'm partial to a bowl of crunchy, sweet grapes. And maybe a spoon of peanut butter.

Julie, it was amazing! I know i've been reading way too much about intuitive eating these last few days (as usual, I am very enthusiastic about something when I just started) but my drooling over an orange and then realizing that what I really really wanted was lemon... that shows that there's something very right about this IE theory.

BTW, Julie, I saw your progress photos and you look great =D

I too have come to the place that I don't see foods as good or bad. When I want something, I know I can have it and I do if I really want it. However, I like the idea of Clean Eating/Whole Foods eating, but I find that a lot of times when I eat whole grains that I experience heartburn.

I'm eating totally IE, but I decided that I would count calories just out of curiosity and I am pleased with the way it has been going. No I don't plan to count calories forever. Just wanted to see where I am with cals. I did my 30 min 2 mile Walk Away the Pounds and it was really pushing it. However, I like to do my exercise 1st thing in the morning and couldn't get my vcr to work in the living room and DH was sleeping in the bedroom. Tomorrow will be my callanetics day much easier.

I enjoy reading what you guys write.

Later,

Has anyone ever read Michelle May's latest book?? I bought it at B&N the other night. Going to start it today.

Thanks for all your good posts! It's helpful to see that this works!

Lenise

She is good and I think she has some videos on Youtube that are good, too.

I sat at B&N and read the first 100 or so pages of the Michelle Mays book. I liked it, but half the book is exercises (which I don't need) and recipes (which I didn't want). So I just read the first part. Some reasonable ideas, some that seemed to really push the "diet" envelope for me. I hope you like it.

Just a quick one to say hello. Going to Wally world today hoping I can get my last minute shopping done for T'day before the everybody goes tomorrow. Planning to spend the rest of today when I get back and tomorrow getting ready for company coming Thursday for dinner. Everything is going great. I'm so thankful that I am strictly IE and it is working for me so well right now. Have my plan for the big dinner Thursday. I read what someone else does, I think it was on Eat Clean site. I'll eat a little bit of all the things I want and if I want more I can go back. She said she usually doesn't want to go back for more. I also want to remember what I read somewhere else that after 2 or 3 bites that the food doesn't taste as good. So I plan to eat enough bites to enjoy the taste of the foods I only eat at Thanksgiving. I plan only making enough not to have a lot of left overs (I'm not making the turkey and dressing). Will send what is left home with the guests.

Y'all have a great day and Thanksgiving and I'll catch you after.