hi everyone!
just wondering what eating plan you guys are on...Ive been trying "clean eating" based on the book by Tosca Reno...but its hard for me to get used to eating with that many restrictions!! the same with bfl...I have a hard time with the protein b/c I HATE protein shakes & bars and Im sick of chicken/turkey breast!! thanks for the feedback!

I don't know of you can call what I'm doing a plan - it's pretty informal. I guess it's more or less phase 1 of Bob Greene's Best Life Plan. It's pretty simple - eat 3 meals plus one snack a day, no more, no less. Try to make healthy choices, and keep the sugar and fat intake low. At least 5 fruits and veggies a day. Ditto 6-8 glasses of water. Work out 5 times per week (4/5 weekdays and 1/2 on weekends). I allow myself some treats, but try to limit those to no more than once during the week and once on a weekend. Watch portion sizes, and try to balance off high cal choices with low cal choices, though I don't actually count calories. It's kind of an anti-diet, as I dieted for years, and ended up with hardcore diet mentality, and bingeing all the time. My ticker's moving, albeit slowly, but I'm not bingeing, so I think this is the way to go for me.

thanks! like you said, your ticker is moving. mine ran out of gas and the nearest gas station is in another town!!!

nygirl

What is it specifically that you find restrictive about eating clean? Eating clean for me means to eat as close to nature as possible I find it quite easy not to eat processed foods... As for protein, there is also lean beef and pork to choose from you aren't restricted to just turkey and chicken, I marinate and BBQ everything, so I have lots of flavour. I never have protein bars . I do have a protein shake or two per day though that I guzzle down after a workout... I haven't found ONE protein shake that is perfect, so I chose the one that I prefered out the the bunch I tried, guzzle it down and then have a fresh apple right afterwards... I also eat a lot of cottage cheese and fruit as a meal...Or I smooth out the CC with a blender and add Splenda and vanilla and it taste just like a pudding...

Hope this helps keep us posted on your progress...

I think...if you are having a hard time with restrictions etc, I think of a certain way of eating as ideal. For me that would be a primarily whole foods diet with about 50/25/25 and no processed foods, white stuff, artificial stuff etc. (Specifically - since you asked - I first and foremost calorie count and my plan is a combination of South Beach and a whole food diabetic diet except I do not believe in using splenda/nutrasweet etc as a major component of my diet. - in otherwords an evolution of things that I have tried and turned into my own. And I eat chocolate every day)

And then there is life.

If I eat 80% perfect then I am pretty darn happy. For example, I know that the chicken breast I had the other night was dusted in 2T white flour instead of 2T whole wheat flour. Oh well. I'm not gonna sweat that. But if my boca burger bun was white...well thats kind of a substantial part of the meal, I'd try to rethink that.

And I drink diet coke. I dont think it is good for me, but I havent gotten up the oomph to boot that out of my life. Its the only artificial sweetener I use and its sporadic.

Perfection can be a killer. Look for better choices most of the time and choices you can live with all of the time. While a certain amount of palate retraining is possible, any thing that is so restrictive that you cant do it for the rest of your life is useless.

that is so well said!! Especially Look for better choices most of the time and choices you can live with all of the time. EXCELLENT!!

That is my problem though....I have yet to find anything I feel I can stick with the rest of my life. I feel "left out", as everyone around me is eating junk food and high fat all day. To quote my teenage daughter "I hate it when you're on a diet and don't buy good snacks...why should I suffer, I'm not on a diet". Makes it really hard to eat healthy when I am surrounded by more tasty choices! I've got to come up with a better plan!

My kids sound the same, but my reply is that it's just NOT good for them, period, and I am not buying it anymore, PERIOD!! And I don't ... They're used to this, I've been on a healthy lifestyle for YEARS now...They are at the age now that they have jobs and can go buy their own junk food in controlled portions, I think that's good, because it's controlled... When they get hungry enough in the house they eat the healthy stuff. And they don't complain and/or suffer, because now they're used to healthier choices.

I don't feel "left out" at all I actually kind of feel sorry for people who eat high fat and junk, because their arteries are hardening, they don't "look" healthy, they look uncomfortable in their own skin... The junk eaters are they ones who should feel "left out" ...

too funny! the other day my son said, " so we're ALL on a diet now? when he saw another plate of brown rice! its definitely a retraining effort...

I always tell my kids I'm NOT on a "diet" but we "eat healthy" ... They'll get used to it...

I mix brown and white rice for them...

good idea..thanks. but you're right they dont know the difference b/w whole eggs and egg whites in omelettes or scrambles and b/w turkey bacon and reg bacon...

My plan:
Still following the basics of WW--I've been Lifetime since Nov. 2004 but I still keep an eye on portion sizes.

I'm up to 133 (haven't adjusted my ticker), so I am closely following WW Core this week and aim to lose 3 lbs. by the end of this month. I've done 3 consecutive days of good cardio workouts. Step class is tonight.

All in all, I know what to do to take this weight off; it's not an unreasonable amount to lose and I'm in the right mindset to do it. A trip to the store for more fresh produce will help!

i know this sounds stupid, but how do you use the extra weekly points with WW? i joined online and I have 22 points per day (or something like that) and 35 weekly points...how do the 35 points fit into the 22 daily points?

the 22 is what you have every day and you should never go below that

the 35 you can use or not use as you please. 5 a day, save em all for the weekend, whatever. My ww friend makes sure she has one dinner out a week that she doesnt have to feel diety so she uses most of hers then.

thanks for the reply! believe it or not I could not understand that! lol...brain freeze!!