I ask people who say they are starting their new diet tomorrow when the last time they ate when they were actually hungry was; I mean their stomach is growling and they can say for sure that they are hungry? The next question I ask is when was the last time you stopped eating when you were full; not stuffed or their plate had nothing left on it, but that they had been satisfied and had a fullness level of roughly a 5-6 on a scale of 10? Most people don’t know what their body is telling them. They eat because they feel that they should eat or are bored and hit the fridge to bring excitement to their lives for the next 10 minutes. The only reason why someone is over their natural God-given weight is because they are eating for the wrong reasons. Some people’s natural weight might be bigger than other people’s, but if you eat other than when you are hungry, you are eating for the wrong reasons.
On the concept of moderation: I disagree with the statement, “you can have pizza, but just not everyday.” The truth is you can have pizza everyday and not gain a pound if you eat when you are hungry and stop when you have had enough. by putting the phrase, “but just not everyday,” you are placing a restriction on yourself, which will eventually end up in rebellion. I have had an eating disorder for 8 years and the only time I naturally lost weight is when I told myself one day that I can have what ever I want when I am hungry. I ate cookie dough for breakfast, cinnamon rolls and chocolate for lunch and cheesy breadsticks with ranch dressing for dinner and I lost 21 pounds. I told myself I could each as much as I wanted, but to just stop when I was full. That is the hardest part. You have to tell yourself that there are other things besides food that are comforting and that you will have another chance to eat something wonderful the next time you get hungry. After about 2 1/2 weeks of eating nothing but cookie dough and chocolate, I naturally started to crave other types of food like broccoli, eggs, and dried fruit.
Stop counting calories! It’s just another way of putting restrictions on your self that you don’t need. Your body will tell you when it has had enough and I guarantee it is not that many calories, so stop obsessing about it.
I also limit weighing myself on the scale to every three weeks, that way I don’t think about judging who I am or how my day will be based on how much I weigh.
Exercise should also not be something you dread. I hate gyms, so I never go to the gym. I run outside on a nice day or play tennis with my boyfriend.
Everyone thinks their life will lose all of its problems when they are thin, but the problems are still there. I am not any happier now that I lost 21 pounds than when I was heavier. The only thing that is better is that I don’t think about food and weight 24 hours a day.

Damn girl! I agree to this, but to an extent. Different things work for different people, but I am going to keep your philosophy in mind. I've never heard it worded this way, and it is true. Like you said though, your body needs and craves healthy food, so as long as the majority of what you're eating (when your body is hungry) is healthy, this is a good plan! Can I ask your start weight and height?

I somewhat understand your statement. But I also understand that you have the will power to say your done when your full. I am like alot of people that love the taste of food, I don't eat because I am hungry, I eat because I love to cook and it all tastes good! I do not consider myself on a diet, I consider my self at a passage in life that I need a change in my life. I am not trying to lose weight because I think it will take away all my problems. I am losing weight because I am hoping to not become a diabetic because of being overweight. It doesn't do away with the chance, but it does reduce the chance. I hate exercise but I do a small amount along with bowling once a week and it has helped on my life change. There are alot of wonderful people here and they all have gained weight differently, lost weight differently and certianly live a different lifestyle. If it wasn't for the support I get here I would not have lost the weight I already have. I am confident that with all the wonderful people and my persistence will allow me to become the healthly person I want to become!

I think that eating only when actually hungry, and stopping when just full, goes a long way to controlling weight. Maybe all the way for some, but at least a long way for most if not all. BUT, stopping when you're full can be just as hard as following a diet. It's something I'm working on. I don't even really binge anymore ever, but dang, it's hard to really stop when there's still part of a *reasonable* portion left. If you were never a binger, and just never realized you could stop when full, this might be all you need. But if you've been a binger, and you got emotional satisfaction out of it, then denying yourself the binging can feel like a restriction that you end up rebelling against, just like a diet can. But all in all, IE is a concept I'm working with - it is most certainly not an easy-peasy eat whatever you want plan, as many people think.

For JulieJ08 and Scorpio1986

I totally understand that stopping when you are full is a restriction in itself, which was an awesome way of putting it. But at some point you have to stop giving yourself excuses to eat emotionally (unless of course you are ok with your body size, which is also wonderful) and eat how your body was designed to eat and that is for fuel to do the activities you do each day.

My start weight and height : 169lbs at 5'6"
Ending Weight: 143lbs
So I am actually still going down and I had cookie dough for breakfast.

You may be losing weight but having cookie dough for breakfast is not nourishing your body. Many people on this site have health issues like diabetes or insulin resistance. Just because you stop when you feel full, eating whatever you feel like (like cookie dough and not a healthy breakfast) can have health consequences for some of us.

I don't think I'd last more than an hour or two on cookie dough for breakfast. If food is a fuel, shouldn't there be at least a little nutrition in it?

Everyone's appetites and triggers are different. For me, I do best when I'm not constantly eating sugar all day. Cutting out sugary treats is/was hard at first, but after a week or so I just kind of forget about them and don't want it anymore. Also, some people are triggered by certain foods and honestly cannot tell when they are full. Telling them to "just stop when you're full" is kind of like telling an alcoholic to stop drinking when they're no longer thirsty.

I know lots of people do well on the "stop when you're full" notion, but it's certainly not a shoe that fits everyone well. But it sounds like it's working for you, so good luck!

I guess if that works for you, congrats.But I agree with above posts.I think many people are trying to lose weight for health reasons.I am a nurse and see that fall out from poor nutrition choices all of the time.If I ate what you stated above I wound be very concerned about my "arterial health".LOL.Most major health problems including cancer, heart disease and diabetes are all a result of that type of diet.

I don't think there are foods that "trigger." These foods are most likely a food that someone has restricted for years and now they can't get enough of it because it was forbidden for so long. I used to cut out all bread products and for a year straight my binges consisted of that. I think like alcohol food is used to cover emotional needs that we cannot convey to other people. I think you can find a way to incorporate all foods into your diet unless you have a medical problem. I agree with everyone about the diabetes and I get tested for that often because I know that is a disease that effects tons of people and you HAVE to change your diet to survive. I just advocate for people who don't have medical issues and are compulsive dieters because they are unhappy in some other area of their lives.

I must respectfully disagree.

For example, I spent a lifetime eating pasta. I never restricted it or limited it or even viewed it as "bad". However, I could never seem to eat enough it. I will always be able to consume large quantities of pasta and one serving leads to another and another. It is definitely a trigger for me.

Funny, when I recognized this and abstained from it for a time... I lost weight. I even kind of forgot what it tasted like and didn't have that ravenous feeling anymore.

Incredible, isn't it? I must be the exception, though

Not the exception, or maybe you are, but then both of us are. I've never 'dieted' before this time around. I definitely would have gone about it the wrong way if I hadn't found so much helpful advice and support on this website. So much about lifestyle changes and whole foods instead of crash dieting. I think most of the women on this website advocate those kinds of changes, not 'dieting'. That said, I really do have to count my calories or else 1 piece of bread with dinner would turn back into half a loaf. I've never resisted bread or cut anything out of my diet before - it's just that I like certain foods and they taste good, and I'm learning how to eat to my limit. And what I considered my limit before is vastly different now that I'm... learning how to eat, for lack of a better way to put it.

And Jen, with the pasta, I'm the same way. I've never restricted or limited it, and after a month and a half of eating whole wheat pasta with portion sizes, I couldn't finish my restaurant dish of white pasta on my birthday.