Okay, many of you have dealt with my bellowing about hating to diet and being sick of not wanting to eat what I want, when I want and the old blah, blah, whine, whine story. Well this is not one of those posts.

I think I have been a member here since sometime in 2001 and since then I have yo-yo'd between diets and programs and weights. I joined here and E-diets about the same time the lowest weight I have been since joining both was 140... a good weight for me I was happy with it and well then I quit E-diets, started nursing school and gained. I didn't end up at my highest weight but almost got back up to 170 - well last January I decided to do Atkins... I did Atkins until June got down to about 148 was really liking that weight but hating Atkins so I decided to stop- 10 pounds in one weekend and then another 10 pounds that next month. I decided that Atkins wasn't what it was cut out to be and decided to do SBD. Well, I am hanging out around 155 for about a month and like the weight okay but still not happy with the diet and eating plan. I sound like I am whining don't I? Well I decided and DH decided that SBD and Atkins just isn't what I need to be happy and healthy. I did real well on E-diets (strict but varied dieting)- I lost from 186ish(190ish) to 140ish in about 6 months- I was also going to Yoga and the Gym several times a week. I am considering joining the gym again(really can't afford it right now) but I just do not think am disciplined enough to work out at home on a regular basis. I will walk with DH when he is home but don't like to walk alone.

I can't afford to join E-diets again- so I am going to simply try to change my Non-atkins/Non-SBD eating habits. I think staying around 1200-1500 calories sticking to a lower carb (staying away from bread, rice and potatoes- and sugar) but other wise eating a well rounded diet- oatmeal, granola and such for breakfast- fruit, salad, lean meat/veggie type lunch and lite dinner - fruit and veggie and/or yogurt type snacks...

I know this sounds kinda vague and really doesn't seem to be saying much but not eating fast food, staying away from red and fatty meats and staying away from starch and sugar foods, seemed to work before- I just had E-diets telling me how much to eat and when. I am going to vow to walk at least 30 minutes on my days off until I can afford to join a local gym as well as doing some sit-ups and upper body resistance training.

This may sound like a cop out from the diet plans I have been on but they are not working for me. Any other suggestions or insights would be much appreciated. I will keep you up dated if ya'll are interested in how it goes.

Amy

Hey Amy, any plan is better than no plan at all Small things like walking daily, skipping fast food and eating balanced meals can go a long way!

Maybe you can implement some of the things you learned at e-diets into your current lifestyle?

Some suggestions:

Get rid of any holiday leftovers like chocolates, candy and baked goods.

Set yourself up with a special cupboard full of healthy snacks so you have something good to munch on when you do get a craving.

Plan some meals ahead of time - I find this encourages me to cook more and to not order out so much.

Buy an inexpensive but pretty journal to use as a food diary. If you are not counting calories or going by a points system then just write down what you ate for the day. That way you can look back and see what you ate on the weeks that you lost weight and use that as a guide as to what is working for you.

You are already off to a good start in the exercise department

Good luck!

Amy - i know you probably would hate to read about another plan but your plan sounds a lot like the Zone diet - which i am a huge fan of.

Keep up your hard exercise work! You'll make it chica!

Hi,

I am not on a "plan" meaning a plan with a name and rules like Zone, Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers, etc.
I exercise every single day-no matter what-and I eat between 1200-1800 calories a day. (It varies through the week depending on my workout schedule-on heavy workout days I eat near the higher end of the range.)
I track my food intake/calories and my water intake-and my exercise in a small notebook.

I have my own "rules" when it comes to my food intake-a plan I have devised myself. My goal is not only to be at a certain weight-but to be as healthy as I can be-so here are some of my habits/rules I go by:

~drink at least 8 8oz. glasses of water a day (4 16oz. bottles)

~eat between 1200-1800 calories a day-up to 2000 if I have a very extreme workout day once in a while-like a 3-6 hour dance workshop

~exercise each and every day-no excuses! (I am going to a convention in April for four days-and chose my hotel based upon the fact that it had a fitness facility! )

~Within my calories-I eat a bare minimum of 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables. I try to vary the produce I buy/snack on each week-as to get many different antioxidants, phytochemicals, and benefits that fruits and veggies provide.

~I buy organic foods when possible to help the environment, support farmers with healthier farming methods, and for better health for me and my family.

~I stay away from "simple carbs" when I can. I don't low carb by any means-but I choose carbs like whole wheat bread instead of white, whole wheat pasta instead of white, oatmeal and whole grain cereals over kiddie cereals and Pop-Tarts.

~When I do allow an indulgence-it is of limited calories. I will eat 2 Hershey Kisses for 50 calories rather than spend over 200 eating a full size candy bar, for instance.

~I do eat out occasionally-and I try to order smart when I do. Egg Drop Soup and steamed veggies (ask to be prepared without oil) at a Chinese Place...a grilled chicken salad at almost any restaurant...a chicken soft taco at Taco Bell...something off of the Weight Watchers Menu at Applebee's-I have found that with research I can eat something just about ANYWHERE-so I have no excuse to go over my calories just because I am going out to dinner.

~I plan ahead. If we are going to a cake and ice cream laden birthday party-then I bring a small piece of fruit and an herbal tea bag with me to enjoy while everyone else around me eats cake. If I think of the cake icing purely as nothing but what it truly is-shortening and sugar mixed together-then it is not NEARLY as appetizing. I look at it-and think about all the trans fat and sugar I would be consuming-and I pretty much "gross myself out" of eating it.

It is working for me-I struggle some days-but I have come to the realization and accepted the fact that I am not one of the ones that can eat whatever they want and sit on the couch and be thin. I don't have that luxury. Once I accepted that as part of life-it made it easier.

Aphil