Well thank you for my information! I just thought the question was was kinda cute, given your signature. That's all. Didn't mean to get you so upset. Really.
That being said, my so called "diet" is not up there. I guess I could choose other.
I'm a
calorie counter, who concentrates on whole foods. Think veggies, proteins, fruits. Stays away from the added sugar, flour, pasta, rice, etc. And I even stay away from most grains, even whole ones - carbs (sans those found in fruits and veggies) and I don't get along very well. Eating voluminous foods is very important to me as well. I also eat frequently, every 2 - 2 1/2 hours. The calorie counting is essential to me, as it's forced portion control, it sets limits as well as providing me with built in accountability.
And for me, it really wasn't a *diet*. I'm aware that it's just the word that you used to find out what plan we're following, but it bears some explanation as to why the word diet, as what it's come to be used as, doesn't sit well with me and in that explanation, I believe lies why I've been successful *this time*, my final time.
There is actually a lot of pain and sorrow attached to the word "diet" for me. It brings up memories of many failed attempts, horrible, horrible foods to eat, dread and deprivation. *I* also really do believe the very word shrieks of temporary-ness and not willingness to continue - the "good fight" once the weight is off. It just shrieks *to me* of "When do I get to get "off" this horrible thing that I'm on so that I can go back to normal?" *For me*, as corn-y and semantic-y as it may sound - LIFESTYLE CHANGE, or lifestyle - whatever - discovering that word, that phrase, that -
mindset - opened up a whole new world for me and unlocked many doors. It made perfect sense to me. It was a "light bulb moment". I never did "diet" very well, but change my lifestyle, make this an adventure, something interesting and exciting and lasting - now THAT was something I could do! Once I wrapped it around my very slow brain that I was in "this" forever, well, that's the second I realized I had better make this delightful and fun and exciting. Something that I could look forward to, not dread. That's when I worked my tail off seeking out ways to
make this work. That's when I came up with "my own plan", customized for me. That's when I became a "gourmet" chef. Because there was no way on earth I was going to do "diet" food forever. That's when I found the joy in this, instead of the sadness. And that's when I found success, not failure.