I'm not on a diet. Everytime people ask me that (because evidently, I've lost some weight and they notice it), I answer no. I pay attention to calories regularly enough, though, especially when I know I have foods that can quickly add up--brown rice is healthy, but 150g of it raw would still make a lot, hehe; on the other hand, I don't really count calories for vegetables like green beans, lettuce, etc. because I know they're quite light and it's not *them* that will throw me off the wagon anyway. I try to eat more whole foods and more protein, and generally in a more healthy way, but that's basically all.

A couple of years ago, I used to follow the Montignac plan (cf. Sugar Busters) but even though I now still pay attention to the glycemic index in foods, his way of combining foods was annoying in the long run. If I want to eat quinoa for lunch and veggies/meat for dinner, I want to be able to do it, it's already hard enough as it is for a student to put more money into whole foods than in ramen cups. That was basically the only 'diet' I've ever followed. And I still agree with the GI stuff, by the way, it has become more of a reflex or a habit than something annoying to do.

Still, in my eyes, it's not a diet. It's eating better in general. Losing weight is one of the good side-effects. That's something even 'naturally lean people' could benefit of, so...

Beach Patrol, I have a suspicion that those weekends are doing you in. Basically eating controlled all week and then eating more freely on weekends is a form of maintenance--but not weight loss, usually. Just a thought!

Jay

I read somewhere recently that if one keeps to a good "diet" 90% of the year that that is "good enough". So if you take 365 days a year, the remaining 10% comes to 36 days of the year. That's enough for an occasional treat on birthdays, holidays, parties and the very occasional slip up. It was pointed out that that's not even enough for 1 day of every weekend of the year to eat poorly. Something to think about.

Definitely something to consider.

I know that lately I've been eating just whenever/whatever. The renovation of our house is just CRAZY, & quite stressful. I pretty much don't care what I eat as long as I get to eat something. Sometimes I don't get to eat until 9:00 or later at night. I think that's a major component right there. I need "structure" for weight loss to occur, and right now, I basically have NONE.

But I haven't GAINED any weight... so I'm looking on the bright side.

I was a WW-er but eventually it just got to the point when I was keeping points and calories at the same time (although its practically the same to be honest). I now just count calories but I'm not meticulous about it because if I was I loose focus and motivation and become lazy. The way I do it now is I weigh my portions and count calories but I rarely measure my oil intake or diet cokes, or things like nuts... I "guesstimate" the above, but everything else I am very meticulous. On average I loose approx 2 pounds a day and it seems to be working for me - I wouldn't call it a Diet to myself, but if I speak to other people I say "I'm on a diet" ... but then here I would say its a "lifestyle change" simply because I don't think other people understand what I mean lol.

Wow. Thanks for doing the math! I've heard of the 90% thing on a couple of other posts and it rang true but I didn't think of it in terms of days--I was thinking in terms of meals. If we eat 21 meals per week, two of them can be off plan without causing a problem. That gives you a meal a day on the weekend (actually, I'm closer to an 80-85% eater as I have 3 meals a week that are not necessarily on plan). But I like your 10% of the days just as well although I rarely have an off day (just an off meal).

I'll also chime in on the calorie counting. I also try to watch my fat intake (bad fats for the most part). I absolutely HATE having to follow a diet that says to eat a particular thing at a particular time. I cringe just thinking about it!

I have been on so many diets in my life that I know they don't work for me. This time, I am eating the same foods I always eat, but I am using portion control and calorie counting to keep me in line. I'm hoping this will facilitate maintaining as I won't have an "old-way" of eating to go back to.

a VERY good way to explain this robin! thanks for that,.

Intuitive eating is what got me fat. I intuitively eat waaaaay more than my body needs. Like Glory, I seem to have no "off switch".

Strict portion control, attention to macro and micronutrient profiles, counting and weighing, getting rid of processed foods and high sugar foods are how I lost the weight in the first place and how I've maintained. I started 5 years and eleven months ago, and not much has changed. The exercise has increased.

Cheat meals and treats keep me in maintenance mode- 90% is good enough for maintenance for me, but to lose I have to do better than that. I'm never really sure what a percent means. Calories? Time? Wow, I can do a world of damage in 15 minutes out of the week.

Glory really said it for me, too. But I was a prisoner of the just plain old FOOD monster.

Now if I eat off plan, I don't feel well, I don't sleep well if at all, and my clothes don't fit pretty much instantly.

Mel

I'm at the point where you are. "I'm tired of dieting!!"

I'm tired of dieting because it's an obsessive thing for me. I think about it night and day, and if I go over my calorie limit I feel like a failure. My emotions are wrapped up in my weight, and I compulsively change my plans often.

So I've stopped coming on this site as much, and I'm not dieting anymore. But I'm losing weight.

For me I get to 242 and then get really excited and end up binging a few days. It yo-yo's. If I were eating a certain way for awhile I'd be past there.

Counting calories doesn't work for me because when I'm aware of the calories I use my perfectionist mindset towards it. When I put it down to 1500 or so calories I feel I could be doing better. When I put it to 1200 I'm hungry.

I felt trapped in the middle of contructed diets and all of that, which has kind of taken over my life. All I think of it diet, diet, diet.

I don't have hobbies anymore and it drives me insane.

So I just said, "I'm not going to diet anymore." Or calorie count. I guess it's just not my thing.

I made 3 rules that I've been finding sticking to is easy, and I eat much less when I do it this way, even if I were calorie counting.

"Eat from the food pyramid, eat when hungry, stop when satisfied."

It's what kids are taught in school about food habits. I've had to ask my dad to buy more healthy foods, but that's about all the struggle I've come to. When I need more variety I can look up recipes.

I eat less during the day, I'm not suffering from hunger, and my portions are much smaller because when I make something I only use one portion of each ingredient and if I have more than one portion I put the rest away for later.

I'm just doing the habits that I've never done in my life that are really common sense. I'm sure once in awhile I can have a treat, but it's gonna be one portion of that.

I'm the kind of person who abuses the rules when I have them, so I just created a very flexible and straight forward plan.

Of course I'm losing weight, but I know I'll keep losing with this.

I also feel that because I'm not counting calories I have to make even better choices for myself to make sure I'm losing weight.

And I feel infinitely better because now I don't have to worry about anything, which means I'm not gonna get up and binge.

That's GREAT Gamerchick! I am aiming toward that goal, also. I have tried so many diets, and have had success with most of them! - but is it really success when 8 months later I gain it all back?? I think not! - and it's the Yo-Yo'ing that's driving me completely bonkers! Well, that, and the whole "being too fat to fit into my cutest clothes" thing....

So I'm going to try to focus on my hunger status, and eat SENSIBLY, and watch those portion sizes. I am considering doing Phase I of SouthBeach again, just to jumpstart me.

Of course, I will let you all know how it works. The support I get here means a great deal to me! And not just the responses to my questions, but the general camraderie.

Love y'all!!!!

You know, this thread has got me thinking... I don't think I could ever intuitively eat. Right now I am sticking to about 1500 cals. Most days I go over by a tiny bit, but I'm okay with that. Every now and then I will be under. It seems to me that on the most random days I will feel as if I have eaten a TON and I will just feel HEAVY... but then the next day, I will have dropped some weight. It is not clockwork like I have just described, but it just seems that I am not able to judge how much I have eaten. I definitely have a lot of respect and admiration for those of you who do!
Sorry to be a bit OT, but I felt like adding my 2 cents.

I read that in the book, "The F-Factor Diet", by Tanya Zuckerbrodt.

And if I recall correctly she definitely did NOT mean to eat off plan ALL day. She meant it as ONE off meal DURING each of those 36 days. Aww, shucks.

And without a doubt, intuitive eating most definitely DOES NOT work for me. If I listened to my body, I'd be eating garbage all day long. All night long too - for the most part. Sure I love the healthy stuff I'm eating now and I am satisfied, but nevertheless, my "body" often tells me to eat, eat and then EAT some more. And I gotta tell you - it's not exactly telling me to eat fish and vegetables all the time. It's telliing me BAAAAD things.

I have upped my calories from 1200 to 1300-1400 a day. I have reached a plateau and I read if you do that you may start losing again. I actually lost 2 pounds this week doing that and I don't feel so hungry.
betty

I agree. I really wish I could eat intuitively, but I've tried it at least twice and failed. As I've mentioned before, IE becomes another diet to me. I feel I've "cheated" if I eat when not hungry. Also, my hunger often doesn't correspond to social eating times (e.g., dinner w/ my husband), and I just don't feel normal saying, "I'll skip dinner because I'm not hungry." Also, I just don't think I have that internal monitoring that is required to be successful at IE. I don't know how "occasional" and "occasional treat" should be. Is "occasional" once a week? Once a month? I'd rather calorie count. When I do, I know that if I'm in the mood, I can eat my treat as long as I figure it into my calorie count.

But like you, I really wish I could eat intuitively. It seems as if it would be a lot easier than counting calories.