[PhotoChick]

I guess I kind of assumed that my calories were okay. I only eat when I'm actually hungry, and I stop before I get really full.

Yeah, I think a lot of us have done that - assumed! I assumed myself into an extra 100lbs over the years.

It definitely helps to count calories at least for a week or so, just to see what you're eating unconsciously. It made a difference for me, too!

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[didjaever]

Don't give up...you have done a fantastic job. Just keep doing what you are doing. I hit a brick wall after only 13 lbs. but I am determined to see the scale move again and today, after three weeks of nothing, it was down another 3 lbs.

[Ija]

Originally Posted by FitMomEB

Also make sure you are drinking lots of water and taking fish oil, as both dehydration and lack of EFAs will make you hungrier. When I skip my fish oil for more than a day I start craving fatty foods

Should I be taking fish oil even though I eat fish 3-4 times a week? I think I read somewhere that the absorption from eating the fish is greater than from taking fish oil, but I could be wrong.

By the way, being of Fitday is totally giving me a kick in the pants. I put two slices of cheese on my sandwich (turkey & baby spinach on whole wheat) and OHMYGOSH that added 250 calories! It's amazing how ignorant I am.

I will say though, I lost 1 pound since I first posted this thread, which means I have only (ha!) 99 pounds to go!

[PhotoChick]

OHMYGOSH that added 250 calories! It's amazing how ignorant I am.

Don't despair. We all started out like this.

I can remember adding some things to my diet and thinking "oh this is healthy" and then seeing the calorie and fat values and going "Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!"

The thing is that a lot of things ARE healthy for you - cheese and milk and olive oil and so forth. When you're starting out, though, you have no idea how much of those things you're really eating. An ounce of cheddar cheese at 115 calories makes a good snack, maybe when combined with an apple for another 65 cals. But when you're starting out, you're more likely to cut yourself a chunk or a handful of slices that are 2 or even 3 ounces. Suddenly you've added 350 calories to a SNACK. Ack.

Keep plugging away at it and eventually it'll become instinctive. You'll get better at eyeballing portions and you'll have a much better idea of how many calories are in your food - even if it's a guess, it'll become an educated guess, so you can look at a menu or a deli line or your fridge and make better choices of what to eat!

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