Fight it or go with it?
 

What's been your strategy? If you are a carb lover, for example, did you pick a plan that incorporates the freedom to have those carbs or did you go to something like Atkins to try to knock the carbs thing on the head?

I think I've tried both extremes but now I am trying to go somewhere in the middle, flexible calorie-counting with targets for each major food group, but I am interested to see who has picked which direction and why, and particularly whether people have managed enduring successes with a plan that initially seemed as if it would be entirely opposite for them. I'd kinda love to do the whole low-carb thing, but then I look at all the foods I like and they turn out about 95% carb calories. :devil:

What did you pick, why, how's it going?

I picked calorie counting so I could incorporate most of my favorite foods. It's got me here which is 2 pounds from a mini goal and almost 75 pounds gone.

I finally came to the realization that carbs and I do not get along, even though (or perhaps because) they were a major part of "eating healthy" for me for years. My blood sugar meter opened my eyes to how my body reacted to them.

So I definitely do not "go with it". I cannot be satisfied or have level blood sugar or avoid the sleepies or the grouchies when I eat "normal" levels of carbs.

That being said, my plan does allow for carbs... just in fairly small amounts, and only with other food. For instance, yesterday I had bread with my lunch, and we went out to dinner and I had two luscious bites of an apple/ice cream dessert. And I was still under 100 carb grams for the day, so I was "on plan" for carbs (over for calories, but that's what happens when your husband kidnaps you for a fancy dinner out that you didn't know about or plan for!).

I have a framework of calorie counting, in which I watch carbs. That gives me the flexibility I need, and the limits that keep me healthy and slooowly losing.

This, only I'm hovering at just about 60 pounds lost.

I'm in the middle.

I gave up pop and Chinese Buffets completely! I can't do those in moderation. Having done so, it's been over a year and I do not miss them even a little bit. And I was a major full sugar soda junky.

All other things I do ok with in moderation most of the time. Chocolate can be a problem. When it becomes a problem, I knuckle down and get through three days without it. Then when I introduce it again, it's not a problem. But over time, it always becomes a problem. I'd probably do well to ban it the way I did pop, but I just don't want to. I'm not really sure why because if I did I know it wouldn't bother me eventually.

Mostly I'm like Jesse. I picked calorie counting because I enjoy everything in moderation. But I also place a heavy emphasis on complex carbs most of the time. The only time I vary from that is at those life events that pop up like gatherings, festivals, etc.

I am doing the Belly Fat Cure, which allows carbs (good ones) and restricts sugars. As a pasta freak, it's good to know that I can have some, but the sugar is what causes the brain to want MORE MORE MORE, so that element is taken out of the equation. The premise of the BFC is no more than 15 grams of sugar per day and 6 servings of carbs (with a serving equalling anything up to 20 grams). I've been eating this way since March 1, 2010 and have lost over 40 lbs BECAUSE of the lack of cravings and the allowance to eat some carbs.

If you're interested in a middle ground, this is it. At least for me! Good luck!!!!

I love carbs... so I have eliminated them. I constantly OVEREAT them and like most of them smothered in butter and cheese. I am better off without rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and sugar.

I was a carb addict before I lost weight. When others craved candy, I craved a big bowl of white rice or homemade bread. I think for me, my vice was wholesome carbs, not sugary ones.
As a calorie counter, I still allow myself carbs but I have learned to manage my portion sizes. Since these foods tend to add up so quickly, there was no way I could fit a big bowl of rice or pasta into my plan. I try to stay away from white breads, and sugary foods but I allow myself a small serving of pasta, breads, potatoes etc. I don't think I could live without any carbs ;)

I calorie count, but I do keep an eye on my carbs. I feel like I have better losses when I eat less carbs. I pretty much only eat healthy carbs. 3 servings of fruit, 3 servings of vegetables. And then I usually have something that does have a bit more carbs, a yogurt or a whole wheat pita with some cream cheese. I try to keep my net carbs under 100g a day, and I usually end up right around 85. Sometimes I have something with dinner that is a bit more carbs (last night we had spaghetti squash, sometimes I use a bit of Healthy request cream of chicken soup) so on those days I just drop the carbs in other places to make up for it. I don't touch potatoes, white bread or pasta.

I'm a self processed carb addict. As a former vegetarian, my meals were very carb heavy and centered around potatoes, rice, pasta, etc. as the main event. While I still allow myself to have all of the above on rare occasions, for the most part they are big no nos. I loved the flexibility of calorie counting and being able to have whatever I wanted in moderation, but it never worked for me. I just can't do moderation with some foods. So, I switched to South Beach, which has helped me eliminate the cravings I used to have and stick to a good calorie range (though I only do random counting checkups here and there to stay accountable) Before, counting calories was difficult, whereas now, I have to make a conscious effort to add an extra 200 calories or so to each day.

So, I guess you could say I fought it.

I agree with most of the posters here. I chose calorie counting because I love food and I did not want the sense of deprivation I would feel if I did lo-carb or Atkins or any of those other diets.

I want to keep the weight off this time and as such I chose a plan that I could stick to for life which would allow me to still enjoy my favorite foods in the right portions.

I tried doing a low carb ratio and it was misery for me. I shoot for about 50% of my calories from carbs (about 200 g a day) and that is a reasonable amount for me. It seems more sustainable. The thought of doing Atkins would just make me cry. I don't FEEL GOOD when I do lower carb diets...

But then there are those that don't FEEL GOOD when they do a higher carb diet.

Unfortunately, I think this is one of those things that is trial-and-error to see where you fall in the spectrum.

Carbs can be my downfall, BUT... I learned to appreciate enjoying them by switching to WHOLE GRAINS. I start my day with oatmeal, prepped with cinnamon and apples. Usually lunch includes 1/2 a peanut butter sandwich, on 100% whole grain bread and apple slices. Dinner varies a lot, but when I want pasta, 1 cup of whole grain spaghetti fits the bill very indulgently while letting me feel good about my choices. It's working!

I am the same way. I could eat a loaf of bread with butter all day long. I try to avoid them as much as possible.

I didn't pick a diet plan like Atkins or whatever, because I know those plans are essentially calorie counting with some added knowledge on food. I figured I could get that added knowledge on nutrition and figure something out.

So, I picked calorie counting.

I thought I would be able to eat whatever I wanted (as many carbs as I wanted) and still be healthy. Because of my PCOS, I realized that I couldn't be a carb lover, in fact, the carb loving part of me was a sign that my PCOS was getting worse and I was developing insulin resistance. When I was first diagnosed, I didn't treat my PCOS and I just ate whatever I wanted and the result is that surprise! your PCOS doesn't go away!

So, while I am still calorie counting, knowing the effects of nutrition and carbohydrates on my body, I am also mindful of my macronutrients (carbs, protein, fats). As I've finally wrapped my mind around what I need to do to manage my PCOS, I eat accordingly.

Eating too many carbs makes me sick, so I eat healthy amounts of protein (animal or vegetable) and fats to balance those carbs out.

I know it works for me, because I can lose weight on this diet, I feel full of energy, and my blood work shows good improvements.

I follow an exchange plan that is usually relatively low-carb. I allow about 500 calories of "swappable" exchanges (basically each swappable exchange is 80 calories of just about anything).

My carb level can vary quite a bit, as a result. On the high end, though I get hungry enough to be at risk for going off plan, so I still debate whether to fight or go with it.

On the one hand, I know that I would be less hungry and lose faster if I stuck with the lowest carb level.

On the other hand, I can't shake the feeling that being too strict would be the kiss of death for my plan. I don't do "deprivation" well, so banning high-carb foods for all time probably wouldn't work.

For me, the swappable exchanges are a good compromise for now.

If I want to lose weight, or even to maintain my weight loss, I have to make sure that there's no sugar and no grains in my diet. I can eat some fruit, and I get some carbs from dairy, too; those things are fine for me. But sugar and grains are simply intolerable for me from the standpoint of feeling good, being energetic, and being able to lose weight. (Regular use of caffeine goes in this category for me, as well, because of how much it messes with my ability to sleep well, which is completely essential to my healthy functioning.)

That being said, when I'm eating the way which is physically healthy and emotionally sustainable for me, I have a "special meal" on Friday nights which usually includes some grain, and I have whole-wheat toast with my Saturday morning breakfast. These indulgences are important to my mental health.

For the most part, you'd have to put me in the "fight it" camp, although to be quite honest once the sugar and grains are gone from my daily routine, there's not much fight to it. I simply don't want them like I did 3 years ago; I much prefer my daily routine of lots of veggies, some fruit, some dairy, and some meat.

Fight it is not really the best term for what I am doing, but go with it (freedom to eat anything) is definitely not my plan. I started my plan of action by calorie counting. I had no other restrictions, not even a particular limit. I counted all I ate, whether on plan or bingeing. When I stopped losing weight, I reduced the calories. When I tested for diabetes, that strategy had to change. So yes, I was able to lose half my weight with more freedom in food choices, but it's not the same deal anymore. Now I work on minimal carbs, but do so without counting carbs or calories, I go strictly by the glucose meter, ketone test strips and the weight scale. All three are my guides to whether I doing it right. This is a very different approach for me and I am hoping it will help guide me to my goal and to a working maintenance without counting anything.

PS I do know the carbs in foods, so not counting doesn't mean I have no clue what to choose to eat, but I have a close eye on the monitor and test strips, they tell a picture much clearer than counting did.

Ah, I just wrote about that in my blog this morning. The only carby food I have real trouble with is grains. I always THINK I can handle them in small amounts. I had tried and liked the very thin wasa that is out now, 5g carb each. I did fine the first few times, then I wanted more and more. Once that taste gets a hold on me, I feel like I am slipping down a hill made of ice! I can handle sugar better than I can grains. Today I realized that this will never change. It's time to let go completely. it is too tortuous to try for even a small amount, I begin the cravings game each and every time. It truly is easier to do without in this case.

This is making me reflect on the methods used in drug addiction counselling. So many people say that the problem with full-on food addiction is you cannot have none of it, you must always have some food, and this is why some of the biggest foodies do best (short-term) in a program of food replacement. You can totally get away from all contact with food if you go onto total food replacement plans like milkshakes, but because it is never even considered to be a long-term option (and I do know some individuals for whom a lifetime on Slimfast would be preferable to their constant 300lb up and down weight yo-yos, despite the obvious downsides of meal replacement as a long-term strategy) there is always a return to the real food, and a return to having to have some of the substance that got you into trouble.

I wonder sometimes if it's a more sensible long-term strategy to make peace with an actual farewell to some of my trigger foods, to accept I really genuinely can't have them, as much as I can walk past the betting shop without a thought and one of my long-time friends can barely look at a coin without wanting to set up an extravagent winner-takes-all coin-toss bet, I may be someone who cannot have certain things.

The problem, I find, is that if you are giving up a substance that has a strong reputation for harm then everyone (well, except fellow addicts, I suppose) will support you in heroin detox, alcohol detox, etc. But if you want to give up chocolate your friends think that is funny as anything, taunt you that you'll never do it, wave choccies at you all the time, it's just a whole other attitude. Plus there isn't a program for it, no support to get you ready for letting go. I just can't come to the acceptance of not doing it ever again, and until you are ready for that moment of kicking something out of your life you may as well not bother.

But then some others do seem to manage to carry on incorporating their demon foods long-term, a strategy so entirely at odds with everything we know about addiction recovery. Very odd. One speculates there may be former alcoholics out there who could actually re-discover social drinking in moderation, who knows?

It's all very complex, anyway!

Speaking as a recovered alcoholic, I do not think it is worth risking my life to see whether I can drink "socially" in moderation. :no: The fact is, I don't think I was ever interested in drinking in moderation. And it certainly wasn't about being sociable! :lol:

I have some foods that are triggers; among them are certain corn chips and virtually any ice cream. I have been known to have these foods, but only in restricted situations. Without restriction, I will overeat them.

The book THE END OF OVEREATING (David Kessler) discusses at length the studies showing that certain food combinations involving fat, carbs, and salt are literally addictive. Of course, it's not an accident that those combinations are present in most of my trigger foods.

Jay

I basically 'went with' my food preferences when I lost weight this last time. As a yo-yo dieter experience has taught me that I can't live a life without having certain foods and abstinance is not good for me. I like my carbs and I like dairy but providing those carbs are good, low GI ones and the dairy is low(er) fat I'm happy. I don't really have any trigger foods (I just like food in general) so I can have limited quantities and be happy. My main restriction has been on fats which is not something I particularly like (I prefer lean cuts of meat) with the exception of nuts which I really have to be careful with.

Kitty

I know this is a total lie, but sometimes I tell people that I am diabetic and it stops them from offering me sugar laden foods.

I think it's a harmless lie, because if I do eat those foods, I will become a diabetic, and the word (and thus, the avoidance of sugar) is easy for lay-people to understand. PCOS is not something the general public understands.

That lie doesn't always work, as I've found. I'm pre-diabetic, and a couple times I've had people offer me sugar-laden items that they made "special" from a diabetic recipe. Diabetics themselves are often the culprits... most of them don't actually eat low-carb. The ADA does not forbid sugar, and encourages the consumption of whole-grain foods. http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fit...-desserts.html The ADA and most CDE (certified diebetic educators) suggest a much higher daily carb count than many lower-carb plans have. My CDE expected us to eat 45-60 carbs a meal, plus up to 2 15carb snacks. That is over 100 grams of carb a day at its lowest, which even if it's lower than the American average is still higher than most carb-restricted diets.

Sorry... getting off soapbox now. :soap:

IME? Only if you make a big deal about it.

There are people I've known for years who don't realize that I don't eat chocolate. And I know they all have foods that they won't eat that I had no idea they either hate or can't limit or don't trust themselves around. (When we plan Thanksgiving menus, it's always a surprise to be reminded who won't touch what--even though we go out for lunch or dinner together all the time.)

I think there is a big difference between limiting carbs (fruits, veggies and grains) and limiting refined sugar as is found in dessert items.

My go-to lies are usually sensitivity or allergies to a particular ingredient or prediabetic and keeping my blood sugar levels stable.

Four months after having a baby and starting the new year, I have been on a healthy smoothie kick. A smoothie for breakfast, a protein smoothie for lunch, and a healthy dinner with some snacks thrown in sometimes. The smoothies keep me full for the most part, even though I feel hunger from time to time. I am usually busy so I don't really think about that. Overall it seems to be working. I will probably get bored with it soon, though.

I never liked the idea of not eating certain foods... In a twist of irony however for the longest time I pretty much by accident abstained from eating Dairy or grain when I first lost a lot of weight. Never could find a way to incorporate them into my diet plan.

That said, I think all people react differently to different food, and I think if a certain type of food doesn't make you feel right don't eat it just because a diet tells you to. Or the reverse of something making you feel off.

I myself believe in simply watching the intake and touching up on the five major food groups as often as possible.

Even though we can't live without food; we can learn to live without certain foods. I stopped eating fast food when I wanted to lose weight because it was such a problem for me. I really was like an addict; especially to McDonalds. After reading The End of Overeating I understand why so much better.

Calorie counting. That has always worked best for me, I just don't do well with extremes. So I eat of protein, carbs and fats, and watch my calorie counts. I also make sure I get enough protein and then let the chips fall. Some days I might eat low carb-ish, other days I might eat lower fat, but mostly it is very moderate.

I have noticed that if I try to go too low with carbs, I have NO energy. I also start to crave fats and then eat too many of them. So a balanced diet is best for me. That said, I mostly eat whole and unprocessed foods. Added sugar is very limited, max is a couple tablespoons a day, usually weighed by the gram.

Once or twice a week, I eat out and I get what I want, carbs or no, sugar or no. If I keep a deficit the rest of the time and exercise, I'm usually good. And I don't go nuts dwelling on "treats", since I get to have them.

Calorie counting. I do not limit my carbs because low-carb and jogging are not friends! I really believe whether or not you can limit your carbs depends on your activity level. If you are walking 30 minutes a day, or doing a 30 minute workout video, I think low carb is workable, even easy. But, I have been jogging for awhile and recently upped my jogging to 55 minutes, 5 x's week, and I specifically need carbs to keep my going.

And when friends try to get you to eat chocolate or cookies, crinkle your nose and tell them you don't like the taste so much anymore. I do this a lot, it really works. If someone offers me chips, I tell them the salt makes my lips hurt/crack (which is a common phenomenon). Or, if it is a sugary carb like ice cream, I tell them that it makes me feel fatigued.

No one wants to pressure you to eat food that you don't like or that makes you feel not good. That takes all the joy of eating away.

I've made several confirmations and discoveries over the last three weeks. One of them is that I can keep chocolate around if it's individually wrapped in small portions. I don't do very well with snack-type foods not in individual portions, though. I guess I could portion them myself but I'm not sure that would help.

It could be that you need to eliminate all trigger foods. I find that I do better if I allow myself 50 to 100 calories of chocolate or similar foods occasionally--it's enough to scratch my psychological itch, but not enough to start the cycle of physical cravings.

I think it's important for each individual to determine whether they need to eliminate the trigger food completely or can indulge a little bit. So why not be cautious and eliminate it, just in case? Well, just speaking for myself, it's easier for me to avoid a full-on binge if I scratch the itch rather than ignoring it.

When I re-started in May 2010, I began by a low-carb WoE (the British Neris and India's IdiotProof Diet, not to be confused with another Idiot Proof one which sounds dangerous). I really needed the transition it gave me - I was still eating quite a lot of food, it was definitely food I liked but the low-carbness of it helped me to lose weight quite quickly at first.
Eventually it began to stop, then roll back, although I was 100% compliant. My doc told me my bloods were all over the shop with it, and recommended low GI.
For a few months I basically calorie counted at 1400, with an eye to low GI.

As October loomed, when I begin to go down hill in a Big, "I am being sucked down the plughole of black despair" way with Seasonal Depression, I decided to go for a carb richer WoE. I'd read that the human body is programmed to want more carbs in the winter months, so thought "Why fight it?" For the first month I dropped to 1200 calories, to accommodate any water bounces from the added carbs.
Two amazing results:
not only did I not get any water bounces, my ankles resumed their natural, non oedema boniness for the first time in decades!
but the added carbs plus the discipline of a daily walk, sometimes no more than 30 minutes, in the open air has meant that I've only experienced a couple of tiny patches of depression trying to leak in, instead of my pattern for years of spending weeks upon weeks teetering on the edge of non-existence.

So basically:
Calorie counting - which gives the mental opportunity to eat any mortal, bad-for-me thing I choose, although I generally choose not to.
Carb richer - about 40% carbs in the summer, up to 50% in the winter.
The winter extra carbs have Always been the sensible kind - oats, wholemal bread, bananas, potatoes - and never bars of chocolate or deep fried cakes.

I plan to keep up my winter carbs until the Equinox on March 20th, and then drop them some, right through to the Autumn Equinox on Septemer 23rd.