Hi, Lisa--

I'm appreciating all the good advice you've received already. One of my favorite things about this thread is how open yet non-pushy people are with suggestions based on their own experience.

After so many years of going up and down on low-fat diets, I figured out that I could eat cereal, pasta, bread (and sweets, of course) from now until without a bell going off to tell me that I'd had enough. So a nutritionist started me off on a "conscious carbs" plan last winter and it was a good fit for me. It's sorta like South Beach after the induction phase--I don't want to live if I can't eat any fruit! I have half an envelope of instant oatmeal in my smoothies, and will have a bit of rice or whole wheat bread now and again, but no more cereal. And I avoid sweets and most baked goods altogether, especially before lunch, or my whole day slides downhill. I'm big on fruit, veggies, lean protein and 'good' fats. I've had a few lengthy plateaus this year, which were very discouraging. But being on this site (and especially the Daily Check-in thread, under Support) helped me hang in there. Usually I'd stalled out because I'd gotten sloppy--not keeping my food log, not working out enough, or straying too far away from my food program for too many days in a row.

Everyone's body, habits, challenges and day-to-day lives are different. I think that each of us is making our own road by walking it. Good luck to you! Send me a private message or stop by the Daily Check-in if you ever need a boost.

judy

Lisa -- I agree with Judy that everybody is different, and what works for one may not work for another. I think from what others write that I'm not alone in continuing to shift my food habits. When I first started out I just cut portion sizes of what I was eating. That helped ease me into these lifestyle changes.

Then I started logging all my food on nutridiary and realized just how much I was still eating... I started the move toward more fruits and veggies then... now I've started to add more whole wheat pastas, brown rice, etc. When I first started reading about what others were doing I thought "there's no way I could eat THAT! I don't like THAT." Well, then come to find out that my tastes are shifting AND I do like things I never thought I'd like before...On the other hand, while I was too nervous to try eating out much at first, now I do test the waters at restaurants more frequently, but now I need to make sure it's not TOO frequently... so the balance point tips again...

I guess what I'm saying is that this is a journey and a progression. Trying to figure out what will work "for life" for me is going to take me a long time, but that's okay by me.