Share Your Diet Wisdom....

S

Stacy

Cathlete
I just got done reading a book about eating/fitness etc. As you all know there are many conflicting things out there to read. Bottom line...nothing has really worked/clicked with me. The latest book says, and I'm paraphrasing....eating fat makes you fat, so lower your fat intake to 15-20%, don't count cals, don't journal....just eat when you're hungry and stop when you're satisfied. Eat high-volume, high-quality, low-fat foods, and of course exercise. No high-carb, low-carb, high-protein etc nonsense. This seems so simplistic, but yet I'm SO sick of food journalling, but the thought of giving up my journal aka security blanket seems scary.

I was wondering for those of you out there what has helped you finally succeed in losing those last 10 lbs and getting lean??

Thanks for sharing!

Stacy
 
Hi Stacy,
You sound as confused as I am!:) There is just to much info out there.Everyone as different views on everything and most of it is just a money making gimick.What works for one may not work for another.
I have been checking things out to.I have read a few books,checked out a few sites, and sometimes I think about just resorting to what you posted above.I got pretty lean a few years ago by eating low fat,not over eating, and I began exercising again.But for some reason I cannot find the drive to do it again.I get it in my mind that I want to lost those last 10 lbs but I soon forget when I see a recipe in a cookbook that I want to make.
The good news is...yesterday I cleared my kitchen of sweets.There can be chips in the cupboard and it doesn't bother me but if there are homemade cookies there....well, I eat way to much of it.
I was just checking out the BFL website again.I bought the Eating For Life book a few monthes ago and I haven't used it yet.The program seems so great though that I am REALLY thinking of trying it again.I just have to be dedicated and motivated.I tried the program before but I only stuck to it for 2 weeks! The free day threw me for a loop.
Anyway,I think its all about finding what works best with our bodies.The key thing is FINDING it!
Good Luck,
Lori
 
I have to jump in here and say please give Body for Life/Eating for Life a chance! I have been eating this way since I gave birth to my son in October and it is now my WAY OF LIFE. When you read the books, you'll see that the emphasis is about eating PROactively and not REactively.

When you eat the BFL way you don't GET hungry. I regard all of my healthy, balanced BFL meals as weapons against the starving/binging lifestyle that I fought for most of my adult life. I know that sounds weird, but hear me out.

When you PLAN your meals in advance and eat every few hours in the combinations indicated in the books then you don't have to constantly fight with your body's natural instinct to EAT. When your body is HUNGRY...truly hungry...it WILL find the donuts, the chips, the cookies and pizza. It is a survival mechanism from the caveman days and plain ole mental "willpower" doesn't stand a chance against it.

Staying comfortably full with healthy meals that I enjoy throughout the day is the only way I have found to keep the crap out of my mouth. Now that I am at my goal weight...on the weekends, I love eating a few things that aren't on the plan...with glee and NO GUILT! What a liberating feeling! On Monday morning, I get right back on the wagon.

I think Bill Phillips called his recipe book "Eating for Life" for good reason. It is an eating plan that helps you develop a healthy relationship with food (which I never had before). If you read any of the fitness mags or ask any respectable nutrionist how to eat...THIS is it.

BFL and Cathe (and I must admit, recently p90x) have worked SOOOOOOOOOO well for me. I am happy, lean and more fit than before I had my kids. I hope it works for you too.
 
Stacey, sounds to me like you're reading Susan Powter??? Stop the instanity? Anyway ...

I eat a high(er) fat diet. Low(er) carbs and high(ish) protein. I have eaten this way for the past year and a half. I eat more food and total calories than before i started eating this way and i have lost fat and gained muscle. My diet is like this:

Breakfast: Eggs (whole, as many as my body wants, usually 4)
One slice of wholewheat toast with real butter

Fat: 35g

Snack: Apple with peanut butter

Fat: 10g

Lunch: Chicken Ceaser Salad

Fat: 50g

Snack:

Celery with Hummus

Fat: 10 g

Dinner:

Vegerables with butter
Side Salad with Olive Oil
Pork Chop or Another meat

Fat: 60g

As you can see, i eat a good amount of food, but my carb intake for the day is usually just below 100g. Staying under 100g keeps me lean lean lean. I take one day off a week to eat what i like (Saturday).

Wayne.

P.S - total calories for the day is usually 2,500 - 3,500 depending on volume of food. Bodyfat is now 9% was 13%.
 
Avoid processed foods. Eat as close to natural as possible.

Avoid flour products (even if it is whole wheat flour: there are breads made from sprouted grains that are better).

Eat a variety of foods.

Go for color in veggies and fruits.

Eat smaller meals throughout the day rather than 2-3 large meals.

Don't skip breakfast.

Eat more carbs in the morning, and reduce the amount throuhout the day, eating more protein toward evening.

Stay moderate with fat (20-30 %) and protein (15-25%) and get the rest of your calories from complex carbs.

Drink water, green tea, herbal teas. Avoid juices (eat the fruit instead) except as an occasional treat or "on the run."

Don't drink soft drinks. At best they do nothing good for you. At worst, they contain sugar that adds empty calories or artificial sweeteners that are sometimes questionable, and may actually make you hungrier. Think of them as poison and avoid them all together.

Don't eat what you don't like, just because it's healthy. With one caveat: if you are into junk food, and the sound of a sugary-frosted gooey cake sounds GOOD to you, you may have to retrain your taste buds to enjoy natural flavors, like a sweet juicy mango, or crispy, crunchy, sweet red peppers.
 
Kathryn

Love your advice.

I follow most of the principles you outlined except I still like a few carbs in the evening.

Sweet Red Peppers are a new love for me. They are soooo tasty!
 
water water water. 6 to 8 glasses a day.

My way of eating comes very close to Kathryn's. Just want to add...eating unprocessed foods means no breakfast cereals except for slow cook oatmeal. I sometimes put it raw into a smoothie (nonfat plain yogurt, fruit, flax seed) if I get tired of cooking it.

Allow yourself one serving of the complex carb and meat at dinner (size of a fist for each), then fill up on fruits and veggies for your meals. Or low fat yougurt.

I have cut out sugar and breakfast cereal and it has made a huge difference. I wouldn't worry about fat grams as long as they are the "good" fats (olives, nuts, fish).

I DO agree that finding what works for you is key. It is what turns it into a "lifestyle" from a "diet".

Watch your portions on everything except for water, fruits and veggies. Eat all you want of those.

I let myself eat whatever on the weekends.....within reason of course. I think it is important to have a mental break if you are in weight loss mode.

I think the water drinking and fiber from the fruits and veggies is key. When your body eliminates waste products in the bathroom it can get rid of the fat..if you don't get it enough water and fiber it can't do that effectively even if you are eating not that much. Hope that makes sense.

Jen
 
Hello Wayne,

I am interested in how you cook the eggs. Do you fry, boil or poach them? I would like to follow your diet for a day as I am trying to cut back on carbohydrates as well.

I would have to boil the eggs and take them to work for eating at my desk. I was thinking of scrambling eggs in the microwave with some milk. Is this still as good?

Yen
 
I just signed up for EDiets, Eating For Life Program. I have the book, and I just thought maybe with the extra help, I can take these last 10 off. I haven't really checked it out a wole lot, but I am going there right now. It is only $2.99 per month, I couldn't refuse.
Lori
 
>Kathryn
>
>Love your advice.
>
>I follow most of the principles you outlined except I still
>like a few carbs in the evening.
>
Me too! (It's SUPPOSED to be best to cut out carbs later on, but I don't always).
 
Just want to
>add...eating unprocessed foods means no breakfast cereals
>except for slow cook oatmeal.

Actually, if you're adventurous, you could also have other whole grains, like teff, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, wheat berries, rye, or combos like the whole grain mixes that Kashi used to make (don't know if they make them any more or not: just a combo of whole grains that you have to cook up).

Kashi Go-Lean crunch is a "less processed" alternative to most dry cereals: the first ingredients are a bunch of whole grains (not their flours).
 
Personally, I do not believe in diets and hate to hear the word carb!!
I have tried many diets in the past, have tried limiting my intake of fat and even became a Vegetarian (and actually gained weight when I did!).
Some of the best things I discovered when I lost 60 pounds is/was:
*Eat food in its most natural state (avoid processed/canned foods)
*Eliminate as much sugar & fat as possible
*Eat small meals 5-6 times a day
*Weigh and measure all of your food/control portion sizes
*Increase your intake of FIBER!
*Stay hydrated (9+ 8oz cups of water-this is the new recommendation for women, men=11+ cups!)!
*Take a daily multi vitamin and calcium supplement
*Eat 4+ servings of fruits daily
*Eat 6+ servings of vegetables daily
:)
 
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