Eating less but enjoying it more...

aloe1

aloe1

New member
My goal is to find a new healthy way of living that will enjoyably result in a trim figure. I have never been any good at diets but have over the last 5 years or so used the Rotation Diet to take off 6-10 pounds now and then but because I don't stick to moderate eating and keep up with exercising I always gain them back. I can't face another Rotation so it's time to make some attitude and lifestyle changes I can stick with.

My all time high weight was 186. I am currently 180. I tend to feel and look fat when I get over 176. I might like to be 168 but I would probably be happy at 172. I'm 5' 6.5" tall and 60 years old. I have a brochure for a Prevention book that I tried and sent back because I liked the advertising better than the book! The advertising booklet is called "The Ten Commandments of Permanent Weight Loss".

The first commandment is "Thou Shalt NOT Diet". Why? Because studies show dieting has a 95% failure rate! A drastic cut-back in calories leads to hunger leads to rebound overeating. I have always found that to be true. I have been experimenting with eating 1800-2000 calories but yesterday I was still hungry after eating 2500 calories. So today, thanks to some tips I saw on these boards, I decided to eat the recommended 9 servings of fruits and vegetables and that has helped me feel satisfied. My plan is to have 2 servings of fruit at breakfast, 2 servings of vegetables at lunch and dinner, 2 servings of fruit for an afternoon snack, and a final vegetable snack before bed. I'm at 2000 calories now and do feel a bit hungry but I'm sure those radishes and carrots will handle it!
 
Diary day 2

Commmandment number 2 is " Take It Slow" because your stomach needs time to shrink and habits need time to change - about 12 weeks according to the Prevention advertisement.

I had my nine fruits and vegetables but was quite hungry in the evening even after my celery and radishes. Keeping No.1 in mind I decided to have some cottage cheese though that took me from 2000 to 2250 calories. Forum guru Steve says it's hard to be hungry if you are getting enough protein so tomorrow I must figure out my "lean mass" and how many grams I need for 1 gram per pound.

Of course, I realize hunger is a normal and necessary feeling but what I would like is a meal plan that makes me feel satisfied after eating and hungry as time for the next meal or snack approaches, not hungry all day and night long. And I am referring to actual hunger pains, not cravings or boredom.

On the plus side, even though I was making lots of treats to send to my son I only sampled 2 ginger pumpkin cookies and 1/2 a slice of zucchini bread and did not succumb to chocolate covered brazil nuts or granola!
 
Day 3

Rule number 3 is "Don't Deny Yourself". This is the one I really want to focus on. No more mindless eating. Here's a quote"...it's not the volume of food you eat that satisfies your appetite. Instead it's the length of time you take to eat it and the pleasure you get from it." I enjoy eating and reading or watching TV. But now I am just eating, savoring the look, the aroma and the taste. Taking small bites and chewing well. Eating slowly, putting the fork down between bites. I must confess that just focusing on eating is a bit boring to me but that's all to the good.

I was going to have oatmeal for breakfast but found that for the same calories oat bran gives you more protein and fibre. I had a grapefruit with it and a handful of peanuts. I had a fairly light lunch of chicken noodle soup and some garbanzo beans because I had leftover pumpkin from yesterday's baking which I used to make a pie. My husband and I ate it all for afternoon snack and supper. With a few pecans and a bit of cottage cheese later I am still under 2000 calories and well satisfied.

According to my calipers I am at at the 30% fat level, which gives me 126 pounds of lean mass. I don't think I can eat 126 grams of protein a day. According to another Prevention article 24-35% fat is the healthy range for a woman my age. I once purchased the "Burn the Fat" book on-line but didn't care for it because it focused more on body building and getting to really low fat levels. So I really don't need to lose any weight to be healthy but still want to lose some to fit in my favorite clothes.
 
Oh No!

The fourth commandment of permanent weight loss, "Calories do count!" I like that one about "don't deny yourself" much better. But they are related because you don't have to give up any foods or food groups, just learn to know when you've eaten enough. Supposedly if you eat slowly and chew thoroughly your body gives you a signal when you've had enough: the pleasantness of the flavor subsides. I have not actually experienced this yet so I am still counting calories to find what level makes me feel like I've had enough. Portion control, eating high volume foods (fruits and vegetables) and smart fats (olive, canola, nuts, fish) and avoiding "hidden fats" (muffins, salad dressings and ingredients, not so lean ground beef, etc.) all help keep the calories at a reasonable level. As your stomach shrinks week by week eating less becomes easier and easier.

Today I had some wonderful lowfat yogurt, tangerine and granola plus 1/2 an avocado for breakfast. Lima beans and corn and low fat cheese plus 2 slices of bread for lunch. Yogurt with pineapple and banana for afternoon snack.
Pasta with really lean ground beef and tomato sauce and raw carrot for supper. This wasn't nearly as satisfying as pumpkin pie so I have also had a half cup of garbanzo beans between snack and supper. I'm at 2000 calories now and yes, hungry, so I may go to 2500 to day, which I consider my outside limit. Did a 10 minute Sansone walk and housework for exercise.

Had some low fat ice cream with maple syrup and pecans for a last snack which took me to 2500 calories but was wonderful and satisfying.
 
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Snacking is good for you

"Feed your hunger" is the next rule. Don't get so hungry you go nuts and overeat; instead keep your metabolism humming by eating every 3 or 4 hours. Recommended foods to keep you "full and satisfied" are whole grains, proteins (with fish being the most effective followed by legumes, dairy, chicken, and beef round or loin) Healthy fats such as olive oil and nuts add flavor and digest slowly to keep you satisfied.

That's all very well and good and sensible but I had already been doing all that before and while it did keep me under 200 pounds it didn't keep me from weighing more than I wanted to. That's one reason I sent the Get Thin, Get Young book back.

Yesterday I had my yogurt, granola, & fruit for breakfast, vegetable beef soup for lunch. Flat bread and peanut butter for a snack. Pumpkin waffles (still using it up!) for supper. Husband had vegetable chips for evening snack but I only had three then ate some cottage cheese with radish and celery and it was wonderful! Finished the day at 2000 calories and felt satisfied.
 
No bad foods?

The 6th commandment of permanent weight loss is "Eat What You LIKE!" No need to minimize carbs or fats (as long as you remember calories do count!). Psychologists say it's important to give yourself treats every day when you are trying to lose weight so you will be less likely to binge. Prevention recommends a 300 calorie per day treat.

I'm staying between 2000 and 2500 calories and enjoying it. I'm keeping up with my exercise program.
 
Still experimenting

I had a couple of days where I ate more than I would have liked to after supper - not really hungry but just missing eating I guess. I have been keeping up faithfully with my exercise program. Actually went up to 181 yesterday but back to 180 today. Yesterday I had yogurt and fruit for breakfast with a little wheat germ, chicken corn chowder for lunch, lots of rye crisp plus cottage cheese and veggies and prunes for afternoon snack. That put me at about 1200 calories but still quite hungry so I had a large apple about an hour before supper. Then I had cheesy corn spaghetti (3 oz of pasta) and a salad which brought me up to 1800. Then miraculously I was not hungry and needed nothing else that day. So I am hoping I can repeat that in the future and make 1800 my usual calorie level, going up to 2300 every 4th day (this kind of mixing calorie levels is from the Burn the Fat program). After experimenting with different calorie levels I find that if I have a light breakfast and or lunch I am just not satisfied until I hit 1300 calories through additional healthy snacks. So I am planning to have 500 calorie meals and a 300 calorie afternoon snack to keep me satisfied at 1800 calories a day.

The 7th Prevention rule is "make fiber your secret weapon". Why? Because fiber binds some of the fat in your diet and moves it on out; it takes 7 extra calories to digest each gram of fiber so digesting the recommended 35 grams per day burns 250 calories and helps prevent heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and strokes. Fiber foods such as whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables fill you up with a minimum of calories and digest slowly.
 
Spark People

When looking up calories on line a found a Sparkpeople site which looked pretty good. But after trying a few items I decided it wasn't for me at this time. So on to the 8th rule of permanent weightloss - Get moving!
You don't have to join a gym. Housework and gardening do count.

I started an exercise program in December and am feeling good about it. I began by adding quite a few more exercises and bringing my weight session up to 25 minutes. I thought I would do that 3 times a week but find that too fatiguing and am settling for twice a week. Once I had that going I started addding a 15 minute Brill core muscle excercise session on 2 days a week when I'm not lifting weights. Now I am also adding 10 minutes on a stationery bike on the days I lift weights and 10 minutes on a rowing machine the days I do the core muscles.

My 1800 calorie plan has been working out pretty well. I've seen 178 3 times and if I see it again tomorrow I'll change my signature banner.
 
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I like it! (your progress, AND the three-times to see a weight before you change the banner)... keep on keeping on aloe, doing really well.

-mellon
 
Outsmart your fatitudes

Rule number 10 is "outsmart your fatitudes". This refers to discouraging thoughts, bad habits, emotional eating, getting sunk by slips. I 've noticed some names and titles on these threads that are positive and motivating and others that are the reverse. (By the way, thanks, melancholy and what's up with that screen name?).

Years ago I read a book called "Self-talk for Weightloss" and ordered some tapes. I didn't really care for the tapes because I disagreed with some of the lines so I stopped using them. But when I was gearing up my exercise program in December I popped one in the tape player and it was so positive that it made me realize what I had been missing. So I got the book out and rewrote the scripts, editing as needed and I have been using them pretty much daily. They are like affirmations on steroids and designed to replace all the old negative thoughts you have about self esteem, success, dieting, exercise, motivation, etc. However, the book does recommend picking a weight goal but the Prevention brochure says process goals are better i.e. "I will exercise four times a week, eat 9 servings of fruits and vegetables, only eat when hungry. It makes sense that if you just focus on the weight goal you can get frustrated but if you focus on the process and do things right eventually the weight has to come off! And you will have built the healthy habits to keep it off.

I didn't see 178 again. Since then I have seen 180, 179, and 176. Sure hope that 176 stays around but we'll see.
 
Is fried food really a culprit in weight gain?

I had fish and chips for lunch along with a stalk of celery and half a red pepper and I have been full ever since. I'll be having a light supper of soup.
I'm wondering if fast food gets a bad rap. I think my stomach has already begun to shrink so it would be pretty hard to eat too much daily even with such a high calorie (about 1000) meal in it. Perhaps obesity in America is a simple matter that our stomachs have supersized as restaurants have supersized their portions.

The final commandment of permanent weight loss is "Love your body now".
Wear attractive well fitting clothes that utilize tips for slimming the appearance. Avoid fleece, tweed, and large or busy prints as well as hipline patch pockets on your jackets. A-line skirts, long jackets, and tunics slim the hips. Get a flattering haircut, use sunscreen and moisturizers with 10% AHA.

I always feel very foolish worrying about my appearance when I see people who can't walk or have other physical challenges. Everything in my body works as it should and I have been abundantly blessed!
 
4 weeks of eating less and enjoying it more

It's been four weeks since I began keeping track of my calories after adding exercise and positive self-talk to my daily schedule.

Average calories per day:
week 1: 2150
week 2: 2100
week 3: 2100
week 4: 1950

Considering that when I began I felt I needed 2500 calories per day to feel comfortable I am happy that on some days I am comfortable at 1800 calories. I am believing that I can maintain a lower level of calories and still enjoy eating. But I do see there is no room for much snacking on chips and such things. But I can have 3 delicious and filling 500 calorie meals and a good 300 calorie afternoon snack. Sometimes I have to have a few peanuts or something to actually add calories to get to the 500!

I like to have yogurt or ice cream for my afternoon snack. I made some blueberry sauce yesterday which is out of this world with either one and takes care of my afternoon fruit servings.

But am I getting trimmer? I was 178 day before yesterday, 177 today but I want to see the 176 again. Still jumping around so I'm not changing the banner yet.
 
Today's menu

1800 calories today and well satisfied.
Breakfast: Lowfat yogurt with orange and wheat germ, apple, and peanuts
Lunch: Turkey tetrazinni (whole wheat pasta, ricotta, parmesan, spinach)
Snack: Slice of whole wheat bread, soy bologna, fruit gelatin
Supper: Potato with broccoli and cheese, peanuts
Snack: cottage cheese, celery, and radishes

Updating current weight, changing goal to 172. No sense having a 20 year old looking body with a 60 year old looking face!
 
Sounds good but...

It's been a while since I posted. This system is not working out for me so I must return to the only way I have been able to lose weight - Martin Katahn's Rotation diet. Started today - had 1000 calories and feel hungry but good about it. Yes, I know I'm throwing rule number 1 out the window but since Prevention has brought out the flat belly diet and a 1600 calorie diet since these "10 commandments" perhaps they don't work for others as well! However, I will try to return to them for maintenance in about a month.
 
this and that

Although I haven't lost much weight yet I have built muscle - now at about 26% fat. That puts me right between ideal and lean on my caliper chart but I don't see much change in how clothes fit. I wondered if having muscle really made a difference but a friend recently told me she weighs 180 and at the same weight I look trimmer and take a smaller size.

I have an article that says hourglass shapes may actually add muscle and bulk when using heavy weights so I have switched to lighter weights and more reps in hopes of "streamlining" what I've got and not losing or adding more.

Had 1000 calories yesterday and hoping to stay near that level today.
 
Had 1100 calories yesterday, going to 1200 today. Woke up feeling great!
Had gone up to 181 but back to 178 today.
 
Doing it

Had 1100 calories yesterday, going to 1200 today. Woke up feeling great!
Had gone up to 181 but back to 178 today.
 
making progress

After 12 days of the Katahn type rotation diet (at men's level) I am glad to be back to 176 and finding the 1800 calorie second week quite easy to do.
 
BAck to maintenance

After 3 weeks of the Rotation Diet still at 176. Doing a transition week of 1800 working up to 2100 calories.
 
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