Shock! Horror! :-) I now eat like a thin person!

LivingtheLeanDream

Literally it just dawned on me the other day that I do in fact now eat like a thin person! (in my opinion anyway!)

Let me expand...
(FYI been on mfp for over 3 years, maintaining for about a year)

For me now :-

1) It's second nature to choose the right kinds of foods. I fill up firstly on protein and fibre that way I'm never feeling hungry between meals.

2) I stop when I'm full even if that means leaving quarter of the food on my plate still. At all meals, (excluding breakfast cos I love my boiled eggs so much lol), I leave food on the plate, it's not that I mean to, it's that I get full before I realise it and stop eating. Perhaps my brain just let's me know that I'm full quicker these days :-D

3) If its calorific and doesn't taste absolutely wonderful, then one bite is enough. (I no longer eat something just for the sake of it) I could tell you about countless times when I take a bite out of say a delicious dessert or a pastry and think 'meh it's ok but I don't want/need any more...' -
I think this is main reason why I no longer have to count calories.... along with the fact that I'm pretty darned active lol

Anyway I just felt like sharing and wondered how others felt their thought processes had changed as they lost weight etc :-)

BasicGreatGuy

Congratulations on your successful lifestyle change, Miss Ruthee.

LivingtheLeanDream

Ps This kind of thinking didn't happen overnight, it's really only in the past year that how I view food has changed, I think about it being fuel now rather than just mindless eating.

Oh and in case anyone thinks I perhaps don't eat enough - I still mentally to my cals and know I eat in the 2000-2200 cal range. (I'm 5ft 2/46yrs/132lbs approx (fluctuate +/-4lbs) very active averaging 20k/day is considered very active, I think :-D)

Oh and I weigh in 2 to 3 times a week just to check all is well

nxd10

Yep. It's kind of amazing isn't it? And when you take a big helping of a 'treat' you realize you can't eat it and only wanted a bite anyway.

LivingtheLeanDream

@nxd10 yep it is kind of amazing , it happens so naturally too, i make better decisions without thinking

bubaluboo

I have also discovered that it's not so difficult when you can stick to a few simple rules, BUT....I find it much more difficult when what I eat is not (completely) in my control. Last week I was camping and was pushed towards more carb rich food. I was ravenous all the time and ate too much low quality food while eating it I knew that it wasn't wise but without the protein, I was hungry. I guess there will be times like that but getting back in the saddle as soon as possible is the way to deal with those times.

Francl27

I'm jealous. I wish I could say the same, lol.

sheldonklein

I had a similar thought yesterday when it occurred to me that when I go to Jersey Mike's, I expect to bring half the sandwich home for the next day's lunch. Not just because I don't want to spend the calories, but because I know the half sandwich is enough, as delicious as the other half would be.

Pinnacle_IAO

My food intake has transformed, but it took years.
My diet is mostly whole foods dense in nutrition, and when I eat junk, my body reacts badly. I can feel that garbage inside me churning. Even my "cheat" days are tame when compared to what I ate 5 years ago.
I love that saying..."no food tastes as good as being fit feels"..

Sandcastles61

Congratulations Ruthee I am only one month into maintenance and hope to be such a great example when I hit the year mark!!

zdyb23456

I've started doing your number three at parties. I used to try everything and end up totally over eating. Now, I am very picky and only take a small bit of what is really appealing to me.

I also try to go last so there's less left

DoreenaV1975

I just had an epiphany this week... okay maybe that's too strong a word or the wrong word but... there are a lot of "bad" foods I love that just don't do it for me anymore. Wow! I don't really limit myself as far as not eating what some consider bad foods; I couldn't live like that. But I realize now that some of those bad foods are totally worth the calories and others not-so-much. There's been a couple of times I ate something I used to love that was bad for my calorie intake and thought "that was SO not worth it"! And then I had to suffer the rest of the day because I had to limit the rest of my calories. On the other hand there are things I eat and I think "OMG that was SO worth the calories and extra exercise I need to do to balance it out"!!! So I am slowly learning the difference, and honestly, it feels great! It feels great that I can tell the difference and it feels great that I naturally gravitate towards the better foods!

LivingtheLeanDream

@DoreenaV1975 I so agree with you

jaga13

DoreenaV1975 wrote: »

I just had an epiphany this week... okay maybe that's too strong a word or the wrong word but... there are a lot of "bad" foods I love that just don't do it for me anymore. Wow! I don't really limit myself as far as not eating what some consider bad foods; I couldn't live like that. But I realize now that some of those bad foods are totally worth the calories and others not-so-much. There's been a couple of times I ate something I used to love that was bad for my calorie intake and thought "that was SO not worth it"! And then I had to suffer the rest of the day because I had to limit the rest of my calories. On the other hand there are things I eat and I think "OMG that was SO worth the calories and extra exercise I need to do to balance it out"!!! So I am slowly learning the difference, and honestly, it feels great! It feels great that I can tell the difference and it feels great that I naturally gravitate towards the better foods!

I think you get to use "epiphany"!! Yes, choosing what food is worth the calories TO YOU, is huge. A few years ago it dawned on me that I don't "love" sandwiches at all, so I traded them for salads. But I still love chocolate and pizza and I make them fit into my life (maybe not every day, but I do still have them!).

jaga13

RunRutheeRun wrote: »

Literally it just dawned on me the other day that I do in fact now eat like a thin person! (in my opinion anyway!)

Let me expand...
(FYI been on mfp for over 3 years, maintaining for about a year)

For me now :-

1) It's second nature to choose the right kinds of foods. I fill up firstly on protein and fibre that way I'm never feeling hungry between meals.

2) I stop when I'm full even if that means leaving quarter of the food on my plate still. At all meals, (excluding breakfast cos I love my boiled eggs so much lol), I leave food on the plate, it's not that I mean to, it's that I get full before I realise it and stop eating. Perhaps my brain just let's me know that I'm full quicker these days :-D

3) If its calorific and doesn't taste absolutely wonderful, then one bite is enough. (I no longer eat something just for the sake of it) I could tell you about countless times when I take a bite out of say a delicious dessert or a pastry and think 'meh it's ok but I don't want/need any more...' -
I think this is main reason why I no longer have to count calories.... along with the fact that I'm pretty darned active lol

Anyway I just felt like sharing and wondered how others felt their thought processes had changed as they lost weight etc :-)

Fantastic!! Something else I've noticed about my "thin friends" - the ones who have always been thin and never *appear* to struggle with weight loss: they are comfortable with being a little hungry/waiting. They will wait until it's a good time to eat (after they are done helping their kids with whatever they need). They will wait until they've decided exactly what food they really want. They don't rush to eat, ever. And when they start eating, they're ok with pausing...for conversation, to get up and get something, for whatever reason.

jessieleah

I'm still not good at not eating everything on my plate (unless it's not something that tastes really good to me), but I realized this the other day as well! Lately I've been feeling like I've been having some off days, but in reality... my off days are better than my "good" days used to be.

I was reading a post about someone who was looking to start losing weight. They were mentioning how they eat fast food & junk food daily, along with soda. That was me. I ate chips (like.. whole bags of chips. Family sized, not single serve) and fast food on the regular, if not daily. I drank soda every day. My diet was mostly carbs.

Now? I pay attention to my macros. I make sure I get enough protein, fats and fiber while keeping my carbs mostly in check. I still indulge in desserts, but usually within reason. My bad choices are usually limited to a couple hundred calories at most, not 500+. I rarely ever eat fast food anymore (maybe once every 3-4 months when there is no better option... I'm looking at you, New Year's Day when everything was closed, I had a hangover and I needed food stat. I had McD's that day, haha).

Oh and.. I can still make good choices even when I'm hungry. I used to break down and eat anything/everything in sight when I let myself get hungry. Now I can go shopping hungry and still make the right choice.

DoreenaV1975

jaga13 wrote: »

DoreenaV1975 wrote: »

I just had an epiphany this week... okay maybe that's too strong a word or the wrong word but... there are a lot of "bad" foods I love that just don't do it for me anymore. Wow! I don't really limit myself as far as not eating what some consider bad foods; I couldn't live like that. But I realize now that some of those bad foods are totally worth the calories and others not-so-much. There's been a couple of times I ate something I used to love that was bad for my calorie intake and thought "that was SO not worth it"! And then I had to suffer the rest of the day because I had to limit the rest of my calories. On the other hand there are things I eat and I think "OMG that was SO worth the calories and extra exercise I need to do to balance it out"!!! So I am slowly learning the difference, and honestly, it feels great! It feels great that I can tell the difference and it feels great that I naturally gravitate towards the better foods!

I think you get to use "epiphany"!! Yes, choosing what food is worth the calories TO YOU, is huge. A few years ago it dawned on me that I don't "love" sandwiches at all, so I traded them for salads. But I still love chocolate and pizza and I make them fit into my life (maybe not every day, but I do still have them!).

Funny... I just came back from eating a calorie loaded sub sandwich from my favorite sandwich shop and then I read your post! LOL The sandwich I ate was definitely worth it!

DoreenaV1975

jaga13 wrote: »

RunRutheeRun wrote: »

Literally it just dawned on me the other day that I do in fact now eat like a thin person! (in my opinion anyway!)

Let me expand...
(FYI been on mfp for over 3 years, maintaining for about a year)

For me now :-

1) It's second nature to choose the right kinds of foods. I fill up firstly on protein and fibre that way I'm never feeling hungry between meals.

2) I stop when I'm full even if that means leaving quarter of the food on my plate still. At all meals, (excluding breakfast cos I love my boiled eggs so much lol), I leave food on the plate, it's not that I mean to, it's that I get full before I realise it and stop eating. Perhaps my brain just let's me know that I'm full quicker these days :-D

3) If its calorific and doesn't taste absolutely wonderful, then one bite is enough. (I no longer eat something just for the sake of it) I could tell you about countless times when I take a bite out of say a delicious dessert or a pastry and think 'meh it's ok but I don't want/need any more...' -
I think this is main reason why I no longer have to count calories.... along with the fact that I'm pretty darned active lol

Anyway I just felt like sharing and wondered how others felt their thought processes had changed as they lost weight etc :-)

Fantastic!! Something else I've noticed about my "thin friends" - the ones who have always been thin and never *appear* to struggle with weight loss: they are comfortable with being a little hungry/waiting. They will wait until it's a good time to eat (after they are done helping their kids with whatever they need). They will wait until they've decided exactly what food they really want. They don't rush to eat, ever. And when they start eating, they're ok with pausing...for conversation, to get up and get something, for whatever reason.

I do this now...
If I'm not very hungry or don't really want what I am thinking about eating/what's available to eat I won't eat. Sometimes this means I don't eat very much but when I finally get to eat what I want I do it, and it all balances out!

angelaraedesigns

RunRutheeRun wrote: »

Literally it just dawned on me the other day that I do in fact now eat like a thin person! (in my opinion anyway!)

Let me expand...
(FYI been on mfp for over 3 years, maintaining for about a year)

For me now :-

1) It's second nature to choose the right kinds of foods. I fill up firstly on protein and fibre that way I'm never feeling hungry between meals.

2) I stop when I'm full even if that means leaving quarter of the food on my plate still. At all meals, (excluding breakfast cos I love my boiled eggs so much lol), I leave food on the plate, it's not that I mean to, it's that I get full before I realise it and stop eating. Perhaps my brain just let's me know that I'm full quicker these days :-D

3) If its calorific and doesn't taste absolutely wonderful, then one bite is enough. (I no longer eat something just for the sake of it) I could tell you about countless times when I take a bite out of say a delicious dessert or a pastry and think 'meh it's ok but I don't want/need any more...' -
I think this is main reason why I no longer have to count calories.... along with the fact that I'm pretty darned active lol

Anyway I just felt like sharing and wondered how others felt their thought processes had changed as they lost weight etc :-)

Best thing I've read all day! Thanks for posting this. This is the shining light at the end of the tunnel.

LivingtheLeanDream

@angelaraedesigns ahh thanks and thanks to all the other posters as well, great input

RaeBeeBaby

Great post! It really is about changing your mindset, while not depriving yourself of the things you really love. When I go to restaurants with friends, I'm often astonished at how much they can eat in one sitting, followed by complaining that they can barely move afterwards. That is not a feeling I want to have anymore.

I very rarely eat an entire restaurant meal or sandwich. I often will ask for a to-go container when I first order so I can put half of it away before I start eating. Even when I don't do that, I will take the leftovers home for another meal. Not deprivation at all. In fact, I get to enjoy the yummy food for a second go-round and look forward to it.

LivingtheLeanDream

@jaga13 I can't say I'm at the point when I can take my time eating lol...I always seem to be in a rush to get on with other things.

mikehardin62

Well RunRuthyRun...i am at that place where you are. It has been 11mnths...i am down from 267lbs...to 195lbs. .and no it does not come overnight. ..it takes sustained effort...dedication. Keep up the Great work.

hearthwood

Congratulations: MFP can be addicting. Me too, I have been on here a long time, and find I prefer fruit over a lot of things that I used to eat a lot of, that wasn't very healthy and loaded with empty calories. I am at goal weight now, but I keep checking in.

LivingtheLeanDream

mikehardin62 wrote: »

Well RunRuthyRun...i am at that place where you are. It has been 11mnths...i am down from 267lbs...to 195lbs. .and no it does not come overnight. ..it takes sustained effort...dedication. Keep up the Great work.

@mikehardin62 congrats on your fabulous loss/ success and keep up your great work too

LivingtheLeanDream

"...my off days are better than my "good" days used to be." ...well said! @jessieleah I so agree with this too

Lottiotta

That is really cool.

I am currently pondering on how I really struggle with your third point, stopping at one mouthful of tasty-yet-calorific things. It really is like a total lack of self-control, like I think one thing and my body does another. "I don't need another truffle!" *reaches for truffle* ... y'know?

I'm wondering if it's something about treats being limited among me and my siblings when I was younger, and them being first come, first served. So if I saw a treat and fancied it, if I didn't take it then it would be gone next time I open the cupboard.

Anyway, I'm determined to crack it. I'm 150 calories per day over my calories burned for the past eight days, and not having chocolate in the house is not the solution. So we'll see.

LivingtheLeanDream

hearthwood wrote: »

Congratulations: MFP can be addicting. Me too, I have been on here a long time, and find I prefer fruit over a lot of things that I used to eat a lot of, that wasn't very healthy and loaded with empty calories. I am at goal weight now, but I keep checking in.

oh I've been totally addicted to mfp in my time here, I still can't stop myself checking in to see how everyone is doing even though I'm not great at being supportive these days....

tkphotogirl

This post made me smile! I've been back on the case for a couple of months, and I've fallen back into non-gluttonous eating habits with an ease that has taken me by surprise, just by thinking about what I am doing rather than just mindlessly stuffing down the next meal. My epiphany was that my sweet tooth can be satisfied with, say, 1/4 or 1/8 of a chocolate brownie instead of having to demolish the whole thing, and that I'm no longer satisfied with 'meh' foods. If I'm going to eat it, it's going to be something I enjoy

LivingtheLeanDream

@tkphotogirl absolutely agree with that, it has to be something really yummy

lilcole08

I can't wait to say the same thing!