Low carb didn't work well for me. I didn't like how I felt, and fundamentally I don't feel it's a healthy option. Cutting back on processed foods, dairy, and fat, with a huge focus on portion size and not drinking my calories, is how I lose weight and feel good. My mantra is to be as plant based as possible. 3 to 4 small meals a day. Quality of food over quantity. Since June I've lost 45 pounds, with another 45 to go. I say I'm vegetarian, but about 2,3 times a month I will have fish. (So, part time pescatarian, but many people don't know the word, so I short hand to "vegetarian".) I TRACK EVERYTHING EAT. I'm a fanatical measurer, as my personal accountability requires it. I read these forums for ideas and to keep focused. At my highest weight I weighed 400 lbs. I am determined to be healthy, active and energetic as I roll through my 50s and beyond. Right now I feel fabulous.

I am vegetarian, so low carb has never been a great option for me, lol. I really only eat whole grains, and the biggest thing for me is to limit sugar. I eat pretty much however much fat I want (within calorie goals) and whatever whole grains I want, but I try to vary the grains- not just all bread, mix in some oatmeal, some rice, etc.

Like I said, sugar is the big thing I notice- I love sweets and will go crazy on them. If I count calories and limit the sweets (still eat them- but if I am staying within a calorie goal they go down by necessity!) I lose. And I kind of "reset" my sweet intake so that even if I go off off counting calories, I don't pick up eating a ton of sugar.

I have to say I track only occasionally. I know I should probably track more consistently, but I have done this kind of thing on and off for several years and find I rarely stick to anything if I feel like I have to track everything. I end up feeling pressured and then just fall off the wagon. Since I switched to clean eating, it's been so much better and less stressful, so I tend to eat clean until I'm no longer hungry. I've been working hard to start listening to myself and understating my hunger and thirst cues.

Different people respond in different ways to the higher fat/lower carbohydrate lifestyle. I am currently in college and have to work with our cafeteria to dry look for nutrient-dense foods instead of 'empty calories'. I'm also doing my final research project on high fat diets and performance. There's a lot of new studies coming out that are encouraging this way for those who are going long hours without accessibility to foods. It took me a bit to adapt to the higher-fat meal plan. And when I say fat, I'm talking eggs, avocado, extra virgin olive oil, almonds, chickpeas, beans, and organic nut butters. Fueling yourself is important, and the body takes time to change. On a performance perspective, I am fueled for longer, without the 'crash' feeling you get when your sugar levels go down. Increasing the fat and eating clean (being extremely careful with sugar, especially with the 'American Diet') can be a sustainable lifestyle choice, depending on your personal day to day activities. We're all genetically made up with predispositions to react in certain ways to food. It's all about understanding your own reactions and incorporating ways to add things into your diet that help, and REPLACING (not taking away) unnecessary items with more nutrient-dense foods. The less processed the better, the less ingredients the better, and the closer you get to raw, fresh vegetables, the better your body with digest it. Try something for a couple weeks, and record how you feel whilst eating within your calorie guidelines. You will feel your body adjust and then you can either try the next thing, or continue for what works for you.

JLB645 wrote: »

I would love to say I don't need to track calories but the truth is without tracking my portion sizes increase and I tend to sneak in some snacks. It's easy to think that the food we are eating is so healthy surely there is no need to track. I have a thyroid autoimmune disease and my doctor has asked me to track calories everyday with an average daily allowance of 1000. Some weeks I'm better at this than others.

JLB this book might interest you "Fasting And Eating For Health" - by Joel Furhman, he wrote about diet changes needed in some of autoimmune diseases and potential casues of it. What to eat and what to avoid. I Don't remember if he wrote about thyroid though. But this good knowledge.

Nope i don't track calories anymore, i just choose optimal food with lot of fiber. I'm vegan btw. If i crave sweets then i eat dried fruits ( still better than pure sugar).

i still have to track calories, or the next thing i know.... half a pound of almonds are GONE! (i once ate an entire jar of almond butter in TWO days, yikes!)

I eat clean and don't track calories at all. Eating clean gives me the metabolism of a normal person. Basically I feel like a fat burning machine because my leptin signals actually work and tell me when I'm full or hungry. We eat lots of fruits, veggies, bread, pasta, sugar,etc all are certified organic. You can only eat so much sugar before it starts to taste disgusting.

The thing that works for me is avoiding alcohol, msg, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and processed foods. We still eat French fries but they are home made with organic ingredients. We just cook everything ourselves and rarely eat out. Maybe I could lose faster if I tracked but honestly I'd much rather just do these basic things and not obsess.

Will soon be growing our own organic produce to save money and possibly raising our own organic chickens. I think this way of eating is why obesity wasn't rampant back then. They didn't use as many chemicals on the food and majority of the meals were cooked at home.

awesome video!

Great video. I'm sharing this with my hubby who is finally on board. That makes it sooooo much easier for ME to get going again!

thisnursewillbehot wrote: »

Great video. I'm sharing this with my hubby who is finally on board. That makes it sooooo much easier for ME to get going again!

personally It makes it easier for me.
I find that by eating lots of vegetables, even when I'm super hungry I'm not over indulging and I don't feel like I'm restricting - just making a better choice. So I don't feel bad or like I'm forcing myself into a diet.
I've mostly eliminated refined sugars and carbs from my diet. I'll have the odd slice of bread, but will try to eat mostly protein and vegetables. The only thing I have to keep at it is fat as it's also necessary for the body.

Having said that, totally over indulged with the festivities but as the video says - it's the overall diet that counts. So two days of over indulgence won't really break a cycle of a month or more.