Am I the only person on "Information" over-load

I get it - I used to feel the same way. I finally realized that I was tired of always being on some kind of "diet" and what not. For me, I just try to eat as clean as possible, that seems to have worked for me, Ive kept the weight off, I feel better, and I am currently 25 weeks pregnant and havent gained that much weight simply because I just try to eat at clean as possible. Do I still allow room for a cheat meal and a treat? Sure, but the way I look at it (and this i just me), I dont want to be on a diet my whole life, for me it was a lifestyle change. I also stress less over it bc I dont have to be on something that says I cant eat certain foods (elimination diets). Sometimes I fall off the wagon, esp on the weekends. I loosely track my calories and try to eat within a certain caloric range/macros, but its also to keep an eye on my weight during pregnancy, if that makes sense (and my docs have told me I am fine where I am). Ive also found that when people I know go on these certain diets that cause elimination of certain foods, once they eat it again or what not or eat a hamburger they gain the weight right back.
Ive also eaten the whole thing of cookies and pigged out and what not - husband and I dont really buy junk though to keep in the house, I found that that helps out alot - if its in the house and I know its there, I eat it.
It took me a long time to see what workouts and what not worked for me. Its not easy, but stick with it and if you have an off day (we all do!) just try again tomorrow.

I agree with every single previous poster above... it is all about calorie deficit. Clear your mind of all the "good" "bad" "healthy" "unhealthy" foods/diets that people preach about all over the place, and focus on calories in < calories out. To start, don't stress too much on WHERE the calories come from, as long as you are under for the day. Once you get that part under control you can start working towards tweaking what you eat to fit YOU best, start swapping out certain items to a more nutritionally-sound option (like white bread for whole-grain bread). You can do this - the key is to just not over think it all. It really is as easy as it sounds.

I wanted to get away from information overload and make it simple so I bought mostly things that don't need cooked, and spaced them out in the day on my 1600 calorie goal. I'm eating almost the same thing everyday and walking just do simplify things, and it is helping.

sd_blarney wrote: »

I found peace when I realized it really all just comes down to math. Do the math and you'll be fine. If your calories come from frozen veggies instead of fresh, fine. If they come from a fast food meal, fine. We don't have to be calorie snobs. If your goal is to reduce, then make sure your number going in is less than your number going out. From there I think we all figure out how certain types of food make us feel, what types of food sustain us longer, etc. and adjust accordingly if we choose. But a calorie is a calorie. Period.

Love this!

It's something I see happening ALL the time here. It's unfortunate and unnecessary. As long as *whatever* you eat supplies you with your balanced nutritional needs for the day, the source is irrelevant and merely a matter of personal preference.

There are so many plans, because there are many ways to cut calories. Some of them are healthier and more nutritious than others, and some work better for some people than others. The best plan is the one that helps YOU lose weight, while staying (or getting) healthy, that YOU can actually stick to. How do you figure out what works best for you personally? Take it slow and track it.

Log EVERYTHING.
Don't JUST weigh (with a scale is best) everything you eat, also write why you are eating it (i.e, lunchtime, hungry, kind of bored, out with friends, watching tv) and how you are feeling right before, right after and an hour after (hungry, comfortable, normal, full, very full bloated, drowsy, OMG I am so damn sick of this crap I want to throw the whole plate out a window, etc).
This gives you a baseline pattern for your normal habits and routine. From there, it's just a matter of experimenting. Are you very full after dinner? Cut back on a few things. Does lunch leave you bloated and gassy after an hour, try less or no mayo, and see if there's something you don't mind dropping each meal (fries, or cheese, or maybe only 2 tacos instead of 3).Are you starving an hour after dinner?Maybe more fats during.
It's amazing how quickly these small and easily sustainable changes will add up to big calorie cuts. Only cut one or two things at a time, until they become habit instead if trying to do everything at once. That way they become individual habits instead of one big "diet".
Break things down into individual behaviors and habits. Instead of looking at this as an all at once, or all or nothing proposition, find ways to break things down into smaller and more sustainable habits. That makes it much easier to pinpoint where something is not working, and fix it, rather than staring at the whole jumbled mess of NOT WORKING. Plus, when you do backslide, you are less likely to drop everything, just one or two habits, that can then be fixed again. Otherwise, trying to everything at once, means that you are likely to leave out something important (like weighing food), and pay excessive attention to things that aren't. (Like fiber drinks and vinegar)
Don't demonize foods that don't actually make you feel bad. Obviously if you have food sensitivities avoid those things, but don't cut out all your favorite goodies because they are not "healthy". Think of your calories as a type of currency. You should purchase the nutrient rich stuff first, budget for regular treats, and don't waste any calories on stuff you hate, even if it is theoretically good for you.