We need help selecting a diet

PAV8888 wrote: »

Lobsters have a couple of "herd" defences on their way into our gullet: they co$t a lot (absent a lobster farmer/fisherperson relative) and they have a shell that makes us work hard to get through it to the food!

When I first started logging food, accurately, to the gram, BEFORE consuming a single bite, while carefully choosing and verifying the entries i was going to use... it was remarkable how many "spur of the moment that I can live without" bites disappeared from my eating day. Plus I started being more conscious of when I was getting hungry because trust me, it is not fun to be "fainting and salivating", but not eating because you haven't finished logging yet (did I ever tell you about my old pediatrician's tip of "eat an apple a half hour before your meal"?--that did come to the rescue a couple of times so I could actually finish logging!)

And while learning to log was not painless (yes, it was a bit of work, and yes, it did way way easier as time went on)... losing these extra "spur of the moment" / "not really worth it" calories most definitely was a painless way to drop SOME of the lbs I dropped!

And it requires ZERO planned changes.

All that is really required TO START is to log, review the log, and evaluate whether the items you logged were worth it to you! Worth it for satiety, for taste, for fun... just plain WORTH THE CALORIES you spent on them!

What! Apples are carbs! Don't you know? Carbs make you fat!

Check with your physician first before starting a diet, but if you have no medical issues, you can start making healthier choices right away!

Nutrisystem works for lots of folks, but you still have to add your own veg. Learning how to make good choices is key to making a life change permanent. My vote would be for nutritional education over a plan per se.

I wore my willpower out years ago! So, I decided my primary goal was to improve my health. Getting my figure back is a bonus!

Speed is not my driving force. Taking time to appreciate each step forward is helpful.

As a sugar addict, I first cut out my trigger foods and drink. No sodas of any kind, reg or diet. No candy, cakes, or treats. I replaced these with plenty of protein, leafy greens, water, and fiber-concentrating on nutrient dense choices.

By day 3, cravings for sweets no longer ruled my life. By end of the second week, my family could eat sweets in front of me.

Before long, I was able to have an occasional small sweet-example: full fat butter pecan ice cream single scoop on cake cone-without me wanting to bathe in a vat of it!

I also set my daily calorie goal at a range. This gave me freedom to have more on those days I needed more without beating myself up for it.

Which brings me to an important thing-be kind. To yourself and each other. If you slip, the next meal is a new start.

As a couple, you have advantages and disadvantages. Built in support is great! But there is also a danger of tying your success or failure to each other. Be accountable mainly to yourself and your spouse is a bonus😉.

What is working for me: I started by honestly logging what I was eating, then making small healthier adjustments to that. Slowly my diet changed into something that is both sustainable for me and that I enjoy.