At what point did the dieting become more natural?

JenS_1678 · March 2012

I'm just a couple days into my journey of losing weight the right way. Right now I find myself constantly entering and deleting foods into the system to figure out what I can and cannot have. I've never had to do anything like this before, even portion control is a new thing.

At what point did you guys look at yourselves and realize that it really was more of a lifestyle? Or at what point did you have a better grasp of what you could/could not eat? Or have a better grasp on what could fill your calorie intake for the day without playing around on the computer?

Feathil · March 2012

I'm at this point as well, and I end up with days where sugar is too much (at the start when I was learning how ridiculous some yoghurts etc are!), or fat too much, or whichever category. Then the next day a different category might go too far - though so far it hasn't been by much. Remembering the ratios each food has must become more natural over time, but there are so many variables I don't know how you could keep track purely in your head... I have to go out for a meal tomorrow and I'm already put off by the idea because it'll be hard to know my intake.

mgmlap · March 2012

Once November rolled around...I have been at this since mid June...so about 5 months...

lukeout007 · March 2012

I probably had a good grasp of what I should and shouldn't eat just a couple weeks in. As far as feeling natural...eh...I'm a couple months in and it still feels like dieting and not so much like a normal lifestyle change. But my diet was pretty awful prior to that and I've made every attempt to make sure that the way I'm eating now is something I can sustain for the rest of my life. I'm hoping soon it will feel like habit rather than forced.

runnercheryl · March 2012

I guess it became MORE natural after 2-3 weeks. Even now, though, well over a year on, I still don't know what calories are in most things and still have to log it all to work out what I can have. I always will. Unless I plan on eating the same foods forever.

lilRicki · March 2012

I've been doing this for almost 2 years and it's still a pain in my *kitten*. It does get a tad easier, and I'm more aware of the value of things, but it still isn't habit yet.

KitchenCourses · March 2012

Stop thinking about it as "dieting" and you'll save yourself a lot of heartache. Start small with things that you know you can master and take it one step at a time. Break it into a plan for yourself, like within 2 weeks, you'll make the commitment to drink more water. Then next, you can start adding more vegetables and fruits. The weight will start to fall away as you replace healthy choices with not-so-healthy ones. Think more broadly about your body and your decision to change it as a whole and it will become a whole lot easier to make small steps that will result in big changes!

OnceAndFutureAthlete · March 2012

I've had success with not trying to change too many things at once, which is generally a recipe for failure in the long run.

- Start with just eating more healthy: eliminate/reduce artificial sweeteners, sugars, simple carbs, processed foods. Don't worry too much about calories - It's hard to eat too many calories when you're eating mostly protein and vegetables. But use MFP during this time as it will really help you get educated about where the carbs and calories are hiding, and what works better for you and what doesn't.
- Once you are more comfortable eating more healty and eating fewer simple cards, if you're like me, you'll find that your sweets cravings go away, and sticking to the plan is much more simple. At this point you can start tracking calories.
- Similar plan with exercise: don't try to go "whole hog" at the start. You'll burn out. Just start slow and work to do more every week.

The adage is 30 days to change a habit. Doing it piece by piece should make it easier to stick to and live with long term.

maddymama · March 2012

I'm just a couple days into my journey of losing weight the right way. Right now I find myself constantly entering and deleting foods into the system to figure out what I can and cannot have. I've never had to do anything like this before, even portion control is a new thing.

At what point did you guys look at yourselves and realize that it really was more of a lifestyle? Or at what point did you have a better grasp of what you could/could not eat? Or have a better grasp on what could fill your calorie intake for the day without playing around on the computer?

I realized it was a lifestyle change Day 1 of logging on. I knew that I had to change and eat healthier overall as soon as I started. BUT I do give myself permission to enjoy treats as I want to, I just exercise more, or don't eat as much, etc. It's all about balance for me. Trust me, I like my sweets. I just eat a bite or two, instead of an entire candy bar or bag of chips.
I took a month or two for me to have a better grasp of what I could and could not eat.... but that was me getting each step set, then moving on as another poster mentioned. I got breakfast where I was happy (oatmea, fruit, nutsl), then dinners (Cooking Light recipes, or Appetite for Reduction), then lunches, and now I'm working on snacks. It helped when I got more inshape and could eat more calories bc of working out more.... if that makes sense. It also helps if you slip up a bit, then you know you can run further or do more exercise DVDs the next day.
It took me awhile to figure it all out. I still get thrown for a loop on vacations or if we go to a new restaurant and I don't know what to order there. I've slipped up, but never given up.

Good luck!

aSunflower · March 2012

It helped me to focus on one meal at a time. I spent a week focusing on putting together a few good breakfast meals. Then I moved on to lunch. When I had that down I moved on to dinner. Dinner was the hardest as I had to come up with things my family would eat, so I started by focusing on three meals a week and then just expanded. Lastly, I started learning how to eat in resturants.

Now I still look for new recipes and ideas all the time, but I am not under pressure. I always have certain items in the fridge so I don't worry about going hungry or falling off the wagon because it is easier to eat junk.

It took about three months for me to relax a little and focus on something other than what I was going to eat next.
Maybe this will help you. Good luck and don't give up, you don't have to do everything at once.

At what point did the dieting become more natural?

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