Tigo.... I think each person has to find the plan that works best for them. That said, here's what I've been doing the past four months and it's working great:
I write down everything I eat. That might sound tedious, but I actually enjoy doing it. I've always been an organized, list-maker... so it fits my personality to do this. It has helped me to see just how much I was eating before....far more than I needed to!
Since I was already keeping track of what I was eating, I figured it wouldn't be much more effort to estimate the calories. If it's a day where I eat out and can't figure them, then I just list where I ate and put a ? for the calorie count. Counting calories allows me to still eat whatever I want. I'm a vegetarian, but I still eat lots of eggs and dairy products.
This might not work for everyone, but it's working for me! More important...it's something I think I can live with the rest of my life (in addition to Oxycise! of course!)
Tigo...Welcome! I agree with Kelly that we all have just tried different things tell we come up with something that seems to work. I have also done the writing down & figuring calorie thing. It really helps you to get a good look at just how much you have been eating & what you should be. I have also done the Reader's Digest "Change One" diet. It works. Right now I am just trying to eat more veggies & watching the flour & sugar. It also works.
Good luck in finding away of eaing that works & you feel like you can live with.
Hi, Tigo! Eating is hard to change, isn't it? What helps me is to cut way back (almost completely)on starchy foods and sugars, and increase proteins and vegetables. I do eat fruit first thing in the morning. I use Suzanne Somers' eating plan as a guide. I have found that it helps me personally to eat 3 meals a day, with usually nothing in between.(lots of water and some diet soda) Since I have limited myself to the 3 meals, (last week), I have come down 2 lbs.
Hello! I use the Change One plan also, for a guideline as to portion sizes and kinds of foods to eat for each meal. It's helped me a lot. I hope you can find something that fits you!
Susanna
Posts: 1957 | Location: South Dakota | Registered: February 24, 2003
Originally posted by Kelly S.: Tigo.... I think each person has to find the plan that works best for them. That said, here's what I've been doing the past four months and it's working great:
I write down everything I eat. That might sound tedious, but I actually enjoy doing it. I've always been an organized, list-maker... so it fits my personality to do this. It has helped me to see just how much I was eating before....far more than I needed to!
Since I was already keeping track of what I was eating, I figured it wouldn't be much more effort to estimate the calories. If it's a day where I eat out and can't figure them, then I just list where I ate and put a ? for the calorie count. Counting calories allows me to still eat whatever I want. I'm a vegetarian, but I still eat lots of eggs and dairy products.
This might not work for everyone, but it's working for me! More important...it's something I think I can live with the rest of my life (in addition to Oxycise! of course!)
I too am a vegaterian and it's so very hard to count caloreis for a vegeterian. I am a Laco- vegertain. I use Soy Milk and I use Egg Beaters for my substitute. I don't eat fish but eat Morning Star, Loma Linda and Worthington Products (sparingly).
Hi Joyce....it's good to see you posting again! Please accept my condolences on the loss of your mother.
I actually starting writing down everything I ate more as a way to get a grip on my eating habits than to just count calories. When I starting listing things, I decided at that point I might as well estimate my calories, too. For me, I think the portion control has been a bigger factor than the actual calorie count. Just eating sensible portions is going to automatically reduce your caloric intake. I was amazed at how much more I was eating than I really needed to! I still eat pretty much what I want to...just in smaller servings. I also give myself a couple of days a week (or meals, if not entire days) that I don't worry about my calories. I still write things down those days, but just put a "?" after those entries and a big "+" after the total calories for the day. This keeps me from feeling like I'm dieting. My doctor told me it's a cumulative thing anyway, so as long as I'm careful most of the time I don't worry about the days I splurge.
Anyway...the combination of doing that with Oxycise! has worked for me. I've lost 65 pounds and lots of inches over the past year!
I have been doing low carb ..just a in general form of it, not really flat out atkins or south beach or any certian program. And so far its being going very well.
Does anyone weigh every morning like it's suggested in the Oxycise book? I usually weigh once a week - if I've been eating and exercising that week that is! Even though I'm a nurse and know that the # on the scale weighs fat, muscle, bone, blood, organs, etc., and that muscle weighs more than fat, etc., every day fluctuations in weight would drive me crazy if it wasn't lower everyday! Or DOES anyone see a lower number every day?
I don't weigh every day, but I do weigh often. And, no...it's not lower every time. Here's a good example. Yesterday morning I was 2 pounds lighter than Saturday morning. I know that's because Friday night I ate pizza which causes me to retain more fluid. I ate "healthy" stuff all day Saturday and drank plenty of water.
I like seeing the natural fluctuations because it keeps me from being quite as obsessive. That's just me, though.... maybe not for everyone.
I found the magz.First,(march issue) With the Oxycise article,and it has some great info.about different items to eat with each meal to boost the exercise program.(if you can't find the magz.let me know I will write you back,what the list was) And I've read in a health book you'd be better off eating real sugar,then artf.sugar,and the same with soda,(till U can break the HABIT) And to always leave at least 2 bites on your plate,no matter what you eat.Wish you well.and look forward to chating W/U on D2L....grammynmwc
Be careful with the scales as they can be very misleading by themselves. As Shelby indicated, the tape measure is often the more accurate way to tell if you're losing because, as you build muscle, your toning, tightening and losing inches but the scale may not reflect that at all. You'll likely feel your clothes fit better without a change on the scales.
Muscle takes up about 1/4 of the space that fat does, pound for pound. Think of a the analogy of muscle to fat as a cup of popcorn. Before it's popped, it's like muscle. After it's popped, it's like fat! Also, if you can have your body fat measured, that's also a great way to see how you're doing.
Susanna
