What is everyone eating???

Thanks for responding Maren. I am seeing a pattern in that people really do like eating many of the same things. I consider them my comfort foods now!! I'm glad to see you coming back again, I've missed you. Donna

Hi Donna, I think your program sounds very effective. And you've gotten amazing results!! Well, this is weird to admit, but I eat pretty much what I want. Just not very much of it. My basic philosphy is South Beach--think low fat protein and veggies, and low glycemic carbs. I try to fill myself up with harmless foods--salads, veggies, and also try to notice when I'm full. Then I eat the other stuff in extreme moderation. I do eat in restaurants quite a bit, and try to avoid bread and pasta altogether there, and eat very small portions of everything when I do eat out. Sample day-- breakfast-- an egg or two, or maybe whole grain cereal with part-skim milk and berries and splenda, coffee with milk (coffee addict) Lunch--salad (with low fat dressing & low fat protein in it and lots of veggies) or the inside of a sandwitch, with about half a piece of bread, and an apple or orange (have to be careful with oranges--love 'em, but very sugary);or sashimi and salad and/or miso soup; I love low-fat greek yogurt and fruit, that's yummy to me; another option is a cup of cottage cheese and a piece of fruit; have to admit I often skip lunch, and don't eat until snack and/or dinner. afernoon--if hungry--coffee and milk, maybe a yogurt, maybe one small piece dark chocolate (sorry, being honest here) dinner--maybe a lean cuisine, maybe 3-5 ounces chicken, beef, turkey etc., then sugar free jello with a little cream, or berries, veggies as desired (made tasty, often, with a little bit of butter/lemon or parmesean cheese), tiny servings of pasta or rice or potatoes (all my weaknesses, but i try not to get to them until I'm not very hungry). I'll taste other things if I'm craving them. Taste is the operative word. If I feel tempted to eat them, then I'm too hungry and shouldn't try the taste at all. I know I add significant numbers of calories by tasting food that would otherwise be off limits on a diet, but I figure this is a way of eating for life, and it keeps me from diet boredom (which I am very susceptible to--I don't think I've ever stayed on any "diet" for more than eight months--they made me feel like I was in culinary prison and would never eat the things I enjoy most again. . .that's bad) My weakness is "tasting" foods without noticing what I'm doing. Trying to keep my eating confined to meals (as opposed to snacking at the refrigerator, you know, a handful of grapes, a taste of yesterday's dinner, etc. etc. ) is a challenge for me. I'm an unconscious eater. So stopping eating when I don't need any more, and then keeping myself from picking at things after that is important. Another challenge. My obesity disease, as I see it, has to do with emotional eating--just feeling terrible (tired, depressed, ravenous, angry) for no specific reason and eating way too much to get rid of it. I'm not a binge eater, I'm a habitual over-eater, under-exerciser. Since I started taking insulin-reducing medication, and the other stuff i take, a lot of negative emotions just aren't getting to me the same way. I think I may have been on a sugar-low cycle. Hard to explain, but a very positive experience getting off it. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I feel like a normal person for the first time in a long time as regards most of my eating behavior. Eat when hungry. Stop before too full. Seems so simple, doesn't it? Everyone's discipline and hard work and guts and detemination here inspires me. Good for you. Good for all of you. We can do this. now how am i going to afford the plastic surgery when I'm done? liz 258\213\?

Hey Liz I'm so sorry, I thought I had responded to your post. You know, you mentioned that you eat pretty much whatever you want, but to me it seems like you have a pretty decent program going there. I see it's very similar to South Beach, that plan has just completely worked for me. Sounds like you are not only conquering food problems but head problems as well. That is the very reason I decided against WLS, because the head problems would always be there. Working on them first was by far the most important element to the whole mix!! Good luck and keep up the good work! Donna

I know I am several days late, but I just found this board...I saw it posted by Kasey and you on the main message board. Thanks for this post because I needed some idea as to how the nonops were eating since you are losing without surgery. Bev