Re: Food diary vs hunger diary

[Guest guest]

Hi Wynn,

When I woke up to how much weight I had gained back and knew I was ready to put

the brakes on--I was pretty sure I could not go back to the rigid calorie

counting/food diary I was doing before. It's one of the reasons I knew IOWL was

the right approach for me. Let's face it--if you've been a career dieter, you

can pretty much tell me how many calories you've consumed on a given day.... You

*know* what makes a reasonable meal without writing it all down. Right? Right.

So I haven't counted calories. At all. I'm down around 5.5 kg (~12 lbs)--most of

that in the beginning, but some more recently.

What I have been doing a lot more of is really checking in with my hunger. I

still eat more or less by the clock, since it makes the rest of my life easier.

But when it's time for a meal or snack, I check in to see how much I think I'll

need--and I'm much, much better about checking in throughout the meal to see if

I'm full or not. (I aim for around a 6-7 on the hunger scale, where 10 is the

fullest.)

I don't do this all the time--but when I focus on it, I'm much more likely to

see the results I want on the scale. (Corollary: When I don't focus on it,

something inside of me doesn't want to see the results on the scale. Hmmmm.)

This week, I think I'll actually jot things down in a hunger diary. Wanna join

me?

PS: I feel like I just gave you exactly the opposite advice I gave to Avie.

Funny, eh? But I'm getting a really different feeling from both of you about how

you're approaching the idea of calorie counting.

________________________________

From: Wayne and Wynn Schneider <mrfreeze@...>

weightloss

Sent: Sun, April 25, 2010 6:20:43 PM

Subject: Re: Re: Exercise

I have been on so many diets and yo yo'd up & down, I had vowed

never to diet again. I am avoiding a food diary like the plague, but maybe

that's where I need to start.

[Guest guest]

Hi Wynn,

When I woke up to how much weight I had gained back and knew I was ready to put

the brakes on--I was pretty sure I could not go back to the rigid calorie

counting/food diary I was doing before. It's one of the reasons I knew IOWL was

the right approach for me. Let's face it--if you've been a career dieter, you

can pretty much tell me how many calories you've consumed on a given day.... You

*know* what makes a reasonable meal without writing it all down. Right? Right.

So I haven't counted calories. At all. I'm down around 5.5 kg (~12 lbs)--most of

that in the beginning, but some more recently.

What I have been doing a lot more of is really checking in with my hunger. I

still eat more or less by the clock, since it makes the rest of my life easier.

But when it's time for a meal or snack, I check in to see how much I think I'll

need--and I'm much, much better about checking in throughout the meal to see if

I'm full or not. (I aim for around a 6-7 on the hunger scale, where 10 is the

fullest.)

I don't do this all the time--but when I focus on it, I'm much more likely to

see the results I want on the scale. (Corollary: When I don't focus on it,

something inside of me doesn't want to see the results on the scale. Hmmmm.)

This week, I think I'll actually jot things down in a hunger diary. Wanna join

me?

PS: I feel like I just gave you exactly the opposite advice I gave to Avie.

Funny, eh? But I'm getting a really different feeling from both of you about how

you're approaching the idea of calorie counting.

________________________________

From: Wayne and Wynn Schneider <mrfreeze@...>

weightloss

Sent: Sun, April 25, 2010 6:20:43 PM

Subject: Re: Re: Exercise

I have been on so many diets and yo yo'd up & down, I had vowed

never to diet again. I am avoiding a food diary like the plague, but maybe

that's where I need to start.

[Guest guest]

Good morning, ;

I always love reading your posts. You are a beautiful writer and thoughtful

friend.

I managed to gain about 15 pounds in the last year, mostly because I cut my

exercise back to almost nothing. Recently I have managed to stop the

majority of night eating and general snacking and have really been working

on quality not quantity, but if I get too hungry all that goes out the

window pretty quickly.

Was at a birthday party yesterday surrounded by beautiful little sandwiches

and " dainties " of the most dangerous kind. I didn't have the sense to just

get away from the table where I was constantly tempted, so I overate. I am

realizing now that this is a fear reaction. I am uncomfortable in these

situations and I turn to food for comfort and also wine if it's available. I

did drink a glass of wine, but many cups of coffee, too, which is also not a

healthy reaction. After the fact I began to think of one of 's early

podcasts on this subject and I need to find it and listen to it again. My

plan is to listen to it " before " the next social invitation in hopes that I

can develop some other coping mechanisms.

I did manage a 7.2 k run and biceps and triceps yesterday morning. I have my

exercise class this morning and I always enjoy it. My task for today is to

clean out my fridge. It, like my cupboards, is overful (just like me!) and I

am on a mission to pare everything down in my house, clearing away clutter

in every room and every cupboard. I have been hearing and reading so much

about this lately and I am coming to believe it has a huge effect on my

size. I store food as if I were a squirrel in the fall and that has to

change.

Thanks to you and everyone out there who is offering such wonderful

understanding and support.

I don't think I'm ready to go the food diary thing yet, but maybe I should

give it a try?

Take care,

Wynn

Re: Re: Exercise

>

>

> I have been on so many diets and yo yo'd up & down, I had vowed

> never to diet again. I am avoiding a food diary like the plague, but maybe

> that's where I need to start.

>

>

[Guest guest]

I hear you, Wynn. Both on the food diary and on the de-cluttering.

I started keeping the hunger diary that suggested but that was only for a

few weeks and then I got over. Sometimes I think it's because I am such a

rational, scientific kind of person. My own subjective hunger scale does not

seem to be accurate enough. Am I really at a 2? It seems i should be. Maybe it's

a four and if I eat to 5 on the hunger scale, it is really a seven and then I'll

never lose weight... I am getting better at trusting my body (and I have lost

weight over the last weeks), but its still irks me.

Regarding the de-cluttering: After living in the States for six years, I cut all

my belongings down to two suitcases, a few moving boxes stored on a friend's

attic, a piano (a friend is using it) and two bikes. That was kind of

liberating. Now I am quite conscientious of buying new things, always asking

myself if I really need it or what else i can get rid of so I don't have too

much stuff. The only exception: Food. But I am also trying to tackle that,

switching from " just in case " to " just in time " pantry organization. Still,

there is quite a few cans that I don't really need but bought " just in case " .

I was considering buying the appetite adjuster to address the hunger journal

issues I described above. Does anyone have any experience?

If social situations make you nervous, there are a number of good strategies to

cope with that. Are you more comfortable with one-on-one conversations or in a

group? also, if there are two people in an animated conversation, it's not easy

to bud in, but if there's at least three, it makes it easier (and less awkward).

There are a few more hints like that that can help you feel more at ease in

these type of situations. 's strategies also sounds pretty effective,

setting a goal of being helpful or making a true connection with at least one

person at a party.

I am planning to go swimming later today. Hope you enjoyed your exercise!

Jantje

>

> Good morning, ;

> I always love reading your posts. You are a beautiful writer and thoughtful

> friend.

> I managed to gain about 15 pounds in the last year, mostly because I cut my

> exercise back to almost nothing. Recently I have managed to stop the

> majority of night eating and general snacking and have really been working

> on quality not quantity, but if I get too hungry all that goes out the

> window pretty quickly.

> Was at a birthday party yesterday surrounded by beautiful little sandwiches

> and " dainties " of the most dangerous kind. I didn't have the sense to just

> get away from the table where I was constantly tempted, so I overate. I am

> realizing now that this is a fear reaction. I am uncomfortable in these

> situations and I turn to food for comfort and also wine if it's available. I

> did drink a glass of wine, but many cups of coffee, too, which is also not a

> healthy reaction. After the fact I began to think of one of 's early

> podcasts on this subject and I need to find it and listen to it again. My

> plan is to listen to it " before " the next social invitation in hopes that I

> can develop some other coping mechanisms.

> I did manage a 7.2 k run and biceps and triceps yesterday morning. I have my

> exercise class this morning and I always enjoy it. My task for today is to

> clean out my fridge. It, like my cupboards, is overful (just like me!) and I

> am on a mission to pare everything down in my house, clearing away clutter

> in every room and every cupboard. I have been hearing and reading so much

> about this lately and I am coming to believe it has a huge effect on my

> size. I store food as if I were a squirrel in the fall and that has to

> change.

> Thanks to you and everyone out there who is offering such wonderful

> understanding and support.

> I don't think I'm ready to go the food diary thing yet, but maybe I should

> give it a try?

> Take care,

> Wynn

> Re: Re: Exercise

> >

> >

> > I have been on so many diets and yo yo'd up & down, I had vowed

> > never to diet again. I am avoiding a food diary like the plague, but maybe

> > that's where I need to start.

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

I hear you, Wynn. Both on the food diary and on the de-cluttering.

I started keeping the hunger diary that suggested but that was only for a

few weeks and then I got over. Sometimes I think it's because I am such a

rational, scientific kind of person. My own subjective hunger scale does not

seem to be accurate enough. Am I really at a 2? It seems i should be. Maybe it's

a four and if I eat to 5 on the hunger scale, it is really a seven and then I'll

never lose weight... I am getting better at trusting my body (and I have lost

weight over the last weeks), but its still irks me.

Regarding the de-cluttering: After living in the States for six years, I cut all

my belongings down to two suitcases, a few moving boxes stored on a friend's

attic, a piano (a friend is using it) and two bikes. That was kind of

liberating. Now I am quite conscientious of buying new things, always asking

myself if I really need it or what else i can get rid of so I don't have too

much stuff. The only exception: Food. But I am also trying to tackle that,

switching from " just in case " to " just in time " pantry organization. Still,

there is quite a few cans that I don't really need but bought " just in case " .

I was considering buying the appetite adjuster to address the hunger journal

issues I described above. Does anyone have any experience?

If social situations make you nervous, there are a number of good strategies to

cope with that. Are you more comfortable with one-on-one conversations or in a

group? also, if there are two people in an animated conversation, it's not easy

to bud in, but if there's at least three, it makes it easier (and less awkward).

There are a few more hints like that that can help you feel more at ease in

these type of situations. 's strategies also sounds pretty effective,

setting a goal of being helpful or making a true connection with at least one

person at a party.

I am planning to go swimming later today. Hope you enjoyed your exercise!

Jantje

>

> Good morning, ;

> I always love reading your posts. You are a beautiful writer and thoughtful

> friend.

> I managed to gain about 15 pounds in the last year, mostly because I cut my

> exercise back to almost nothing. Recently I have managed to stop the

> majority of night eating and general snacking and have really been working

> on quality not quantity, but if I get too hungry all that goes out the

> window pretty quickly.

> Was at a birthday party yesterday surrounded by beautiful little sandwiches

> and " dainties " of the most dangerous kind. I didn't have the sense to just

> get away from the table where I was constantly tempted, so I overate. I am

> realizing now that this is a fear reaction. I am uncomfortable in these

> situations and I turn to food for comfort and also wine if it's available. I

> did drink a glass of wine, but many cups of coffee, too, which is also not a

> healthy reaction. After the fact I began to think of one of 's early

> podcasts on this subject and I need to find it and listen to it again. My

> plan is to listen to it " before " the next social invitation in hopes that I

> can develop some other coping mechanisms.

> I did manage a 7.2 k run and biceps and triceps yesterday morning. I have my

> exercise class this morning and I always enjoy it. My task for today is to

> clean out my fridge. It, like my cupboards, is overful (just like me!) and I

> am on a mission to pare everything down in my house, clearing away clutter

> in every room and every cupboard. I have been hearing and reading so much

> about this lately and I am coming to believe it has a huge effect on my

> size. I store food as if I were a squirrel in the fall and that has to

> change.

> Thanks to you and everyone out there who is offering such wonderful

> understanding and support.

> I don't think I'm ready to go the food diary thing yet, but maybe I should

> give it a try?

> Take care,

> Wynn

> Re: Re: Exercise

> >

> >

> > I have been on so many diets and yo yo'd up & down, I had vowed

> > never to diet again. I am avoiding a food diary like the plague, but maybe

> > that's where I need to start.

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Wynn and I can understand why you no longer want to count calories....

 

Three years ago I started working with a personal trainer and without counting

calories managed to lose 20 pounds. I just ate what I thought was right at

regular times and the weight slowly came off. After the first week the cravings

disappeared and it felt fantastic. We worked together for about 7 months and

afterwards I managed to maintain my new weight. But I was CONSTANTLY thinking

about food. What to eat, where to eat, what I should or shouldn't eat, what i

should have or shouldn't have eaten, what I could or couldn't eat the next

day......etc.etc etc.

Then last summer while on vacation I started eating and couldn't/didn't want

to stop eating (mostly sweets) and gained back about 14 pounds. I still didn't

have the tools, you see, to maintain my weight.

I had never counted calories before! So together with the IOWL podcasts that I

discovered in December I decided to start " observing " what i was eating and at

what times and how the food made me feel. I wanted to look at the amount of

carbs I was taking in and protein and fats and how I felt on any given day

depending on how I eat. Again I'm combining this with 's suggestion of

finding foods that make us " feel good for the most amount of time " .

 

Also, when do I tend to overeat or crave sugar/fat filled cookies or chocolates

or cakes?

 

So many answers! I've discovered my triggers and am working on them.

 

I have discovered that I CANNOT eat sweets (sugar/fat combination or chocolate)

without it causing a binge.....At this point I cannot do this so one of the

things I decided this last week  is that at least for the time being I will

not eat sugar. I do not give myself a choice actually and it surprised me

because it has been a huge relief.

It's like the tug of war that talks about and it's no longer there because

there is no choice.

Diet drinks make me feel terrible. My stomach feels more empty after an hour, I

get irritable and just thinking about this feeling has helped me so much that I

haven't had any for months.

I am on this weight loss journey and observing as I go along.... If something

works, I'm going to make it a part of my life. If it doesn't it gets thrown out.

I don't know how long it will take to get to the end but when I do get there

it will be with a whole new set of tools. 

Thank you everyone for all the ideas and suggestions and most of all Thank you

RENEE for a new approach, for a positive approach to loving ourselves

and offering tools so that we can reach the end of our journeys.

 

evelyn 

From: Wayne and Wynn Schneider <mrfreeze@...>

Subject: Re: Food diary vs hunger diary

weightloss

Date: Monday, April 26, 2010, 9:17 PM

 

Good morning, ;

I always love reading your posts. You are a beautiful writer and thoughtful

friend.

I managed to gain about 15 pounds in the last year, mostly because I cut my

exercise back to almost nothing. Recently I have managed to stop the

majority of night eating and general snacking and have really been working

on quality not quantity, but if I get too hungry all that goes out the

window pretty quickly.

Was at a birthday party yesterday surrounded by beautiful little sandwiches

and " dainties " of the most dangerous kind. I didn't have the sense to just

get away from the table where I was constantly tempted, so I overate. I am

realizing now that this is a fear reaction. I am uncomfortable in these

situations and I turn to food for comfort and also wine if it's available. I

did drink a glass of wine, but many cups of coffee, too, which is also not a

healthy reaction. After the fact I began to think of one of 's early

podcasts on this subject and I need to find it and listen to it again. My

plan is to listen to it " before " the next social invitation in hopes that I

can develop some other coping mechanisms.

I did manage a 7.2 k run and biceps and triceps yesterday morning. I have my

exercise class this morning and I always enjoy it. My task for today is to

clean out my fridge. It, like my cupboards, is overful (just like me!) and I

am on a mission to pare everything down in my house, clearing away clutter

in every room and every cupboard. I have been hearing and reading so much

about this lately and I am coming to believe it has a huge effect on my

size. I store food as if I were a squirrel in the fall and that has to

change.

Thanks to you and everyone out there who is offering such wonderful

understanding and support.

I don't think I'm ready to go the food diary thing yet, but maybe I should

give it a try?

Take care,

Wynn

Re: [insideoutweightlos s] Re: Exercise

>

>

> I have been on so many diets and yo yo'd up & down, I had vowed

> never to diet again. I am avoiding a food diary like the plague, but maybe

> that's where I need to start.

>

>

[Guest guest]

i'vce been keeping the hunger diary, but i know i am starting to abuse it. i

don't really want to be filling it out anymore... it is just feeding my

issues (control, lack of trust, etc)... haven't been willing to really stop.

i think i almost feel guilty about it.

after yesterday's binge, i felt soooo upset (duh). grateful for

self-improvement today.

ALL

On Mon, Apr 26, 2010 at 10:45 AM, Nixe708 <jantje.gerdes@...> wrote:

>

>

> I hear you, Wynn. Both on the food diary and on the de-cluttering.

> I started keeping the hunger diary that suggested but that was only

> for a few weeks and then I got over. Sometimes I think it's because I am

> such a rational, scientific kind of person. My own subjective hunger scale

> does not seem to be accurate enough. Am I really at a 2? It seems i should

> be. Maybe it's a four and if I eat to 5 on the hunger scale, it is really a

> seven and then I'll never lose weight... I am getting better at trusting my

> body (and I have lost weight over the last weeks), but its still irks me.

>

> Regarding the de-cluttering: After living in the States for six years, I

> cut all my belongings down to two suitcases, a few moving boxes stored on a

> friend's attic, a piano (a friend is using it) and two bikes. That was kind

> of liberating. Now I am quite conscientious of buying new things, always

> asking myself if I really need it or what else i can get rid of so I don't

> have too much stuff. The only exception: Food. But I am also trying to

> tackle that, switching from " just in case " to " just in time " pantry

> organization. Still, there is quite a few cans that I don't really need but

> bought " just in case " .

>

> I was considering buying the appetite adjuster to address the hunger

> journal issues I described above. Does anyone have any experience?

>

> If social situations make you nervous, there are a number of good

> strategies to cope with that. Are you more comfortable with one-on-one

> conversations or in a group? also, if there are two people in an animated

> conversation, it's not easy to bud in, but if there's at least three, it

> makes it easier (and less awkward). There are a few more hints like that

> that can help you feel more at ease in these type of situations. 's

> strategies also sounds pretty effective, setting a goal of being helpful or

> making a true connection with at least one person at a party.

>

> I am planning to go swimming later today. Hope you enjoyed your exercise!

>

> Jantje

>

>

>

> >

> > Good morning, ;

> > I always love reading your posts. You are a beautiful writer and

> thoughtful

> > friend.

> > I managed to gain about 15 pounds in the last year, mostly because I cut

> my

> > exercise back to almost nothing. Recently I have managed to stop the

> > majority of night eating and general snacking and have really been

> working

> > on quality not quantity, but if I get too hungry all that goes out the

> > window pretty quickly.

> > Was at a birthday party yesterday surrounded by beautiful little

> sandwiches

> > and " dainties " of the most dangerous kind. I didn't have the sense to

> just

> > get away from the table where I was constantly tempted, so I overate. I

> am

> > realizing now that this is a fear reaction. I am uncomfortable in these

> > situations and I turn to food for comfort and also wine if it's

> available. I

> > did drink a glass of wine, but many cups of coffee, too, which is also

> not a

> > healthy reaction. After the fact I began to think of one of 's early

>

> > podcasts on this subject and I need to find it and listen to it again. My

>

> > plan is to listen to it " before " the next social invitation in hopes that

> I

> > can develop some other coping mechanisms.

> > I did manage a 7.2 k run and biceps and triceps yesterday morning. I have

> my

> > exercise class this morning and I always enjoy it. My task for today is

> to

> > clean out my fridge. It, like my cupboards, is overful (just like me!)

> and I

> > am on a mission to pare everything down in my house, clearing away

> clutter

> > in every room and every cupboard. I have been hearing and reading so much

>

> > about this lately and I am coming to believe it has a huge effect on my

> > size. I store food as if I were a squirrel in the fall and that has to

> > change.

> > Thanks to you and everyone out there who is offering such wonderful

> > understanding and support.

> > I don't think I'm ready to go the food diary thing yet, but maybe I

> should

> > give it a try?

> > Take care,

> > Wynn

> > Re: Re: Exercise

> > >

> > >

> > > I have been on so many diets and yo yo'd up & down, I had vowed

> > > never to diet again. I am avoiding a food diary like the plague, but

> maybe

> > > that's where I need to start.

> > >

> > >

[Guest guest]

Hey, Jantje who works in a lab... If you're not sure your inner hunger scale is

right, calibrate it.

Picture it. How will you feel when it's a 5? How will you feel when you're at a

2? It's YOUR scale, after all.

Do you actually feel hunger? Do you feel full? If not, you might not actually

want the full range of 10. You might want hungry-satisfied-full. And when that

starts working, calibrate it again, adding a few more values in between.

I did this with the appetite adjuster download. She actually uses a

switch--which was very good for me to start with--since I wasn't registering

normal-full. Just stuffed-to-the-gills full. So this helped me to stop turn off

the eating when I recognized that I was full.

The second time, I changed my mental image of the hardware I was installing. I

didn't want a switch--I wanted an indicator/gauge. (I did mention I work in

documentation, right? LOL!) So I replaced the switch with this indicator. It

goes to 10 (stuffed). But the intervals between the values are not the same. The

largest interval is 5--right at the top. (It's also colored blue, since it's a

nice, safe peaceful color). That's for satisfaction. 6 is actually fairly small.

I want to be more than just satisfied at a meal--but not a *lot* more than

satisfied. On the hungry side, 4 is fairly large. Because I enjoy feeling a

certain low-level hunger for a while before I eat. It reminds me that I'm on

track, and allows me to remind my body to burn some reserves... The rest of the

intervals are about the same, and they're smaller.

So take advantage of your rational, scientific mind to use the tools to your

advantage. I have the feeling that when I reach my goal, I will want 4 to be

smaller. I will not want or need to feel hungry for quite as long. But I'll

decide when I get there. Because it *is* subjective. And the subject--me--is

still changing. Evolving.

Have fun with this! :-)

________________________________

From: Nixe708 <jantje.gerdes@...>

weightloss

Sent: Mon, April 26, 2010 5:45:41 PM

Subject: Re: Food diary vs hunger diary

I hear you, Wynn. Both on the food diary and on the de-cluttering.

I started keeping the hunger diary that suggested but that was only for a

few weeks and then I got over. Sometimes I think it's because I am such a

rational, scientific kind of person. My own subjective hunger scale does not

seem to be accurate enough. Am I really at a 2? It seems i should be. Maybe it's

a four and if I eat to 5 on the hunger scale, it is really a seven and then I'll

never lose weight... I am getting better at trusting my body (and I have lost

weight over the last weeks), but its still irks me.

[Guest guest]

Hey, Jantje who works in a lab... If you're not sure your inner hunger scale is

right, calibrate it.

Picture it. How will you feel when it's a 5? How will you feel when you're at a

2? It's YOUR scale, after all.

Do you actually feel hunger? Do you feel full? If not, you might not actually

want the full range of 10. You might want hungry-satisfied-full. And when that

starts working, calibrate it again, adding a few more values in between.

I did this with the appetite adjuster download. She actually uses a

switch--which was very good for me to start with--since I wasn't registering

normal-full. Just stuffed-to-the-gills full. So this helped me to stop turn off

the eating when I recognized that I was full.

The second time, I changed my mental image of the hardware I was installing. I

didn't want a switch--I wanted an indicator/gauge. (I did mention I work in

documentation, right? LOL!) So I replaced the switch with this indicator. It

goes to 10 (stuffed). But the intervals between the values are not the same. The

largest interval is 5--right at the top. (It's also colored blue, since it's a

nice, safe peaceful color). That's for satisfaction. 6 is actually fairly small.

I want to be more than just satisfied at a meal--but not a *lot* more than

satisfied. On the hungry side, 4 is fairly large. Because I enjoy feeling a

certain low-level hunger for a while before I eat. It reminds me that I'm on

track, and allows me to remind my body to burn some reserves... The rest of the

intervals are about the same, and they're smaller.

So take advantage of your rational, scientific mind to use the tools to your

advantage. I have the feeling that when I reach my goal, I will want 4 to be

smaller. I will not want or need to feel hungry for quite as long. But I'll

decide when I get there. Because it *is* subjective. And the subject--me--is

still changing. Evolving.

Have fun with this! :-)

________________________________

From: Nixe708 <jantje.gerdes@...>

weightloss

Sent: Mon, April 26, 2010 5:45:41 PM

Subject: Re: Food diary vs hunger diary

I hear you, Wynn. Both on the food diary and on the de-cluttering.

I started keeping the hunger diary that suggested but that was only for a

few weeks and then I got over. Sometimes I think it's because I am such a

rational, scientific kind of person. My own subjective hunger scale does not

seem to be accurate enough. Am I really at a 2? It seems i should be. Maybe it's

a four and if I eat to 5 on the hunger scale, it is really a seven and then I'll

never lose weight... I am getting better at trusting my body (and I have lost

weight over the last weeks), but its still irks me.

[Guest guest]

Hi and Janje,

I agree that in the end we have to find something that works for us. I have

been keeping a food journal since December.....

Β 

Three years ago I started working with a personal trainer and without counting

calories managed to lose 20 pounds. I just ate what I thought was right (lots of

healthy fruits, veggies, clean protein and nonfat dairy) at

regular times and the weight slowly came off. After the first week the cravings

disappeared and it felt fantastic. We worked together for about 7 months and

afterwards I managed to maintain my new weight. But I was CONSTANTLY thinking

about food. What to eat, where to eat, what I should or shouldn't eat, what i

should have or shouldn't have eaten, what I could or couldn't eat the next

day......etc.etc etc.

Then last summer while on vacation I started eating and couldn't/didn't want

to stop eating (lots of  sweets) and gained back about 14 pounds. I still

didn't

have the tools, you see, to maintain my weight.

I had never counted calories before! So together with the IOWL podcasts that I

discovered in December I decided to start " observing " what i was eating and at

what times and how the food made me feel. I wanted to look at the amount of

carbs I was taking in and protein and fats and how I felt on any given day

depending on how I eat. Again I'm combining this with 's suggestion of

finding foods that make us " feel good for the most amount of time " . I'm sort

of counting calories but it's in combination with how I feel. It's more like an

observation. I'm trying out different things.

Also, wnated to discover exately whenI  tend to overeat or crave sugar/fat

filled cookies or chocolates or cakes?

Î’

I have found so many answers! I've discovered my triggers and am working on

them.

Β 

I have discovered that I CANNOT eat sweets (sugar/fat combination or chocolate)

without it causing a binge.....At this point I cannot do this so one of the

things I decided this last week  is that at least for the time being I will

not eat sugar. I do not give myself a choice actually and it surprised me

because it has been a huge relief.

It's like the tug of war that talks about and it's no longer there because

there is no choice.

Also, diet drinks make me feel terrible. My stomach feels more empty after an

hour, I

get irritable and just thinking about this feeling has helped me so much that I

haven't had any for months.

I am on this weight loss journey andΒ observing as I goΒ along.... If

something

works, I'm going to make it a part of my life. If it doesn't it gets thrown out.

I don'tΒ know how long it will take to get to the endΒ butΒ when I do get

there

it will be with a whole new set of tools.Β 

Thank you everyone for all the ideas and suggestions and most of all Thank you

RENEE for a new approach, for a positive approach to loving ourselves

andΒ offeringΒ tools so that we canΒ reach the end of ourΒ journeys.

[Guest guest]

Thanks !

I know, you'd think that this would be right up my alley, lol!

However, since I don't have a standard that's objective (like someone telling

me: " what you feel right now is a 5 on the hunger scale " ), I'm left to my own

devices, so that was a little troubling to me at first. But I like the idea of

" dynamic " intervals instead of a linear scale. Thanks for the image of the blue

set-point. I really like to picture this as an indicator with numerical values

and a color-coded indicator for the " biggest pleasure over time " zone...

I think I have to observe myself and my reactions some more to get a good grip

on this concept but I have already made headway using the binary " hungry- not

hungry " system. NOw, however, I think it might be time to graduate to something

slightly more sophisticated.

It sounds like the appetite adjuster could be a good tool for me to address this

issue. Thanks for describing it for me in a little bit more detail.

Cheers,

Jantje

>

> Hey, Jantje who works in a lab... If you're not sure your inner hunger scale

is right, calibrate it.

>

> Picture it. How will you feel when it's a 5? How will you feel when you're at

a 2? It's YOUR scale, after all.

>

> Do you actually feel hunger? Do you feel full? If not, you might not actually

want the full range of 10. You might want hungry-satisfied-full. And when that

starts working, calibrate it again, adding a few more values in between.

>

> I did this with the appetite adjuster download. She actually uses a

switch--which was very good for me to start with--since I wasn't registering

normal-full. Just stuffed-to-the-gills full. So this helped me to stop turn off

the eating when I recognized that I was full.

>

> The second time, I changed my mental image of the hardware I was installing. I

didn't want a switch--I wanted an indicator/gauge. (I did mention I work in

documentation, right? LOL!) So I replaced the switch with this indicator. It

goes to 10 (stuffed). But the intervals between the values are not the same. The

largest interval is 5--right at the top. (It's also colored blue, since it's a

nice, safe peaceful color). That's for satisfaction. 6 is actually fairly small.

I want to be more than just satisfied at a meal--but not a *lot* more than

satisfied. On the hungry side, 4 is fairly large. Because I enjoy feeling a

certain low-level hunger for a while before I eat. It reminds me that I'm on

track, and allows me to remind my body to burn some reserves... The rest of the

intervals are about the same, and they're smaller.

>

> So take advantage of your rational, scientific mind to use the tools to your

advantage. I have the feeling that when I reach my goal, I will want 4 to be

smaller. I will not want or need to feel hungry for quite as long. But I'll

decide when I get there. Because it *is* subjective. And the subject--me--is

still changing. Evolving.

>

> Have fun with this! :-)

>

>

>

>

>

> ________________________________

> From: Nixe708 <jantje.gerdes@...>

> weightloss

> Sent: Mon, April 26, 2010 5:45:41 PM

> Subject: Re: Food diary vs hunger diary

>

>

> I hear you, Wynn. Both on the food diary and on the de-cluttering.

> I started keeping the hunger diary that suggested but that was only for

a few weeks and then I got over. Sometimes I think it's because I am such a

rational, scientific kind of person. My own subjective hunger scale does not

seem to be accurate enough. Am I really at a 2? It seems i should be. Maybe it's

a four and if I eat to 5 on the hunger scale, it is really a seven and then I'll

never lose weight... I am getting better at trusting my body (and I have lost

weight over the last weeks), but its still irks me.

>

>

[Guest guest]

I just stopped writting in my to do or did do journals.  ( Two weeks this is the

third week) ITS BEEN REALLY FREACKING HARD but it was just making me more

depressed when I did not finish two or three pages a day or of didn't really do

what I wrote down.

HUGS CONSTANCE IN MICH.

From: onewhorled <onewhorled@...>

Subject: Re: Re: Food diary vs hunger diary

weightloss

Date: Monday, April 26, 2010, 11:00 PM

i'vce been keeping the hunger diary, but i know i am starting to abuse it. i

don't really want to be filling it out anymore... it is just feeding my

issues (control, lack of trust, etc)... haven't been willing to really stop.

i think i almost feel guilty about it.

after yesterday's binge, i felt soooo upset (duh). grateful for

self-improvement today.

ALL

On Mon, Apr 26, 2010 at 10:45 AM, Nixe708 <jantje.gerdes@...> wrote:

>

>

> I hear you, Wynn. Both on the food diary and on the de-cluttering.

> I started keeping the hunger diary that suggested but that was only

> for a few weeks and then I got over. Sometimes I think it's because I am

> such a rational, scientific kind of person. My own subjective hunger scale

> does not seem to be accurate enough. Am I really at a 2? It seems i should

> be. Maybe it's a four and if I eat to 5 on the hunger scale, it is really a

> seven and then I'll never lose weight... I am getting better at trusting my

> body (and I have lost weight over the last weeks), but its still irks me.

>

> Regarding the de-cluttering: After living in the States for six years, I

> cut all my belongings down to two suitcases, a few moving boxes stored on a

> friend's attic, a piano (a friend is using it) and two bikes. That was kind

> of liberating. Now I am quite conscientious of buying new things, always

> asking myself if I really need it or what else i can get rid of so I don't

> have too much stuff. The only exception: Food. But I am also trying to

> tackle that, switching from " just in case " to " just in time " pantry

> organization. Still, there is quite a few cans that I don't really need but

> bought " just in case " .

>

> I was considering buying the appetite adjuster to address the hunger

> journal issues I described above. Does anyone have any experience?

>

> If social situations make you nervous, there are a number of good

> strategies to cope with that. Are you more comfortable with one-on-one

> conversations or in a group? also, if there are two people in an animated

> conversation, it's not easy to bud in, but if there's at least three, it

> makes it easier (and less awkward). There are a few more hints like that

> that can help you feel more at ease in these type of situations. 's

> strategies also sounds pretty effective, setting a goal of being helpful or

> making a true connection with at least one person at a party.

>

> I am planning to go swimming later today. Hope you enjoyed your exercise!

>

> Jantje

>

>

>

> >

> > Good morning, ;

> > I always love reading your posts. You are a beautiful writer and

> thoughtful

> > friend.

> > I managed to gain about 15 pounds in the last year, mostly because I cut

> my

> > exercise back to almost nothing. Recently I have managed to stop the

> > majority of night eating and general snacking and have really been

> working

> > on quality not quantity, but if I get too hungry all that goes out the

> > window pretty quickly.

> > Was at a birthday party yesterday surrounded by beautiful little

> sandwiches

> > and " dainties " of the most dangerous kind. I didn't have the sense to

> just

> > get away from the table where I was constantly tempted, so I overate. I

> am

> > realizing now that this is a fear reaction. I am uncomfortable in these

> > situations and I turn to food for comfort and also wine if it's

> available. I

> > did drink a glass of wine, but many cups of coffee, too, which is also

> not a

> > healthy reaction. After the fact I began to think of one of 's early

>

> > podcasts on this subject and I need to find it and listen to it again. My

>

> > plan is to listen to it " before " the next social invitation in hopes that

> I

> > can develop some other coping mechanisms.

> > I did manage a 7.2 k run and biceps and triceps yesterday morning. I have

> my

> > exercise class this morning and I always enjoy it. My task for today is

> to

> > clean out my fridge. It, like my cupboards, is overful (just like me!)

> and I

> > am on a mission to pare everything down in my house, clearing away

> clutter

> > in every room and every cupboard. I have been hearing and reading so much

>

> > about this lately and I am coming to believe it has a huge effect on my

> > size. I store food as if I were a squirrel in the fall and that has to

> > change.

> > Thanks to you and everyone out there who is offering such wonderful

> > understanding and support.

> > I don't think I'm ready to go the food diary thing yet, but maybe I

> should

> > give it a try?

> > Take care,

> > Wynn

> > Re: Re: Exercise

> > >

> > >

> > > I have been on so many diets and yo yo'd up & down, I had vowed

> > > never to diet again. I am avoiding a food diary like the plague, but

> maybe

> > > that's where I need to start.

> > >

> > >

[Guest guest]

Constance what is a to do and did do journal? Things you have to do??

[Guest guest]

It is a five subject not book with three pens ( different colors ....tied to

it) At first I just wrote down the things I needed to do and remember. But I was

getting depressed and not getting much done. So that is why I needed three pens.

One to write the things I needed to do and then one to write the things I wanted

to get done and of course one to mark them off with. Right now it sounds kinda

stupid as write it. Anyway a month ago I was finding That I could not let go of

all the things I did not do and I was working on three or four pages at a time.

Just to prove I am not Lazy.  ( Look at me I got two full pages done) Kinda

need to work on that limiting view.

I was thinking of starting a board or list of writing on for the Hunger

intensity level. Just got to that section. Like right now I have dinner

made..... it smells so good  but I know my hungry level is what a 2 and mostly

because I had to make it and smell it. If I was not the caretaker of such things

I think I could actually forget that I needed to eat. Which is what we want to

be able to do.

Hugs Constance in Mich.

From: e v <evergos@...>

Subject: Re: Re: Food diary vs hunger diary

weightloss

Date: Thursday, April 29, 2010, 7:53 AM

 

Constance what is a to do and did do journal? Things you have to do??