Tulipgirl6's Journal, 23 June 2014

Track your food and stay under your RDI. Avoid processed carbs. Eat a lot of protein to satiate your appetite. That's all there is to it :) 

You might check out Fat Secret members' recipes. Some of our pals make some pretty nifty things. I would tell you to check out the bottom of each of my daily journal pages where I list "Yesterday's Food." However, I have not lost weight in the past 3 weeks. He-he-he-he-he-he! I have not GAINED either. Good advice above regarding protein! 

What you should do is create your own bread which is a lot cheaper than the gluten free bread that you buy in the store. The one that I have is have my wife and I experimented with. If you are interested I can send you the receipt.  

I don't eat a LOT of different foods for many different health reasons. What worked for me was to focus on and enjoy what I COULD eat, and kept my snacks and meals very simple until I got the hang of things. You can always build layers of technique and complexity to your diet later, once you get comfortable using the ingredients in your new diet. I don't eat ANY packaged foods, chemicals, additives, preservatives, thickeners/emulsifiers, eggs, meat, dairy, processed oils, flours, gluten, nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant, plus MANY others) and apples due to insensitivities/allergies and lifestyle/nutritional preferences. It was a pretty challenging time in my life and I ended up mourning the loss of a lot of foods I used to really enjoy. When I first started trying to eat this way, I made lots of piles of inedible slop that made me hate food, even though I was an accomplished cook prior to this. It wasn't until I just started keeping my diet as simple as I could and focused on the whole ingredients my body needed to thrive and heal, that my new dietary restrictions began to work for me. So, for example, what worked for me was, instead of making lavish, intricate dishes, I opted for a simple meal like a lentil and Swiss chard salad, with a nectarine and few brazil nuts. I kept it simple and focused on the whole ingredients I COULD eat instead of trying to find gluten-free substitutes that never lived up to expectations or trying to make meals and snacks more complicated than it needed to be, trying to make "substitute" dishes that were always a disappointment. Besides, most of those packaged gluten free foods are full of chemicals, additives and a ton of processed white flour carbs. Best of luck to you! Hope my two cents helps.  

thank you everyone! Christy you are reminding me that it is actually simple, and sweet2th, i also have a lot of sensitivities, so i've eliminated many things from my repertoire; i think i'm lamenting their loss this week . . . . i agree with you that i should stick to simple whole foods with ingredients i can tolerate . . . . i'll try not to buy another pack of udi's bread! i think when you eliminate those things altogether it almost forces you to eat better foods . . . . thanks for the reminder! i think i need to analyze, focus, and prep better, instead of expanding my food choices at this point! I will concentrate on what I've already learned and build on that! I do think macros and timing and combinations of things are important, but not that important until you're really good with your basic nutrition! aaaaaah the baby is calling me! till later my friends! 

Hi Tulip... What a revelation! I could have written your journal entry, so much is sooo similar to my world. I am exercising more, tracking my food and exercise. That's all I can do for now. I try to eat as healthy as I know how but I'm not restricting myself to such a rigid diet that I set myself up for failure. I'll see how that goes for awhile. Keep up the good work, you're a fighter and a winner...  

I agree with ChristyLA. The easiest thing to do is avoid foods with labels and stick to moderate amounts of whole, unprocessed foods until you see a drop. Then occasionaly have bit of a favorite. We all stumble and fall. Just gotta get up and Conquer!! 

My favorite meal used to be macaroni and cheese. Why? It was a childhood thing, my comfort food. When I started to make it without the globs of butter it didn't taste rich and creamy. Why eat something that no longer tastes good and has so much salt that it makes my body swell up? Time for me to eat whole, unprocessed REAL food. 

I haven't read all the comments so I don't know if you've already seen this but... I've seen a bit of a 2-5 pound window depending on where I am in my cycle... So my rule is: If it stays for a couple of weeks, I have gained. If it fluctuates, I may just be in the window. And, as for eating, and what to eat. Well, I was wacko off the wagon for a few months. Today, and just for a day at a time, here's my plan: If I can, I try to stop and find peace with myself for 5-10 minutes. If I can get away with just water or tea or almond milk, I do. If what I really need is a fulfilling exchange with a friend, I reach out. If my body is physically in need of food, then I will make a decision among the healthy things I already have in my home. So glad you are able to work out.