TexasHorseLady

 

...and you saying your so stubborn and don't give up without a fight..my own opinion is, if you want something bad enough, you have to be willing to do whatever it takes to get there, and sometimes that means doing something that is recommended and not what you want to do. .

I know everybody here has their own individual thoughts and ideas about dieting, and nobody among us should be telling someone else their idea is wrong and ours is right. But I think we all agree that dieting is all about changing our behavior to get the wanted results.

SO I just have to ask...and I mean no disrespect...but why give up so easily and say "oh I am just stubborn and that's the way I am" ? We are all stubborn, and we all want the naughty chocolate cake! But we are all fighting a real addiction and the only way to change it is to take one little tiny step at a time.

Embracing our stubbornness and saying "What I really want is chocolate cake, so I will just have a smaller piece of chocolate cake" it is like a heroin addict saying they will just do a smaller amount of heroin today, and everything will be alright. Why not reach for a piece of fruit and don't have that cake in ANY size portion. Try it for a day. Then a week. Over time we can train our brains to not even want the chocolate cake, and break the addiction.

After the addiction is broken, we can go back to having a little piece of chocolate cake now and then. But it won't be as good as it used to be, because we are no longer feeding an addiction...just simply having a little piece of cake.

I am just surprised to see very few people talking along these lines...

don't mean to be judgemental as we are all in this together, but you're going to have trouble getting where you want to be if you continue to eat things like cookies and ice cream, regardless of the quantities or the amount of exercise you get.

 

I absolutely, totally agree.

Gathina suggested it.

 

Lets say I'm sitting here and think about chocolate cake and then I want chocolate cake.

 

But am I really hungry or am I just craving something/bored/emotional?

 

She suggested that you think about a piece of fruit and if you say, "Sure, fruit sounds good." Then you are probably actually hungry and then you should have the fruit.

 

But if you say no, I don't want fruit, then you probably are just having a craving and not hungry.

 

I added a third level to this b/c I came up with Yes, I could eat some fruit.......but really........I was absolutely full.

 

So, I did a third check with my stomach and decided that I was full......fruit or not.

I am glad you found something that works for you! How do you handle it when your mind and stomach admit you are full, but your taste buds want seconds?

I've found the blow dryers onboard to be adequate (and leaves me extra space in my suitcase) but I always bring a curling iron and/or straightener with no problem at boarding. The problems I have had are at hotels pre and post cruise. Once in Paris and once in Copenhagen I've blown out my curling iron, even though I used an adapter, so I won't even bother in the future. Beware!

Btw, clothes steamers are allowed on NCL.

I have thick, wavy, and really hard to style hair. I don't go ANYWHERE without a blow dryer and flat iron! All through Europe, all different cruise lines, never a problem. I can't usually use the blow dryer in ships (or hotels) on my hair, I would be there for hours with those things. And I always bring an adaptor, never had a problem with anything blowing out. Not that it couldn't happen, just never happened to me in all my travels...and I think it's worth taking the chance.

It takes a lot more than stating your opinion to make me take offense.:D New perspectives are welcome!!!

 

I agree with you on basic science, though I hate getting too indepth about all the different reasons why no carbs, or no sugar, or raw foods, or low sodium, etc...........are all great ways to eat. Its too much to think about for me and though I had tried about everyone of those, they never last long.

 

I'm looking at the long haul. I know I'm going eat fast food, I know I'm gonna eat pizza and fries, and crackers, and bread.........I don't feel the need to take things out of my diet completely, just moderately.

 

So, WW works for me b/c I can, if I want them, have a donut or fries, as long as I realize that I'm not have 5 donuts and a large fry.

 

WW does encourage you to eat high fiber, low fat, low carb and high protein foods. It does want you to eat fruits and veggies vs. candy and chips. But the main thing it will teach you is the very basic of weight loss science..........more out, than in. So, you must eat a little less, and move a little more. It gives me the choice of saying:

 

"Hmmm, I can have that 7 pt donut that has no value nutritionally, if I really wanted it, but I could also have a turkey sandwich on low calorie wheat bread with mayo/mustard/tomato/lettuce a banana and some a handful of wheat crackers for the same amount."

 

Which is really what my mantra is about, "Good choices." If I'm really obessessed with food, then I should make the good choice of going with the sandwich and sides b/c it is more food than one donut.

 

I'm not arguing with you, just trying to explain.

 

Mini pancakes aren't my normal breakfast, lol. People on here could tell you that I'm more of an oatmeal, protein shake, maybe greek yogurt, or a low calorie egg mcmuffin (in a hurry) kinda of breakfast eater. But they could also tell you that my biggest fault is probably my lack of planning and the fact that I ran out of all that stuff and the mini (50 cent piece) pancakes were there and easy.

 

The chicken noodle is actually the healthy one with low sodium and less choles and fat too. I also eat 35 calorie fiber wheat bread, almonds, low fat popcorn, grilled/seared poultry, low fat hamburgers, baked fries and have recently discovered my love for brussell sprouts (thanks Pam) and asparagus.

 

I've learned mind tricks (Gathina) for coping with cravings and have doubled my exercise efforts for the past three weeks-without fail I may add, lol.

 

This is all part of the "Good choices" and learning to eat better and change my relationship with food. These ladies and gentlmen could tell that though I'm a bit stubborn and maybe a slow learner.........I almost always get it in the end.

 

Its hard when you come into a thread that is 131 pages long, lol. So much history there. But there are NO harsh feelings here and honest opinions do NOT bother me as long as they are helpful (which yours def. are). I guess I'll speak for myself and not for the others :D.

 

Its great to have a new poster aboard, diversity is such a helpful component.

Your explanation makes perfect sense. I think it sounds like you have found the perfect solution, and it's working. Who can argue with that?! What are your mind tricks to cope with cravings?

Hey Texas and welcome!

 

We all have the same issue, just problem at different levels, but support and advice is always available.

 

I'm sure if you read through, you will notice that we all do something different to reach our goal of weightloss. And for the most part, we each have success if what we are doing.

 

LOl, I wasn't recommending crackers and cheese and soup for anyone. I post what I plan to eat for the day daily. I was also posting my weights daily, but on recommendation from some on this thread I'm just not looking at the scale for a few weeks and just focusing on exercise and food control. I'm on Weight Watchers, so yes, I can have things like chicken noodle soup for lunch and cheese and crackers for a snack as long as I stay in my points value. I chose WW b/c I don't feel deprived and I feel it teaches me how to eat normal foods in all situations that will be around for the rest of my life. Though I've tried and failed at many other kinds of food plans. Right now I'm up against a wall with a plateau, but I know I can turn it around and will eventually drop the weight I want to.

 

My goal is 25lbs by my next cruise, I've managed to waste away 6 months losing 5lbs, but its something and not nothing. 20lbs to go in 5 months.

 

We welcome you to tell us about the things you do and your journey past and present! :)

Hi again,

I hope I didn't sound as if I was preaching, and I apologize if I came across that way. Sometimes I speak my mind too freely (a lifelong habit, and at my age that's probably not going to change!) but I promise it's not with any sort of malice and I didn't mean to be unkind. I have nothing but admiration for anybody who loses weight by ANY means. I read everybody's successes, and it sounds like all the hard work is paying off! I have struggled with yo-yo weight gain all my life, and I know how hard it is.

I appreciate what you are saying about how we all diet different and that is precisely why this forum is so cool...to learn and share. I would love to hear about everybody's weight loss tricks and tips, especially tips to combat those mental and emotional gremlins that makes us eat when we are not even hungry. Why DO we do that??

But ...and here comes the honest and speaking my mind part....nutrition and food science is not a matter of opinion, but proven facts. I would love to discuss diet science and theories, it's become a passion of mine over the years - to learn all I can about what foods to choose - and why. That is where I was going when I mentioned the crackers and pancakes. Everybody knows that processed white starches, like white bread or pasta, are nothing but empty calories. Fluff. They are not nutritious, and not chock-full of any vitamin or mineral. With almost no fiber in them, our bodies just convert it into a sugar quickly. We may as well eat a candy bar. I was just surprised that anybody would want to include that in any kind of diet...even if your plan allowed it.

To be honest, I am surprised Weight Watchers (or any plan) doesn't suggest something more nutritious in place of every single food with empty calories. If they are teaching people to make wise food choices, why is anything with white processed starches one of the choices? Now I know WW really works, and in fact this is really my only beef with them. I have several friends who lost a lot of weight on the plan, and I know a lot of people absolutely love it and it really works. The support of the WW people help people stick to it, and point plan makes it easy. But I still have to wonder why they don't suggest substituting whole wheat products at least, and totally ban each and every food with white processed starches.

Oh! And I have a trick for the night-time cravings. I don't know what happens around 9pm, but I suddenly want something to eat every single night.

I found that if I keep unsweetened applesauce in the fridge...those little all- natural unsweetened ones that come in 8 packs....one of those with just a tiny bit of Splenda tastes wonderful and is sort of filling and satisfying. Fiber, healthy, sweet, sugar free, fat free, low calorie. All good! It's cold and sweet and I can actually be happy with that while my husband eats ice cream next to me. If I really need something more substantial, I add fresh blueberries or strawberries (not the kind with sugar!) to the applesauce and then I get to chew on something :D I have actually gone back to the fridge and had seconds from time to time it's so good. But even two unsweetened applesauces is better than most snacks.

I wish my stomach would level out. I'm trying to remember to take a probiotic everyday. Its just bubbly and a bit upset at times. I don't think it ever fully recovered from that stupid stomach bug.

 

BK: Protein Shake (The Biggest Loser powder was on sale)

 

L: Chicken noodle soup and natural fruit cup.

 

S: Cheese and crackers

 

W: 60 min. on the bike.......waiting on the gym

 

D: bunless 73% hamburger patties and some baked fries (now this is what I'm counting on, but it is Thursday........and that is usually nephew dinner night at McDs) I've had it so much lately (being once a week for three weeks now) that I'm not craving anything, so a grilled chicken sandwich should cover it.

 

I promise I still haven't weighed though it has been tempting and I did stay in my points last night. Thank God that my week starts over tomr. I found my WW workout DVD yesterday and I know it has a 20 min. hand weight workout on it, I might try.

 

Now, if I can just get my real estate agent (cousin) to take a break from is out of town g/f then I might get the ball rolling on my house................

 

good choices.

Hi everybody,

I hate being the newcomer and just barging in on conversations - but I was in this thread what seems like a million years ago and so now I am back in the 'lose before you cruise' mindframe and I thought it would be good to take a peek and join back in. Something about hearing other people struggling with the same problem makes us all feel better. Good to know we are not alone! And it's so good to bounce all these ideas off each other.

Having said that, I just read posts which included crackers, chicken noodle soup, and pancakes as diet suggestions. When I am in diet mode...which comes and goes...LOL!... I try to eat as close to nature and unprocessed as possible. And white flour and sugar are my mortal enemies, followed closely by salt!

I am comaring diet plans. Can someone tell me (in a nutshell) what Nutrisystem's basic theory is? From what very limited info I have seen read and heard about it...it looks like they want you to eat their prepackaged food so you can't possibly cheat on either what foods you are eating or serving sizes. Am I close?

We sometimes pay extra for the specialty restaurant, if it's an especially good one.

duplicate post...silly computer!

I think I would be willing to pay extra for front row seats to a show, if it was a show I really wanted to see.