Real Food in Moderation: Weight loss results for month 3
For those who are new to Almost Fit, welcome. Almost Fit focuses on losing weight and improving overall health by doing one primary thing: Eating Real Food in Moderation. If you feel like my experience may be of some help to you, please consider subscribing by either email or RSS. Thanks.
Spring is just beginning to hit its stride here in the Pacific Northwest, as you can tell from this photo of the plum tree in our front yard. I’ve now completed my third month of reworking my dietary habits using the concept of eating real food in moderation, and not unlike this photo, things are really starting to take off.
Here is a short summary of my approach so far:
- Eat only real food. No low fat products, no low carb products, just whole foods that are minimally processed. I’m eating things like whole fat ice cream, chocolate, butter, and quality (read unpreserved) breads, grass fed and free range meats, and lots of fruits and vegetables. On a daily basis this means avoiding fast food, all high fructose corn syrup, and all artificial sweeteners and flavoring chemicals.
- Eat in moderation. I am retraining myself on what it feels like to actually be full.
- Eat with focus. Whenever possible I eat regular meals, slower, at the table, in the company of my family and friends. The biggest change is not eating in front of the television (except for my small portion of ice cream at night – but its dished out in the kitchen where I’m not distracted).
- Eat for quality, not quantity. This is more or less a combination of the first two items, but it stands as a separate category because it is a big change in my approach to food. Its a principle that affects the others, but is a concept I actually have to focus on consciously.
- Do not slip into the dieting mindset, because I’m not dieting. That includes counting calories. I’m purposely not dieting; I’m relearning what it means to eat well, intuitively.
- Do not use negative reinforcement/punishment. If I eat something that I decide was not the right choice, the goal is this: don’t worry about it. This is a life change, not a sprint to reach thinness as quickly as possible. Real life for most of us means occasionally making lesser choices.
- Practice moderate exercise. So far this is my weakest point in my estimation, but as the weather improves (and I get over being sick) I’m inspired to get moving.
- Educate myself on how to eat. This is my passion currently. There is so much that we all take for granted as being truth when it comes to diet, when in fact in some cases there is little basis for it. The more we learn about our assumptions, the more we find our assumptions have been flawed. Margarine is a great example.What are my current sources? In addition to an abundance of supporting advice from places like IowaAvenue and ProHealthBlog, my current reading list includes the writings of Nina Planck, Dr. Will Clower, Michael Pollan, Russ Parsons, and Mireille Guiliano, among many others. There is simply not enough time in the day to read it all.
- Be accountable. That’s what I’m doing here on Almost Fit, in addition to sharing my past experience and my current process. I’m attempting to be accountable to readers who might be curious about losing weight without dieting. Does it work? Is it healthy? I’m finding out and telling everyone about it; for me, that is my public accountability. My private accountability is, well, private.
So how are these changes working out?
The Rubber hits the Road: Results for month 3
Month 3 has been another success, with none of the old negative emotional side effects that I was accustomed to when losing weight in the past. I have lost 6.6 lbs this month, which places me squarely at 22.6 lbs since the beginning of the year.
For a variety of personal reasons, this has been the most trying month for me in my adjustments so far, but it has been a great exercise in surviving “real life”. My work has been the most stressful it has ever been in 6 years; I started my exercise routine of returning to running, and within 2 days I caught a bronchial illness which morphed into a full-blown cold that lasted for nearly 2 weeks and severely hampered my desire to exercise. I’ve also been stuck on a weight plateau for about a week and a half, which although is to be expected, can be frustrating at times. I have to remind myself that I’m in this for the long haul, unlike every other diet plan I’ve tried.
The good things? Beyond the 6.6 lbs, I’ve gone down two notches in belt size this year. My mother visited us from out of state, and she noticed a very visible difference already. My jackets are a fair bit looser, as are my pants.
On the food side, its been a reasonably good month; I’ve been hungry on a few days, but I’ve attributed that to a) certain fruits with higher sugar levels, like tangerines, seem to make me hungrier – that has no scientific basis by the way – its just my instinct; Cashews seem to have the same effect, where almonds do not; and b) C’est la vie – that’s life. I think in life we’re going to have days when we’re a little hungrier. And really, that should be OK – in this country especially, we have become so fearful of becoming even the slightest bit hungry that we forget that we won’t starve to death or go into shock if we don’t eat all the time. I’m trying to retrain myself to be ok with being a little hungry at times, and enjoy the fact that when I’m hungry it makes the first few bites of food taste much better. And the truth is, my version of “hunger” probably doesn’t even fit the definition; mildly less-full is probably a closer approximation.
The phrase I remind myself of is this: Mild hunger in this land of abundance does not equate to Depression-era desperation.
Thank you to readers
I have to thank the readers this month, including a huge show of support from the great folks at IowaAvenue, and increasingly folks from BlogCatalog. Here are this month’s top commenters:
- Christine (11)
- Cynthia (6)
- MizFit (6)
- LisaN (5)
- Tom (3)
- pligg.com (3)
- Nico (3)
- Sheila Octaviano (3)
- From Fat to Fit (2)
- AndrewE (2)
Thanks to everyone for your insightful and entertaining comments. They are tremendously appreciated.
Best of Almost Fit – March 2008
In case you missed them, here is a quick list of the highlights of the most viewed articles in March.
- 7 things you should be paying for when dining out
- Personal Entry: Stress and my progress
- Did cereal make me fat? You decide
- The French tradition – Give us our daily baguette
- Friday Recipe: Not your ordinary Oatmeal
- 18 perfect excuses to avoid buying good food
Thank you again for another month of inspiration. Onward and thinward! (This is a blog…Being allowed to make up words is one of the perks. <grin>)
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healthranker.com Says: 03.04.08 at 8:04 pm
Real Food in Moderation: Weight loss results for month 3…
This article outlines the principles I’m using to lose weight by eating real food in moderation – that includes eating things like butter, bread, meat, chocolate, ice cream, and fruits and vegetables. And its working – I’ve lost over 22 lbs so far wi…
Congratulations on your weight loss, and I bet it feels good to loosen your belt a few notches. BTW, thanks for the plug. Keep up the good work…………………….:)
I think you are doing the exact same thing as me! It’s working for me as well which is great.
Keep it up.
Thanks for the encouragement – it is a huge help. And Andrew, your progress is definitely inspiring me, particularly in the exercise portion of what I need to do – you’re doing it!
Thanks!
Hey Metroknow
Amazing! I am really impressed with your approach. By the way, I love the design and layout of your site. Keep it up! I must thank you in advance because your helping to stir up some creative ideas in me. I’ll be in touch,
Thanks for sharing!
Yahoo! Congrats on your journey to get fit! Great post that really summaries the key points, I love your approach and it is inspiring me to get with the program..spring…new beginnings…new attitude…no more excuses for hibernating instead of exercising. Keep up the great work!
Congratulations on your progress. I ‘m not a huge fan of “diets,” that\’s why I’m interested in reading about what you eat, and the progress you are making. I’m really glad you are finding success. Thanks for keeping us informed, and keep up the great work!
Awww! Thanks for having me on your blog catalog. You are doing fantastic! Eating real food does work. I have took this approach too combined with some portion control and exercise. The weight is coming off. I hit the 10 pound mark today! The beauty of this whole approach is that I am not stressed or obsessed about some stupid diet. I am still trying to get over the flu and still don’t really feel like exercise but I think today I will try to go and walk on the treadmill for a little while. I think everybody has been sick. I had to venture out to the store yesterday and everybody is hacking.
This is great! I am going to try this.
This is awesome! I’m so excited for you!
@Tom: Thank you for the visit, and the encouragement.
@Christine: You are welcome – I really appreciate how much you contribute to the quality of visitors here. Its very inspiring to say the least, not to mention the insightful nature of your comments. I’m really glad that you’re taking a similar approach – It is obviously working!
@Jen: Hi Jen! Thank you for the enthusiasm — hope things aren’t too chilly for ya in NY
Congratulations!
This is the best siteI have ever read about losing weight and a better lifestyle. I love your natural approach it has all the ingredients I love and practice and although I personally do´nt have a weight problem, it is wonderful to know that this is working for you. These eating habits and your life attitude can work for everyone as it is back to basics with love and care.
Thank you for what you are doing!
I’m glad you’re getting the results! After 3 months you’re stilling losing weight which means you’re actually doing the right things
) you’re not starving yourself, losing water and muscles. Your method really is the way to continue and make a long term healthy lifestyle possible!
More and more I think of eating in moderation myself. Instead of having a desert right after I eat, when I’m already full, I wait a few hours. THis little change really plays a big role in my weight maintenance.
THanks by the way for the link to my site, I really appreciate it very much! I wish I could post some more on my own blog but I’m so busy at work and home right now as well… I’m actually at work right now, so I gotta go!
)
greetings!
Personal entry: Changing my habits means continuous adjustment | AlmostFit.com Says: 15.04.08 at 7:52 pm
[...] you’ve been reading Almost Fit, you know that my approach to weight loss has been to abandon a lot of conventional “dieting” advice. In addition to fruits and vegetables, I’m eating a fair percentage of fat, carbs (in [...]
Congratulations on the good results! I believe in moderation as well… no forbidden foods!
However, as I am older, I have found that I have to be stricter about some foods than others, as in eating them less often. Wasn’t the case when I was 40, but it’s a realization I’ve had to accept at over age 50. Ice cream every night would not do me good… sugar and fat give me acid reflux in combination, sigh. And, some foods simply have less nutrition than others… so it comes down to how best to nourish my body. Fortunately, my favorite treat, a square of 85% cacao dark chocolate, is actually a plus because of the antioxidants and fiber.
I don’t go so far as to entirely avoid low and non-fat products though. For instance, I might prefer to use real cheese in an omelet… while later in the day, I may account for that by using fat free cottage cheese in a protein/carb post workout smoothie. Other times, I might use a reduced fat swiss in my omelet, while enjoying another yolk OR perhaps some nuts in with the veggies. Choices and balance is what it boils down to. And I prefer 2% milk to whole milk. The latter is just too heavy to suit my tastes.
I keep bread out of the house simply because I have severe bread cravings. I’ll eat it out on occasion though. That does little harm to progress. It’s funny though, I can bake a nice low carb loaf, and when you’ve done the work to bake your bread yourself, one is less inclined to scarf it all down in one go!
I love reading here though, because I vicariously feed on your shopping and the lovely produce you are able to get! Out here in eastern OR… produce is none too fresh and rather limited. No Trader Joe’s out here… and I miss that from my days living in the Bay Area, CA. I’m looking forward to the farmer’s market finally opening again.
Keep working on the exercise… too bad about getting sick after you’d gotten that going. But exercise has so many health benefits! And once you get going, you’ll notice that you’ll feel “off” if you don’t!
Nice Topic. I just subscribe to your blog for future update.
Can i link this post to my blog and copy a snippet?
God bless and good luck!
Excellent information! I ll try this out..Thanks
I am trying the best I can to lose my weight .. I am gonna try this put for sure! Thanks
This is very good post, i’ve been working on this for quite a long time and it is very helpful. I know it takes a lot of time and dedication but the results are good
Thank you and keep up the good work!
Really good, interesting read.
I actually tried this on my own before reading this and it really does work.
Like they say, “You are what you eat”
These are great weight loss tips that I’m going to keep in mind as I have about 20 lbs to lose myself
.-= Darlyn´s last blog ..Low Carb Meal Plan For Weight Loss – Essential Facts You Need to Know =-.
You offer some fantastic and very informative weight loss tips. One of my favorite out of the list is eat in moderation.
The main reason I gain weight is because I eat large servings, when I should be eating smaller portions evenly spread out through the day
.-= Keith @ My Body Fat´s last blog ..My Second Weekly Weigh In Of 2010 =-.
Don’t they know how much better off they are than us? They’re in for a shock when they find out how bad our health care system is.
You have some really good ideas! Have you tried the “7 on 2 off diet” yet? I don’t know how safe it is, but I’ve lost almost 30 pounds since the first of the year.
Wow! Thank you!
I’m still learning from you, I absolutely enjoy reading all that is written on your blog.Keep the tips coming. I enjoyed it.
I continuously needed to write on my site something like that. Can I implement a fragment of your post to my blog?
I was plesantly surprised. I did the clen cycle and it really works for me. I always watch what I eat but never was able to really get the desired results, until now. I will repeat the cycle in 3 weeks time.
Great! i love it and will recommend it absolutelly !
absolutelly amazing results. I would do it again and will reccomend to friends. Did you find it useful? By the third week I already saw great results.
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