Lets try again

[tinyjo]

So, Neris & India's idiot proof diet certainly turned out to be me-proof. Easy to follow, but not actually effective it seems, even when I followed it to the letter. Still, it's given me some interesting ideas and definitely got me back into the more determined "You can do something about this" frame of mind, so not bad.

I've decided to try a mix of things of my own selection - I'll be keeping the three meals a day part and keep the carbs low, although allowing them back in again on occasion. Portion control is to be kept an eye on but I'm not going to rule out any foods entirely. I'm also going to allow myself anything I want to drink. So far, so good, you might think, but where does the weight loss part come in? Well, the answer is simple: NO SNACKS.

This is actually a huge thing for me because I snack a lot in the evenings, although not during the day at all really. I think in fact it's linked to my evening drinking - taking in food as the evening progresses means that I can comfortably enjoy another glass of wine without it having too much effect, which is something I enjoy and find relaxing. On Weightwatchers, I tended towards low point high carb snacks like toasted pitta bread and tortilla wraps. On the low-carb plan, I've been having slices of cheese instead. Interestingly, that didn't cause weight gain, compared to the carbs so there's clearly something in that for me, but obviously it's just not likely that I'm going to lose a lot while I'm managing a third of a block of cheddar in an evening.

It will at least have the benefit of being simple to follow and not interfering with going out to pubs or resturants for food which we end up doing once or twice a week usually. The N&I diet also claimed to be very resturant friendly, but it depends on the type of resturant. Indian, fantastic but pub food or English tends to have some sort of potato included with nearly every meal so your choice tends to be limited and you end up having to ask for x without y which I hate doing, not least because you're never sure you're going to get it.

Of course today, I have a grey area - the barbeque. How much food can I have as my dinner without straying over into snacking? To be honest, I'm not really sure on that one, but other than that, we'll see how it goes.

Comments

[white_hart]

Have you heard of the No S Diet?

My problem is always stopping myself from snacking when I get home from work, because by then I'm getting pretty hungry and it's still a while until dinner...

[kateshort.livejournal.com]

Huh. See, I've found that I'm happier now that I've added in snacks at midmorning and midafternoon. It can be a protein bar, or an apple and a wedge of cheese, or a packet of carrots and a bottle of apple juice, but it's *something*, and it keeps me from being ravenously hungry at lunch and at dinnertime. That way, I end up eating smaller and more sensible portions for lunch and dinner.

[rufusfrog.livejournal.com]

If only I could keep off the snacks! The only time I seriously lost weight was when I followed the Charles Clark "New High Protein Diet" for a year. Then I snacked exclusively on pistachios (one of the lowest-carb nuts - Walnuts are 'better' but don't appeal to me). I still stick to some aspects of the diet (scrambled egg and smoked salmon for breakfast and cold meat and avocado lunches) but the bread and potatoes (and chocolate!) have crept back in and the pounds piled back on. For me I think the key was taking exercise, once we move I am going to try and cycle everywhere at least at weekends as I have no choice but to drive to my job.