Eating Intuitively » Intuitive Eating

Do You Regulate Your Hunger?

Derek — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 08:15:34 +0000

I started my blog on the idea of eating intuitively by following a set a principles. I think it’s a great goal, and I actually think we’re born with the ability. However, sometimes certain circumstances change our natural ability.

I saw a recent example of someone actively regulating her hunger, and it was fascinating to me. Do you regulate your hunger? Do you eat intuitively?

EatingIntuitively.com is a paid affiliate of Nutrisystem, Inc.

Are Kids Intuitive Eaters?

Derek — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 03:00:25 +0000

Kids get a bad rap for being finicky eaters, but are they just eating intuitively? I know I write a blog called “Eating Intuitively”, but I just found difficulty making it work for me as an adult.

I’ve watched my nieces time and time again get a plate of food, pick at it, then push it away. I think to myself that they couldn’t possibly be full, but, in fact, they think they are! They must be eating intuitively.

I was talking to a co-worker about this recently, and it seems clear where eating intuitively goes wrong. “Clean your plate!” “Finish your dinner!” “Kids are starving in (fill in the blank)!” Sound familiar?

It takes consistent effort to eat intuitively. Likewise, it takes consistent effort to break the habit of eating intuitively, but it can be done.

A structured diet is bringing me success. As much as I want the freedom of eating intuitively, it is more important to me that I reach my goal weight. NutriSystem Advanced is doing that for me.

EatingIntuitively.com is a paid affiliate of Nutrisystem, Inc.

I’m not done with the idea of eating intuitively. I might try it again when I reach my goal weight. I’ll need to make sure I know how to maintain my goal weight before I try it again.

Are you eating intuitively and finding success? Have you tried to eat intuitively and couldn’t quite make it work? This is important! Please tell your story in the comments.

Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Granola Bar; Ham, low-fat; Cherries; Bread, oatmeal; Morning Coffee

Morning Snack: Cottage Cheese, nonfat; Applesauce, unsweetened

Lunch: Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables; Cucumber; FF Dressing

Afternoon Snack: Zesty Herb Snack Mix

Dinner: Stroganoff Sauce with Beef and Noodles; Asparagus, cooked; Mandarin Oranges; Oil, canola, olive, peanut, safflower; Couscous, cooked

Dessert: Chocolate Caramel Bar

Drinks: Crystal Light; water

Exercise: 30 minutes on recumbent bike at 138 bpm. 50% of weekly exercise goal is complete.

Pedometer: ?

NutriSystem Advanced, Week Seven

Derek — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 02:00:32 +0000

I’m beginning my seventh week of NutriSystem, and I’m still going strong. I weigh in tomorrow, so I’ll know then how successful I have been. This I know now – the plan works. I’ve followed it religiously, and I’m seeing results. I don’t know if it is the fact that I keep track of my food or that I exercise according to the plan. I just know it’s working.

I did read the Mindset Makeover today as prescribed. This week is called “Eating Out, Eating Smart”. I will definitely need to put these techniques to work as I will be traveling on business in two weeks. I will be visiting another office, so the employees there may want to go out for lunch or dinner. It’s more important to develop the relationships, instead of running to my hotel to eat.

Jeans too tight? Nutrisystem has real solutions for real problems.

EatingIntuitively.com is a paid affiliate of Nutrisystem, Inc.

I haven’t decided exactly how I will approach eating on the trip. I’m inclined to bring all my food, but it might not be easy to prepare stuff. So, I may employ the techniques to eat out. This will be a good test.

Tomorrow I increase my exercise from 100 minutes for the week to 120 minutes. That works out to four 30-minute workouts.

Breakfast: Lowfat Granola Cereal; Egg Whites; Banana; Bread, sourdough

Morning Snack: Crabmeat; Orange

Lunch: Vegetable Beef Soup; Spinach, raw; FF Dressing

Afternoon Snack: Zesty Herb Snack Mix

Dinner: Chicken Breast Patty; Collard Greens, cooked; Strawberries; Mayonnaise; Couscous, cooked; Mild Taco Sauce (Heinz)

Dessert: Chocolate Caramel Bar

Drinks: Crystal Light; Wyler’s; water

Exercise: none; I already reached my goal!

Pedometer: none

NutriSystem Advanced, Day 28

Derek — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 02:00:29 +0000

I finished four weeks on the NutriSystem Advanced program, and I am ready for more. I think I have had a pretty good four weeks. I deviated from the plan only once, at a party. Well, there was a little mistake tonight when I had two Low GI Carbohydrate servings, because I just wasn’t thinking. For the most part, I am right on.

EatingIntuitively.com is a paid affiliate of Nutrisystem, Inc.

I do have to deal with a “gotcha” for next week. I bought fat-free dressing and realized later it is packed with sugar. The first ingredient is corn syrup. Each two tablespoon serving is 70 calories! That’s ridiculous. I went online and purchased a bunch of Walden Farms salad dressings, because they have no fat, no calories, no sugar, etc. However, I will be using up what I bought. I probably should have returned it.

I couldn’t access “My Program” on the NutriSystem website today, and I felt lost. I have relied on that site for four weeks, and I got nervous that I wouldn’t be able to access my information. The customer service representative, through chat, told me she was going to “reset” my profile. I had visions of losing my history of eating, exercising and losing weight. Even worse, I was afraid I would have to start earning my next NutriBear from the beginning. Luckily, her “reset” put everything back to normal.

Breakfast: Blueberry Flavored Pancake Mix; Egg Whites; Applesauce, unsweetened; Bread, sourdough; Morning Coffee

Morning Snack: Yogurt, nonfat; Mandarin Oranges

Lunch: Black Beans and Rice; Lettuce, green or red leaf; FF Dressing; Salsa

Afternoon Snack: White Cheddar Soy Chips

Dinner: Florentine Sauce with Chicken Fettuccini; Asparagus, cooked; Mandarin Oranges; Oil, canola, olive, peanut, safflower; Rice, brown, cooked; Peas, green, cooked

Dessert: Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar

Drinks: Crystal Light; water

Exercise: none

Pedometer: 0 steps

NutriSystem Advanced, Day Six

Derek — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 02:00:55 +0000

I survived a work week on the NutriSystem Advanced diet, and it wasn’t all that bad. I will go as far to say I did very well. I even had a business lunch out today, and I feel I ate correctly. I ordered a Mahi Mahi salad. The dressing was on the side. It probably wasn’t low-fat or fat-free, but I didn’t use very much. The little I did have added nice flavor to the fish.

EatingIntuitively.com is a paid affiliate of Nutrisystem, Inc.

The birthday party is tomorrow night, and I am making chocolate chip cookies for it. I don’t know what other food will be there. Well, I know there will be some meatballs in a crockpot with some sort of sweet barbecue sauce. Someone in my extended family has made them several times. The good news is that I usually do not eat too much of them. Hopefully there will be some nice healthy foods as well.

Breakfast: Blueberry Muffin; Strawberries; Bread, multigrain; Coffee, brewed, prepared w/tap water; Cream, Half & Half ,Fluid; Splenda Sugar Replacement (Splenda); Packet Sweetener (Sweet `n Low)

Morning Snack: Egg; Orange

Lunch: Fish, baked or broiled; Lettuce, green or red leaf; Salad Dressing; Olives, black or green; Tomato

Afternoon Snack: Nacho Crisps

Dinner: Chicken Breast Patty; Spinach, cooked; Grapes; Oil, canola, olive, peanut, safflower; Bread, multigrain;

Dessert: Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar

Drinks: water; Diet Pepsi

Exercise: none

Pedometer: 0 steps

NutriSystem Advanced Started Today

Derek — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 02:00:16 +0000

I started NutriSystem Advanced today, and it almost ended with the first meal. I made the scrambled eggs, and it just did not turn out well. When I first opened the container, it looked like sawdust. I added water to it and microwaved it for about a minute. When I opened the container again, it looked like eggs, but I probably did not mix it well enough. There were clumps of egg powder that just were not appetizing. Luckily, that was the worst of it today.

Jeans too tight? Nutrisystem has real solutions for real problems.

EatingIntuitively.com is a paid affiliate of Nutrisystem, Inc.

I did not have all of the fresh grocery items that I needed at the beginning of the day, so I ended up eating more of my food toward the end of the day. I feel like I ate a lot of food. I just wish I had it at the beginning of the day, so I could distribute it throughout the day.

The other NutriSystem meals were fine, and I had a good variety of fresh grocery items. I will never try the eggs again. I will only eat real eggs from now on. Luckily, the NutriSystem Advanced program is flexible. I logged right into the website, and I removed eggs from any future orders. I will enjoy the snack bars. I will try the oatmeal and pancakes. If they’re not good, they will be off the list.

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs; Milk, nonfat or skim; Orange; Bread, multigrain; Coffee; Sweet ‘N Low; Splenda

Morning Snack: Sardines, drained; Applesauce, unsweetened

Lunch: Chicken and Pasta in Cacciatore Sauce; Lettuce, green or red leaf; FF Dressing

Afternoon Snack: Nacho Crisps

Dinner: Beef Pot Roast with Vegetables & Gravy; Broccoli, cooked; Orange Juice; Oil, canola, olive, peanut, safflower; Crackers, wholegrain

Dessert: Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar

Water: eight 8-ounce glasses

Exercise: none

Pedometer: 0 steps

Weight Loss Ideas for Success

Derek — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 02:00:56 +0000

Yesterday, I thought about doing low-carb, and it isn’t off the table - yet. I just don’t know that I can get it together by Saturday. If it doesn’t start on Saturday, then I will probably have to wait until June 22nd. Otherwise, I will have too many distractions. At least, waiting until June 22nd will give me two weeks practically clear of any parties or events.

I am open to other ideas. I need to get into a routine, a habit, that produces some level of success. Obviously, I want major success to the tune of shedding 160+ pounds, but I would be happy with a solid ten pounds right now. I will then try to turn it into twenty pounds, then thirty, etc.

So, what has worked for you? Is low-carb working now? What about low-fat? Where are the intuitive eating success stories? Who watched “I Can Make You Thin” and has made it work? I truly wish I could go on Biggest Loser, and just focus on getting healthier. That is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Has anyone tried a “fat camp” or spa?

Breakfast: two cheesy bacon BK Wrappers; coffee with Splenda, Sweet ‘N Low, and half & half; diet coke

Lunch: leftover pork tenderloin with stuffing

Dinner: Dunkin’ Donuts Coolata; chicken, bowtie pasta; salad

Drinks: diet pepsi, milk

Desserts: designer muffins

Exercise: none

Pedometer: didn’t wear it

Sunday Turns Into Monday, Time to Refocus

Derek — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:00:34 +0000

I am hoping that my second week at my new job will be a little bit calmer. I’m starting to get used to the people and the environment. I know where I’m working and what my focus is. I think I will be able to get some good work done and make great progress.

I should be able to start bringing my breakfasts and lunches to work again. That will help me control what I am eating a little bit better. Also, the fact that I am fairly busy should keep me away from desserts and such.

I planned out the week for exercise, and I had to work around a few things to make it work. I’m hoping I can still execute on the plan.

It’s gets very tiring being so big, so fat, and it is very frustrating not being able to make a dent in the amount I need to lose. I realize I’m not losing weight, because I am not exercising as consistently as I should. I’m trying different schedules to make this work. I need to complete enough exercise, so I can start seeing something on the scale. It should not be this hard, if I am truly focused. That may be the problem.

Breakfast: cappuccino with sugar; creme brulee waffle with bavarian cream and hard candy shell; for meat, I ordered corned beef hash; cranberry juice

Lunch/Dinner: garlic knots with marinara; half of a small stuffed calzone with all the meat and veggies

Dessert: Carvelanche at Carvel (like a Blizzard at Dairy Queen) with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Exercise: none

Racquetball Makes Exercising Fun

Derek — Mon, 26 May 2008 02:00:18 +0000

I went to the gym this morning at 7 o’clock and played racquetball. Well, it wasn’t really playing. I don’t know the rules. I just wanted to get used to hitting the ball with the racquet in the court. I think it will turn out to be a lot of fun. It certainly beats the treadmill and the recumbent bike. I’m okay doing those once a week, but I need to do something else on the other days.

Eventually, I want to find some physical challenges locally. I’m not ready for a marathon; I really don’t like running anyway. I do like riding my bike, and I’d be open to riding along either the ocean or the intracoastal. Being in Florida, I am having a hard time finding other fun physical challenges in nature. I mean, there are no mountains to climb. There’s never any snow for a change of terrain. It’s tough, but I’ll find something. Any ideas?

Breakfast: two sandwiches from Starbucks with a Triple Venti White Mocha. The Starbucks breakfast sandwiches rock. I don’t know why they’re discontinuing them.

Lunch: snacks as I cooked…I didn’t really eat a meal.

Dinner: Cold Asian food: Asian Shrimp Salad, Edamame Salad with Wasabi Dressing, Asian Skirt Steak Salad Over Cold Noodles, Ginger Creme Brulee, Sake Sorbet Cocktail. I’m a Food TV junkie.

Exercise: Racquetball practice for 50 minutes

Drinks: iced tea

Pedometer: about 3,000 steps while playing racquetball

Eat, Sleep and No Exercise

Derek — Sun, 25 May 2008 02:10:01 +0000

I didn’t sleep very well last night. Although yesterday was my last day at my old job, thoughts of the place kept running through my head. I was hoping for stress-free thoughts today, but that didn’t really happen.

I barely did anything this morning and then took a nap in the afternoon. After dinner, I bought some protective eye wear, so I can try racquetball tomorrow morning. The gym opens at 7am. We’ll see what time I get there.

I did plan a really nice “cold” Asian meal for tomorrow from appetizer to desserts. I’m sure that will keep me busy all day.

Breakfast from a Toaster: Toaster Scrambles, Toaster Strudel; coffee with Sweet ‘N Low, Splenda and half & half

More Coffee: Triple Venti Mint Mocha (not as good as my usual Triple Venti White Mocha)

Lunch: leftover salmon, rice and peas with salsa tartar sauce (mayo and salsa)

Dinner: leftover italian sausage and meatballs, orzo, a few undercooked vegetables and shredded cheese

Dessert: Strawberry Cream Pie shake from Sonic

Drinks: milk

Exercise: none

Pedometer: didn’t wear it