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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]It does not need to be miserable, OP, but it does need to be strategic and you need to be doing the right things.

I was successful with Noon and have kept the weight off for 5 years.  I did not feel like the techniques or meal plans were miserable at all, but I did have to completely rethink my relationship with food, snacking, and when and where I was eating.  Turns out I had some really bad habits that I did not see... once I switched to better habits, I started losing weight really quickly.  I also found an exercise program that I really *like* so I actually look forward to doing - and that has allowed me to build muscle and keep myself thin and fit for the last 5 years.

I could not have done it by myself.  I was eating a fairly healthy diet and thought I was doing really well.  But I needed professional, outside analysis to make real change.[/quote]

This is interesting.  What were some of the bad habits and switches you made?[/quote]

1. I am not hungry in the morning, so I wasn’t eating breakfast. Then I’d be starving by lunchtime and make bad food decisions. Like maybe I’d eat the healthy lunch I packed, but I’d also grab a bag of chips from the cafeteria or graze the office candy bowl all afternoon. And those bad food decisions carried through the rest of the day. So I started having two really small breakfasts - a green smoothie first thing and then a piece of whole wheat toast with avocado or a hard boiled egg or some oatmeal with fresh blueberries. That got me a balanced, nutritious start up each day without feeling like I had eaten a heavy meal. And those healthy decisions stayed with me throughout the day.

2. I realized I have a long time comfort-driven habit of eating while I read. I love to read, and I love to mindlessly crunch a snack while doing it. That adds up to a ton of mindless calories of really processed food that I was not even counting. So now I am mindful that that’s a habit and I’ve mostly broken it. Now, if I really, really want a snack while I read, I’ll have some raw vegetables or plain popcorn.

3. I cut out almost all processed foods. It is so easy to grab and go, but I found I do much better when I plan ahead and make things from scratch - so home baked bread and muffins each week instead of a granola bar or chips. Old fashioned oatmeal with a variety of toppings instead of boxed cereal. Meals cooked from scratch every night - switched to a mostly veg, mostly local diet - with plenty of leftovers to eat for lunch. I make a big pot of soup each week that I can top with wilted greens and eat with fresh bread.

4. I started tracking my water consumption. I wasn’t getting enough, and was feeling lethargic, cranky, and headachy as a result. And reaching for another sweetened coffee or a soda. So now I track my water and I drink at least 100 ounces a day. Makes a HUGE difference in how I feel, how I sleep, how my skin looks… and I’m not nearly as hungry.

5. I seriously reduced my alcohol consumption. This one has been really hard - I love wine - and it is more recent than the other habit changes. But as I get older, wine does not love me. I still drink 1-3 times a week, but just one glass (rarely two) and I *feel* it. I don’t sleep well, I feel awful, I make poor food decisions, I skip workouts… so while in my 30s I was okay holding a little extra weight if I could still drink whatever I wanted, in my 40s it’s just not worth it. And my body approves.

Like I said, none of these things are easy. But they aren’t miserable. It’s just a matter of taking a REALLY HARD look at your entire lifestyle and seeing what isn’t serving you. [/quote]

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