-Diablo's Journal, 12 Jun 21

I was overeating on IF without tracking. Was pudgy with plenty of belly fat and never got as lean as I have with tracking.  

How much you eat is without a doubt the most important factor when it comes to weight management, with what (macros, micros) a close second, and when being almost irrelevant. 

I track, but often not on weekends like the post said.😁😢 I tracked yesterday and I went over 30 cal, I wouldn’t have been aware of that if I didn’t track. I have lowered my calorie intake as I am now thinner, (thank you FS and IF), and I am happy with 1300, down from 1700. I brought it down as I am being way too sedentary. Once I get my rump in gear I will elevate it. The whole weight loss experience for me was tracking calories and FS MADE IT EASY to do. If the food item is not there you can choose one that is closest to it. People who don’t lose are not honestly writing in EVERY MORSEL that hits the gums. It’s scientifically IMPOSSIBLE not to lose if the body is not getting the calories it needs to run, it goes to the reserves for fuel! We are wondrously and marvelously built. It is just that some have packed away more reserves than others.😁 As the saying goes..I wanted to lose 10 pounds this year. Only 13 to go.😁 IT TAKES DEDICATION and PATIENCE!!!!!!! Great post as always Diablo!👏👏👍 

You’re right on Diablo!!💪👍 IF helped me not stick garbage in my mouth all day long!!! I still had to track calories! 🙃 

I’ve gone from dishing up my hubby’s plate to asking, how many ounces do you want?! Who knew I would get so anal! Lol! 

LOL shrewdness That ending reminds me of my favorite little kitchen sign. It says "I'm on a 30 day diet, So far I've lost 15 days" LOL 

I never weighed anything when dieting before. Now I bite the bullet with portion sizes, and if I feel 100g of mince doesn't look enough, I'll pad it out with (weighed) veggies. It's working, and I'm not hungry between meals. Lost 20 pounds in a month(aware this will slow) and enjoying food for the first time in years. It also makes shopping cheaper as 700g of mince is 7 meals!😀 

Javadali, my husband actually gets upset with me when I want to weigh stuff because he just eyeballs it. TBH, I don't like weighing everything and my long-term goal is to eat mainly healthy (I know, I know, there is no healthy food, but I mean protein-rich, fiber-rich, nutrient-dense or low-cal-dense food) food and have a good idea of a normal portion size (for me). 

I am guilty of ballparking and guesstimating. Something rebellious, and probably self-sabotaging, inside of me just refuses to do it. But I do know the calories and various serving sizes of nearly everything I eat, so it seems to work out. For me the problem is sticking with it forever. 

Guys its simple, your closed fist is the amount of protein for your plate, your second closed fist should be everything else aka veggies, salad, sides ... that's the only rule to live by.  

Oh man, really? How many calories is in a fistful of peanut butter (or macadamia nuts, or salmon) vs. a fistful of shrimp or lowfat cottage cheese? Can't seem to lose weight? That's why. 

Nah, I prefer to do some simple math so that I can enjoy my diet and endure my deficit or surplus is small. This is how you fine tune a physique. 

Ensure* 

We all have to find what works for us. What we can stick to without regaining the fat or losing the muscle or both haha 

The plate portioning rule isn't a bad idea for people who just don't like tracking. Hard to overeat if you stick a fistful, even of fatty proteins and a fistful of starch or vegetables or even both. But I prefer tracking until I can accurately estimate the caloric value of a portion because I don't have to restrict myself to tiny portions or only low-cal foods this way, and I do not want to be in big deficit. 

*stick to 

I love it !!! Yes accurae counting does help !!! 

Accurate!!! 

Funny, i read this elsewhere earlier. But it’s true because it’s at least most people who always blame “something else” on why they’re not losing weight. Usually they don’t track foods and just go off a certain diet or certain restrictions, while that’s fine and dandy, it can still not be enough. I think most over complicate stuff, its simple, if you’re not seeing results in a month or 2 with what you’re doing, change it up, change the diet, eat less, workout, and hell sometimes it’s eating MORE that’ll make you lose, rather than less. I keep seeing posts here on people doing the same thing over and over because it may have worked years prior, but the body you have now isn’t the same body, and often times what worked then, probably won’t work as well now. But if you stick with the loophole, you’ll just keep looping, which is why most people struggle so much to lose, and continue to lose, or worse, go the opposite direction. Find what works best for ya, stick with it consistently, change it up when it stops, adjust as needed. basically it.  

I weigh my wine. 😬