Your diet needs to contain fat starch Cholesterol and salt that is what food
is made of. The question is how much of each, and how much of others do you
need.

Bob

I think that there is very little wrong with this. Dieting requires a
lot of "mental focus", you are seeing side effects of that. Erring in
this direction is more productive than erring in the other direction.

i

There's nothing wrong in spending the time to find those foods that fit
your new diet.  I think you'll find that as time goes on choosing the
right foods will become second nature and you won't be spending as much
time analyzing everything.

Hope the cold gets better soon.

Beverly - who has another sinus infection at the moment :(

I recall coming across a quotation attributed to Botvinnik that 'part
of playing chess is thinking what chess is.' Perhaps part of dieting is
thinking about dieting? I also spend more time thinking about food; but
that's better than the mindless eating I've done for the past 40 years.

Neil
385/352/200

some snippage...

Hey Andy,

I think many of us have been in your shoes...It's not a good place.

I think the single best thing I do to keep myself sane and on track is
to understand that there are no "bad" foods. I can eat whatever I
want--but not all at one time.

I think programs like Weight Watchers are excellent because they do more
to teach you about portion control and healthy eating habits. They don't
(last I knew) limit your food choices to one or two food groups, and
they offer flexibility for folks who need more variety in their diet.

Being a foodie, you should be able to scrounge up some healthy recipes
that fit your taste and lifestyle. Your omelette could be made with egg
whites or egg-beaters, and there's nothing wrong with avocado or
cheese--I eat both daily on maintenance. Your jumbo burger could be made
with lean beef or ground turkey breast. Or you could settle for a mini
version of your favorite meal, just to satisfy your longings...

If you live by the "eat less, exercise more" credo, and understand that
calories *do* matter, you'll get to where you want to be. For some of us
it takes years, for other a matter of months, because everyone is
different.

Good luck,

Amy

That's normal.  You're dealing with your health here, it's very important.
You're learning something new and it takes time.

For now that's not a bad thing.  Again, your health is at stake and needs to
be a priority.  Eventually the rest of your life will invade your thoughts
again.

I stopped watching Food TV at first.  I also went so far as to not watch
anything on live tv, just tape and TIVO so I could blast through the
commercials :)  Shopping is an art form.  It's one of my hobbies ya know.  I
read labels like crazy.

There's the spirit!

I'm with you there friend.  4 weeks and counting on this current
cold/respiratory infection.  Soldier on.

New habits to a while to ingrain.  Don't worry about it - It will
become gradually more automatic over time.

Pretty much the right forum for kvetching ...

I thought you said you were whining?  Looks like bragging to me.

I had to laugh when reading your post.  I'm obsessively checking and
rechecking everything in DietPower.  I figure it's a normal learning curve.
As I get to know foods and nutrients, I'm already worrying less about what
to eat.  Watching TV is torture with all the food ads!  In one hour, I
counted 7 food ads!  yikes.  You've already lost THIRTY pounds!?  Awesome.
And WAY TO GO on the smoking - both are a humungous accomplishment.  It's
freezing outside here too, but tomorrow I'm going on my first hike in five
years.  I don't care how freakin cold it is, I'm out there.  I might only
last 20 minutes, but it's better than nuttin.  Keep up the all consuming,
it's working!

While you're busy doing all this thinking, why not think about the fact
that your body needs fat, cholesterol, and sodium to function and that
cutting them all out completely is a silly idea?

Balance is the key.  

I try to be mindful of my food choices but I know what you mean. It can
take over your life! ;-)
On top of that I have people asking me all the time for 'my diet'.
I always think too much about food but at least I am obsessing about
eating healthy now. I still read all the cooking magazines but now with
an eye on what might be low fat and/or healthier. I try to cook up
batches of food once a week so I will have some portions in the
freezer. Made my turkey burgs on the new George Foreman (thanks for all
the tips everyone) and they were delicious and provided me with many
lunches on the run!
at least you are tinking about improving your life that is more than
most do and I am always glad to see someone whining so I can whine too!
It is way too cold here!!!

                                                         D