Thinking today of everything I have been eating lately I realized that my diet has eased a bit. Not meaning that I cheat more, but that I have laid off stressing counting calories, but am very aware of how much I am taking in. Let me clarify that last staement a bit...Since I eat almost the same base foods (tuna, chicken, meat) I can now pretty much mentally calculate how many calories Im taking in. So I spend less time on fitday trying to figure out what I ate. On the bad note, I have reached a plateau point and I know it. I feel like maybe this new train of thought has effected my fatloss...and surprisingly enough it doesnt bother me. I was on a HUGE race to have a 6-pack by the summer, then I realized that I am currently at 12% and I know dropping to those lower % will be a difficult task. Could I do it, Sure I could, but I would have to be 100% concentrated on my diet instead of being happy with how much progress I have made so far and will do in the future . I understand now what Jeremy and John mean by "lifestyles", I have become so used to these "healthy foods" that I really dont dread eating them anymore. Do I still have my cheats, Yes, but I decided that I will stop trying to "eat everything in sight" and instead have a nice day where I dont have to worry about the things I eat. Well, I thought I would share my little epiphany and see what others thought.

Supa

Well, I thought I would share my little epiphany and see what others thought.

I think everyone who changes their lifestyle as many here have eventually make this realization.

Quite simply, the entire process of transforming your body and your lifestyle becomes natural. Caloric intake becomes a non-issue; it's no longer necessary to record or continuously track/check calories. Exercise becomes a standard throughout your week that you feel incomplete without engaging in. You know what you need to do to maintain, to bulk or to cut body fat with little thought given to the idea. You become comfortable with your healthier lifestyle and it ceases to be work; it just becomes... your life. You learn to allow yourself some "guilty pleasures" that may still linger from your former self.

Or at least... that's how I see it.

-R

Amen to that, thast what I felt above but in a MUCH shorter version :)

I think everyone who changes their lifestyle as many here have eventually make this realization.

Quite simply, the entire process of transforming your body and your lifestyle becomes natural. Caloric intake becomes a non-issue; it's no longer necessary to record or continuously track/check calories. Exercise becomes a standard throughout your week that you feel incomplete without engaging in. You know what you need to do to maintain, to bulk or to cut body fat with little thought given to the idea. You become comfortable with your healthier lifestyle and it ceases to be work; it just becomes... your life. You learn to allow yourself some "guilty pleasures" that may still linger from your former self.

Or at least... that's how I see it.

-R

if it doesn't become a lifestyle, it won't work.

on the other hand, my diet is only temporary. i'm not cutting forever. but, i'll watch what i eat forever. i'll be concientious forever. that is my new lifestyle. not work. not a problem, but a pleasure.

without that -- it won't work.

in addition to that...

i almost look at eating junk food as morally wrong now. i shake my head at 80% of the crap in the grocery store.

in addition to that...

i almost look at eating junk food as morally wrong now. i shake my head at 80% of the crap in the grocery store.

I wouldn't say morally wrong, but it's definatelly no longer appealing at all to me. I remember when I was younger, I could down a whole bag of dorritos in one sitting if I wanted because I liked the taste. Now, it just tastes so bland and artificial, totally unfullfilling. If you're gonna "cheat" or whatever, atleast make it worth while with some really good food like pizza or fried chicken. There's no need to be paying huge amounts of money on prepackaged junk food :) It's also way less tempting at home since you don't have the option to eat it if you dont ever buy it.

I agree wholeheartedly, and that's why I tell people to do the BFL plan. Counting calories is good for starters, but after a while, it DOES become tedious, and you already can estimate the total intake by knowing the statistics of the foods you eat.

I never used to count calories until recently. For the past month, I've been checking out my caloric intake, and it's shocked me. I've just naturally ended up eating what I needed to maintain my weight/activity level, with no consideration to macros whatsoever. I do tend to eat more carbs than other people, and I do this because I love to run and do endurance sports. I know the Glycemic Index and slow release carbs, so I try to eat those.

I also am just aware to cut out processed foods, unhealthy fats, and other 'junk' food that I know is bad for me. I think that, alone, made the biggest difference for me. Of course, I'll eat junk every so often, but I do that only every so often. It tastes great, but if you eat it everyday, well, it starts losing that wonderfulness that makes it a 'cheat.'

I don't see junk food as morally wrong, though. I believe corporate america does bear some responsibility for trying to keep the general population healthy, but I also understand their main goal is to stay in business and make money. If people, and we're talking the majority here, want to get obese and eat junk food, fine. As that small, ELITE, % of educated folk who give a damn about their health, we'll just take pride in knowing that we make the correct choices in life.

:tucool:


I think everyone who changes their lifestyle as many here have eventually make this realization.

Quite simply, the entire process of transforming your body and your lifestyle becomes natural. Caloric intake becomes a non-issue; it's no longer necessary to record or continuously track/check calories. Exercise becomes a standard throughout your week that you feel incomplete without engaging in. You know what you need to do to maintain, to bulk or to cut body fat with little thought given to the idea. You become comfortable with your healthier lifestyle and it ceases to be work; it just becomes... your life. You learn to allow yourself some "guilty pleasures" that may still linger from your former self.

Or at least... that's how I see it.

-R