So I started the GTD yesterday though I am having some troubles trying to adjust to all the food to eat. I am pretty sure somebody told me there is no need to count calories?

I have been on a low calorie diet but I mainly keep track of my calories to make sure I eat enough. When I eat healthy, I do find it hard to eat enough calories.  

How do you do it? Do you just make sure you eat all the recommended servings?

I went shopping this morning and it's very hard to find the veggies that are recommended. Also 6 servings of Veggies is SO MUCH FOOD, I don't even get near eating all that??? It says a serving of vegetables is 1 Cup. So what if I eat an avocado, do I eat a cup? I guess I am confused on servings too.

I let the SWAMI determine my portions for me but if I change it to small servings then I lose my meat and only drop 1 serving of veggies. Not worth it, I like my meat~

Also, the Uni-bar is for between meals or meal replacement. What food category do I deduct from? How many servings or food groups is in the uni-bar. Does that make sense?  

One more thing before I forget. On the drinks if you drink juice does that go against your fruit servings or is fruit and fruit juice separate?

Some count calories but the diet is designed for servings. Adjust your serving size and number of to acheive the desired result within what's given. You aren't meant to starve yourself, this is a plan to live by. The servings are designed for your weight loss target.

Count the item towards the catagory it is listed in. Unibars just do whatever seems sensible.

In fact, just do sensible the whole way. It's not meant to be exacting. Once you get used to eating the right way the balance will come naturally with no need to count.

Oh, and veggies are fun!  

half an avocado would be a cup cubed.....more or less

OK, I'll just have to go with it and see how I do. For some reason I don't feel very hungry lately. Certainly not starving but I do have to make sure I am eating enough. So far eating all the veggies is the hardest part. I like Veggies, it's just a lot of food for me.

Quoted Text

it's just a lot of food for me

who would have thought following a lifestyle plan not a diet, could be so satisfying!!


the great majority feel deprived and hungry when they
start a diet.....

I would not bother so much about the serving sizes suggested, unless I am overweight and have relatively slow metabolism (eg, gatherer metabolism). Take the recommended sizes as tentative and have your own sizes and see for about a month and see if this leads to overweight or some other problems and then change the sizes, if necessary. Good luck!

Cooked veggies tend to be easier to fill up on than raw veggies. It's easier to eat half a cup of cooked spinach than a cup of raw lettuce (greens shrink when cooked)- you're able to consume more food (and more calories and more nutrients) when you eat them cooked- raw veggies make you feel full faster and you just can't eat as much.

What exactly is in the uni-bar? I don't use them so I can't go look at a package. Is it grains? Fruit? Nuts?

You can look at the Unibar ingredients on the NAP page but the Chocolate Cherry has Chocolate, cherries, rice bran, agave syrup.
Jane

If you throw your raw veggies into a food processor, and shred them up it is easier to get them into you, mixed in just about anything you eat.
I found this out because I can't wear my bottom denture at this time, due to it fitting poorly, so chewing was impossible.

Thanks for the suggestions. I need to go shopping again, I don't have near enough veggies to get by, lolol. I use to have this problem with fruit (had to force myself) so I know it can be over come. Just have to find what works.

The Uni Bar is Organic Agave Syrup, Egg Whites, Almonds, Flax Meal, Dried Blueberries, rice bran, Organic crisp brown rice and natural blueberry flavor. 220 calories. That's the blueberry almond. I tried the cherry too but don't have the wrapper.

OK, so the unibar has protein, nuts, fruits, and grains in it, but probably not a full serving of protein. I think I'd call it one serving of nuts, and a serving each of grains and fruits.

Chocolate Cherry: http://www.4yourtype.com/prodinfo.asp?number=NP051

I find myself hungry more often eating this way, but it's actual growling stomach hunger.  I don't have the continual munchies or cravings so I'm not always stuffing food down like I used to.  

15g Protein= a bit more than 2 oz of meat in comparison (7 per oz) if that info helps anyone.

Quoted from Plucky

I find myself hungry more often eating this way, but it's actual growling stomach hunger.  I don't have the continual munchies or cravings so I'm not always stuffing food down like I used to.  

I feel that way too. I don't feel the compulsion to eat because eating is fun--which is how I often feel otherwise. I enjoy the food I have without feeling "addicted" to it. I sometimes become intensely hungry, I guess because I tend to wait longer to eat. Maybe the diet has made me less insulin resistant and thus less hungry. I think that when we secrete too much insulin our appetites can get stimulated. My lack of compulsion to eat is sort of surprising, given how much fruit I have and the fact that my diet isn't geared as particularly low-glycemic.

I go by servings. I tend to keep a food diary and can generally follow whether I'm in line with the servings.

I think I counted it towards the carbs (beans/nuts), can't remember now. I don't want to go against my meat. If anything I crave more meat. I kind of think I might not be as hungry either cause I know I have to eat the veggies, haha. Your right the body wants to eat, when it gets all those bad carbs. I'm feeling pretty good though, still no hunger pains or dizzy spells or anything to make me stop. My tummy has been feeling a lot better too, I'm thinking without the wheat. I didn't really think dairy bothered me but it may very well have.

Does anybody take calcium? How much should I be taking since I'm not getting dairy anymore. I only drank maybe 1/2 cup of milk now and then but I take a multi-vitman. Still don't think I get near enough calcium.

dairy isn t the best form of calcium......your greens are!

no worries, make sure you get your greens, and all your calcium containing SFs and Diamonds....

I also drink a lot of bone broths (broths made with bones, such as chicken or turkey or beef soup) and I try to eat small fish with the bones. Those are super-high in calcium (the sardines I buy contain 70% RDA for calcium per can, 1 can is a serving) but I'm not always consistent about eating sardines.