Alexis' 5-bite Journey

So, are you saying you are not hungry at 11?

If so, what about having lunch at 1pm and dinner at 5pm?

Ok, so i just prepared a cheesy egg wrap and as I was putting ketchup on it, some of the reasons why I like 5-bites came rushing back to me. 5-bite is allowing me to be a part of the world AS I lose weight. I am not depriving, eliminating, abstaining from. avoiding, cutting out things TO lose weight and then either NEVER eating them again or bingeing on them after they are allowed. On 5-bites EVERYTHING is allowed. every single thing. One of them being ketchup!! Oh how I missed having ketchup on my eggs and these are things I couldn't have with other diets. Everyone has an opinion when it comes to weight loss. Eat this, don't eat that. Eat this many times. Eat only these snacks. etc. etc. I think nutrition information is very important and I love reading about it, but honestly sometimes it really may be as simple as EAT LESS!! A LOT LESS!! I think the beauty of 5-bites is the stomach shrinking, which eventually eliminates so much of the uncomfortable hunger. I've tried low cal diets before and the hunger never gets better. never. It's like they want you to fill up on salad all day to help with the hunger.

The issue with 5-bites is that we are left with the mental hunger and boy can that mental hunger get intense. The foods I have in the kitchen must flash through my mind a million times a day lol. It's up to me to reign my mental hunger in. I have noticed that my mental hunger is shrinking too. Like right now I am about to eat 5 bites of my egg sandwich without leaving a bite for dessert. Last week I ate a dessert bite with every meal because I was so giddy about it being allowed. Now that I can literally eat it all day long (within 5-bites) it has lost some of it's appeal. I have ice cream, cookie butter, a box full of snickers, big jars of nutella, and it's all ALLOWED so I don't need to sneak around and cheat to have them. That is a really great feeling. For once, I am starting to feel "normal" about food even though I have a million pounds to lose before I actually look "normal" lol.

So the other thing I worked on this weekend was putting together some "thinspiration" lol. I don't find it motivating to look at skinny people/celebrities. That actually sends me running straight into a pint of hagen daz. What I look forward to the most when I think about being a skinny chic is the freedom to EAT whatever I want without guilt and glaring eyes. I want to look like I am thin effortlessly and have the luxury of eating whatever I want without weight gain. So I got some pics of skinny girls EATING and eating A LOT lol. I am so weird, I know.

Stay strong everyone. We can and will do this.

Hey snow white,

I was writing while you posting lol. No, I am not hungry at 11:00 AM. It was interesting stopping my meals at 3 PM but I can't really work with that schedule. I will just eat when hungry at whatever time that is. Today, I ate at 11:00 AM because I wanted to eat with my family.

Second set of 5-bites:

B: nothing (not even coffee)
L: 5 bites of egg wrap
D: 4 bites of cheeseburger, 1 bite of a dessert

So in the past when I have been dieting my family's food choices have been very limited since it's hard for me to cook what I can't eat lol. For example, when I did zero carb I had ZERO cravings for anything other than meat so it was hard to be creative with dinners or make them fun and interesting. I also avoided sweets, desserts, breads, and most carbs in the house for fear that I would fall off plan. With this diet, I am free to dream up yummy stuff and add lots more variety in them. I can just make them at home without always ordering out for everyone else and cooking myself a steak. I know my family really appreciates 5-bites lol.

Great pic! Now for me I would need to have some chips & dip on the menu! : ))))

love the post with the pic! everything you said i TOTALLY agree with ... i need to "hear" that.
and i love the pic!

rmontalvan and Snow White, I am glad you liked the post.

So I didn't weigh myself this morning. I am going to switch to once a week. I figured 5-bite diet is all I have left to do so obsessing over the numbers on the scale isn't helping me. Every time I think the numbers are moving to slow I get back on the internet to look for ways to tweak, change, and re-arrange so I am giving up the scale and trusting the process. I have a box of snickers that I need to just EAT already and I need a break from cooking and preparing meals this week. I've decided to just do snickers for a while and see how that goes. I know that other foods are always an option for me so I don't feel deprived.

B: coffee w/hazelnut creamer - just a tad
L: 1 snickers to go bar, which I think is just slightly smaller than the regular snickers.
D: will post but I am planning to eat another bar on my way home at 6:00PM.

My game plan tonight is to get to bed AS EARLY as possible to ward off any late night binging. I feel a little shaky just having the snickers bars. I am secretly hoping that this consistency in volume and calories brings some weight loss. I have a party on Friday at my daughter's school and it would have been nice to be 195 by then LOL, but I am will be happy with whatever I get. I do notice that my tummy is much flatter than before and my jeans are extremely baggy.

I read that a doctor named Henry Snead also prescribes his patients with a low cal diet of 400 calories a day to get them to lose fast and A LOT. I downloaded his book and that is helping me to stick with this and get the job done.

Alright, good luck today everyone. When you feel tempted to have extra bites just think about how much TASTIER those bites will be when you are at GOAL weight.

Ughh, so it's about to be 4 PM and although I am not STARVING, I am feeling somewhat hungry. I already had my 5 bites and now I need to wait until at least 6 PM to have my "dinner". Luckily in 10 minutes, I will have two back to back sessions so I won't have time to focus on this empty stomach feeling I have now.

I knew my BIG BITES were bigger than a snickers bars lol. I'm sure I shrunk my stomach but probably not as small as the size of a snickers. This isn't as bad as my first day on the plan, but it is kind of like starting again. I am going to really have to push through because my stomach is actually making a bit of a growling noise too.

Thankfully I did a lot of reading this weekend and I know that I have PLENTY of fat on my body to provide my body with energy. My body better get to work breaking down some fat cells because I am NOT FEEDING it until 6PM and it WILL ONLY GET 5-BITES LOL. It's time for a little tough love and putting my foot (fork) down!! lol

Great job, Alexis! I am soooooooooooo proud of you! Great job distracting yourself with your work! When I have eaten the Snickers bars for a meal they give me severe diarrhea! They are pretty densely packed with calories! So I'm sure 5 bites of regular food is just fine for your tummy. I'm sure you didn't stretch it or anything! Keep up the great work! ; )))))))))))))

Thanks, snow white. That mental hunger is fierce, but I resisted until 6PM and had 5-bites of snickers. The funny thing is it was kinda nice feeling *real* hunger. I know that has not been something I've really felt in a long time. Out bodies really do *speak* to us. Unfortunately, I've had weight issues for most of my life so my body and I don't have the kind of relationship we should. I know I don't appreciate it enough, compliment it enough, or take good care of it all the time. 5-bites is helping me to change all of that and really see just how strong my body can be.

I am tempted to weigh-in this morning because somehow in my mind the scale will say 165lbs lol. Our mind can really play tricks on us.

Alright, another day worth fighting for. Luckily, it's been chilly and raining in my area so I get to be covered up for a few more days. When temptation strikes, remember that summer is coming for us whether we weigh 125 or 521 so stick to the bites folks.

Your doing great I've always preferred the real hunger over the mental as well the mental hunger reminds me of quitting smoking a few years ago

Oh look, it's one of my 5-bite heros!!!!!!!!! I need to lose 100lbs too, Dmac and reading your entire (yes, you read that right) journal was a joy. I am hanging in there until I get it done. Thanks so much for dropping by my journal.

hi Alexis, you're doing awesome!

i haven't really been posting just bc although i've been sticking to 5bites, there isn't anything really new to report in terms of weight loss. just wanted to let you know, i've been reading your journal and its giving me so much inspiration to keep plugging along.

Aww, thanks Amu!

Well today I weighed in and I am 242lbs!!. Only 3 pounds away from being in the 30's. I am trying not to get ahead of myself and just keep moving forward. Yesterday's 5 bites wen't well. I am getting use to only eating the snickers bar. I was still hungry 2 hours after, but thankfully I am so busy at work that I can't focus too much on the hunger. After all, it really does go away if I ignore it. I get such a sense of power knowing that I have the power to determine when and how much I eat. It's not easy though. Yesterday, there was a party and I almost buckled lol. The smell of pizza should be a perfume because I know very few people who can resist it. I stayed away but the aroma just kept following me. Within an hour most of it was already eaten and then there was no more temptation lol. I did tell a small fib by telling some people I already had a slice. I think sometimes with dieting the less others know the better.

Ok, I am so late this morning. Stay strong everyone. We can do it.

Don't feel bad about lying about your food...it's none of anyone's business!!!! : )))))

You are so right, snow white. It is no one's business. Today someone was taking orders for a really nice restaurant to order from for tomorrow and I casually declined. I know if I try to eat those for my bites it will be just too tempting to only eat 5 bites. I am so close to the 30's I don't want to risk it.

So my bites are going well.

B: coffee with probably too much cream
L: 5 bites snickers
S: some Celestial Seasonings cinnamon and Apple spice tea (woa! I had no idea this tea was so delicious)
D: 5 bites snickers

I am so glad another day is done and over with.

Starting: 253lbs
Current: 239lbs (not a typo lol)
14lbs to date since beginning and that is 3lbs overnight. Wow, amazing. I got on the scale twice in total disbelief. This is much earlier than I expected to be in the 30's and I am thrilled.

Alright, this will put an extra pep in my step today. Stay encouraged folks, 5-bite will get us where we want to be.

Alexis,

I'm new here but reading your journal is inspiring.. Keep up the great work and I love the pic, it's so great to see that you can eat what you want in moderation and get skinny.. It's such a great motivational pic..

Alexis, I am soooooooooooooooooooooo proud of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, good job declining ordering in from the nice restaurant! You are doing great and are an inspiration to all of us!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aww, thanks mommieof2 and snow white. I have been working hard and I feel so determined to just stick this out. So as I was saying in snow white's journal, I actually READ the calorie count on the starbucks drinks today and then I bought a drink that was only 110 calories (one of the lowest on the wall). I think I have been drinking Starbucks for a million years and have never read the calorie count of their drinks or the calorie count of any other restaurant lol. When you are fat and only getting fatter what's 100 calories versus 1,000? I seemed to gain weight just by waking up and taking a deep breath lol

But today I felt so "skinny" drinking my "mocha light" frap and it really gave me a glimpse into what maintenance will look like for me. I also realized that my 100 cal drink was DELICIOUS and just knowing it was so low cal took away the guilt I usually have drinking shakes. I want to get these habits in now and fight like HECK to keep the weight off after it's all said and done. Oh I decided to try to track my bites in fitnesspal. I am mostly eating the same thing everyday, but I figure it might be good to get that tracking habit in place now. I had no idea coffee can have so many calories depending on what you put into it. geez. It's been helpful in getting me to slow down with the heavy cream, hazelnut creamer, and packets of sugar.

Tomorrow I am going to party and plan on having 5 small bites of pizza and 5 *small* bites of cake (lunch and dinner combined). If the mood strikes me then I will only have 3 bites of pizza and 2 bites of cakes. I don't know. I'll figure it out there. I don't want to have to strict of a game plan and then totally blow it because it is too strict.

Well I am off to bed. I am glad to some action on the forum today. I hope more regulars come back to say hello and tell us about their amazing results.

great job getting into the 230's!

Alexis, Keep up the good work and enjoy your party, but keep your eye on the prize(being Thin), I believe you are strong enough to resist and reach your ultimate weight. I will be here to root you and all the other ladies one.. Have an awesome day and I say don't worry about what people think, tell them your just not hungry or you don't have the taste for whatever the food may be that day..

I survived the party!! I had three tiny bites of my dominos pizza (ugh that was hard to throw away) and then I asked that a :kid size: slice of cake be cut for me and had a few bites of that. I quickly threw it away and just enjoyed everyone's company. There was a really thin mom there who I am friendly with and when I saw her throw the rest of her TINY dominos slice away, I used that as motivation to throw the rest of my slice away too and I threw out more than her (HA! take that skinny mommy).

Unfortunately, right before I left one of the teachers gave me a HUGE slice of cake to take home and it's sitting on one the kitchen table now. I will do my best to fight off this urge to eat it (all of it lol).

Thanks, Amu for the kind words and thanks mommieof2 for the advice. No one even batted an eye about anything I did or did not do food wise anyway. It's weird because my weight can often make me feel like an outsider (I was the biggest mom there) and yet, I rationalize eating a bunch of calories because I want to "fit in" at the moment, but then 10 additional pounds later (from the calories eaten) causes me to I feel like even more of an outsider!!. We are such complicated beings lol. You know what? I will not binge on that cake!! I will cut myself a small slice and THROW THE REST AWAY!

I can't wait to read about everyone else's day.

Ok, so I couldn't bring myself to throw the cake away. It's so beautiful and delicious looking lol. But I took a step in the right direction by dividing it up into three smaller "skinny girl" pieces and put them in Tupperware. I am taking a lesson from starbucks - smaller size = less calories. That felt good and now I can enjoy that cake all weekend instead of just the 5 minutes it would have taken to eat it all lol.

Alright, I am off to put my bites into myfitness journal and see what my calorie range is already before my dinner bites. I might skip my dinner bites since I don't feel too hungry now and I probably ate my 5 bites between the pizza and the cake. It was hard to count while chatting and keeping track of a bunch of preschoolers. I just know I threw a good amount away!

Alexis,

Way to go girl!!! I was literally laughing out loud at the "Take that Skinny Mommy" comment. Way to fight back and take control of your food intake. Also good job on splitting the cake, isn't it awesome when you know you can have it but you get to savor it and have it through the whole weekend. I have a pot luck I'm going to on Sunday and I'm not the least bit intimidated because I know that I don't have to gorge myself and I can eat whatever I want in smaller portions and even take some home if need be.. Keep up the good work.