I’m totally in sync with you, Amy!! Great observations!
Chsitinam – why are you asking what works for Amy? You already outlined what you KNOW works for YOU. You’re listening, and hearing what your body is saying – that’s the KEY! You’ve GOT IT! Your intuition is RIGHT!
:)
I got here by trying to learn more about nutrition and what my body actually needs from “experts”. My husband at one point said, “you just want someone to tell you what to eat”… which is partially right.
We even made an appointment with a dietitian – but then found out it will be $800 (going through a medical clinic with an RD) and our insurance won’t cover it… so.. nix’d that one.
Since then, all my reading is pointing to the fact that we are all individuals, from a great diversity of genetics and environmental factors… so the “one diet fits all” that so many gurus our there are advertising as ‘the answer’ – are wrong. It might be the right diet – for some… but most definitely not all.
The E4H / DR2 philosophy, as I read it, is to stop listening to the diet police. Listen to your body. Feed it. Once it realizes that you won’t be starving it any longer, and that it will be getting sufficient calories to operate, it will start to send you clues as to what kind of calories you need… i.e. carb/protein/fat/liquids etc…. and how many. At that point, I’m guessing you stop craving Big Macs (which I don’t), and instead want a real grass-fed steak with a side of roasted broccoli and maybe some real mashed potatoes (mmmm, actually, that sounds good right now!).
During one diet phase, we just did the 3/8 rule. When your hunger is at a level 3, eat. When it hits an 8, stop. We actually did lose weight that way, slowly (by – gasp! – listening to our bodies!). And, when Amy mentions that “a year or two later” the weight dropped off… that might be another key… this is not a FAST way to lose weight and get skinny, but it should be a healthy way to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
We just need to tune in to the piece of Mother Nature that resides in ourselves, and pay attention!