She-Groks Only.......... cuz it works different for us page 13

[Gravyboat]

I'm also focusing on reducing portions at dinner, and trying to rewire the part of my brain that thinks I need more food on my plate. Case in point: I made brats for dinner last night. Normally, I'd eat 1.5 of those bad boys. Last night I ate 1/2 of one. My brain saw that half a sausage on my plate and was all like, "NUH UH NO WAY ARE YOU GONNA BE SATISFIED." But when the meal was done and I'd eaten my veggies and my sausage and had my half-cup of kefir, I found...yeah, I was. And I didn't get hungry the rest of the evening.

Have you tried eating out of a big cereal bowl rather than off a plate? I find that cutting up smaller portions of meat and putting them on top of the vegetables in a big bowl makes it seem like more volume than it really is, and makes even a smaller portion look like the main attraction rather than an afterthought. And you won't be comparing it mentally to the portion you used to eat off a plate.

[namelesswonder]

I'll have to peruse this thread some other time, but I'm wondering if anyone uses Paragard. I'm tossing around the possibility of getting it (never had kids, but Gyn said it wouldn't be an issue). My concerns are heavy bleeding, for any kind of transition period or long-term (as a regular period). I had a very heavy flow ages 13-18 and I really don't want a repeat of that. If I ended up bleeding for a few months while my body adjusted, I could not handle that either. I guess there's no way of knowing how one's body will respond, just curious about people's experiences.

Because I forgot the flip side!

I was on oral BC (tried many different pill types and doses) for about 5 years, 18-23. I always had some kind of side effects, whether it was terrible cramping, really bad PMS, two periods in one month, tendency for developing migraines...you name it. I don't want to go hormonal again because I don't want to deal with ANY of that. My flow is great right now, fairly light after a few months of adjustment post-BC, I think going primal really helped with the heavy flow I used to have. I've also always been super regular. I guess I'm just feeling kind of desperate because Plan B is like all of the things I mentioned over a week or so, and I've been resorting to using it far too much because Boyfriend and I just can't get used to condoms. Dryness is a frequent issue and usually why we end up ditching them (drunk sex doesn't happen too often, but things usually end poorly then as well).

[Gravyboat]

Because I forgot the flip side!

I was on oral BC (tried many different pill types and doses) for about 5 years, 18-23. I always had some kind of side effects, whether it was terrible cramping, really bad PMS, two periods in one month, tendency for developing migraines...you name it. I don't want to go hormonal again because I don't want to deal with ANY of that. My flow is great right now, fairly light after a few months of adjustment post-BC, I think going primal really helped with the heavy flow I used to have. I've also always been super regular. I guess I'm just feeling kind of desperate because Plan B is like all of the things I mentioned over a week or so, and I've been resorting to using it far too much because Boyfriend and I just can't get used to condoms. Dryness is a frequent issue and usually why we end up ditching them (drunk sex doesn't happen too often, but things usually end poorly then as well).

Ah, I gotcha.

[Aliophile]

Glad to find this thread - not too concerned about the guys who poo-pooed its presence in the first place. Although I do think the mindset that women's needs are in no way different from men's ironically reflects the CW thinking in healthcare and research - you know, the fact that the majority of drug R&D tests are performed on male subjects because researchers get too thrown off by the hormonal fluctuations in female subjects. The result being that pretty much every drug on the market is tailored to male body chemistry.

Welcome to our world!

I for one have had a messed up reproductive system practically all my life - terrible cramps from the outset, then terrible cramps during ovulation due to my ovaries eing encased in endometrial tissue, then migraines at ovulation and when my period started, not to mention one or two additional migraines thrown in per month for good measure.

Guys don't have to deal with these issues. So, yeah guys, we are different and have different needs. Like my body's need to carry extra fat on my thighs, even when I was at 12% body fat.

I'm experiencing real improvement with going primal and at the moment am focusing on feeling good. Just the reduction in headaches and abdominal tenderness has me over the moon!

So keep it going, ladies! I'm right there beside you : )

And sorry for any typos. iPads have their drawbacks!

[onalark]

Have you tried eating out of a big cereal bowl rather than off a plate? I find that cutting up smaller portions of meat and putting them on top of the vegetables in a big bowl makes it seem like more volume than it really is, and makes even a smaller portion look like the main attraction rather than an afterthought. And you won't be comparing it mentally to the portion you used to eat off a plate.

Yeah, I've tried the small plates approach in the past. May have to do so again. Thanks for the idea.

The problem is when, say, I'm dishing out pot roast at dinner. One slice just doesn't seem like enough. It is. It totally is. But in the moment, my hunter-gatherer brain WANT MOAR FOOD NAO.

[Rodulu]

Yeah, I've tried the small plates approach in the past. May have to do so again. Thanks for the idea.

The problem is when, say, I'm dishing out pot roast at dinner. One slice just doesn't seem like enough. It is. It totally is. But in the moment, my hunter-gatherer brain WANT MOAR FOOD NAO.

Maybe you could try what my DH is doing... He puts what he wants on his plate, and then makes a point of leaving 1-2 bites left - even if he's hungry. It's his portion control/self control exercise and it's helping him be stronger about saying "Self, I don't have to eat it just because it's there". Start with one bite, then work up to two bites, then three, then a whole slice, etc.

[Leida]

oh, my... love this thread!

Two issues I struggle with as a woman:
Is there a healthy legitimate way to look firm with no bulges on thighs without starving oneself to unsustainable BF% levels?
What to do about birth control? I would really to be off BCP, but on another hand I just HATE periods (and Seasonale gives me only 4 a year!) and on another - I am really afraid that by some miracle we'll get pregnant, which will be a huge trauma for us.

The smaller issue is fruit. I love fruit so much, but I am insanely better off without sweeteners and sugars. Crap.

[Aliophile]

oh, my... love this thread!

Is there a healthy legitimate way to look firm with no bulges on thighs without starving oneself to unsustainable BF% levels?

Adding muscle to your legs really does wonders for the bulges as it gives your legs a nice curve in the thigh. I'm not sure what body type you have but that worked wonders for me. Oh, until I put on these 25 pounds in two months time, that is! It's already slowly melting off on paleo - the tragedy is, no matter how much lean mass I have and how low my body fat % is I'll always have fat on my inner and outer knees. I'm seriously considering lipo.

[Gravyboat]

Yeah, I've tried the small plates approach in the past. May have to do so again. Thanks for the idea.

Small plates don't actually work as well for me, because I think "Damn, what a crappy tiny plate.. Small portion size, ugh." The big bowls work a lot better because I think "Oh, what a big bowl! This thing is probably bigger than my stomach, damn!" Even though they hold basically the same amount of food. It's all psychological.

Also, the smaller "view port" (if you will) on the bowl compared to even a small plate means a smaller portion of meat totally covers the other food (which is piled up vertically) so the meat portion looks bigger than it is.

The problem is when, say, I'm dishing out pot roast at dinner. One slice just doesn't seem like enough. It is. It totally is. But in the moment, my hunter-gatherer brain WANT MOAR FOOD NAO.

I totally getcha, I used to have the same problem. My eyes were ALWAYS bigger than my stomach. I know, for me, it partly had to do with being worried there would be no more for me later if I wanted it, because someone else would probably eat it first (this was when I lived with family and was completely miserable). So I tried to grab as much of the good stuff for my plate as I could whenever possible. Incidentally, this also came with other hoarding behaviors, which is interesting but not relevant to the conversation.

Doing the leptin reset and subsequently being able to feel satiated without being stuffed helped a lot too. Even if I have food left on my plate, I just get to a point where I feel done and am not interested in taking any more bites. So I put foil over my plate and put it in the fridge for later. Eventually I just learned what portion of food I end up actually eating and only took that much. Having to wrap up your plate is a hassle so it's a good motivator to figure it out and take less next time (ime).

Eating from a bowl helped too, partly since (as mentioned) I can visualize the size of my stomach. When I eat anything now, I just put it in the bowl and fill it up with food to the same point. No matter what food it is: soup, curry, salad, pulled pork stir fry, bacon and eggs, etc. I know now due to trial and error exactly what amount satisfies me, and I just fill it up to that point every time. It's brainless and there's no guesswork involved, which is nice.

[AnnCap]

Because I forgot the flip side!

I was on oral BC (tried many different pill types and doses) for about 5 years, 18-23. I always had some kind of side effects, whether it was terrible cramping, really bad PMS, two periods in one month, tendency for developing migraines...you name it. I don't want to go hormonal again because I don't want to deal with ANY of that. My flow is great right now, fairly light after a few months of adjustment post-BC, I think going primal really helped with the heavy flow I used to have. I've also always been super regular. I guess I'm just feeling kind of desperate because Plan B is like all of the things I mentioned over a week or so, and I've been resorting to using it far too much because Boyfriend and I just can't get used to condoms. Dryness is a frequent issue and usually why we end up ditching them (drunk sex doesn't happen too often, but things usually end poorly then as well).

Have you tried Nuva Ring. I have been on it for many years now and I love it. I also have a friend that was on oral birth control that had the same problems as you. Once she switched to Nuva Ring, most of the issues went away.

I feel your pain about the BF and condoms. My BF and I will never be able to go back to using those awful things.