Learning Calorie Restriction

It did take me a few months to get used to counting calories and nutrients. I found help online by reading blogs written by fellow Cr people. Reading what foods they were eating and how much really gave me a good start.
Two of the best blogs is Mary's cron diaries and April's cr blog.
I still had to find foods that I liked and knew what I could eat and not feel deprived. I can honestly say I have found a comfortable place. I enjoy the foods I eat and I look forward to the meals and cooking them.

Cravings
I was very hungry at first and still had food cravings for loads of carbs. All that finally passed. I don't eat any wheat products, rice, potatoes, milk products except non-fat cottage cheese and a bit of goat cheese.
I eat lots of green veggies, fresh and frozen and usually organic. I buy hormone free beef, chicken, pork and wild caught fish. I have fish twice a week. My protein serving is always 4 to 5 oz. and always weighed.

My fruit, right now, is berries, blackberries, raspberries, and blue berries. About 3 cups of this mixture a day. I find apples today, while crisp and juicy, are over sweet, way too big and flat tasting. Tasteless except for the sweet. I won't have commercial apples ever again. I am seriously thinking about planting my own apple tree if I can find an heirloom variety.

How I got started
I checked my calorie needs very carefully and know how many I need to maintain my thin self. I then reduced this by 20%. The weight is coming off fairly slow by other dieters stats, but for me it is perfect. I am happy with a 4 to 5 pound loss a month.
After I lose the weight, 19 more pounds, I will adjust my calories again. I will eat what my body needs - 10%. To find out how much you should weigh for optimal health.
For 5 ft give yourself 100 pounds
add 5 pounds for every inch above 5 ft.
I am 5ft 6in so my weight should be 130, for optimal health - 13 pounds. So I would like to be 117 pounds or very close to it.

Eliminate refined carbohydrates
Modifying the diet to eliminate refined carbohydrates and focusing on high quality protein and good fats will gradually train the body to burn more fat and less sugar. This has worked for me and continues to work. I am amazed how good it is working for me. I am 141 pounds and so much thinner than I ever was when eating milk and grains along with loads of cheese. I am convinced they are what made me feel puffy all the time. I wonder if I have an allergy to them.

Overeating
I now stop eating when the food I had weighed is gone. I am never stuffed and always satisfied. What a fantastic feeling. I remember getting that overstuffed feeling almost everyday. So full it actually hurt. I love having this new feeling of being in control of what I eat and when. Now if I binge it is always with fruit and I do it fairly often. I still manage to keep it within my calorie range. Amazing how enhanced my life is with Calorie Restriction in it.

I am currently 141 pounds, wear a size 7 and joined a gym this week. I picked a gym that suits my style. I am not exercising to lose weight but to gain muscle. I wanted to lose most of my weight by controlling my food intake not by exercising. It was food that made me fat and I knew I wanted to learn how to eat. I am now comfortable enough to exercise and enjoy it. Did I say how much I love Calorie Restriction, did I need to?